Cherubic Hymn

The Great Entrance is the name given to a series of hymns, prayers, and actions carried out by the celebrant and the people, which begins with the Cherubic Hymn and the reading of the Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn. The Church summons us to make ourselves ready to receive the King of Glory, who is entering the Holy City to be crucified for the sake of the world. She summons us to journey with Christ on His road to martyrdom and to stand beside Him at the Cross with His most holy Mother and the beloved Disciple.

At this moment (now), says the hymn, let us put aside every care concerned with daily life because we are going to receive the King of all. Let us try to make an exit from the world of everyday matters so that we may attain entry into the realm’s of Christ’s offering. St. John exhorts us: ‘The Magi came out of Persia in order to worship Christ (Matt 2:1-2); so you likewise should withdraw from the concerns of everyday life and make your way towards Jesus.

Love for God is the spiritual power which will help us rise above the things of this world: ‘ When someone is aflame with love for God, he can no longer bear to see those things visible to our sensible eyes. For now that he has received other eyes, the eyes of faith, at all time he intellectually perceives the things of heaven, and it is upon them that he fixes his intellect. While he walks upon earth, it is as if he lives in heaven …. Whoever is concerned to pursue the path of virtue and wants to ascend from earth to heaven abandons all that is materially visible , and with all his powers devotes himself to the struggle that this path involves. Until he manages to ascend to the very height of heaven, he neither pauses nor is he seduced by anything he sees (on his way).

We are impatient to reach the peak of Golgotha, and so as to be able to celebrate Christ’s feast we leave all earthly cares behind. ‘For the true festival is where there is salvation of souls, peace and concord, where no worldly activity remains … The true festival is there where absolute calm, tranquillity, love, joy, peace and meekness, reign’. We put every care of this life into Christ’s hands; or, rather, we surrender our whole life to Him. And he shoulders our burden and climbs up to Golgotha. He takes care of the needs of our life, as He tells us through the mouth of Abba Issac: ‘If you make your every concern to be for the Kingdom of heaven, I will not deprive you of what is needed by your material nature. All these things shall be added unto you (Matt 6:33). I will not let you take thought for them.

St. John Chrysostom assures us that ‘the soul that has not learnt to despise the petty concerns of everyday life will not be able to marvel at the things of heaven’. And because he himself had tasted the grace of heavenly things, he exhorts us: Brethren, ‘let no one enter into the church bringing with him the cares, distractions or fears of everyday life. Let us all enter having first left all these things outside, at the outer door of the church. For we are entering a heavenly palace; we are walking in places that radiate light.’

It was to these radiant places that the Papa-Tychon, of blessed memory, was transported by his guardian angel during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn. In the little Greek he knew, the Russian priest recounted:’During the Cherubic Hymn, guardian angels take me up. After half hour, guardian angels bring me down’. At the end of this ecstatic experience, the holy one of God realized that he was still in the middle of the Divine Liturgy and had to continue. When they asked him, ‘Elder, what did you see and hear during that half hour?’, he replied: ‘Cherubim – Seraphim glorifying God!’.

Escorted by the angelic hosts, the Lord enters the Holy City to be sacrificed. The Church exhorts us to experience this mystery of Christ’s utter love in total silence: ‘Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and stand with fear and trembling: and let it take no thought for any earthly thing. For the King of Kings and Lord of Lords draws near to be sacrificed and given as food for the faithful. Before Him go the choirs of angels with the principalities and powers, the many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim, which cover their faces as they sing this hymn: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

While the Choir is chanting the Cherubic Hymn, the Priest says in a low voice the Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn:

None of those who are entangled in carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach or draw near or minister to you, O King of glory; for to serve you is great and awesome even for the heavenly powers. Yet on account of your ineffable and boundless love for mankind you became man without change or alteration and were named our High Priest; and as Master of all you have committed to us the sacred ministry of this liturgical and bloodless Sacrifice. For you alone, Lord our God, are ruler over all things in heaven and on earth, sitting on the throne of the Cherubim, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the only Holy One, at rest among the holy. Therefor I entreat you, who alone are good and ready to hear: Look upon me, your sinful and unprofitable servant, and purify my soul and heart from an evil conscience; and by the power of your Holy Spirit enable me, clothed with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this your Holy Table and celebrate the Mystery of your holy and most pure Body and your precious Blood. For to you I come, bending down my neck, and beseech you: Do not turn away your face from me, nor reject me from among your children, but count me, your sinful and unworthy servant, worthy to offer these Gifts to you. For you are the One who offers and is offered, who receives and is distributed, Christ our God, and to you we give glory, together with your Father, who is without beginning, and your All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.