9 Holy Fathers Reveal Their Visions During Liturgy
Why is the Liturgy sometimes called an angelic service? Because angels are always present at the Eucharist and help the clergy to celebrate it.
- Valaam schemist Kiriak had a vision during the liturgy. He stood in the altar, and when the minister cried out, “Your offering is from Yours, for You, for all and for all,” an extraordinary fragrance poured out from the throne. When the priest began to pray for the condescension of the Holy Spirit to the present Gifts, Cyriacus saw that the altar was filled with cherubs that surrounded the throne. The priest embraced fire, and as soon as he made an earthly bow before the throne, a white dove flew from the height, which began to soar above the discos. Then the pigeon flew to the top of the holy bowl and, having compressed its wings, descended into it. And immediately the angels prostrated themselves to the holy throne. When the priest cried out, “A lot of the Most Holy Ones,” the Heavenly Powers again bowed to the earth. After singing «Eat Worthy,» they bowed for the third time. Then the angels surrounded the priest, overshadowed his head with a wonderful shroud and then became invisible.
- Another righteous man, St. John of Kronstadt, wrote: “All saints, beginning with the Mother of God, are called to participate in the service of the liturgy at the proskomedia.” All saints and all angels participate in the ministry with the priest.”
- Saint Euthymius the Great (+473) told some of his disciples that he often saw an angel performing a liturgy with him.
- In 1892 the Monk Anatoly Optinsky (Zerzalov) came to St. Petersburg. Here he met with the righteous John of Kronstadt. Father John invited the Monk Anatoly to his temple in Kronstadt. When the liturgy began, Father John saw that two angels were serving with the Monk Anatoly. The sacrament of Holy Communion performed at the Liturgy unites heaven and earth into one union. This unity, invisible to the eyes of ordinary people, in all its beauty appears before the spiritual gaze of the saints.
- Elder James: People are blind and do not see what happens in the temple during the Divine Liturgy. I once served the Liturgy and could not make the great entrance because of what I saw. Suddenly I felt someone pushing me in the shoulder and leading me to the holy altar. I thought it was a psalmist. I turn around and see the great wing laid on my shoulder by the Archangel leading me to the great entrance. What Happens in the Altar During the Divine Liturgy! Often I can’t stand it and sit down, at this time, the employees think that something is wrong with my health, but they do not know what I see and hear.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov received a special blessed vision during the Divine Liturgy on Great Thursday, which was performed by the abbot Father Pachomius and Elder Joseph. When, after the troparians, the monk said, “Lord, save the pious,” and standing in the royal gates, he brought an orar upon those who prayed “forever and ever,” a bright ray suddenly overshadowed him. Raising his eyes, Saint Seraphim saw the Lord Jesus Christ walking through the air from the western doors of the temple, surrounded by the Heavenly Bodiless Forces. Getting to the pulpit. The Lord blessed all those who prayed and entered the local image to the right of the royal gate. St. Seraphim of Sarov, in spiritual delight, looking at the wondrous phenomenon, could not say a word, nor leave his place. He was taken under his hands to the altar, where he stood for another three hours, changing his face from the great grace that illuminated him.
- In his notes, the abbot Feodosia (Popov; † 1903) gives the memories of his grandmother about her childhood when she was seven or eight years old. In the church I stood at the pulpit itself, against the King’s Gate, and watched closely all the actions of the priest. The reason for my observation of the priest was that one day, when I was with my parents at dinner, I saw above the throne, a little higher than the head of the priest, right above the holy cup, a soaring dove, which was white as snow and motionless, barely perceptibly fluttering its wings, held in the air. And I saw it not once, not twice, but several times, which I told my girlfriend, and we are always with her, as soon as we hear the ringing of the bell, and run with all our might, wanting to outrun each other, and stand together at the pulpit, waiting for the appearance of the brilliant white dove. And how much we loved him for being so white, so pretty!
But there were days when we could not wait for this miracle, which was performed only during the ministry of the old priest Rosnitsky. It was only in his ministry that we always saw our Dove. This was not the case with another priest. When we told our parents about this, and our parents told the priest Rosnitsky, since then my friend and I have never seen the wonderful Bluebird again.
- The great Athonite ascetic Hieroschemonakh Tikhon (+ 1968) in his secluded Athos temple performed the liturgy with the help of only one monk-singer. He did so because he wanted to indulge freely in deep prayer at the altar in complete solitude. When the Cherubim song began, Father Tikhon usually immersed himself in spiritual contemplation for twenty to thirty minutes. Therefore, the monk repeated the Cherubian song many times until he heard the footsteps of Father Tikhon walking from the altar to the Great Entrance. Once after the service, the singer asked:
— What do you see, old man?
Cherubim and Seraphim who praise God. My guardian angel does not release me until half an hour later, and then I continue the Divine Liturgy.
Sometimes Hieroschemons Tikhon performed the Liturgy without the help of a singer. However, the singing in the temple still sounded! One day the elder was visited by Theoclitus Dionysiatus. Father Tikhon was in the temple, and from there a sweet song was heard. Theoclitus wanted to enter, but the door was closed. Not wanting to disturb anyone with a knock on the door, he decided to wait for the end of the service near the temple. Soon the singing ceased, and after a while Father Tikhon opened the door. Upon entering, Theoclitus found no one there but Tikhon’s father. This struck him, and he realized that angels sang at the Liturgy.
- According to the testimony of the Elder Jacob of Euboea, who more than once received wonderful visions of God, as soon as the priest says the initial cry at the liturgy, the Heavenly Forces immediately flock to the altar.
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