NEW TO ORTHODOXY

Our worship services maintain the ancient practices of the Church and draw us into the living presence of God. Orthodox worship follows daily, weekly, and yearly cycles. Together these rhythms of worship create a continuous cycle of prayer, helping us to fulfill St. Paul's command to "pray without ceasing."

A modern life often asks us to bind ourselves to unending appointments, frenzied schedules, and endless to-do lists. The rhythm of Orthodox worship serves as an antidote to all that. Through worship we slow down and join the eternal rhythm: thanksgiving to the God who gives us our very life and breath.

Regular Worship Services at Holy Apostles

Orthros (Morning Prayer)

Sundays 8:30-9:30 AM

Sunday Orthros welcomes the day with psalms, hymns, and prayers that celebrate Christ's resurrection. As morning light fills the church, we remember that Christ, the "Sun of Righteousness," illumines our world anew. The service prepares us for the Divine Liturgy that follows. On major feasts, Orthros expands with special hymns and biblical readings that draw us into the day's celebration.

Divine Liturgy

Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM

The Divine Liturgy is the central act of Orthodox worship. Celebrated every Sunday and on Feasts of the Church, it joins our earthly worship to the heavenly Liturgy continuously offered before the throne of God. The service unfolds in two parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumens, with Scripture readings, prayers, and teaching, and the Liturgy of the Faithful, centered on the Holy Eucharist. Its prayers, hymns, and structure have been celebrated in the Church since Apostolic times.

Vespers

Served selected evenings. Please see calendar for details.

Vespers is a sunset service that marks the beginning of the liturgical day, following ancient biblical practice. This peaceful service helps us remember God's creation of the world, humanity's fall from paradise, and our redemption in Christ. At Holy Apostles, Vespers is most often served on the eve of major feasts, preparing the parish for the Festal Divine Liturgy the following morning.

Periodic Worship Services at Holy Apostles

Great Compline

Great Compline is a solemn night prayer service that reaches its fullest expression during Great Lent. It opens with Psalms of repentance and longing for God, and includes the distinctive chant "God Is With Us," drawn from the prophecy of Isaiah. The faithful pray for protection through the coming night and for God's mercy.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

This ancient service allows the faithful to receive Holy Communion on weekdays during Great Lent. Because the full Divine Liturgy is festal in character, it is not celebrated on weekdays of the fast. Instead, this service combines elements of Vespers with a Communion rite, allowing the faithful to receive the Holy Gifts consecrated at the previous Sunday's Liturgy. At Holy Apostles, the Presanctified Liturgy is served on Wednesdays during Great Lent.

Paraklesis

The Paraklesis, or Supplication Service, is offered in times of sorrow, need, or distress. It is most often served during the two weeks of the Dormition Fast (August 1 through 14), as the Church prepares for the feast of the Dormition. The service asks for the intercessions of the Theotokos and the saints on behalf of those who need them.

The Royal Hours

Served on Christmas Eve and Holy Friday, the Royal Hours combine the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours into a single service. Each set of Hours gathers Psalms, prophecies, Epistles, and Gospels specific to the feast it precedes, walking the faithful through that day's place in salvation history.

The Akathist Hymn

The Akathist is a hymn of 24 stanzas to the Theotokos, sung while standing (akathistos means "not sitting"). During Great Lent, the Akathist is sung in four parts on the first four Fridays of the fast, with the full hymn served on the fifth Friday. Many akathists to various saints have been composed since, but the Akathist to the Theotokos is the original and the most beloved.