This rite speaks of the salvation events united together as if they were one event and beyond the limits of time. Here the Spirit of the Lord leads us to a journey with Christ, as we will soon see.

The celebrant stands at the door of the sanctuary. To his right is a Deacon presenting him with the cruet (small vessel) of wine with his right hand, while holding a candle with his left hand; with both arms crossed. Likewise, to his left is a Deacon holding a vessel with water and a candle.

In front of the priest is the basket containing the loaves, held by another Deacon, from which he chooses a loaf free of blemish to become the Lamb of God. Tucked away in his right-hand sleeve is one of the white linen cloths, symbolising the dagger carried by Abraham to slay his son Isaac.

They came to the place where God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the firewood in order; and he bound Isaac his son hand and foot and laid him on the altar, upon the firewood. Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

— Genesis 22:9-10

When choosing the Lamb, the Priest lays his hands on the oblations in the shape of the cross as the Priest of the Old Testament did, who laid his hand on the sacrifice while the sinner confesses his sins.

This declares that Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God has carried our sins on His shoulders.

Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.

— Leviticus 1:4

but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

— 1 Peter 1:19

Before the selection of the Lamb, the celebrant says inaudibly this prayer of blessing of the Holy Trinity while signing himself once, and the loaves of bread five times; three times with the cross, and twice with the cruet of wine.

The Priest examines the cruet of wine by the candlelight and then smells the wine to see that it has not soured and offers it to the three other Deacons. Each Deacon smells the wine and if all is well says,

The Congregation sings, "Lord have mercy", at the time of choosing the Lamb. They do so forty-one times seeking the mercy and forgiveness of our Lord. This aso reminds us of the 39 lashes from a whip that Jesus received before His Crucifixion, the crown of thorns, and the spear which pierced his side, when He was on the cross.

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

— Luke 18:13

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

— John 19:1-3

But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

— John 19:34

The Lord Jesus is the incarnate God who accepted to be a sacrificed Lamb for the life of the world. This is the true offering. We, too, must offer ourselves as a sacrifice of love to the God who loved us.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

— Romans 12:1

We must prepare to approach the heavenly Lamb and qualify to touch the heavenly food. Let us wash our hands, purify our bodies, and guard our minds from any evil, so that when we are all pure, we deserve to partake of the Word.

— St Athanasius

The Priest chooses the best loaf among the bread offered and blesses it. This chosen bread will become the Holy Body of Christ. Thus, it is called the Lamb.

I will appoint evil men for His burial and rich men for His death, because He committed no lawlessness, nor was deceit found in His mouth.

— Isaiah 53:9

“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

— 1 Peter 2:22

And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

— Luke 23:41

Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

— John 8:46

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

— 2 Corinthians 5:21

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

— Hebrews 4:15

The Priest takes the white cloth once tucked away in his sleeve and wipes the Lamb. He wets his thumb with wine and blesses the chosen bread, making the sign of the cross on it.

He then signs the rest of the offerings with a cross on the back of each loaf. The signing with wine expresses the sanctification of the offering with the substance of the sacrament, which is intended to transform into the blood of Christ, indicating that the Lord Christ sanctifies His sacrifice by Himself. For each loaf, he mentions one of our patriarchs.

He then concludes with the chosen offering because our Lord Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

— Revelation 1:8

The offering that enters the altar symbolises Christ, who entered the heavenly sanctuary alone. He alone entered the Most Holy Place.

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

— Hebrews 9:12

As for the rest of humanity (the remaining offerings), they remain in paradise or on earth until the general resurrection when we will enter with and in Christ into the Holiest.

Only one offering enters the altar and is called the Lamb. The rest of the offerings remain outside the altar. It’s not allowed for any of them to enter the temple before, during, or after the liturgy.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

— Hebrews 10:19

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

— Hebrews 6:20

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

— John 14:2-3

The Priest enters the sanctuary. The Deacon carrying the bottle of water pours some water into the Priest's right hand. The Priest passes it gently over the chosen Lamb, held on his left hand, as he cleanses it from any impurities, dust, or flour.

This symbolises the baptism of Christ by Saint John the Baptist in the River Jordan.

When the Priest puts the Lamb upon his hand and anoints it with water, we follow Him to the Jordan and recognise Him as he Lamb of God, who carries the sins of the world.

As the celebrant is baptising the Lamb, he remembers all the burdens of his flock; for just as the heavens were opened at the time of the Lord’s baptism, so they are also open at this moment.

When He had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

— Matthew 3:16

The priest has placed his own sins and the ignorance of the people on the head of the Lamb, as a fulfilment of the ancient Jewish practice where the high priest laid his hands on the head of the live goat. And in doing so, he laid the sins and transgressions of the sons of Israel on the head of that goat. The goat, an innocent victim, bore on itself all the iniquities of the people. The goat, taken by a designated person, was then sent off into the wilderness.

As the goat goes into the wilderness, so do the sins and transgressions of the people — never to be seen again.

Aaron shall place his hands on the head of the living kid, confess over it all the transgressions of the children of Israel, and all their lawlessness, and all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the living kid, and send it away into the desert by the hand of a suitable man.

— Leviticus 16:21

As far as the east is from the west,
So He removes our transgressions from us.

— Psalm 102:12

During this our hearts should be enhanced while standing before God. We should be eager, prepared, and ready in heart, so that Christ may choose it as an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice.

The Priest washes his hands three times, each reciting a Psalm (Psalm 50:7, 50:8, and 25:6-7:

This signifies that no offering can be presented to God unless the heart and internal being are pure. The washing is a reminder that the offering of love ought to be offered with a clean heart and hand. If the heart is polluted by sin, the offering is rejected before God.

The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord, But the prayers of the upright are acceptable with Him.

— Proverbs 15:8

The washing of hands is a symbol of obligation to be clean from all sins and transgressions. The hands symbolise actions, so, by washing them, it signifies plainly purity and blamelessness of conduct.

— St Cyril of Jerusalem

The Introduction to the Creed affirms that the Virgin Mary bore in her womb Christ, the incarnate Word of God.

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed states the fundamental beliefs of our faith. As we recite it, we remember the Lord's plan for our salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The entire congregation joins in to state their faith. The last sentence of the Creed is often chanted.