Divine Liturgy Of St John ChrysostomEdit

The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is the principal Eucharistic service in the Byzantine Rite, celebrated across the Eastern Orthodox Church and in many Eastern Catholic communities. Traditionally associated with Saint John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, the liturgy bears his name because his era helped shape its most recognizable form. While Chrysostom’s contributions were significant, modern practice reflects a longer, evolving liturgical tradition that combined earlier rites with his reforms and subsequent developments. The service centers on the Eucharist, but it also embodies a rich theology, liturgical economy, hymnography, and ritual practice that have shaped Orthodox worship for over a millennium and a half. The Divine Liturgy is ordinarily celebrated on Sundays and feast days and is complemented by other Eucharistic rites in the Orthodox calendar, such as the Liturgy of St. Basil and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on certain occasions. Divine Liturgy Saint John Chrysostom Eucharist Liturgy of St Basil Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts Byzantine Rite Greek Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox Church Old Church Slavonic

History and origins

The form known as the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom took shape within the broader Byzantine liturgical tradition that developed in late antique and medieval Constantinople and its surroundings. While Chrysostom’s celebrated reforms and homiletic style left a lasting imprint, the liturgy as it is used today reflects a convergence of earlier liturgical materials, catechetical prayers, and later elaborations by regional church communities. Across the theologically diverse landscapes of the eastern imperial world, local languages, chants, and musical styles were pressed into service to convey the same underlying eucharistic belief: that Christ is made present in the eucharistic elements and the gathered community through a coordinated liturgical action. The liturgy spread with the growth of the Byzantine Rite and became a standard form in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churchs, later adapted into various vernaculars for congregations in diasporas and in Eastern Catholic communities that retain Eastern liturgical sensibilities. Saint John Chrysostom Constantinople Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches Old Church Slavonic

Structure and theological core

The Divine Liturgy unfolds as a sequence of rites that move from preparation and praise to thanksgiving and communion. Key moments include:

Opening prayers and hymnography that prepare the faithful for worship. The service begins with invocations, penitential acclamations, and petitions that orient the people toward God’s mercy.
The Great Entrance, a procession with the bread and wine to the holy altar, symbolizing the offering of creation to God and the transformation of the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Liturgy of the Word and the Readings, which include selections from Scripture and the proclamation of the Gospel, accompanied by psalms, tropic hymns, and responses from the clergy and people. The readings ground the assembly in the narrative and teaching of salvation history.
The Anaphora (the Eucharistic Prayer), including the epiclesis (the invocation of the Holy Spirit to consecrate the gifts) and the consecration of the bread and wine. This central moment culminates in the faithful receiving Holy Communion.
The offering, prayers for all, and the thanksgiving that follow, which culminate in the doxology and the thanksgiving over the gifts.
The Communion and the final blessings, which seal the assembly’s participation in the risen life of the Lord.

The Divine Liturgy emphasizes a sacramental realism: the bread and wine are believed to become the Body and Blood of Christ, while the faithful partake in the mysteries with reverence and communal responsibility. The liturgy also showcases distinctive Orthodox elements such as the liturgical use of incense, the iconostasis (the icon-ornamented screen separating the nave from the sanctuary), vestments, and the chant tradition that supplies the liturgical music and theology through hymnography. Anaphora Epiclesis Eucharist Iconostasis Vestments Byzantine Chant Hymnography

Language, chant, and practice

Historically, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the languages of the host community. Greek and Church Slavonic have been central in many jurisdictions, with Slavonic traditions influencing liturgies in Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, and other Eastern European churches. In the contemporary world, many parishes celebrate in local vernacular languages while preserving the distinctive chant and liturgical idiom of the tradition. The music ranges from traditional Byzantine chant to modern adaptations, but the aim remains a certain reverent, capacious, and transcendent worship rather than a purely decorative ceremony. The liturgical life also includes periods of fasting, feast days, and the entire liturgical calendar, which organizes annual cycle and saint commemorations around the gospel narrative of salvation. Church Slavonic Old Church Slavonic Greek Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox Church Byzantine Chant Liturgical calendar

Practice in contemporary life

Across the Orthodox world, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated with a strong sense of continuity with the past, even as local communities adapt its language and musical presentation to their cultural context. Clergy, deacons, subdeacons, altar servers, cantors, and lay participants engage in a coordinated liturgical action that requires discipline, reverence, and communal participation. The liturgy is not only a private devotion but a public act of witness to the faith. In many places, the laity partake of Holy Communion at the chalice with appropriate reverence, while others preserve distinct customs in terms of distribution and fasting.

The Liturgy also exists in a wider ecumenical and interfaith conversation. While it remains staunchly within its own doctrinal tradition, parishes occasionally participate in dialogues that explore shared Christian worship and the boundaries of ecclesial identity. Translations and liturgical adaptations continue to reflect both fidelity to tradition and sensitivity to local circumstances. Liturgy of St Basil Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts Eastern Catholic Churches Ecumenical Dialogue Old Church Slavonic English Language Liturgies

Controversies and debates

Like any ancient rite that continues to live in diverse communities, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is the subject of ongoing discussion. From a traditional perspective, several themes recur:

Vernacularization versus preservation of traditional language. Proponents of staying with historic languages argue that the liturgy’s theology and poetry are better preserved in the original language and that translations risk weakening doctrinal nuance. Critics urge accessibility and greater congregational participation through vernacular language. The balance between reverence and intelligibility is a live issue in many parishes. Old Church Slavonic Greek Orthodox Church English Language Liturgy
Roles of laity and clergy. The Orthodox liturgical framework generally reserves priestly ordination and specific priestly functions to men, while allowing a variety of lay liturgical roles (chanting, readers, acolytes) often to be performed by both men and women depending on local discipline. Debates surface about expanded lay involvement or female participation in certain liturgical functions in some jurisdictions, reflecting broader conversations about gender and church life. Priest Deacon Lector Cantor Acolyte
Music and aesthetics. Debates over the proper musical idiom—strict Byzantine chant versus more contemporary or Western-influenced forms—revolve around questions of tradition, beauty, and accessibility. Traditionalists often emphasize the contemplative and otherworldly character of chant, while reform-minded voices advocate for broader appeal or inclusivity in musical presentation. Byzantine Chant Liturgical Music
Language and ecumenism. In an era of global church life, some communities engage in dialogues about mutual recognition, shared liturgical elements, or localized adaptations with other Christian traditions. Critics worry that ecumenism could dilute core doctrinal and liturgical distinctives, while supporters see opportunities for unity and common worship in a diverse Christian world. Ecumenical Dialogue Orthodox Church
Theosis and doctrinal clarity. The liturgy teaches the Orthodox understanding of theosis (divinization) as the goal of salvation—becoming partakers of the divine life through participation in the mysteries. Debates can arise over how this soteriology is communicated in liturgical speech, catechesis, and parish life, and how it is balanced with pastoral concerns in modern society. Theosis Eucharist

In recent years, some critics labeled as “woke” have urged more rapid reform or stylistic changes to attract wider audiences. From a traditional vantage point, these criticisms are often viewed as misunderstandings of the liturgy’s purpose: to maintain continuity with a venerable, tested form of worship that has sustained doctrinal identity and sacramental life for generations. Advocates of fidelity to long-standing practice argue that reform should be cautious, theologically informed, and respectful of liturgical integrity, lest it erode the sense of sacred mystery that the Divine Liturgy has long embodied. Liturgy Tradition