Liturgical Resources

Materials for Liturgy, Prayer, and the Practices of the Church

Liturgical Life in the Church Abroad

The liturgical life of the Church is central to the human creature’s experience of divine life and love, echoing on earth, by God’s direct command, the eternal worship of heaven. Orthodoxy’s worshipping practice is amongst her most sacred inheritances from the Apostles and Saints, and she maintains her unchanging doctrine within this timeless sacramental reality. We worship as God commands, believing as God instructs us to believe, thus coming to participate ever more fully in His life and in the transfiguration of the world.

The resources in this area are meant to articulate, clearly and helpfully, elements of this tradition within the context of a world in which many other traditions are seen, that we may cling all the more fervently to the unique heritage entrusted to us by our Fathers.

Our Diocese is particularly committed to the education amongst clergy and laity of the rich liturgical heritage unique to our Church Abroad. Through the publication of our extensive Liturgical Handbook of the Church Abroad, in particular, we provide practical and pastoral instruction on a wide range of liturgical practices that the ROCOR keeps in a unique way, true to the inheritance of her forefathers and part of the character she brings to the tapestry of historical Russian Orthodoxy in the modern world. This she does in a spirit of sanctity and reverence for the House of God and the divine worship undertaken there, and so we provide also a special text, ‘To Serve in My Father’s House…’, which articulates the special piety to be developed by all who are called to serve in the Holy Altar, of whatever age.

A host of resources:

• Personal Prayers: A collection of prayers for the use of each Christian, including the rites of preparation for Holy Communion, daily morning and evening prayers, several akathists and canons, and other useful personal prayers.
• Handbook of Liturgical Practice: Information on our Liturgical Handbook that provides concrete guidance on the liturgical practices of the Church Abroad in a host of liturgical contexts, with sample chapters and links to order or download the book.
• Downloads for Clergy: Resources for Priests and Deacons, including printable versions of special litany petitions, the rites and rubrics of special services such as the Triumph of Orthodoxy in parish usage, and similar materials.
• Altar Servers: Guidance for Altar Servers of any age, including Readers and Subdeacons.
• Saints of the British Isles Project: Information on the Diocese’s long-term project to create a compendium of all hymnography for the saints that shone forth in the British Isles.