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The Liturgy of the Catechumens

Blessing with the Trikeri and Dikeri.

The Bishop blesses the Faithful with the "Trikeri" and the "Dikeri", i.e. the Triple & Double Candlesticks respectively.

The Triple Candle (Trikeri) symbolizes the 1 God in 3 Persons.
The Dikeri (Double Candle) symbolizes the 2 Natures of the 1 Person of Christ Jesus.

The Bishop blesses the Faithful facing:
East, West, South, North - making the Sign of the Cross with the Triple and Double Candlesticks.

"O Lord, O Lord, look down from heave and see,

"visit this vineyard and perfect what Your right hand has planted.

"O Lord may Your hand be upon the son of man

"whom You Yourself made strong."

The Bishop performs the Ablutions

After the Bishops blesses the Church according to the four directions.

He gives the Pastoral Staff and Lamp (Candle) to Servers who take them and proceed to the Iconostas.

There they remain holding the Eparch's Pastoral Staff and Lamp during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

The Staff is held before the icon of the Master and the Lamp before the icon of the Theotokos.

Then a ewer and basin are brought to the bishop who washes his hands, performing the appointed Ablutions.

Ablutions were an important element of Temple worship and is still a core ritual in the Sabbath Services and Jewish Prayer.

'Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

"Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.

"Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.

Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die.

"This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come." ' (Exodus 30:17-21)

The Liturgy of the Catechumens:

The Bishop blesses the Senior priest to begin Divine Liturgy.

The priest enters into the Altar via the south deacon doors and bids the subdeacons to open the Holy Doors.

The Holy Doors are left open during the entirety of Divine Liturgy because the Bishop is with us. (They are only closed briefly during the Communion of the clergy.)

Likewise, the Bishop will mission the next priests in rank for next 2 Litanies.

At the 3d Antiphon, the clergy, bowing to the Bishop, enter into the Altar.

The Clergy process out to the Kathedra at the Little Entrance.

Again, the Bishop blesses the Faithful in the 4 Directions with the Trikeri and Dikeri, saying:

"O Christ the true Light, You enlighten and sanctify everyone who comes into the world.

"Let the light of Your countenance shine upon us, that walking in it, we may see the light of Your unapproachable glory.

"Direct our steps in the observance of Your commandments.

....O Christ our God, save us."

He then enters into the Altar, preceded by the Deacon with the Gospel Book.

Led by the deacon with the Trikeri, the Bishop incenses entire Church. After he finishes praying the Trisagion Prayer, the Bishop signs a blessing upon the Gospel with the Dikeri

At the Trisagion of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, the clergy alone sing the 3d chorus in Greek:

"Agios o Theos, Agios Iskhyros, Agios Athanatos, eleiison imas."

After which, the Bishop takes his seat at the "High Place" surrounded by his priests, seated on the Synthronos.

The "High Place" is a special "Throne" at the centre of the apse, reserved for the Bishop and never sat in by other clergy. The "Synthronos" (literally, the pews "with the Throne") are set on either side of the High Place for the priest, who originally [and still today] act as the Bishop's council.

Just before the Gospel reading, the priest come to Greet the Bishop by receiving a Blessing from him and kissing his hand, his Epigonation, and his right shoulder.

The deacon, receiving from the Bishop the blessing to do so, processes out to the Ambo, preceded by Subdeacons carrying out the Trikeri and Dikeri, symbols of the Bishop's presence.

After the Gospel is proclaimed, the Bishops leaves the High Place and goes to the Ambo. There he blesses the Faithful with the Trikeri and the Dikeri.

Then he may sit on the Kathedra and teach the people the Gospel of Truth.

Ukrainian version
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