Christmas liturgy: the inner meaning and characteristics of the ministry

Those who celebrate Christmas, already well know that on this holiday it is customary to give gifts and congratulate each other with beautiful postcards. Some heard about a special Christmas dinner with a turkey in Western countries. But there is one more, very important and purely ecclesiastical ritual, which certainly marks this event - the Christmas liturgy. The meaning of this action is determined both by the general meaning of Christmas itself, and by the liturgical church rite. Therefore, it is necessary first to talk about each of these elements separately.

Christmas - the history, meaning and meaning of the holiday

As the name suggests, Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. In fact, the date of this event is somewhat arbitrary in the church calendar, since, firstly, this event was not celebrated in the church initially. Secondly, when he was accepted, they were combined together with the baptism of Christ and the episode of the visit of the baby Jesus by the Eastern Magi shortly after his birth. This united holiday was called Theophany, or, in Russian, the Epiphany. And he was celebrated on January 6. And thirdly, later these events were still carried out on different dates, as a result of which the memory of Christmas began to fall on December 25 - the day of the winter solstice (at that time).

It was not accidental, but with the event of the birth of Christ is not connected in any way. The fact is that the winter solstice is a major pagan holiday, in which many solar deities of various pantheons were worshiped. The Christian authorities of the empire, in order to cover the ancient pagan traditions, linked this date with the purpose of evangelism with the birth of Christ - the Sun of Truth, as Christians call it, obviously opposing the "sunny" gods from the "false" viewpoint. Since then, the date has changed one more time - during the change of the Julian calendar by the Gregorian calendar. Thirteen days of difference between them are conditioned by the fact that today Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7. This situation is relevant for those churches that in their inner life adhere to the Julian calendar.

Christmas itself marks the idea of the Incarnation. Christians believe that God himself became a person in the person of Jesus, and his birth from an earthly woman and at the same time a virgin is a great miracle. Believers see in this event the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah, the divine messenger who will save the world. Therefore, the Christmas holiday for them is so important.

Liturgy - definition of the concept

The very word "liturgy" from the Greek language is translated as "common cause". In the pre-Christian times, they denoted the public services and duties of the aristocracy for the maintenance of the needs of the city. In the Christian church this term became the main divine service, during which the central sacrament - the Eucharist - was performed. The leitmotif of the whole ceremony was the idea that the bread and wine offered on the altar were mysteriously embodied in the flesh and blood of Christ (externally remaining bread and wine), which the believers then communed with. This ordinance was established by Jesus himself during the so-called Last Supper and was also commanded to reproduce it during the meetings of disciples, that is, Christians. Without participation in this ritual, it is believed, it is impossible to obtain the salvation that God offers in Christ. That is why regular ministry and participation in the liturgy are so important for believers.

Over time, a large number of rituals were developed in the churches. Some of them no longer exist. Others, having developed, continue to be used up to our time.

The liturgy used in the ROC

As for the practice of the contemporary Russian Church, today in it the three rites of the liturgy are universally accepted: John Chrysostom, Basil the Great and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, used only by the Great Lent. The most frequent, so to speak, everyday, is the liturgy of John Chrysostom. And the rank of Basil the Great is used only ten times a year. Christmas liturgy - among them. But only in the event that on the eve, that is the eve of the holiday itself, falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Otherwise, the Christmas liturgy of John Chrysostom and the Basil the Great on the eve are served on the day of the holiday.

Features of the Liturgy at Christmas

Like any festive ceremony, worship, timed to coincide with the day when Jesus Christ was born, has its own characteristics. The first thing that distinguishes the Christmas liturgy is the text. So, instead of the daily psalms in the service, holiday antiphons are sung. Instead of the so-called Tri-Svyat, it is sung, "Elyos in Christ is baptized, in Christ, he seizes himself, Alleluia." Similarly, "Worthy is" is replaced with "Great, Soul ... Love us ...". The last thing that distinguishes the Christmas liturgy is the text of the Bible readings, that is, the gospel and the apostolic message, which this day tell of the worship of the Magi and the incarnation of God, respectively. The scale of the holiday also emphasizes the time of the ministry of the Eucharist. If on all other days it leaves early in the morning, then in this case the night is the usual time when the Christmas liturgy is served. How long it lasts is a complicated question. It depends on the speed of reading, singing, on the number of communicants and on local traditions. If in some parishes they are laid for two hours, then in a number of monasteries the service can be stretched practically for the whole night.

Christmas and Liturgy: 2015

The last thing to note is the date of the celebration in the current year, 2015. Since, as already mentioned, one part of the churches adheres to the Gregorian calendar, and the other - Julian, it turns out that some have already celebrated Christmas this year on January 6. For others, the Christmas liturgy will be sent at the very end of 2015 - December 25. As for the Russian Orthodox Church, it is one of the already celebrated churches.