Orthodox Liturgy of the Catechumens

1. Historical
Prospective of the Liturgy
THE GREAT EKTENIA OR LITANY OF PEACE
ipodiakonos zoran j. bobic

2. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
• People: Lord have mercy.
• Bible References: Philippians 4: 6 - 7, Colossians 3:15, 2 Peter 3:14, Saint Luke 18:1,
Ephesians 6:18
• This calling is to putt away all earthly troubles and worries;
• To have external and internal peace; calm;
• To have clear conscience;
• Only with this kind of spirit of peace we can rightly approach God in prayer;
• cf.Matt. 5:23-24: We have to reconciled with each other;

3. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For the peace of God and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
• People: Lord have mercy.
• Bible References: Saint John 14:27, Romans 8:6, 14:17, Colossians 3: 1 - 2,
Galatians 5:22, Psalms 29:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, 1 Peter 1: 3 - 5
• Peace is the sign of God’s Kingdom (Rom. 14:17);
• Deacon urges prayer for peace in every form;
• When all nations and races are at peace with each other can the Church of God grow;

4. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For peace in the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and
for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: 1 Timothy 2: 1 - 2, 2 Corinthians 11:28, Saint John 17: 20 - 23.
• People: Lord have mercy.
• “holy churches of God” = various local churches of the one true Church;
• Unity = is referred to in the Byzantine petition, oneness, peace, love and harmony
that these various local churches should live in;

5. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the
fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: Psalms 84: 1 - 4, James 5:16
• People: Lord have mercy.
• “For this holy house” = for this holy parish

6. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For our Archbishop {Name}, the honorable presbyters, the deacons in the
service of Christ, and all the clergy and laity, let us pray to the Lord.
Bible References: 1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 13:7
• People: Lord have mercy.
• This is the Kingdom of God upon the earth hierarchically organized;
• Their needs are many, their wants varied;
• Prayers for the faithful included almost every need;

7. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For the President of our country, for all civil authorities, and for the armed
forces, let us pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: 1 Timothy 2:2
• People: Lord have mercy.
• Early Christians prayed “for king and rulers”; God-protected Emperor or Tsar;
• For princes who lead a pious life;
• Today we pray for “legitimately constituted governing bodies”;

8. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For this city, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us
pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: Jeremiah 29:7, Psalms 122:7
• People: Lord have mercy.
• From governing body we go to community; large city and/or village;
• This petition is not limited to any one country = includes every city, every country;
• In time of Chrysostom, Christians prayed: “for all who are here and everywhere”;

9. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For favorable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and temperate
seasons, let us pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: Saint Matthew 6:33, Saint Matthew 7: 7 - 11, Acts 14:17, 3 Saint
John 2, Psalms 33:7, Deuteronomy 12:10
• People: Lord have mercy.

10. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For travelers by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives, and
for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
• Bible References: James 5:13, 1 Kings 8: 46 - 50
• People: Lord have mercy.
• The sick and the suffering are ever in need of prayer;
• Prayer will deliver them, …give them gentle balm of patience;
• Sick will see the light so that they can see the finger of God in suffering/pain;
• Hour by hour they stand on the threshold of eternity;

11. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Today:
For travelers by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for
their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
• Original:
Let us pray for those who are in the mines, in banishment, in prisons, and in
chains for the name of the Lord.
• This originated during the persecutions;
• Above original petition is from “Apostolic Constitutions”;
• After the persecutions, Christians continued to pray for those imprisoned;
• Praying for those in prison = same as visiting them there;
• Matt. 25:34-36 “I was in prison…”;

12. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray
to the Lord.
• Bible References: Psalms 4:1, Psalms 25;16, Psalms 31:9, Saint Matthew 26:41, 1
Samuel 26:24
• People: Lord have mercy.
• From Lord’s Prayer = deliverance from all affliction…;
• Whatever it be, from all wrath and want of soul and body;

13. The Great Ektenia or Litany of Peace
• Standing before the royal doors, the deacon sings in a loud clear voice:
Help us, save us, have mercy upon us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
• Bible References: Saint Mark 9:22, Psalms 109:26, Psalms 106:47, Psalms 121:3,
Hebrews 7:25, Psalms 25:20, Psalms 140:4, 1 Chronicles 16:35
• People: Lord have mercy.
• God will never allow us to be tempted beyond that which we can endure (I Cor. 10:13);
• Without his help, his grace we can not do anything (John 15:5); we are not sufficient to
think anything of ourselves (II Cor. 3:5);
• Grace is indeed needed for salvation and eternal life; Grace is free gift of God;
• Grace is given to us purely out of God’s goodness and mercy;
• Petition doctrine is in absolute gratuity of grace;