Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook April 27, 2010 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 1. Introduction This is the Altar Servers’ Handbook for 2010. It is to serve as a guide for all of the responsibilities for the boys and men who will serve in the altar of our parish. Enclosed you will find the information you need in order to serve every week, as well as things that altar servers ought to know. At the end, you will find some things that are very necessary each week, and in order to live a Godly and Orthodox lifestyle. If there are any questions, each server is invited to ask Father at any time. From time to time, changes may be made to this Handbook, and every server will be told. Altar Server Pledge To be administered at the beginning of the Church Year. + In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. I, ____________________________ an altar server of Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, do solemnly promise to serve You, O God, faithfully, obediently and reverently. Let nothing separate me from You. If I am weak in my faith, strengthen me. Help me to devote myself to Your Holy Gifts. Guide me in the path that leads to Your Kingdom. Teach me to become a better Christian so that I may wear the altar server's robe worthily and in humility. My prayer is to serve You in all my thoughts, words and deeds and to become a better Orthodox Christian so that in all I do I may testify to Your glory. For blessed glorified is your Holy name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen! 1 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 2.Ground Rules 1. Learn the order of the Divine Liturgy so that you know what comes next. This is included at the end of the Handbook. 2. Memorize the Creed and Lord's Prayer. These are also included at the end of the Handbook. 3. Servers must be vested at least 5 minutes before the beginning of the Liturgy, if they are not in Sunday School. 4. If you are scheduled for a position on a particular Sunday, please do your best to make it to Church. Attendance is necessary each week for every Orthodox Christian. You don’t want to know what the Church says happens after three weeks of missing Church! 5. No shorts. You ought to be in Sunday clothes to show proper respect for God and the holy work you are about to do. 6. No sitting in the Altar. Stand in a neat and orderly manner in the Altar when not assigned to do something else. 7. The bathroom should be used only when absolutely necessary. (Remove your robe before entering). 8. Sing & Pray along with the Priest and keep your mind on the service. As visible servers in the parish, your behavior in the Altar will be a strong example to the parish family. 9. Unnecessary talking and fooling around will be grounds for suspension. (Reinstatement will be made under the discretion of the priest). 10. Never touch the Altar Table of Table of Oblation – this for the clergy only. Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. 1 Samuel 2.17 Vespers Orthodox life is one of constant preparation and fulfillment. That is why attendance at Vespers is crucial to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, altar servers can spend more time in the Holy Altar by serving at Vespers when it is offered. Schedules Again, everybody who is properly prepared may serve in the Altar, every week. The four main positions will be scheduled, and are your responsibility to fulfill. If you are unable to do so, please make sure that your job is filled by someone who is properly trained, knowledgeable, and attending the Divine Liturgy. 2 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 3. Altar Boy Jobs There are many things that an altar server may be asked to do. While everyone is invited to serve every week, there will be certain jobs that are assigned on a rotating basis. South Door (Head Server) This is the head altar server. He is stationed by the South Door, near to the priest. He is responsible for knowing the order of the service, and closing the Royal Door at the appropriate time. He is there to be attentive to the needs of the Priest, and to oversee the other altar servers. Bread Cutter The server assigned to this job will be responsible for the following additional responsibilities each week: (cid:1) Cutting up the antidoron (cid:1) Keeping the table clean (cid:1) Making sure the Hot Water is turned on and ready for the Priest (cid:1) Preparing the Zupifka (Wine and Bread) for after communion (cid:1) Cleaning the dishes (cid:1) Make sure there are a few pieces of bread and a cup of wine for the Priest North Door This server is stationed by the North Door. He is responsible for opening and closing the North Door and Royal Door, and for closing the curtain. He is also responsible for assisting with the commemorations that are brought into the altar during the Divine Liturgy. Censer This server is responsible for handling the censer for the entirety of the Liturgy. He must be familiar with the order of the service, and the times when the censer is needed by the priest. He also needs to ensure that the censer is prepared for the Requiem Service (Panikhida) after the Liturgy, if there is one scheduled. He also carries the censer at the Great Entrance. 3 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 4. Responsibilities during the Divine Liturgy In addition to the assigned positions, all servers are to assist where possible, and to pray at all times. The responsibilities for the entire service are available at the end of the Handbook, and is available in the Altar as well. Here are diagrams for the different Entrances and for the Gospel reading. Little Entrance Candles Gospel reading F F 4 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook Great Entrance F F Candles cross censer candles Clean Up a. The other servers begin to clean up after venerating the cross. b. All dishes are to be cleaned and put away. c. The table is to be left neat. d. No crumbs are to be left on the table or floor. e. The censer is to be emptied in the coffee canister; care should be taken not to spill the coals. f. All remaining prosphoron are to be brought down to Coffee Hour. g. Make sure the Hot Water Pot is turned off. h. All candles/torches in the Altar are to be extinguished. Do not blow out the candles on the Alltar Table or Oblation Table. These should always remain lit. Blow out the candles behind the Altar Table (on the 7 Branch Candle stand). i. Receive the Blessing from the Priest and return vestments to the Vestment Closet. 5 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 5. Church Year The Church Year of our Holy Orthodox Church begins on September first and continues through August 31st. It is divided into three seasons based upon Pascha (called Easter by non-Orthodox Churches), and all the seasons refer to it as their starting point. The three seasons are: (1)The Triodion, the ten weeks before Pascha including Lent; (2) The Pentecostarion or Pentecost Season which begins with Pascha and ends the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday which is All Saints Day; and (3) the Season of the Eight Tones (Octoechos) for the rest of the year. The Triodion The first part, of the Triodion, begins just prior to Lent and runs through Holy Week. The Sundays of the Triodion are: The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Meat-fare Sunday, Cheese fare Sunday, and the Sundays of the Great and Holy Lent. the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt, and Palm Sunday, finally closing on Holy Saturday morning. Pentecostarion The second season is the Pentecostarion, the Paschal or Pentecost Season which begins on Pascha Sunday and is followed by St. Thomas Sunday, Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, the Sunday of the Paralytic, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, the Sunday of the Man Born Blind, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (325AD), Sunday of Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Trinity, and ends with the Sunday of All Saints.- This period focuses around the Resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us. Eight tones Season (Octoechos) The third season, is the season of the Eight Tones, the Octoechos as it is called in Greek and deals with all the other Sundays of the Year. This season begins on the Sunday following All Saints Sunday and ends on the week before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Octoechos is a liturgical book of the Orthodox Church, and has the hymns for the divine services during that period from Pentecost to the beginning of the Triodion. Its hymns are sung consecutively in the eight tones of which were composed by the hymnographers from the very first days of our Church. Occasionally, an important Feast Day replaces the Octoechos when the feast falls on Sunday. 6 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 6. Vestments As you may already know, there are three major orders of clergy in our Orthodox Church: The Deacon, the Priest and the Bishop and two minor orders, Reader and Sub-deacon. All have vestments that are common to them all. With each elevation, from Reader to Sub-deacon to deacon to Priest and from Priest to Bishop, there are some additions that occur in the vestments. Clergy usually vest in what is called the Sacristy, the room where the vestments are kept. Many times, the clergy vest in the Altar as there may not be a Sacristy for them. As they put on each vestment particular to their position, they recite certain prayers as appropriate for each item. Robe Or Sticharion (Reader, Deacon, Priest and Bishop) This is the basic vestment of the clergy and must be worn for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and Baptism. This is usually a long, straight robe with wide sleeves and is called" a robe of salvation and a tunic of gladness." It symbolizes a pure and peaceful conscience and spiritual joy. Stole Or Orarion (Sub Deacon and Deacon). This is a wide and long band of material that is the distinctive vestment of the Deacon and Sub-deacon. It is crossed over the back or falls over the left shoulder. As the deacon prays, he holds the front part of it while the back part hangs behind his back. During the Lord’s Prayer it is crossed over the back. It symbolizes the wings of angels. The Sub-deacon wares the stole crossed over the back always. Cuffs Or Epimanika (Deacon, Priest and Bishop) These are the cuffs, one for the right hand and one for the left which are worn by the Deacon, the Priest and the Bishop. Thus, they are common to all the major clergy. They symbolize the tying of Christ's hands and wrists at the time He was flogged, and also serve to remind us that all things that we do with our hands, we should do for the glory of God. They also have a practical purpose; to hold the wide sleeves of the Sticharion in place. Stole or Epitrachelion (Priest and Bishop) This is the distinctive sign of the Priesthood and is worn on the shoulders and hangs down in front. It symbolizes the grace of the Priesthood that the Priest receives on the 7 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook day of his ordination. Thus it is worn by Priests and Bishops. In effect it is a development of the Orarion, actually being an Orarion doubled with both ends hanging in front and reaching the full length of the Sticharion. Belt or Zone (Priest and Bishop) This is ceremonial belt that ties at the back. The Zone is worn by the Priest and the Bishop. It Symbolizes the power of the grace of the Priesthood and has the practical function of holding the epitrachelion in place against the sticharion or tunic. Award or Epigonateon (Priest and Bishop) The square or diamond shaped Epigonateon is suspended, hanging over the right knee. It is Worn by Priests who have received the privilege to wear it and by Bishops always. It symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the power of the angels. It denotes that the Priest wearing it has the title of distinction given to him by the Church. Cape or Phelonion, (Priest only) Resembling a cape, the Phelonion rests on the shoulders of the Priest and is put on through a head opening. It is about arms length in the front and reaches the edge of the tunic or Sticarion in the back. On the back is usually an embroidered Cross or an icon. Symbolizing the seamless robe of Christ it stands for righteousness. With the Phelonion, the Priest's liturgical attire is completed. Pectoral Cross, (Priest) A Priest wears a cross according to the rank bestowed on him by the Bishop beginning with silver then the gold then to an ornately decorated Archpriest cross. Sakkos, (Bishop only) The Sakkos is a richly embroidered liturgical vestment. It is one of the principal vestments worn by a Bishop and replaces the Phelonion of the Priest yet it carries the same meaning: the seamless robe of Christ. Omophorion, (Bishop only) This scarf-like article worn by the Bishop is symbolic of the wayward lamb carried on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. It falls over the shoulders and hangs in front and the back. There is a shorter one that hangs only in front and is worn after the reading of the Gospel. Mitre (Bishop only) A Mitre is the Bishops ceremonial crown. It denotes his apostolic sovereignty. 8 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook Pectoral Cross and Panaghia Medallion (Bishop only) The pectoral cross and the Panaghia are worm by the Bishop during the Divine Liturgy. The cross denotes the self-denial of the Shepherd of the flock. The Panaghia is the distinctive sign of the office of the Bishop and is usually oval in shape and suspended from a chain and has an icon of the Theotokos and Christ on it. Pastoral Staff (Bishop only) This, made of a precious metal and having at the top a cross with serpents turned inward towards it, denotes the power of the Holy Spirit and especially the Cross as an instrument of support for all the faithful. It is pastoral in nature and is there for all the people to see and to know that the Cross can lead them, chastise the disorderly, and gather the dispersed. It reminds us of Moses who held up the staff in the wilderness as the snakes came to bite the people. As long as they looked at his staff, they suffered no harm. The serpents on top, turn inwardly toward the Cross as reminders of the Lord saying-. "Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Kamilafka (Priest and Bishop) The Kamilafkion is the black cyclindrical head covering or hat worn by the Bishop or Certain Priests. It is tall and has a flat top. It is covered with a black veil if the priest is a monastic. 7. Altar Server Vestments Robe or Sticharion The long robe or sticharion that is similar to that of the deacon, is a reminder of the role the Altar Boy has in the service in the Altar. It symbolizes the cleanliness of mind and heart that the server brings each time he enters the altar. Stole or Orarion The Stole or Orarion is also similar to the deacon but it is worn differently. It is shaped in a cross at the back with two parts hanging down the front. It denotes the calling of the altar boy to be a server much as the angels of God serve Him attentively and willingly. It is given by the Bishop as a special honor for years loyal service as an altar boy when they become a subdeacon Service Book It would be good for each Altar Server to obtain a copy of the Divine Liturgy service book, in order to follow along during the service. Consider this a part of your vestments. 9