The Holy Spirit In The Divine Liturgy
My beloved in the Lord:
The Divine Liturgy is the event in which the Holy Spirit makes the Risen and Living Christ present among us. In the Divine Liturgy, all things are accomplished by God through Christ is the Spirit. Where the Spirit is, there is Christ; and where Christ is, there is the Spirit. Christ is present in the Divine Liturgy by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, making the Holy Eucharist the source and summit of the Orthodox Christian life, what Saint Maximos the Confessor called “the mystery of mysteries.” When we are receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion, we are also participating in what Saint Paul and the text of the Divine Liturgy calls “the communion of the Holy Spirit’ (II Corinthians 13:14).
In Orthodoxy, the epiclesis or invocation, the “calling forth” of the Holy Spirit upon the faithful and the gifts of bread and wine being offered, is an essential element in the Eucharistic action, affirming the fact that it is only in and by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Church worships, lives and acts. The Church is the Body of Christ and it is the Holy Spirit that constitutes the Church on the day of Pentecost, at every Baptism and at every Divine Liturgy.
To have received “divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit” and be in communion with God means that God has touched our lives and filled us with the inexpressible joy of His love. God has called us to Himself so that we can become, by His grace, like Him in every possible way. God is good, holy, righteous, merciful, true, forgiving, loving and compassionate – and we, as baptized Orthodox Christians, are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that these qualities can blossom in us. Saint Paul writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). Does this describe us? Are we generous and gentle, kind and loving, patient and joyful? Have we allowed the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives so that we can become the living icons of His glory that we are called to be?
Praying that the abundant grace and rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ dwell in your hearts and minds, directing your steps to every good deed that is well pleasing to God, I humbly remain,
With love and blessings in the Lord,
+Fr. Panagiotis