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{{liturgy}}The '''Divine Liturgy''' is the primary worship service of the [[Orthodox Church|Church]]. The most commonly celebrated forms of the Divine Liturgy are the [[Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom]], the [[Liturgy of St. Basil]], and the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], but there are others such as the [[Liturgy of St. James]]; the [[Liturgy of St. Mark]]; the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]] and the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]]. The Divine Liturgy is a [[eucharist]]ic service. It contains two parts: the ''Liturgy of the [[Catechumen]]s'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the Word'', at which the [[Holy Scriptures|Scriptures]] are proclaimed and expounded, and the ''Liturgy of the Faithful'', sometimes called the ''Liturgy of the [[Eucharist]]'', in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated. The Church teaches that the gifts truly become the body and blood of [[Jesus Christ]], but it has never dogmatized a particular formula for describing this transformation. The ''Prothesis'' (or ''[[proskomedia]]''), the service of preparing the holy gifts, can be considered a third part which precedes the beginning of the Liturgy proper. {{Services}}
== Preparation ==
Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the [[priest]] and a [[deacon]], if one is serving, begin by preparing the gifts of bread and wine for use in the service. This preparation is itself a considerable service. More than simply setting aside the bread and wine, a robust ritual has developed with elaborate symbolism. Though the main outline is similar for most Orthodox churches, there may be some differences based on which [[typicon]] a jurisdiction uses.
Naturally, the gifts are [[incense|censed]] several times during the prothesis. The conclusion of the prothesis leads directly into the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.
{{services}}
== Liturgy of the Catechumens ==
