Divine Liturgy Class 4 – The Little Entrance: Christ Comes Among His People
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The Little Entrance is the procession with the Gospel Book near the beginning of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy. The Orthodox Church receives this entrance as a call to worship Jesus Christ and to prepare to hear His Gospel. The book comes into view well before the reading, giving the whole congregation time to turn its attention to the Lord.
Why do we carry the Gospel Book out among the people before we read from it? In this Bible study, Fr. Stephen Osburn follows the book from the Holy Table to the doors of the sanctuary and back again. Along the way, we hear a quiet prayer, a call to attention, and hymns that tell us what the Church is celebrating. Together, they help us understand what we are doing when we stand to hear the Gospel.
What Is the Little Entrance in the Orthodox Divine Liturgy?
In the ancient cathedral tradition, the entrance could be an actual entrance into the church. The bishop and clergy entered in procession, and the faithful gathered inside with them. Once everyone was inside, the Divine Liturgy truly began. The entrance marked the moment when the people and their shepherd had come together as one assembly for worship.
Today the Little Entrance takes place after the Liturgy has already begun, as the Third Antiphon is sung. The deacon takes the Gospel Book from the Holy Table and carries it out through the north door of the sanctuary. When there is no deacon, the priest carries it. The procession comes before the people and returns to the sanctuary through the central doors.
When a bishop serves, the older pattern can be easier to picture. In one common order, the bishop begins among the people, blesses the entrance, venerates the Gospel Book, and enters the sanctuary with the clergy. The details vary by local practice. What comes into view is the movement of a Church gathered with its shepherd.
Why Do Orthodox Christians Carry the Gospel Book?
The Gospel Book bears witness to the words and saving deeds of Christ. We honor it because of the One whose life, death, and Resurrection it proclaims. When the book is raised before the doors, the congregation sees what it will soon hear proclaimed. The procession gives us a chance to prepare ourselves before the first words of the Gospel reading.
What does the priest pray at the Little Entrance?
As the procession pauses, the priest quietly asks God to let the holy angels enter and serve with us. The prayer recalls that God has appointed angels and archangels to minister before Him. From where we stand, we see clergy and servers carrying out the entrance. The prayer reminds us that our worship on earth is joined to the worship of heaven.
Scripture gives us a picture of that worship. In Isaiah 6:1–3, the prophet sees the Lord enthroned and hears the seraphim cry out to one another in praise of His holiness. The Entrance Prayer brings that wider reality to mind in a simple way. We ask the angels to enter with us so that together we may glorify God’s goodness.
What does “Wisdom! Let us attend!” mean?
At the central doors, the Gospel Book is raised and we hear the call, “Wisdom! Let us attend!” Some English service books say “Wisdom! Arise!” We may already be standing, but our minds can still be on the drive to church or the week ahead. The call gives us a moment to gather our attention and direct it toward Christ.
Why do the clergy sing the Entrance Hymn?
The Church answers the call to attention by singing, “Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ.” The clergy also sing this hymn in the course of the entrance. As they enter the sanctuary, they give voice to what they themselves are doing. They come before Christ to worship Him, and the words “let us” include them in the invitation they extend to the people.
Most of us remain in our places while the procession moves. We can join the hymn aloud or make it our prayer as we listen. When the hymn asks the Son of God to save us, clergy and people make the same appeal. The people who lead the worship share in the prayer of the whole Church.
Does the Entrance Hymn change on weekdays and feasts?
On an ordinary Sunday, the refrain acclaims Christ as risen from the dead. In some weekday services, we may hear Him praised as wondrous in His saints. At certain feasts, the words name the event the Church is celebrating. At Theophany, for example, the refrain points to Christ’s baptism in the Jordan, and some feasts also have their own appointed entrance verse.
This is one way the Eastern Orthodox Church teaches through its worship. The familiar order helps us know where we are in the service. A phrase that changes helps us hear what day it is. Even someone who has never looked at a church calendar can begin to recognize the difference by listening closely to what the Church sings.
What are the movable parts of Orthodox worship?
Each service has a familiar order, with prayers and hymns that return week after week. Within that order, certain texts are appointed according to the weekday, the feast or saint being commemorated, and the liturgical season. These are often called the movable parts of the service. They include hymns and verses and, where the service calls for them, readings from Scripture.
The changes are often easier to hear at Vespers. At “Lord, I Call,” familiar psalm verses lead into a group of hymns appointed for the day. Near the end of the service, the Aposticha give us another group of hymns sung with verses. If you attend Vespers on the eve of a feast, those two places are good opportunities to listen for the feast’s story and meaning.
At Matins, the Canon develops the themes of the day across several groups of hymns called odes. Near the end of Matins, the Praises draw on Psalms 148–150. When hymns are appointed there, they are sung with the closing verses. The same feast can come into focus through several different images as the service unfolds.
What are troparia and kontakia in the Divine Liturgy?
The changes can be easier to miss at the Liturgy because much of the service sounds so familiar. One place to listen is right after the Little Entrance. A troparion is a short hymn that may proclaim the Resurrection, celebrate a feast, or honor a saint. A kontakion often brings one image or thought from the celebration into focus.
At the Nativity, for example, the troparion recalls how the Magi, who studied the stars, were led by a star to worship Christ. The kontakion marvels that the Virgin gives birth to the eternal God. The two hymns give us different ways to consider the same feast. The appointed Scripture readings also change and give us another place to listen for what the Church is keeping that day.
What is the Trisagion, and what happens after it?
After the appointed hymns, we ordinarily sing the Trisagion. Its name means “thrice holy,” and we hear that in the words “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” In the prayer that accompanies the hymn, the priest recalls the praise of the heavenly powers and asks God to receive our praise. We acclaim God’s holiness and ask Him together for mercy.
As the Trisagion concludes, the clergy move toward the High Place behind the Holy Table, toward the east end of the sanctuary. From the congregation, you may hear the change more easily than you see it. A short responsorial verse called the Prokeimenon leads into the Epistle. After the Epistle comes the Alleluia, and then we hear the Gospel that the entrance has prepared us to receive.
How can I take part more attentively?
The next time you attend the Divine Liturgy, watch for the moment when the Gospel Book is raised. Listen for one phrase in the entrance hymn or in the hymns that follow it. If your attention wanders, let the next words you hear bring you back to prayer. When the Gospel is read, remember the book you saw carried among you and ask what the Lord is calling you to hear and live that week.
If you are new to Orthodox Christianity, come and stand with us at the Liturgy. It takes time to learn where the prayers and movements fit, and you can begin by following the procession and listening to the congregation’s response. There is room to bring your questions with you. With each visit, the words “Come, let us worship” can become a little more familiar as an invitation addressed to you.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Little Entrance
When does the Little Entrance happen in the Orthodox Liturgy?
It takes place near the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, during the Third Antiphon. The appointed hymns and the Trisagion follow before the Scripture readings.
What is the difference between the Little Entrance and the Great Entrance?
At the Little Entrance, the clergy carry the Gospel Book as the Church prepares to hear the Scriptures. At the Great Entrance, later in the Liturgy, the clergy carry the bread and wine to the Holy Table for the Eucharist.
Who carries the Gospel Book during the Little Entrance?
The deacon normally carries the Gospel Book. If there is no deacon, the priest carries it.
What does “Trisagion” mean in the Orthodox Church?
It means “thrice holy.” In the Divine Liturgy, it refers to the hymn that calls on God as Holy, Mighty, and Immortal and asks Him to have mercy on us.