Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil

Great and Holy Thursday

The Divine Liturgy - of Great Thursday was originally celebrated with great solemnity in the evening, in imitation of the Last Supper. In Constantinople it was preceded by the Service of the Nipter (Niptir) or Foot-washing Ceremony which was conducted by the Patriarch himself.

Gradually, the Divine Liturgy was moved first to the late afternoon and later to the morning hours of the day. The Liturgy, however, has retained its original vesperal character. It is comprised of two main parts: (a) the service of the Great Vespers, including the Entrance and three Old Testament Readings, and (b) the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, beginning with the Prayer of the Trisagion.

Rubrics
The Order Of The Vesperal Divine Liturgy

The Proskomide - The priest prepares for the Divine Liturgy in the usual manner. At the Proskomide he will extract a second Lamb exactly as is done for a Pre-Sanctified Liturgy.

Rubrics
The Vesper Service

The priest fully vested, comes before the Holy Table in the usual manner. He raises the Gospel and intones the enarxis, Evlogimeni Basileia ... -Blessed is the Kingdom

The Reader says "Come, let us worship ..." and reads Psalm 103. The Priest intones the Great Synapte.

The Choirs sing the Psalms of Vespers together with the appointed troparia of the Triodion.

The Priest censes as usual.

The Entrance - When the choirs sing the Doxastikon hymn, the priest reads the prayer of the Entrance of the Vespers. The Entrance is made with the Gospel (According to an ancient custom he may also hold the censer.). He blesses the Entrance. At the conclusion of the hymn, he raises the Gospel and says "Sofia Orthoi." The Evening Song of Thanksgiving, "Fos ilaron - O Joyous Light," is sung. The priest enters the sanctuary.

The Priest says: ... Esperas" at the conclusion of the hymn.

The Reader chants the Prokeimena and according to custom intones the three appointed lections of the Old Testament.

Rubrics
The Divine Liturgy

The Priest says "Tou Kiriou deithomen - Let us pray to the Lord" at the conclusion of the Old Testament readings. The Prayer of the Trisagion follows.

The Choir sings the Trisagion hymn ("Agios O Theos - Holy God"). The Reader recites the Apostolos in the prescribed manner.

The Priest reads the Gospel.

The remainder of the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil follows. It is celebrated in the prescribed manner. However, in the place of the usual Cherubikon we sing the ancient troparion "Tog deipnou sou tou mistikou - At Your Mystical Supper . . . Also, this same hymn is chanted as the Communion hymn and in the place of " Eidomen ro' fos - We have seen the true light." The, Apolysis of the Divine Liturgy has a distinct festal prologue, "'O di' ipervallousan agathotita- ... of His exceeding goodness."