The Living Tradition An Orthodox Archive of the Church Fathers and Early Church

Orthodox Christianity: start here — lesson 7

Worship and the Divine Liturgy

The shape of Christian worship in the second century, and the shape of it now.

  • Liturgical witnessAttested in the Church's worship — in a hymn, a prayer, a rite or a commemoration. Liturgical language is theological rather than casual, but a hymn is not a canon.
  • Received Orthodox teachingTaught consistently and received throughout the Orthodox Church, though not necessarily formulated in a conciliar definition. This is not a claim that no Father ever wrote differently.
  • Historical consensusBroadly agreed among historians working from the surviving evidence. Consensus can shift when the evidence or the method changes.

Primary evidence verified Content last reviewed 2026-08-29

What still needs checking (1)
  • Confirm the account of communion discipline and preparation against an official Orthodox source; practice varies by jurisdiction and the lesson should say precisely how.

Report an accuracy issue on this page

What this lesson covers

  • Describe the elements of Sunday worship as Justin Martyr reports them.
  • Explain what the Liturgy is understood to be, rather than what it teaches.
  • Recognise the continuity and the development between the second century and now.

About 8 minutes to read.

Read aloud. Your browser speaks the page using the voices installed on this device. Nothing is uploaded — the text never leaves your computer. Voice quality varies by browser and device.

Justin Martyr, writing to a Roman emperor around the middle of the second century, describes what Christians do on Sunday. The passage is archived here in full, and it is worth reading before any modern description.

He lists: the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read; the president instructs and exhorts; all stand and pray; bread and wine mixed with water are brought; the president offers prayers and thanksgivings; the people say Amen; the deacons distribute; and a portion is carried to the absent. Those who are able give, and what is collected supports orphans, widows, the sick and prisoners.

An Orthodox Christian reading that recognises the Divine Liturgy. The vocabulary has grown, the hymnography is vastly richer, the ceremonial has developed — and the shape is the same.

What the Liturgy is

Orthodox worship is not primarily instruction with music attached. The Liturgy is understood as the Church's participation in the worship of heaven: the earthly assembly joining what is already going on. That is why its texts are dense with theology and why they are sung rather than explained.

Justin is also explicit about who receives: only those who believe what is taught, have been washed for the remission of sins, and are living as Christ commanded. The Orthodox practice of communing the baptised who have prepared is not a later restriction but the oldest arrangement we can document.

Key Scripture

  • Acts 2:42 — Teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers.
  • Luke 24:30-35 — Recognised in the breaking of the bread.
  • Revelation 4-5 — The worship of heaven, which Orthodox worship understands itself to be joining.

On Scripture references. References are given so you can read the passage in the translation your parish uses. This site does not reproduce a modern copyrighted Bible text.

Patristic and liturgical witnesses

For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.

The First Apology, Chapter LXVI Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, trans. Marcus Dods and George Reith — public domain Read this work in the archive

Council and canon connections

  • Canon XVIII of Nicaea orders who administers the Eucharist to whom, and tells deacons to remain within their order.
  • Canon XX requires prayer standing on Sundays and through the season of Pentecost.

Why this matters in lived Orthodoxy

Most Orthodox parishes celebrate the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom on most Sundays, the Liturgy of Saint Basil ten times a year, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on weekdays in Great Lent.

Preparation for communion — prayer, fasting, and confession at intervals a priest advises — is real and is arranged pastorally. It varies by jurisdiction and by parish, and it is not something to work out from a website.

Review

What elements of Sunday worship does Justin list?
Readings from the apostles and prophets, instruction by the president, common prayer, the bringing of bread and wine with water, prayers and thanksgivings, the people's Amen, distribution by the deacons, provision for the absent, and a collection for the needy.
Who did Justin say receives the Eucharist?
Only those who believe what is taught, have been washed for the remission of sins, and live as Christ commanded.
What is the Liturgy understood to be?
The Church's participation in the worship of heaven, not primarily instruction with music.

Your notes

Stored in this browser only. Never uploaded, never visible to anyone else, and marked as your own words if you add this page to a study packet.

Going deeper

Sources for this page

  1. Tier C The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (eds.); A. Cleveland Coxe (American ed.) Justin Martyr, The First Apology, Chapters LXV-LXVII translated edition of primary texts Source record
  2. Tier C The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church Henry R. Percival (ed.); Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (series eds.) The Canons of the 318 Holy Fathers, Canons XVIII and XX annotated edition of conciliar texts Source record

Tiers are explained in the methodology. No page on this site has been reviewed or approved by any bishop, priest, synod or seminary.