About church services

Contents About church services Where can I pray? A special place of prayer is the church. The origin of the church. The shrine of the Christian church. The external structure of the church. The main parts of the church. The middle part of the church, or the church itself. The altar. Explanation of the liturgy and the church services preceding it. The meaning of the word “liturgy”. The concept of it. Its significance among other church services How many church services are there, and how are they connected? The main idea of ​​the evening and morning services All-night vigil The main parts of the all-night vigil Divine service of the hours Parts of the Liturgy Proskomedia Liturgy of the catechumens Liturgy of the faithful End of the liturgy The most important actions when performing the sacraments Baptism Confirmation Repentance Priesthood Marriage Blessing of Anointing – You can pray everywhere: at home, in the field, in every place, because God is the Spirit and is present everywhere. Sacred history presents the following example of prayer: God sent the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh to proclaim to the inhabitants the wrath of God for their iniquity; but he did not fulfill God’s command, went in the opposite direction and almost died for it. While he was sailing on a ship, a strong storm arose and threatened to sink him every minute. The lot cast between those sailing indicated that Jonah was under the wrath of God; he was thrown into the sea, and there he was swallowed up by a large sea animal - a whale. The Lord miraculously preserved Jonah’s life inside this beast, and from there, from the belly of the whale, Jonah cried out to God for help and salvation, and the Lord heard him and saved him. So, there is no place where God cannot see or hear us, and where we cannot pray to Him. But there are also special places, specially arranged for prayer: these are the churches of God. A special place of prayer is the church – When a person was pure in his soul, close to God, then there was no need for churches: so there was no church in paradise. After the fall, we moved away from the Lord God and became prone to distraction and worldly vanity. Therefore, they began to feel the need to build a church; crossing its threshold, we must leave all earthly cares and stand before the face of the All-Holy and Omniscient God Himself. The Lord Himself said about the church: My eyes and My heart will be there always (1 Kings 9:3). – The first church to the true God was built by the prophet Moses. At this time, the Jews wandered through the Arabian desert. Therefore, the church was built in such a way that it could be dismantled and moved from place to place. It is known by the name of the tabernacle, which means tent. The same exact tabernacle was subsequently built by King and Prophet David. David's son and successor, King Solomon, no longer built a portable tabernacle, but a church for constant service to God in one place. God Himself indicated Mount Moriath as the location for the church, on which, according to legend, Abraham decided to sacrifice his son Isaac. For the iniquities of the Jews, the Lord allowed the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to destroy and burn this church. Subsequently, the Jews built a second church to the Lord God in the same place. This church, although it was not as decorated as Solomon’s, became more glorious than it, because the Lord Jesus Christ was in it many times, prayed, taught and performed miracles. But this church, for the same reason, i.e. for the unbelief and iniquity of the Jews, according to the prophecy of the Lord Savior, it was destroyed by the Romans so that not one stone was left in it. The holy apostles and the first Jewish Christians came to the Temple of Jerusalem for prayer and public worship until it was destroyed. But even during its existence, they gathered together in some house and, according to the commandment of the Lord, performed the Divine Liturgy. These meeting places, in contrast to the Jerusalem temple and pagan temples, were called churches. The Church is actually a community of believers; but the same name still belongs to places where believers gather for prayer. At first, the church even more needed to distinguish this place from other places of similar meetings: there is a temple for Jews and a temple for pagans, and here is a church where only Christian believers gather. For more than three centuries, the Christian Church was persecuted, first from unbelieving Jews, and then from pagans. Therefore, Christians could not build churches for open worship, but continued to gather in their homes, where in one of the upper rooms, especially one that was separated and consecrated for this purpose, they performed the Divine Liturgy and other church services. When private houses could not accommodate worshipers, they chose some secluded place for this in catacombs (underground pits) or crypts (mountain caves). Sometimes they gathered on a ship and, having sailed some distance from the shore, performed worship there in the middle of the open sea. Once the Liturgy was celebrated in the most terrible of the Roman dungeons on the antimension (plate consecrated by the bishop), which was spread out on the chest of the presbyter (later martyr) Lucian, who was bound hand and foot. At the beginning of the 4th century, the Roman emperor Constantine the Great granted peace to the church, and from that time on Christians began to erect magnificent churches (the churches of St. Sophia in Constantinople, the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, etc.). Shrine of a Christian church – The main difference between a church and ordinary houses is its shrine: it is consecrated by the bishop, or, on special instructions from him, by priests. When the church is consecrated, the holy relics of the saints of God are brought into it, and the very walls of the church are anointed with holy myrrh. In it the sacred rite of worship is performed and the bloodless sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord is offered, and the Holy Gifts are constantly kept on the throne. – And in appearance, the church for the most part differs from ordinary human dwellings: it is usually built in the form of either a cross, or a ship, or a star, or a circle, and sometimes in the external structure of the church one can see a similarity of one, and the other, and the third. The cruciform structure of the church means that it is dedicated to the Lord, who was crucified on the cross for our sake. The sight of a ship in a church reminds us that only in church can we be saved: just as we can sail across the sea on a ship, so among everyday storms and temptations we can only find peace and salvation in church and reach a pier in the future blissful life. The circular structure of the church means that the church, according to the Savior’s promise, will remain on earth until the end of time, and then will not end its existence, but will only be transformed from an earthly, militant church into a heavenly, triumphant church. The arrangement of the church in the form of an octagon, in the likeness of a star, means that only the teachings of Christ preached in the church can show us the way to the kingdom of heaven. A dome rises above the middle of the church, like the sky, where we should strive with our thoughts and desires. A chapter is placed at the top of the church. It reminds us that the one head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes there are five chapters. The first means the Lord Jesus Christ, the last - the four evangelists. The cross on the top of the church means that we are saved by the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. – The church is divided into three parts: the vestibule, the middle part and the altar. In the vestibule there were previously the catechumens, that is, those who were instructed in the truths of the Christian faith and were preparing to receive the Holy Spirit. Baptism. Currently, children soon after birth from Christian parents are honored with St. Baptisms and enter the number of the faithful. Therefore, the porch either remains empty during worship, or serves as a refuge for the poor who ask for alms from those entering or leaving the church. In former times, here, along with the catechumens, there were also penitents who, for their grave sins, were excommunicated from communication with the faithful for a certain time; standing in the vestibule, they tearfully asked those entering the church to pray to the Lord for them The middle part of the church, or the church itself – The middle part occupies the largest part of the church. Believers stand here. It has long been a custom for men to stand on the right side of the church, and women on the left: in ancient times these two sides were even separated by a partition. When the bishop serves, there is a pulpit in the middle of the church, on which he vests and stands at the beginning of the liturgy. In front of the altar there is an elevation of two or three steps, and sometimes more. This place is called "soleia". The word "solea" means "exaltation." The Solea in the middle moves forward in a semicircle inside the church and forms a special elevated place called the “ambo”: here the priest speaks to the people, the deacon reads the Holy Gospel and speaks the litany, and the psalmist reads the Apostle. On the sides of the solea there are places for singers and readers: these places are called “choirs” because this is where the members of the clergy, or the church clergy, stand. The word “clergy” or “kliros” in Russian means “lot” or “share”. This name means that the lot of clergy is to serve God, and recalls the ancient custom of choosing persons approved for this service by lot. Near the choirs there are banners, or sacred images made in the form of banners. The church is separated from the altar by a solid wall, which is called the iconostasis, because holy icons are placed here. There are three doors in the iconostasis: the middle ones are called Royal, because the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ - pass through them, and thus the Lord Himself, the King of Glory, passes through them. Icons of the Annunciation of the Mother of God and the four evangelists are placed on the royal doors. The side doors in the iconostasis are called North and South. They depict saints or angels, or archdeacons (Stephen, Philip, etc.), or prophets (especially Moses and Aaron). On the right side of the royal doors there is a local icon (i.e., having its own specific place) of either the Most Holy Trinity, or one of our Lord Jesus Christ; On the left is the local icon of St. Mother of God. Behind the first of these icons is placed an image of that sacred event, or an icon of that holy saint, to whose memory the church is dedicated. In large iconostases, icons rise one above the other in a certain order: icons of the main holidays are placed above local icons; then there are icons of the apostles and prophets. At the very top of the iconostasis, for the most part, there is a cross with an image of the crucified Lord, and in front of it are placed images of the Mother of God and the Virgin Mary standing before the Lord crucified on the cross. Apostle John the Theologian. – The altar occupies the most important part of the church. The word means: high altar. In the middle of the altar there is a throne decorated with rich clothes. Here a great and holy sacrifice is made to God and the sacrament of Holy Communion is performed. Relying on the throne are St. the cross and the Gospel, because on the cross the Lord accomplished our salvation, and the Gospel proclaims to us the path to salvation. A necessary accessory to the throne is the antimins. This is a linen or silk cloth depicting the position of the Lord in the tomb; a particle of St. is embedded in the antimins. relics. The very word “antimins” means “instead of the throne.” In the early days of the church, when there were persecutions of Christians, it was impossible to build permanent churches, and the liturgy was celebrated, as was said above, in the catacombs and other hidden places. Then, in selected places, mostly on the tombs of martyrs, an antimension was laid out and the liturgy was performed on it. The antimension is consecrated by the bishop himself and is a permanent sign that the sacred rite in the church is performed with his permission and blessing. St. is always kept on the altar. The Gifts are in a specially constructed silver vessel, acting as an ark, which is called the monstrance, and the ark in which the spare Gifts are carried for the communion of the sick is called the monstrance. An altar is built on the north side of the altar; here bread and wine are prepared for the sacrament of Communion. Directly behind the throne, at the eastern wall of the altar, there is a high (i.e. high) place for the bishop, and on both sides of it there are places for priests. In those churches where there is rarely a bishop's service, the upper place remains free so that, in case of need, a bishop's see can be placed here; for the priest, a seat is placed near the high place. The right side of the altar is mostly separated to store the sacristy: sacred vessels, vestments and liturgical books. Explanation of the liturgy and the church services preceding it The meaning of the word "liturgy". The concept of it. Its significance among other church services – The word “liturgy” means “common cause” or “public service.” And every church service can be called public, but in particular this is the name of that service in which the sacrament of St. Communion, because it is the main divine service in the Christian church, and all others are more or less connected with it and serve as preparation for it. How many are all the church services, and how are they connected? – All church services except the Liturgy, eight. For the convenience of believers, they are combined into three services; evening (9 o'clock, vespers, compline), morning (midnight, matins, 1st hour) and, finally, midday or lunch (3rd, 6th o'clock and Liturgy). The main idea of the evening and morning services – In the evening, believers thank God for the past day and pray that they will spend the coming evening and night sinlessly and safely. The church day begins in the evening, and during vespers they remember those sacred events and glorify the memory of those holy saints, whose celebration is scheduled for the day after the night. In the morning, believers give thanks for the night they spent and ask themselves for God’s mercies for the coming day. During the evening and morning services, the main events from sacred history, mainly the Old Testament and partly the New Testament, are also remembered. – On Sundays and holidays, both services are combined together, and this combination of two services is called the All-Night Vigil, or All-Night Vigil. The word "vigil" means "to be awake." In ancient times (and now in some monasteries, for example on Mount Athos) this prayerful vigil lasted almost the whole night; That’s why it’s called the All-Night Vigil or vigil. – The All-Night Vigil is divided into two almost equal parts; in the first Vespers is performed (until the second ringing), in the second - Matins. The second part of the All-Night Vigil is also divided into two equal parts - before the third ringing and after it. The first part of the All-Night Vigil. – The first part of the All-Night Vigil (Vespers) begins very joyfully: The royal doors open, a priest with a censer and a deacon with a lamp walk around the entire church, and a fragrance spreads throughout the church, verses from the psalm about the wondrous wisdom of the Creator of the world are sung in the choir: Bless my soul the Lord: Lord my God, you have been greatly exalted, you have clothed yourself in confession and greatness esi (i.e. You are clothed with glory and greatness) (Ps. 103), etc. All this reminds us of the first times of the world and of the blessed life of our first parents in paradise. After this, the appeals of fallen and sinning people are heard: Lord have mercy. Regret for the lost paradise and the plea for mercy and salvation are expressed even more strongly in the singing of the verses of the Psalmist: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked (Ps. 1). Lord, I have called to You, hear me (Ps. 140). But this sorrow is not joyless: in it one can hear hope for salvation: Blessed are those who trust in Him (that is, in Him - the Lord) (Ps. 2:12). For with the Lord is mercy, and with him is much redemption (Ps. 129:6). After hymns (stichera) in honor of celebrated events and commemorated saints, a special hymn is sung in honor and glory of the Mother of God, during which the so-called evening entrance of the priest, preceded by the deacon, through the open Royal Doors takes place. The evening entrance reminds us of the descent of the Son of God from heaven for our salvation, and believers sing the following song to him: “The quiet light of the holy Glory of the Immortal Heavenly Father, the Holy Blessed Jesus Christ! Having come to the west of the sun, having seen the evening light, we sing of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of God. You are worthy at all times to be reverent in your voice, O Son of God, give life, and thus the world glorifies You.” “Jesus Christ! The quiet light of the holy glory of the Immortal Heavenly Father, the Blessed Holy One. Having lived until sunset and seen the evening light, we sing praises to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of God. Son of God, life giver! You are worthy to be sung by the voices of the saints at all times, and therefore the world glorifies You.” Second part of the All-Night Vigil. – The second part of the All-Night Vigil (Matins itself) begins sadly. During it, the reading of psalms is mostly heard: first, selected (always the same) six psalms are read, and this reading is known as six psalms; then, after some break (great litany, verses: God the Lord and the troparion of the holiday), two sections of psalms are read, known as “kathisma”. The word "kathisma" means sitting. During the reading of kathismas in monasteries, due to the long service, one is allowed to sit. The main idea of ​​all these readings is that people could not have been saved by their own strength and means; The only hope for salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ: “God is the Lord, and blessed is he who comes to us in the name of the Lord.” But, having made us feel our poverty and weakness, the church pours abundant streams of consolation and joy into our hearts in the sacred rites and chants that follow. These are especially the polyeleos, the singing of the canon and the great doxology. The word “polyeleos” is Greek and means “much mercy” and can also be translated with the word: “much oil.” The first meaning of polyeleos could be obtained from the singing at this time of the following words of the Psalmist: Praise the name of the Lord, praise the servant Lord, hallelujah. Blessed be the Lord from Zion, who liveth in Jerusalem, hallelujah. Confess to the Lord that His mercy endures forever, hallelujah. Confess to the God of heaven, for His mercy endures forever, hallelujah. (Ps. 134) These verses repeat the words: for His mercy endures forever. The second meaning of the polyeleos could be derived from the fact that in some churches (in monasteries) during the reading of the six psalms and kathismas, large candles are extinguished, and twilight spreads in the church, and before the polyeleos they are lit again. During the singing of a psalm of praise, the Royal Doors are opened and incense is burned throughout the church. On Sundays, after a psalm of praise, joyful songs are sung in honor of the resurrection of the Lord; then St. The Gospel, and believers reverently bow before it and kiss the image of the risen Lord on it. On holidays, before the reading of the Gospel, a magnification is sung, and then the believers venerate the holiday icon and are anointed with blessed oil. Soon after the reading of the Gospel, the singing of the canon begins. Canon is a Greek word that means “rule.” A canon at the All-Night Vigil is a collection of songs compiled according to a well-known rule. The canon is divided into nine parts (songs): the first verse of each song is sung and called “irmos” (meaning “connection,” the whole composition of the canon is, as it were, connected by irmos), the rest are mostly read and called “troparions” (a verse depicting the features of the celebrated event). Particular efforts were made in composing these songs: St. John of Damascus, Cosmas Mayunsky, Andrei of Crete (Great Repentant Canon) and others. At the same time, they were guided by the chants and prayers of sacred persons mainly from the Old Testament and partly from New Testament history, namely: the prophet Moses (for 1 and 2 irmos), the prophetess Anna, the mother of Samuel (for 3 irmos), the prophet Habakkuk (for 4 irmos), the prophet Isaiah (for 5 irmos), the prophet Job (for 6 irmos), three youths (for the 7th and 8th Irmos) and the priest Zechariah, Father John the Baptist (for the 9th Irmos). Before the 9th Irmos the song of the Mother of God is sung: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” The content of these irmos reminds believers of different times and events from the history of our salvation and gradually brings their thoughts closer to the event of the Nativity of Christ. At the end of the All-Night Vigil, the joyful song of the angels is sung: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:14) and then in the Great Doxology the Most Holy Trinity and especially the Accomplisher of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, are glorified. – “Hours” in daily worship are short prayers set at especially important and sacred hours of the day: the day begins at 1 o’clock; in the 3rd (our 9th) the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, in the 6th (our 12th) our Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross; in the 9th (in our opinion in the 3rd) He gave up His spirit to God the Father. The rite of the liturgy. The beginning of it. – The Liturgy began with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. On Thursday before His suffering, at the Last Supper, the Lord took bread, said thanks to God the Father over it, blessed it, broke it and, giving it to the disciples, said: “Take, eat: this is My body...”. Then, taking a cup of wine, he said: “Drink from it, all of you: this is My blood...”. Having given communion to the apostles, He commanded that this sacrament should always be performed in His memory. The holy apostles fulfilled the commandment of the Lord and established a certain order or order of the Liturgy, and the great ecumenical saints and teachers Basil the Great and John Chrysostom set it out in writing. – The Liturgy consists of three parts: proskomedia, liturgy of the catechumens and liturgy of the faithful. The word “proskomedia” is Greek and means “offering.” During the proskomedia, prosphora is brought to the altar and prepared for the sacred rite. The word prosphora has the same meaning. The bread for the sacrament is wheat, clean, leavened, and grape and red wine, as it is more similar in appearance to blood. On the prosphora there is a cross with the words; IС. HS. NIKA. (Jesus Christ nickname, i.e. conquer by Jesus Christ). Five prosphoras are usually brought for proskomedia, in remembrance of the fact that Jesus Christ miraculously fed five thousand people with five loaves. The proskomedia itself consists in the fact that the priest makes from one prosphora, that is, cuts out with a copy, a part for performing the sacrament. This part is called the “lamb” because it depicts the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. The finished lamb is placed on the paten. After this, wine mixed with water is poured into the cup in memory of the fact that blood and water flowed from the pierced side of Christ. A portion is taken out of the second prosphora in honor of the Mother of God. From the third, 9 parts are taken out in honor of the saints, namely: 1) the Forerunners, 2) the prophets, 3) the apostles, 4) the saints, 5) the martyrs, b) the saints, 7) the unmercenaries, 8) the righteous Joachim and Anna and 9) in honor of John Chrysostom or Basil the Great, depending on which of these saints the liturgy is celebrated. From the fourth prosphora, particles are taken for the health and salvation of the living, from the fifth - for the forgiveness of the sins of the departed. During the proskomedia, the birth and death of the Lord the Savior are remembered. The second part of the liturgy is called the “liturgy of the catechumens” because the faithful, i.e. the baptized, and the catechumens were allowed to hear it. In the Liturgy of the Catechumens, believers prepare to celebrate the great sacrament of Communion with prayers, chants, and reading the Apostle and the Gospel. A prayer pronounced in a drawn-out manner is called a “litany.” There are four litanies: great, small, intense and petitionary. The first three litanies are read during the Liturgy of the Catechumens, and the last one is read twice during the Liturgy of the Faithful. Of the hymns of the Liturgy of the Catechumens, the following are especially remarkable: 1) the hymn to the glory of the Only Begotten Son of God, 2) the hymn to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. The first of these songs is sung like this: “The only begotten Son and Word of God, immortal 1 and willing, for our salvation, to be incarnate from the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably 2 made man, crucified Christ God, trampling death by death, the One of the Holy Trinity, glorified to the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us.” Song in honor of the Most Holy Trinity: “Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” On some days, this song is replaced by others, namely: on the days of the Nativity of Christ, the Baptism of the Lord, on Lazarus and Passion Saturdays, on the week of Easter, on the day of Pentecost, instead of the Trisagion, the following is sung: “Those who were baptized into Christ, put on Christ 4, hallelujah.” This replacement occurred because in ancient times, on the eve of these holidays, the baptism of catechumens was performed, and they stood in the church in white robes. On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14) and on the third Sunday of Great Lent, because of the worship of the cross, instead of the Trisagion, the following is sung: “We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy resurrection.” The reading of the Apostle and the Gospel is said in the middle of the solea on the pulpit. Reading the Apostle should remind us of the apostolic sermon, and reading the Gospel should remind us of the preaching of Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, we must listen to the Word of God with full attention and reverence, as if we were hearing Jesus Christ Himself or His apostles. From ancient times, a very significant rite has remained in the liturgy, namely the solemn carrying of St. Gospel, known as the small entrance. Previously, this was done because, on the occasion of the persecution of Christians, the Gospel was kept not on the throne, but in a special place, and now this ritual is preserved for the sake of the sacred memory that is connected with it, namely: believers, reverently contemplating the holy Gospel, should imagine how the Lord walked through the cities and villages in the land of Judea and preached the gospel of the kingdom of God, healed the sick and performed other miracles, in His own way. great mercy to us. – The Liturgy of the Faithful is so called because during its celebration only the faithful are allowed to be present, that is, those who have received the Holy Spirit. Baptism. Order of the Liturgy of the Faithful. – In the Liturgy of the Faithful, the following order can be noted: first, the previous parts of the Liturgy are briefly repeated: the proskomedia ends, and the faithful finally prepare for the celebration of the sacrament; after this the sacrament of Communion itself is performed; then the believers prepare to receive the Holy Gifts, receive communion and thank them for receiving communion. The final preparation of the Gifts for the celebration of the sacrament consists in the fact that incense is performed before them and they are solemnly transferred from the altar to the throne. This transfer is called the “great entrance.” At this time, the so-called Cherubic song is sung, which is divided into two parts: one is sung before the transfer, and the other after the transfer of the Gifts. “Even as the cherubim secretly form and sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving Trinity, let us now put aside all worldly cares, so that we may raise up the King of all with the angels’ invisibly carried chanting: Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.” We, who mysteriously depict the cherubim and sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving Trinity, will now put aside all worldly cares so that we may raise up the 5 King of all, who is carried in triumph by the 6 Angolan rites: hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.” The final preparation of believers for the celebration of the sacrament is that: 1) the whole church diligently prays to God (petitionary litany) and, among other things, asks Him for the offered Honest Gifts; 2) peace, mutual harmony and love for each other are instilled in everyone who is present: Believers: “And to your spirit,” that is, “we wish the same peace for you.” Priest or deacon: “Let us love one another, that we may be of one mind.” Believers: “Father and Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible.” At that time, ancient Christians kissed husbands and wives as a sign of peace and love, but now only serving priests kiss each other’s hands. Others must mentally reconcile with everyone, leave all hostility and remember that the Lord will not accept our prayers if we are angry with anyone. 3) It is suggested to those present that they must gather their courage, not be dissipated by anything, and confess their faith. Priest or deacon: “Doors, doors, let us smell of wisdom. Believers: “I believe in one God the Father...”, etc. to the end, the entire symbol of faith. At this time, the priest performs in the altar: the removal of the curtain from the Royal Doors and the vibration of the air over the Gifts. In ancient times, the words “Doors, doors” addressed the gatekeepers - “See if anyone who is an unbeliever or excommunicated has entered.” Currently, these words mean: “Guard the doors of our soul so that no sinful thought enters it,” it’s easier to say: “don’t look around, don’t talk to each other, don’t think about everyday affairs, but direct all your attention to the great sacred rite being performed.” The symbol of faith is sung as a sign that only a true believer is worthy of participation in the holy sacraments. This same thing means the opening of the curtain from the Royal Doors: if we believe rightly, then we can hope for the revelation of the mysteries of God. The vibration of the air over the Gifts expresses faith in the imminent descent of the Holy Spirit on them, because before the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, a noise was heard from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind. 4) Believers are instilled with the fear of God and reverence. Priest or deacon: “Let us become kind, let us become fearful, let us take in the holy offering in the world.” "Mercy of peace, sacrifice of praise." 7 After all this, the priest gives the believers a blessing with the words of the holy apostles. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:13). Believers: “And with your spirit.” Finally, the priest calls out to the believers: “Woe is our hearts,” i.e. “Let us ascend with our thoughts to God,” and the believers assure him that they are completely prepared for this and sing: “Imams to the Lord,” i.e. “We have hearts directed toward the Lord.” Preparation for the celebration of the sacrament is over. The very sacred rite of the sacrament begins, and this is signified by the gospel (worthily), so that those at home and those walking past the church especially try to keep themselves in these sacred moments in the fear of God and reverence. Performing the sacrament. – For the sake of clarity, the celebration of the sacrament of Communion can be represented in the following sacred rites: 1) thanksgiving or glorification of the Most Holy Trinity, 2) remembrance of the Last Supper, 3) offering and consecration of the Gifts, 4) grateful remembrance in the glorified saints, 5) prayerful remembrance of the dead and the living. Thanksgiving or glorification of the Holy Trinity. – Our Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper first of all gave praise to God the Father for all His great mercies to the human race. Following this example, the church begins the celebration of the sacrament with thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity. Priest: "We thank the Lord" Believers: “It is worthy and righteous to worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible.” Priest: “Singing, crying, crying and saying a similar song.” Believers: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts, fill heaven and earth with Your glory: Hosanna in the highest in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.” The words “singing, crying, crying and speaking” refer to angels who glorify God in various ways as best they can. The song “Holy, holy, holy” is angelic: the prophet Isaiah and John the Theologian heard it. This angelic song is joined by the song of the Jews who met the Lord at His solemn ascension to Jerusalem. The combination of angelic and human song expresses the idea that the praise of God from heaven from the angels comes and spreads among people and throughout the entire universe. In addition, this connection serves as an expression of our gratitude that the Lord has deigned us, sinful people, to serve Him together with the angels. Memories of the Last Supper. - While in the choir they sing: “It is worthy and righteous to eat” and “Holy, holy, holy,” the priest in the altar in front of the throne reads a prayer of thanks, in which he glorifies the Most Holy Trinity for all Her great mercies and especially for the descent to earth of the only begotten Son of God and, remembering His life on earth, pronounces out loud for everyone those words with which the Lord established the sacrament of St. Communions: Priest: “Take, eat, this is my Body, which was broken for you for the remission of sins.” and then: “Drink of it, all of you, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” Exaltation and blessing of the Gifts. After remembering the Last Supper, the priest, with his hands crossed in the shape of a cross, offers the offered gifts, that is, bread and wine, as a sacrifice to God the Father, saying: “Thine, from Thine, that which is offered to Thee for all and for all,” i.e. “Your gifts, O Lord, are offered to You from Your servants, as a sacrifice for all people and as thanksgiving for all Your thanksgivings.” “We sing to You, we bless You, we thank You, O Lord, and we pray to You, our God.” While singing this sacred song, a great sacrament is performed: by the power of the life-giving Spirit, through prayer and the blessing of a bishop or priest, bread and wine are added to the true Body and honest Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, at this time one should stand with special reverent fear and tenderly pray to the Lord God. Remembrance of the glorified saints. After the consecration of the Gifts, the priest remembers with thanksgiving the saints of God, whom the Lord glorified and appointed as prayer books for us, and especially thanks for the Most Holy Theotokos: “A lot about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Our Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.” Believers, hearing this dear and sacred name, hasten to glorify the Most Holy Lady with a song of praise: “It is worthy that You are truly blessed, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God, 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, You We magnify. Prayer for the dead and the living. While singing “It is worthy and righteous,” the priest in secret prayer first remembers the departed fathers and brothers, and then prays for the living and, first of all, according to the commandment of the Apostle, for the most pious Sovereign and the entire reigning house. When the hymn ends, at this time, in the course of the prayer, the commemoration of the church authorities follows, and the priest loudly proclaims: “First remember, Lord, the Most Holy Governing Synod and our lord the Most Reverend (name of the saint), grant them to your holy churches in the world whole, honest, healthy, long-living the right of those who rule the word of Your truth.” The last words mean: “Lord, keep them, that is, the archpastors, in peace, in safety, honor, health and long life, so that they faithfully proclaim the holy faith and fulfill the great duties entrusted to them.” Believers sing: “And everyone and everything,” that is, “Lord remember all husbands and wives, deceased and living, present and absent.” After performing the great sacrament, the priest blesses the believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: “And may the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.” Believers answer: “And with your spirit,” that is, “may the mercies of the Lord be with you also, as you wish and give them to all of us.” After this, the preparation of the believers for the actual communion of the Holy Mysteries begins, and then their communion. Preparing believers to receive the Holy Gifts. – Preparation of believers to receive St. The gifts consist of: 1) in the fact that they again (2nd time at the Liturgy of the Faithful) diligently pray to God and, among other things, ask Him for “the Holy Gifts offered and consecrated, so that the Lord would graciously accept them and send us Divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit” 2) in the fact that believers sing the Lord’s Prayer and in it, as a special mercy of God, they ask for their daily bread for the soul - the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord; 3) in the fact that they, as a sign of submission to God, bow their heads, and the priest in secret prayer asks them for all the benefits from the Lord; finally 4) in the fact that in response to the exclamation of the priest “Holy to Holies” (i.e., the Holy Gifts can be given only to holy people), believers humbly recognize their unworthiness and place their hope in the Lord Savior, singing: “There is only one holy, one Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father, Amen,” i.e., “none of us is holy, the only one is holy, the Lord Jesus Christ, and only by His By grace and merit we all hope to receive sanctification.” After this preparation, communion itself takes place. First they receive Holy Communion. The mysteries are celebrants at the altar, and then the laity. Before communion, the following prayer is read: “I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most pure Blood. I pray to You: have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word, in deed, in knowledge and ignorance, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure sacraments, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Thy secret supper this day, O Son of God, receive me as a partaker: I will not tell the secret to Thy enemies, neither will I give Thee a kiss like Judas, but like a thief I will confess Thee: remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom. May the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be not for judgment or condemnation for me, Lord, but for the healing of soul and body.” The liturgy ends with a litany in which the believers thank God for Communion! At the end of the liturgy, the priest says: “We will depart in peace,” i.e., “let us disperse calmly,” and the believers answer: “In the name of the Lord,” i.e., “we wish you to bless us once again in the name of the Lord.” In response to this, the priest behind the pulpit reads a prayer for the Sovereign, the priesthood, all those who love the splendor of the house of the Lord and the whole world and, at the end of it, gives the believers the blessing they asked for: “The blessing of the Lord is upon you, Him (that is, the Lord Jesus Christ) with grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.” After this, a vacation is taken and the believers go home. During the liturgies of the faithful, the following are remembered: the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (great entrance), the Last Supper, the Passion of the Cross (offering of the Gifts), death, burial (closing of the curtain before Communion), resurrection, appearances of the risen Lord (first appearance of the Holy Gifts) and the Ascension of the Savior (second appearance of the Holy Gifts). The most important actions when performing the sacraments The most important thing in the sacred rite of Baptism is the threefold immersion of the person being baptized in water with the utterance of the words: “The servant of God is baptized (his name is pronounced) in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Through this visible sign the grace of the Holy Life-giving Spirit is sent down to the person being baptized, and he is reborn to a new spiritual life. How this is done is incomprehensible to our minds; That’s why Baptism is called a sacrament: but the newly baptized person becomes, as it were, a different person, pure in soul, close to God and capable of doing truly good deeds. In addition to this deeply mysterious sacred rite, there are other rites related to Baptism: some of these rites precede the mysterious immersion, others will follow it. Soon after the birth of a baby from Christian parents, he is sealed with the sign of the cross as a future member of the church and heir to the kingdom of heaven, and he is given a Christian name. On the fortieth day, following the example of the Lord Savior, it is brought into the church and dedicated to God as His property, purchased by the priceless blood of Jesus Christ. In the first centuries of Christianity, it was mostly older pagans or Jews who accepted the holy faith. Christian teachers announced them before Baptism, that is, they taught them the most important truths of the faith. For some, this announcement lasted quite a long time (from 40 days to 3 years). Currently, out of respect for the faith of the parents and special guarantors for the faith of the baby, called godfathers (godfather and mother), the church performs the sacrament of Baptism over infants even before the fortieth day. But at the same time, parents and adoptive parents take on the responsibility of teaching the baby faith and the law of God when he comes of age. The rite of Baptism itself consists of two parts: the announcement and the baptism itself. The following rituals include the announcement: 1) the prayer of the priest, at the very entrance or bringing of the baptized person into the church, so that the Lord would write him in the book of the life and join him to His holy flock; 2) a spell, or driving away the devil from someone who wants to be baptized - it is performed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 3) the own renunciation of the devil by the one approaching the sacrament, or by the recipients in his place. At the same time, they turn to the West, as the land of darkness, and, after three times renouncing Satan and all his evil deeds, they blow and spit on him, as a sign of complete and complete contempt for him. 4) After this, the baptized person or his successors turn to the east and vow three times to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him. At the same time, they read the symbol of faith three times. This action of the baptized person is called his union with Christ and ends with the worship of the Most Holy Trinity. The rites of baptism proper are as follows: 1) the water in the font is sanctified through prayer, the sign of the cross with a blow, and the cruciform anointing with consecrated oil; 2) the person being baptized is anointed with holy oil. This last sacred rite means that he, as it were, died to sin (the dead were anointed with oil), will fight against all sinful temptations (previously, fighters anointed the body with oil for the flexibility of their limbs) and cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ, just as a wild branch attaches itself to a fruitful olive tree through mastic. This is followed by his threefold immersion in the baptismal font. After immersion, white clothes are placed on the baptized person, as a sign of his spiritual purity, and a cross as a sign that he must meekly endure the sorrows that the Lord will send him to save him. The main sacred rite in the sacrament of Confirmation consists of anointing parts of the body of the newly baptized with holy myrrh, saying the words: “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit,” namely, the following parts of the body are anointed: the forehead as a sign of the sanctification of thoughts, eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, because these are the organs, or instruments of our senses, through which we see, hear, smell and taste; the chest (chest) is anointed to sanctify our desires, hands and feet are anointed to sanctify all deeds and all behavior of a Christian. The Sacrament of Confirmation is performed together with the Sacrament of Baptism, shortly after the baptized person is immersed in water, namely, when he puts on his clothes and places the cross on himself. After the sacrament of Confirmation has been performed, the newly baptized person begins joyfully walking around the font. At the same time, the song is sung: “As many as you have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ,” that is, you who have committed yourself to serving Christ have also received all the gifts of His grace. The holy myrrh consists of a combination of wooden oil with wine and various fragrant substances and is consecrated by the bishop during the liturgy on Maundy Thursday. In our country, it is consecrated in Kiev and Moscow. The rites of this sacrament and together with Baptism also include: 1) sprinkling water on the newly baptized person and wiping with a sponge those parts that were anointed with the holy world, and 2) cutting his hair, as a sign that the newly baptized person devotes himself to serving God. The main sacred act in the sacrament of Repentance is the permission of the penitent from the priest, and his sins are forgiven from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Before this sacred rite, fasting is performed and confession is pronounced to the penitents. The preparation of the penitent for confession and holy communion is known under the name “govenya”. This preparation takes about a week. He who wishes to bring repentance without fail, every day, is present at divine services, fasts, reads or listens to the word of God and the works of the holy fathers, and is reconciled with all his neighbors. Confession itself consists in the fact that the repentant comes to the priest and, before the cross and the Gospel, before the eyes of the Omniscient God himself, expresses in contrition of heart, without any concealment, all his sins. The Lord Jesus Christ gave the priest the right to bind and solve sinners; This means that he must know which sins can be forgiven and which ones cannot. In addition, he, as a shepherd and spiritual doctor, can help the repentant, enlighten, console, and encourage him. After the resolution of sins, penance is sometimes imposed on the penitent, or something like a prohibition or punishment, for example. fasting beyond what is required for everyone, going to church every day for some time, joining a certain number of prostrations with home prayer, etc. For some more serious sins, the repentant is subject to excommunication from the saint. Communion at a specific time. This punishment is imposed on the repentant not so that he can pay for his guilt (all our sins are cleansed only by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for us), but in order to help him even more realize the severity of his sins and free himself from them. The main sacred rite in the sacrament of the Priesthood is the prayer of the bishop with the laying on of his hands on the head of the initiate. This prayerful laying on of hands is called “ordination” in Greek. Initiation to all sacred degrees takes place in the church during the liturgy, in the altar, before the throne, for the one being initiated must be a servant of the throne of God. Priests and deacons are ordained by one bishop, and bishops are ordained by several bishops, two at a dire need. The deacon is consecrated after the consecration of the Gifts, the priest before the consecration of the Gifts after the great entrance, and the bishop during the second part of the liturgy after the small entrance. This is done because the deacon is not given the right to perform the sacraments (he must only assist the bishop and priest in performing them), the priest is given the right to perform the sacraments himself, and the bishop, in addition to this, is given the right to ordain others to the sacred degrees. The one being ordained as a priest or deacon is led into the altar and circled around the altar three times, then he kneels at the altar (ordained as a deacon for one, as a priest for both), and the bishop places the edge of the omophorion and his hands on his head, and says two consecration prayers over him: one aloud for everyone, and the other secretly. During this secret prayer, one of the servants with the bishop (priest, if a priest is ordained, a deacon, if a deacon is ordained), the litany is quietly read, and the singers sing in Greek: “Kyrie sleisom” (Lord have mercy), since the grace of the priesthood, together with the holy faith, was received by our church from the Greek church. After this, the ordained put on the sacred garments assigned to their positions; when laying them on, the bishop speaks, and the choristers sing “Axios,” that is, “worthy.” Consecration as a bishop has its mark. features: the one being initiated first pronounces a confession of faith out loud for the whole church, during the initiation he kneels on both knees right before the throne, all the bishops lay hands on him and, in addition, relies on his head in the revealed Gospel in writing. The main sacred rite in the sacrament of Marriage consists of laying crowns on the bride and groom and blessing them three times with the words: “Lord our God, I crown (them) with glory and honor,” i.e., “Lord our God, bless, strengthen and sanctify their marital union, so that it is honest and glorious before You and people.” Crowns are placed on them as a reward for maintaining themselves in purity and chastity before marriage, and as a sign that they are becoming leaders of a new family. Before this wedding and blessing of the bride and groom, the ceremony of betrothal is performed with rings consecrated on the throne, as a sign of their inextricable union, since the ring is a circle that has no end. After the blessing, they are given wine to drink from the same cup, as a sign that they must share all the blessings and sorrows in life, and they are circled around the analogy three times, as a sign of spiritual joy and triumph. The main sacred rite in the Sacrament of Anointing is the sevenfold anointing of the sick person’s body parts with holy oil. Before each anointing, the Apostle and the Gospel are read, a prayer for the healing of the sick, and after all this a special (one for all seven times of anointing) prayer to God the Father, during the reading of which the anointing is performed. Oil is combined with red wine in accordance with the Lord’s parable about the merciful Samaritan, who poured oil and wine on a sick man, and is consecrated during the very rite of the sacrament. The vessel with oil is placed in a cup filled with dry grains. Here is the idea that just as grains, despite their dryness, are capable of giving life to a whole plant, so, by the grace of God, someone exhausted from illness can return to their previous healthy position. At the end of the ritual, the holy book of the Gospel is placed on the head of the sick person in writing, and the priest prays that the Lord Himself, with His strong hand, through this holy Gospel, will heal him and raise him from his sick bed. “Sy” from the verb “am”, participle sign. "existing" “immutably” means “truly, truly” “Put on” - “put on clothes.” those. “accept into oneself,” and also “transfer, exalt.” Dorunoshima is a word that is half Greek and half Russian. The Roman army did not know the highest honor, how to seat the emperor or commander on a shield and raise it on crosswise folded spears. The word darunoshima in the Cherubic song means that the angels give God the highest praise they can. In Russian: “Let us stand well, let us stand with fear, and offer holy offerings in peace, that is, a bloodless sacrifice.” And the believers answer: “We will offer God two sacrifices pleasing to Him: we will keep peace and love with each other and we will glorify Him.”