The Orthodox Youth

Divine Liturgy
Handbook

Rev. Fr. Aristidis Garinis

Illustrations by Dionysios Bouloubassis
 The Orthodox Youth
Divine Liturgy Handbook
by

Rev. Fr. Aristidis Garini

Translation o
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
Americ
Illustrations by Dionysios Bouloubassi
Graphic design by Nia Condoleo

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Americ

Department of Religious Educatio
Brookline, Massachusetts

 © 2021 Fr. Aristidis Garini

Published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of

America Department of Religious Educatio
50 Goddard Avenue,  Brookline, MA 0244

The translation of the Divine Liturgy of St. John

Chrysosto

©2015 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Americ

ISBN 978-0-86687-198-

All Rights Reserved

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 Name

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Church

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 GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE ofAMERICA

OFFICE OF THE
ARCHBISHOP

January 30, 2020

Feast of the Three Hierarchs

Dear and beloved Faithful

The Divine Liturgy is the most important and central
Mystery of our Orthodox Church. In the Sacrament of Holy
Communion, we ful ll our Christian calling to become full
members of Christ’s Body and children of the Most-High God.
In the Liturgy, we call upon our Heavenly Father to give us
our “daily bread.” We ask not only for bread as earthly food,
but most importantly for heavenly food through receiving
Christ’s most precious Body and Blood. This sacred gift i
offered to all of God’s children in the Church-to both adults
and children, without discrimination—who are called to be

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 full communicants in the Divine Liturgy and unite their lives

to the living God. We are called, like the Saints, to be
nourished by participating in the Holy Mysteries, by
hearing the Divine Word of God, and by experiencing life in
Christ through the sacred tradition of our Orthodox Church.
For most, this journey begins from infancy, through the Holy
Mystery of Baptism and continues with an active mystical
life in the Church.
This book, “The Orthodox Youth Divine Liturgy Hand-
book”, is a humble offering and a sincere attempt to engage
and educate the young souls of our Holy Orthodox Church
in the worship of the Divine Liturgy. The cheerful
illustrations and simple commentary throughout this text
serve as a resourceful guide to the reader as they follow in
the Liturgy, helping bring understanding and answering
questions about the “how and why” we pray as Orthodox
Christians
I commend the efforts of this book and hope that it will
prove to be a fruitful resource to our faithful, most
especially the youth of our Church to whom this book is
dedicated.
With paternal love in Christ

+ELPIDOPHOROS
Archbishop of America

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A Reflection on the Divine Liturgy for Kids

This Liturgy book is intended for children ages 8-12. I

would like to begin with a brief re ection in order to help
our young people understand what the Liturgy is and why it
is important for our life and salvation. The story of the
Liturgy goes back thousands of years. At the end of Jesus’
life, just before He was betrayed and cruci ed, He
celebrated a “Passover Meal” with His Apostles. The
Passover meal commemorated the Jewish remembrance of
Moses’ and the Israelites’ freedom from Egypt and the evil
rule of Pharaoh. Just as God miraculously broke the chains
of the Egyptians’ and ended Israel’s bond of slavery, in the
same way, Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, was
preparing to free all of mankind from our bondage to sin
and death. The Old Testament Passover story is signi cant
in understanding the Liturgy because we use the same
symbol that they used in celebrating their victory, bread.
The Israelites were instructed to use un- leavened bread on
the night of their exile from Egypt be- cause they did not
have time to wait for the bread to rise, being that they were
on the run. In the Liturgy, we also use bread with the
distinct difference that it is leavened, i.e. risen. As Orthodox

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 Christians, we are no longer on the run but we stand under
the protection of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The piece of bread used to commemorate Christ in the
Liturgy has four Greek symbols on it “IC XC NI KA.” These
letters or symbols mean “Jesus Christ is Victorious.” He is
victorious over the power of sin through forgiveness, and
over the power of death through His life-giving Resurrection.
The same piece of bread is also called the ‘Amno’ which
means ‘Lamb.’ As St. John the Prophet and Baptist said
when he saw Jesus coming for Baptism, “Behold the Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1: 29).”
Also, foretelling the coming of the Savior, the Prophet Isaiah
in the Old Testament wrote, “Like a lamb He was led to the
slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).” Isaiah was speaking of Jesus’
cruci xion. Knowing all of this, isn’t it interesting that the
Israelites were spared the last plague in Egypt by putting the
blood of a lamb above their door in the sign of a cross
(Exodus 12:7)? This is no coincidence. This was to
foreshadow the nal salvation in the person of Jesus Christ
through the Cross. And when the Israelites were hungry in
the desert for 40 years, what did God do for them? He sent
them Mana from Heaven and they ate and lived. In the same
way, Jesus declares, “I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live
forever; and the bread that I shall give is My esh, which I
shall give for the life of the world (John 6: 51).”
The Liturgy is part of a story that goes back a long time
and nally nds its resolution in Christ, the nal Passover, a
passover from death to eternal life. Now, we are part of this
story of salvation. We are invited every Sunday to sit at the
Lord’s table and partake of the food of eternal life which is
His precious Body and Blood. Sometimes we are troubled by
this saying, ‘Body and Blood.’ An easier way to understand
this is that Christ offers His whole self to us so that we can
also offer ourselves completely to Him. The foundation of

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 the Church is build on the commandment of Jesus at the Last
Supper to “Do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19).”
So, we continue to gather together as Church and offer the
Liturgy by breaking bread and partaking wine, being
transformed by the Holy Spirit, into the Body and Blood of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our challenge however is
to live our life with gratitude to God, ‘Eucharistia,’ another
name for the Divine Liturgy, which means, ‘Thanksgiving.’
We thank God by living our lives through the life and
teachings of His Son. We try our best to be in communion
with Christ, not just on Sunday mornings, but every day and
moment of our life. For this to be accomplished, we need the
Church, which was given to us by the Lord Himself so that
we can be constantly nourished through her Mystical Life,
i.e. the Holy Sacraments. These Sacraments are give to us by
the Holy Spirit for our communion with God and the
salvation of our souls and bodies.
We are truly part of a great story, greater than any
Marvel movie or ctional superhero saga. The story of God
and us. In His loving embrace in the life of the Church, even
though our personal story might be lled with drama,
unexpected challenges and dif cult decisions, He gives us
everything we need for a happy ending. It’s up to us to ll in
what happens next.

With love in Christ

Rev. Fr. Aristidis Garini

Oikonomos, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Churc
Flushing, New York

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 Table of Contents

Archpastoral Message and Introduction

on the Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy of

Saint John Chrysostom …………… pg. 1

Thanksgiving Prayers After Holy

Communion..…………………………….pg. 48

Commonly Asked Questions

by Children about Church………pg. 52

What’s That?
Things you see in Liturgy………. pg. 67

 Blessed is the Kingdom of the

Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, now and forever and to
the ages of ages. Amen.

‘AMEN’ means we all agree and

are united in prayer. The Liturgy
can’t happen unless we the
people are participating. Our
‘Amen’ is important!

The Litany of Peace

or Great Litany

We say, Lord, have mercy,

after each petition.

Priest: In PEACE , Let’s calm

let us pray to the down and
Lord.
focus

For the peace from

above and for the salvation of our
souls, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace of the whole world, for

the stability of the holy churches of
God, and for the unity of all, let us
pray to the Lord.

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For this holy house and for those who
enter it with faith, reverence, and the
fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

For pious and Orthodox Christians, let

us pray to the Lord.

For our Archbishop (Name), for the

honorable presbyterate, for the
diaconate in Christ, and for all the
clergy and the people, let us pray to
the Lord.

For our country, for the president, and

for all in public service, let us pray to
the Lord.

For this city, and for every city and

land, and for the faithful who live in
them, let us pray to the Lord.

For favorable weather, for an

abundance of the fruits of the earth,
and for peaceful times, let us pray to
the Lord.

For those who travel by land, sea, and

air, for the sick, the suffering, the
captives and for their salvation, let us
pray to the Lord.

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For our deliverance from all affliction,
wrath, danger, and necessity, let us
pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us,

and protect us, O God, by Your grace.

Priest: Commemorating our most holy,

pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with
all the saints, let us commend
ourselves and one another and our
whole life to Christ our God.

You: To You, O Lord.

The Prayer of the First

Antiphon
Priest: (silently) Lord, our God, Whose
dominion is incomparable and glory
incomprehensible; Whose mercy is
immeasurable, and love for mankind
ineffable: Look upon us and upon this
holy house in Your loving-kindness,
and grant to us and to those who pray
with us Your abundant mercy and
compassion.

Priest: For to You belong all glory,

honor, and worship, to the Father and
to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now
and forever and to the ages of ages.

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You: Amen.

We now ask the Theotokos, the

Mother of God, to pray with us and
for us. As the Mother of God, the
Theotokos is also our mother. She
cares for us and prays for us.

You: Through the intercessions of

the Theotokos, Savior, save us. (3)
Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ,
σῶσον ἡμᾶς.

The Small Litany

Priest: Again and again, in peace, let
us pray to the Lord.

You: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Help us, save us, have mercy on

us, and protect us, O God, by Your
grace.

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Commemorating our most holy, pure,
blessed, and glorious Lady, the
Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with
all the saints, let us commend
ourselves and one another and our
whole life to Christ our God.

You: To You, O Lord.

The Prayer of the Second

Antiphon
Priest: (Silently) Lord, our God, save
Your People and bless Your inheritance.
Protect the fullness of Your Church.
Sanctify those who love the beauty of
Your house. Glorify them in return by
Your divine power, and forsake us not
who have set our hope in You.

Priest: For Yours is the dominion, and

Yours is the Kingdom and the power
and the glory, of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages.

You: Amen.

You: Save us, O Son of God,

risen from the dead, we sing to You,
Alleluia. (3)

Σῶσον ἡμᾶς,Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ

νεκρῶν ψάλλοντάς σοι· Ἀλληλούϊα.

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Commonly Asked Questions by
Children about Church

“Father, why are there so many icons

in the church?”

The church is filled with icons because it is a

place of prayer that reminds us of Heaven.
When we walk into an Orthodox Church, it
should feel like we are walking into Heaven. We
are surrounded by God, in the icon of Christ,
together with the Panagia, the Saints, and all
the Holy Angels. In the Liturgy, Heaven and
earth are united. We are given the opportunity
during the Liturgy to worship God together with
His Saints and the Holy Angels. The Holy Icons
remind us of the real presence of Heaven in our
midst during the Divine Liturgy.

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Icons are also visual representations of Jesus’
life and teachings. For example, there is a
common set of icons or wall paintings in most
Orthodox Churches known as the ‘Dodekaorto,’
meaning the ’12 feasts’ of the Lord. Each of
these icons depict a major event in the life of
Christ (i.e. His Birth, Presentation in the Temple,
Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion,
Resurrection, and so on.) The Bible is painted all
over the walls of the church as a visual display
of all that God has done for our salvation.

“Why do I have to skip breakfast, if I

am going to receive Holy
Communion?”

Food is not bad. Some people who are sick must

eat something before they come to church, and
this is ok. However, those of us who are healthy
have an opportunity to show gratitude to God
by not eating before we receive Holy
Communion. It’s a way for us to put God first,
before we eat or do anything else that morning.
Jesus says, “We do not live by bread alone but
by every word that comes from the mouth of
God” (Matthew. 4:4). And so, we receive our
Heavenly Bread, Jesus, before we receive our
earthly bread. The Saints remind us that
putting God first is the first step in living a
Christian life. Fasting helps us learn how to do
so.

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 What’s that?…
Here is an index of things you might see in the Liturgy

This is a layout of the

Holy Altar
church. As you can see,
we enter the church
Solea through the Narthex and
into the Nave. The Solea
is just before the Icon
Nave Screen and the Holy
Altar. (See photos below)
Narthex

The Narthex is where we

light our candles and kiss
the Holy Icons before
entering the church.

The Nave is the main

part of the church where
the people sit. Nave
means ‘ship.’ The Church
is the Ark of God leading
the faithful to salvation.

The Solea is the area

that we step up on
before receiving Holy
Communion.

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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
Chapel of St. Paul

This is the Iconostasis (Icon Screen). The Icon

Screen holds six icons and separates the Holy
Altar from the Nave. The icons depicted are
Christ, Panagia, St. John the Baptist, the patron
Saint of your church and the Archangels
Michael and Gabriel. The Icon Screen reveals to
us the presence of Christ and His Saints.

The Altar Table is where the

Liturgy, the Sacraments and
other services are celebrated
by the Priest.

Prosphoro is the ‘offering

bread’ used for Holy
Communion. The Priest cuts
out pieces for Christ,
Theotokos the Saints and
for us.

The Paten & Chalice are

holy vessels that hold the
bread and wine.

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