The Baptismal Divine Liturgy

Facing the West, the region of darkness, the candidate renounces Satan; then, turning to the East, the region of light and of Paradise, he unites himself to Christ and confesses the Faith. This turning of the whole body is the first act of a life reoriented toward God.

The same words that open every Divine Liturgy open the Baptism, for Baptism is the door into the Kingdom of God. Here the Liturgy and the Mystery of new birth are woven into one service, and the newly-baptized will receive the Eucharist at the same altar into which he has just been born.

"Great art Thou, O Lord" is one of the most ancient prayers of the Church. In blessing the font, the priest recalls the whole work of God, from the creation of the world to Christ's own Baptism in the Jordan, so that this small vessel of water becomes, for the one baptized, the very river of new birth.

As the wrestlers of old anointed their bodies before the contest, the one to be baptized is anointed with the oil of gladness before descending into the water. It is the armor of a soldier of Christ, given for the healing of soul and body and for the strength to walk in the way of the commandments.

The threefold immersion is a burial and a resurrection. Going down into the water, the one baptized dies with Christ; rising from it three times, he is raised with Him. This is why St. Paul calls Baptism a being "buried with Him" so as to "walk in newness of life."

The white robe is the garment of the Resurrection, the wedding garment of the Kingdom. Having put off the old man in the water, the newly-baptized is clothed in Christ Himself, "who covers Himself with light as with a garment."

Chrismation is the personal Pentecost of every Christian. With the fragrant Holy Chrism, consecrated by the bishops, the newly-baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, sealed on every sense so that his whole life may be lived in the Spirit.

On this day the baptismal readings are joined to those appointed for the day, as is the custom of the Liturgy. St. Paul teaches what has just happened at the font, that we are buried and raised with Christ; and the Lord Himself gives the command under which the whole rite is done: "Go, baptize all nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Where the Great Litany responds once, this litany responds three times. The triple "Lord, have mercy" expresses deeper urgency, calling on God not as a formality, but with the full weight of the community's need.

In earlier centuries the dismissal of catechumens was a solemn and literal act. The doors of the church were closed and guarded. The Liturgy that followed was considered so sacred that it was not to be witnessed by those not yet baptized.

With the catechumens departed, these two short litanies draw the congregation into final preparation for the Eucharistic offering. They mark the solemn boundary between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Faithful.

The Great Entrance mirrors the journey of Christ to His voluntary sacrifice. The bread and wine, now carried to the altar, will become His Body and Blood. We receive the King of all.

The shift from "Lord, have mercy" to "Grant it, O Lord" signals a change in tone. The litanies of supplication ask not only for mercy but for specific gifts: peace, an angel of peace, a Christian ending to our life.

Formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and completed at Constantinople in 381, the Creed is the universal confession of the Orthodox Church. All who believe stand and sing it together.

The Anaphora, meaning "offering," is the central prayer of the Eucharist. The words of institution from the Last Supper are spoken, and the Holy Spirit is called upon to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

This litany draws the faithful into final preparation before approaching the chalice. The petitions for "a Christian ending to our life" remind us that every Liturgy is a rehearsal for death and resurrection.

The Lord's Prayer, given by Christ in Matthew 6, is sung by the whole congregation immediately before Communion. We approach the chalice as those whom Christ has made worthy to call God "Father."

Only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared through fasting, prayer, and recent confession receive the Holy Gifts. All others are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing.

Having received Christ in the Holy Gifts, the Church gives thanks and prepares to be sent into the world. The Liturgy ends as it began: with blessing, and the return of the faithful to their daily lives, now sanctified.

Priest parts appear in a lighter color. The people's responses appear in full ink and are slightly larger. Stage directions appear in italics. Use the navigation above or the section pill below to move through the service.

The Dismissal sends the faithful back into the world having participated in the Kingdom of Heaven. The antidoron, blessed but not consecrated bread, is distributed to all present as a token of love and community.

The first hairs are offered to God as the newly-baptized has nothing else yet to give, a sign that his whole life now belongs to Christ. With the ablution and tonsure complete, the newest member of the Church is sent into the world in the joy of the Resurrection.