The Liturgy of the Faithful
The Salvation Narrative (Agios)
The Salvation Narrative recounts the fall of man through sin, and God’s redemptive plan through the death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Priest signs the cross on himself, then on those serving the altar, then on the congregation.
Priest· St Basil
Holy, Holy, Holy, truly, O Lord, our God, Who formed us, created us and placed us in the paradise of joy. When we disobeyed Your commandment through the deception of the serpent, we fell from eternal life and were exiled from the paradise of joy.
You did not abandon us to the end, but have always visited us through Your holy prophets. In the fullness of time, You made Yourself manifest to us—who were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death—through Your Only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Saint Mary...
Was incarnate and became man, and taught us the ways of salvation. He granted us the birth from on high through water and the Spirit. He made us a congregation unto Himself, and sanctified us through Your Holy Spirit.
He loved His own who are in the world, and for our salvation gave Himself unto death which reigned over us, whereby we were bound and sold on account of our sins.
He descended into Hades through the Cross.
He rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended to the heavens and sat at Your right hand, O Father. He has appointed a day of recompense on which He will appear to judge the world in righteousness, and give each and every one according to their deeds.
At the point of "was incarnate and became man..." the Priest puts a spoonful of incense in the censer. This is to remind us of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the very same incense that will be used in the Institution Narrative, after this.
At the point of, "He descended into Hades through the Cross", the Priest bows in reverence with his arms held to his chest in the form of a cross and kisses the altar.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
— Ephesians 5:2
Alternatively, the Priest may pray the Salvation Narrative of the Liturgy of St Gregory:
Priest· St Gregory
Agios, Agios, Agios.
Holy; Holy, O Lord; Holy in everything, and most excellent is the light of Your essence. Inexpressible is the power of your wisdom, and no manner of speech can measure the depth of Your love for mankind.
You, as Lover of mankind, created me as man. You were not in need of my service, but it is I who had need of Your Lordship. Because of the abundance of Your compassion, You brought me into being when I was not. You set up heaven as a roof over me, and established the earth for me to walk upon. For my sake, you bridled the sea. For my sake, You manifested the nature of animals. You subdued all things under my feet.
You did not leave me to lack any of the works of Your honour. You are He Who formed me; You laid your hand upon me, and inscribed in me the image of Your authority. You bestowed upon me the gift of speech.
You opened to me Paradise for my delight, and gave me the learning of Your knowledge. You showed me the tree of life, and made known to me the sting of death: that one plant of which You forbade me to eat, the one of which You said to me, “From this alone do not eat.” I ate of it of my will. I cast Your law behind me by my will. I neglected Your commandments. I seized for myself the sentence of death.
(You, O my Master) x 3, have turned for me the punishment into salvation. As a good shepherd, You have gone after that which was lost. As a true Father, you laboured with me, who was fallen. You bound me with all the remedies that lead to life. You are He Who sent all the prophets for me who was sick. You gave me the Law for a help. You are He Who ministered salvation to me when I transgressed Your law. As the true Light, You shone upon those who were lost, and upon the unknowing.
You, Who exists at all times, came to us on earth. You came into the womb of the Virgin. You, the Infinite, being God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But You emptied Yourself, took the form of a servant, and blessed my nature in Yourself. You fulfilled Your law on my behalf.
You showed me the rising from my fall. You released those who were held captive in Hades. You lifted the curse of the Law. You abolished sin in the flesh. You showed me the power of Your authority. You gave sight to the blind. You raised the dead from the tombs. You established nature at Your word. You made known to me the economy of Your compassion.
You endured the injustice of the wicked. You gave Your back to be scourged. You gave Your cheeks to be slapped. For my sake, O my Master, You did not turn Your face from the shame of spittles.
You came to the slaughter as a lamb, even to the Cross. You showed forth the greatness of Your care for me. You slayed my sin in Your tomb. You raised up my first fruit into heaven. You showed me the revelation of Your Coming, in which You shall come to judge the living and the dead, and give each and every one according to their deeds.
Congregation
According to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.
The Priest describes the heaven we will reach in our holy journey, speaking of the inhabitants of heaven surrounding the divine throne, praising God and saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. And we join them in their praise just as they also participate in ours.
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
— Revelation 5:9
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
— Revelation 7:12
Thanksgiving and honour and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
These sacred prayers summarise for us God’s story with humanity from Genesis to Revelation. They recount the fall of man through sin, and God’s redemptive plan through the death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While this takes place we see a real journey in the rite of the liturgy:
1) At the beginning of the Anaphora, the Priest signs the People with the altar cloth that was covering the paten when he says, “The Lord be with you all”.
2) He then covers his left hand with the altar cloth that was on top of the veil, to represent the sins of the congregation which became a barrier between God and people.
3) After the lifting of the veil and the annunciation of reconciliation between God and man, he places this altar cloth on his left hand because the right symbolises righteousness.
4) So his right hand is covered by the righteousness of Christ, that is, with the altar cloth that was covering the holy sacrifice on the patent. And his left hand is covered with the altar cloth that symbolises our sins that obscure from us God’s face.
5) Before “Agios” he interchanges the altar cloths, placing the altar cloth that was on his left hand on the chalice. Our sins have been cast upon the chalice of the Blood of Christ.
6) The cloth on his right hand is placed on his left hand, as if Christ has lifted our sins from us, covered us with the righteousness of His body, and transferred us from the left to the right.
7) Then when he says “Agios”, he signs the people with the altar cloth that was covering the chalice, because we draw holiness from the blood of the Lord Christ. Then he covers his right hand with it, so we become saints, covered with the blood of Christ.
While this is happening, another priest may go around the altar offering incense.
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
— Revelation 8:3-4
At “He descended into Hades through the Cross” in the St Basil liturgy, the Priest bows in reverence with his arms held to his chest in the form of a cross and kisses the altar.
When God created us, He did so in the original state that He intended for us. But we brought upon ourselves the exile from the paradise of joy; a situation that we repeat daily. God places us in very good, enjoyable, and joyful circumstances, then we bring upon ourselves sorrow, destruction, and less because we choose sin willingly, despite our knowledge of its harm and danger. God never abandons us; He always commits to caring, following up, warning, encouraging, and admonishing us, using all means for our salvation through fathers, teachers, servants, and educators.
The “last days” refers to the fulness of time, the time of the Incarnation. This passage can also be understood spiritually, that God will not leave us in our perdition and negligence until the end of our lives. He will pursue us with attempts and warnings until the last breath.
The precious salvation is obtained in many ways. So the liturgy uses the plural form, “ways”. These are baptism, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, repentance, the Eucharist, and prayer. Other ways include monasticism, marriage, service, and witnessing. Some people are saved through toil, hardships, diseases, and problems, and all of these can be a means of salvation for them. God alone knows the path of salvation for each one of us. So let us entrust our lives to Him, that He may direct them as he sees befitting and according to His divine wisdom, and let everything be according to His will.
The attribute of the people of God is that they are assembled continuously, without interruption. We join this assembly through the liturgy we pray together. Blessed is he who always preserves his assembly with the Church, and does not separate from it, neither deviating from the faith nor practice.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
— Ephesians 4:4-6
Holiness and purity is not the fruit of effort and human competence, rather is the grace of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. Let us preserve this grace, and whoever receives this grace should not boast as though he obtained it with his own power or piety.
For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
— 1 Corinthians 4:7
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
— John 15:13
Judgement will be based on deeds and not just faith. Lest anyone rely on his faith, thinking that God will favour Him because of his faith.
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
— Acts 10:34
who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:
— Romans 2:6
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
— Revelation 2:23
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
— Revelation 20:12-13