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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Divine Liturgy - Entrances

In connection to the the Divine Liturgy, the priest has three entrances. The priest has two entrances during the Divine Liturgy and one entrance just prior to the Divine Liturgy.

The entrance just prior to the Divine Liturgy

The one entrance just prior to the Divine Liturgy is when the priest incenses the sanctuary, the iconostasis, and the whole nave. During this action, the priest recites Psalm 50.

The "Little Entrance" or the "First Entrance" during the Divine Liturgy

During the "Little Entrance" or the "First Entrance", the Holy Gospel book is carried from the altar, around the Church, and back to the altar.

The "Little Entrance" heralds Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's first manifestation to us in the Divine Liturgy. In a procession lead by the alcolytes (altar attendants ), a priest or a deacon walks through the church carrying the elaborately decorated Gospel Book while the people sing the Beatitudes or a hymn glorifying the Incarnation of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christt. The Little Entrance reminds us of the earthly ministry of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ and that He truly comes into our midst through His word in Scripture.

Order

• the last Antiphon
• "Little Entrance"
• the Prayer of the Thrice-Holy Hymn

The "Great Entrance" or the "Second Entrance" during the Divine Liturgy

The "Great Entrance" or the "Second Entrance" during the Divine Liturgy is when the priest carries the diskos and chalice with our gifts of bread and wine to Holy God. These gifts are the food and the drink that we need to live.

The Great Entrance is more solemn. The Great Entrance marks the beginning of the Eucharist proper. In a procession lead by the alcolytes (altar attendants ), a priest and/or a deacon carry the bread and wine to the altar while the people sing the Cherubic Hymn. It is through these gifts of bread and wine that Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ dwells among us through the Holy Mystery of the Holy Eucharist.

During the Great Entrance, a priest carries the diskos. By this method, the prayers for the people are carried in the offering of the Gifts. Also, some priests say the names of the people aloud. Both the first name and the family name are mentioned to avoid confusion because the members of the parish may know more than one person with the same first name. The reason is that the faithful are entitled to know for whom they pray.

Order

• The people sing the Cherubic Hymn during the "Great Entrance"
• The people sing the Cherubic Hymn and the priest incenses the Holy Table, the sanctuary, and the iconostasis while reciting Psalm 50, then "Great Entrance" occurrs.

The explanation below was written by Rev. Fr. James Graham, Pastor of Saint Elias the Prophet Melkite Greek Catholic Mission, San Jose, CA, Sunday Bulletin Oct. 27, 2002

Touching Heads With the Gifts Includes You in the Offering

During the Great Entrance with the Holy Gifts of Bread and Wine, the priest touches the heads of the people with the diskos or the chalice. Since the diskos and the chalice contain the gifts of the community offered to God to be changed into His Body and Blood and given to us for salvation and for eternal life, having them touched to our heads shows in a special way that we are offering our lives and our prayers and intentions to God to be transformed along with the Bread and Wine. This is another beautiful custom, and everyone is invited to stand near the aisle and bow your heads so that the Holy Gifts may be touched to you. You do not have to do this-your prayers and intentions are offered in the Eucharist already-but it is a way of physically sharing in the offering.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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