Great Litany
E24075
The Great Litany is a series of solemn, responsive petitions offered at the beginning of Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite liturgies, invoking God’s mercy and help for the Church and the world.
Statements (59)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Eastern Christian liturgical element
→
litany → liturgical prayer → |
| addressedTo |
God
→
|
| hasAlternativeName |
Ektenia
→
Great Ektenia → Great Litany of Peace → |
| includesInvocationOf |
Theotokos
→
saints → |
| includesPetitionsFor |
abundance of the fruits of the earth
→
captives → city, country, and the faithful who dwell therein → civil authorities → clergy and faithful → deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity → favorable weather → peace from above → peaceful times → the good estate of the holy churches of God → the peace of the whole world → the salvation of our souls → the sick → the suffering → the union of all → this holy house and those who enter it → travelers by land, sea, and air → |
| languageOfTerm |
Greek
→
|
| ledBy |
deacon
→
priest → |
| liturgicalFamily |
Byzantine liturgical tradition
→
|
| liturgicalFunction |
intercession for the Church and the world
→
invocation of God’s mercy → series of solemn responsive petitions → |
| modeOfRecitation |
chanted
→
intoned → |
| occasion |
daily offices in the Byzantine Rite
→
festal Divine Liturgy → regular Sunday Divine Liturgy → |
| primaryTheme |
deliverance from danger
→
forgiveness of sins → mercy → peace → protection of the Church → salvation → welfare of the world → |
| respondedBy |
choir
→
congregation → |
| responsePattern |
call-and-response
→
|
| structure |
congregational responses
→
series of deacon’s petitions → |
| termEtymology |
from Greek ‘ektenia’ meaning ‘fervent supplication’
→
|
| typicalPositionInService |
beginning of Matins
→
beginning of Vespers → beginning of the Divine Liturgy → |
| typicalResponse |
Grant this, O Lord
→
Lord, have mercy → |
| usedInRite |
Byzantine Rite
→
Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite → Eastern Orthodox Church → |
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
→
|
component |
|
Great Vespers
→
|
hasComponent |
|
Litany
→
|
hasForm |