A Step-by-Step Breakdown of Divine Liturgy | Beginner’s Guide to Orthodox Christianity | Ep. 106
For those new to Orthodox Christianity, attending the Divine Liturgy can feel both awe-inspiring and a little mysterious. You hear the chanting, smell the incense, see the icons and can sense something deeply sacred is taking place. But what’s really happening? And why?
In this episode, we're walking through Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church with attorney and cradle Orthodox Christian, Frank Bilotto, as he explains step by step of Divine Liturgy.
What Is the Divine Liturgy?
The Divine Liturgy is the primary worship service in the Eastern Orthodox Church, equivalent to the Roman Catholic Mass. It is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, where we come together to pray, hear Scripture, sing hymns, and receive Holy Communion, joining ourselves to Christ and one another.
The service is traditionally divided into two main parts:
The Liturgy of the Catechumens – centered on Scripture readings, hymns, and teaching, originally designed for those learning the faith.
The Liturgy of the Faithful – where the bread and wine are offered, consecrated, and received as the Body and Blood of Christ by those who are baptized and chrismated.
Throughout the Liturgy, there are several processions that mark sacred moments: the Little Entrance, when the Gospel book is brought into the sanctuary, and the Great Entrance, when the bread and wine are carried to the altar.
The entire service is highly musical, with prayers and hymns chanted or sung rather than spoken, reflecting the heavenly worship described in Scripture. Orthodox Christians prepare for this holy participation through prayer, fasting, and confession, approaching the Eucharist with reverence and humility.
Spiritually, the Divine Liturgy is understood as heaven on earth, a time when we worship God, unite ourselves with Christ, and receive spiritual strength and eternal life through Him.
Walking Through the Service
In our conversation, Frank and I move through the Liturgy from start to finish: lighting candles in the narthex, venerating icons, making the sign of the Cross, and hearing the Epistle and Gospel readings. We explore the meaning of the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the moment when the bread and wine are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ.
Frank also draws powerful parallels between the Book of Revelation and the Divine Liturgy, showing how incense, robes, hymns, and worship all point to the reality that every Sunday, we join in the eternal praise of heaven.
A Journey Worth Understanding
Whether you’re attending your first Orthodox Liturgy or deepening your understanding of it, this conversation is the perfect guide to the beauty, order, and mystery of Orthodox worship.
👉 YouTube: Breakdown of Divine Liturgy
👉 Spotify / Apple Podcasts: Breakdown of Divine Liturgy
Listen & Subscribe
🎙️ Podcast: Raised & Redeemed on Spotify
🎥 YouTube: Michaela Nikolaenko Channel
Coming Up Next
Coming up next: In the next podcast episode, we will be hearing the testimony of Kara Mosher from psychedelics and occult deception to Orthodox Christianity!
