After the reading of the day's Epistle and Gospel the catechumens are dismissed. Remember that this first part of the Liturgy was (and is) basic class in Christianity. That is why the un-baptized, non-believers were allowed to hear God's Word along with the faithful. In fact, originally even those who the Priest they couldn’t take Communion also had to leave! From the teachings of the Church, and Christ Himself we are always required to be prepared and watchful.
Luke 12:35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.
Having said that gives you a clue at what the next part of the Liturgy is called; the Liturgy of the Faithful! This was also called the Liturgy of the Eucharist (thanksgiving).
The Priest starts this by saying two prayers, asking God to make us worthy to offer the Sacrifice we are about to start. Why do we say "offering a sacrifice"? We know the sacrifice Jesus Christ gave for us, right? He gave his Holy Life! This should tell us something about what is expected of us. The Liturgy is not for us to simply receive, it is a sacrifice of love.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
Even though this seems like a very small part of Liturgy there really some important stuff going on. Remember we call this the Liturgy of “Thanksgiving”, and John 3:16 tells us one big reason why.
John 10:17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
John 13:15 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends
While the Priest is saying the prayers, he is also unfolding an important part of the Liturgy; one that the Liturgy could not take place without – the “Antimension”. The word Antimension means “instead of the table”, but we have an altar table right there don’t we? From the early beginnings of Christ’s Church the faithful only celebrated valid Liturgies under the authority of a Bishop! As early as the 107 St. Ignatious, Bishop of Antioch wrote “Let no one do any of the things which concern the Church without the Bishop.” [Ware, 13]
The Antimension is a symbol of the Priest’s unity with his Bishop, and without it he is not authorized to preside at an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. The Bishop’s authority is vested to him through an uninterrupted “Apostolic Succession” to the earliest Bishops and also to Christ Himself.
We called this part of the Liturgy the Offertory, and now it is time for an “offering” and that’s what will happen. We’ve been praying, asking for cleansing and now will offer a willing sacrifice to God. The Priest will begin to cense the Altar, the inconostas and the people while he says Psalm 51, which is a prayer for mercy, forgiveness and renewal. This is the only Psalm we say entirely during each Divine Liturgy; asking for God’s mercy on us in our many sins. It is said that King David said this Psalm after a great transgression.
The choir/people now sing a hymn:
“Let us who mystically represent the cherubim (angels who serve God), and who sing the thrice holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares.
Class discussion: What do you think “lay aside all earthly cares” means? How can we try to do that?