How to baptize Orthodox in a church. How to be baptized Orthodox Christians in the church. Important rules for the Orthodox

Readers are offered a new edition of the popular brochure "The Basics of Orthodoxy", which contains several previously unpublished materials by Konstantin Slepinin, as well as revised texts of articles that were part of the first edition of the book.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Readers are offered a new edition of the popular brochure "The Basics of Orthodoxy", which contains several previously unpublished materials by Konstantin Slepinin, as well as revised texts of articles that were part of the first edition of the book.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 godparents to their child; 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 uncleanness 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 only be lit 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 health are remembered christian names, and about the repose - only those baptized in the Orthodox Church.

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 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) it. 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 sacred history Old Testament: the creation of the world by God, the fall of the forefathers, Mosaic legislation, 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, with her followers, sanctifies the whole way of life. human life, including the things we use and the food 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 conversations 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 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 Old Testament He 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 ...

IN ancient church not everyone was baptized. Those wishing to proceed to the Baptismal font had to clearly understand the content Christian faith so that from the bottom of my heart 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 instructive hymns and readings to the first part of the liturgy. Holy Scripture, 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 orthodox name through the rite of naming a baby, but not yet baptized... In view of all this, prayers for the catechumens will never lose their strength and significance and will remain in the rite of 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 promise of the bride and groom of 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 towards 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.

In our day, the Church does not make inquiries about adulthood, mental and physical health bride and groom, the voluntariness of their marriage, since these conditions are mandatory for registering a civil union. Of course, hide from representatives government agencies certain obstacles to marriage is possible. 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 stages. 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 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: on this clock in cathedral the Emperor himself was obliged to attend, 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 chanters, 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 to 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 internalized 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 accepted in the days of the saints and testifies that their monastic feat revived a person by union with Christ ( yellow) and raises 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 life was lived. short life. But a lot also depends on prayer for the deceased.

There is a story in the Lives of the Saints about Reverend Macarius The Great One, 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 heterodox Christians and performing over them Orthodox rank. 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 spirit of the ancient Universal 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 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 all the more prohibited church prayer for the deceased Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and other Gentiles who do not recognize the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 women are known, for example, 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 happens during holiday 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 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 native land and your 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(excluding "solid" weeks) is 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.

days strict fast are Epiphany Christmas 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 the strength to prayer rule and necessary labor.

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 Saint Basil the Great says, by an auspicious fast, by avoiding every sin committed by all the senses, 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 such a 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 evening rule can be done not before bedtime, but shortly before that. And before you go to bed, you should only read a prayer Reverend John 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.

A prayer rule for a person establishes him spiritual father, it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase. 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 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 The Bible has these books.

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- this is a short moment, behind which is eternity, and what it will be for everyone depends on 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 so afraid devilry like a 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? Need by church calendar find the nearest day following the birthday of a saint with the same name. 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 everyone Orthodox Christian Of course, if it is absolutely impossible to call a priest, he is obliged to accept the confession of a dying person. Ask about grave 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 exact date 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 Doomsday. 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.”

This sign of the cross is not only a sacred sacrament, but also the most effective weapon a believing person from all evil spirits. For those of us who belong to the Orthodox denomination, it is simply necessary to be able to be baptized correctly, for this action has tremendous grace-filled power, and, as they say, “the devilry rejoices at the disorderly waving of the hand.” In order not to attract the unclean to ourselves and our loved ones, we need to know how the sign of the cross is performed correctly and in what cases it is appropriate to perform it.

The sign of the cross is a sacred act by which an Orthodox Christian attracts the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit to himself or his neighbor. In the grace-filled power of this action, we were convinced more than once.

Examples of this are crying babies who suddenly calmed down after they were baptized, or when people approaching us with evil intentions suddenly retreated. The sign of the cross has the power of grace only when it is performed correctly. It is then that an Orthodox person can receive a blessing from his Creator.

History of the origin of the sign of the cross

For the first time the sacred action is mentioned in the Old Testament. The Jews depicted a cross on their foreheads with one finger. This sign meant that God is one. The first Christians adopted this tradition from the Jews, denoting the sign of the cross on their foreheads with a single finger. Thus they expressed the denial of the existence of many gods, which took place among the pagans.

Also, baptism with one finger among the Orthodox was a symbol of the single essence of Christ, denoting him as God, but not as a man. In this case, the fact that Christ accepted suffering on the cross for all people is nullified. Only from the 4th century did the expansion of the sign of the cross begin, meaning that Jesus Christ was not only a god, but also a man. Then came the three fingers - Father-Son-Holy Spirit.

Reform of Patriarch Nikon

The introduction of triplets in Russia coincided with Nikon's reform. It was then that the revision of all church books and texts of Holy Scripture began, in which errors were corrected. In those days, the turmoil began. The Old Believers, supporters of double-fingering, protested the introduction of innovations in the sign of the cross. They burned themselves alive in houses of worship. Thus, people tried to prevent the assassination attempt on their ancient tradition and take away the three fingers from their communities.

How are Catholics baptized?

Catholics make the sign of the cross from left to right. Such a gesture in this denomination means a movement from the diabolical to the divine, from sin to salvation, for in Catholicism left-hand side associated with the devil, and the right - with God. This applies to Latin Rite Catholics. There are also Catholics of the Byzantine rite, whose traditions practically do not differ from the traditions of Christians, and they perform the sign of the cross identically with the Orthodox.

How to be baptized as Christians

1. Place thumb, index and middle fingers together.
2. The ring finger and little finger are pressed to the palm.

The first three fingers represent the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The remaining fingers, pressed to the palm, symbolize the descent to earth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as well as His two natures - Divine and human.

Execution technique

The Orthodox are baptized with the right hand. First, folded fingers in the Name of the Father are applied to the forehead. This gesture implies the sanctification of the mind. Then the fingers are transferred to the place of the solar plexus in the Name of the Son, thereby sanctifying the feelings, then to the right and left shoulders in turn, in the Name of the Holy Spirit.

With these gestures, the bodily forces are consecrated. Usually the sign of the cross is performed three times. After each manipulation, it is necessary to bow. Some make the mistake of bowing at the same time as the sign of the cross, which is unacceptable.

When the sign of the cross is performed

It is necessary to be baptized at the beginning of any prayer, during its utterance, and also after the end of the prayer process. If we are approaching a holy place, for example, a temple, we also need to make the sign of the cross. They do this at the entrance to the church, while kissing the holy relics, icons or a cross.

Christians are supposed to be baptized at the beginning of every work and after it is finished. They also make the sign of the cross before the start of any meal and after it ends, at the entrance and exit from the house, in sorrow and in joy, with approaching danger. They baptize every new thing before they start using it.

The power of the sign of the cross

The sign of the cross has an incredible power that can drive away any evil and create good. The Lives of the Saints describe many cases when the overshadowing of the cross cast out demons and dispelled evil spells. Food and water that has been baptized is purified instantly. In addition, the sign of the cross changes the structure of water, increases its optical density.

There are many testimonies of the power of the sign. One of them broadcasts that when a peasant was given a vessel with poison, the poison did not affect the person only because he blessed the poisoned drink with the holy cross.

The Sign of the Cross in the Modern World

At present, various traditions coexist together. There are churches where the single-fingered sign of the cross is common. Old Believers are baptized in their own way, with two fingers. The clergy do not consider this fact a reason for the schism. The most important thing, they say, is to have peace in the soul and love in the heart.

Conclusion

In order for the sign of the cross to have its full power, it must be performed with great faith in the heart and sincere intentions, as well as following all the above rules. If a person is baptized, but there is no faith in him, or evil is in his heart, then all his manipulations will be empty and useless.

Often a dilemma arises before people who have recently embarked on the path of churching: how is it right for Orthodox Christians to be baptized? Why is this needed?

Where did the tradition of making the sign of the cross come from? Is it correct to baptize with the right hand or with the left? And is it possible to overshadow oneself with two fingers?

In Orthodoxy, the sign of the cross made according to all the rules shows our sincere faith. It is always necessary to be baptized respectfully, with reverence.

Alas, many do it wrong, not understanding the meaning of the sign of the cross and not attaching much importance to their actions. In history there are examples from the lives of the saints, telling about amazing miracles done by the power of the Cross. When baptized incorrectly, a person shows his disrespect for God.

How to be baptized Orthodox in the church

The Orthodox faith carries a deep meaning, and all actions in it have special meanings. This also applies to the overshadowing of oneself with the cross. The imposition of the sign of the cross means the Cross on which the Lord was crucified. By doing it, we do not just follow the tradition, but protect ourselves from evil and drive away unclean spirits.

Initially, the ancient Christians were baptized with one finger, then several and even the whole palm. In the sixteenth century, two-fingering was adopted. And around the seventeenth century, baptism with three fingers was established.

Sometimes neophytes think: how to cross yourself - from right to left or vice versa? What hand? Over which shoulder? Three fingers or two?

Now for the church, the canonical is three-fingered. Why three fingers? Three fingers shows the unity of the Lord in three persons. The Holy Trinity united into one, incarnated in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The sign of the cross should be made strictly from right to left. To cross you need:

• close three fingers of the right hand together;
• the remaining fingers, bending, lower into the palm. They point to the dual origin of Jesus Christ as the God-man;
• now say: "In the name of the Father" and put your fingertips on your forehead;
• touch the womb (belly), saying: "And the Son" ;
• move fingers to the right shoulder, saying - "And the Saint" ;
• touch your left shoulder and say - "Spirit" ;
• end with a bow, saying - "Amen" .

How to be baptized Orthodox in front of the icon

Few understand how to cross themselves when praying near the icon.

Approaching the icon, you need to respectfully cross yourself twice, then put a candle and only then venerate the holy image and cross yourself again, for the third time.

How to properly baptize another person

If you need to bless another person before a long journey or a difficult exam, then the sign of the cross is performed in the same way as if the person crossed himself.

Regardless of which side, back or face to you is a person. Everything looks the same.

An Orthodox Christian always baptizes relatives or guests leaving the house in the back so that the Lord does not leave them on the way.

How correctly and in what cases it is necessary to overshadow oneself with the sign of the cross

A believer makes the sign of the cross before entering and leaving the temple, during prayer approaching everything holy (to a cross or an icon), before leaving the house, before going to bed, and in any dangerous situation.

You should also be baptized before and after meals. And of course, any important business should begin and end with prayer.

The teaching of the Orthodox Church says that the cross is the strongest weapon against dark forces. If applied in faith, the cross will drive away evil and help to cope with problems.

Therefore, believing Christians try as often as possible to resort to this Divine help, along with prayer and pectoral cross, which is always worn with you under your clothes.

Appeal to strength Life-Giving Cross The Lord's is a great protection for every person. It is known that the sign of the cross stops the demonic influence: the devil and his servants cannot endure the correct cross, therefore they often try to mock him (this is the origin satanic symbols inverted cross).

Often we make the sign of the cross unconsciously, without thinking about its power. On the one hand, this is not true. On the other hand, in any case, we protect ourselves with the cross. If you do not know how to do it correctly and where the tradition of being baptized came from, you will understand this from our article.

What does the priest's blessing mean?

This means that God's help is being sent to you. The fingers of the blessing priest (other church employees - deacons and readers cannot bless, only priests and bishops) are folded in a special gesture of a nominative blessing that bestows grace and has been used since ancient times in the Orthodox Church and today.

Before every important thing, it is worth asking for blessings from the priest (for example, buying a car, buying an apartment, going on a trip, getting married, getting a new job). It is better if this is your confessor - a priest with whom you regularly confess (if you have one). If you have not yet gone to confession and received communion, but have thought about it in connection with important events your life - tell any priest on duty in any temple about it.

The same gesture is used on icons - usually Christ blesses them.

• The meaning of the gesture of blessing on the icon and in life is help in the name of Jesus Christ.
• At the same time, the fingers of the priest's right hand are folded, forming the monogram IC XC, where
  straight index finger - the letter "I" of the Greek alphabet,
  middle and little fingers - two letters "C",
  and the letter "X" is formed by the crossed thumb and ring fingers.

Correctly baptized Orthodox from right to left

The correct sign of the cross is made with the right hand, clenched with the thumb, forefinger and middle fingers. They symbolize the power and omnipotence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - the Indivisible Holy Trinity.

• First, you need to press your fingers to your forehead, thereby sanctifying your mind and remembering the sky and your destiny to reach for the spiritual, for God;
• then to the stomach (approximately at the level of the waist), consecrating the internal organs and remembering their earthly and mortal nature;
• to the right and then to the left shoulder, sanctifying the whole body and remembering the Holy Spirit as Bringing the unity of all things in God.

At the entrance to the temple and kissing the icons in the temple and at home, they are baptized three times. There are several options for prayer during the overshadowing of oneself with the sign of the cross:

• putting fingers to forehead, say: "In the name of the Father";
• to the stomach: "And the Son";
• to the shoulders: “And the Holy Spirit. Amen".

According to another tradition, you can be baptized three times and say the following prayers before each sign of the cross.

• Before the first: “Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner” (or: “Most Holy Trinity, glory to Thee” - that is, address God in Three Persons);
• Then: “Holy Mother of God, save us!”;
• Finally: "All saints and angelic forces pray to God for me."

After the sign of the cross, they usually bow at the waist (it is easy enough to bend over).

Blessing a child or loved one, you need to baptize him as if he himself were making the sign of the cross - first on his right shoulder from his point of view. Such a blessing also protects a person from evil and vices, because you pray for him, overshadowing him with the sign of the cross. Many miracles are witnessed in the history of the Church when, through the prayers of mothers, wives, relatives and friends, people avoided danger or turned away from passions.

The life-giving Cross of Christ - protection from the devil, witchcraft, any danger

IN modern world many people may try to harm you with the help of sorcery spells - psychics, "healers." The curse will not have its power if the person to whom they wish harm is churched, believes in God, goes to church, attends church services and partakes of the Mysteries of Christ.

Knowing or speculating about the existence of a curse is no cause for despair. Order a prayer service for the removal of the curse and turn to God in a special prayer daily.

You can hurt yourself if you use foul language and swear frequently. Often people do not even know that black words spoil their fate.

If you expect a dark impact, damage in your life, first of all, you need to seek help from the Lord with the help of prayer and the sign of the cross. You need to visit the temple in the near future, talk with the priest and, if you believe in the existence of God and His help, accept Holy Baptism. The priest will tell you how to live the church life

Reading a prayer does not require the performance of any rites or rituals. You just need to ask the Lord for protection with sincere faith, preferably in solitude and silence, in front of the icons of the Almighty Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos.

Strong prayer - an appeal to the Almighty Cross Power of the Lord

Particles of the Life-Giving Cross are today found in many churches around the world. Perhaps in your city there is a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, and you can venerate this great shrine. The cross is called Life-giving - creating and giving life, that is, having great power.
In the morning and evening prayers, located in every Orthodox prayer book, there are prayers that call on the power of God, which comes from the Cross of the Lord. Orthodox Christians thus protect themselves for every day and every night with the power of the Cross of the Lord.

Pray to the Lord, protect yourself with the banner of the cross and sincere faith in God - and you will see how your life will change.

Protect me, Lord, with the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross and save me from evil.
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy Church, giving victory to Orthodox Christians against enemies and Thy keeping the believers with Thy cross.

The faith given by the Lord, the knowledge of His help must be multiplied among people. Therefore, unlike the conspiracies that are spread by the servants of the dark forces and which should be “read secretly”, you can and should share your faith, talk about the miraculous help of God and his mercy. Good deeds that are done with invocation God's grace, will always be successful.

Through the prayers of all the saints and the power of His Cross, may the Lord keep you!

It is impossible to consecrate a cross on your own at home. This is a sacrament.

• Approach the priest after the service. You can address him as “father” or “father (name - Andrei, John, Eugene)”, if you know the name of the priest.

Ask to "consecrate the cross." It's free, or you can thank any amount for the consecration.

During the ceremony, the priest will take the cross to the altar. At this time, you can pray at the altar, the rite of consecration will take several minutes: the priest will put the cross on the throne of the temple (the most sacred place), read a prayer, sprinkle the cross with holy water three times.

By the way, you can also consecrate icons purchased outside the church, independently embroidered or painted.

How Old Believers are baptized

Old Believers are called people who adhere to the old faith of the Russian Church, which was destroyed in 1653 after the adoption of the reform by Patriarch Nikon.

Patriarch Nikon decided to change the gesture of crossing.

This act of his caused a very violent reaction among the population, which immediately split into 2 camps:

1. Nikonian church.
   The ministers of the Nikonian Church were called schismatics because of the introduction of discord into religion and faith through the population.
2. Old Believers.
   They are also called Old Believers, that is, people who recognize only old faith and the manner of crossing, introduced before the start of the reform of Patriarch Nikon.

Before the introduction of the reform, people were baptized with two fingers. The reform influenced the change of the cross gesture. After its introduction, the people began to cross with three fingers of the right river.

But the Old Believers did not adhere to the new rules and continue to be baptized according to the old Russian custom with two fingers, symbolizing the nature of the emergence of the Son of God on earth.

How Catholics are baptized, with which hand, how they fold their fingers, a diagram of how to baptize correctly

Before we talk about the issue of making the sign of the cross, let's talk a little about religion itself.

• Catholicism or Catholicism is a Christian denomination, which today has a huge number of adherents.
• The very word "Catholicism" means nothing more than "universal", "all-encompassing".
• It is also worth saying that it was the Catholic Church, which was formed during the 1st millennium BC. in the Western Roman Empire had a huge impact on the development of Western civilization.
• Concerning the sign of the cross. Most people do not know what it is, and all because we are used to calling this process a little differently - “baptized”, “crossed”.
• The sign of the cross is nothing more than a prayerful gesture during which people make movements with their hands and, as it were, draw a cross with them.
• It should also be noted that the sign of the cross is present in almost all areas of Christianity.

So, how does the imposition of the sign of the cross take place among Catholics?

It must be said right away that Catholicism does not have a single correct version of this action. There are many options for how you can cross yourself and all of them are considered correct.

This is because Catholics pay more attention not to the method by which this is done, but to the goal. By crossing themselves, they seem to once again prove that they believe precisely in Christ.
Catholics are baptized with the same hand as the Orthodox, that is, with the right

The difference lies in something else - in the direction of movement of the hand, and even then not always.
Initially, both the Catholics of the West and the Catholics of the East performed the application of the cross on themselves in almost the same way. They were baptized from the right shoulder to the left, while using 3 fingers of the right hand. A little later, the procedure changed, and they began to be baptized from the left shoulder to the right, while using the entire hand.
The so-called "Byzantine Catholics" perform an act traditional way. To do this, the first 3 fingers of the hand are connected together, and the remaining 2 are pressed against the palm. In this case, baptism is carried out with the right hand, from right to left. The 3 fingers that are connected together are nothing but the Trinity, and the other 2 fingers mean the double origin of Christ. By dual origin is meant his divine and human essence.

If we show the general classification of options that Catholics use when making the sign of the cross, then it looks something like this:

1. The first and fourth fingers of the right hand are connected in a bundle, while the index and middle fingers also stick together. The index and middle fingers in this case mean the dual nature of Christ, which was mentioned a little earlier. This option is typical for Western Catholics.
2. Another addition option is to connect the 1st and 2nd fingers.
3. Eastern Catholics most often use this option. The thumb, index and middle fingers are connected together, and the last 2 are pressed to the hand. At the same time, 3 connected fingers mean the Holy Trinity, and 2 pressed fingers mean the dual nature of Christ.
4. Also, Catholics very often cross themselves with the whole palm. To do this, you need to keep your right hand completely open, all fingers except the 1st are straightened. The hand can be slightly bent, and the thumb is pressed slightly against the palm. This version of baptism means the wounds of Christ, of which there were 5.

How to be baptized

For the sign of the cross, we fold the fingers of the right hand like this: we put the first three fingers (thumb, index and middle) together with the ends exactly, and bend the last two (ring and little fingers) to the palm ...

The first three fingers put together express our faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as a consubstantial and indivisible Trinity, and the two fingers bent to the palm mean that the Son of God, after His incarnation, being God, became a man, that is, they mean His two natures are divine and human.

It is necessary to make the sign of the cross slowly: put it on the forehead (1), on the stomach (2), on the right shoulder (3) and then on the left (4). Lowering the right hand, you can make a waist or bow to the ground.

Signing ourselves with the sign of the cross, we touch our forehead with three fingers folded together to sanctify our mind, to the stomach - to sanctify our inner feelings (heart), then to the right, then left shoulders - to sanctify our bodily forces.

It is necessary to overshadow oneself with the sign of the cross, or be baptized: at the beginning of prayer, during prayer and at the end of prayer, and also, when approaching everything holy: when we enter the temple, when we kiss the cross, the icon, etc. You need to be baptized and in all important cases of our life: in danger, in sorrow, in joy, etc.

When we are baptized not during prayer, then mentally, to ourselves, we say: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen,” thereby expressing our faith in Holy Trinity and our desire to live and work for the glory of God.

The word "amen" means: truly, truly, so be it.

How Greek Catholics and Jews are baptized

Speaking about Catholics, it is necessary to note the fact that there are Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics. Both of them have something in common and different.

• Greek Catholics recognize the Pope as the visible head of the Church and refer to themselves as members of the Roman Catholic Church.
• At the same time, it should be said that the Greek Catholics have much in common with the Orthodox, including the way the cross is applied.
• They are baptized with their right hand, while with the hand they draw the cross in this way: from top to bottom, from right to left.
• Also, Greek Catholics and Orthodox have a general addition of fingers. When baptized, the fingers are folded in this way: the first 3 fingers are connected together, and the little finger and ring finger are pressed to the palm.
• Representatives of this movement, living in the West of Ukraine, often perform other movements during baptism. For example, a hand movement is made that marks the pierced rib of Christ.
• If, for comparison, we take the Roman Catholics, then they make the sign of the cross differently. Movements are derived from the head to the womb, and then from the left shoulder to the right. In this case, the fingers are folded in different ways. This is both two-fingered and three-fingered addition.

Now let's talk about the Jews:

Let's begin with traditional religion professed by this people is Judaism.
The words "Jew" and "Jew" are very similar and today in many languages ​​of the world have same value. However, in our country it is generally accepted that "Jew" is still a nationality, and "Jew" is a professed religion.
Before answering the question "How are Jews baptized?" let's talk a little about what the symbol "cross" itself means to them. By the way, it would be more appropriate to ask the question “Are Jews baptized at all?”.
So, in ancient times, the Jews associated the cross with fear, punishment and death itself. While for Christians, the cross is the main symbol that can protect and protect from misfortune and troubles.
Today, Jews recognize the sacred cross, but put a slightly different meaning into it. For them, it is a symbol of the rebirth of the Savior.

By and large, the cross does not carry such importance (as with Christians), therefore, accordingly, there is no need to impose a sign on yourself. This leads to the conclusion that the Jews are not baptized at all.

What is the difference between how Catholics and Orthodox are baptized?

Based on the information presented earlier, the answer to this question can be quite simple.

• Both of them are Christians. Despite this, there are many similarities and differences between them. One of the points that is different for these two beliefs is the way the sign of the cross is applied.
• Orthodox always during the removal of the cross do it only from the right shoulder to the left, while representatives of other beliefs do it the other way around. Why this happens, we figured out a little earlier.
• Further, if the Orthodox fold their fingers in basically one way - three fingers are connected in a bunch and two are pressed against the inside of the palm, then Catholics can do it in completely different ways. We also discussed options for similar additions of fingers and hands earlier.
• That is, the difference lies only in the trajectory along which the hand moves and in what way the fingers are folded.

This topic is very relevant and interesting, you can talk about the differences in the imposition of the cross for a very long time, exactly, as well as argue about the correctness of this process.

However, we would like to draw attention to a slightly different point, which, in our opinion, is no less important: remember, it is important not only how you are baptized, but also what meaning you put into this action.

About other rules of the sign of the cross

When, where and how should a true Christian be baptized? A believer can perform this action anywhere and anytime, but the sign of the cross becomes obligatory at the entrance to the temple. Being at the threshold, it is necessary to be baptized three times, each time ending this action with a low bow. In addition, you need to be baptized while standing in front of the icons or at the sight of a sacred building. It is believed that Orthodox citizens are obliged to be baptized before going to bed and immediately after waking up (thanks to the Lord for another lived or new day), as well as before a meal (thanks for the food sent by the Lord). Moreover, after each such action, it is necessary to bow, but only after the right hand goes down.

One of the most important issues in making the sign of the cross remains the inner state of the believer who is baptized.

This must be done slowly, mentally turning to God Jesus Christ and fully realizing the importance of this small sacrament. Only then will your faith and spirit be strengthened by respect for the Holy Father

Otherwise, the sign of the cross, performed incorrectly, will be considered blasphemy and even an insult to God, and therefore a sin pleasing only to unclean forces.

The crowds lied to God

—Father Michael, I listened to your catechetical talks (that is, talks in which Christian doctrine is communicated to those who enter the Church before the sacrament of Baptism) and was shocked. At the very beginning, you repeated the same phrase in different ways: “You don’t need to be baptized.” Well, it's kind of strange to hear from a clergyman...

- Yes, I immediately ask: “What prompted you to be baptized? You answered yourself: why am I baptized, why is this necessary? There is no need to be baptized without an answer to this question. There will be no good. Baptism is a special covenant with God, a special relationship with Him, which can have various consequences for a person: either peace and prosperity, or ... quite the opposite.

You see very well the state our society is in - the decline of morals, the trampling of morality, degradation, both physical, and intellectual, and spiritual, rampant crime, etc. This is even more terrible from the point of view that we now have 70% of the population - Christians. And moreover, excuse me, all of them managed to be baptized in the last ten or twelve years, during which this wild human fall occurs.

Scary statistic, right? Crowds came to Christ - and lied. The crowds lied to God! We get what we deserve, and everything that happens around us is very logical: it’s not good even for a person to lie, and even to lie to God! It is clear how it should end.

- Why is this happening?

- From my experience, conversations with people going to be baptized, I can state that the vast majority have little idea why this is necessary and what to do next. Moreover, the purposes for which people receive baptism are often the opposite of why this sacrament was given to a person at all. The majority does not follow at all what one should look for in the Church.

- I wonder what the answer to your question is usually?

- “So that your health is better”, “... Well, financial matters should be improved”, “In general, some kind of life went hard”, “Something doesn’t work out with someone”, “The child needs to be baptized so that he does not get sick, - God forbid, they will jinx it…” and so on. and so on. You don't have to go to Baptism with this. For what? Such questions should be solved in a different order: do you want health? - go to the clinic, look for a good doctor; do you want money? - it is better to work; damage, the evil eye - this is also not from the field of religion. It is very rare to get the right answer.

How to be baptized, which side in church and at home

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, not even all believing Christians - Orthodox and Catholics - know how to be baptized correctly, from right to left or left to right, so often when entering a church, you can notice how adults cross themselves incorrectly.

How should one be baptized? Before going to church, in order not to get confused in the movements of fingers and hands, it is important to learn how to be baptized, which hand to make the sign of the cross on yourself, how many times to do it correctly. With a close acquaintance with the two most numerous religious denominations of Christianity - Orthodoxy and Catholicism - it becomes clear in which case and with what hand people are baptized from right to left, and in which from left to right

With a close acquaintance with the two most numerous religious denominations of Christianity - Orthodoxy and Catholicism - it becomes clear in which case and with which hand people are baptized from right to left, and in which from left to right.

The sign of the cross - what does it mean

The sign of the cross is a gesture that represents the image of the cross with the movement of the hands and is performed during and after prayer at home, in the church, as well as before entering the temple or leaving it, in addition, during the ongoing divine service.

For all believers, the sign of the cross is of great importance, in its essence, having crossed itself, each Christian expresses faith in Jesus Christ, love for God, gratitude to the Almighty, who sacrificed himself for our sins, suffered on the cross and accepted crucifixion and death.

How Orthodox Christians are baptized

Orthodox Christians should be baptized correctly at the entrance to the church. This must be done three times, ending each laying of the cross with a bow to the ground, thereby glorifying Jesus, declaring faith in Christ, in his divine and human principles.

1. Before the sign of the cross, the index, thumb and middle fingers are folded together, symbolizing the Holy Trinity with this gesture, that is, Orthodox Christians are baptized with their right hand with three folded fingers.
2. The little finger and ring finger are bent towards the palm.
3. First, three folded fingers are brought to the forehead, sanctifying the mind and pronouncing the words: "In the name of the Father."
4. Then the fingers go down to the stomach, sanctifying the heart and feelings, at the same time pronouncing: "And the Son."
5. After that, the hand is moved to the right shoulder, and then transferred to the left, consecrating the bodily forces and in conclusion saying: "And the holy spirit."

In addition, there is another interpretation of the sign of the cross, in which the forehead symbolizes heaven, the stomach is the earth, and the shoulders are the Holy Spirit.

Why is it right to be baptized from right to left

The right shoulder in Orthodoxy is symbolically considered paradise - the place of saved souls with angels, and the left shoulder symbolizes hell - the place of dead sinners and demons.

When an Orthodox Christian is rebaptized, he prays to the Lord Almighty to enroll him in the place of the saved and save him from the fate of perishing sinners.

Thus, every believer tries to protect himself by reading prayers and turning to God for help - for this reason, it is right for Orthodox to be baptized from right to left. The sign of the cross from right to left is interpreted as the victory of the divine over the devil.

How are Catholics baptized?

Catholics are baptized from left to right, despite the fact that the right shoulder in Catholicism, just like in Orthodoxy, symbolizes paradise and salvation, and the left purgatory and death.

For Catholics, moving the hand from left to right means moving from sin to salvation. The sign is associated with the symbolism of the Cross itself, on which Jesus was crucified, because by his death he transferred humanity from the abyss to salvation.

Now you know how to be baptized in church and at home, as well as the interpretation of the sign of the cross, and why Orthodox Christians are baptized from right to left, while Catholics are baptized from left to right.

In the hands folded behind the back, nothing is given

– So, the whole thing is only in our internal readiness?

- Not only. Suppose that a person is ideally prepared, has gone through the institute of catechumens (at least listened to those conversations that are now held in churches), suppose he has become a church. What questions does he prioritize after baptism? Everything depends on this.

And another moment: we were baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, but why is it not in us? Here we must remember that we are created in the image and likeness of God. There is an image. Similarity must be achieved. Sometimes the Lord at baptism gives unearthly joy, but it is impermanent, due to the fact that we are still fickle in Christ.

We, of course, receive everything necessary in the sacrament and feel it one way or another, but such a state becomes stable after we have passed our personal path. Yes, they gave me everything for the journey, they equipped me with everything at baptism. But then you have to go, and not sit on these knots with good equipment.

- My little godson, when he was baptized, heard the ringing of bells, which in fact was not there.

– Yes, I have encountered such things more than once when people at the time of baptism experienced some revelation. But all I know of was just a sign. We need a path. In faith, to put it mildly, there is no dependency. The Lord does not allow us to do this. Grace is given when it is in demand, when it creates. The Lord gives in outstretched and greedy hands. In his hands folded behind his back, He will not give anything. You just have to ask and ask, and everything will be given.

- Don't you think there is one more moment. I was baptized alone, and it was so mysterious and even scary, but most of my friends and my mother were baptized among a large number of people - and this interferes to some extent. No?

– Of course, the rite of Baptism itself is very important. We have a group of young people at the church in Neryungri, believers who want to do a little more than just go to church. And to them you can send people who are not churched, who are just entering the Church. The people who come are very different. One young man, for example, was literally obsessed with aliens. A kind guy, thinking, searching, he came to God through fellowship with this group of Christians. Or another – a musician, serious, sensible, educated… It was a revelation for him how his peers treated him: they talked about Christ, about the Gospel, about the Truth and the path to God, about the divine dignity of man, and he discovered it for himself. They were ordinary people, but he saw in them the fire that had not yet ignited in him.

Many others (you can't tell about all of them) were not too lazy to go to church for a month or two, talked with parishioners, searched for the essence of Orthodoxy, they searched for Christ; let them ask absolutely terrible questions at first, but they asked them. And no one rushed them with baptism. They also said: “Wait, think well, do you need it.” When such seriously prepared people sincerely came to the faith, felt that they needed Baptism, I baptized them one at a time, moreover, in a liturgical rite, very early, at five in the morning. Imagine, in the temple there are only a priest, the one who is baptized, and his guarantors. Candles are burning, we celebrate the liturgy, we baptize a person, we immediately commune him - this is for life.

Of course, we cannot baptize everyone the way it was in the ancient Church, when the person being baptized felt that at a given moment in his life he was the center of the entire community. The problem is purely technically difficult to solve given how many people go to churches today with a desire to be baptized. Well, if a person is on fire during the performance of the Sacrament, he will not even notice any external inconvenience, but the bulk of them rush to Baptism not ready, in a state of some dreaminess, and these people need help to feel Christ.

I think that Christ at Baptism is next to everyone.

– And what would you say to those who were baptized?

- You have passed the minimum, then a lot depends on you. You can learn more about faith, about Christ, about the Church. You can do more for yourself, for your loved ones, for brothers in spirit, for all people for the glory of God. And you can not do this - it's your choice, we are not responsible for it.

In any case, Baptism is only the beginning of a path that consists of many, many steps, discoveries, falls, uprisings. But this is the path of transformation, when every time for some time we discover in ourselves more and more new facets of godlikeness. It is joyful to know who I was and how my soul was renewed. This is happiness.

Interviewed by Irina DMITRIEVA

Symbolism of the cross banner

In Orthodoxy, all actions are filled with deep meaning and always have a symbolic meaning. And, of course, the sign of the cross in particular. Orthodox Christians, along with representatives of some other Christian denominations, believe that by signing themselves with the cross, they drive away all unclean spirits and protect themselves from evil.

How to be baptized

In order to cross yourself, you need to fold the three fingers of your right hand into a pinch, and press the remaining two fingers to the inside of the palm. This position of the fingers is not accidental - it tells us about the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, of his own free will, suffered for the salvation of every person. Three folded fingers together is the trinity of God in the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). The Trinity is one, but at the same time it has three separate incarnations. Two fingers pressed to the hand testify to the dual origin of Christ - he is both God and man.

In order to cross correctly, a person first brings his hand to his forehead and says “In the name of the Father”, then the hand falls on the stomach with the words “And the Son”, then comes the right shoulder “And the Holy One” and the left shoulder “Spirit”. At the end, a bow is made and the word "Amen" is pronounced.

This formulation, again, reveals the nature of God. All three hypostases of the Holy Trinity are mentioned, and the word "Amen" at the end affirms the truth of the Divine Trinity.

In itself, the imposition of the sign of the cross on a person symbolizes the Cross of the Lord, on which he was crucified. By His crucifixion, death and resurrection from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ made the instrument of shameful execution an instrument for the salvation of human souls. That is why Orthodox Christians have long used this gesture as a symbol of participation in the death of the Lord, and then His resurrection.

Historical reference

The banner of the cross has been used by Christians from the very beginning of the birth of faith. After the Resurrection of Christ, the first confessors of the faith put on themselves the symbol of the instrument of his execution with one finger, as if wishing to show their readiness to be also crucified for the Lord.

Later, at various periods of time, there were customs to be baptized with several fingers, as well as with the whole palm. At the same time, they touched the eyes, lips, forehead - the main human senses, in order to sanctify them.

Important! With the spread of the Orthodox faith among Christians, it became customary to be baptized with two fingers of the right hand, overshadowing the forehead, stomach and shoulders. Around the 16th century, the practice of covering the chest instead of the stomach spread, since it is in the chest that the heart is located.

A century later, the rule was formed and consolidated to be baptized with three fingers of the right hand, putting them again on the stomach, instead of the chest. It is this method that is used by the Orthodox to this day.

Around the 16th century, the practice of covering the chest instead of the stomach spread, since it is in the chest that the heart is located. A century later, the rule was formed and consolidated to be baptized with three fingers of the right hand, putting them again on the stomach, instead of the chest. It is this method that is used by the Orthodox to this day.

Interesting! Adherents of the old rite of church worship (Old Believers) still practice double-fingered application.

Pectoral cross how to wear

1. Prayer for the road
2. Prayer to Detain Evil Pansophia
3. Prayer to the Matrona of Moscow in illness
4. Prayer from prison

The cross is the greatest shrine of an Orthodox person, a symbol of his faith in Christ and his protection

It doesn’t matter what the cross is made of, different traditions existed in different centuries, and today the cross can be made of metal or wood, thread or beads, enamel or glass. Most often, they choose the one that is comfortable to wear, durable - usually these are silver or gold crosses

The Church also recommends choosing crosses with the Crucifixion - that is, the figure of Christ and the inscription "Save and Save", which usually comes from the back. The cross may also have in the center not the Crucifix, but an icon, for example, the Guardian Angel, the Virgin, a saint, and have a written prayer at the back. The main thing is that it should not be a decorative pendant.

Choose a chain or leather cord long enough so that the cross can be hidden under clothing. IN Orthodox tradition, in the Slavic lands, it is not customary to wear a cross on a short chain so that it is noticeable. Crosses are worn over clothing only Orthodox priests- but these are not pectoral, but pectoral (that is, “breast”, translated from Church Slavonic) crosses, which are given during ordination to the priesthood.

Why do Catholics make the sign of the cross from left to right, with two fingers or the palm of their hand

To answer the question, perhaps, we will delve a little into the history:

In ancient times, the left and right most often carried associations regarding various kinds of gods who were on opposite sides.
If we talk about Christianity, then the understanding of left and right is slightly different. Left and right at the same time, this is something completely different, something that has a clearly opposite meaning. For example, as a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, sinful and righteous. In Christianity, it is generally accepted that the right side is the territory of God, and the left side is Evil.
Another fact is that the Orthodox put the cross from the right shoulder to the left, but when they baptize someone, they do it the other way around. In any of these cases, initially the hand of the one who baptizes is on the right side. Why is that? The overshadowing of the cross, which is carried out from left to right, means something coming from a person to God, but from right to left it is exactly the opposite, from God to a person.
Catholics, regardless of whether they baptize themselves or someone else, always do it only from left to right.
In both the first and second cases, believers turn to God, but they put different meanings into their conversion and communication with him.
That is, the question: "Why do Catholics baptize from left to right?" can be considered closed.

They are baptized in this way, due to the fact that when they make the sign of the cross, it is important for them to communicate with Christ, and they themselves cry out to him. That is the meaning of this action.
It would also not be out of place to say that the movement of the hand from left to right can mean the path from darkness to light, from evil to good, from hatred to the world, from sin to repentance.
Movement from right to left can be interpreted as a victory over everything sinful, in particular the Devil

Now a few words as to why Catholics cross themselves with two fingers or with the whole palm:

• As mentioned earlier, Catholics do not have a single correct option for folding fingers or hands when crossing. That is why sometimes you can see the imposition of the sign of the cross with two fingers, and even with the whole palm.
• When Catholics cross themselves with 2 fingers, they once again confirm that they believe in the dual essence of Christ. That is, they realize and recognize the fact that Christ had in himself both the divine and the human principles.
• The open palm symbolizes the wounds of Christ. To be more precise, it is not the palm itself, but the fingers of the hand, which, with this version of the application of the cross, are in a straightened position.

How are Catholics baptized?

The Catholic Church distinguishes between Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics:

1. Roman Catholics apply the cross in the following sequence: forehead, abdomen, left forearm, right forearm.
2. Greek Catholics observe Orthodox traditions.

IN catholic church the application of the banner of the cross is carried out only with the right hand. According to legend, the right hand represents heaven, while the left hand represents hell. She is forbidden to be baptized, because she is wicked.

The sacrament of re-baptism symbolizes a person's desire to go to heaven. Baptism with the right hand indicates that a person is striving to escape from hell.

Important!
The pinch of the cross among Roman and Greek Catholics is different. Greek Catholics pawn three fingers

Greek Catholics lay three fingers.

Roman Catholics use different variations of finger curls:

1. Triangular bend. The index and middle fingers are extended straight, and the thumb is pressed against them.
2. Double fold. The index and middle fingers are extended straight, and the lobe of the thumb is in contact with the lobe of the ring finger.

It is also common for Catholics to cross with an open palm. The fingers of the palm cannot be spread apart, and the thumb is hidden inside the palm.

Usually, high dignitaries and the Pope cross in this way. Such a gesture indicates openness to God and honesty of intentions towards the church.

The cross as a symbol of faith

The pectoral cross is a symbol of a Christian. All who have undergone the sacrament of baptism are required to wear it at all times. Here we recall the words of the apostle, “I have been crucified with Christ.” All those who wear crosses believe that it serves as a talisman - it helps to protect from evil, lead a charitable life and do good deeds. You can often hear that crosses are expensive precious metals not used during the sacrament. But the clergy refute this erroneous opinion.

It doesn't matter what the symbol of religion will be. The main thing is why he was dressed as a man

The material from which the cross is made can be any. It is preferable to buy gold, silver or wooden attributes. It is believed that the baptismal cross has power, so it is advisable to wear it all your life. Gold products are durable and less susceptible to external influences, they last longer than other materials.

The main requirement for the cross is its consecration. This can be done in advance or at the sacrament itself.