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The service is preceded by the reading of the [[Typical Psalms]], and the Divine Liturgy's opening blessing, ''Blessed is the Kingdom...'' is used at the start of the part of the service that resembles daily vespers. Psalm 103, ''Bless the Lord, O my soul'' is read. The Great Litany is then intoned and then Psalms 119–133 are read. Then the choir sings ''Lord, I have cried unto Thee'' with [[sticheron|stichera]]. The priest makes an entrance with the [[censer]]. If the occasion is a feast, the entrance is with the [[Gospel Book]] and there is then an [[epistle]] and gospel reading for the feast day.
The choir sings ''[[Phos Hilaron|O Gladsome Light]]'', and the first reading, from [[Genesis]] (or [[Exodus]]), is read with a [[prokeimenon]]. Then the priest intones ''Wisdom, let us attend. The Light of Christ enlightened all men,'' and those praying [[prostration|prostrate]] themselves. The second reading, from [[Proverbs]] (or [[Book of Job|Job]]) is read.
In the second part of the service, the choir chants ''Let my prayer be directed as incense before Thee'', after which the [[Prayer of Saint Ephraim|prayer of St. Ephraim]] is read. After a [[litany]] the choir sings ''Now the powers of Heaven with us invisibly do worship'', and the presanctified Gifts are brought into the holy [[altar]] in a procession resembling the [[Great Entrance]] at a Divine Liturgy but in silence. There is no [[anaphora]] because the gifts are pre-consecrated.