Lity in Eastern Christianity

Semi-Autonomous: The Lity or Litiyá (Greek: Λιτή(Liti), from litomai, "a fervent prayer")[1] is a festive religious procession, followed by intercessions, which augments great vespers (or, a few times a year, great compline) in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches on important feast days (and, at least according to the written rubrics, any time there is an all-night vigil[2]).

Once the procession reaches the narthex and the stichera have been sung, the deacon begins a series of lengthy petitions (these are the "lity" proper), asking for the intercession of many saints, and praying for the church and the world: ...For the salvation of the people; for the [governmental authorities]; for the clergy; for all afflicted Christian souls desirous of aid; for this city, the country and all Christians living therein; for our deceased fathers and brethren; for deliverance from famine, epidemics, earthquake, flood, fire, the sword, the invasion of barbarians and civil strife....".

For it is Thou, O Christ our God, Who dost bless and sanctify all things; and unto Thee we ascribe glory: with the Father Who hath no beginning, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.During the words "loaves, wheat, wine and oil" above, he points with the loaf he holds in his right hand to each item as he names it, making thereby the sign of the cross.

[2] While this custom is still observed in some monasteries, notably on Mount Athos,[1] usually nowadays the blessed bread is simply distributed to the faithful when they exit the service; however, in the Russian tradition, at matins following the singing of Psalm 50(51), all come forward to venerate the Gospel Book (if it is Sunday) or the icon of the feast, and each person is anointed and given a piece of the blessed bread dipped in the wine.

In some Catholic sources, artoklasia was wrongly identified with the Latin practice of "Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament," in which the consecrated Eucharist is exposed for the worship of the faithful.

The fourth century pilgrim Egeria states that after Vespers at the Tomb of Christ a procession would go to the site of Calvary where further prayers were said after which the congregation were dismissed.

Belgrade , 2023.
Lity procession on the Feast of Saint Nicholas in Piraeus , Greece .
Artoklasia service, with bottles of wine and olive oil. The five loaves are reminiscent of the five loaves that Jesus Christ blessed in the desert, which in turn signified the five books of Moses ( Pentateuch ).
Artoklasia table with loaves of bread and bottles of wine and olive oil
Artoklasia table in the Russian tradition. The five loaves in the front are covered with an embroidered cloth. At the back center is a dish of wheat, and at the sides are a vessel of olive oil and a cruet of wine.