EXPLANATION OF THE DIVINE LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED

In the holy and great Quadragesima, when a Priest is going to perform the Presanctified Liturgy, in the Proskomidê of the Lord’s-day, he doth as usual; and after cutting all round the first Loaf and piercing, cutteth all round the other Loaves also, saying for each one, In remembrance; As a sheep; Sacrificed; and, One of the soldiers. And then he poureth into the holy Chalice wine and water, saying what is usual, and covereth them over with the sacred Veils, and censeth, saying the Prayer of the Prothesis; and so beginneth the Divine Liturgy, and finisheth it, as is customary.

And when he is going to sign the Loaves in the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, he saith: Make this Bread, in the singular, since Christ is one; not as some ignorantly say, these Loaves; and when he is going to elevate, he elevateth all together, and breaketh the first offered Loaf, and putteth the Portion into the holy Chalice, and poureth in the warm Water also, as is customary. Then taking the holy I hance with the right hand, he dippeth it in the holy Blood; and with the left hand taketh each Loaf, and bringeth the holy Lance, dipped in the holy Blood, and toucheth therewith the holy Loaf in the form of a cross in the part whereon was formed the Cross under the crumb, and putteth it away in the Artophorion. Then he taketh the others also, and doth in like manner for each one, and gathereth them all into the Artophorion. After that he prayeth, as usual, and communicateth, and finisheth the divine Mystagogia, as it is directed.

And when he is going to celebrate the Presanctified entering into the Sanctuary, he putteth on the Sacerdotal Vesture, signing and kissing it only, saying nothing except, Let us beseech the Lord, for each one of the Vestments. And the Deacon taking his opportunity, goeth out, and standing in the accustomed place, saith: Bless, Master. And the Priest saith aloud: Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father; and straightway the Ecclesiarch, Come let us adore, thrice; and there is said the Proœmiac Psalm; and the Priest saith the Prayers of the Lychnapsia, beginning with the fourth. And after the conclusion of the Psalm, the Synapte is said of the Deacon; and after the Exclamation, there is antiphonally recited: Unto the Lord, adorations also being made at the, Alleluia. And at each Antiphon, the little Synapte is made of the Deacon, and the Exclamation of the Priest. (Now when the antiphonal recital is begun, the Priest goeth into the holy Prothesis, and taking the presanctificd Bread out of the Artophorion, placeth it with much reverence on the holy Paten, putting withal into the holy Chalice wine and water, as usual, in silence, and saying nothing; and taking incense, censeth the Asterisk and the Veils, and covereth them over, saying nothing at all, not even the Prayer of the Prothesis, though found in some editions, but only, Through the prayers of our holy Fathers; for the Sacrifice is presanctified and accomplished.) And after the Kathisma, there is said, O Lord, I have cried, to the Tone of the Idiomelon of the day, and we divide off ten Stichoi, and double the Idiomelon; then the Martyrikon, the three Prosomoia of the Triodion, and the three of the Menaion, doubling the first. Glory, both now. Theotokion. Entrance, without the Gospel. (But when he is going to say a Gospel, to wit, on the Commemoration of Saint Charalampos, of the Finding of the precious Head of the Precursor, of the holy Forty Martyrs, and in the great Week, then he entereth with the Gospel.) The Deacon: Wisdom! upright! then, O gladsome light. The Deacon: Let us attend. The Reader saith the Prokeimenon, and the Genesis; then the second Prokeimenon. And after this the Deacon saith aloud: Command ye. And the Priest taking in his right hand the Censer, and a candlestick with a wax taper, standeth before the holy Table, and signing in the form of the Cross, saith: Wisdom! upright! Then turning unto the people, he saith: The Light of Christ shineth to all. The Reader: The Lesson out of Proverbs. The Deacon: Let us attend. And after the conclusion thereof, the Priest saith: Peace to thee. The Deacon: Wisdom! The Singer: Let my prayer be directed, with its Stichoi. I. Stichos. O Lord, I have cried unto thee, hearken to me. II. Stichos. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. III. Stichos. O incline not my heart. And after these things, we make three adorations. Then the Deacon saith the Extenê, and the rest.

And at the great Entrance, is sung, Now the Powers: the Prayer, however, of the Cherubic Hymn is not said, but the Priest censing, saith the Fiftieth Psalm; and after the procession of the holy Gifts, when is ended, Now the Powers, we make three adorations, being uncovered; and the Priest taketh the Veils from off the holy Gifts, and sheltereth them with the Air. And when he is going to elevate the holy Bread, he doth not uncover the Holy Things, but the divine Gifts being yet covered, the Priest bringeth his hand with much awe, and toucheth the divine Bread, with reverence and fear. And the Deacon having said, Let us attend, the Priest saith aloud: The presanctified Holy Things are for the holy; and the rest, as is customary.