Worship is the act of giving thanks and praise to God. We remember what God has done, and continues to do for us. This, in turn leads us to repentance, as we see that we are not as God wants us to be, and to gratitude for God’s goodness, love and mercy. What we do in the liturgical services of the Church prepares, nourishes, heals, informs and guides us so that our whole lives may become acts of worship. In the Orthodox Church we worship in the manner that has been passed on to us – we don’t “make it up as we go.” Our services are ancient and have been hallowed by the prayers of devout men and women through the ages.
We always strive to offer the best and the most beautiful we have to God, who is always worthy of our praise. Our services are filled with Scripture, in both the readings and the chant and in the prayers. Most of our services are sung; St. Augustine said that “he who sings prays twice.” Our worship involves all the senses, as we see the beauty of the church, the vestments and the icons, as we hear the chant and prayers, as we smell the incense, as we touch the Holy Water and the candles and kiss the icons, and as we taste the goodness of the bread and wine that have become Christ’s own Body and Blood.
God shares his life with us in many ways. In the Sacraments, or Holy Mysteries, God adopts us as his children, feeds us and strengthens us for life’s journeys. We were created to have communion with God but lost that state by our disobedience. Worship restores us to life with God and makes us fully human. It is the most important thing we do.
Information on the Daily Office, daily services of Psalms, readings, chant and prayers, may be found here.
The form for the Mass, or Divine Liturgy, of St. Gregory the Great, may be found here.
A Western Rite ‘pocket prayerbook’ is available from St.Gregory’s, and may be ordered here.
Other services
- The Baptism of an Infant
- The Baptism of an Adult
- The Chrismation service
- The Wedding service
- Holy Unction
- Confession
- The Funeral Services
The Great Blessing of Water at Epiphany