This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made

“The liturgical year in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a wonderful and many-sided thing, a jewel that often lies hidden under the cover of layers of complicated rules, books, and customs. Nicholas Denysenko has done a great service in uncovering it and polishing it off, revealing not only the brilliance of its many facets but also how it has shaped the lives and prayers of believers both in the past and today.”


—Mark Roosien, lecturer in liturgical studies, Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School





“Rooted in the scholarship of Byzantine liturgical history, This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made is a much needed comprehensive, detailed, and accessible survey of the Orthodox liturgical year and its meanings. With reliable clarity, Nicholas Denysenko invites pastoral engagement as he assesses present realities of liturgical celebrations and discusses problems and opportunities for liturgical practice. This exceptional book merits ecumenical attention. It is for all of us who yearn to ‘keep the feast.’”


—Jennifer Lord, professor of homiletics and liturgical studies, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary