A Liturgical Catechism
Of all the liturgical prayers of the Orthodox Church, none summarise the essence of our faith so succinctly and yet so comprehensively as the Anaphora of St Basil the Great. It is a prayer every Christian should read, study and come to know well. Although this prayer takes the form of a dialogue between the clergy and the people in the context of the Divine Liturgy of St Basil, it is presented here as one continuous text for the purpose of instruction.
The Prayer
O THOU WHO ART, O Master and Lord, God the Father, Almighty and proper to be worshipped: It is very meet, right and befitting the majesty of thy holiness that we should praise thee, and sing unto thee, bless and adore thee, give thanks and glorify thee, of certainty the one true God; that we should bring unto thee this our reasonable service from a contrite heart and an humble spirit. For it is thou who hast vouchsafed unto us the knowledge of thy truth. And who can utter thy mighty acts? Who can shew forth all thy praise, or tell of all thy wondrous works at all times?
O sovereign Lord of heaven and earth and of all creation, visible and invisible; Thou that sittest in the throne of glory and dost behold the depths; Who art from everlasting, invisible, searchless, uncircumscribed, immutable, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Saviour which is our hope, which is the image of thy goodness, equal mould of thy likeness, shewing thee the Father in Himself, the living Word, true God, pre-eternal wisdom, life, sanctification, power, the true light through whom was manifest the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of truth, the grace of adoption of sons, the earnest of our inheritance to come, the first-fruits of everlasting good, the quickening power, the fountain of holiness that enableth every creature having reason, and having understanding to serve thee and pour forth an unceasing hymn of glory, for all are thy servants: angels and archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers and virtues, and the many-eyed cherubim praise thee; about thee stand the seraphim, six wings hath the one and six wings hath the other: with twain they cover their faces, and with twain they cover their feet, and with twain they do fly, crying one unto another, with continuing voice unstilled songs of praise, singing the triumphal hymn, exclaiming, crying aloud and saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Sabaoth: heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
And with these blessed Powers, O sovereign Lord and friend of man, we sinners also cry aloud and say: Holy indeed and most holy art thou, and no bounds are there to the majesty of thy holiness; and just art thou in all thy works, for in righteousness and true judgment hast thou ordered all things for us. For after thou hadst formed man of the dust of the ground, and honoured him, O God, with thine own image, thou didst set him in the garden of Eden, and didst promise unto him immortal life and the joy of everlasting good in the keeping of thy commandments. But man disobeyed thee, his true God which created him, and was allured by the deceit of the serpent, and slain by his own trespasses; and thou, O Lord, in righteous judgment didst turn him away from paradise into this world, into the ground from whence he was taken: establishing for him salvation by regeneration, which is in thy Christ himself.
For thou, good Master, didst not wholly forsake thy creature which thou hadst made, neither didst thou forget the works of thy hands but because of thy tender mercy in diverse manners didst visit him. Prophets didst thou send, mighty works hast thou performed through thy saints which have been wellpleasing unto thee in every generation: thou hast spoken unto us by the mouth of thy servants the prophets, foretelling unto us the salvation to come. Thou gavest the law for an help. Thou didst appoint angels over us to guard us. And when the fulness of the time was come thou didst speak unto us by thy Son himself, by whom also thou madest the worlds. Who, being the brightness of thy glory, and the express image of thy person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, thought it not robbery to be equal with thee, God and Father. But being God pre-eternal did he yet shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men: and being incarnate of the holy Virgin he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of our vile body that he might fashion us like unto the image of his glory: For inasmuch as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so it seemed good unto thine only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of thee, O God and Father, made of a woman, the holy Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, made under the law, to condemn sin in his flesh, that they who die in Adam may be quickened in thy Christ himself: Who dwelling in this world gave saving commandments and having turned us from the deceits of idols, hath brought us unto knowledge of thee, the true God and Father, having possessed us unto himself for a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, an holy nation: Who hath cleansed us with water and sanctified us by the Holy Spirit, giving himself a ransom unto death, wherein we were held, sold under sin: and by the cross having descended into hell, that he might fill all things with himself, he loosed the pains of death: and being risen again the third day he made a way for all flesh unto the resurrection of the dead, because it was not possible that the author of life should be holden of corruption. So is he become the first fruits of them that slept, the firstborn from the dead: that in all things he might have the preeminence. And ascending into heaven he sat down on the right hand of thy Majesty on high, from whence he shall come again to render to every man according to his deeds.
Who also hath left unto us for a remembrance of his saving passion these things which we here set forth according to his commandments. Who being about to go forth to his voluntary and ever-memorable and life-giving death, in the night that he gave himself for the life of the world, took bread in his sacred and most pure hands and shewing it unto thee, O God and Father, when he had given thanks, and blessed and hallowed it, he brake it and gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you for the remission of sins. Likewise he took the cup with the fruit of the vine, and when he had mingled it, had given thanks, blessed and hallowed it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles saying: Drink ye all of it; This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me: for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew my death and confess my resurrection. Wherefore we also, O Master, having in remembrance his redeeming passion and life-giving cross, the three days he was in the tomb, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven and his sitting on the right hand of thee, God and Father, and his glorious and dread coming again, offering thee thine own of thine own, in all and for all, we hymn thee, we bless thee, we give thanks unto thee, O Lord, and we pray unto thee, our God.
Wherefore, all holy Lord, we also thy sinful and unworthy servants whom thou hast suffered to minister at thy hallowed altar, not for our righteousnesses, for we have done no good thing on earth, but for thy mercy and the bounties which thou hast shed on us abundantly, we presume to draw nigh unto thy holy altar and presenting unto thee the figures of the sacred body and blood of thy Christ, we pray thee and beseech thee, O Holy of Holies, of the good pleasure of thy goodness let thy Holy Spirit come upon us and upon these gifts here set forth, to bless, hallow and make this bread the precious and very body of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and this cup the precious and very blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which was shed for the life of the world. And unite us all one with another, as many as are partakers of the one bread and cup in the communion of the one Holy Spirit.
And suffer none to partake of the holy body and blood of thy Christ unto judgment or condemnation; But grant that we may obtain mercy and grace, together with all the saints which have been wellpleasing unto thee since the world began; with our forefathers and fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, preceptors: And with every righteous spirit in faith made perfect. More especially our most holy and undefiled, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, with Saint John, prophet, forerunner and Baptist; the holy and all glorious apostles; [the holy and all glorious apostle Andrew the First-called;] Saint …… whom we call to remembrance this day; and all thy saints, at whose intercessions visit us, O God. And do thou remember all them that are fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection unto life eternal, ….., and give them rest where the light of thy countenance watcheth over them.
Also we pray thee remember, O Lord, the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that stretcheth unto the ends of the earth, and extend thy peace to her which thou hast purchased with the precious blood of thy Christ; And stablish this holy house even unto the end of the world. Remember, O Lord, them that have set before thee these gifts; and them for whom and by whom and in behalf of whom they are offered. Remember, O Lord, them that strive and bring forth the fruit of good works in thy holy churches; and them that care for the poor. Reward them with thy rich and heavenly bounty, for earthly things bestowing on them heavenly things; things eternal for things temporal, things incorruptible for things corruptible. Remember, O Lord, them that wander in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Remember, O Lord, them that continue in their virginity, in reverence, in fasting, and in chaste conversation.
Remember, O Lord, all that are in authority, [to whom thou hast given the right to reign in the earth. Crown them with the armour of truth, with the panoply of contentment. Overshadow their head in the day of battle. Strengthen their arm, exalt their right hand; make mighty their kingdom; subdue under them all barbarous nations which seek wars]. Grant them peace, deep and inviolable. Inspire their hearts with good things for thy Church and for all thy people, that in their peace we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Preserve them that are good in their goodness; and of thy kindness make them that are evil good.
Remember, O Lord, this congregation here present and them that upon their reasonable occasions are absent; and have mercy upon them and upon us, according to the greatness of thy mercy. Fill their store-houses with all manner of good. Maintain their marriage-bonds in peace and concord. Nourish the infants; instruct the young, succour the aged; comfort the faint-hearted; gather together in one them that are scattered, bring back them which went astray and unite them to thy Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Set free them that are vexed with unclean spirits. Sail with them that sail; journey with them that journey. Defend the widows; shelter the orphans; deliver the captives; heal the sick.
Remember, O God, them that stand trial, that are in prisons, that live in exile; and all that are in affliction and tribulation. Likewise, O God, all them that have need of thy great and tender mercy; them that love us and them that hate us; and such as have enjoined us, unworthy though we be, to pray for them. And all thy people remember, O Lord our God; and upon them all pour out thy rich mercy, granting unto all such of their petitions as are unto salvation.
And them that we have not remembered, through ignorance or forgetfulness, or by reason of the multitude of names, do thou thyself call to mind, O God which knowest the days and name of each, and knowest every man from his mother’s womb. For thou, O Lord, art the help of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the saviour of them that are storm-tossed, the haven of those in peril, the physician of them that are sick. Be thou thyself all things to all men, which knowest each and his petition, his abode and his need.
Preserve this city; and every city and land from famine, pestilences, earthquakes, flood, fire, sword; from the invasion of enemies and from civil strife. And remember first, O Lord, our Archbishop Nikitas, whom do thou preserve unto thy holy churches, that in peace, safety, honour, health and length of days he may rightly divide the word of thy truth. Remember, O Lord, all the Orthodox episcopate who rightly divide the word of thy truth.
Remember, O Lord, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies my unworthiness. Forgive me all my trespasses, voluntary and involuntary: and withhold not because of my sins the grace of thy Holy Spirit from the gifts here set forth.
Remember, O Lord, the priesthood, the diaconate which is in Christ, and all clerical and monastic orders; and put none of us to shame who compass thine altar. Visit us, O Lord, of thy clemency. Deal bountifully with us. Vouchsafe unto us temperate winds and fair seasons. Send gentle rains that the land shall yield her increase. Crown the year with thy goodness. Cause divisions to cease in the Churches. Quench the raging of the heathen. By the power of thy Holy Spirit speedily destroy the uprisings of heresy. Receive us all into thy kingdom, having made us children of light, children of the day. Thy peace and thy love grant unto us, O Lord our God, for thou hast rendered to us all things.
And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorify and praise thy sublime and wondrous name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; now, and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The English translation presented here is based on The Orthodox Liturgy (Essex: Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 2025), 119-135.