Leitourgia

Leitura? Leitourgia is a Greek term from leïos (people) and ergon (work), literally “the work of the people.” In classical Greek usage, it designated public duties performed by citizens for the polis, often financed or organized by wealthy individuals, such as funding festivals, buildings, or other civic-religious rites.

In Christian usage, leitourgia came to denote the church’s public worship, especially the celebration of the Eucharist. The concept emphasizes the communal character of worship—the idea that the faithful participate in and share in the rites—while recognizing that clergy perform certain liturgical actions. The term is the etymological source of the English word “liturgy.” In many traditions it is distinguished from latreia, worship offered to God more generally, by stressing the public, collective nature of the service.

Across Christian traditions, leitourgia encompasses the organized order of worship, including prayers, readings, and sacraments, and is central to both Eastern and Western liturgical life. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the Divine Liturgy is the principal form of leitourgia, while Western churches speak of the liturgy or Mass as the primary public worship service. In scholarly usage, leitourgia is often discussed to illuminate the social and participatory dimensions of communal worship and its relation to the church’s mission in the world.