We talked so much to say simple things: the act of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (and all sacraments; they are all rooted in the Eucharist) is performed by the entire community headed by the presbyter (i.e., the liturgy is performed – a common affair, serving the sacrament), there is no division into priests and non-priests, all members of the community – royal priesthood! Liturgy-Eucharist – it is from the beginning to the dismissal reality, not a depictive symbolism!
Therefore, since the law of faith is expressed in the law of prayer (i.e., in the prayer of the Church expressed Her experience of the Kingdom of God, Resurrection, Eternal Life, union-communication with God-Love in the Holy Spirit), then we will, mainly, pay attention to the prayers from the rite of the Sacraments. First of all, we will consider the prayers from the rite of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, since the Eucharist, being the Sacrament of the Kingdom of God (the Sacrament of knowing the Risen Christ-God), is the criterion of the truth of the entire teaching of the Church.14
To not waste extra paper and ink, in the rites of the liturgies we will print only what happens ‘behind the scenes’, ‘behind the wall’ and ‘mystery-forming’ (this primarily the prayers, which
‘the priest’ reads quietly, hard to say prays, the tongue does not turn; the poor one hurries to manage to read the prayers while the choir, which often consists of mercenaries and even atheists (and unbaptized!?), sings the statutory hymns!?), so that the uninitiated ‘profanes’ would not hear!?
So, the rite of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:
In the current rite of the liturgy, the proskomedia – the preparation of bread and wine, brought by the faithful, for performing over them (at the ‘liturgy of the faithful’) the Sacrament of the Eucharist and Communion of the Hypostasis of the Risen Christ (performed before the ‘liturgy of the word’ or ‘announced’, and in ancient times, which has partially survived in the rite of the liturgy led by a bishop, after after the announced had left the assembly – before the beginning of the ‘liturgy of the faithful’). Having made the corresponding preparation of bread and wine (according to the rite of proskomedia, which is contained in the service book), the presbyter completes the preparation of the Gifts for performing over them the Sacrament of the Eucharist with a prayer (offering):
God, our God, You sent the Bread of Heaven, nourishment for the whole world, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, Savior Redeemer and Benefactor, who blesses and enlightens us; Yourself bless this Offering and accept it to Your celestial Altar. As the Good and Man-loving One, remember those who brought, and those for whom it was brought, and keep us uncondemned in the holy service of Your Divine Mysteries. For holy and glorified is Your all-honorable and great name, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever. Faithful: Amen.
When the bread and wine are already prepared, the royal priesthood (all the faithful; the announced, those preparing for baptism, also present, until they are asked to leave and only the faithful remain) with the presider (presbyter or bishop) gathered around the altar (people have done everything they could: gathered in the church, the community and brought and prepared bread and wine), it’s time (turn) for the Lord to act, the actual Worship, when God serves man – sanctifies with the Holy Spirit people, gifts, and the whole cosmos, connecting human hypostases to the Divine Hypostatic Trinitarian Life. The presbyter or deacon before the beginning of the Worship reminds the whole assembly of the faithful that it is time for God to act, saying: ‘It is time for the Lord to act’, after which the presbyter proclaims: ‘Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit now, and always, and forever and ever’, to which the whole assembly responds: ‘Amen’. Then follows the great, or by another name, the peaceful ektenia.
The presbyter or deacon or someone else from the royal priesthood (i.e., the faithful), whom the presbyter (presider) has blessed, calls the whole community to prayer and what to pray for (we will continue to write presbyter, and you understand: and those, to whom he has entrusted to proclaim): ‘In peace let us pray to the Lord’, to which the whole assembly responds (most often by singing): ‘Lord, have mercy’. Presbyter: ‘For the peace from above and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord’. Faithful (= the whole assembly): ‘Lord, have mercy’… Presbyter: ‘Commemorating our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God’ (highlighted – V.A.). The whole assembly:
‘To You, O Lord’. (Each ektenia ends with a prayer, which the presbyter prays on behalf of the entire community). The presbyter prays:
Lord our God, Your dominion is indescribable and glory is incomprehensible. Your mercy is immeasurable and man-loving is unspeakable. Yourself, Master, out of Your mercy look upon us and on this holy temple and grant us and those who pray with us Your abundant mercy and generosity. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.