Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook April 27, 2010 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 1. Introduction This is the Altar Servers’ Handbook for 2010. It is to serve as a guide for all of the responsibilities for the boys and men who will serve in the altar of our parish. Enclosed you will find the information you need in order to serve every week, as well as things that altar servers ought to know. At the end, you will find some things that are very necessary each week, and in order to live a Godly and Orthodox lifestyle. If there are any questions, each server is invited to ask Father at any time. From time to time, changes may be made to this Handbook, and every server will be told. Altar Server Pledge To be administered at the beginning of the Church Year. + In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. I, ____________________________ an altar server of Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, do solemnly promise to serve You, O God, faithfully, obediently and reverently. Let nothing separate me from You. If I am weak in my faith, strengthen me. Help me to devote myself to Your Holy Gifts. Guide me in the path that leads to Your Kingdom. Teach me to become a better Christian so that I may wear the altar server's robe worthily and in humility. My prayer is to serve You in all my thoughts, words and deeds and to become a better Orthodox Christian so that in all I do I may testify to Your glory. For blessed glorified is your Holy name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen! 1 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 2. Ground Rules 1. Learn the order of the Divine Liturgy so that you know what comes next. This is included at the end of the Handbook. 2. Memorize the Creed and Lord's Prayer. These are also included at the end of the Handbook. 3. Servers must be vested at least 5 minutes before the beginning of the Liturgy, if they are not in Sunday School. 4. If you are scheduled for a position on a particular Sunday, please do your best to make it to Church. Attendance is necessary each week for every Orthodox Christian. You don’t want to know what the Church says happens after three weeks of missing Church! 5. No shorts. You ought to be in Sunday clothes to show proper respect for God and the holy work you are about to do. 6. No sitting in the Altar. Stand in a neat and orderly manner in the Altar when not assigned to do something else. 7. The bathroom should be used only when absolutely necessary. (Remove your robe before entering). 8. Sing & Pray along with the Priest and keep your mind on the service. As visible servers in the parish, your behavior in the Altar will be a strong example to the parish family. 9. Unnecessary talking and fooling around will be grounds for suspension. (Reinstatement will be made under the discretion of the priest). 10. Never touch the Altar Table of Table of Oblation – this for the clergy only. Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. 1 Samuel 2.17 Vespers Orthodox life is one of constant preparation and fulfillment. That is why attendance at Vespers is crucial to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, altar servers can spend more time in the Holy Altar by serving at Vespers when it is offered. Schedules Again, everybody who is properly prepared may serve in the Altar, every week. The four main positions will be scheduled, and are your responsibility to fulfill. If you are unable to do so, please make sure that your job is filled by someone who is properly trained, knowledgeable, and attending the Divine Liturgy. 2 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 3. Altar Boy Jobs There are many things that an altar server may be asked to do. While everyone is invited to serve every week, there will be certain jobs that are assigned on a rotating basis. South Door (Head Server) This is the head altar server. He is stationed by the South Door, near to the priest. He is responsible for knowing the order of the service, and closing the Royal Door at the appropriate time. He is there to be attentive to the needs of the Priest, and to oversee the other altar servers. Bread Cutter The server assigned to this job will be responsible for the following additional responsibilities each week: Cutting up the antidoron Keeping the table clean Making sure the Hot Water is turned on and ready for the Priest Preparing the Zupifka (Wine and Bread) for after communion Cleaning the dishes Make sure there are a few pieces of bread and a cup of wine for the Priest North Door This server is stationed by the North Door. He is responsible for opening and closing the North Door and Royal Door, and for closing the curtain. He is also responsible for assisting with the commemorations that are brought into the altar during the Divine Liturgy. Censer This server is responsible for handling the censer for the entirety of the Liturgy. He must be familiar with the order of the service, and the times when the censer is needed by the priest. He also needs to ensure that the censer is prepared for the Requiem Service (Panikhida) after the Liturgy, if there is one scheduled. He also carries the censer at the Great Entrance. 3 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 4. Responsibilities during the Divine Liturgy In addition to the assigned positions, all servers are to assist where possible, and to pray at all times. The responsibilities for the entire service are available at the end of the Handbook, and is available in the Altar as well. Here are diagrams for the different Entrances and for the Gospel reading. Little Entrance Candles Gospel reading F F 4 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook Great Entrance F F Candles cross censer candles Clean Up a. The other servers begin to clean up after venerating the cross. b. All dishes are to be cleaned and put away. c. The table is to be left neat. d. No crumbs are to be left on the table or floor. e. The censer is to be emptied in the coffee canister; care should be taken not to spill the coals. f. All remaining prosphoron are to be brought down to Coffee Hour. g. Make sure the Hot Water Pot is turned off. h. All candles/torches in the Altar are to be extinguished. Do not blow out the candles on the Alltar Table or Oblation Table. These should always remain lit. Blow out the candles behind the Altar Table (on the 7 Branch Candle stand). i. Receive the Blessing from the Priest and return vestments to the Vestment Closet. 5 Ss Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Altar Servers’ Handbook 5. Church Year The Church Year of our Holy Orthodox Church begins on September first and continues through August 31st. It is divided into three seasons based upon Pascha (called Easter by non-Orthodox Churches), and all the seasons refer to it as their starting point. The three seasons are: (1)The Triodion, the ten weeks before Pascha including Lent; (2) The Pentecostarion or Pentecost Season which begins with Pascha and ends the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday which is All Saints Day; and (3) the Season of the Eight Tones (Octoechos) for the rest of the year. The Triodion The first part, of the Triodion, begins just prior to Lent and runs through Holy Week. The Sundays of the Triodion are: The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Meat-fare Sunday, Cheese fare Sunday, and the Sundays of the Great and Holy Lent. the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt, and Palm Sunday, finally closing on Holy Saturday morning. Pentecostarion The second season is the Pentecostarion, the Paschal or Pentecost Season which begins on Pascha Sunday and is followed by St. Thomas Sunday, Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, the Sunday of the Paralytic, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, the Sunday of the Man Born Blind, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (325AD), Sunday of Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Trinity, and ends with the Sunday of All Saints.- This period focuses around the Resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us. Eight tones Season (Octoechos) The third season, is the season of the Eight Tones, the Octoechos as it is called in Greek and deals with all the other Sundays of the Year. This season begins on the Sunday following All Saints Sunday and ends on the week before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Octoechos is a liturgical book of the Orthodox Church, and has the hymns for the divine services during that period from Pentecost to the beginning of the Triodion. Its hymns are sung consecutively in the eight tones of which were composed by the hymnographers from the very first days of our Church. Occasionally, an important Feast Day replaces the Octoechos when the feast falls on Sunday.