Page 115 - The Sacred and Divine Liturgy

After the censing, the most senior priest goes in front of the holy table, picks up the Gospel, and gives it to the deacon who then goes to the higher place to the Hierarch and says: Bless, Master, him who proclaimes... the Hierarch places his right hand on the head of the deacon and then making the sign of the cross onto him, says: May God, through the prayers...14 Then the deacon leaves to read the Gospel from the proper place, while to his right and left side stand two subdeacons holding the dikiri and trikiri. Following the sermon, Eis polla eti is sung.15
The liturgy proceeds on as usual. The exclamation before the Cherubic Hymn is said by the Hierarch.16 During the chant­ ing of the Cherubic Hymn, the Hierarch first reads the prayer, and then washes his hands at the holy doors. As soon as he is finished washing his hands, the Hierarch turns toward the east while the deacons bring him the omophorion and place it over his shoulders. Then the Hierarch makes three bows before the Holy Table, saying: Let us who mystically represent... thrice.17 Then the deacon, taking the censer and incense, approaches the Hierarch and because he has received his blessing, proceeds to cense around the Holy Table, the prothesis, the icons, the Hier­ arch himself, and everything as is custom. The Hierarch then leaves for the prothesis18 and finishes the proskomidia.
When finished, the celebrants approach the Hierarch one by one, kissing him on his right shoulder while saying: Remember
14 Činovnik Arhijerejskog sveštenosluženja, p. 28.
15 Contemporary Greek Archieratikon, in Hristos – Nova Pasha, vol. 3, p. 281.
16 According to the contemporary Greek practice, the Hierarch at the exclamation
That they may together glorify ... takes the Gospel and with it makes the sign of the cross over the antimension, and only then places the Gospel higher on the altar and spreads out the antimension. (Contemporary Greek Archieratikon, in: Hristos – Nova Pasha, vol. 3, p. 282).
17 Činovnik Arhijerejskog sveštenosluženja, p. 37. According the the Greek Archi­ eratikon, the Hierarch reads the prayer, says the Cherubic Hymn, censes and only then washes his hands and heads for the prothesis.
18 Činovnik Arhijerejskog sveštenosluženja, p. 37.
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