In a general sense, the word “Liturgy” means any church service established for the glory of the Trinitarian God, which is confirmed by the 4th canon of the Council of Antioch, which says: If any bishop, deposed from the council, or presbyter, or deacon, excommunicated from his bishop, dare to perform any service (Λειτουργίας) and etc. Here, under the name of service, according to Zonar’s interpretation, is meant not only the sacred rite of a bloodless sacrifice, but also every Divine service belonging to the priestly rank; since in the acts of the Council of Ephesus, Matins, Vespers and other church prayers are called Liturgies (ἀι ἑσπεριναΐ καὶ ωδιναι λειτοργιαι).
In addition to the relics of the Holy Saints, who rest openly or secretly in the churches of God, in each of them there are also constantly relics in the Antimins, or the sacred lining, over which the Holy Gifts are celebrated during the liturgy. (See the end of the book for an explanation of vessels and other church utensils).
Nowadays, all this is brought in small vessels and placed on a specially prepared table in the middle of the church, but in ancient times this was performed so that Christians, tired after daytime fasting and long evening prayers, would strengthen their strength with food to continue the morning prayer, which lasted, as we have already said, the whole night. And since these unusually long services took place exclusively on the eve of holidays and the memory of great saints, sufficient people donated bread, wine, etc., which, being consecrated at Vespers, after it were distributed in the vestibule to everyone who wanted it.
The holy Hebrew shekel contained 3 spools of silver and was equal to the value of our half. There was also a shekel and a civilian one, but of a different value. For a female child, a fee was also charged in favor of the church, only not 5, but 3 sacred shekels (see Interpretation of Hebrew and Greek words left without translation in the next Bible, stated at the end of it).
In the Church Songs (pes. 5, 1; and 8, 2), St. Simeon is described as an Old Testament priest, who foresaw and foreshadowed to people the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the legal sacrifices.
Some even think that he was one person with the Jewish High Priest Simon, the son of Onias, called righteous for his piety and charity (301-322 BC). There is also an opinion that Simeon was the son of the famous Gillei and the father of Gamaliel, the teacher of St. Apostle. Paul (Biblical text, p. 430) and that, being one of the most learned people of his time, he was among the 72 interpreters of the books of the Law of Moses and the prophetic writings, when translating them, at the command of the Egyptian king Ptolemy, from Hebrew into Greek. It is about this very time that it is narrated that Simeon, translating the book of the Prophet Isaiah, settled on the well-known prophecy: Behold the Virgin will receive with child and wanted to correct this place, because it seemed incredible and impossible to him to give birth to a son from a virgin; but the Angel who appeared forbade him to correct the prophecy and said that he himself would see the fulfillment of these prophetic words and until then he would not see death. According to this legend, St. Simeon is given at least 300 years at the time of the Nativity of Christ (see Prol. Thur. Min. 3 February and Bibl. History, 9th ed., p. 322).
A very remarkable church legend about the power of St. Simeon’s intercession at the throne of God is in the description. life of the teacher Peter of Athos (See the Celebration of Menaion on July 12).
If you proclaimed to Adam, I am going to hell alive, and bring the gospel to Eve. (Canon of the Presentation, pes. 7, 1).
You adorned yourself, and you were the brightest Moses, you received him in your arms with red kindness, elder Simeon, who for our sake was a child after us (Con. Candlemas 6:2).
Who will give salvation to Israel from Zion? exclaimed the Prophet King (Ps. 13:7).
3. 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142 Psalms.
Like the one who at Vespers reminded of the blessings of earthly paradise.
On the eve of holidays or in honor of the Saints, after singing God the Lord, etc., the Troparion is sung, depicting the essence of the holiday, in which, like the Sunday, where the victorious greatness of the risen Christ is expressed, either His glory appears in the flesh, or His glorification in His Saints.
This revelation of the glory of God in the Temple of Solomon is depicted at the Matins of the All-Night Vigil, by the so-called polyeleos, the very name of which expresses: the burning of much oil, and the outpouring of many mercies of God.
And therefore, on Sundays, the clergy, after reading the Gospel, cries out: Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus! etc.
At ordinary Matins it is read in its entirety.
In ancient times, when Christians spent the whole night in prayer, these words were pronounced at the very time when the first light of day began to illuminate the east.
On holidays after this Great Doxology, another Troparion of the holiday is sung.
To this and each of the following verses is attached a song: Most Honest Cherub, etc. See plaque above, Praise to Our Lady.
End of the century; the end of summer and similar expressions here do not mean either the calculation of time or the end of the world, but only mean the end of the time of the Old Testament, which came with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Kirill, Archbishop. Podolsky, lyrics. on the Annunciation, in Christ, Thu. 1841 part I.
From the Gospel History we only know that Zechariah’s house was in the city of Judah, in the hill country (Luke 1:39). Some thought that it was Hebron, which lies in the mountains (Joshua 21:11); but the best of the newest interpreters, not finding sufficient grounds for this opinion (because there were other priestly cities in the same place), with great authority believe that it was the city of Iuti or Iette, which lay near the desert of Ziph (Joshua 15:27). St. Helena, Equal to the Apostles, based on the surviving tradition, built a monastery in this village (Village of St. John), on the very spot where the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth was. (See Guide to the Holy Places. A.S. Norov, part I. p. 324. and Description of Palestine. Rera, trans. Nadezhd., p. 127).
The wives of the Jews of the Old Testament times, enjoying quite important influence in family affairs and free from any despotism on the part of their husbands, enjoyed significant freedom in external life. People who were wealthy, they even had special tents and houses (Gen. 24, 67; 31, 33); This already clearly speaks of the independence that Jewish women enjoyed. Constantly encountering a crowded crowd near wells - these gathering points in the East - a Jewish woman, naturally, could not become shy and timid. The freedom of these external relations sometimes attracted even Jewish women to participate in matters that were sometimes very important and of a public nature (Exod. 15:20–21; Num. 12:1–10). But at the same time, with the freedom of this external position, the Jewish woman constantly maintained in the eyes of a man significant self-respect and special respect for her feminine qualities.
In Hebrew Neftoi (Joshua 15:9). It is now called the spring of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because, as legend says, during Her three-month stay with Elizabeth, She went here every day for water. (See the guide to the Holy Place. A.S. Norov, vol. 3, p. 393).
The glory of every other wife is her husband, says St. I. Damascus. - but the glory of the Mother of God is inside - this is the fruit of Her womb! (See the word of I. Damascene on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
All the details of this explanation closely resemble the meaning of the general content of Matins, and through this they make the Song of the Mother of God, as it were, the main motive of this service. That's why we found it necessary to place them here.
His body and blood, says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, according to the Apostolic teaching, penetrating into your members, makes us partakers of His Divine nature! (See the word secret guide. 1).
“In the Liturgy,” says Nick. Kovasil, - we contemplate the depicted Christ, and His deeds and sufferings that were about us: for through the psalms, reading in priestly actions, - the Savior's look is everywhere signified in it. (See Explanations of the Liturgy, Chapter I).
As St. Gregory the Theologian says about King Valens. See 20th syllable. praise Vasily the Great.)