БОГОСЛУЖЕНИЕ

During worship, during the performance of all the Sacraments and prayers, be trusting, like a child in relation to his parents. Remember what great fathers, what luminaries of the universe, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, guide you. Like a child, be simple and trusting, not doubtful in the work of God. Cast all your sorrow on the Lord, and be completely carefree. “Do not worry about how or what to say... for it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father who will speak in you” (Matthew 10:19, 20). Long ago the Lord took away this concern, this sadness from us, teaching our God-bearing fathers by the Holy Spirit what to say to the Lord during worship, the celebration of the Sacraments, and under various circumstances of human life that require prayer, bringing down a blessing from above. It should be easy for us to pray. Only now the enemy is getting cold 9. But what is his constriction, if our heart is established in the Lord! The trouble is, if we are not in God, if we do not have firm faith, if we have bound ourselves with worldly passions, if our mind is proud and arrogant, then in the holiest, most immaculate work of worship, the celebration and communion of the Holy Mysteries, the devil will strongly stumble 10 us (1). In worship, the church indicates to us objects or needs for which we must pray to God’s mercy with the undoubted hope of receiving them, because we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said: “If you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13) (1). How the Lord attracts to Himself through liturgical songs, stichera, canons and the entire composition of the divine service, and until the end of the century He will attract the chosen believers who love God’s service! What a wealth of ardent repentance and heartfelt tenderness is hidden in our worship! Many ascetics stood in prayer day and night, attracted by love for Christ, and sacrificed the greatest feats of abstinence, prayer and contemplation to the Christ they loved and loved (4). When embarrassment and some kind of powerlessness of the heart prevent you from pronouncing the words of prayers during worship, then consider this embarrassment and powerlessness to be a dream of the enemy (demonic), throw away despondency, cowardice and timidity and speak slowly about the name of the Lord, calmly and deliberately louder, and you will overcome embarrassment and powerlessness and receive vigor and strength. To him who believes and trusts, all things are possible. We must fight and win (6). Is it not because the coldness towards public worship occurs that some do not understand it, while others, although they have taught the science of worship, have taught it dryly, without examples, to the mind alone, while worship, being a high contemplation of the mind, is at the same time, and predominantly, peace, sweetness and bliss for the heart (7). The disembodied enemy strongly combats us during worship, because at this time the rebirth of our souls is accomplished through our mediation by the grace of God; Therefore, let us not lose heart from the slander of the enemy, but let us take courage and strengthen ourselves, looking with the eyes of our hearts at the Hero of Christ, who stands invisibly before us and secretly accomplishes rebirth in our souls (7). Those who attend the divine services of the Orthodox Church and study the science of worship must remember that service here on earth is a preparation for the most joyful service of God in heaven; that while serving God with the body, one must even more so serve God with the spirit and a pure heart; that, while listening to the divine service, we must learn to serve God as the saints served, about whose lives and deeds we hear during the divine service, about their faith, hope and love; that one should serve God most especially with deeds and truth, and not with words and tongue alone. By our very being we are called to serve God: for this we have received a straight stance, to look unceasingly to God, to thank and glorify Him; for this we have been given a mind, a heart, a will, and for this we have all our feelings (7). Those who go to worship after eating voluntarily impose unnecessary and harmful burdens on themselves and drown their hearts for prayer in advance, blocking access to holy thoughts and holy sensations. It is extremely important to be careful not to eat before worship. We must remember that the Kingdom of God is not food and drink (Rom. 14:17), that is, God cannot reign in a heart that is burdened with overeating and drinking (7). To chill (obsolete) – to bother, annoy. Stammer (obsolete) – hold, interfere. You might be interested in: