How to baptize Orthodox Christians? The Basics of Orthodoxy - Rev. Konstantin Slepinin How Orthodox Christians are baptized
The sign of the cross is a visible evidence of our faith, so it must be performed carefully and with reverence.
To find out if the person in front of you is Orthodox or not, you just need to ask him to cross himself, and by how he does it and whether he does it at all, everything will become clear. Remember the gospel “He who is faithful in little things is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10).
The power of the Sign of the Cross is unusually great. In the Lives of the Saints there are stories about how demonic spells dissipated after being overshadowed by the Cross. Therefore, those who are baptized carelessly, fussily and inattentively, simply please the demons.
How to overshadow yourself with the Sign of the Cross?
1) It is necessary to put three fingers of the right hand (thumb, index and middle) together, which symbolizes the three faces of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. By connecting these fingers together, we testify to the unity of the Holy Indivisible Trinity.
2)
The other two fingers (little finger and ring finger) are tightly bent to the palm, thus symbolizing the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ: Divine and human.
3)
First, folded fingers are placed on the forehead, to sanctify the mind; then on the stomach (but not lower) - for the consecration of internal abilities (will, mind and feelings); after that - on the right, and then on the left shoulder - to consecrate our bodily forces, because the shoulder symbolizes activity ("turn the shoulder" - to help).
4)
Only after lowering the hand, we make a waist bow so as not to “break the Cross”. This is a common mistake - bowing at the same time as the Sign of the Cross. You shouldn't do this.
The bow after the Sign of the Cross is made because we have just depicted (overshadowed ourselves) the Calvary Cross, and we worship it.
The sign of the cross accompanies the believer everywhere. One should make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the prayer, during the prayer and after it ends. We are baptized, getting out of bed and going to bed, going out into the street and entering the Temple, kissing the icons and holy relics; before eating, we ourselves are baptized and overshadow food with the Sign of the Cross. We are baptized, starting a new business and finishing it. It is necessary to be baptized in all important cases of life: in danger, in sorrow, in joy. Mothers, sending their children away from home, give their maternal blessing, overshadowing the child with the Sign of the Cross and betraying their child to God's protection. Cross of Christ sanctifies everything and everything, and therefore the image of him by believers on himself is saving and soul-beneficial.
An Orthodox baptized person should always wear a cross!
From the first centuries of Christianity, every believer wears the Cross on his chest, fulfilling the words of the Savior: "Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Me"
(Mark 8:34).
The meaning of wearing a cross is revealed in the words of the Apostle Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:19). The consecrated pectoral cross is a symbol of faith and a sign of belonging to the Church of Christ. The cross protects from temptation and evil. He who does not want to bear the cross himself rejects the help of God.
The pectoral cross can be anything: from ordinary metal, from silver, gold, from wood. Also, it is not important to have a cross on a chain or on a string - just to hold on tight. The important thing is that you wear it. It is desirable that the Cross be consecrated in the Church. On the back of Orthodox crosses, according to tradition, an inscription is made "Bless and save".
You can’t wear a pectoral cross and signs of the zodiac (or any amulets, amulets, etc.) on the same chain - because the pectoral cross is a sign of belonging to the Church of Christ, and the signs of the zodiac, amulets, amulets are evidence of adherence to various superstitions (you should not wear them at all) - all this is from the evil one.
It is necessary to wear an Orthodox cross on the body, under clothing, without showing it off. Until the 18th century, only Bishops had the right to wear the Cross over clothes, and later - Priests. Anyone who dares to imitate them commits the sin of self-sanctification.
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A person close to the Lord constantly performs the same ritual, but does not think about its meaning. While in church or at home, all believers are baptized, but few know how to properly baptize Orthodox Christians. Before talking about the rules of baptism, you should remember a little history and find out where this tradition came from and what it means.
How to be baptized, historical background
Today's way of crossing was formed for a certain time. Catholics and Orthodox do it differently, because they are based on slightly different religious traditions.
At the initial stages of the birth, Christians were baptized with one finger of their right hand, touching their forehead, chest and lips. And they did it before reading the Gospel at every Mass. A little later, they began to use several fingers and even a whole palm for crossing.
Looking at the image of Jesus Christ, it is clear that on the icons he is represented with two fingers raised (middle and forefinger), and the rest of the phalanges are closed, so priests often use just such a gesture.
When the Orthodox branch of Christianity was formed, believers began to baptize the forehead, left and right shoulder, and the navel. Only in 1551 was the navel changed to the chest, justifying this by the presence of a heart in this part of the body.
Then in 1656, in the book "Table" for the first time, the statement was put forward that one should be baptized with three fingers, applying them to the forehead, stomach and shoulders. Anyone who did otherwise was called a heretic. And only a few decades later, both two- and three-eared baptisms were accepted.
How to be baptized Orthodox, from right to left or vice versa
You can often hear various arguments about how to cross from left to right or from right to left, and how much to use fingers. The tradition of being baptized from right to left, touching first the forehead, then the navel and shoulders, closing three fingers, came from Byzantium. Three fingers means the Christian's faith in God the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit, that is, in the Holy Trinity. This is how you can attract the grace of the Lord to yourself and your loved ones.
Each gesture during baptism has a symbolic meaning:
- touching the forehead, a person sanctifies his mind;
- sanctifying the stomach, the believer blesses all his internal organs;
- moving to the shoulders, the whole body is consecrated.
The right shoulder always goes first, then the left. According to giving, it is the right side of a person that is the best. Angels sit on the right shoulder and the entrance to paradise is to the right of the person. The left side is perceived as hell, therefore, the right shoulder is baptized first, then the left shoulder. Thus, the believer asks for salvation and acceptance into paradise.
Sometimes triplets are interpreted differently:
- forehead - the sky;
- belly - earth;
- shoulders - the Holy Spirit, which connects all living things.
After the Orthodox crossed himself, one should bow low as a token of gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings.
If you need to cross another person, for example, a child, you need to lay a cross on him as if he were doing it himself. If the child is standing with his back, cross from right to left, if facing - from left to right. This is how the melting sign of the cross will appear.
How to be baptized Orthodox in the church, basic rules
Let us describe a detailed diagram of how Orthodox Christians are baptized:
- you need to be baptized with three fingers;
- three fingers - thumb, index and middle - are folded at the same level, as a sign of equality. This gesture symbolizes the Trinity;
- the little finger and ring finger are lowered into the palm. This means faith in the human nature of the Son of God;
- putting fingers to forehead, saying: "In the name of the Father";
- then they fall to the stomach: "And the Son";
- crossing the right and left shoulder, they finally say: "And the Holy Spirit."
Thus, the correct crossing procedure takes place. This is a very important ritual. Therefore, before you implement it anyhow, you should study why to be baptized.
It is necessary to be baptized correctly, starting from the entrance to the temple. They do this three times, each time with a low bow. This is how a person openly declares his faith in Jesus Christ. In addition, the believer is baptized at home, in front of icons, before going to bed and waking up in the morning, after eating and at the sight of a sacred building.
Proper baptism is of great importance. This should be done slowly and mentally turn to God. The bow after the sign should be done only when the hand is lowered so as not to break the cross painted on the body.
If the sign of the cross is done quickly, with the whole palm, this is considered blasphemy and a great sin. This shows disrespect for the Holy Father and pleases the evil spirits. Therefore, before crossing yourself, you need to mentally realize the importance of this procedure and do it as correctly as possible.
May the Lord keep you!
See also a video in which Schemamonk Joachim tells how Orthodox Christians should be baptized:
The sign of the cross has a deep symbolic meaning and is able to work miracles, protecting the believer and attracting the Lord's Grace to him. The sign should be performed with deep and sincere faith in the heart, firmly knowing how to be baptized in Orthodoxy correctly so as not to violate the canons of the church that have developed over many centuries.
History of the Sign of the Cross
At the dawn of Christianity, it was customary to be baptized with the right hand, alternately touching with one finger first to the middle of the forehead, then to the left and right sides of the chest, and finally to the lips. The sign of the cross was made at every Mass, before the reading of Holy Scripture. Subsequently, several interconnected fingers began to be used, and sometimes the entire palm.
With the advent and development of Orthodoxy, the laws that determine how to be baptized also changed. At first it was believed that when laying a cross, one should touch the forehead, left, right shoulder and the navel area with the middle and index fingers, but in 1551 it was decided to move the fourth point to the chest, since it is in this part of the human body that the heart is located.
In the middle of the 17th century, for the first time, they began to use three fingers, crossing each other, which were applied alternately to the forehead, shoulders, and stomach. All those who violated this law and did not want to be baptized properly were considered apostates, and only a few decades later the church allowed believers to be baptized with both two and three fingers.
The canons of the modern church clearly define how to be baptized Orthodox. To do this, use the index, thumb and middle fingers of the right hand folded together, which are touched:
While Orthodox Christians are baptized, the ring finger and little finger of their right hand should be pressed tightly against the palm of their hand. When the sign of the cross is made and the hand is lowered, a low bow follows, accompanied by the word "Amen", and gratitude is raised to the Lord for the blessings sent down. It is impossible to bow during the laying of the cross, because at this time the cross, mentally drawn on the human body, breaks.
It is important to monitor your own posture: a person should stand straight, back straight, shoulders straightened, head held high. Eyes look straight ahead, all movements are performed solemnly, without fussiness and haste.
Orthodox Christians should not only know how to be baptized correctly, but also understand the deep symbolic meaning of this ritual. Three fingers folded into a pinch are the personification of faith in the Holy Trinity, and the remaining fingers pressed to the palm mean the unity of the divine and human nature of Christ. The sign of the cross itself is a symbol of the Cross of the Lord and the participation of the believer in his Resurrection.
How to baptize another person
The sign of the cross has sacred power even when a believer places it on someone else. You need to know how the Orthodox are baptized in this case.
In the families of believers, it is customary that parents bless their child by laying a cross on him, protecting the baby from harm. Not only faith in the Lord is invested in the blessing, but also parental love, so it has great spiritual power. With the correct execution of the ritual:
- The child turns to face the mother or father.
- With the right hand, with three fingers folded together, the believer touches his forehead, then his stomach and shoulders, from right to left.
- When performing the sign, a short prayer is said, then the child bows.
If a believer wants to cross someone with his back to him, the actions are performed in the same order as they would be performed by the person himself.
How to bless food
Before eating, a prayer of thanksgiving must be said and the food standing on the table is consecrated by the imposition of a cross. To avoid mistakes when performing the ritual, you should:
- Put on the table all the dishes that make up the meal.
- Stand facing the icon that is hung near the table and say a prayer.
- Looking straight ahead, cross the table and everything on it with your right hand, directing your fingers alternately to the farthest point of the table, to the nearest, to its left and right sides.
Knowing how to properly be baptized as Orthodox in the church, so as not to make blasphemous mistakes, is necessary for every believer. At the same time, it is important not only to perform the sign correctly, but also to have a good idea of when it should be done, and when it is necessary and possible to confine ourselves to a bow:
Anyone who has firmly mastered the rules of conduct in the church, knows what to say at the entrance to the church, when and how to be baptized, when and what prayers to say, at what moments to bow, will never get into an awkward position. New converts entering the church for the first time are advised to move with dignity, without fuss and haste, to observe other parishioners, adopting their behavior and listening to what and how they say.
An attentive person will quickly understand how to be baptized Orthodox in the church because there are strict canons, the violation of which is considered sacrilege, and every believer obeys them. In particular:
It is important to understand the deep meaning of the sign, to realize the importance of this short procedure. It should be done without haste, with faith in the Lord.
It is considered blasphemous to be negligent when laying the cross, haste, doing it with the palm of your hand or without touching the body. It is believed that in this way a person demonstrates a lack of respect for the Holy Trinity, and by his behavior pleases the forces of Evil.
You need to know not only how to be baptized in the church, but also when and how to do it at home. The believer should cross himself daily, openly declaring his faith in the Savior:
It is not necessary to accompany each time the laying of the cross with a long and detailed prayer, it is enough just to thank God. The main thing is to know firmly how Orthodox Christians need to be baptized, and also to remember that the words of prayer should come from the heart, and not be a mere convention and tribute to traditions: only then will the life-giving cross gain strength and be able to protect the believer from troubles and misfortunes.
Readers are offered a new edition of the popular brochure "The Basics of Orthodoxy", which contains several previously unpublished materials by Konstantin Slepinin, as well as revised texts of articles that were part of the first edition of the book.
Part one: In the temple
From publishers
Readers are offered a new edition of the popular brochure "The Basics of Orthodoxy", which contains several previously unpublished materials by Konstantin Slepinin, as well as revised texts of articles that were part of the first edition of the book.
It is known how often questions of the spiritual life of a Christian become the subject of delusions, doubts and superstitions. First of all, this concerns the foundations of the Orthodox faith: Church Sacraments and rites. Therefore, all of us who are now experiencing a conversion to God need to take a course in the “Elements of Orthodoxy”. This is the purpose of this brochure.
Written in a lively and accessible way, it will help a person standing on the threshold of the Church to understand the pressing issues of the Orthodox faith, morality and worship, and will also serve as a good guide for preparing and conducting catechism classes with adults and children.
About preparing for baptism
To receive the sacrament of Baptism, one should prepare in advance. First of all, you need to find out if special talks are held at the temple for the “catechumens” (those who are preparing to receive Baptism and who are studying the foundations of the Orthodox faith). If conversations are held, then they should be attended regularly.
On the days before receiving the Sacrament, one should read the Gospel and books that explain Christian dogmas, for example, the Law of God. Know that these days are special, so you should not scatter attention to other, even very important problems. Dedicate this time to spiritual and moral reflections, focus on the inner life of your soul. Avoid fuss, empty talk, watching TV, do not participate in various amusements, because what you will accept, great And holy, and everything holy of God is received with the greatest awe and reverence.
If possible, you can fast for 2-3 days. On the very day of baptism, one should not eat, drink or smoke in the morning, and those living in marriage the night before should refrain from marital intercourse.
The holiness of God requires special purity from a person. You need to appear at Baptism extremely clean and tidy. Women in their monthly impurity do not approach the Baptismal font until the end of these days. In addition, women come to be baptized without cosmetics and jewelry.
You must arrive on time for the beginning of the sacrament. It is not necessary to be baptized on Sunday if this great sacrament is performed in the temple on weekdays.
Recipients
Once I had to help the priest during the Baptism. When the sacrament ended and we were about to leave, a woman with a little boy entered the baptismal house, accompanied by a man with oriental features.
The woman began to ask to be christened her son, saying that today they were leaving the city. The man introduced himself as the godfather.
“Do you have a pectoral cross on you?” the priest asked him. "What for?" he answered with a question. “How is it - why? Are you an Orthodox person? “No, I am a Muslim,” came the unexpected reply.
This anecdotal episode clearly shows how frivolously people approach the election of godparents. The vast majority of "godfathers" do not meet the minimum requirements of the Church: they do not know a single prayer, they have not read the Gospel, they do not know how to cross themselves correctly, they do not wear a cross on their chest. Other godfathers consider it their duty before coming to the temple to “accept for courage”; godmothers are sometimes immodestly dressed, with copious makeup. And practically no one knows who the godparents are, what they are for and what their duties are.
According to the tradition of the Church, an infant should be baptized on the eighth or fortieth day of life. It is clear that at such an age it is impossible to demand from him faith and repentance - the two main conditions for uniting with God. Therefore, from ancient times, “godparents” appeared - people for whose faith babies are baptized (in passing, it should be noted that when baptizing adults over 18 years old, godparents are not needed).
A godfather can only be an Orthodox believer who is able to give an account of his faith. Actually, a boy only needs a godfather, and a girl only needs a godmother. But according to the ancient Russian tradition, both are invited. Parents cannot be their child's godparents; husband and wife godparents of one baby. Grandparents, brothers and sisters are quite suitable for godparents.
After the baby is immersed in the baptismal font, the godfather takes him from the hands of the priest. Hence the Slavic name - receiver. Thus, for the rest of his life, he takes upon himself the obligation to educate the child in the Orthodox spirit, and the answer for this upbringing will be given at the Last Judgment.
Godparents always, until the end of their days, pray for godchildren, teach them faith and piety, and introduce them to the sacraments. The connection between the recipients and their children is eternal and deeper than that of parents according to the flesh. The fate of both himself and the infant taken from the font depends on the careful fulfillment of the duties of the godfather.
Behavior in the Temple
An Orthodox church is a place of the special presence of God on Earth. It is necessary to behave reverently in the temple, so as not to offend the greatness of the shrine, not to incur the wrath of God.
It is necessary to come to the service in advance, 5-10 minutes in advance. Entering, cross yourself and make a waist bow. Upon entering, men take off their hats. Women enter the temple with their heads covered and dressed appropriately for their gender, having wiped off their lipstick. Clothing should be decent and neat.
Conversations in the temple should be limited to the limit. Acquaintances briefly greet, postponing conversations for later.
Having come to the temple with children, you should not allow them to run around, play pranks and laugh. A crying child should be tried to calm down, if this fails, you should leave the temple with the child.
You can sing along to the choir only very quietly. During public singing, do not allow "unbridled cries."
Sitting in the temple is allowed only due to illness or severe fatigue. You can't sit with your legs crossed.
Candle
What does the first person who crossed the threshold of the temple do? Nine times out of ten, it goes to the candle box. With a small wax candle, our practical Christianity begins, initiation to the rite. It is impossible to imagine an Orthodox church in which candles are not lit...
The interpreter of the liturgy, Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica (XV century), says that pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people who bring it. It is brought as a sign of our repentance for stubbornness and self-will. The softness and suppleness of wax speaks of our readiness to obey God. The burning of a candle means the deification of a person, his transformation into a new creature by the action of the fire of Divine love.
In addition, a candle is evidence of faith, a person's involvement in the Divine light. It expresses the flame of our love for the Lord, the Mother of God, angels or saints. You can not light a candle formally, with a cold heart. External action must be supplemented by prayer, even the simplest one, in your own words.
A lit candle is present in many church services. It is held in the hands of the newly baptized and those who are combined with the sacrament of marriage. Among the many burning candles, the funeral service is performed. Covering the flame of the candle from the wind, the pilgrims go to the procession.
There are no binding rules on where and how much to put candles. Their purchase is a small sacrifice to God, voluntary and not burdensome. An expensive big candle is not at all more beneficial than a small one.
Those who regularly visit the temple try to put a few candles each time: to the festive icon lying on the lectern in the middle of the church; to the image of the Savior or the Virgin - about the health of their loved ones; to the Crucifixion on a rectangular candlestick table (eve) - about the repose of the dead. If your heart desires, you can light a candle to any saint or saints.
Sometimes it happens that there is no free space in the candlestick in front of the icon, everyone is occupied with burning candles. Then it’s not worth extinguishing another candle for the sake of your own, it’s more appropriate to ask the attendant to put it on at a good time. And do not be embarrassed that your unburned candle was extinguished at the end of the service - the sacrifice has already been accepted by God.
There is no need to listen to talk that a candle should be placed only with the right hand; that if it went out, then there will be misfortunes; that melting the lower end of the candle for stability in the hole is a mortal sin, etc. There are many superstitions around the church, and they are all meaningless.
God is pleased with the wax candle. But He appreciates the burning of the heart more. Our spiritual life, participation in worship is not limited to a candle. By itself, it will not free from sins, will not unite with God, will not give strength to invisible warfare. The candle is full of symbolic meaning, but it is not the symbol that saves us, but the true essence - Divine grace.
If all the worshipers kneel, you need to join them. Smoking is not allowed on the church porch. It is forbidden to enter the temple with animals or birds. It is unacceptable to walk and talk while reading the Gospel, singing the "Cherubic" and the Eucharistic canon at the liturgy (from the Creed to the "Our Father"). At this time, it is also undesirable to put candles and apply to the icons.
To make a remark to a neighbor who has violated the rules of good behavior, you need to quietly and delicately. It is better to refrain from remarks at all, unless, of course, there is a brazen, hooligan action.
Finally, you need to stay in the church until the full end of the service. You can leave early only because of weakness or serious need.
church note
If you want the memorial note you submitted to the altar to be read carefully and slowly, remember the rules:
1. Write in a clear, understandable handwriting, preferably in block letters, trying to mention no more than 10 names in one note.
2. Title it - "about health" or "for repose".
3. Write names in the genitive(question "who"?).
4. Put the full form of the name, even if you commemorate children (for example, not Serezha, but Sergius).
5. Learn the church spelling of secular names (for example, not Polina, but Apollinaria; not Artyom, but Artemy; not Yegor, but George).
6. Before the names of the clergy, indicate their dignity, in full or in an understandable abbreviation (for example, Priest Peter, Archbishop Nikon).
7. A child under 7 years old is called a baby, from 7 to 15 years old - a lad (maiden).
8. It is not necessary to indicate the surnames, patronymics, titles, professions of the commemorated and their degree of kinship in relation to you.
9. It is allowed to include in the note the words: "warrior", "monk", "nun", "sick", "traveling", "prisoner".
10. On the contrary, it is not necessary to write “lost”, “suffering”, “embittered”, “student”, “mourning”, “maiden”, “widow”, “pregnant”.
11. In the notes for the dead, mark "newly deceased"(deceased within 40 days of death), "of ever-memorable"(of the deceased who have memorable dates on this day), "killed".
12. For those whom the Church has glorified as saints (for example, Blessed Xenia), it is no longer necessary to pray.
Those who have Christian names are commemorated of health, and only those baptized in the Orthodox Church are commemorated of repose.
Notes can be submitted to the liturgy:
For proskomedia- the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of the sins of the commemorated;
For lunch- so the people call the liturgy in general, and the commemoration of it in particular. Usually such notes are read by clergy and clergy before the Holy See;
On the litany- public commemoration. It is usually performed by a deacon. At the end of the liturgy, these notes in many churches are commemorated a second time, on trebs. You can also submit a note to prayer service or memorial service.
How to be baptized
“Cross yourself, son,” a middle-aged woman said in a low voice to a teenager standing next to her, when the priest from the pulpit blessed the worshipers with the Gospel. And he, together with his mother, decorously and slowly began to overshadow himself with the sign of the cross. “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” lips whispered barely audibly, and the boy’s face acquired a solemnly reverent expression.
How delightful is this picture! But how often, unfortunately, one has to see otherwise - believing people who have been attending services for many years are baptized completely incorrectly ...
One waves his hand around him as if he were flies away; the other folded his fingers into a pinch, and it seems that he does not make the sign of the cross, but sprinkles himself with salt; the third - with all his might drives his fingers into the forehead, like nails. What can we say about the most common mistake, when the hand does not reach the shoulders, lowering it somewhere near the neck.
A trifle? Trivia? Formalities? No way. Even St. Basil the Great wrote: “In the Church, everything is fine and according to order, let it happen.” The sign of the cross is a visible evidence of our faith. To find out whether the Orthodox is in front of you or not, you just need to ask him to cross himself, and by how he does it and whether he does it at all, everything will become clear. Yes, and remember the gospel: "Faithful in little and faithful in much"(Luke 16:10).
The power of the sign of the cross is extraordinarily great. Many times in the Lives of the Saints there are stories about how demonic spells dissipated after a single image of the Cross on a person. Therefore, those who carelessly, fussily and inattentively are baptized simply delight the demons.
What is the correct sign of the cross? It is necessary to put together the first three fingers of the right hand, which symbolizes the Unity of the Holy Indivisible Trinity. Bend the other two fingers tightly to the palm, thus symbolizing the descent of the Son of God from Heaven to earth (two fingers are the image of the two natures of Jesus Christ).
At first, folded fingers are placed on the forehead to sanctify the mind; then to the womb, to the area of the solar plexus - for the consecration of feelings; after that - on the right, and then the left shoulder, sanctifying bodily forces. Lowering the hand, we make a waist bow. Why? Because we have just depicted the Calvary Cross on ourselves, and we worship it. By the way, another common mistake is to bow at the same time as the sign of the cross. You shouldn't do this.
In many old textbooks of the Law of God, when describing the sign of the cross, the lower end of the Cross is proposed to be done on the chest. In this case, the Cross turns upside down and involuntarily turns into a symbol of Satanists.
The sign of the cross accompanies the believer everywhere. We are baptized, getting up in bed and going to bed, going out into the street and entering the temple; before eating, we ourselves are baptized and overshadow the food with the sign of the cross. The Cross of Christ sanctifies everything and everything, and therefore the image of it by believers on itself is saving and soul-beneficial.
bell ringing
There are two types of church bell ringing: blagovest (the parishioners are called to their service) and the ringing itself.
Blagovest- these are measured blows to one big bell. It is performed as follows: first, three rare, slow lingering blows are made, and then measured blows follow. Blagovest, in turn, is divided into two types: ordinary (private), produced by the largest bell; Lenten (rare), produced by a smaller bell on the seven days of Great Lent.
Actually ringing is called such a ringing when all the bells ring at once. It is divided into the following types:
trezvon- ringing all the bells, repeating three times after a short break (ringing in three steps). It sounds at the all-night vigil, liturgy;
double chime- ringing all the bells twice (in two steps). It is performed at the all-night vigil;
Chime- ringing alternately at each bell (one or more beats), starting from the largest to the smallest, repeating several times. It is performed at the liturgy and on special occasions: on the Sunday of the Cross, at Vespers on Great Friday before the removal of the Shroud, at Matins on Great Saturday and on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross. The chime also occurs during the Sacrament of Ordination;
Bust- slow ringing of each bell in turn, from the smallest to the largest; after striking the big bell, they strike all at once, and so repeat many times. Busting is otherwise called funeral (funeral) ringing, it expresses sadness and grief for the deceased. But enumeration always ends with a chime as a symbol of the Christian joyful news of the resurrection of the dead.
Also exists flashy(alarm) ringing is very frequent, which happens during an alarm.
sacred bread
Bread has a special place in our life. It is a symbol of all food and those labors that are necessary to obtain it. "In the sweat of your face you will eat bread"(Genesis 3:19), God once said to Adam.
There are also religious symbols in the bread. The Lord Jesus Christ called Himself "bread of life"(John 6:35), said that "he who eats this bread will live forever"(John 6:51). Finally, He pleased the bread, which is very close in composition to human flesh, to be transubstantiated into His Body in the sacrament of the Eucharist: “Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said, Take, eat: this is my body.”(Matthew 26:26).
Bread, consisting of many grains, personifies the Church - One with the plurality of its members. In addition to the Eucharistic Bread, the Orthodox Church contains several types of consecrated bread.
prosphora(“offering” in Greek) is white wheat bread baked with yeast, with the addition of holy water. The name comes from the custom of the first Christians to bring bread from home to celebrate the Eucharist. Now prosphora is prepared in diocesan bakeries. They consist of two round parts, in commemoration of the two natures of Christ. On the upper part there is a seal with the image of the Cross (on the monastery prosphora there is an image of the Mother of God or saints).
During the Divine Liturgy, a rectangular part is cut out in a special way from one prosphora (lamb) - the Lamb, which will subsequently be transubstantiated into the Body of Christ. From other prosphora, smaller in size, particles are extracted in memory of members of the Earthly and Heavenly Churches; these particles at the end of the Liturgy descend into the Blood of Christ. Small prosphora are placed for those who submitted memorial notes to the altar.
The cut parts of the lamb prosphora are called antidoron("instead of a gift" - Greek). According to the Charter, they are eaten by people who did not partake of the Holy Mysteries. Usually, the antidoron goes to the servants of the altar.
Artos("leavened bread" - Greek) - bread consecrated on Easter night. Throughout Bright Week, the artos, a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, remains on the lectern opposite the Royal Doors of the altar and is worn out daily at Easter processions. On Bright Saturday, it is crushed with a special prayer and distributed to the pilgrims. Popular piety adopted the artos and the holy water of the Epiphany as a feasible replacement for the Holy Gifts for the dying, unable to take communion.
And prosphora, and artos, and antidoron are supposed to be eaten on an empty stomach, with prayer. Consecrated bread should be stored in a clean container separately from other products. According to tradition, artos is divided into small pieces and consumed throughout the year, from Easter to Easter.
Another type of consecrated bread is the one that is distributed to those praying during the all-night vigil on the eve of major holidays. Earlier, evening services lasted quite a long time, and Christians ate bread to strengthen their strength. Now, although the duration of the services has been reduced, this custom has remained.
Prayer while eating prosphora and holy water
Lord my God, may Your holy gift be: prosphora and Your holy water for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities through Your boundless mercy, with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all your saints. Amen.
Agiasma
Translated from Greek "agiasma"- "shrine". This is the name of water consecrated with a special rank. The consecration of water can be small and great: the small is performed several times during the year, and the great - only on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
There is a strange belief among the Russian people: as if Baptism and Epiphany are not the same thing, and the water that is blessed on Christmas Eve, January 18, is Epiphany water, and the one that is consecrated on the 19th is Epiphany. This belief is so strong that sincerely believing people try to draw holy water for two days in a row and then store it in different vessels, being afraid to mix it up. This is a meaningless lie. And on a holiday, and on Christmas Eve, the water is consecrated with the same rite, in memory of the descent of the Lord Jesus Christ into the waters of the Jordan River. Epiphany water has a special grace, and people know (or feel) this. On this holiday, churches are overflowing with people, there is even a certain type of "parishioners" who come to church once a year - "for some water."
What do they pray for during the great blessing of water? That this water be sanctified by the power and action and influx of the Holy Spirit. That it be a gift of sanctification, deliverance from sins, healing of the soul and body. That she should receive the blessing of Jordan. To drive away all sorts of slanders of visible and invisible enemies. May this water bring forth eternal life. So that we, through the tasting of this water and the appearance of the Holy Spirit, may be granted sanctification. Great is the prayer - great is the shrine.
The Baptism of the Lord sanctified the very nature of water. Any water taken on this day contains a pledge of grace. Therefore, one who is unable to come to church because of his own weakness or the distance of the temple, can draw water from any source, even from a tap, and use it as a saint.
You need to drink agiasma on an empty stomach, in the morning, but if you need God's help, you can drink it at any time of the day or night. Store - in a separate place, better next to the home iconostasis (not in the refrigerator!) With a reverent attitude, holy water remains fresh and tastes good for a long time. You can anoint yourself with it, add a little to food, sprinkle your home. People excommunicated from Communion by penance partake of agiasma as a spiritual consolation.
It is a little pity that the miracle of the great sanctification happens only once a year, and so rarely can one hear touching troparia:
“The voice of the Lord is crying out on the waters, saying: Come, receive the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, the manifested Christ…”
Daily cycle of church worship
The Church Charter prescribes nine different divine services during the day. Each has its own history, symbolism and duration, but spiritually they form a single whole, called daily circle.
In Orthodox worship, much is borrowed from the Old Testament prayer customs. In particular, the beginning of a new day is considered not midnight, but 6 pm. Hence the first service of the daily cycle is vespers.
At Vespers, the Church reminds the worshipers of the main events of the Sacred History of the Old Testament: the creation of the world by God, the fall of the forefathers, the Law of Moses, the ministry of the prophets. Christians thank God for the day they have lived.
After Vespers it is necessary to serve compline. These are a kind of public prayers for the coming dream, at which we remember the descent of Christ into hell and the liberation of the righteous from the power of the devil.
At midnight, the third service of the daily circle should be performed - midnight office. This divine service was established to remind believers of the second coming of the Lord and the Last Judgment.
Before sunrise begins matins. It is dedicated to the events of the Savior's earthly life and contains many prayers of repentance and thanksgiving. Matins is one of the longest services.
Around 7 o'clock in the morning it is supposed to make first hour. This is the title of a short service at which the Church remembers the stay of Jesus Christ at the trial of the high priest Caiaphas.
third hour(10 a.m.) takes us with sacred remembrances to the Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and to Pilate's praetorium, where Christ was sentenced to death.
sixth hour(noon) is the time of the crucifixion of the Lord, and the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon) is the time of His death on the cross. Corresponding services are dedicated to these mournful events.
Finally, the main Christian worship, a kind of center of the daily circle is Divine Liturgy. Unlike other services, the liturgy not only reminds us of God, but provides an opportunity to really unite with Him in the sacrament of Communion. Liturgy should be performed between the sixth and ninth hours.
Modern liturgical practice has made its own changes to the prescriptions of the Charter. So, in parish churches, Compline is celebrated only in Great Lent, and Midnight Office is served once a year, on the eve of Easter. The ninth hour is rarely served. The remaining six services of the daily cycle are combined into two groups of three.
In the evening, Vespers, Matins, and the first hour are celebrated one after another. On the eve of Sundays and holidays, this chain of worship is called all-night vigil, that is, staying awake for the whole night. Ancient Christians, indeed, often prayed until dawn. Modern all-night vigils last 2-4 hours in parishes and 3-6 hours in monasteries.
In the morning, the third hour, the sixth hour and the Divine Liturgy are served in succession. In churches where there are many parishioners, on Sundays and holidays there are two liturgies - early and late. Both of them are preceded by reading hours.
On days when the liturgy is not supposed (for example, on Friday of Holy Week), a short follow-up is performed pictorial. This divine service contains some of the hymns of the liturgy and, as it were, “depicts” it. But the fine arts do not have the status of an independent service.
Church requirements
There are many situations in which we need God's help. Knowing the needs of man, the Orthodox Church has compiled a series of rites asking for help from above. They are called treb because they are performed at the request of believers.
The main types of treb are prayers for the living, for the dead, the consecration of objects and food.
An intensified prayer for living people is called a prayer service. Prayer services are general and private (custom). Custom prayers are performed by the priest at the request of the worshipers, and general prayers are performed every day at the end of the liturgy.
Funeral services include requiems and funerals. They are performed only for baptized people. You can't sing for suicides.
The Church, by her followers, sanctifies the whole way of human life, including those objects that we use and the food that we eat. Consecration of food happens on certain days, for example, on the eve of Easter, Easter cakes and eggs are consecrated, and on the feast of the Transfiguration, apples and other fruits.
There is a rite of consecration of the house, the chariot (car). These requirements must be negotiated personally with the priest, so that he performs them at a convenient time. It is very useful for military personnel to consecrate their weapons.
prayer service
Every day in Orthodox churches, at the end of the morning services, the priests perform the rites. One of the most common is prayer singing (prayer service).
What is a prayer service? This is a short but diligent prayer for the various needs of life. At the Divine Liturgy, we hear petitions for everyday needs, but often do not perceive them as we should because of the deepest mystical content of the liturgy. The need to pray “for little things” as St. Ambrose of Optina taught – “shortly, but fervently” – is fulfilled by us at the prayer service.
Are we sick? - We will serve a prayer service for the sick. Are we starting something important? - At the prayer service we will ask for God's help. Are we on our way? - Let's hear the rite of blessing on the journey. Has the name day come, and do you want to pray earnestly to your saint? Let's order a prayer service for him. Is the school year starting and is it time for our children to go to school? - Let's perform the rite of blessing at the beginning of the teachings of the youths. Has the Lord heard our prayer and we want to give praise? We will serve a thanksgiving service.
In addition to private prayers, there are public prayer chants. The church contains many of those - the water-blessed and New Year's; during lack of water (during bad weather) and lack of rain (during drought); prayers for those suffering from unclean spirits and from the disease of drunkenness; solemn rites on the first Sunday of Great Lent (the Triumph of Orthodoxy) and on the Nativity of Christ (in memory of the victory of 1812) ...
At prayer services we turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Pure Mother, the saints. Thanksgiving prayers are addressed to the Lord. When ordering a prayer service behind a candle box, we submit a note with the names of those for whom (or from whom) it will be performed.
Sometimes a person ordering a prayer service does not wait for it to be completed and leaves the temple, leaving only a note. The Lord accepts every sacrifice, but it is much more effective to pray with the priest than to let him plead with God for us.
Sometimes akathists and canons are added to prayers. Often priests, completing the requirement, anoint the worshipers with consecrated oil, sprinkle with holy water.
According to our faith, the Lord gives His help very soon after the prayer service. Therefore, one should not abuse this sacred rite by ordering a prayer service several times on the same occasion (the exception is the prayer for the sick and the service of votive prayers).
"Brother", "Father", "Lord"
It is difficult for a person who has crossed the church threshold for the first time to find a suitable appeal to his neighbor. Indeed, how to call a candlestick - "woman", "lady", "citizen"? How to address a priest - "sir", "sir", "comrade"?
But there are no difficulties. Christians are one family where everyone is related to each other. Relatives do not need conventions.
"Brother", "sister" - the best appeal to the laity. We are all children of the One God and descendants of Adam and Eve. “Father” or “father” is the name given to priests as performers of the sacraments through which people are born into spiritual life. Usually, after the words "father" a name is added, for example, "father Peter". You can refer to a deacon as "father deacon", to the rector of a church (monastery) as "father rector".
In the conversations of Orthodox people, the word "father" is often heard. It must be remembered that this word is used only when referring directly to a person. It is impossible, for example, to say “Father Vladimir blessed me”, this is illiterate.
It is not worth addressing the clergy as "holy father", as is customary in Catholic countries. The holiness of a person is known by his death.
The wives of the altar servers, as well as older women, we call the affectionate word "mother."
Hierarchs - bishops, metropolitans, Patriarchs - should be addressed as "Vladyka" as vested with ecclesiastical authority.
Sometimes there is a need to address the clergyman in writing. Priests should be called “Your Reverend”, Archpriests ~ “Your Reverence”, Bishops - “Your Grace”, Archbishops and Metropolitans - “Your Eminence”, Patriarch - “Your Holiness”.
Sectarians who do not have the priesthood reproach the Orthodox for an alleged violation of the words of Christ: “And call no one on earth your father: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.”(Matthew 23:9). But it is clear that "do not name" has the meaning of "do not worship", otherwise the words of the Lord can be turned into nonsense. As far back as the 1st century, the Evangelist John the Theologian in his Epistles of the Council addressed Christians as “children”. The response was obviously appropriate. The point is not in the word, but in the internal attitude to it. Deacon Andrey Kuraev writes well about this:
“Even the most staunch Baptist calls his parent father and doesn’t mind when his son says “daddy” to him. Here, as in relation to the icon: you can worship and serve only God. But we can and should honor those through whom we receive the gift of life.”
"Bless, father!"
A familiar picture of our days is a meeting of a bishop (metropolitan, patriarch) with a high-ranking official. Greetings, smiles, and… the president (prime minister, speaker of parliament) solemnly holds out his right hand to the saint for a handshake…
And here is another picture. Matins. The priest, standing on the salt, proclaims: "God bless you" and overshadows the parishioners with the sign of the cross. Praying grandmothers prayerfully fold their palms and for some reason press them to their chest, performing an unknown ritual.
In both the first and second cases, there is a clear misunderstanding of how one should treat a clergyman and what a priestly blessing is. Every believer considers it indispensable when meeting with a priest to ask him for a pastoral blessing, but many do it wrong. Of course, there are no strict canons on this issue, but the traditions of the Church and simple common sense suggest how to behave.
The blessing has many meanings. The first one is a greeting. Only an equal in rank has the right to greet a priest by the hand; all the rest, even deacons, receive a blessing from him when they meet with the priest. To do this, you need to put your palms together, right over the left, in order to take a blessing hand in them and kiss it as a sign of respect for the holy dignity. And for nothing more! The addition of palms has no mysterious meaning, grace does not “fall” into them, as some old women teach.
You can be blessed by a priest not only when he is in church clothes, but also in civilian clothes; not only in the temple, but also on the street, in a public place. It is not necessary, however, to approach for a blessing outside the temple to an unclothed priest who is not familiar with you.
In the same way, every layman says goodbye to a priest. If several priests are standing side by side, and you want to be blessed by everyone, then first you need to approach the senior in rank.
The second meaning of the priestly blessing is permission, permission, parting words. Before starting any responsible business, before traveling, and also in any difficult circumstances, we can ask the priest for advice and blessings and kiss his hand.
Finally, there are blessings in the course of a church service. Priest saying: “Peace to all”, “God’s blessing on you…”, “Grace of our Lord…”, overshadows those praying with the sign of the cross. In response, we humbly bow our heads, without folding our hands - after all, it is impossible to kiss the blessing right hand.
If the priest overshadows us with sacred objects: the Cross, the Gospel, the Cup, the icon, we are first baptized, and then we bow.
You should not approach the blessing at an inopportune moment: when the priest takes communion, burns the temple, anoints with oil. But you can do this at the end of confession and at the end of the Liturgy, while kissing the Cross. It is not worth it to abuse the blessing by approaching the same priest several times a day. The words “bless, father” should always sound joyful and solemn to a layman, and there is no need to turn them into a proverb.
church hierarchy
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. He governs the Church together with the Holy Synod. The Synod, in addition to the Patriarch, constantly includes metropolitans: Kiev, St. Petersburg, Krutitsy, Minsk. The chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (now the Metropolitan of Smolensk) is also a permanent member of the Holy Synod. Four more are invited from the rest of the episcopate in turn, as temporary members, for six months.
Each region (diocese) has its own bishop. A bishop is the highest degree of the priesthood and a common title for any clergyman who is at this level (Patriarch, Metropolitan, Archbishop and Bishop). Standing one step below priests(presbyters). They are charged with leading church life in parishes, urban and rural. Priests are divided into priests And archpriests. The head priest in a parish is called the rector.
The lowest order of the priesthood deacons. They help bishops and priests to perform the sacraments, but they do not perform them themselves. Senior deacons are called protodeacons.
monks(“hermits”) in Orthodoxy are called “black” clergy, as those who have taken a vow of celibacy (in contrast to the “white”, married).
There are three degrees of monasticism: cassock, mantle (or small schema) and schema (or great schema). The lowest degree, the cassock, means "wearing a cassock" (cassock is the daily long-brimmed attire of monks, with wide sleeves). The small and great schema (“form”, “image”) are the highest degrees. They differ in more strict vows.
All bishops are monks. Their names in Greek mean: patriarch - "ancestor"; metropolitan - "a person from the main family" (Patriarchs or metropolitans are the heads of all church organizations in Orthodox countries); bishop "guardian", archbishop - "senior pastor" (bishops and archbishops, less often metropolitans, are the primates of the church-administrative districts of the dioceses).
Priest monks are called hieromonks, abbots and archimandrites. Archimandrite ("chief of the caves") - rector of a large monastery, laurels. Some monks receive this title for special services to the Church. Hegumen (“leading”) is the rector of an ordinary monastery or parish church. Priest monks who have accepted the schema are called hieroschemamonks, schiigumens, schiarchimandrites.
Monks in the diaconate are called hierodeacons, senior - archdeacons.
Incense censer
The all-night vigil begins. The choir solemnly and slowly sings the 103rd psalm, which speaks of the creation of the world. And the priest at this time bypasses the church with a censer. Fragrant smoke fills the whole temple ...
The censer is one of the symbols of Orthodox worship. Since apostolic times, censing has been performed during prayer. The fragrant resin of oriental trees - incense - is placed on hot coals in a metal censer. When burned, it forms fragrant smoke - incense.
The burning of sacrifices before God appeared on Earth in ancient times. Suffice it to recall the sacrifice of the righteous Abel. The Lord Himself in the Old Testament commanded Moses to make a special altar in the tabernacle for the sacred incense of aromatic substances. The Magi, who came to worship Christ, among other gifts, presented the Divine Infant with incense. Evangelist John the Theologian saw in Revelation in the Heavenly Temple an Angel accepting a golden censer.
According to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, fire, as a burning and warming substance, represents the Deity. Therefore, the fire of incense coals marks the Divine nature of Christ, the very substance of the coal - His human nature, and the incense - the prayers of people offered to God. The censer is an image of the Mother of God, containing the Uncontainable Christ. In many prayers, the Most Pure One is called a fragrant censer.
Before the beginning of the incense, the priest says a prayer: “We bring the censer to You, Christ our God, in the stench (smell) of the fragrance of the spiritual, if we receive it in Your heavenly mental altar, send us the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit.” From this prayer it is clear that the visible smoke of the censer means the invisible presence of the grace of the Lord, spiritually strengthening believers.
Liturgical censing is complete when it covers the entire church, and small when the altar, the iconostasis and the people from the pulpit are censed. When incense is performed on sacred objects - icons, a temple, it refers to God, giving Him due honor and praise. When the censer turns to people, this testifies that the Holy Spirit descends on all the faithful, as bearing in themselves the image of God. Traditionally, in response to incense, it is customary to bow.
There is no consensus on whether it is permissible for the laity to burn incense during home prayer. Different priests have different attitudes towards this unconditionally pious deed. It is best to ask for blessings from your confessor.
catechumens
“Pray, catechumens, to the Lord,” the deacon says every day at the Divine Liturgy, and after this conciliar prayer, the litany, he says: “Catechumens, depart!” To a person skilled in literature, this exclamation can cut the ear; after all, the dictionary of the Russian language by S. I. Ozhegov gives the concept of "catechumen" the interpretation of "behaving stupidly, noisily, extravagantly." Is there such a place in the temple?
Yes, the meaning of certain words sometimes undergoes curious changes. In Church Slavonic philology, the verb "announce" meant "to orally instruct in the original truths of the faith", and the adjective "catechumen" had the meaning of "who wants to receive Holy Baptism and is a student of Christian dogmas." Apparently, some of these people left a kind of trace in history, which led to the emergence of a new meaning of the word ...
Not everyone was baptized in the ancient Church. Those who wished to approach the Baptismal font had to clearly understand the content of the Christian faith, so that from the bottom of their hearts to the question: “Do you believe in Christ?” give an answer: “I believe in Him as a king and God!” Therefore, those who had lost their Christian upbringing, as well as converts from Jews and pagans, learned the dogmas of the faith from bishops, presbyters, and catechists. The announcement lasted a long time, sometimes several years. During this time, the catechumens did not have the right to attend the heart of the service - the Sacrament of the Eucharist - together with faithful Christians. In order not to completely deprive them of communion with the Church, the creators of the liturgical rites reduced hymns of an instructive nature and the reading of Holy Scripture to the first part of the liturgy, and called it the "liturgy of the catechumens."
But when the time for liturgical edification expires, and the sacred and terrible moment of unity with God arrives, people with a soul unwashed by the waters of Baptism should not become its witnesses. Therefore, the deacon first pronounces the litany of the catechumens, and then exhorts them to depart. In the first centuries of Christianity, they were not limited to words, but they walked around the temple with a consideration to see if any of the unbaptized were left.
Now the rules have changed. Everyone who wants to become witnesses of God's Mysteries, even those who looked into the church out of idle curiosity. The very institution of catechumens has long been lost, although many clergymen feel the need to revive it. Why, then, was this exclamation of the deacon and the prayer of the Church for the catechumens preserved?
The pre-revolutionary “Handbook of a Clergyman” says: “In different parts of the world, many non-Christians turn to the Orthodox Church, and many of the non-Orthodox Christians also convert; our Church, however, takes care of all her children, wherever they may be, and prayerfully intercedes before the Illuminator of souls and bodies for all catechumens, despite the fact that they may be separated by vast spaces; in addition, catechumens are children who have received an Orthodox name through the rite of naming a baby, but have not yet been baptized ... In view of all this, prayers for catechumens will never lose their strength and significance and will remain in the liturgy as long as the Church of Christ exists on earth.
As for leaving the church, one should not look at the behavior of neighbors here, and each unbaptized person must learn for himself personally: I do not yet have the right to participate in the Eucharist, which means I must leave.
How to Prepare for Holy Communion
It is necessary to prepare oneself for the sacrament of Holy Communion by prayer, fasting, Christian humble behavior and mood, as well as confession.
Prayer at home and church. Those who wish to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must prayerfully prepare themselves for this at least 2-3 days in advance: pray more and more diligently at home in the morning and evening, attend church services. Before the day of Communion, you must be at the evening service. At home, read the canons: repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel, as well as the Follow-up to Holy Communion.
Fast. Prayer is combined with abstinence from fast food - meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, with strict fasting - and from fish. In the rest of the food, moderation should be observed.
Confession. Those who wish to take communion should, best of all, on the eve, before or after the evening service, bring sincere repentance for their sins before the priest, sincerely opening their soul and not concealing a single sin. Before confession, you must certainly reconcile both with your offenders and with those whom you have offended yourself, humbly ask everyone for forgiveness. At confession, it is better not to wait for the priest's questions, but to tell him everything that is on your conscience, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame to others. In no case should you condemn someone in confession, or talk about other people's sins.
If it is not possible to confess in the evening, you need to do it before the start of the liturgy, in extreme cases - before the Cherubic Hymn. Without confession, no one, except for infants under 7 years of age, can be admitted to Holy Communion.
There is a good custom - after confession and before Holy Communion, do not eat, drink or smoke. Of course it is prohibited after midnight. You must come to Communion strictly on an empty stomach. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion.
How many times a year do you take communion?
Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you (John 6:53). The Church does not give an unequivocal answer to this question. Christians of the first centuries tried to approach the Holy Chalice daily. Saint Basil the Great, in one of his epistles, prescribed communion four times a week, and John Chrysostom called avoidance of Holy Communion "the work of the devil."
Over time, the norms of piety changed, and not always for the better. In the 19th century, many Russian Christians considered Communion to be a dying parting word (it is known that when the seriously ill Emperor Alexander the First was offered communion by his relatives, he replied: “Am I really that bad?”). After the Russian Golgotha of the 20th century, there was a renewed desire among Christians to receive communion often.
A person who knows the Gospel does not need to be explained how great is the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, why it is impossible to inherit eternal life without Communion (the Lord Himself spoke about this in a conversation with the Jews, the Gospel of John, chapter 6) ...
Many modern pastors recommend that people who seek to church their lives take communion from one to two times a month. Sometimes priests bless even more frequent Communion. (See section:- approx. editions).
Of course, it is impossible to receive communion just for show, for the sake of fulfilling certain quantitative norms. The sacrament of the Eucharist must become for the Orthodox Christian a need of the soul, without the fulfillment of which it is impossible to live.
At the Holy Chalice
This story happened not so long ago in one of the temples of St. Petersburg. At the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, during the communion of the laity, the attention of the worshipers was attracted by a small fair-haired boy standing near the altar. He carefully looked at the communicants and from time to time burst into sonorous childish laughter. They pulled him up, tried to reason with him, but in vain. With the end of communion, the boy's unusual behavior also ceased.
Surprised to the extreme, the parents began to ask why he laughed, and this is what they heard in response.
“When I looked at the people approaching the Chalice, I suddenly saw a white dove flying up to some of them. As soon as an uncle or aunt opens his mouth to swallow the Gifts, the dove pecks Them from the spoon and flies away. They do not see this dove, they close their mouths and leave, thinking that they have received communion, but in fact they only held an empty spoon. It made me laugh a lot."
To an unbeliever, this story of a child may seem like a fabrication, but the Orthodox heart cannot but shudder with trepidation, having understood the meaning of the vision sent by God to the child. Indeed, isn't it scary to realize that the Lord does not allow many of us to take communion, because in an unworthy, unprepared state we approach the Holy Chalice.
“He who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment for himself”(1 Corinthians 11:29) - the Apostle Paul admonishes us. The charter has long defined the requirements, the fulfillment of which helps the communicants to worthily receive the Holy Gifts. This includes fasting from 1 to 7 days, and abstinence from marital intimacy for this time, and reading many prayers, and attending divine services - each to the best of his ability and his spiritual experience. Be sure to confess before Communion.
But here it is all done. The liturgy ends, and the communicant is ready to unite with Christ. The Royal Doors open.
“Come with the fear of God and faith…” the deacon proclaims. Faith and fear of God - this is what should be imprinted in the heart of everyone who approaches the Chalice. There is no place for talk and fuss. But in practice...
Who among us has not witnessed the stampede in front of the Holy Chalice! People push others away, try to reach the Holy Gifts as soon as possible, do not heed the exhortations of the priest. But by unworthy behavior in front of the Cup, you can cross out all the painstaking work of fasting in the blink of an eye. Then the invisible dove will not allow us to reach the Holy Gifts, and we will not find eternal life in the sacrament, but condemnation and God's punishment.
To prevent this from happening, each communicant needs to know well and follow the rules for approaching the Holy Chalice that the Church has established. Here they are:
- Before the Chalice it is necessary to make an earthly bow. If there are many communicants, then in order not to disturb others, you need to bow in advance;
- When the Royal Doors open, one must cross himself and fold his hands crosswise on his chest, right hand over the left, and with such a fold of hands take communion; you need to move away from the Chalice without separating your hands;
- It is necessary to approach from the right side of the temple, and leave the left free;
- Altar attendants receive communion first, then monks, children, and only then everyone else. You need to give way to your neighbors, in no case push;
- Women before Communion need to wipe off lipstick;
- Approaching the Chalice, loudly and distinctly state your name. Accept the Holy Gifts, chew (if necessary) and immediately swallow, and kiss the lower edge of the Chalice like the rib of Christ;
- You cannot touch the Chalice with your hands and kiss the priest's hand;
- It is forbidden to be baptized at the Chalice! Raising your hand for the sign of the cross, you can accidentally push the priest and spill the Holy Gifts;
- Going to the table with a drink, you need to eat the antidor and drink the warmth. Only after that you can kiss the icons and talk;
- If the Holy Gifts are taught from several Chalices, they can only be received from one. Communion twice a day is a terrible sin;
- On the day of Communion, it is not customary to kneel, with the exception of bowing before the Shroud of Christ on Great Saturday and kneeling prayers on the day of the Holy Trinity;
- When you come home, you should first of all read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion, if they are read in the church at the end of the service, you should listen to the prayers there.
Wedding
“Marriage is a sacrament in which, with a free, before the priest and the Church, the bride and groom promise mutual fidelity, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and they ask for the grace of pure unanimity for the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.”
"Orthodox Catechism" by Metropolitan Filaret
Church-canonical obstacles to marriage
The conditions for concluding a marriage established by civil law and church canons have significant differences, so not every civil union registered with the registry office can be consecrated in the sacrament of marriage.
The Church does not allow fourth and fifth marriages; It is forbidden to marry persons who are in close degrees of kinship. The Church does not bless the marriage if one of the spouses (or both) declares himself a convinced atheist who came to the temple only at the insistence of the spouse or parents. You can't get married unbaptized.
You cannot marry if one of the newlyweds is actually married to another person.
Marriage between blood relatives up to the fourth degree of kinship (that is, with a second cousin or sister) is prohibited.
An ancient pious tradition forbids marriages between godparents and godchildren, as well as between two godparents of the same child. Strictly speaking, there are no canonical obstacles to this, however, at present, permission for such a marriage can only be obtained from the ruling bishop.
It is impossible to get married to those who have previously given monastic vows or accepted ordination to the priesthood.
Nowadays, the Church does not make inquiries about the age of majority, the mental and physical health of the bride and groom, the voluntary nature of their marriage, since these conditions are mandatory for registering a civil union. Of course, it is possible to hide certain obstacles to marriage from representatives of state bodies. But it is impossible to deceive God, so the main obstacle to committing an illegal marriage should be the conscience of the spouses.
The absence of parental blessing for the wedding is a very unfortunate fact, but if the bride and groom come of age, it cannot prevent the wedding. In addition, atheist parents often oppose church marriage, and in this case, the parental blessing can be replaced by a priestly one, best of all, the blessing of the confessor of at least one of the spouses.
The wedding does not take place...
- During all four multi-day fasts;
- During Cheese Week (Shrovetide);
- On the Bright (Easter) Week;
- From the Nativity of Christ (January 7) to Epiphany (January 19);
- On the eve of the twelfth holidays;
- Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year;
- September 10, 11, 26 and 27 (in connection with a strict fast for the Beheading of John the Baptist and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord);
- On the eve of the patronal temple days (each temple has its own).
Under extraordinary circumstances, an exception to these rules may be made with the blessing of the ruling bishop.
Tips for those who are getting married
In order for the wedding to become a true holiday, memorable for a lifetime, you need to take care of its organization in advance. First of all, agree on the place and time of the sacrament.
In many churches of the St. Petersburg diocese there is a preliminary record, which indicates not only the day, but also the time of the wedding. Any relative can do it. In this case, the priest will be crowned, on whom the sequence of requirements falls.
In those churches where there is no such record, the newlyweds draw up a receipt for the sacrament on the wedding day, behind the candle box. However, here it is impossible to give an exact time, since the weddings will begin only after other requirements. But you can negotiate” with a specific priest, if there is a need for this.
In any case, the church will need a marriage certificate, so the registration of marriage in the registry office must be before the wedding.
In the event of the obstacles listed above, those wishing to get married must personally apply to the office of the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga with a petition. The Lord will consider all circumstances; with a positive decision, he will put a resolution according to which the wedding will be performed in any temple.
In the first centuries of Christianity, weddings took place immediately after the Divine Liturgy. This does not happen now, but communion before the beginning of married life is extremely important. Therefore, the newlyweds should come to the temple on the wedding day at the beginning of the service, eat nothing, drink or smoke the day before, from 12 o’clock at night, and, if married life already takes place, refrain from marital relations on the last night. In the temple, the bride and groom confess, pray at the liturgy and partake of the Holy Mysteries. After that, prayers, requiems and funerals usually take about an hour. During this time, you can change into wedding clothes (if the temple has a room for this). We advise the bride to wear comfortable shoes, and not high-heeled shoes, which are difficult to stand for several hours in a row.
The presence of friends and relatives of the newlyweds at the liturgy is desirable, but, in extreme cases, they can come to the beginning of the wedding.
Taking photographs and filming a wedding with a video camera is not allowed in all temples: it is better to do without it by taking a memorable photograph against the backdrop of the temple after the sacrament.
Wedding rings must be given to the crowning priest in advance, so that he consecrates them by laying them on the Throne.
Take a piece of white linen or a towel with you. Young people will stand on it.
The bride must certainly have a headdress; cosmetics and jewelry - either absent, or in a minimal amount. Pectoral crosses are obligatory for both spouses.
According to Russian tradition, every married couple has witnesses (best man) who organize the wedding feast. They will also come in handy in the temple - to hold the crowns over the heads of the newlyweds. It is better if these are two men, since the crowns are quite heavy. Best man must be baptized.
The church charter forbids marrying several couples at the same time, but in practice this happens. Of course, each couple would like to get married separately. But in this case, the sacrament can drag on for a long time (the duration of one wedding is 45-60 minutes). If the newlyweds are willing to wait until everyone else is married, then they will not be denied a separate sacrament. In large cathedrals, they are crowned separately for a double fee. On weekdays (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) the chances of multiple couples showing up are much less than on Sundays.
rite of passage of the sacrament
The Sacrament of Marriage consists of two parts - betrothal and wedding. In the past, they were separated in time from each other, the betrothal took place at the engagement and could be terminated later.
During the betrothal, the priest hands the lit candles to the couple - a symbol of joy, warmth and purity. Then he puts on the rings, first to the groom, and then to the bride, and three times - in the image of the Holy Trinity - changes them. According to the charter, the groom's ring must be gold, and the bride's - silver, and after the triple change, the groom has the bride's ring, silver, and she has gold, as a pledge of fidelity. But other materials are also acceptable.
After the betrothal, the young people go to the middle of the temple. The priest asks them about whether their desire to become legal spouses is free, or whether they were promised to someone else. After this, three prayers are said, in which God's blessing is asked for those who are married, the pious marital unions of the Old and New Testaments are recalled. Crowns are taken out - richly decorated crowns, like royal ones, and placed on the heads of the young. The crown is an image of the crown of the Kingdom of Heaven, but also a symbol akin to martyrdom. The priest, raising his hands to God, says three times: “Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor!” - after which he reads excerpts from the apostolic epistle and the Gospel, which tells how the Lord blessed the marriage in Cana of Galilee.
A cup of wine is brought - a symbol of the life cup of joys and sorrows, which the spouses must share until the end of their days. The priest teaches wine to the young in three steps. Then he joins their hands and circles them three times around the lectern to the singing of wedding troparions. The circle is a symbol of the fact that the sacrament is performed forever, walking after a priest is an image of serving the Church.
At the end of the sacrament, the spouses stand at the Royal Doors of the altar, where the priest pronounces a word of edification to them. Then relatives and friends congratulate the new Christian family.
Superstitions related to marriage
The remnants of paganism make themselves felt by all sorts of superstitions that are kept among the people. So, there is a belief that an accidentally fallen ring or an extinguished wedding candle portends all sorts of misfortunes, a difficult life in marriage, or the early death of one of the spouses. There is also a widespread superstition that the one who is the first to step on the spread towel will dominate the family all his life. Some people think that it is impossible to get married in May, "you will then toil all your life." All these fictions should not excite the hearts, for their creator is Satan, called in the Gospel "the father of lies." And accidents (for example, the fall of the ring) must be treated calmly - anything can happen.
Second marriage succession
The Church looks at the second marriage disapprovingly and allows it only in condescension to human infirmities. Two prayers of repentance are added to the second marriage order, there are no questions about freedom of expression. This rite is performed if both the groom and the bride marry for the second time. If one of them is married for the first time, the usual ceremony is performed.
It's never too late to get married
In godless times, many married couples formed without the blessing of the Church. At the same time, unmarried spouses often remain faithful to each other all their lives, raise children and grandchildren in peace and harmony. But for some reason they don't want to get married. The Church never refuses the grace of the sacrament, even if the spouses are in their declining years. As many priests testify, those couples who marry in adulthood sometimes take the Sacrament of Marriage more seriously than young people. The splendor and solemnity of the wedding they are replaced by reverence and awe of the greatness of marriage.
Divorce of a Church Marriage
A church marriage can only be dissolved by the ruling bishop of the diocese where the wedding took place, if one of the spouses has been unfaithful or has other serious reasons (for example, adultery or deceit when pronouncing wedding vows).
Unction
In the church, two women were talking softly by a candle box. One, younger, complained: “Here, I have been sick for a long time. I go to the doctors, but there is little sense. Now I decided to take unction, my friends advised me.” Her interlocutor was alarmed: “What are you, dear, can you? Are you married?" - "Married". “So you can’t take unction, otherwise you’re not supposed to sleep with your husband later.”
Having happened to be a witness to this conversation, I considered it my duty to intervene. He began to prove that there are no church prohibitions on married life after the unction. The words had an effect, and the eldest of the women said: “We don’t know anything. And grandmothers will say all sorts of things, so confusion comes out.
Indeed, there are not so many superstitions and prejudices associated with any sacrament as with unction. What can you not hear from elderly parishioners who think they are experts in the Church Charter! They say that after the unction one should not wash, eat meat, one must fast on Mondays; and most importantly, that only the dying can receive this sacrament. All this is not true.
The Sacrament of Unction, or Unction, as it is called in the liturgical books, was established by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Mark we read how the apostles, preaching throughout Palestine, anointed the sick with oil and healed them. The essence of this sacrament is most fully revealed by the Apostle James in his Conciliar Epistle: “Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven"(James 5:14-15).
So, unction is the sacrament of healing. The Orthodox writer of the 19th century E. Poselyanin wrote: “It is not at all said that the disease must be fatal, or that a person should be in a helpless state. We must not forget that in Christianity spiritual suffering is also recognized as a disease... So, if I suffer in spirit from the death of loved ones, from grief, if I need some kind of blessed push in order to gather my strength and remove the fetters of despair, I can resort to assembly."
But even in a bodily illness, a person needs to turn to God with prayer, not relying only on a doctor, who is an instrument of God's Providence.
Unction is usually performed at home, at the bedside of the sick, but during Great Lent it happens in churches. During the sacrament, which is performed by several priests (“council”), oil is consecrated - vegetable oil, 7 Apostles and Gospels, 7 lengthy prayers are read. After each reading, the priest will anoint the head, chest, arms and legs of the congregation. Oil is an image of God's mercy, love and compassion (remember the parable of the Good Samaritan).
In addition to healing from illnesses, unction grants us the forgiveness of forgotten sins (but not consciously hidden). Due to the weakness of memory, a person can not confess all his sins, therefore it is not worth saying how great the value of unction is. Physically healthy people cannot resort to this sacrament without the blessing of a priest.
Peace and oil
One of the names of the Savior - Christ - in Greek means "anointed one." The anointing of a person with oil (vegetable oil) in ancient times testified to his election to the service of God, to participation in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, Moses anointed Aaron and his sons with oil, whom God appointed to the priesthood (Ex. 40:15), Samuel anointed Saul to the kingdom (1 Sam. 10, 1), Elijah - Elisha to serve as a prophet (1 Kings 19:15) .
After Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the New Testament Church, anointing with oil became the property of all its members. Today it is performed in front of the baptismal font and during all-night vigils.
The baptismal anointing of the forehead, chest, ears, hands, and feet has several meanings. Firstly, it marks the union with Christ, like the union of a wild branch with a fruitful olive tree, and secondly, it speaks of dying for sin, for earlier the dead were anointed with oil; thirdly, it gives strength for the further fight against sin in the likeness of the ancient wrestlers, who smeared the body before the fight. During this action, the priest says: “The servant of God (name) will be anointed with the oil of joy, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.”
The anointing during the all-night vigil on the eve of the holiday happens over all those who pray in the temple as a blessing, a parting word for further exploits. It is done with a prayerful invocation of the one to whom the service is performed.
From simple anointing with oil, it is necessary to distinguish the sacrament of Unction (unction) performed over the sick. Here the oil is consecrated with a special prayer, the body of the afflicted is anointed seven times.
And one more anointing in the Church has the power of a sacrament - anointing with holy myrrh, a fragrant composition of many substances (oil, aloe, myrrh, rose oil, crushed marble, etc.). The abundance of components is a symbol of the diversity of Christian virtues. According to the Charter, the bishop must consecrate the chrism; in the Russian Church, this is done by the Patriarch himself. In the temple, the holy myrrh is kept on the Throne of the altar.
Confirmation occurs immediately after baptism. On the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, chest, arms and legs of the newly enlightened priest puts a drop of peace, saying each time: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen". This sacrament is not repeated, like baptism. Only the divinely crowned kings were honored with it twice.
It is known that a layman has the right to baptize "for fear of death". But if the danger passes and the dying person remains alive, such baptism must be inapplicably supplemented with chrismation. Through the same sacrament, according to existing practice, representatives of some Old Believer and non-Orthodox confessions join the Church.
Royal clock
The Hours is a short worship service established by the Church to commemorate certain sacred events. There are first, third, sixth and ninth hours. At the first hour, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise and the presence of Christ at the judgment of Caiaphas are remembered, at the third hour the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, at the sixth the crucifixion of the Savior, and at the ninth - His death on the cross.
Usually the hours are made in the following order. The first - at the end of the all-night vigil, after matins; the third and sixth - immediately before the liturgy; the ninth, according to the Rule, should be read at the beginning of the all-night vigil, before vespers, but in many parish churches it is not celebrated. The prayer basis of the hours is made up of psalms (three on each), as well as chants of the current day - troparia and kontakia.
However, three times a year, special rites of hours are established, which are called great in liturgical books, and among the people - royal. The popular name comes from the ancient tradition of Byzantium: the Emperor himself was obliged to be present at this clock in the cathedral, for this he left all state affairs. Russia adopted the traditions of church services from Byzantium, and our noble sovereigns strictly followed this rule.
The royal hours are performed on the eve of the holidays of Christmas and Epiphany, on the so-called Christmas Eve (January 6 and 18), and are dedicated to these sacred events, as well as on Good Friday - for the sake of the Passion of the Lord. In addition to the psalms, at every hour (and they are performed in a row, from the first to the ninth), a paremia is read - a passage from the Old Testament containing a prophecy about a remembered day, a text from the Apostle and the Gospel. In addition, special troparia are sung.
If any of Christmas Eve falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the royal hours are transferred to the previous Friday, and there is no liturgy on this day. There are no right-believing sovereigns in Russia now, but the royal clock does not cease to be such. After all, the Heavenly King is present in churches with His grace. Let us not forget about the great hours, for it is with them that the celebration of Christmas and Epiphany begins, and Easter is preceded by them.
passion
The latest Orthodox service in time of occurrence - passion (Greek "suffering") - was compiled in the middle of the 17th century by the Metropolitan of Kyiv Peter (Mogila), the creator of many liturgical forms. Initially, passions were common in the southern regions of Russia, but by the 20th century they began to be performed everywhere.
The following of the passion happens 4 times a year (according to the number of evangelists): on the second, third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Great Lent, in the evenings. As the name implies, these services commemorate the saving sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Behind each passion, gospel narratives about this are read: on the first - 26 and 27 chapters from Matthew, on the second - 14 and 15 from Mark, on the third - 22 and 23 from Luke, on the fourth 18 and 19 from John. By tradition, while reading the Gospel, the worshipers stand with lighted candles in their hands.
In addition, during the Passion we hear some touching hymns from the service of Good Friday, the day of the Lord's bodily death. So, the verse is being performed “Come, let us bless Joseph of ever-memorable”, which is sung while kissing the Shroud of Christ; prokeimenon sounds before reading the Gospel “You divided My garments for yourself, and for My garments, you will cast lots…” These and other prayers lift us up to Golgotha, again and again reminding us of the ultimate goal of Lent - crucifixion with Christ.
At the passion, a sermon with the teaching of the Atonement is invariably delivered. The early rite of this service did not provide for any parts, but popular piety added an akathist to the Gospel and sermons - to the Cross of Christ or the Passion of the Lord, which are usually sung not only by singers, but by all pilgrims. It is not surprising that Russian Orthodox Christians love passion so much. True, in some circles there is an opinion that passion is a product of Catholicism. They see in it the similarity of the Catholic masses of Bach for Holy Week (the famous "Passion according to Matthew", "Passion according to John"). This opinion is unfounded. On the contrary, Metropolitan Peter made a following in contrast to the magnificent Catholic services, because of which many adherents of outward splendor accepted the union. The spirit of passion is completely Orthodox: an accidental resemblance to Catholic services in form is dissolved by the deepest spiritual and moral content.
Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian
Lord and Master of my life!
Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, arrogance and idle talk!
Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Thy servant!
Yes, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever! Amen.
During Great Lent, believers constantly read this prayer. From Monday to Friday, it is said at every temple service.
Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is pronounced twice. During the first reading after the words "don't give me", "Your servant" And "Amen" one earthly bow should be assumed. Then bow twelve times at the waist, saying a prayer "God, cleanse me, a sinner!" Then repeat the prayer completely again, and at the end put one bow to the ground.
This prayer is for us a kind of “memory notebook”, an aid to personal Lenten efforts aimed at freeing us from certain spiritual illnesses that prevent us from turning to God, destroy our inner essence and separate us from our neighbor.
Why make obeisances? The Church has never separated the soul from the body. In his fall, man turned away from God and must now be reborn. The body is holy, so holy that God "became flesh." Salvation and repentance is not the contempt of the body, not the neglect of the body, as some argue, but, on the contrary, the restoration of the body in its true function - as a temple of the Spirit. Christian asceticism is a struggle not against the body, but for it. Therefore, the whole person repents - soul and body. Bows are signs of repentance and humility, obedience and worship of God.
liturgical colors
Anyone who has attended an Orthodox service at least once will certainly pay attention to the beauty and solemnity of the vestments. Color diversity is an integral part of church liturgical symbolism, a means of influencing the feelings of those who pray.
The colors of the vestments are made up of all the colors of the rainbow: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet; their totality is white, and the opposite of the latter is black. Each color is assigned to a certain group of holidays or fasting days.
The white color, which combines all the colors of the rainbow, is a symbol of the Divine uncreated light. In white vestments they serve on the great feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Ascension, Transfiguration, Annunciation; they begin Easter matins. White chasubles are relied upon for. performing baptisms and burials.
The red color, following the white, continues the Easter service and remains unchanged until the Feast of the Ascension. This is a symbol of the inexpressible, fiery love of God for the human race. But it is also the color of blood, and therefore services in honor of the martyrs are held in red or crimson vestments.
Yellow (gold) and orange are the colors of glory, majesty and dignity. They are assimilated to Sundays as the days of the Lord, the King of Glory; in addition, in golden robes, the Church celebrates the days of His special anointed ones - prophets, apostles and saints.
Green is a fusion of yellow and blue. It was adopted in the days of the saints and testifies that their monastic feat revived a person by union with Christ (yellow) and elevates him to heaven (blue). In green colors of all shades, according to ancient tradition, they serve on Palm Sunday, on the day of the Holy Trinity and on the Monday of the Holy Spirit.
Blue, or blue - the color of the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the color of the sky, it corresponds to the teaching about the Mother of God, who contained the Celestial in Her Most Pure Womb.
Violet color is adopted in the days of the memory of the Cross of the Lord. It combines red - the color of the blood of Christ and the Resurrection, and blue, indicating that the Cross opened the way to heaven for us.
Black or dark brown color is closest in spirit to the days of Great Lent. It is a symbol of renunciation of worldly fuss, the color of weeping and repentance.
Our help to the deceased
Someone close to us has died... Sooner or later, we all face the mysterious phenomenon of death. And every decent person, to the best of his ability and ability, tries to pay the last debt to the deceased, to worthily lead him on the path of all the earth. We take care of the manufacture of the coffin, the organization of the funeral, the organization of the memorial meal.
But sometimes we do not realize that the deceased himself does not need a coffin or a commemoration. Naked man comes out of the mother's womb, naked returns to the womb of the earth. And he needs only one thing from us, and he needs it extremely. This is prayer.
After the death of the body, the soul either inherits eternal bliss, or goes to eternal torment. It depends on how the earthly short life was lived. But a lot also depends on prayer for the deceased.
There is a story in the Lives of the Saints about the Monk Macarius the Great, who prayed for all those who had gone to another world. Once in the desert, he saw a skull, which, by the power of God, told Macarius that even the most severe sinners, through his prayers, receive some relief from suffering.
The first and indispensable duty of every believer is to organize the funeral of his deceased relative. You can save on anything, but not on the funeral! It should be performed on the third day of death, not earlier (in this case, the day of death is the first, even if the person died a few minutes before midnight); it is better if it happens in a temple or in a cemetery. In extreme cases, you can sing in absentia.
By all means, it is necessary to betray the deceased to the earth. Cremation is a custom alien to Orthodoxy, borrowed from Eastern cultures. Even if the deceased bequeathed to be cremated, it is not a sin to violate this will.
On the ninth and fortieth day after death, you need to order memorial services in the temple - prayers for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. Especially important is the fortieth day, on which God's private judgment is made on the soul, its fate is determined until the Second Coming of Christ.
The prayer for the dead will be more effective if on memorable days one of the relatives of the deceased partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Requiem services must also be performed in the future, on the days of birth, death, name day of the deceased. You can submit notes to the altar and put candles for repose every day.
In the cemetery, one cannot insult the memory of the deceased by drunkenness, pour vodka on a grave mound. It is better to light a candle, pray, clean up the grave. At home, at the wake, Russian people eat special food - kutya (rice with honey or raisins), pancakes, jelly. On a fast day, food should be fast.
It is good to order long-term commemorations in the temple - for forty days (magpie), six months or a year. In monasteries, eternal (as long as the monastery stands) commemorations of the dead are accepted.
Is it possible to bury non-believers?
This question has been repeatedly raised both in the past and today. Let us pay attention to the fact that the question is not whether it is possible to pray at all for the dead of the Gentiles, but whether it is possible to bury them and serve memorial services for them. It is necessary to distinguish between these two issues: simply prayers for the dead non-Orthodox Christians and the performance of an Orthodox rite over them. Private, private prayer for a non-Orthodox deceased is not prohibited - you can commemorate him at home, read psalms at the tomb ... But the funeral service and panikhida are composed with confidence that the deceased and the funeral person is a faithful member of the Orthodox Church.
Preserving the purity of its Orthodox teaching and the entire divinely established order of life, the Church from time immemorial forbade bishops, clerics and laity from entering into prayerful communion not only in the church, but also at home with all heretics, schismatics and excommunicated from church communion. The strictness with which the Church protected her children from the danger of being infected with any heresy extended to the point that the clergy were forbidden to perform prayer or sacramental action even only in the presence of heretics. At the basis of these canonical decrees lies the eternal word of Christ: "If the Church does not listen (your brother), be unto thee, like a pagan and a publican" (Matt. 17:18).
Being outside the Church during life, heretics and schismatics are further away from it after death, for then the very possibility of repentance and turning to the light of truth is closed to them.
It is quite natural, therefore, that the Church cannot offer a propitiatory bloodless sacrifice for them and no prayer at all: the latter is clearly forbidden by the apostolic word (1 John 5:16). Following the apostolic and patristic testaments, the Church prays only for the repose of Orthodox Christians who have died in faith and repentance - as living members of the Body of Christ. This may include those who were previously among the fallen, but then repented and united with the Church.
Faithful in all the spirit of the ancient Ecumenical Church, our Russian Orthodox Church not only forbade the burial of the heterodox - Roman Catholics, Protestants, Armenians, etc., but even to perform requiems for them. Out of a feeling of Christian mercy, she began to allow one indulgence in relation to them - if a non-Christian confession dies, and there is no priest or pastor of the confession to which the deceased belongs to bury him, then the Orthodox priest is allowed, dressed in a phelonion, to accompany the body the deceased to the cemetery and accompany the lowering of the coffin into the grave with the singing of the Trisagion. Bringing the body of a deceased Gentile into an Orthodox church is not allowed.
The breadth of Orthodox Christian love, in the name of which some call for church prayer for dead Christians of any confession, cannot extend to the neglect of the Orthodox teaching of faith, the treasure of which our Church has kept for centuries. Otherwise, every line that separates the One True Church from those who are cut off from the grace-filled union with her will be erased.
From what has been said, it is clear that any church prayer for the departed Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and other non-believers who do not recognize the Lord Jesus Christ is all the more prohibited.
What are the names of saints
People please God in different ways. The Heavenly Father endows everyone with talents in due measure and accepts labors from everyone for His glory. The Church glorifies the saints of God in various ranks.
prophets- people who received from God the gift of insight into the future, proclaiming to the world the ways of His Providence. The most revered prophets: Elijah (Comm. 2 August), John the Baptist (7 July, 11 September). Prophetic wives are known, for example, the righteous Anna (February 16).
apostles- the disciples of Christ, who accompanied Him during public service, and subsequently spread the faith throughout the world. The Apostles Peter and Paul (July 12) are referred to as the supreme ones.
Equal-to-the-Apostles- these are the saints who, like the apostles, labored in the conversion of countries and peoples to Christ. Such are the Baptist of Rus', Prince Vladimir (July 28) and Grand Duchess Olga (July 24); Tsars Constantine and Helena (June 3).
Saints- patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, who achieved holiness by tireless care of their flock, the preservation of Orthodoxy from heresies and schisms. Among their great host, the most revered among the Russian people are the saints: Nicholas (December 19 and May 22), Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom (commemorated February 12); Moscow hierarchs Peter, Alexei, Jonah, Philip, Job, Hermogen and Tikhon (commemorated October 18).
Reverends(who became like the Lord) - saints who became famous in the monastic feat. By fasting, prayer, labors they created great virtues in their souls - humility, chastity, meekness. Almost every monastery is glorified before God as a saint. In Rus', St. Sergei of Radonezh (July 18 and October 8) and Seraphim of Sarov (January 15 and August 1) enjoy special love. Among the venerable wives, Saint Mary of Egypt (April 14) is most famous.
Martyrs, of whom the majority among the saints, suffered suffering and death for the name of Christ, for the right faith, for refusing to serve idols. Those who endured especially cruel torments are the great martyrs. Among them: the healer Panteleimon (August 9), George the Victorious (May 6), Saints Barbara (December 17) and Catherine (December 7). The hieromartyrs accepted death in holy orders, and the venerable martyrs - in monastic tonsure.
Confessors Those who suffered much for Christ, but escaped martyrdom, are called the Church.
the faithful kings and princes used the greatness and wealth received from God for works of mercy, enlightenment, and the preservation of national shrines. Among them are Alexander Nevsky (September 12 and December 6) and Dmitry Donskoy (June 1).
Unmercenaries had the gift of healing and used it free of charge. Such doctors were Saints Cosmas and Damian (July 14).
Holy fools For Christ's sake, taking on the guise of madness and patience, reproach from those around them, they denounced human vices, admonished those in power, and comforted those who were suffering. One of them is Ksenia of Petersburg (February 6).
Separately in Rus' they revere martyrs who died at the hands of murderers and villains. The first Russian saints were the martyr princes Boris and Gleb (August 6).
Angels- these are incorporeal spirits, servants of God, messengers of His will. The elder in the angelic world is the Archangel Michael (November 21).
The Saints who do not fit into any of these concepts are glorified as righteous. This is what the Church calls Saints Joachim and Anna (September 22), Zechariah and Elizabeth (July 8), John of Kronstadt (January 2).
“This willow is consecrated…”
On Saturday evening, on the eve of the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Orthodox churches are being transformed. The parishioners, flocking to the service in multitudes, bring flowers and willow twigs with them, so that the churches become like blooming meadows. Where did this beautiful custom come from and what is its spiritual significance?
The Lord Jesus Christ entered the Holy City a few days before His suffering and death. Here He completed a three-year ministry in the field of the Messiah. The Jewish people, chosen by God in the Old Testament, needed to receive from Christ Himself a testimony of His Divine Dignity. And now the Lord enters Jerusalem, accompanied by crowds of people.
People, feeling the greatness of what was happening, from the excess of hearts cried out to Christ: "Hosanna!"(which means "blessed") and spread green palm branches in His path. From time immemorial, kings and great conquerors have been greeted with such solemnity, and now the thousand-year expectation of the Jews for the coming of an earthly King who will restore the throne of David was expressed in the laying of branches. The people failed to comprehend that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world...
Since then, two thousand years have passed. But every year we, like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, come to meet Christ in temples with branches of trees (according to Church Slavs - with "Waiyami"). Palm trees do not grow in Russia, and other trees, due to the severity of the climate, have not yet blossomed, only willows are covered with delicate shaggy buds. Willow is a symbol of spring, a spiritual rebirth inherent in this time of year. It conceals leaves in itself, but does not yet let go, and thus makes it clear that our joy from the feast of the Entry of the Lord is incomplete, but it contains the beginnings of great Paschal joy.
The consecration of willows takes place during the festive divine service. After reading the Gospel, the priests incense the willows with fragrant incense, read a prayer and sprinkle the branches with holy water. Sprinkling is usually repeated on the very day of the feast, after the liturgy.
We bring the consecrated willows to our homes, where we keep them with reverence, as a sign of the penetrating grace of God, until the next year. Then the branches are burned, replacing them with new ones, or they are stuffed with a pillow, which is placed under the head of the deceased Christian in the coffin.
The Feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem separates the forty-day Great Lent from Holy Week by a certain threshold, strengthening us before the terrible days of the Passion of Christ. Let us bring willows and fresh flowers to the temple for a solemn service in order to hear joyful words: “These willows are consecrated, by the Grace of the All-Holy Spirit and the sprinkling of this sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"
Bright Week
The Russian people still celebrate Easter. Despite many years of preaching unbelief, thousands of people gather on the night of the Resurrection of Christ in Orthodox churches, tens of thousands consecrate Easter food. Russian hearts respond to the colossal charge of joy, renewal, enlightenment, which carries the greatest of Orthodox holidays. But for the majority, immediately after the first day of Easter, weekdays come, and the celebration stops.
In fact, the Holiday lasts much longer, because the Easter joy is so great that it cannot be limited to one day!
The Lord stayed on earth after the Resurrection for exactly 40 days. All this time of worship of the Orthodox Church brings us back to the night of Holy Pascha. "Christ is Risen!" We greet each other and kiss each other three times. The most solemn, joyful and majestic is the first week (church. Slav. "week") after Easter, which is called Bright.
In Bright Week, “everything and everyone” is Christ, the Risen Christ. The fast is over, the time of weeping and mourning, the whole world rejoices and praises the Lord. Every morning, at the end of the liturgy, a procession is performed, symbolizing the procession of the myrrh-bearing women to the tomb of Christ. At the procession, the worshipers walk with lighted candles.
The entire divine service of the Holy Week is performed with the Royal Doors open, so that any of us can observe the sacred action in every detail. The open Royal Doors are the image of the Holy Sepulcher, from which the Angel rolled away the stone.
This week there is no fast on Wednesday and Friday, but one should avoid gluttony, which is so easy to fall into after a long fast.
On Friday of the Bright Week, the icon of the Mother of God “The Life-Giving Spring” is commemorated, and after the liturgy, the blessing of water is performed. The next day, on Bright Saturday, artos is distributed to the pilgrims.
There are no weddings and prayers for the dead during Bright Week. Funeral services are performed for the dead, but more than half of them consist of Easter hymns.
The Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of the Orthodox faith. The Apostle Paul teaches: “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and our faith is also in vain”(1 Corinthians 15:14).
The joy of Easter night is a breakthrough into the Kingdom of Heaven, the beginning of the endless joy of paradise. How happy were the saints, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov, who was honored to constantly have in his soul the memory of the Resurrection and met everyone who came to him with the words: “My joy! Christ is Risen!"
Holiday of the Russian land
The second Sunday after the day of the Holy Trinity is the Patronal Feast of the Russian Land. On this day, the Orthodox Church glorifies the great host of God's saints, who accomplished their feat in the Russian expanses.
No country has given the world so many saints. All of them - both those whom the Russian people have long worshiped, asking for help and intercession, and those whose names we will never know - are connected with the Russian land by unbreakable bonds of prayer.
On this day, let us glorify the Baptist of Rus', the Great Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, and Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, who opened the light of the true faith to our Fatherland. Let us bow to the holy noble princes Boris and Gleb, Alexander Nevsky and Dimitry Donskoy, who gave their lives for their friends. Let us bless the saints and confessors - from the first Metropolitan of Kyiv Michael to His Holiness Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, who kept their All-Russian flock from schisms and sects, heresies and temptations. Let us fall in prayer to the confessors of the Russian land - from Anthony of the Kiev Caves to John of Kronstadt.
Let us reverently bow our heads before the hundreds of thousands of new Russian disciples who have not departed from the faith and the Church in the last terrible years.
Princes and monks, bishops and holy fools, warriors and holy wives from time immemorial have preserved our land in the most cruel times. Once, through the prayer of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Rus' broke the Tatars on the Kulikovo field. By the feat of confession, St. Hermogenes saved Russia from Polish impostors. When all of Europe bowed at the feet of Napoleon, Seraphim of Sarov begged for our Motherland.
And now, when it seems to many that the end of Holy Rus' has come, it keeps, in spite of evil, with the prayers of its saints. His Grace Vassian (Pyatnitsky) in his sermon for the Sunday of Russian Saints said:
“What if the smashing ax of the Lord has already risen above us, and the wrath of God is ready to fall on the Russian land with scorching fire? What then? Then ... we believe! - all the saints of Russia will appear for us before the Terrible Righteous Judge. Oh, how many saintly omophorions will be stretched out over the Russian land! How many princely battle shields will rise for her! How many wretched mantles of the monks, how many naked bodies of Christ for the sake of the holy fools will be for her! How can we think that our holy relatives and fellow tribesmen will forget their native land and their Church?
All the saints of our land, pray to God for us!
Part two: In the heart
About the post
The Church of Christ commands its children to lead a moderate lifestyle, emphasizing the days and periods of obligatory abstinence - fasts. The Old Testament righteous fasted, and Christ Himself fasted (Matt. 4).
Weekly fast days (with the exception of "solid" weeks) are Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, fasting was established in remembrance of the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and on Friday - for the sake of suffering on the Cross and the death of the Savior. On these days, it is forbidden to eat meat and dairy foods, eggs, fish (according to the Charter from Fomin's Resurrection until the feast of the Holy Trinity, fish and vegetable oil can be eaten), and in the period from the Week of All Saints (the first Sunday after the feast of the Trinity) to the Nativity of Christ on Wednesdays and Fridays should refrain from fish and vegetable oil.
There are four multi-day fasts in a year. The longest and most rigorous Great Lent, which lasts seven weeks before Easter. The strictest of them are the First and Last, Passionate. This fast is established in memory of the forty-day fast of the Savior in the wilderness.
Close in severity to the Great Assumption post, but it is shorter - from 14 to 27 August. With this fast, the Holy Church venerates the Most Holy Mother of God, Who, standing before God, invariably prays for us. During these strict fasts, fish can be eaten only three times - on the feasts of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (April 7), the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (a week before Easter) and the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19).
Christmas post lasts 40 days, from November 28 to January 6. It is allowed to eat fish during this fast, except for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. After the feast of St. Nicholas (December 19), fish can be eaten only on Saturdays and Sundays, and the period from January 2 to 6 must be carried out in full severity.
Fourth post - Holy Apostles(Peter and Paul). It begins with the Week of All Saints and ends on the feast day of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul - July 12th. The charter about food in this post is the same as in the first period of Christmas.
The days of strict fasting are Epiphany Eve (January 18), the feasts of the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 11) and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27).
Some relaxation in the severity of fasting is allowed for the sick, as well as those engaged in hard work, pregnant and lactating women. This is done so that fasting does not lead to a sharp decline in strength, and the Christian has strength for the prayer rule and the necessary work.
But fasting should be not only bodily, but also spiritual. “The one who thinks that fasting is only abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting, - teaches St. John Chrysostom, - is the removal from evil, the curbing of the tongue, the laying off of anger, the taming of lusts, the cessation of slander, lies and perjury.
The body of a fasting person, without being burdened with food, becomes light, strengthened to receive grace-filled gifts. Fasting subdues the desire of the flesh, softens the temper, suppresses anger, restrains the impulses of the heart, invigorates the mind, brings peace to the soul, eliminates intemperance.
By fasting, as St. Basil the Great says, by an auspicious fast, moving away from every sin committed by all feelings, we fulfill the pious duty of an Orthodox Christian.
Repentance
What to do to someone who is tormented by conscience? What to do when the soul languishes?
The Orthodox Church answers: bring repentance. Repentance is the denunciation of one's sin, it is the determination not to repeat it in the future.
We sin against God, against our neighbor, and against ourselves. We sin with deeds, words and even thoughts. We sin at the instigation of the devil, under the influence of the surrounding world, and at our own evil will. "There is no man who lives on earth and does not sin", says the prayer for the dead. But there is no such sin that is not forgiven by God upon our repentance. For the salvation of sinners, God became a man, was crucified and rose from the dead. The Holy Fathers compare the mercy of God with the sea, extinguishing the most powerful flame of human iniquities.
Confession is made daily in Orthodox churches. The priest obviously accepts it, but invisibly it is the Lord Himself, who gave the pastors of the Church the remission of sins. “The Lord and our God Jesus Christ, by the grace and bounty of His love of mankind, may He forgive you all your sins, and I, an unworthy priest, by His authority given to me, forgive and forgive you from all your sins,” the father testifies.
At confession, there is no need to make excuses, complain about the circumstances of life, mask sins with vague phrases like “sinned against the sixth commandment,” or talk about extraneous topics. It is necessary not to be ashamed (it is a shame to sin, not to repent!) to tell everything that convicts conscience and the Gospel. In no case should anything be hidden: sin can be hidden from the priest, but not from the Omniscient God.
The Church refers to grave, "mortal" sins: murder; abortions; beatings; adultery; fornication and carnal perversions; theft; blasphemy; blasphemy; hatred of one's neighbor, reaching the point of cursing him; witchcraft and divination; seeking help from psychics, "healers" and astrologers; drunkenness; smoking; addiction.
But even less serious sins harm a person, serve as an obstacle on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. "Harmless" lies or bad language can send you to hell!
If, confessing something, we are determined to repeat this sin, then repentance has no meaning. It is impossible to approach the sacrament in a state of quarrel or protracted intransigence with one's neighbor, according to the word of Christ: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go, first be reconciled to your brother.”(Matthew 5:24). If this person has already died, one must fervently pray for the repose of his soul.
In some cases, the priest prescribes penance to the penitent - a kind of spiritual medicine aimed at eradicating vice. These can be bows, reading canons or akathists, increased fasting, pilgrimage to a holy place - depending on the strength and capabilities of the penitent. The penance must be performed strictly, and only the priest who imposed it can cancel it.
The so-called "general confession" has become a reality of our days. It consists in the fact that the priest himself names the most common sins, and then reads a permissive prayer over the penitents. It is permissible to resort to this form of confession only for those who do not have mortal sins on their conscience. But respectable Christians also need to check their souls from time to time in a detailed (individual) confession - at least not less than once a month.
A person bears responsibility for his sins from the age of seven. The one who was baptized as an adult does not need to repent for the period of life before Baptism.
Prayer Rule
The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer, said St. Philaret of Moscow, "is the conversation of the soul with God." And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful sometimes to stop and listen to the Lord's answer to our prayer.
The Church, praying daily "for everyone and everything", has established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, human capabilities. The Prayer Book offers us morning and evening prayers available to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm atmosphere, then it is better to read them on the way than to omit them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the prayer "Our Father" is read.
If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be done not before going to bed, but shortly before that. And before going to bed, you should only read the prayer of St. John of Damascus “Vladyka, Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me…” and following her.
A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. It is imperative to pray for the peace and health of His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with another, even if not through his own fault, he is obliged to remember the "hating" and sincerely wish him well.
The personal ("cell") rule of many Orthodox includes the reading of the Gospel and the Psalter. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read during the day one chapter from the Gospel, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. At the same time, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one a day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended simultaneously, and a new circle of readings began.
The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. Once established, the rule should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.
How to pray when you're short on time
What words to pray? What about someone who either has no memory, or who, due to illiteracy, has not studied many prayers, who, finally - and there is such a life situation - does not have time to stand in front of the images and read the morning and evening prayers in a row? This issue is resolved by the instructions of the great elder Seraphim of Sarov.
Many of the elder's visitors blamed him for not praying enough, not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers.
St. Seraphim established the following rule for such people:
“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read a prayer "Our Father" three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity. Then a song to the Mother of God "Our Lady Virgin, rejoice" also three times. Finally, the Creed "I believe in one God"- once. Having made such a rule, every Orthodox is engaged in his own business, to which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner (or a sinner)", and if others surround him, then, minding his own business, let him speak with his mind only "Lord have mercy"- and so on until lunchtime. Just before dinner, let him repeat the morning rule.
After dinner, while doing his work, let every Christian read in the same quiet voice: "Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner".
Going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, “Our Father” three times, “Theotokos” three times, and the “Symbol of Faith” once.
St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small “rule”, one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Mother of God. The Creed, however, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.
What Should a Christian Remember?
There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is desirable to know by heart.
1. Lord's Prayer "Our Father"(Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).
2. Basic Commandments of the Old Testament(Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).
3. Basic gospel commandments(Matt. 5:3-12; Matt. 5:21-48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14-21; Matt. 6:24-25 ; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 23:8-12; John 13:34).
Symbol of faith. Morning and evening prayers for a short prayer book. The number and meaning of the sacraments. Sacraments must not be confused with rituals. Rite is any external sign of reverence that expresses our faith. The Sacrament is such a sacred ceremony during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the faithful. There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Consecration (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination).
"Don't be afraid of the fear of the night..."
Human life is worth less and less ... It has become scary to live - danger from all sides. Any of us can be robbed, humiliated, killed. Understanding this, people try to defend themselves; someone gets a dog, someone buys a weapon, someone turns a home into a fortress.
The fear of our times has not passed over even the Orthodox. How to protect yourself and loved ones? believers often ask. Our main protection is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as it is said in the Scripture, and a hair from our head will not fall (Luke 21:18). This does not mean that we, in a reckless hope in God, can behave defiantly towards the underworld. Words "Do not tempt the Lord your God"(Matthew 4:7) we need to remember firmly.
God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross that cannot be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and arthos, eaten every morning.
We also keep the Christian in prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th psalm is written. "Alive in the help of the Most High..." and prayer to the Holy Cross "May God Arise". It is worn on the body, under clothing.
The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before each exit to the street, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to make the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and combine with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Orthodox parents must certainly baptize their child if he goes out into the street alone.
When you find yourself in a dangerous situation, you need to pray: "May God Arise", or "Victorious to the Chosen Governor"(the first kontakion from the akathist to the Theotokos), or simply "Lord have mercy", repeatedly. It is necessary to resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we do not have enough strength and courage to rush to help him.
The prayer is very strong to the saints of God, who became famous for the art of war during their lifetime: Saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratilat, Dimitry Donskoy. Let's not forget the Archangel Michael, our Guardian Angel. All of them have a special power with God to give strength to the weak to overcome their enemies.
"If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman keeps watch in vain"(Ps. 127:1). The house of a Christian must certainly be consecrated. Grace will keep the dwelling from all evil. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, you yourself need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water, reading "May God Arise" or " Save, O Lord, Thy people(troparion to the Cross). From the danger of arson, a fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of the icon of Her "Burning Bush".
Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life and do not repent for a long time. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.
"Protestant" Bible
One often hears the question: “Is it possible to read the Bible, which I took from a Protestant? They say it lacks some books?
Generous overseas preachers for several years provided the Holy Scriptures to almost all Russians who wanted to. Many people came to Protestant meetings solely because of the Bible as a gift. It must be admitted that in this respect the Lord turned evil into good – it would have been extremely difficult for the Moscow Patriarchate to publish so many Bibles on its own.
But is it possible to read them to an Orthodox person without harm to the soul? The point here is not who he took the Bible from, but what is printed in it. The overwhelming majority of "Protestant" Bibles in Russian are printed from the Synodal edition of the 19th century, as indicated by the inscription on the back of the title page. If there is such an inscription, you can read it without embarrassment, insofar as the texts of the sacred books do not contain anything non-Orthodox.
Another thing is "free" translations of the Bible or individual biblical books (for example, "The Word of Life"), as well as the Bible with comments. Naturally, Protestants comment on the Word of God from their heretical positions.
Another feature of foreign editions of the Bible is the absence of eleven Old Testament books: Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, the prophet Baruch, the Epistle of Jeremiah, the second and third books of Ezra and three books of Maccabees. They are not included in the modern Hebrew translation of the Holy Scriptures and are called non-canonical, that is, not included in the canon (“sample”, “rule” in Greek). In a more reliable Greek translation of the Bible, these books are.
The Slavic translation of the Holy Scriptures was carried out from the Greek text, therefore, non-canonical books were included in it and, by tradition, are present in domestic editions of the Bible. According to the Orthodox catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow, the Church offers its children non-canonical books as pious reading, but does not extend to them the concept of "God's inspiration" inherent in the canonical ones.
During worship, non-canonical books are not used, except for a few readings from the Book of Wisdom of Solomon.
Why does the Lord allow sickness?
The Lord allows us sickness, first of all, for sins - for their atonement, for changing a vicious lifestyle, realizing this viciousness and understanding that earthly life is a short moment, behind which there is eternity, and what it will be for everyone depends from his life on earth.
Often children are sick for the sins of their parents, so that grief crushes their thoughtless life, makes them think and change, cleanse themselves of passions and vices.
We also get sick for our humility and prevention of evil and disastrous deeds. Once Jesus Christ was walking with his disciples, and the apostles saw a man without legs from birth. He sat by the road and begged for alms. The students asked, "Why doesn't he have legs?" Christ replied: "If he had legs, he would go through the whole earth with fire and sword."
Often the Lord pulls us out of the ordinary course of life with a disease, saving us from a serious misfortune, delivering us from a larger one with a small nuisance.
Many diseases arise from the action of unclean spirits. At the same time, the symptoms of demonic attacks are very similar to a natural disease. From the Gospel it is clear that the crouched woman healed by the Lord (Lk. 13:11-26) was not possessed, but the cause of her illness was the action of an unclean spirit. In such cases, medical art is powerless, and healing is given only by the power of God, which casts out the spirit of malice.
The Christian attitude towards diseases lies in the humble acceptance of the will of God, in the awareness of one's sinfulness and those sins for which the disease was allowed; in repentance and change of life.
Prayer, fasting, almsgiving and other virtues propitiate the Lord, and He sends us healing. If we go to doctors, then we ask God's blessing for treatment and trust them with the body, but not the soul.
Pectoral cross
Crosses are in fashion these days. The unshakable steadfastness of atheists in their hatred of crucifixion (remember Bagritsky's "Death of a Pioneer": "Don't resist, Valenka, he won't eat you..."?) has been replaced by a new fashion. Crosses of various shapes and sizes, expensive and not very expensive, are sold in cooperative stalls next to vodka, in underground passages and jewelry stores. The cross is becoming a symbol of our time, not as a sign of faith, but as an image of mockery of Orthodoxy.
The cross is the greatest Christian shrine, a visible evidence of our redemption. In the service on the Feast of the Exaltation, the Church sings the tree of the Cross of the Lord with many praises: “The Cross is the guardian of the whole universe, the beauty of the Church, the power of kings, the faithful affirmation, the glory of angels and the plague of demons.” From the first centuries of Christianity, every believer wears a cross on his chest, fulfilling the words of the Savior: “If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34). A pectoral cross is worn by each newly baptized as a shield of faith and a weapon against demons.
Nothing is so afraid of evil spirits as the cross. And nothing pleases demons so much as impious, careless handling of the cross, as well as putting it on display. Until the 18th century, only bishops had the right to wear a cross over their clothes, and later - priests. Anyone who dares to imitate them commits the sin of self-sanctification. Crucifixion appeared on modern atheists, but this is hardly good.
Those crosses that are sold in the temple are consecrated with a special rite. There are canonical forms of crosses - four-, six-, eight-pointed, with a semicircle below and others, each line in which has a deep symbolic meaning. On the back of Russian crosses, according to tradition, the inscription "Save and save" is made.
Modern "stall" crosses often do not even look like Calvary. In some dioceses (for example, Crimean), bishops forbid accepting crucifixes prepared outside church workshops for consecration. This makes sense, because sometimes they give the priest a cross, and on it, instead of Christ, there is a woman surrounded by radiance! "Where did you get it?" “Yes, the guys were selling on the street, in blue overalls…”
But the consecrated cross cannot be worn without reverence. A sacred object used without due honor is desecrated and, instead of help from above, brings God's wrath on the defiler. The cross is not a medallion, not a precious trinket. "God is not mocked"(Gal. 6:7).
There are no rules about the material for the crosses. Obviously, precious metals are also acceptable here, because for a Christian there can be nothing more precious than a cross - hence the desire to decorate it. But, of course, simple wooden or metal crosses are closer in spirit to the Cross of the Lord. There is also no fundamental difference between a chain and a braid: it is important that the cross is held firmly.
Beads
The life of a Christian ascetic is labor and prayer. "Pray without ceasing"(1 Thessalonians 5:17), - these are the apostolic words of the feat of holy men to the creation of many prayers. But the most famous of them was the so-called Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".
If we collect together all the works written by the holy fathers about doing the Jesus Prayer, then we get an extensive library. The brevity and simplicity allows any Christian to include it in his daily rule (of course, with the blessing of the confessor), saying a certain number of times - 50, 100, 200 ... per day. But how to pray and keep track of the score at the same time? The rosary helps with this.
Modern rosary is a closed thread, consisting of small "seeds", divided into dozens of "seeds" of larger sizes. The most common number of "seeds" is 50 or 100. Monks' cell rosaries sometimes contain 1000.
The rosary helps to count (hence the name) the number of prayers or prostrations. The one who prays with the fingers of his left hand sorts through the “grains” at the same time as the beginning of the pronunciation of a new prayer. Having reached a large “grain”, they usually stop and read “Our Father” or “Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice”, then again the Jesus Prayer. At the end of the prescribed number, it is customary to read "It is worthy to eat." The rosary can also be used to perform any other prayers.
In ancient times in Rus', the rosary had a different form of a closed ladder, consisting of wooden blocks sheathed in leather or fabric. They were called "ladder" or "lestovka" (ladder) and spiritually denoted the ladder of salvation, ascension to heaven. The closedness of the rosary and ladders means unceasing, eternal prayer.
The rosary is part of the vestments of the monks, the laity can pray on them, having received a blessing from the confessor. The rosary helps to pray at work, in public places - just put your hand in your pocket and sort through the "seeds".
An obscure fashion to wear a rosary around the neck, wrap it around the wrists, twist it on the finger is clearly not of pious origin. As with any sacred object (and the rosary must be consecrated), they must be treated piously and not demonstrated for show.
name day
For the whole universe, the greatest holiday is the Easter of Christ. And for every Christian there is a small Easter. This is the day of memory of the saint of the same name. In the church, small Easter is called namesake, and among the people - name days.
Previously, a person received a name from the Church, at Baptism. It was not chosen arbitrarily, but according to one of several rules. Most often, the child was named in honor of the saint, whose memory fell on the day of birth or the day of naming, as well as the day of baptism. For girls, a shift of several days was allowed if there was no memory of holy women. With this choice, birthday and name day most often coincided and merged into one in consciousness. Until now, those who celebrate a birthday are called birthdays, but Christians celebrate name days in honor of the saint.
In another case, the child was named according to a vow, in honor of a certain saint, who was chosen in advance and prayed to him even before the appearance of the child. Then the name day was celebrated on the day of memory of this saint of God, and if the memory was celebrated several times a year, then on the day closest to the birthday.
Today, many people are baptized as adults. How can these people find out their name day? It is necessary, according to the church calendar, to find the nearest commemoration day of the saint with the same name following the birthday. For example, a person born in early July and named Peter will celebrate his name day on July 12, and Peter, born in late December, on January 3. If for some reason it is difficult for you to deal with this issue, ask any priest for advice.
It is necessary to spend name days as twelfth holidays. Even the most negligent Christians at all times tried to confess and take communion on this day (it should be remembered that if the name day falls on a fast day, then the festive treat should be fast).
How to help your neighbor on his deathbed
God works in mysterious ways. It happens that a person who has lived all his life without God, on the verge of death, gains faith, wants to accept Baptism - the very Sacrament about which the Savior said: "Whoever is not born of water and spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God"(John 3:5). But there is no priest nearby ...
In such a situation, the duty of every Orthodox Christian is to perform Baptism "for fear of death." To do this, you need to wash (sprinkle) the sick person three times with consecrated or even ordinary water, while saying: "The servant of God is baptized(full orthodox name), in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen". This Baptism is considered valid, and if the patient recovers, it is replenished already in the church with the sacrament of Chrismation.
It is impossible to baptize a person who is in an unconscious state against his will, taking advantage of his bodily weakness. The end does not justify the means.
It also happens that a baptized, but far from the Church, person on the verge of death wants to repent of sins. And here every Orthodox Christian, of course, if it is absolutely impossible to call a priest, is obliged to accept the confession of a dying person. Ask about serious sins - murders, abortions, adultery, debauchery in all forms, theft, drunkenness, participation in sects, communication with satanic forces through astrologers, psychics and healers. After confession, the secret of which must be kept until the grave, offer God an ardent prayer that He would have mercy on the penitent.
And if there is even the slightest possibility of calling a priest to the deathbed, it is necessary, in spite of any difficulties, to do this good deed.
When will the end of the world come?
In the autumn of 1992, the already troubled life of St. Petersburg was extremely excited. From the pages of newspapers, from the windows of carriages, from advertising leaflets, the words sounded intrusive: "October 28 is the day of the Second Coming of Christ." The South Korean missionaries, overwhelmed with the consciousness of their own omniscience, shouldered a "great" task: in a month to convince unenlightened Russia of the need to repent, leave all earthly troubles and wait for the end of the world.
The less time remained before the announced date, the more tense the atmosphere of anticipation became. They added fuel to the fire and all the growing hardships of the first year of "reforms", from which one so wanted to be transported to heaven, to the kingdom of the righteous. And that day has come...
The South Koreans were far from the first to predict the exact date of the Second Coming. Such "prophets" consistently appeared once or twice a century. They were also in Rus', in the era of the great schism, among the Old Believers. Then they predicted God's Judgment in 1703 (by a strange coincidence, they founded St. Petersburg that year). In the 20th century, predictions increased significantly, especially with the advent of the Seventh-day Adventist sect.
Tragic is the fate of those people who believed false prophets. At best, disappointment and despair, at worst, suicide. And the deceivers collected "dividends" from their lies in the form of money and property of the deceived - who needs worldly blessings if tomorrow is the end of the world?
Of course, the South Korean missionaries also turned out to be deceivers. On October 28, 1992, the Lord did not come to judge the living and the dead. Instead of apologizing for the commotion caused, the eastern soothsayers "moved" the date to ... 2116 (with the expectation that by that time the great-grandchildren of the witnesses of the embarrassment would have died).
A non-church person who watched this story could easily get the impression that “Judgment Day is a fairy tale for the elders,” as Vysotsky sang, and that the end of the world will never come, except perhaps after a nuclear war.
However, the Church teaches otherwise. The seventh part of the Creed says: “I believe ... in one Lord Jesus Christ .., again (again) coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.” But the exact date of the Second Coming is hidden from the world. From the pages of the Gospel we hear the warning words of the Savior: "It's not your business to know times and dates"(Acts 1:7), “But no one knows about that day or hour, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father”(Mark 13:32). Anyone who dares to announce the day and year of the end of the world is a deceiver and an enemy of Orthodoxy.
At the same time, the Lord did not deprive us of indications for the time of the Last Judgment. He gave us signs by which we can conclude that the end times are approaching. Based on the words of Christ (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), the Apostle Paul (2 Feb. 2) and John the Theologian (Apocalypse), we can indicate the following as these signs:
- preaching the gospel throughout the world;
- the emergence of numerous false prophets who perform various "miracles" to deceive people, and false Christs - those who pretend to be Christ;
- wars - great and small;
- the decline of public morality through the multiplication of lawlessness in the world;
- epidemics of terrible diseases, earthquakes in places;
- strife and church unrest, the appearance of impudent scoffers of the Church;
- general exhaustion of people from the fear of future disasters;
- impoverishment of love for each other.
At the end of the disasters, before the Second Coming, the Antichrist will appear - the enemy of Christ and His complete opposite (Greek "anti" - "instead of", "against"). He will be raised to the pinnacle of power by world Judaism and will unite all countries and religions under his dominion for three and a half years. The apostle Paul calls the preparation for the appearance of the Antichrist, carried out in the world by the forces of darkness, the "mystery of iniquity." The dominion of the Antichrist will be a time of great tribulation, hitherto invisible persecution of the Church. The Lord Himself will put an end to it, Who will come to earth with glory, "like lightning, visible from east to west"(Matthew 24:27). Before the Second Coming, the Cross will appear in heaven - a sign of God, visible to everyone. Then the terms of the existence of our world will be fulfilled and the eternal Kingdom of the Glory of God will come.
Are we close to the Day of Judgment? It is impossible to say for sure, but many signs of the end of the world are fully or partially coming true before our eyes. And the ascetic of piety of the 20th century, Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose), answering this question, said: “Now it’s already later than you think.”
Many people regularly visit the temple and are well acquainted with all the rules and church rituals. But still there are those who rarely go to church and do not know all the subtleties.
Usually believers come to the aid of such "visitors", but by no means always the mistakes are corrected correctly. There may be ill-mannered people who will speak out very rudely and insultingly against the one who violates the rule. Often this discourages any desire to go to church. To prevent this from happening, and you can calmly defend the service and spend time in prayer, you need to know the rules of how to make the sign of the cross and with what hand Orthodox Christians are baptized.
Why right to left
For the sign of the cross, it is customary for the Orthodox to combine three fingers of the right hand into a pinch. There is an explanation for this: on the right shoulder, there is paradise (the place where the salvation of the soul takes place and angels live here), on the left shoulder there is hell, in which the soul dies (demons and sinners live here). First, bringing the three fingers to the right shoulder, the person prays to Jesus Christ for the salvation of the soul, and then touching the left shoulder, asks the Lord to save him from death.
Sometimes the question arises, why be baptized? The cross is a symbol of repentance and protection during prayer.
Interestingly, Catholics are baptized, on the contrary, from left to right. In Catholicism, the symbols mean everything the same, on the left - heaven, and on the right - hell, but the hand moves from left to right, because they go from sin to the salvation of the soul.
Important rules for the Orthodox
How to baptize Orthodox Christians at the entrance to the temple? According to the established rules, it is necessary to cross yourself three times and bow to the ground. By this action, a person praises Jesus Christ and declares his faith.
How to fold your fingers correctly
In order to cross, you need to put your thumb, index and middle fingers together, as if in a pinch, the ring finger and little finger, bend and press against the inside of the palm.
This position of the fingers is very symbolic. The three fingers denote the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The two remaining fingers tell us that Christ is man and God at the same time.
The sequence of the imposition of the sign of the cross:
- First, bring your fingers to your forehead, while saying "In the name of the Father."
- Next, put your hand on your stomach, with the words: and the Son.
- Cross the right and then the left shoulder: and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Each movement has its own designation:
- Touching the forehead, the mind is sanctified.
- Baptizing the stomach - all organs are blessed.
- Then moving on to the shoulders - a person sanctifies his entire body.
In an idle life and endless bustle, people rarely go to church. Usually a person turns to the Lord only in difficult moments of his life. It is not right. It is necessary to have icons at home and pray. Every believing Christian must know how to be baptized. You need to wake up with morning prayers, and go to bed with evening prayers. Know such prayers as: “Our Father”, “Symbol of Faith”, “Hail Virgin Mary”. And the prayer to the Holy Cross will protect you from all sorts of troubles.
Danger of wrong actions
When making the sign of the cross it is necessary to bring the hand to the stomach, many neglect this, stopping the hand at chest level. The priests do not approve of this. They see such a cross like inverted. This method of baptism was used many centuries ago by those who opposed the church, and they were ranked as heretics.
When you illuminate yourself or another person with the cross, the movements should be slow and consistent, meaning true faith. During prayer, you need to think only about God and the salvation of the soul.
An incorrect sign of the cross, imposed on oneself, devalues all prayer. It is believed that if a person is baptized incorrectly, he attracts demons to himself and can be tempted by the devil.
How they were baptized centuries earlier
The current way of crossing has been formed for more than one century. Initially, when Christianity was just being formed, people were baptized with one finger and at the same time they touched their lips, forehead and chest. They did this at every mass when they read the gospel. After some time, they began to use two fingers or even a whole palm in order to cross themselves. On icons, Jesus Christ is depicted with two fingers raised up - index and middle. That is why the clergy use this gesture to cross someone.
Believers began to baptize the forehead, shoulders and navel when Orthodox Christianity was formed. Then the navel was replaced with the chest, explaining this by the fact that the heart is located here.
How to be baptized correctly must be taught from early childhood, because not a single prayer is performed without the sign of the cross. Guide your children to properly fold their fingers into three fingers and cross themselves faithfully, slowly and without fuss. Passing by the temple, linger a little, cross yourself and bow to God. By this you once again confirm your faith and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ.
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