“It would be nice to say a prayer to the Lord on your birthday, which is important not only to read, but to be experienced” - Bishop Bogolep (Goncharenko).
Every year, when I receive birthday greetings on the Internet and personally, I try to understand what I should be happy about and what they actually congratulate me on. Good wishes, sometimes dissolved by the sadness of joyful eyes, being in the spotlight, all this does not drown out the inner feeling of the presence of deeper meanings in the ongoing event. After all, if you look at it, today I was congratulated on the fact that the last moment of my earthly life has become one more year closer to me.
So, the attitude to the birthday is an important topic. Can an Orthodox person celebrate a birthday? It turns out that this question is very popular in the Orthodox, and in general in the Christian environment. Some Christian denominations reject this day as a pagan practice, someone remembers the sad events associated with the birthday of Herod, who killed the great Forerunner John, and someone just quietly, sometimes childishly naive, in the circle of family and friends shares plans for the future and remembers the past.
St. Leo the Great writes: “If the Creator Himself had not descended to communion with the creation and had not called human decrepitude with His Nativity to a new foundation, then, starting from Adam (Rom. 5:14) and up to the last times, death would reign and an irresolvable curse would remain on all people, for the law of birth alone is enough to become the cause of death for all.
“In iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother gave birth to me…” prophesies the holy King David. Explaining his words, Athanasius the Great notes: “The original intention of God was that we should not be born through marriage and corruption, but the transgression of the commandment introduced marriage as a result of Adam’s iniquity, that is, as a result of deviation from the law given to him by God. So, all who are born from Adam are conceived in sins, falling under the condemnation of the ancestor ... David shows how human nature from the beginning, in the transgression of Eve, she fell under sin, and how birth became subject to a curse. Saint righteous Job in his sufferings he exclaims: “Let the day perish, in which you were born, and the night thereof, in the same time deciding: Behold, male gender ...” (Job 3:3).
Remembering yourself as already a relatively conscious believer, you catch yourself in just such an attitude towards your birthday. Well, in fact, for a neophyte admiring the grace to the heights of heavenly bliss, it’s not enough what is interesting in this world, everything is perishable, and a birthday is some kind of extra worldly fuss, a superfluous holiday, an unimportant and insignificant day.
But, on the other hand, it is no coincidence that the Church singled out three special holidays for the glorification of this day as such (two of them are the twelfth holidays): The Birthday of the Son of God (born from an earthly Mother, but without an earthly father; this is the only V earth history), His Mother Mary (who was born, like all people, from earthly parents, but became the Mother of the Son of God, this is also unique), but also (and this is significant!) And the Birthday of an “ordinary” person (born, like all of us ) - John the Baptist, albeit the greatest among those born of women, - as Christ said about him.
Here is what the righteous John of Kronstadt says: “What kind of epoch is the birthday or the day of the Angel of any person, why do we celebrate it? Here comes the era: inauguration day! - said so socialite. And I will say: this is absurd! And what is more important, I ask you: is it the entry into life and this world, or the entry into office? I think: entry into life, because if you had not been born into the world, you would not have entered into office. No, it is worthy and righteous to honor birthdays or namesake days by celebrating: they are also the days of taking office, in the service of the Heavenly King. Even Herod, great in atrocities, was aware of the need to celebrate a birthday. All people honor this great day for them - the day of their birth, a resurrection from non-existence, and not celebrating, or, better, disrespecting it, is ingratitude before the Creator for the invaluable gift of life and the inability to appreciate it. We solemnly celebrate the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, His Most Pure Mother, Forerunner and Baptist John, the days of the apostles, prophets, hierarchs-martyrs, reverends and all saints. So, an important epoch is your birthday, since on this day God gave you a reasonable being, and the name day reminds you that you were named Christian name and numbered among the community of those who are being saved in Christ Jesus” (St. John of Kronstadt “Thoughts about the Church”, publishing house “Patriot”, 1992, pp. 115-116).
Thus, for us, our birthday should be a day of gratitude to the merciful Creator, who gave us life and the opportunity through the Church to enter the Heavenly Jerusalem. As a father rejoices at the birth of a son, so God rejoices at His sons and daughters! Each person who appears in the world, in Christ Jesus becomes a native child of the Creator.
It would be nice to say a prayer to the Lord on your birthday, which is important not only to read, but to be experienced, from this New Year your life will be filled with new spiritual meanings. “Lord, God, Lord of the whole world, visible and invisible. All the days and summers of my life depend on Your Holy will. I thank You, most merciful Father, that You allowed me to live one more year; I know that because of my sins I am not worthy of this mercy, but You show it to me according to Your indescribable love for mankind. Extend Thy mercies to me, a sinner; continue my life in virtue, tranquility, in health, in peace with all relatives and in harmony with all neighbors. Give me an abundance of the fruits of the earth and all that is necessary to satisfy my needs. First of all, cleanse my conscience, strengthen me on the path of salvation, so that, following it, after many years of life in this world, passing into eternal life, I would be worthy to be the heir to Your Kingdom of heaven. Himself, Lord, bless the year I begin and all the days of my life. Amen".
So it turns out that LIFE is a jump from the WIDE WAY (often leading to the dead end of the underworld) to the side, into the unknown, where there are no signs of social conventions. Where the priorities and values are different, where the opposite is true. That which is “high”, “prestigious”, “desirable” - is called by the Apostle Paul in the Slavonic translation “wise”, in an unsuccessful translation “garbage”, and in the original σκύβαλον i.e. "manure". And in this manure our life path. To jump out of this, sorry, shit, maybe you need a birthday. Christ knocks the tune out of our habitual lives and reminds us of more important things. It is not for nothing that at the entrance to the archondarik (living room for pilgrims) of each Athos monastery it is written: “If you can die before your death, then you will not die when you die.”
Bishop of Alexandria and Svetlovodsk Bogolep
Hello. Please tell me what prayers should be read on the birthday and on the day of the angel? Thank you.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
Man is by nature two-part, therefore he is born twice: bodily and spiritually: What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit ( In. 3:6). Without spiritual birth it is impossible to see the Kingdom of God. But spiritual birth is also impossible without a bodily one. Therefore, a birthday for a Christian is a significant event. For unbelieving people, birthdays come down to congratulations, gifts and a feast. It is obvious that this is necessary. However, in the first place should be thanks to God, who gave on this day the priceless gift of life.
“Life is given to us precisely to prepare for eternity, and to think about eternity, to dwell on it longer with our reflection is most natural and convenient on your birthday and on the day of an angel: these days you go to church - to thank the Giver of life for the gift of life, and Gather together your relatives and friends (who have wealth) - so that you can rejoice with your friends. These days are special, deliberate in your life; that is why they are celebrated, to thank the Lord God for the gift of being, especially for the gift future life which He has prepared, so that, celebrating in joy with our relatives, friends, acquaintances the day of our birth or an angel (note that we celebrate the day of an angel, that is, the day of our Christian life), it is with special pleasure that we remember life of the next century(The symbol of faith), for which we both came into the world and live in this world. So look: are you close to your goal - to the Kingdom of Heaven or are you still far away<…>Have you stocked up on good deeds? What are your faith, hope and love? On the day of the angel, it is best to think about this, the most convenient time to test your faith, hope and love ”( John of Kronstadt saint . Creations. Diary. 1860–1861 M., 2005. T. 3. S. 189–190).
On this day, you can order a thanksgiving service in the temple or pray at home.
Troparion, tone 4
Give thanks to Thy unworthy servants, O Lord, about Thy great good deeds on us who have been, glorifying Thee, we praise, bless, thank, sing and magnify Thy goodness, and slavishly with love we cry out to Thee: Our benefactor Savior, glory to Thee.
Kontakion, voice 3
Your good deeds and gifts to the tuna, as a slave to indecent, having become worthy, Master, diligently flowing to You, we bring thanksgiving according to strength, and glorifying You as a Benefactor and Creator, we cry out: glory to You, God the All-Generous.
Glory now:
Theotokos, Christian Helper, Thy intercession has been acquired by Thy servants, we cry out thankfully to Thee: Rejoice, Most Pure Theotokos Virgin, and always deliver us from all troubles with Thy prayers, One who soon intercedes.
We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present in us, unworthy Thy servants (names), who were, theirs is also visible and not visible, about the manifest and unmanifest, even the deeds of the former and the word: loving us, like and Give Thy only begotten Son for us, vouchsafe us to be worthy of Thy love. Give by Your word wisdom and Your fear, inhale strength from Your strength, and if we sin willingly or unwillingly, forgive and do not blame, and save our holy soul, and present to Your Throne, I have a clean conscience, and the end is worthy of Your humanity; And remember, Lord, all who call upon Your name in truth; the same we pray to Thee, Lord, give us Thy benevolence and great mercy.
On the name day, in addition to giving thanks to God, it is customary to read prayers to your patron saint, whose memory the Church celebrates on this day. If a prayer cannot be found, then in your own words. The most important thing is warmth and sincerity. We must try to partake of the Holy Mysteries on this day.
ABOUT human life and her feelings. Human life is joy and sorrow. These feelings are combined in it in various ways. And, depending on which of them prevail in it, our life is happy or unhappy. If we are talking about joy, then death reveals its perfection to a person. Whether it's about mourning, death ends it.
About people's love for life. God is His love and His bounties in all His works. From the very birth, a person, surrounded by the blessings of God, loves life according to some kind of inner irresistible feeling. Thousands of bonds bind a person to it. The noblest feelings, the most tender affections make him the most precious to him. And he imagines, not without horror, the moment when he will have to part with this world, where his heart was opened to life, where he tasted its sweetness. Father's house, hearth, motherland- all impressions, all memories delight the human soul.
About the day of death. The day of death is a solemn moment that explains life, crowns its labors; here is a beneficent shipwreck that will return the exile to the shores of the Fatherland. This day will come for each of us, and for each it will be a day of deliverance, if our faith, our deeds correspond to the name of a Christian. The day of death is better than the day of birth. A Christian should repeat these words more often, imprint them as beneficent words that do not leave any sorrow without consolation. It is especially worth repeating them at a time when death opens a premature grave before a person. Vigorously the tree grows, despite the storms, and falls when the years exude it. But it is not so with the children of men. Young plants often die from sudden blows. Neither the charms of childhood nor the beauty of youth can protect them. The gospel of Christ the Savior will illuminate this blessed sight with its light. The chosen souls will go to heaven innocent and blessed. Let's get ready to go on the path when he commands us Supreme Wisdom. We must not forget that the day of death is better than the day of birth only for a true Christian, whose feelings and commands correspond to his glorious hope. Death is comforting and joyful only for the children of God who are reconciled with the Heavenly Father. If you want to have the hope of a Christian in your heart, be Christians yourselves, be disciples of the Savior not in appearance and name only, but in living faith, in the devotion of your heart and in the holiness of your life. We must live on earth as citizens of Heaven, run away from sin, which so easily carries us away, beware that it does not destroy the price of our feat.
About dormancy. Where does the Holy Church get such a name from and what does it teach? Also in old testament true Christians sometimes referred to death as dormition, when the kingdom of death had not yet been conquered by the life-giving death of Christ. In the New Testament, death is for the most part referred to as dormition, and the dead are referred to as the departed. After the Resurrection of the Lord, the apostles began to speak of death as a dream. In the grace-filled Kingdom of Christ, death lost its formidable power and became like a transition to a new life, nothing more than a dream. Death is nothing but a dream, a departure, not death, a transition from worse to better.
About the similarities between death and sleep. A person's sleep gives him peace and rest to his mortal body, which since the time of sin has been condemned by the Lord to slumber and fatigue. Death serves the Christian for the rest of his body, which, together with the soul, served the Lord during his life. Sleep makes life's worries, various sorrows and misfortunes insensitive for a person. Also, death removes a Christian from all the inconveniences and troubles of life, which, by the permission of God, he experiences throughout his life. A person falls asleep in the hope of waking up and getting up. The Christian believes that in the universal Resurrection he will come to life, will rise again in the future life. A person fearlessly indulges in sleep. The Christian who constantly thinks about death fearlessly enters its gates. For a person who is not idle, but who spends his life in his labors, sleep is especially sweet. For a Christian who works tirelessly in the work of his salvation, death is unspeakably sweet and longed for.
About soul and body. The body is the instrument of the soul, necessary for it to live in the world. But the soul needs this instrument while it is enclosed in the body. The separation of the soul from the body cannot stop its life. With the death of the body, the spiritual forces of the soul must be revealed even more. Inexpressibly blessed is he who moves from this life to another world with a sense of repentance for his sins, with firm faith and a living hope in the Redeemer.
About the spring renewal of nature and the renewal of the soul. The spring renewal of the surrounding nature is an image of the inner renewal of the penitent sinner, when he turns with all his heart from sin to God. In winter, the earth looks dead, but as soon as the rays of the spring sun bathe it with their warmth and light, it comes to life under its life-giving action. The same happens with a soul that has washed itself with tears of repentance and contrition of the heart. No matter how dead in itself the sinful nature of man is to everything good and holy, but illuminated by the light of the face of God, warmed by the warmth of the grace of the Holy Spirit, it becomes a new creation created in Christ. In the spring the Holy Church in Great Lent teaches us repentance, and in the days of Holy Pascha it arouses the hope of the Resurrection.
What is an Orthodox birthday and is it possible for believers to celebrate this holiday at all? After all, as you know, in the Orthodox environment it is customary to celebrate Angel Day, but there are no exact indications about the birthday. And, as always in matters that are not strictly regulated church rules, opinions about an Orthodox birthday can vary greatly. I even heard that I did not celebrate my birthday, which means that His followers should not. But this is a clear distortion - the Gospel describes the life of Jesus very abbreviated, focusing on His sermon and sacrifice on the cross, and such subtleties as the birthday are not indicated in it, so no one can know whether His Savior celebrated or not. In addition, Christ lived in other times, in another country, followed the customs of His people, so it is at least incorrect to compare Judea of 2000 years ago with Russia of the 21st century. Today we can know only one thing - the celebration of the Orthodox birthday in the church is not prohibited.
How to spend an Orthodox birthday?
What essentially represents an Orthodox birthday? This is not just a secular holiday, but the day when, by the will of God, the sacrament of the birth of a new person took place. At will, a believer may not celebrate his birthday with songs and dances, but belittle its significance and neglect it - a manifestation that gave life to his creation, and parents. And even more so it is unacceptable to deprive such a joyful and happy holiday children.
How should an Orthodox birthday be celebrated? Ideally, be sure to attend the Divine Liturgy, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, pray, thank the merciful Lord for the great gift - life, ask Him to guide him on the true path, let him walk righteously. If there is no fast, then it is possible and even necessary to share the joy with friends and family - set the table, take time for the family.
You can invite your confessor and his family to the Orthodox Birthday, but in this case, you should warn the rest of the invited secular friends about the presence Orthodox priest at a birthday celebration so that it would not be a surprise for them. There is nothing wrong with having wine on the table, but do not forget about the sense of proportion.
How to congratulate a believer on his birthday?
Well, how should a guest behave if he was invited to an Orthodox birthday, or a priest's birthday? Everyone knows that any holiday begins with the presentation of a gift and a greeting, so be sure to prepare Orthodox congratulations Happy birthday. It can be written in verse or prose, as long as it is kind and reflects your good attitude towards the person. Dress for an Orthodox birthday should be restrained. This does not mean that you need to pull on a skirt to the heels and a scarf, but a miniskirt, a deep neckline and overly bright makeup at such a celebration will be out of place.
On Orthodox day birth, it is not customary to drink excessively, to speak ambiguous and vulgar toasts, to behave coquettishly, too loudly or defiantly. Outrageous can be left for theme parties, and on the birthday of your believing friend, you should take care not to cause embarrassment in him.
Priest Andrei Chizhenko argues.
One priest celebrated his birthday, which also coincided with the name day. Upon completion Divine Liturgy on that day he went out to the solea, where fellow priests and parishioners gathered to congratulate him on his personal triumph. The father, with a face beaming with joy, exclaimed with an Easter stichera: “This is the day that the Lord has created, let us rejoice and rejoice in it” ...
And indeed, a person’s birthday and name day is his personal small Easter, personal resurrection. And all the surrounding, close, loving people rejoice with him. After all, a whole universe was born, God created a whole microcosm in His image and likeness out of inexpressible love.
Sometimes the question is asked: “Why did the Creator create sinners if He knew that they would still face hellish torments?” The answer, it seems to me, is this: hellish torments are still better than non-existence. What can be compared with the fact that the human soul is aware of itself as a person, individuality and enjoys being?
Therefore, of course, a birthday is a special day when the world has become better, more beautiful, kinder, because another unique personality has appeared in it - YOU.
Why is suicide the most grave sin? Because human life is a miracle. This is a great miracle of God! And to feel disgust for it, hatred, desire for destruction and return to non-existence is the same, for example, as feeling disgust for a moth, for a beautiful crimson sunset or a gentle pink dawn. To God himself. To love.
A person's birthday is like the birth of a supernova shining star!
It expresses a huge Divine love, which created from non-existence a completely unique organism, which has no analogue.
And, of course, the main feeling that we should experience on our birthday is a feeling of gratitude to God, our Creator, to our parents and to life.
And the best way to express this gratitude to God is by confessing and partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ at the Liturgy. Serve a thanksgiving service. Its culmination: when the priest before the throne of God raises his hands up (this is always one of the most trembling and at the same time the most intense moments of any worship) and solemnly proclaims: "Glory to Thee, God, our Benefactor, forever and ever." And in this festive exclamation filled with reverent love there is something infinitely childish and tender, addressed to the beloved Heavenly Father. It is akin to the exclamation at matins: "Glory to Thee, who showed us the light." Indeed, God showed us the light.
You can read a special prayer called "Prayer on the birthday." The prayer ends with beautiful and necessary words, in which the birthday man asks: “Yourself, Lord, bless the year I begin and all the days of my life. Amen". And if we're from pure heart if we ask God's help in our life, then, of course, the Lord will send us His grace.
In a similar way, you can celebrate the day of your namesake, or name day, that is, the day of memory of the saint in whose honor you were named before the Sacrament of Baptism.
Church Slavism "tezonamenitstvo" ("tezitsa" - equal, equally) denotes the same names, or named by the same name. This saint is your heavenly patron, and he eternally intercedes and prays at the throne of God for the salvation of your soul. And also leads and helps you in earthly life. That is why the Church recommends every morning after prayer rule pray also to your saint, at least briefly: “Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.” On a name day, it seems to me that it is also useful to read an akathist to your saint heavenly patron. Name day is often called the day of the Angel. There are two days in the church liturgical year when all Orthodox Christians celebrate their name day and the day of the Angel - this is the Week of All Saints, celebrated the next Sunday after the Day of the Holy Trinity and November 21 (N.S.) on the Day of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and others Heavenly Forces incorporeal. There is also one more positive moment in name days - we remember the day of our spiritual birth - the day when the Sacrament of Baptism was performed over us. After all, the prayer of giving a name (in the Ribbon “Prayer, in a hedgehog to appoint a child ...”) is read just in front of him.
Ultimately, we need to understand that every day of our lives the Lord carries us in His arms. He takes care of the atmosphere, our daily bread, our safety and protection from evil spirits, and many other things that we do not even understand yet.
And happy is the person whose life will become a hymn, a laudatory psalm-doxology to God - our loving Father. Such a person, in fact, asks the Lord for only one thing: not to escape and fall from His warm hands of his own free will, but to remain in them, completely surrendering to the will of God. After all, the Lord brings us to even greater bliss - to the new mountain city of Jerusalem, where there will be no pain, no tears, no despair, but "a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb" (see Rev. 22:1).
Because created from non-existence for eternal life draw with God help in their hearts these great and beautiful words: "This day, which the Lord has created, let us rejoice and rejoice in it."
And may this truly Easter joy be kindled in the heart of every birthday person!
Priest Andrei Chizhenko
