Follow the preparation for the Liturgy: reconciliation, the blessing of Christ, and the vestments worn for service.
Read the introduction, using “Terms used in this lesson” for unfamiliar words.
Read the Scripture selections in order, noticing reconciliation, Christ’s service, and the images of priesthood and unity in the psalms.
Read the three Fathers’ comments, using the terms to follow the vestments they describe.
Try an optional study question, then keep an observation or question for the next parish meeting in your notes.
Terms used in this lesson
Kairos
The appointed moment or fitting time. Here it names the clergy’s prayers before the icons before entering the sanctuary to prepare for the Liturgy.
Hierarch
A bishop. St. Symeon’s second commentary describes a bishop’s preparation and vestments; some of these vestments are particular to his ministry.
Sticharion
The long liturgical tunic. Priests and bishops wear it beneath their other vestments; deacons also wear it. St. Symeon connects its brightness with purity and divine illumination.
Epitrachelion, zone, and epimanikia
The epitrachelion is the priest’s stole, worn around the neck and hanging down in front. The zone is the belt; the epimanikia are the cuffs worn at the wrists.
Phelonion and epigonation
The phelonion is the priest’s outer vestment. The epigonation is a diamond-shaped cloth worn at the side by bishops and by priests who have received that distinction.
Sakkos and omophorion
Vestments of a bishop. The sakkos is an outer tunic. The omophorion is a broad band worn over the shoulders; St. Germanos connects it with the Shepherd carrying the lost sheep.
Preparing to serve
In the temple. Demonstration of the rites. Hands-on with vestments. Clear emphasis that it is Christ who serves. The priest enters the temple in humility, seeking forgiveness from God and neighbor. He proclaims the place of Christ, and seeks his power to perform the liturgy. The priest does not enter the sanctuary without the blessing of Christ. By donning vestments, he is “clothed in righteousness” and becomes an icon of Christ’s priesthood.
Reconciliation, service, and righteousness
Begin with reconciliation before offering a gift, then hear Christ’s words about serving. The psalms turn our attention to priests clothed with righteousness and the blessing of unity.
Matthew 5:23–24
NKJV (Orthodox Study Bible New Testament)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ tells the person bringing a gift to the altar to seek reconciliation with an offended brother before returning to offer it.
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Seeking forgiveness before worship concerns real reconciliation with our neighbor, not only preparation inside the church building.
At the Last Supper, the disciples dispute which of them should be considered greatest. Christ answers by contrasting the one at table with the one who serves.
For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
The priest enters to serve in the place and by the strength of Christ, who identifies Himself as the One who serves.
The psalm asks the Lord to remember David and speaks of entering God’s dwelling and worshipping there. It prays for righteous priests and a rejoicing people.
Your priests shall clothe themselves in righteousness;
Your saints shall greatly rejoice.
The priest’s vesting is a call to righteousness; its joy belongs to the whole worshipping community.
This short song celebrates brothers dwelling together in unity. It compares that fellowship to oil flowing over Aaron’s beard and garment and to dew upon Zion.
Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant
As for brothers to dwell together in unity?
It is like fragrant oil running down upon the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down upon the border of his garment;
It is like the dew of Hermon, running down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing
And life forever.
Aaron’s anointing and garment join the joy of unity to priestly imagery. As you consider preparation for worship, remember the blessing of a community dwelling together in peace.
The garment of salvation. The grace to serve. The Shepherd’s care.
Read these three commentaries with the preparation and vesting prayers in mind. The vestments direct our attention to Christ and the ministry received from Him.
St. Symeon of Thessaloniki
The Liturgical Commentaries: Explanation of the Divine Temple, p. 101 · §31 · Course handbook, p. 3.
St. Symeon explains what the cleric’s first vestment, the sticharion, signifies: angelic brightness, the purity of the priestly calling, and illumination through the Gospel.
Therefore, in clothing himself in the sacred vesture, the cleric first puts on the sticharion. Indeed the sticharion indicates the shining raiment of the angels. For many times angels have appeared arrayed in shining garments, just as the one in the tomb who was clothed in a white garment. But it also depicts the pure and undefiled character of the priestly order, on account of the purity by which the priest is deemed worthy of this grace. It also represents divine illumination, which he ministers to the faithful by the Gospel, and other things as well. He testifies to this in vesting when he recites, “My soul shall exult in the Lord, for he has clothed me with a garment of salvation”.
The garment points beyond its material beauty to the purity and ministry expected of the one who wears it. The closing vesting prayer draws on Isaiah 61:10.
The Liturgical Commentaries: On the Sacred Liturgy, p. 171 · §§8–9 · Selected excerpts · Course handbook, p. 3.
Here St. Symeon describes a hierarch, or bishop, preparing to celebrate. He first bows and prays for God’s strength, then puts on seven sacred vestments.
The hierarch descends from his throne, representing the descent of God, making three reverences to God, and prays for the grace and power to accomplish the divine things, showing that he is a servant of God by whose strength he serves his own <servants>...
Then he puts on the sacred vestments, which are seven because of the seven energies of the Spirit. These are the sticharion, the epitrachelion, the zone, the epimanikia, the epigonation, the phelonion, sakkos, or polystaurion, and finally the omophorion. They all represent the becoming human of Christ; each signifies some particular aspect of <his> becoming human.
The bishop asks for grace before putting on the signs of his ministry. The vestments point to Christ’s becoming human. This commentary describes the vesting of a bishop. The omophorion belongs to his particular ministry.
On the Divine Liturgy, p. 67 · §§17–19 · Selected excerpts · Course handbook, p. 4.
St. Germanos interprets several vestments in relation to Christ. The robe’s bands and the epitrachelion recall His bonds and Passion; the bishop’s woolen omophorion recalls the lost sheep carried home.
The embroidery on the arms of their robe shows the bonds of Christ: it is said that they bound him and led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, and to Pilate. The embroidery on the sides of their robe shows the blood which flowed from the side of Christ...The epitrachelion is the cloth which was put on Christ at the hands of the high priest, and which was on his neck as he was bound and dragged to his passion...
The omophorion is like the stole of Aaron, which the priests of the (Old) Law wore, placing long cloths on their left shoulders. The omophorion of the bishop is made of wool and not of linen, for it represents the lost sheep which the Lord found and put upon his own shoulder.
The vestments direct our attention to the suffering and saving care of Christ. The omophorion is worn by the bishop, not by every priest.
Further studyAdditional Scripture and early Christian teaching
Explore these optional readings and commentary after the lesson.
Additional Scripture readings
Isaiah 61:10
SAAS (Orthodox Study Bible Old Testament) · Verse 10, the garment of salvation and bridal adornment
Isaiah’s prophecy announces restoration and joy for Zion. The passage describes salvation as clothing received from the Lord and compares that gift to the adornment of a bridegroom and bride.
Let my soul rejoice exceedingly in the Lord, for He clothed me with the garment of salvation and the tunic of gladness. He put a miter around me like a bridegroom and adorned me with ornaments like a bride.
St. Symeon cites this verse when explaining the sticharion’s vesting prayer. Its emphasis falls on the Lord who clothes and saves.
After the return from exile, Zechariah sees Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, with the devil opposing him. The Lord rebukes the accuser and commands that Joshua’s filthy garments be removed. Forgiveness and a new priestly robe belong together in the vision.
And the Lord showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the presence of the Angel of the Lord, and the devil stood at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to the devil, “The Lord rebukes you, O devil, even the Lord choosing for Himself Jerusalem rebukes you. Behold, is this one not like a brand plucked from the fire?” And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and stood before the Angel. And He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And He said to him, “Behold, I have taken your iniquities away from you. Now clothe him with a long robe, and place upon his head a clean miter.” So they clothed him and put a clean miter on his head, and the Angel of the Lord was standing by.
In this vision, clean priestly clothing is joined to the forgiveness God gives. Read it beside the lesson’s account of the priest seeking mercy and being clothed in righteousness: preparation for worship involves both the visible vestments and the person who wears them.
St. John Chrysostom is explaining Christ’s command in Matthew 5:23–24 to leave the gift at the altar and first be reconciled with one’s brother. He presents Christ as permitting the interruption of worship so that love between neighbors may be restored.
For what can be milder than these sayings? “Let my service,” says he, “be interrupted, that your love may continue; since this also is a sacrifice, your being reconciled to your brother.” Yea, for this cause He said not, “after the offering,” or “before the offering;” but, while the very gift lies there, and when the sacrifice is already beginning, He sends you to be reconciled to your brother; and neither after removing that which lies before us, nor before presenting the gift, but while it lies in the midst, He bids you hasten there.
Seeking forgiveness is part of our preparation to worship. The saint’s explanation gives the reason for Christ’s command: bringing an offering does not excuse leaving enmity unresolved.
The Liturgical Commentaries: On the Sacred Liturgy, p. 181 · §25 · Selected excerpt
St. Symeon describes preparation when a bishop celebrates with priests and deacons. Before the priest begins the prothesis—the preparation of the gifts—he receives the bishop’s blessing. The saint also recalls the deacons receiving a blessing before vesting.
The priest in the sanctuary, having first reverenced the bishop to display his subordination and been deemed worthy of a blessing, does the prothesis, for it is necessary that a prayer precede the divine actions and that permission be requested. Therefore he goes off to do the sacred-service, having first received a blessing and kissed the hand of the hierarch, as the deacons did even earlier when they were about to put on their priestly vestments.
Prayer and a received blessing come before the sacred work. This passage complements the lesson’s account of humble preparation and vesting; the blessing described here is the bishop’s blessing in the celebration St. Symeon is explaining.
Christ calls for reconciliation before an offering. Is there a relationship you could attend to as you prepare for the next Liturgy?
How does Christ’s description of Himself as the One who serves shape your understanding of priestly ministry?
What connection do you notice between the outward vestments and the inward preparation described by the Fathers?
Which vestment or preparation prayer would you like to ask about at the next parish meeting?
Notes, observations & questions
Keep something you noticed, or a question for the next parish meeting.
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Sources
The Bible editions are the Orthodox Study Bible: St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint (SAAS) for the Old Testament and NKJV for the New Testament. Source links open the selected text or source page in a new tab.
Scripture in Service: A Parish Study of the Divine Liturgy, Lesson 2, printed pp. 3–4
Orthodox clergy: original engraving in the course handbook, Lesson 2, printed p. 4. Original scanned lines displayed in burgundy; illustrator not credited in the handbook.