How to pray correctly in church and in front of an icon. What Sunday prayers are read at church services and at home? What prayers should be read in church?

How to pray correctly, and what is prayer? This is a verbal appeal to the Lord, in which requests and laudatory speeches are made. Just as blood is important for the body, so it is for the soul; whoever does not make conversions is dead in soul. Saying the words of prayer, they glorify the greatness of God, thank him for his mercy, ask for satisfaction of needs and forgiveness of sins. Therefore, behind the content of the prayer there are laudatory, grateful and petitionary. Also external - in the walls of the house in front of the icons, and internal - produced in religious buildings. When praying at home, in front of an icon, you need to turn to God verbally, at the same time apply the banner of the cross, and worship the icons. The Christian faith involves praying three times a day.

In the morning, as gratitude for the night we survived and asking for blessings for the coming day.

During the day, before and after meals, starting and finishing work.

In the evening, when you go to bed, pray with gratitude about your day and your ability to survive the night.

Inner prayer is accessible only to a few who have achieved perfection and received a special gift of prayer, that is, to ministers of the church; it is performed without bodily movements.

How to pray correctly in church, in front of an icon?

In the temple, everyone who comes performs the prayer verbally and putting their hearts in, glorifying the Creator of all living things, this is the place of God’s home, in which he is closer to all those who pray. The meager prayer of one is filled by the faith of another and is supplemented by the lips of a clergyman and singers. The behavior of parishioners in the church should correspond to the location; behave quietly, reverently, surrendering to prayer.

Have you ever paid attention to the shape of the buildings of temples and churches? It is no coincidence that their design is made in an oblong, cross-shaped or round shape. An elongated structure in churches, as a symbol of Noah’s saving ark, a structure made with a cross is a symbol of the fact that the church received its origin and strength through the cross, a round building means eternity and invincibility.

To reproduce prayer within the walls of the temple, there are certain recommendations.

1. Before you begin, prepare yourself mentally, stand silently for a while, with your eyes closed, until your scattered thoughts come together and feel the silence.
2. Imagine yourself in front of the face of God to whom you are turning.
3. Pray with strong faith, that's the only way it will make sense.
4. Pronounce the address with humility and repentance for sins.
5. Ask for earthly needs, faith, love, hope, humility, spiritual wisdom, devotion to the will of God, do not pray for wealth, power and fame.
6. You need to pray only by forgiving your enemies, otherwise, if you have not forgiven, you yourself will not be forgiven.

Also, turning to God, you can pray for another person, while simply mentioning his name in the saying in the context of who he is in relation to you, and after the phrase - servant of God (name).

How to pray for the dead correctly?

In the Christian faith there is no darkness of death, but only rest, dormition in the hope of the joy of the morning of resurrection, that is, rebirth in a new appearance. There is the concept of a second death, more terrible than the death of the body - the death of the soul, therefore we pray for the peace of the soul and body that have left earthly life. To console the relatives and peace of mind of the deceased, the Psalter is read, this is mainly done by church employees; after the burial, a liturgy must be ordered; the magpie will be performed by the priest within forty days, while the soul of the dead seeks refuge. You can come to the temple on your own and honor the deceased, take with you a donation for those in need, it could be bread, sugar, sunflower oil, cereals, leave what you brought on the alms table. Icons in temples for the deceased, as a rule, they are placed separately from the rest; they are distinguished by the rectangular shape of the candlestick. Buy candles, light them and put them in a candlestick, write a note for the repose, with the name of the deceased, and leave them in a box; if it’s difficult to navigate, contact the employees, they will not refuse help. When praying, say the name of the one remembering, ask for the repose of the soul and the eternal kingdom. You need to pray on certain memorial days, otherwise you will disturb the soul of the deceased unnecessarily.

May your prayers be heard, your thoughts pure, and your souls live forever.

I. AT THE ALL-NIGHT VIgil

AT THE EVENING:

Grant, Lord, that this evening we may remain without sin. Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name forever, amen. May Thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, as we trust in Thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me by thy justification. Blessed are You, O Master, enlighten me with Your justification. Blessed are You, Holy One, enlighten me with Your justifications. Lord, Your mercy endures forever: do not despise the works of Your Hand. Praise is due to You, singing is due to You, glory is due to You, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Psalm 33

I will bless the Lord at all times,/I will make His praise come into my mouth. My soul will glory in the Lord,/ let the meek hear and rejoice. Magnify the Lord with me, / and let us exalt His name together. Seek the Lord and hear me, / and deliver me from all my sorrows. Come to Him and be enlightened,/ and your faces will not be ashamed. This beggar cried out, and the Lord heard and,/ and saved him from all his sorrows. The Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear Him,/ and will deliver them. Taste and see that the Lord is good;/

Blessed is the man who trusts in Nan. Fear the Lord, all His holy ones, for there is no hardship for those who fear Him. We are poor and hungry with riches; but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good. Come, children, listen to me, / I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is a man, even if he loves his life, / loves the days and sees good things? Keep your tongue from evil, / and keep your lips from speaking flattery. Turn away from evil, and do good, / seek peace, and marry, and. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are upon their prayer. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, / to consume their memory from the earth. The righteous cried out, and the Lord heard them, and delivered them from all their sorrows. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and will save the humble in spirit. Many are the sorrows of the righteous, / and the Lord will deliver me from all of them. The Lord protects all their bones, / not one of them will be broken. The death of sinners is cruel, and those who hate the righteous will sin. The Lord will deliver the souls of His servant, and all who trust in Him will not sin.

AT MORNING:

Sunday Carol after the Gospel

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,/ let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus,/ the only Sinless One./ We worship Thy Cross, O Christ,/ and we sing and glorify Thy holy Resurrection:/ For Thou art our God,/ Do we know no other to Thee,/ We call Thy name./ Come, all you faithful,/let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ;/behold, joy has come to the whole world through the Cross./Always blessing the Lord,/we sing His Resurrection;/having endured the crucifixion,/destroy death through death.

Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary

My soul magnifies the Lord,/ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

As if you look upon the humility of Your Servant, / behold, from now on all your kindred will please Me.

For the Mighty One has done greatness to Me,/ and holy is His name, and His mercy throughout all generations of those who fear Him.

Create power with Your arm, / squander the proud thoughts of their hearts.

Destroy the mighty from their thrones,/ and lift up the humble; Fill those who hunger with good things, / and those who are rich, let go of their vanities.

Israel will receive His servant, / remember his mercies, / as he spoke to our fathers, Abraham and his seed, even unto the ages.

Chorus for each verse:

The most honorable Cherub/ and the Most Glorious without comparison Seraphim,/ without use-

Who gave birth to the corruption of God the Word, / the present Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

AFTER 1 HOUR:

To the chosen victorious Voivode,/ as having been delivered from the evil ones,/ let us write thanks to Thy servant, the Mother of God;/ but as having an invincible power,/ free us from all troubles, let us call Thee:/ Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

AT THE END OF THE ALL-NIGHT VIgil

In some churches they sing:

We take refuge under Your mercy, Virgin Mother of God: do not despise our prayers in sorrows, but deliver us from troubles, O One Pure and Blessed One.

My most blessed queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and strange intercessors, those who grieve with joy, those who are offended by the patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as you will: for I have no other help except You, no other intercessor, no good comforter, except You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.

P. AT THE DIVINE LITURGY

Symbol of faith

I believe in One God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Spirit of Light and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the one who is coming with glory will judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke the prophets. Into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

During the communion of believers of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the following is sung:

Receive the Body of Christ, taste the immortal source.

III. CHANTS SINGED AT PRAYERS

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, / Comforter, Soul of truth, / Who is everywhere / and fulfills everything, / Treasure of good things / and Giver of life, / come and dwell in us, / and cleanse us from all filth, / and save, O Good One, our souls.

Grateful to the Savior, tone 4

Give thanks to Thy unworthy servants, O Lord,/ for Thy great blessings upon us,/ we glorify Thee, bless, thank, we sing and magnify Thy compassion,/ and slavishly cry out to Thee in love // ​​O our Benefactor, our Savior, glory to Thee.

Troparion, tone 4

We are now diligent to the Mother of God, / sinners and humility, and let us fall, / in repentance calling from the depths of the soul: / Lady, help, having mercy on us, / struggling, we are perishing from many sins, / do not turn away your servant, / / ​​You and One hope imams.

We will never be silent, O Mother of God, / from speaking Your strength, unworthy: / If You had not stood before us begging, / Who would have delivered us from so many troubles, / Who would have kept us free until now? / We will not retreat, O Lady, from You: / Your servants always save you from all kinds of evil ones.

Kontakion, tone 6

The intercession of Christians is shameless, / intercession to the Creator is immutable, / do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, / but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us, / who faithfully call You; / hasten to prayer, and strive to entreaty, / ever interceding, the Mother of God, who honor Cha.

There are no other imams of help, / no other imams of hope, / except You, Most Pure Virgin. / Help us, / we hope in You, / and we boast in You, / For we are Your servants, / Let us not be ashamed.

How is the temple structured and how should one behave in it?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth for our salvation, founded the Church, where he is invisibly present to this day, giving us everything we need for eternal life, where “the Heavenly Powers serve invisibly,” as it is said in the Orthodox chant. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20), He said to His disciples, the apostles, and to all of us who believe in Him. Therefore, those who rarely visit the temple of God lose a lot. Parents who do not care about their children attending church sin even more. Remember the words of the Savior: “Let the little children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14).

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verse 4), the Savior tells us. Spiritual food is just as necessary for the human soul as bodily food is for maintaining bodily strength. And where will a Christian hear the word of God, if not in the temple, where the Lord Himself invisibly instructs those gathered in His name? Whose doctrine is preached in the church? The teaching of the prophets and apostles, who spoke at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the teaching of the Savior Himself, Who is true Wisdom, true Life, true Path, true Light, enlightening every person coming into the world.

Church - Heaven on earth; The worship performed in it is an angelic work. According to the teachings of the Church, when visiting the temple of God, Christians receive a blessing that contributes to success in all their good endeavors. “When you hear the ringing of a church bell calling everyone to prayer, and your conscience tells you: let’s go to the house of the Lord, then, if you can, put everything aside and hurry to the Church of God,” advises St. Theophan the Recluse. “Know that the Guardian Angel your call to the shelter of the house of God; it is he, the inhabitant of heaven, who reminds you of earthly Heaven, in order to sanctify your soul there with the grace of Christ, in order to sweeten your heart with heavenly consolation, and - who knows - maybe he is calling you there for another reason? to take you away from temptation, which you cannot avoid if you stay at home, or to shelter you under the canopy of the temple of God from great danger..."

What does a Christian learn in church? Heavenly wisdom, which was brought to earth by the Son of God - Jesus Christ! Here he learns the details of the Savior’s life, becomes acquainted with the lives and teachings of the saints of God, and takes part in church prayer. And the congregational prayer of believers is great power!

The prayer of one righteous person can do a lot - there are many examples of this in history, but the fervent prayer of those gathered in the house of God brings even greater fruit. When the apostles awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit according to the promise of Christ, they remained together with the Mother of God in the Upper Room of Zion in unanimous prayer. Gathering in the temple of God, we expect that the Holy Spirit will come upon us. This is how it happens... unless we ourselves put obstacles in place.

For example, a lack of openness of heart prevents parishioners from uniting in temple prayer. In our time, this often happens because believers do not behave in the temple of God in the way required by the holiness and greatness of the place. How is the temple structured and how should one behave in it?

About behavior in the temple

Enter the holy temple with spiritual joy.

Remember that the Savior Himself promised to comfort you in sorrow: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28).

Always enter here with humility and meekness, so that you can leave the temple justified, just as the humble evangelical tax collector came out.

Entering the holy temple, make three bows at the waist, and during fasting three bows to the ground, praying: “O Lord, who created me, have mercy,” “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” “Infinitely sinned, Lord, have mercy on me.”

Then, having bowed to the right and left to those who came before you, stand still and listen carefully to the psalms and prayers read in the church, but do not say others to yourself, do not read them from books separately from church singing, for the Apostle Paul condemns such as moving away from church meetings. It’s good if there is a place in the temple where you are used to standing. Walk towards him quietly and modestly, and when passing by the royal gates, stop and reverently cross yourself and bow. If there is no such place yet, do not be embarrassed. Without disturbing others, stand in a free place so that you can hear the singing and reading.

Always come to the holy church early in order to have time to light candles, order a commemoration, and venerate the icons before the service begins. If you are still late, be careful not to disturb the prayers of others. When entering the church during the reading of the Six Psalms, the Gospel, or after the Cherubic Liturgy (when the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts takes place), stand at the entrance doors until the end of these most important parts of the service.

Treat the church candle with reverence: this is a symbol of our prayerful burning before the Lord, His Most Pure Mother, and the holy saints of God. The candles are lit one from the other, which is burning, and, having melted the bottom, they are placed in the socket of the candlestick. The candle must stand strictly straight. If on the day of a great holiday a minister extinguishes your candle in order to light the candle of another, do not be disturbed in spirit: your sacrifice has already been accepted by the All-Seeing and All-Knowing Lord.

During the service, try not to walk around the temple, even to light candles. One should also venerate icons before and after the service, or at a set time - for example, at the all-night vigil after anointing. Some moments of the service, as already mentioned, require special concentration: the reading of the Gospel, the hymn of the Mother of God and the great doxology at the all-night vigil; the prayer “Only Begotten Son...” and the entire liturgy, starting from “Like the Cherubim...”.

In the temple, greet your acquaintances with a silent bow; even with those who are especially close, do not shake hands and do not ask anything - be truly modest. Do not be curious and do not peer into those around you, but pray with sincere feeling, delving into the order and content of the services.

In an Orthodox church it is customary to stand during services. You can only sit while reading kathismas (Psalms) and proverbs (readings from the Old and New Testaments at Great Vespers on great holidays and days of remembrance of especially revered saints). The rest of the time you are allowed to sit down and rest only in cases of ill health. However, Saint Philaret of Moscow said well about bodily weakness: “It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing.”

In church, pray as one participating in the divine service, and not just present, so that the prayers and chants that are read and sung come from your heart; follow the service carefully so that you can pray for exactly what the whole Church is praying for.

If you come with children, make sure that they behave modestly and do not make noise, teach them to pray. If the children need to leave, tell them to cross themselves and leave quietly, or take them out yourself.

Never allow a child to eat in the holy temple, except when the priests are distributing the blessed bread.

If a small child bursts into tears in the temple, immediately take him out or carry him out.

Do not condemn the involuntary mistakes of employees or those present in the temple - it is more useful to delve into your own shortcomings and ask the Lord for forgiveness of your sins.

It happens that during a service, someone in front of your eyes prevents parishioners from praying intently. Don’t get irritated, don’t scold anyone (unless, of course, obvious hooliganism and blasphemy are being committed). Try not to pay attention, and if due to weakness you cannot cope with the temptation, it is better to go quietly to another place.

When you go to the temple of God, prepare money at home for candles, prosphora and church fees: it is inconvenient to change them when buying candles, because this interferes with both the divine service and those praying. Also prepare money for alms.

Until the end of the service, never leave the temple unless absolutely necessary, for this is a sin before God.

If this happens, repent in confession.

Some churches have developed their own “pious” traditions, which prescribe, for example, to pass a candle only over the right shoulder, to fold your hands in a “boat” when the priest says “Peace to all,” “God’s blessing...” and the like. Let us remember that these rules, as not mentioned in the Church Charter, are not important in Orthodox life. Therefore, you should not be upset listening to the teachings of grandmothers. Humbly accepting their reproaches, say: “Forgive me,” and do not try to “enlighten” them. The Church has clergy for this.

The main thing is the mutual love of the parishioners and understanding of the content of the service. If we enter the temple of God with reverence, if, standing in the church, we think that we are in heaven, then the Lord will fulfill all our requests.

About the structure of the temple

The Temple of God differs in appearance from other buildings. Very often the temple of God has the shape of a cross at its base, for by the Cross the Savior delivered us from the power of the devil. Often it is arranged in the form of a ship, symbolizing that the Church, like a ship, like Noah’s Ark, leads us across the sea of ​​life to a quiet harbor in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Sometimes at the base there is a circle - a sign of eternity or an octagonal star, symbolizing that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.

The temple building is usually topped with a dome representing the sky. The dome is crowned by a head on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ. Often, not one, but several chapters are placed on the temple: two chapters mean two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ, three chapters - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four Evangelists, seven chapters - the seven sacraments and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine ranks of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, sometimes more chapters are built.

According to its internal structure, an Orthodox church is divided into three parts: the altar, the middle church and the vestibule. The altar symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. All the believers stand in the middle part. In the first centuries of Christianity, the catechumens stood in the narthex, who were just preparing for the sacrament of Baptism.

Nowadays, people who have sinned grievously are sometimes sent to stand in the vestibule for correction. Also in the narthex you can buy candles, submit notes for remembrance, order a prayer service and memorial service, etc. In front of the entrance to the narthex there is an elevated area called the porch.

Christian churches are built with the altar facing east - in the direction where the sun rises: the Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the invisible Divine light shone for us, we call the “Sun of Truth”, who came “from the heights of the East”.

Each temple is dedicated to God, bearing a name in memory of one or another sacred event or saint of God.

If there are several altars in it, then each of them is consecrated in memory of a special holiday or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called chapels.

The most important part of the temple is the altar. The word "altar" itself means "exalted altar." He usually settles on a hill. Here the clergy perform services and the main shrine is located - the throne on which the Lord Himself is mysteriously present and the sacrament of Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord is performed.

The throne is a specially consecrated table, dressed in two clothes: the lower one is made of white linen and the upper one is made of expensive colored fabric. There are sacred objects on the throne; only clergy can touch it.

To the right of the royal doors is an icon of the Savior, to the left - the Mother of God, then - images of especially revered saints, and to the right of the Savior is usually a temple icon: it depicts a holiday or a saint in whose honor the temple was consecrated.

Icons are also placed along the walls of the temple in frames - icon cases, and lie on lecterns - special tables with an inclined lid.

The elevation in front of the iconostasis is called the solea, the middle of which - a semicircular protrusion in front of the royal doors - is called the pulpit. Here the deacon pronounces litanies and reads the Gospel, and the priest preaches from here. On the pulpit, Holy Communion is also given to believers.

Along the edges of the solea, near the walls, choirs are arranged for readers and choirs. Near the choirs, banners or icons on silk cloth are placed, hung on gilded poles and looking like banners. As church banners, they are carried out by believers during religious processions. In cathedrals, as well as for the bishop's service, there is also a bishop's pulpit in the middle of the church, on which the bishops vest and stand at the beginning of the liturgy, during prayers and during some other church services.

The temple also has a kanunnik, or kanun, with an image of the crucifixion and rows of candlesticks. Before him, funeral services are served - requiem services.

In front of the festive lecterns and revered icons there are candlesticks on which believers place candles.

Hanging from the ceiling are chandeliers with many candles, now electric, lit during solemn moments of the service.

About the services performed in the temple

Public worship, or, as people say, church services, is the main thing for which our churches are intended. Every day the Orthodox Church holds evening, morning and afternoon services in churches. Each of these services consists in turn of three types of services, collectively combined into a daily cycle of services:

vespers - from the 9th hour, vespers and compline;

morning - from midnight office, matins and 1st hour;

daytime - from the 3rd hour, 6th hour and Divine Liturgy.

Thus, the entire daily circle consists of nine services.

At Vespers, the Church remembers the main events of the sacred history of the Old Testament: the creation of the world by God, the fall of the first parents, the Mosaic legislation and the ministry of the prophets. Christians give thanks to the Lord for the day they have lived.

After Vespers, according to the Church Rules, Compline is supposed to be served. In a certain sense, these are public prayers for the sleep of the future, in which the descent of Christ into hell and the liberation of the righteous from the power of the devil are remembered.

At midnight, the third service of the daily cycle is supposed to be performed - the Midnight Office. This service was established to remind Christians of the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment.

Before sunrise, Matins is served - one of the longest services. It is dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Savior and contains many prayers of both repentance and gratitude.

At about seven o'clock in the morning they perform the 1st hour. This is the name of the short service at which the Orthodox Church remembers the presence of Jesus Christ at the trial of the high priest Caiaphas.

The 3rd hour (nine o’clock in the morning) is served in remembrance of the events that took place in the Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, and in Pilate’s Praetorium, where the Savior was sentenced to death.

The 6th hour (noon) is the time of the Lord’s crucifixion, and the 9th hour (three o’clock in the afternoon) is the time of His death on the cross.

The above-mentioned services are dedicated to these events.

The main divine service of the Orthodox Church, a kind of center of the daily circle, is the Divine Liturgy. Unlike other services, the liturgy provides an opportunity not only to remember God and the entire earthly life of the Savior, but also to actually unite with Him in the sacrament of Communion, established by the Lord Himself during the Last Supper. According to the time, the liturgy should be performed between the 6th and 9th hour, before noon, in the pre-dinner time, which is why it is also called mass.

In the evening, Vespers, Matins and the 1st hour are performed in succession. On the eve of Sundays and holidays, these services are combined into one service called the all-night vigil. In ancient times, Christians actually often prayed until dawn, that is, they stayed awake throughout the night. Modern all-night vigils last two to four hours in parishes and three to six hours in monasteries.

In the morning, the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and the Divine Liturgy are served successively. In churches with large congregations, there are two liturgies on Sundays and holidays - early and late. Both are preceded by reading the hours.

On those days when there is no liturgy (for example, on Friday of Holy Week), a short sequence of pictorial ones is performed. This service consists of some chants of the liturgy and, as it were, “depicts” it. But visual arts do not have the status of an independent service.

Divine services also include the performance of all sacraments, rituals, reading of akathists in church, community readings of morning and evening prayers, rules for Holy Communion.

In addition to daily church services (such as Matins, or Vespers, or the Hours), services are also performed according to the needs of Christians, that is, requirements. For example: Baptism, Wedding, Unction, prayer services, funeral services and others.

Divine services are usually performed in church and only by clergy, while believers participate in them through prayer and singing.

On the meaning of the all-night vigil and the Divine Liturgy

All-night vigil

The first opening of the royal doors and the censing of the altar depict the appearance of the glory of God in the creation of the world and man and the blissful state of the first parents in the paradise of God after their creation.

The singing of the 103rd Psalm (initial) “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” depicts a majestic picture of the creation of the world. The priest’s movement during the singing of this psalm depicts the action of the Spirit of God, which hovered over the waters during the creation of the world. The lit lamp, presented by the deacon during the incense, signifies the light that, according to the Creative Voice, appeared after the first evening of existence.

The closing of the royal gates after the singing of the psalm and incense means that soon after the creation of the world and man, the gates of paradise were closed (closed) as a result of the crime of the forefather Adam. The reading by the priest of the lamp (evening) prayers before the royal doors marks the repentance of the forefather Adam and his descendants, who, in the person of the priest, before the closed royal doors, as before the closed doors of heaven, pray to their Creator for mercy.

The singing of the psalm “Blessed is the man” with verses from the first three psalms and the reading of the 1st kathisma partly depicts the blessed state of the first parents in paradise, partly the repentance of those who sinned and their hope in the Redeemer promised by God.

The singing of “Lord, I have cried” with verses signifies the sorrow of the fallen forefather and his prayerful sighs before the closed gates of paradise, and at the same time the firm hope that the Lord, through faith in the promised Redeemer, will cleanse and deliver the human race from the falls of sin. This singing also depicts praise to God for His great mercies to us.

The opening of the royal doors during the singing of the dogmatist (Theotokos) means that through the incarnation of the Son of God from the Blessed Virgin Mary and His descent to earth, the doors of heaven were opened for us.

The descent of the priest from the altar to the sole and his secret prayer marks the descent of the Son of God to earth for our redemption. The deacon, preceding the priest, represents the image of St. John the Baptist, who prepared people to receive the Savior of the world. The censing performed by the deacon indicates that along with the coming to earth of the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, the Holy Spirit filled the whole world with His grace. The entry of the priest into the altar marks the ascension of the Savior into Heaven, and the approach of the priest to the high place signifies the sitting of the Son of God at the right hand of the Father and intercession before His Father for the human race.

With the deacon's cry "Wisdom, forgive me!" The Holy Church teaches us to listen with reverence to the evening entrance. The chant “Quiet Light” contains the glorification of Christ the Savior for His descent to earth and the completion of our redemption.

Litiya (common procession and common prayer) contains special prayers for our bodily and spiritual needs, and above all - for the forgiveness of our sins by God's mercy.

The prayer “Now you let go” (see page 45) tells of the meeting (meeting) of the Lord Jesus Christ by the righteous elder Simeon in the Temple of Jerusalem and indicates the need for constant remembrance of the hour of death.

The prayer “Rejoice, Virgin Mary” (see page 44) recalls the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Six Psalms is the cry of a repentant sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. Incomplete lighting in the temple during the reading of the Six Psalms recalls the state of the soul in sin. The flickering of the lamps depicts the night of the Nativity of Christ, which was announced by the joyful praise of the Angels: “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.” The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the sorrow of a soul that has moved away from God and is seeking Him. The priest, during the reading of the Six Psalms, reading the Matins prayers before the royal doors, reminds of the eternal Intercessor of the New Testament before God the Father - the Lord Jesus Christ. Reading the second half of the Six Psalms reveals the state of a repentant soul reconciled with God.

The singing of “God is the Lord and appears to us” recalls the salvation accomplished by the Savior who appeared in the world.

The singing of the Sunday troparion depicts the glory and majesty of the risen Christ.

Reading kathismas reminds us of the great sorrows of the Lord Jesus Christ.

By singing the verses “Praise the name of the Lord,” the Holy Church glorifies the Lord for His many benefits and mercies to the human race.

The troparion "Cathedral of Angels" recalls the Angel's gospel to the myrrh-bearing women about the Resurrection of the Savior.

During the Sunday all-night vigil, the Holy Gospel is read, announcing the appearance of the risen Lord to the myrrh-bearing women or apostles.

At the end of the Gospel reading, the deacon ascends with the Gospel to the pulpit, stands facing the people, raising the Gospel above his head. Those praying look at him with special reverence, as at the risen Lord Himself, worshiping and crying out: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...” (see p. 44). This singing should be nationwide. The Gospel is then carried to the middle of the temple for worship and kissing by the faithful.

The canons of Matins glorify the Resurrection of Christ (or other sacred events from the life of the Lord), the Most Holy Theotokos, the holy Angels and saints of God honored on this day.

Between the 8th and 9th songs of the canon, the hymn of the Mother of God is sung (see page 45), composed of the songs of the Most Holy Theotokos and the righteous Zechariah (Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 46-55, 68-79). The charter assigned this song a particularly reverent performance. The Song of the Theotokos has its own refrain, the same for all its six verses: “The most honorable Cherub and the most Glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.” In this song, the Blessed Virgin is confessed to be the true Mother of God and, with the great boldness of faith, is placed above the highest ranks of angels. The song of the Theotokos stands out from a number of others by the special exclamation of the deacon before it, inviting the glorification of the Mother of God: “Let us exalt the Mother of God and the Mother of Light with songs,” which notes the need for special attention to the song. When singing “The Most Honest”, the Church Charter prescribes bowing at each verse, calling on them to express their special respect to the Mother of God.

In praising stichera and in great doxology, special thanksgiving and glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ is offered.

Divine Liturgy

At the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, the entire earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ is remembered.

The liturgy is conventionally divided into three parts - the proskomedia, the liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful.

At the proskomedia, usually performed during the reading of the 3rd and 6th hours, the Nativity of the Savior is remembered.

At the same time, the Old Testament prophecies about His suffering and death are also remembered. At the proskomedia, substances are prepared for the celebration of the Eucharist and living and deceased members of the Church are commemorated. The souls of the departed experience great joy from their commemoration at the Divine Liturgy. Therefore, hurry to the temple of God to attend the proskomedia, remembering the health and repose of your relatives, those you know, and all Orthodox Christians. You can pray for the departed like this: “Remember, Lord, the souls of Your departed servants (names) and forgive their sins, voluntary and involuntary, granting them the Kingdom and the communion of Your eternal blessings and Your endless and blissful life of pleasure.”

When reading the Apostle, the deacon's censing must be responded to by bowing the head. Reading the Apostle and censing means the preaching of the apostles to the whole world.

While reading the Gospel, as if listening to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, you should stand with your head bowed.

At the Liturgy of the Faithful, the great entrance symbolizes the exit of the Lord Jesus Christ to free suffering for the salvation of the world.

The singing of the Cherubic song with the royal doors open is performed in imitation of the Angels, who constantly glorify the Heavenly King and invisibly solemnly accompany Him in the prepared and transferred Holy Gifts.

The placing of the Holy Gifts on the throne, the closing of the royal doors and the drawing of the curtain signify the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, the rolling of the stone and the application of a seal to His tomb.

At the end of the first half of the Cherubic Song, a bow is required. During the commemoration of His Holiness the Patriarch, the local bishop and others, it is necessary to stand reverently, with a bowed head and at the words “And all of you, Orthodox Christians,” say to yourself: “May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom.” This is what is said during the ministry of a bishop. When serving other clergy, one should say to oneself: “May the Lord God remember your priesthood in His Kingdom.”

At the end of the commemoration, you should say to yourself: “Remember me, Lord, when (when) you come in Your Kingdom.”

The words “Doors, doors” before the singing of the Creed (see page 43) in ancient times referred to the gatekeepers, so that they would not allow catechumens or pagans into the temple during the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Now these words remind the faithful not to allow thoughts of sin to enter the doors of their hearts. The words “Let us listen to wisdom” (let us listen) call the attention of believers to the saving teaching of the Orthodox Church, set out in the Creed.

During the celebration of the very sacrament of the Holy Eucharist - the transmutation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for the living and the dead, one must pray with special attention and at the end of singing “We sing to You...” with the words “and we pray to Thee (we pray You), our God, must bow to the ground to the Body and Blood of Christ. The importance of this minute is so great that not a single minute of our life can compare with it. In this sacred moment lies all our salvation and God’s love for the human race, for God appeared in the flesh.

While singing “It is Worthy to Eat” (see page 44) (or another sacred song in honor of the Mother of God - the worthy one), the priest prays for the living and the dead, remembering them by name, especially those for whom the Divine Liturgy is performed. And those present in the temple should at this time remember by name their loved ones, living and dead.

After “It is worthy to eat” or the deserving person replacing it, a bow is required. At the words “And everyone and everything,” a bow is made from the waist.

At the beginning of the nationwide singing of the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” (see page 43), one should make the sign of the cross and bow.

When the priest exclaims “Holy to Holies,” prostration is required for the sake of lifting up the Holy Lamb before His fragmentation. At this time, the Last Supper and the last conversation of the Lord Jesus Christ with the disciples, His suffering on the cross, death and burial are remembered.

After the opening of the royal doors and the presentation of the Holy Gifts, which means the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ after His Resurrection, with the exclamation “Come with the fear of God and faith,” a bow to the ground is required.

People approach Holy Communion after repentance of sins in confession and the priest’s prayer of permission (only children under seven years old are allowed to receive communion without confession). Those preparing for Communion must necessarily attend the evening service the day before, read the three canons (to the Savior, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel) and proceed to Holy Communion, fast for at least three days (you can consult with the priest about the extent of fasting) and not eat or drink anything starting from twelve o'clock at night.

Before communion, fold your hands crosswise on your chest (right to left). Do not cross yourself near the cup, so as not to accidentally push it. Approach the cup with great reverence and fear of God, pronounce your name clearly and distinctly, and with faith and love for Christ, partake of His Holy Body and Blood, kiss the bottom of the cup. Then go to the table to wash down the Communion with warmth. We must especially thank the Lord for His great mercy, for the gracious gift of Holy Communion: “Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God!” After communion, listen (or read) attentively the prayers of thanksgiving. Prostrations to the ground on this day are not performed by the communicants until the evening. Those who do not receive communion at the Divine Liturgy, during the holy moments of communion, should stand in the church with reverent prayer, without thinking about earthly things, without leaving the church at this time, so as not to offend the Holy Place of the Lord and not to violate the decorum of the church.

At the last appearance of the Holy Gifts, depicting the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven, with the words of the priest “Always, now and ever and unto ages of ages,” a bow to the ground with the sign of the cross is required for those who have not been honored with the Holy Mysteries, and for communicants - a bow with the sign of the cross. sign of the cross.

At the end of the liturgy, go and venerate the cross given by the priest. After kissing the cross, kiss the priest's hand.

About bows and the sign of the cross

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

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

You need to make the sign of the cross slowly: place it on your forehead, on your stomach, on your right shoulder and then on your left. And only by lowering your right hand, make a bow, so as to involuntarily prevent blasphemy by breaking the cross placed on yourself.

About those who signify themselves with all five, or bow without having yet finished the cross, or wave their hand in the air or across their chest, St. John Chrysostom said: “The demons rejoice at that frantic waving.”

On the contrary, the sign of the cross, performed correctly and slowly, with faith and reverence, frightens demons, calms sinful passions and attracts Divine grace.

In the temple, the following rules regarding bowing and the sign of the cross must be observed.

One should be baptized without bowing:

At the beginning of the Six Psalms with the words “Glory to God in the Highest...” three times and in the middle with “Alleluia” three times.

At the beginning of singing or reading "I Believe".

On release "Christ our true God...".

At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.

One should be baptized with a bow from the waist:

When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.

At each petition, the litany is followed by the singing of “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”

With the exclamation of the clergyman giving glory to the Holy Trinity.

At the cry of “Take, eat...”, “Drink from it all...”, “Thine from Thine...”.

At the words “Most honorable Cherub...”.

With each proclamation of the words “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”

While reading or singing “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and while shouting “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.

During the reading of the canon at Matins while invoking the Lord, the Mother of God and the saints.

At the end of the singing or reading of each stichera.

At the litia, after each of the first two petitions of the litany, there are three bows, after the other two, one bow each.

One should be baptized with a bow to the ground:

During the fast when entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.

During Lent at Matins, after each chorus to the song to the Theotokos “My soul magnifies the Lord” after the words “We magnify you.”

At the beginning of the liturgy, “It is worthy and righteous to eat...”.

At the end of singing “We will sing to you...”.

After “It is worthy to eat...” or worthy.

With the cry of “Holy to Holies.”

With the exclamation “And grant us, O Master...” before the singing of “Our Father.”

When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever...”.

In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “To the Most Holy Lady...” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.

During Great Lent, during the final singing of “Remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom,” three bows to the ground are required.

A half-length bow without the sign of the cross is placed:

At the words of the priest, “Peace to all,” “The blessing of the Lord be upon you...”, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...”, “And may the mercies of the Great God be...”.

With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).

Prostrations to the ground are not allowed:

On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration.

At the words “Let us bow our heads to the Lord” or “Bow our heads to the Lord,” all those praying bow their heads (without the sign of the cross), since at this time the priest secretly (that is, to himself), and at the litia loudly (loudly) reads the prayer, in to which he prays for all those present who have bowed their heads. This prayer ends with an exclamation in which glory is given to the Holy Trinity.

About the priestly blessing

The clergy (that is, people who have received the grace of the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of the Priesthood for the sacred service of the Church of Christ) - bishops (bishops) and priests (priests) sign us with the sign of the cross. This kind of overshadowing is called a blessing.

When a priest or bishop blesses us with his hand, he folds his fingers so that they depict the letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ. This means that through the priest our Lord Jesus Christ Himself blesses us.

Therefore, we must accept the blessing of a priest with reverence.

To receive a personal blessing from a priest or bishop, you need to fold your hands in a cross: right over left, palms up, saying the words: “Bless, father (or bishop).” Having received a blessing, we kiss the hand that blesses us - we kiss, as it were, the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself. As St. John Chrysostom says, “it is not man who blesses, but God with his hand and tongue.” This is clear from the words of the priest - “God bless!” Call on God’s blessing not only in important matters and dangerous undertakings, but also in all your ordinary everyday activities: on your food, so that you can eat it for health; for your honest work and in general for your good undertakings, so that they are successful; on your path, so that it may be prosperous; on your children, so that they grow up in faith and piety; for all your wealth, so that it may increase for the benefit of you and your neighbors.

Without God's blessing, no business can succeed. That is why our pious ancestors tried to begin every task after prayer and having received a blessing from the priest.

About commemoration

The Church makes the main prayer for the health of the living and the repose of deceased Orthodox Christians at the Divine Liturgy, offering a bloodless sacrifice to God for them. To do this, before the start of the liturgy (or the night before), you should submit notes to the church with their names (only baptized, Orthodox Christians can be entered). At the proskomedia, particles will be taken out of the prosphoras for their health or for their repose, and at the end of the liturgy they will be lowered into the holy chalice and washed with the Blood of the Son of God as a sign of Christ’s washing away human sins. Let us remember that commemoration at the Divine Liturgy is the greatest benefit for those who are dear to us.

An eight-pointed Orthodox cross is usually placed at the top of the note. Then the type of commemoration is indicated: “On health” or “On repose”, after which the names of those commemorated in the genitive case are written in large, legible handwriting (to answer the question “who?”), with clergy and monastics mentioned first, indicating the rank and degree of monasticism (for example , Metropolitan John, Schema-Hegumen Savva, Archpriest Alexander, nuns Rachel, Andrey, Nina).

All names must be given in church spelling (for example, Tatiana, Alexy) and in full (Mikhail, Lyubov, and not Misha, Lyuba).

The number of names on the note does not matter;

you just need to take into account that the priest has the opportunity to read not very long notes more carefully. Therefore, it is better to submit several notes if you want to remember many of your loved ones.

By submitting notes, the parishioner makes a donation for the needs of the monastery or temple. To avoid any embarrassment, please remember that the difference in prices (registered or plain notes) only reflects the difference in the amount of the donation. Also, do not be embarrassed if you did not hear the names of your relatives mentioned in the litany. As mentioned above, the main commemoration takes place at the proskomedia when removing particles from the prosphora. During the health and funeral litany, you can take out your memorial and pray for your loved ones.

Regarding additional information about the person mentioned in the note, the following must be said.

The only thing the priest performing proskomedia needs to know is the name of the Christian given to him at baptism or (for monks) at tonsure, as well as the holy order or degree of monasticism, if any.

Many, however, indicate in their notes before the names some information about the age, rank or position of their relatives, for example, ml. (baby, that is, a child under 7 years old), neg. (adolescent or young woman - up to 14 years old), c.

(warrior), bol. (sick, painful), concl. (prisoner, prisoner), put. (travelling, traveling), ub.

God is pleased that we receive help from Him in our needs through prayers to the Mother of God and the saints.

So, for example, prayers before the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”, to the holy martyr Boniface, righteous John of Kronstadt help against the disease of drinking wine;

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the patron saint of travelers, helps to marry off daughters, and generally quickly responds to various requests for help; holy warriors Theodore Stratilates, John the Warrior, noble prince Alexander Nevsky and others, as well as John the Baptist, patronize Orthodox warriors; in illnesses we resort for help to the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the holy unmercenary doctors Cosmas and Damian; the name of many icons of the Mother of God (for example, “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, “Helper of Sinners”, “Softening of Evil Hearts”, “Mammal-Nursing”, “Merciful”, “Quick to Hear”, “Healer”, “Burning Bush”, “Recovery of the Lost”) ", "Unexpected Joy", "Quench my sorrows", "Look at humility") says that She is our zealous Intercessor before God in various needs.

At the end of the prayer service, the priest usually consecrates the icons and crosses, sprinkling them with holy water and reading a prayer.

The memorial service is served before the eve - a special table with an image of the crucifixion and rows of candlesticks.

Here you can leave an offering for the needs of the temple in memory of deceased loved ones.

Notes for a prayer service or memorial service are formatted as follows: the type of note is indicated at the top (for example, “Prayer of thanksgiving to the Savior,” “Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God for health,” “Requiem service”), and then the names are written in the usual order.

In many monasteries there is a special requirement - the commemoration of the living and the dead during the reading of the Psalter (this is an ancient Orthodox custom).

Prosphora's origins go back to ancient times. Its prototype was the showbread in the tabernacle of Moses. In the first centuries of Christianity, believers themselves brought with them bread, wine, oil (that is, olive oil), wax for candles - everything they needed to perform worship. This offering (in Greek prosphora), or donation, was accepted by the deacons; The names of those who brought them were included in a special list, which was prayerfully proclaimed during the consecration of the gifts. Relatives and friends of the deceased made offerings on their behalf, and the names of the deceased were also remembered in prayer. From these voluntary offerings (prosphora), part of the bread and wine was separated for transfusion into the Body and Blood of Christ, candles were made from wax, and other gifts, over which prayers were also said, were distributed to the believers. Subsequently, prosphora began to be called only bread used for the liturgy. Over time, instead of ordinary bread, they began to specially bake prosphora in the church, accepting money as a donation in addition to ordinary offerings.

The prosphora consists of two parts, which are made from dough separately from one another and then joined together. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar HI KA (victory in Greek). Prosphora, made from flour from the grains of countless ears of ears, means both human nature, consisting of many elements of nature, and humanity as a whole, consisting of many people. Moreover, the lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly (carnal) composition of man and humanity; the upper part with the seal corresponds to the spiritual principle in man and humanity, in which the image of God is imprinted and the Spirit of God is mysteriously present.

The division of the prosphora into two parts visibly signifies this invisible division of human nature into flesh (flour and water) and soul (yeast and holy water), which are in an inseparable, but also unfused unity, which is why the upper and lower parts of the prosphora are made separately from one another , but then connect so that they become one. The seal on the top of the prosphora visibly denotes the invisible seal of the image of God, which penetrates the entire nature of man and is the highest principle in him. This arrangement of the prosphora corresponds to the structure of man before the Fall and the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, who restored in Himself this structure disrupted by the Fall.

The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note “On health” or “On repose” before the start of the service. The names indicated in the notes are read at the altar, and for each name a particle is taken out of the prosphora, which is why such a prosphora is also called “taken out.”

At the end of the liturgy, the antidor is distributed to the worshipers - small parts of the prosphora from which the Holy Lamb was taken out at the proskomedia. The Greek word antidor comes from the words anti - instead of and di oron - gift, that is, the exact translation of this word is instead of gift.

“Antidorus,” says Saint Simeon of Thessalonica, “is sacred bread, which was offered as an offering and the middle of which was taken out and used for sacred rites; this bread, as sealed with a copy and having received the Divine words, is taught instead of the Terrible Gifts, that is, the Mysteries, to those who they did not receive communion."

The antidor should be received reverently, folding your palms crosswise, right over left, and kissing the hand of the priest giving this gift. According to the rules of the Church, the antidoron must be eaten in church, on an empty stomach and with reverence, because this is holy bread, bread from the altar of God, part of the offerings to the altar of Christ, from which it receives heavenly sanctification.

The word artos (in Greek leavened bread) means consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise it means whole prosphora.

Artos, throughout Bright Week, occupies the most prominent place in the church along with the image of the Resurrection of the Lord and is distributed to believers at the conclusion of Easter celebrations.

The use of artos dates back to the very beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ found consolation in prayerful memories of the Lord - they recalled His every word, every step and every action. Gathering for common prayer, they remembered the Last Supper and partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. When preparing an ordinary meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Lord and placed bread in this place. Imitating the apostles, the first shepherds of the Church established that on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, bread should be placed in the church as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us became for us the true bread of life.

The artos depicts the Resurrection of Christ or a cross on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but not the crucified Christ, as a sign of Christ’s victory over death.

The artos is consecrated with a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and censing on the first day of Holy Easter at the liturgy after the prayer behind the pulpit. On the sole opposite the royal doors, an artos is placed on a prepared table. After censing around the table with the artos, the priest reads a special prayer, after which he sprinkles the artos with holy water three times with the words “This artos is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling sowing sacred water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The consecrated artos is placed on the sole in front of the image of the Savior, where it lies throughout Holy Week. On all days of Bright Week, at the end of the liturgy with artos, a procession of the cross around the temple is solemnly performed.

On Saturday of Bright Week, at the end of the liturgy, the priest says a special prayer, during the reading of which the artos is crushed, and when kissing the cross, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.

Particles of artos received in the temple are reverently kept by believers as a spiritual cure for illnesses and infirmities. Artos is used in special cases, for example, in illness, and always with the words “Christ is Risen!”

The prosphora and artos are kept in the holy corner near the icons. Spoiled prosphora and artos should be burned yourself (or taken to church for this) or floated down the river with clean water.

About holy water

All our lives there is a great shrine next to us - holy water (in Greek "agiasma" - "shrine").

We first plunge into it at Baptism, when, upon receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of Baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him into a new life in Christ.

Holy water is necessarily present during the consecration of churches and all objects used in worship, during the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, and any household item. We are sprinkled with holy water at religious processions and prayer services.

On the day of Epiphany, every Orthodox Christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, prayerfully communing with holy water in illnesses and all infirmities.

“Consecrated water,” as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, “has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.” She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily illnesses. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, after the confession of the pilgrims, always gave them to drink from the cup of holy Epiphany water.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill patient - and to the amazement of the doctors, the incurable disease went away.

Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised sprinkling food and the food itself with Jordanian (baptismal) water, which, in his words, “itself sanctifies everything.” When someone was very sick, Elder Seraphim gave his blessing to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour.

The elder said that there is no stronger medicine than holy water and blessed oil.

The rite of water blessing, which is performed on the feast of Epiphany, is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Church sees not only the mysterious washing of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water through the immersion of God according to the flesh.

The Great Blessing of Water is performed twice - on the very day of Epiphany, and also the day before, on the eve of Epiphany (Epiphany Eve). Some believers mistakenly believe that the water blessed these days is different.

According to the belief of the Church, agiasma is not simple water of spiritual significance, but a new being, spiritual-physical being, the interconnectedness of Heaven and earth, grace and substance, and, moreover, a very close one.

That is why the great agiasma, according to the canons of the Church, is considered as a kind of lower degree of Holy Communion: in those cases when, due to sins committed, a member of the Church is subject to penance and a ban on approaching the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the usual canon clause is made: “Let him drink the agiasma.” .

Epiphany water is a shrine that should be in every home of an Orthodox Christian. It is carefully kept in the holy corner near the icons.

In addition to Epiphany water, Orthodox Christians often use water blessed at prayer services (small blessing of water) performed throughout the year.

The small consecration of water is necessarily performed by the Church on the day of the Origin (removal) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and on the day of Midsummer, when the words of the Savior, full of the deepest mystery, spoken by Him to the Samaritan woman are remembered: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst “But the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life” (Gospel of John, chapter 4, verse 14).

It is customary to drink holy Epiphany water on an empty stomach along with prosphora after the morning prayer rule with special reverence as a shrine. “When a person consumes prosphora and holy water,” said the reclusive Georgy Zadonsky, “then the unclean spirit does not approach him, the soul and body are sanctified, thoughts are illuminated to please God, and the person is inclined to fasting, prayer and all virtues.”

Prayer for accepting prosphora and holy water

Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your infinite mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints Yours. Amen.

A church candle is a sacred property of Orthodoxy. She is a symbol of our spiritual union with the holy Mother Church. The candles that believers buy in church to place in candlesticks near icons have several spiritual meanings: since a candle is bought, it is a sign of a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God and His temple, an expression of a person’s readiness to obey God (the softness of the wax), his desire for deification , transformation into a new creature (burning a candle). A candle is also evidence of faith, a person’s involvement in the Divine light. A candle expresses the warmth and flame of a person’s love for the Lord, the Mother of God, an Angel or a saint, at whose faces the believer places his candle.

Lighting candles in a church is part of the service, it is a sacrifice to God, and just as you cannot disturb the order in the church with unworthy, restless behavior, you also cannot create disorder by passing your candle through the entire church during the service, or, even worse, squeezing into a candlestick to install it yourself.

If you want to light a candle, come before the service starts. It is sad to see how those who came to the temple in the middle of the service, late, at the most important and solemn moments of the service, when everything freezes in thanksgiving to God, violate the decorum in the temple, passing their candles, distracting other believers.

If anyone is late for the service, let him wait until the end of the service, and then, if he has such a desire or need, light a candle without distracting others or disturbing decorum.

Buying candles is a small sacrifice to God and His temple, a voluntary and easy sacrifice. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase candles in the temple where you came to pray. An expensive candle is not at all more beneficial than a small one. There are no mandatory rules about where and how many candles believers should place. However, according to the established tradition, first of all, a candle is lit for the Holiday or a revered temple icon, then for the relics of a saint, if there are any in the temple, for your saint (whose name you bear), and only then for health or repose. For the dead, candles are placed on the eve of the crucifixion, mentally saying: “Remember, Lord, your departed servant (name) and forgive his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven.”

For health or any need, candles are usually lit for the Savior, the Mother of God, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, as well as those saints to whom the Lord has given special grace to heal illnesses and provide help in various needs.

Having placed a candle in front of the saint of God you have chosen, mentally say: “Holy servant of God (name), pray to God for me, a sinner (or the name for whom you are asking for).”

Then you need to come up and, having crossed yourself and bowed, venerate the icon.

We must remember: in order for prayers to reach, one must pray to the holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God and with words coming from the heart.

If you light a candle to the image of all the saints, turn your mind to the entire host of saints and the entire heavenly army and pray: “All saints, pray to God for us.” All the saints always pray to God for us. He alone has mercy on everyone, and is always lenient towards the requests of His saints.

About kissing the Holy Gospel, the Cross, holy relics and icons

When applying to the Holy Gospel, the Cross, honorable relics and icons (kissing them), one should approach in the proper order, slowly and without crowding, make two bows before kissing and one after kissing the shrine, bows should be made throughout the day - earthly or deep waist, touching hand of the earth. When kissing icons of the Savior, you should kiss the foot (in the case of half-length images, the hand); to the icons of the Mother of God and saints - in the hand; to the icon of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and to the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - in a braid of hair.

An icon may depict several sacred persons, but when there is a gathering of worshipers, the icon is supposed to be kissed once, so as not to detain others and thereby disturb the decorum of the church.

Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or: “I have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy on me.”

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, you can say the following prayer: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”

Before the Honest Life-Giving Cross of Christ, they read the prayer “We worship Your Cross, O Lord, and glorify Your Holy Resurrection,” followed by a bow.

Your first prayers

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Symbol of faith

I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

Virgin Mary

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Worthy to eat

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Sunday hymn for reading the Gospel

Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We worship Your Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Your holy Resurrection: for You are our God, do we know no other than You, we call Your name. Come, all you faithful, let us worship the Holy Resurrection of Christ: behold, through the Cross joy has come to the whole world. Always blessing the Lord, we sing His Resurrection: having endured the crucifixion, destroy death by death.

Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

As you have looked upon the humility of Your servant, behold, from now on all your kindred will please Me.

For the Mighty One has done greatness to Me, and holy is His name, and His mercy throughout all generations of those who fear Him.

As you have looked upon the humility of Your servant, behold, from now on all your kindred will please Me.

Create power with Your arm, scatter the proud thoughts of their hearts.

The most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison the Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, the real Mother of God, we magnify You. Descend the mighty from the throne, and exalt the humble; Fill those who hunger with good things, and those who are rich let go of their vanities.

As you have looked upon the humility of Your servant, behold, from now on all your kindred will please Me.

Israel will receive His servant, remembering his mercies, as he said to our fathers, Abraham and his seed, even unto eternity.

As you have looked upon the humility of Your servant, behold, from now on all your kindred will please Me.

Prayer of Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver

Now release Thy servant, O Master, according to Thy word in peace; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light for the revelation of tongues, and the glory of Your people Israel.

Psalm 50, repentance

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me.

Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. My hearing brings joy and joy; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.
HOW TO PRAY CORRECTLY IN CHURCH.
Orthodox Christians have accepted from the Holy Fathers and practice the following customs all over the world:
1. Entering the temple and making the sign of the cross, they make three small bows, saying:
“I have sinned beyond number, Lord, forgive me.”
2. Then, having bowed to the right and to the left, they stand still and listen to the psalms and prayers read in the church, but do not say other prayers to themselves, their own, and do not read them from books separately from church singing, for such are condemned by St. the Apostle Paul, as those withdrawing from the church meeting (Heb. 10:25).

3. Small and great bows should be done not according to one’s own will, but according to the institution of the saint. apostles and saints father. Namely: when reading the Trisagion (“Holy God”), “Come, let us worship” and the threefold “Alleluia”, make the sign of the cross three times, making small bows; the same is true when reading “Vouchsafe, O Lord,” as well as at the beginning of the great doxology (“Glory to God in the highest”) and after the words of the priest: “Glory to Thee, Christ God, our hope.” After each exclamation of the priest, as well as when the reader reads “The Most Honest Cherub,” make the sign of the cross and make a small bow.
On weekdays, bow to the ground during the liturgy:
a) at the beginning of singing “Worthy and Righteous”;
b) when the prayer “We sing to You” ends;
c) at the end of the prayer “It is worthy to eat” or the Zadostoynik;
d) at the beginning of the prayer “Our Father”;
e) when wearing St. Gifts for Communion
f) and with the words “Always, now and ever.”
At Matins or the All-Night Vigil, when it is proclaimed: “Let us exalt the Theotokos and Mother of Light in song.”
On Sundays, as well as from St. Easter until the evening of St. Trinity, as well as from the day of the Nativity of Christ to the day of Baptism, also on the day of the Transfiguration and Exaltation, the holy apostles completely forbade kneeling and bowing to the ground, as evidenced by St. Basil the Great in his letter to Blessed Amphilochius. The same was approved by the Ecumenical Councils I and VI; for Sundays and other feasts of the Lord contain the remembrance of our reconciliation with God, according to the word of the Apostle: “Be a servant, but a son” (Gal. 4:7); It is not appropriate for sons to perform slavish worship.
4. It is not common for Orthodox Christians to kneel with their heads raised, but at the words of the priest: “Pack and pack, bend the knee,” and so on. to prostrate oneself on the ground; the custom of kneeling at one’s own will, folding one’s hands and beating one’s chest was adopted from Western heretics, but is not allowed in the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christians, according to the Church Charter, bow to the ground at the appointed time, prostrate themselves and stand on their feet again.
5. When in church they signify the people with a cross or the Gospel, an image or a Chalice, then everyone is baptized, bowing their heads, and when they signify with candles or bless with their hands, or burn incense to those present, then Orthodox Christians should not be baptized, but only bow their heads; Only on Bright Week of Easter, when the priest censes with the Cross in his hand, does everyone cross themselves and say: “Truly he is risen.” Thus, there should be a distinction between worship before a shrine and before people, although in a holy order.
6. When accepting the blessing of a priest or bishop, Christians kiss his right hand, but do not cross themselves before doing so. One should not kiss the left hand of clergy, for this is characteristic only of Jews, but the right hand, through which the blessing is transmitted.
7. The sign of the cross, according to the teachings of the holy fathers, should be done like this: folding your right hand into three fingers, place it on your forehead, on your belly, on your right shoulder and on your left, and then, placing the cross on yourself, bend over; about those who signify themselves with all five hands, or bow before finishing the cross, or wave their hand in the air or across their chest, it is said in Chrysostom: “The demons rejoice at that frantic waving.” On the contrary, the sign of the cross, performed earnestly with faith and reverence, frightens demons, calms sinful passions and attracts Divine grace.

To be baptized without bowing:
1. In the middle of the six psalms, “Alleluia” three times.
2. At the beginning “I believe.”
3. On vacation “Christ our true God.”
4. At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.

Cross yourself with a bow:
1. When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
2. At each petition, the litany after singing “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words “Most honorable Cherub.”
6. With every word “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”
7. During the words “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and during the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.
8. On the canon on the 1st and 9th cantos at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saints.
9. After each stichera (moreover, the choir that finishes singing is baptized).
10. At the litia, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one each.

Be baptized with a bow to the ground:
1. During fasting, when entering the temple and when leaving it - 3 times.
2. During Lent, after each chorus to the song of the Mother of God “We magnify Thee.”
3. At the beginning of singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat.”
4. After “We’ll sing for you.”
5. After “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik.
6. When shouting: “And grant us, O Master.”
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and a second time - with the words “Always, now and ever.”
8. In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “The Most Holy Lady” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
9. During fasting, during the prayer “Lord and Master of my life.”
10. During the fast, during the final singing: “Remember me, Lord, when you come in Your Kingdom.” Just 3 prostrations.

Half-length bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest “Peace to all”
2. “The blessing of the Lord be upon you,”
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”,
4. “And may the mercies of the Great God be” and
5. With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).

It is not necessary to be baptized:
1. During the psalms.
2. In general, while singing.
3. During the litanies, to the choir who sings the litany choruses
4. You need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not about the last words.

Prostrations to the ground are not allowed: On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance on the occasion of the holiday until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.

Many who visited the church saw the following announcement in them: “The Lord sends sorrow to those who speak in the temple.” Others have seen this strange appeal online. But few people understand what this means. And it’s true, we don’t know at all how to behave and, most importantly, how to pray correctly in church. But prayer is a great work, and learning it is not easy.

Types of prayers

There are not only certain rules of behavior in the church, but also basic concepts about prayers and how they are performed. First, it is worth highlighting some of their types:

• Brief.
• Prayer rules.
• Homemade.
• Fraternal or common.
• By agreement.
• Saints.
• In front of the icons.
• For the people.

The latter type can also be divided into several categories, each of which is very important:

• For your neighbors.
• For your peace.
• About health.
• About enemies.

What is prayer

First, you need to understand what prayer is and how Orthodox Christians pray. This is direct communication, a conversation with God, but not the kind of God that other religions imagine, but the Living God, whose presence we feel. God, who became a man for us, who atoned for our sins. Yes, don’t be surprised, ours, the people who lived before us and those who will live long after us.

It was by His death on the cross that Christ again opened the way to heaven for man, to which no one had access before the crucifixion of Christ. Both by death and by his life He showed us the way to salvation, resurrection and eternal life. So we, Christians, including Orthodox Christians, pray about this throughout our earthly lives.

And our God, the Living, hears us, helps and by His will in every possible way arranges our path to salvation, the instrument of which is prayer. But it should not become the background in human life, but must be the content and an auxiliary means to unity with the Lord.

When is the best time to pray?

Realizing that prayer is a dialogue with God, the question arises when to conduct it. The Apostle Paul told us to pray unceasingly, as soon as you have a free minute in your thoughts, immediately turn to God. The Jesus Prayer is more suitable for this, and do not believe anyone who tells you that reading it is dangerous or harmful, or that it is only needed by monks. It is not true.

It sounds like this: “ Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner)". And in abbreviated form it looks and is pronounced like this: “ Lord have mercy" In fact, many resort to these words constantly, but nothing terrible has happened, it follows that the laity can pray with these words, despite the far-fetched prohibitions. And only monks are allowed to read it while fingering their beads.

The most correct decision would be to take the priest’s blessing to say the Jesus Prayer. But it’s okay if you pray without it, the main thing is to use permitted prayers from reliable sources, for example, Orthodox prayer books bought in church.

Ideally, a Christian should spend his entire life in prayer. and be literally permeated by it. Try to think about God more often throughout the day. It is not necessary to memorize a complete prayer book, the main thing is to remember that the Lord is always with us, to think about it constantly. When you get out of bed, thank God for a new day. Thank Him during meals, for the fact that you have food and the opportunity to purchase it.

At work and on the way to it, while walking and when communicating with friends, also pray or turn your thoughts to God! If you don’t know what words to use to appeal to Him, say the Jesus Prayer, it’s not that difficult to remember.

In the evening before going to bed, also do not forget to thank God for the past day. And if you have a free minute after work, visit the temple, perhaps you will have time to catch the evening service. There you can not only praise the Lord, but also pray for your loved ones or ask for the necessary benefits for yourself.

Brief

God doesn't need words, therefore, you should not be afraid of making mistakes in reading prayers, or finding an excuse for yourself in ignorance of prayer texts and Church Slavonic language. You can pronounce them in the language in which you think, the main thing is to do it with a pure heart and good thoughts, since the Lord will see our hearts, and not our words.

You can pray briefly, like Lord have mercy or Thank God l for to express thoughts in your own words, to put them into a form that you understand. You can read such prayers at home, in church and in other places where your thoughts will be free for the Lord.

But with frequent visits to churches, you will begin to understand the texts spoken there and learn to read them yourself, even in Church Slavonic. It's all about practice and also about prayer. Many believers think that they know how to pray and often visit churches, but in reality their words only shake the air, but do not reach God, and therefore their petitions are rarely heard.

You can learn this all your life, but you won’t understand the meaning until your death. Some saints underwent severe torment or went into solitude so that their thoughts would be occupied exclusively with God. And not many succeeded. From the Holy Scriptures we know examples when a short but sincere prayer reached the ears of the Lord.

For example, the words of a tax collector, who tearfully prayed to God for forgiveness, sincerely and sincerely, realizing his sinfulness: “ Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner."! And such a prayer was more pleasing to God than that of the Pharisee, even in his prayer he exalted himself above everyone else. Or the words of the thief who asked for the crucified Christ " remember him in Your Kingdom" And as we know, this robber was the first to enter paradise.

Prayer Rules

To the questions of believers about how to pray, in church or at home, the holy fathers recommend the following:

Imagine, the day of judgment has come, and the Savior has taken with Him everyone who is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, and you remain on earth and know that fiery Gehenna is prepared for you, and you begin to pray that He will take you with Him too! These are the feelings you need to pray with every time you turn to God!

Other priests give this example:

You know that the first people, Adam and Eve, were privileged to be in paradise and to have constant communication with God in much the same way as you communicate every day with your family. Every believer dreams of such living communication, but, alas, for us it is so unattainable that we can only hope for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven after death.

And then at one moment the Creator deprives the first people of this blessed communication with him and expels them to earth, making them mortal. And Adam, realizing what happened, begins to pray so hard like I've never done this before. So we should at least a little imagine the emotions he experienced and try to put them into our prayers.

Experienced prayer books recommend that while reading or pronouncing the texts of prayers, direct your mental gaze to the region of the heart. Then the concentration of thoughts will increase and you will tune them in the right way. But this is very difficult for an inexperienced person and may even seem completely incomprehensible. Therefore, you will have to concentrate very hard and train for a long time.

Prayer rules include a set of specific prayers and are intended for use in any cases, for example, the morning rule is collected for prayer at the beginning of the day, and for the coming sleep - at the end. There are also canons of repentance, following, for example, communion and thanksgiving, these can also be classified as prayer rules.

They contain prayers from great ascetics, saints and theologians who compiled the texts of prayers for everyday appeal to God. Such rules greatly facilitate our communication with the Lord, because we do not have to look for different prayers in all sources of spiritual literature.

Such rules are different for each person. Some people spend more time reading them, others less. Some pray in the morning for only five minutes, while for others even half an hour is not enough. But the time of reading the prayer rule does not matter; it is much more important that your thoughts and heart correspond to the spoken words.

Home prayer

At home, as in church or in any other place, you are allowed to pray either in your own words or with existing prayers, which are easy to find in Orthodox prayer books. You are allowed to read both the short Jesus Prayer and the long rules.

Collective

This type of prayer, where more than one person participates, is divided into two types:

1. Fraternal or common.
2. By agreement.

They are performed exclusively in churches and chapels, that is, in those places where many fellow believers gather and in common prayer turn their mental gaze to the Lord. During divine services, you are allowed to pray for yourself without participating in general prayer; this is how they differ from prayer by agreement.

When people agree to pray for someone or something on a certain day or time, this is called prayer by agreement. The Savior himself said this: “... If two of you on earth agree to ask for anything, then whatever they ask will be done for them by My Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them" They have very great power and effect, so it is customary to read prayers by agreement in case of any disasters or severe illnesses of one specific person.

Saints and before icons

When praying in front of icons, the main thing is not to get confused and begin to believe that it is she who is helping us, and not the one whose face is depicted on it. It is also important not to start imagining these images, because what is depicted on the icons is probably not what we want to see. For example, the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove, in essence is not such. The icons depict only images accessible to human consciousness.

When addressing the saints, it is important to understand that the saint himself will help with his prayers at the Throne of God, and not the icon with his image. Thus, it is important that the icon does not replace the object of prayer, thereby changing the entire meaning of the prayer request. For example, when praying to the “Icon of All Saints,” which depicts a cathedral of saints of God revered by the Orthodox Church, you will not be able to imagine each of them. But even when praying to Saint Stepan, you should not imagine what he looked like. That's not important.

When you come to the temple, you will see how to pray correctly in the church in front of the icon and how Orthodox Christians pray. After observing from the outside, you will understand the individual rules and actions at the service. There are no special rules on how to properly pray at home in front of an icon. You can follow the same principles as in church.

For health and peace

Prayers for people, or, as believers say, for their neighbors, are a great necessity. Such prayers are divided into two types: for the repose, when we pray for already deceased relatives and for the Lord to accept them into his kingdom, they are said near a special table with candlesticks, square in shape and with a crucifix above it. For health - such prayers are important for those for whom they pray and for those praying themselves. This can be done when placing a candle on round candlesticks, or simply in mental or verbal prayer.

They also pray for the peace and health of their neighbors during certain prayer rules, for example, the morning prayer. It is important that the Christian faith calls for prayer not only for close relatives and friends, but also for unfamiliar people and even enemies! After all, we must love our enemy, and good prayer for such people is the highest manifestation of Christian love.

All of the above types of prayers will help you figure out how best to pray at home or in church. In churches, for example, during Lent, you can see people kneeling or prostrating during services. They themselves are an integral part of prayer, like the sign of the cross. And of course, you need to pray standing, if your health allows, both at home and in church.

The main thing is not to disrupt the course of the church service, not to make noise, try to show reverence and not distract other worshipers. If you can’t get into the right mood or don’t know the words of the prayer, you can simply listen to what the priest says and the choir sings. You must treat icons and other church utensils with reverence and respect, so as not to disturb the prayerful atmosphere that surrounds you in the church.

In personal matters, as already mentioned, sincerity, purity of thoughts, an open heart and a good attitude are important. Regular confession and communion, as well as constant prayer practice, will help achieve this. Perhaps this is all you need to learn how to pray correctly in church.

Attention, TODAY only!