Богослужение

Whoever visits the church of God can proclaim: “In Your courts I will sing to You, the Savior of the world, and, on bending my knees, I will pray to Your invincible power, evening, and morning, and noon, and at all times I will bless You, O Lord.” And how and what will he sing when he sits in his cell and mostly lies down? I ask... to pray for the lying man, so that through their destinies the All-Good Lord will have mercy on me, a sinner and unworthy (2, part 2, p. 153). It is a sin to spend time in idleness. It is both a sin to miss a church service and a rule for work. Otherwise, look, the Lord doesn’t seem to punish you for this (1, part 2, p. 68). You must definitely go to church services, otherwise you will be sick. The Lord punishes us with illness for this. And when you walk, you will be healthy and sober. It happened that Father Macarius would get sick, but everyone would go to church. He will sit, then go out to the bishop’s cell; he won’t find a place there, he’ll go back to Father Flavian’s cell, he’ll stay there, but when he sees that he can’t be in the church any longer, he’ll cross himself and leave. Otherwise, he still doesn’t believe himself (1, part 2, pp. 68–69). While reading “The Apostle,” you can sit at home if someone else is reading. And you can sit in church when you can’t stand (1, part 2, p. 69). The rosary is given in order not to forget to pray. During the service, one should listen to what is being read and finger the rosary with the prayer: “Lord have mercy,” and when one cannot hear (the reading), then: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (3, p. 211). That’s why you doze off in church and don’t hear the service, because your thoughts wander here and there (3, p. 211). You explain... that you, overcome by human weakness, are talking in church with the nun you love, who loves you too. Outside the church, explain to this nun that your conscience really reproaches you for talking in church, and ask her not to start conversations in advance and to stop you when you, having forgotten yourself, start talking about something. Then the word of Scripture will be fulfilled on you: we help brother from brother, like a city that is strong and fenced (Proverbs 18:19) (2, part 3, p. 59). When you go to church and come back from church, you should read “It is worthy to eat.” And when you come to church, make three bows, “God, be merciful to me,” and so on (1, part 2, p. 69). You shouldn't talk in church. This is a bad habit. For this, sorrows are sent (3, p. 211). While standing in church, one should listen attentively to the singing and church readings and, whoever is able, should not abandon the Jesus Prayer at the same time, especially when the church reading is not heard well or is indistinct (2, part 2, p. 83). Talking while standing at church services or looking around with your eyes is not only indecent, but also angers the Lord with inattention and fearlessness. If we cannot mentally, then at least physically and visibly we behave decently. Physical and visible decency can lead us to a good arrangement of internal thoughts. Just as the Lord first created a human body from the earth, and then breathed into it an immortal soul, so external training and visible decency precede spiritual well-being, and it begins with preserving the eyes and ears and especially with holding the tongue, since the Lord in the Gospel says: With your mouth I will judge you (Luke 19, 22), that is, that we often, out of inattention, say that for which we will be judged most of all and first of all. It is very easy and convenient to say many things, but to repent of it is very inconvenient (2, part 1, pp. 28–29). You might be interested in: