​THE LITURGY OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT

On Sundays throughout Great Lent, the Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great is celebrated in Orthodox churches. In its structure and order, it is similar to the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

​However, there are a few key differences:
1. The prayers recited silently by the priest in the altar are significantly longer, resulting in more extended chanting during this Liturgy.
2. The words of the Saviour, through which He established the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, are pronounced as follows: ‘He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles saying: Take, eat, this is My Body…’ and then: ‘He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles saying: Drink of this all of you, this is My Blood…’
3. Instead of the hymn ‘It is truly meet…’, a special hymn in honour of the Mother of God is sung: ‘All of creation rejoices in you, O full of grace: the assembly of angels and the human race…’

Additionally, during the Liturgy of St Basil the Great on Holy Thursday, the hymn ‘Of Thy Mystical Supper…’ is sung in place of ‘Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim…’, and on Holy Saturday, ‘Let all mortal flesh keep silence…’ is sung.
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The Liturgy of St Basil the Great is celebrated only ten times a year: on the eve of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord (or on the actual days of these feasts if they fall on a Sunday or Monday), on January 14th—the feast day of St Basil the Great, on the five Sundays of Great Lent (excluding Palm Sunday), on Holy Thursday, and on Holy Saturday of Holy Week.