Saint John of Kronstadt would celebrate the Divine Liturgy every day. He would begin Matins at 4am and the Divine Liturgy would always finish after 12pm. Holy Communion would often take longer than 3 hours as the Cathedral, having a capacity of 5000, was often overflowing with faithful.
“The Divine Liturgy is truly a Heavenly Service upon Earth, during which God Himself, in a particular, immediate, and most close manner, is present and dwells with men, being Himself the Invisible Celebrant of the Service, offering and being offered. There is nothing upon Earth Holier, higher, grander, more solemn, more Life-Giving than the Liturgy. The Temple, at this particular time, becomes an Earthly Heaven; those who Officiate represent Christ Himself, the Angels, the Cherubim, Seraphim and Apostles. The Liturgy is the continually repeated solemnization of God’s Love to mankind, and of His All-Powerful mediation for the Salvation of the whole world, and of every member separately: the marriage of the Lamb – the marriage of the King’s Son, in which the bride of the Son of God is – every faithful Soul; and the Giver of the bride – the Holy Spirit.”
“The ringing of bells is a call to converse with God, of children with their Father – a call to appear before Him.”
“Why is the Creed sung before the changing of the elements into the Body and Blood of the Holy Gifts? Why does the Priest also say the Creed to himself inside the Altar at the same time? In order that those present should believe and remember that the Holy Trinity takes part in the act of the Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts, and that the Mystery of the Eucharist is the work of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In order also that the Priest himself may celebrate the Holy Sacrament without condemnation and with undoubting Faith in the Mercy and Omnipotence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and afterwards, at the proper time, communicate of it. For at this time especially great Faith is required of the Priest, as then, above all, the enemy uses all his efforts to strike his mind and heart with coldness and unbelief, or to disturb him by doubt.”
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