Where Latin Rite Catholics speak of the “Mass” or the “celebration of the Eucharist”, the Eastern Churches speak of the Divine Liturgy. There are different rites, although the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom is most commonly used for the liturgy. The original language in which St John wrote this liturgy is Greek and over the centuries it has been translated into many languages.
The Divine Liturgy consists of three main parts: the Liturgy of Preparation (the prayerful preparation of the priests and servers), the Liturgy of the Word (with readings from the Bible and prayers) and the Liturgy of Sacrifice (offering bread and wine; participation in Jesus’ gift of his life).
