Subscribe: https://youtube.com/StJohnDC?sub_confirmation=1
The Divine Liturgy, Part 2
OT elements, typology, analogy
Talk by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)
March 31, 2026

Description:
Metropolitan Jonah continues his new series on the Divine Liturgy. Topics discussed include: 
(1) The continuity of OT First Temple worship with Orthodox Christian worship in the Divine Liturgy. The Christian Liturgy is a participation in the Heavenly Liturgy, of which the OT Liturgy given to Moses was a model and shadow;
(2) What is worship? The Divine Liturgy is a participation in the Heavenly Divine Liturgy in which Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, makes a once-for-all pleasing sacrifice of His own sinless blood to God the Father. We join the Angels in wonder, awe and praise.
(3) What is sacrifice? It is making an offering holy, consecrating it with God's grace so that it bears His Divine Energies. Our sacrifice (unlike western concepts) is not a propiation of God to avert Him destroying us. It is rather a pleasing offering to God. God does not want sacrifices from the unrepentant, from the corrupt who have turned their backs on Him and trample orphans and widows underfoot. He is pleased rather with sacrifice from an honest and pure heart, that is, a repentant heart --- "A broken and contrite heart Thou wilt not despise." Thus, we prepare for Holy Communion through the sacrament of repentance ... we turn from evil with fear and trembling and set our hearts to be willing and obedient to God, to do good and love our neighbor, especially those who are helpless. The Eucharist is our sacrifice to God, an earthly representation of the self-offering of Christ to His Father. The Priest stands in the place of Christ, who is the ultimate celebrant of every Divine Liturgy. We who are in Christ offer ourselves as part of Christ's self-offering. Christ makes us Holy through the descent of the Holy Spirit and wipes away our sins. He sanctifies us that we might sit in Him on the throne of the Godhead! The Liturgy is the vehicle by which we enter into this Union with Christ and share in His Sonship with the Father. So, the Christian Liturgy is an ascent to the throne of the Father, Christ being the one who offers and is offered.  We are present with and in Christ in this Heavenly Liturgy of adoration of the Father!
(4) Discussion of what was lost in Second Temple worship (Judaism) after the return from Babylon: the Chrism that could impart holiness. The First Temple was a sanctified place where God dwelt, represented by the Ark. God works through sanctified matter in the Sacraments. In the Second Temple, the Ark of the Covenant was missing. Judaism with its monad God has no place for the First Temple elements representing the multi-personal Godhead (Chrism: anointing oil for the King; Wisdom representing Christ, the Son of God; The Angel of the Lord: the pre-incarnate Christ). Protestants follow the Judaistic (bookish) model, not the First Temple model with its emphasis on Liturgy, Holiness, Sacrifices, Priests, and Union with God.
(5) Discussion of the charisms of Apostles and Bishops and Priests.