What an Orthodox Christian should never do. Who should be loved more: God or your relatives? How to pray better - standing or kneeling

Peace be with you, dear visitors of the Orthodox website "Family and Faith"!

Often we can hear both in the church and in secular society addressed to a believing person (including us) a winged proverb: "It is not appropriate for an Orthodox Christian to behave like this."

So what should a true Christian be like? How is he different from an ordinary person?

Archpriest Valentin Mordasov in his instructive speech gave the main definitions of a true believer. Let's take a look at them:

We must cleanse our souls, wash them with tears of repentance for our former sinful life.

Do merciful deeds, adorn your life with fasting, prayers, vigils, contemplation of God.

We must not envy, not be at enmity, curb carnal lusts, refrain from any excess in food, drink, and sleep.

Be lazy in prayer.

Things to start with a short prayer, wish everyone well.

In order for us not to notice other people's sins, to reproach our neighbors for them, to despise them, we must first contemplate our own sins and mourn ourselves as spiritually dead.

To find peace, inner peace, we need to go to Church. She will give it all in abundance. She will deliver everything through worship, the Holy Mysteries. She teaches everything true. It is not in vain that we read prayers in the Church and at home. Through them we are cleansed from our bad sins. We get rid of temptations, troubles, circumstances.

Why do we need to pray at home and go to church for worship? In order to support, excite the life of the soul, purify it. In the Church we separate ourselves from worldly charms and worldly lusts. We are enlightened, we are sanctified, we are united with God.

Go often to the temple of God and nourish your soul with grace. From the temple, through church prayer, our dead also receive consolation, pardon.

We should love the correct reproof in order to correct ourselves here and not be rebuked at the Last Judgment in front of the whole world, angels and people.

It is necessary to pity any evil person, and not be angry with him, pleasing those to Satan. You need to get away from him.

We must always be meek, gentle, merciful, patient.

The evil must be overcome by the good.

There is no need to burden oneself with the cares of life, to partake of earthly blessings, riches, sweets, distinctions, so that these worries, addictions, do not destroy us at the hour of death.

You must always think about God, about His deeds, and always move away from the deeds of the evil and evil. These temptations of the devil consist in the fact that he entices us to love worldly things, everything earthly: wealth, fame, food, clothes, nobility, earthly sweets and not to think about God and eternal bliss. In our thoughts, in our hearts, there is an evil force that every minute will move us away from God, inspiring vain thoughts, desires, worries, glory, deeds, arousing to anger, envy, pride, idleness, disobedience, stubbornness, intemperance. She needs to go ahead of us.

Fasting should not be rejected, for the fall of the first people came from intemperance. Temperance is a weapon against sin, with which we please God. We must know that man falls away from God through intemperance, for all sin comes from him.

Fasting was sent to people as a weapon against the devil. We must part with bad habits, sinful desires, save ourselves by fasting, vigil, prayers, labors and exercise our souls by reading spiritual books, contemplating God. We should not break fasts, as soon as because of the greatest illness.

Christians must certainly study the law of God, read the Gospel more often, delve into the divine service, fulfill the commandments, church statutes, read the writings of the Holy Fathers in order to live like a Christian.

Do you read the divine - at home, start doing it with prayer, with meekness of heart, so that God will enlighten you, strengthen you in faith, piety, help you find and remember what is necessary, useful.

When you are with sinners, speak sensibly, circumspectly, instructively, edifyingly.

When you come home from the service, read the Holy Gospel. Spend your life wisely, live purely, repent, pray while you are alive so that sudden death does not come upon you.

Do not deviate from the rule of prayer, live below the grass, quieter than water, and you will be saved.

Be obedient to your spiritual fathers, meek, silent.

Be satisfied with any, even the most modest, meal.

Humble yourself for the rest of your life.

Do not imitate the Pharisee who did everything for show to the people. And you do good in secret.

Watch thoughts, because whoever agrees with evil thoughts, enjoys them, angers the Lord God. And those who do not agree with them, resist, receive the crown of the Lord.

Urgent questions of the Orthodox Christian. everyone needs to know!

1. How should a person prepare to go to the temple?

You need to prepare for the morning visit as follows: getting out of bed, thank the Lord, who gave you the opportunity to spend the night in peace and extended your days for repentance. Wash yourself, stand in front of the icon, light the lampada (from a candle) so that it evokes a prayerful spirit in you, put your thoughts in order, forgive everyone, and only then proceed to reading the prayer rule (morning prayers from the prayer book).
Then subtract one chapter from the Gospel, one from the Apostles, and one kathisma from the Psalter, or one psalm if time is short. At the same time, it must be remembered that it is better to read one prayer with sincere contrition of the heart than the whole rule with the thought of how to finish it all as soon as possible.
Beginners can use an abbreviated prayer book, gradually adding one prayer at a time.
Before leaving, say: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and unite with You, Christ our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Cross yourself and calmly go to the temple, not being afraid of what a person will do to you.
Walking down the street, cross the road in front of you, saying to yourself: "Lord, bless my ways and save me from all evil."
On the way to the temple, read a prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner”

2. How should a person who decides to go to church dress?

Women should not come to church in trousers, short skirts, with bright makeup on their faces, lipstick on their lips is unacceptable. The head must be covered with a headscarf or scarf.
Men must remove their hats before entering the church.

3. Can I eat before visiting the temple in the morning?

According to the charter it is impossible, it is done on an empty stomach. Retreats are possible due to weakness (as well as young children, pregnant, lactating), with self-reproach.

4. How to deal with beggars who meet you in front of the temple?

Doing good to others, everyone should remember that the Lord will not leave him. Remember that in the eyes of the Savior, we can look much worse than the beggars in front of the church.
Everyone will be asked for his deeds.
Give to anyone who asks you for it.
If you see a drinking person in front of you, then give him not money, but food - an apple, cookies, sweets, bread.
Most importantly, pray for them.

5. How many prostrations should be made before entering the temple and how to behave in the temple?

Before entering the temple, having previously crossed yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and pray

1. For the first bow: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner".
2. To the second bow: "God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me".
3. To the third: “I have sinned without number, Lord, forgive me”.

Then, having done the same, having entered the doors of the temple, bow on both sides, saying to yourself: "Forgive me brothers and sisters", stand reverently in one place, without pushing anyone, and listen to the words of prayer.
If a person came to the temple for the first time, then he needs to look around, notice what more experienced believers are doing, where their eyes are directed, in what places of worship and in what way they make the sign of the cross and bow.
It is unacceptable to look at icons and clergy during worship. During prayer, one must stand reverently, with a repentant feeling, slightly lowering his shoulders and head, as the guilty stand before the king.
If you do not understand the words of the prayer, then say the Jesus Prayer to yourself with contrition of heart:
"Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."
Try to make the sign of the cross and prostrations with everyone at the same time. Remember that the Church is the earthly Heaven. Praying to your Creator, do not think of anything earthly, but only sigh and pray for your sins.

6. How long do you have to be on duty?

Service must be upheld from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God.
Will the owner of the house you came to visit be pleased if you leave before the end of the holiday?

7. Is it possible to sit in the service if there is no strength to stand?

To this question St. Philaret of Moscow answered: "It is better to think about God while sitting than about standing feet."
However, while reading the Gospel it is necessary to stand.

8. What is important in bowing and prayer?

Remember that the matter is not in words and bows, but in the raising of the mind and heart to God.
You can say all the prayers and put down all the aforementioned bows, but not remember God at all. And, therefore, without praying, fulfill the prayer rule. Such prayer is a sin before God.

9. How to kiss the icons?

Kissing the holy icon of the Savior - you should kiss your feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
and the miraculous image of the Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist - in sackcloths

10. What does the candle placed in front of the image symbolize?

A candle, like prosphora, is a bloodless sacrifice. Candle fire symbolizes eternity. In ancient times, in the Old Testament Church, a person who came to God sacrificed to Him the inner fat and wool of a slain (killed) animal, which were placed on the altar of burnt offering. Now, when we come to the temple, we sacrifice not an animal, but a candle symbolically replacing it (preferably a wax one).

11. Does it matter what size candle you put in front of the image?

Everything depends not on the size of the candle, but on the sincerity of your heart and your capabilities. Of course, if a wealthy person puts cheap candles, then this indicates his stinginess.
But if a person is poor, and his heart burns with love for God and compassion for his neighbor, then his reverent standing and fervent prayer is more pleasing to God than the most expensive candle, set with a cold heart.

12. Who and how many candles should be placed?

First of all, a candle is placed for the Feast or a revered temple icon, then to the relics of the Saint, if any, in the temple, and only then for health or for peace.
For the dead, candles are placed on the eve at the Crucifixion, mentally saying: “Remember, Lord, your deceased servant (name) and forgive his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven”.
About health or in what need, candles are usually placed to 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 give help in various needs.
Putting a candle in front of your chosen saint of God, mentally say: “Holy Pleaser of God (name), pray to God for me a sinner (om) (or name, for whom you ask)”.
Then you need to come up and kiss the icon.
It must be remembered: in order for prayers to succeed, it is necessary to pray to the Holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God with words coming from the heart.
If you put a candle to the image of All Saints, turn your mind to the whole host of saints and all the host of heaven and pray: "All Saints, pray to God for us".
All the saints always pray to God for us. He alone is merciful to everyone, and He is always indulgent to the requests of His saints.

13. What prayers should be done before the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Life-Giving Cross?

Before the image of the Savior, pray to yourself: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (nuyu)" or "I have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy on me".
In front of the icon of the Mother of God, say briefly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.”
Before the image of the Life-Giving Cross of Christ, say the following prayer: “We worship Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.” And after that bow to the Holy Cross.
And if you stand before the image of Christ our Savior or the Mother of God, or the Saints of God with humility and warm faith, then you will receive what you ask.
For where there is an image, there is the Primordial Grace.

14. Why is it customary to put candles for the repose at the Crucifixion?

The cross with the Crucifix stands on the eve, that is, on the table for commemoration of the dead. Christ took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, the original sin - Adam's sin - and through His Death, through the Blood that was shed innocently on the Cross (since Christ had no sin) reconciled the world with God the Father. Beyond that, Christ is the bridge between being and non-being. You can see on the eve, in addition to dying candles, food. This is a very old Christian tradition. In ancient times, there were so-called agapies - meals of love, when Christians who came to worship, after it ended, all together consumed what they brought with them.

15. For what purpose and what products can be put on the eve?

Usually on the eve they put bread, cookies, sugar, everything that does not contradict fasting (because there may be a fast day). You can also donate lamp oil, Cahors, on the eve, which will then go for the communion of believers. All this is brought and left for the same purpose with which a candle is placed on the eve - to commemorate their dead relatives, acquaintances, friends, not yet glorified ascetics of piety. For the same purpose, a note of commemoration is also submitted.

16. What is the most important commemoration for the departed?

The most important thing is the commemoration of the deceased on the proskomedia, for the particles taken out of the prosphora are immersed in the Blood of Christ and cleansed by this great sacrifice.

17. How to submit a note of commemoration at the proskomedia? Is it possible to commemorate the sick at the proskomedia?

Before the start of the service, you need to go to the candle counter, take a piece of paper and write as follows:
About repose:
Demetrius
Petra
Alexandra
Custom for…
(date of)
Thus, the completed note will be submitted for proskomedia.
About health
archpriest Michael
b. margaritas
b. Raisa
Alexandra
Helena with children
Custom for…
(date of)
Thus, a health note is submitted.
A note can be submitted in the evening, indicating the date on which the commemoration is expected. On top of the note, do not forget to draw an eight-pointed cross, and below it is desirable to attribute: and all Orthodox Christians. If you want to commemorate a spiritual person, then his name is put first.

18. What should I do if, while standing at a prayer service or other divine service, I did not hear the name that I filed for commemoration?

The main thing is to submit a note, and as the priest does, so it will be asked of him!

19. How should one behave when incense? (fumigation with a censer)

When censing, you need to bow your head, as if you are receiving the Spirit of Life and say the Jesus Prayer.
At the same time, one should not turn one's back to the altar - this is the mistake of many parishioners. You just need to turn around a little.

20. What moment is considered the end of the morning service?

The end of the liturgy is the exit of the priest with the Cross and is called "release."
During the holidays, believers approach the Cross, kiss its footstool and the priestly hand holding the Cross. Moving away, you need to bow to the priest.
Pray to the Cross: “I believe, Lord, and worship Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, as if on Him I made salvation in the midst of the Earth”.

21. What do you need to know about the use of prosphora and holy water?

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, when you come home, prepare a meal of prosphora and holy water on a clean tablecloth.
Before eating a meal, say a prayer: “Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of passions and weaknesses mine by Thy boundless mercy, by the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy Saints. Amen".
Prosphora is taken over a plate or a blank sheet of paper so that the holy crumbs do not fall to the floor and are not trampled on, for prosphora is the holy bread of Heaven. And it must be accepted with the fear of God and humility.

22. How are the feasts of the Lord and His saints celebrated?

The feasts of the Lord and His saints are celebrated spiritually, with a pure soul and an undefiled conscience, obligatory attendance at church.
At will, believers order thanksgiving prayers in honor of the holiday, bring flowers to the icon of the Holiday, distribute alms, confess and take communion.

23. How to order a memorial and thanksgiving service?

A prayer service is ordered by submitting a note, drawn up accordingly. The rules for designing a custom prayer service are posted at the candle counter.
In different churches, there are certain days when prayers are performed, including blessings of water.

25. How many times a year should one take communion?

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov commanded the Diveyevo sisters:
“It is inadmissible to confess and commune at all fasts and, in addition, the twelfth and major holidays: the more often, the better - without tormenting yourself with the thought that you are unworthy, and you should not miss the opportunity to use the grace bestowed by the communion of the holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible”.
It is very good to take communion on the days of your name day and on birthdays, and for spouses on the day of their marriage.

26. What is unction?

No matter how carefully we try to remember and write down our sins, it may happen that a significant part of them will not be said at confession, some will be forgotten, and some are simply not realized and not noticed, due to our spiritual blindness. In this case, the Church comes to the aid of the penitent with the sacrament of unction, or, as it is often called, "unction."
This sacrament is based on the instructions of the Apostle James - the head of the first Jerusalem Church:
“Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven"(James 5:14-15).
Thus, in the sacrament of the Unction of the Unction, sins are forgiven us that are not said at confession due to ignorance or forgetfulness. And since sickness is a consequence of our sinful state, deliverance from sin often leads to healing of the body.

27. How often should I go to the temple?

The duties of a Christian include attending the temple on Saturdays and Sundays, and always on holidays. The establishment and observance of holidays is necessary for our salvation, they teach us the true Christian faith, excite and nourish in us, in our hearts, love, reverence and obedience to God. But they also go to church to perform rites, rituals, in order to simply pray, when time and opportunities allow.

28. What does attending the temple mean for a believer?

Each visit to the temple for a Christian is a holiday, if the person is truly a believer. According to the teachings of the Church, when visiting the temple of God, there is a special blessing and success in all the good undertakings of a Christian. Therefore, it should be done so that at this moment there is peace in the soul and order in clothes.
We don't just go to church. Having humbled ourselves, our soul and heart, we come to Christ. Precisely to Christ, who gives us the good in relation to us, which we must earn by our behavior and inner disposition.

29. What divine services are celebrated daily in the Church?

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - the Holy Orthodox Christian Church daily celebrates evening, morning and afternoon Divine Services in the churches of God, following the example of the holy Psalmist, who testifies of himself: In the evening and in the morning, and at noon I will beg and cry, and He (the Lord) will hear my voice (Ps. 4:17,18). Each of these three services is composed, in turn, of three parts: the evening service - it consists of the ninth hour, Vespers and Compline; morning - from Midnight Office, Matins and the first hour;
daytime - from the third hour, the sixth hour and the Divine Liturgy. Thus, from the evening, morning and afternoon services of the Church, nine services are formed: the ninth hour, vespers, compline, midnight, matins, the first hour, the third hour, the sixth hour and the Divine Liturgy, just as, according to the teaching of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, from three ranks of Angels are formed nine faces, day and night glorifying the Lord.

30. What is fasting?

Fasting is not only some changes in the composition of food, the rejection of some food, but mainly it is repentance, bodily and spiritual abstinence, purification of the heart through fervent prayer.
31. What prayers are performed before and after eating food?

Prayers before eating food:

Our Father, Who is ecu in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Our daily bread is given to us today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Virgin Mary, rejoice. Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as the Savior gave birth to the ecu of our souls. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. bless. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayer after eating food:

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for you have satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as if in the midst of Your disciples came ecu, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed Theotokos, Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honorable Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, who is the Mother of God, we magnify You. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

32. Why is the death of the body necessary?

As Metropolitan Anthony Blum writes: “In a world that human sin has made monstrous, death is the only way out. If our world of sin were fixed as unchanging and eternal, it would be hell. Death is the only thing that allows the earth, along with suffering, to escape from this hell..
Therefore, the death of the body is not “absurd”, as the people of the world say about it, but is necessary and expedient.

33. Why is a spiritual leader needed?

It is impossible to live sacredly on earth without the closest leaders. You will find them in the Church, where the Holy Spirit supplies them to shepherd the flock of Christ. Beg the Lord to grant you a suitable confessor at the right time, and without your request, he will speak a comforting word to you. The Spirit of God will teach him what is proper to say to you, and you will hear from him what is pleasing to God.
What is a spiritual father for?? In order to march without error with his help and reach the Kingdom of Heaven, and for this it is necessary, mainly, in practice to fulfill the instructions, advice and instructions of the confessor, to spend one's life piously. There were examples of how some people, having the opportunity to often visit the elder, constantly heard his instructions and instructions, lived with him and remained barren, and some, rarely having the opportunity to be with the elder and briefly hear the instructions, succeeded. So, the strength lies not in visiting the spiritual father often, but in fulfilling his instructions and not being fruitless.

34. How often should you contact your confessor?

As often as possible. It is useful to write down your sins daily and then, at least once a week, confess them to your spiritual father. Know that what you reveal to your spiritual father in confession will not be written down by the devil.

Since salvation is in a lot of advice, it is good and beneficial for the soul to ask for advice from the pastors of the Church. However, we must remember: if it happens that a young simpleton speaks about the Divine or in general about the essence of salvation, one must listen and fulfill according to strength, and if anyone, even a priest, has a white beard, but teaches the opposite and disagrees with the Holy Fathers, then there is nothing to listen to him

36. Is it possible for everyone to reveal their sinful thoughts?

Do not reveal your thoughts to everyone, but only to your spiritual father.

37. Is it necessary to read any prayer when you go to the confessor?

When you go to ask your spiritual father about something, read: “Lord, my God! Have mercy on me and inspire the spiritual father to give me an answer according to Your will.

38. How should one behave when one hears the condemnation of the priests?

When priests are blasphemed, one must defend them, not sympathize with those who speak evil, and express one's displeasure and indignation in order to receive a great reward from God. One should not analyze the life and deeds of mentors, but only accept their instructions if they agree with the word of God. When you heed the advice of the fathers, be not a judge of their deeds, but a student and enlightener of their sayings.

39. Do all people need to be loved?

All people, even enemies, must be loved for God's sake, but, of course, mainly spiritual fathers, benefactors, mentors, friends in spirit. And all this with God and for God.

40. How to find a confessor?

With prayers and tears, ask the Lord to send you a righteous leader.

41. How should sorrows be endured?

Sorrows should be endured in secret, like any feat. Then we will not lose our reward in heaven. Only with a spiritual father can we talk about sorrows, asking for his advice and praying to God to patiently endure any temptation.

42. How to overcome shame at confession?

To be ashamed at confession to reveal sins is from pride. Having reproved themselves before God in the presence of a confessor as a witness, people receive peace and forgiveness.
Remember that unrepentant heavy sins after death will bring great and eternal punishment. First of all, you should confess that which most disturbs your conscience. Many talk about the insignificant, but keep silent about the important and, thus, leave unhealed from sinful ulcers and unresolved.

43. How do I know if God has forgiven me the sins confessed in confession?

No one should ever approach repentance and confession unless he has a firm hope that by sincerely confessing and accepting penance, he will be completely forgiven.

44. How to behave in case of mental abuse?

Great happiness when, in the midst of mental warfare, you have a person to whom you can confess. The enemy of the human race hates the path of revelation of thoughts and tries in every possible way to prevent the servant of God, who wants to acquire the mercy of the Lord by frequent confession of his sins. Such an act begins to kill little by little the passions. Conquer false shame on earth, so that you will not be ashamed in heaven.

45. What is penance?

Penance mainly consists in what Christ commanded in the words: “Go and do not sin to that”. But at the same time, it is still necessary to make bows, prayers, almsgiving, fasting during the time indicated by the priest. It is better to receive penance from a priest for a serious sin than to expect God's punishment. Penance cannot be ignored. The bishop himself cannot resolve it.

46. ​​What sin is called mortal?

A mortal sin is such a sin, because of which, if you do not repent of it before death, then you go to hell; but if you repent of this sin, it will immediately forgive you. It is called mortal because the soul dies from it and can come to life only from repentance.

47. What should I do if my conscience does not calm down after confession?

If after confession the conscience does not calm down, then it is good to undergo some kind of penance, according to the definition of the confessor.

48. Why is repentance so important?

Repentance, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, opens the eyes, opens the sight to sins. Having repented of some, a person begins to see others, thirds, etc., begins to consider as a sin that which he did not consider as such before, recalls unrepentant sins, long past, long forgotten, and the sins themselves begin to seem harder and harder. Because of this, the saints wept over their sins, already being holy miracle workers.

49. What does it mean to be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Whoever sins in the hope of repentance is guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Deliberately sinning with an unreasonable hope for the grace of God and thinking: “It’s okay, I will repent” is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to sin fearlessly, consciously, and not repent, but another thing is when a person does not want to sin, cries, repents, asks for forgiveness, but sins because of human weakness. It is human nature to sin, to fall, and one should not lose heart and become excessively sad if one has to sin, but it is natural for demons to lead a person away from repentance, so it is necessary to repent.

50. What should one do during rest hours?

Indulge in spiritual affairs during your hours of rest: prayer, reading divine books, holy meditations.

51. What is the beginning of salvation?

The beginning of salvation is the condemnation of oneself in perfect unrighteous deeds.

52. What strengthens the soul?

The Word of God strengthens the soul, and it protects from sins.

53. What distracts thought from God?

Talking about worldly topics with worldly people diverts thought from God.

54. From what does a Christian receive sanctification?

From reading the Holy Scriptures, spiritual literature and spiritual hymns you receive sanctification, and the words of hymns purify the soul (St. John Chrysostom).

55. What else should one think about?

Reflect more often on the Kingdom of Heaven

56. What is the highest virtue?

The highest virtue is to be able to forgive.

57. Who is a true Christian?

Who forces himself to pray for his enemies.

58. About what and whom should one ask?

Question the spiritually experienced about everything divine and saving.

59. Why are misfortunes allowed?

God heals His friends with misfortunes in order to cleanse them from sins.

60. What should be the main thing in prayer?

Thanksgiving must be contained in each of our prayers (St. John Chrysostom).

61. Which is higher, almsgiving or thanksgiving in affliction?

Giving thanks in sorrows and troubles is a greater merit than giving alms (St. John Chrysostom).

62. What especially propitiates the Lord?

Nothing appeases the Lord so much as the confession of sins.
Nothing appeases the Lord like love for enemies

63. Is it necessary to remember the sins spoken earlier in confession?

Sins forgiven in confession do not need to be remembered, but in your prayer.

64. Which is higher - righteousness or the bearing of offenses?

To endure insults without malice is a higher virtue than to be righteous.

65. What should be read after the morning prayer?

After the morning prayer, read the Holy Gospel.

66. What should thought be occupied with?

May your thoughts be occupied with God, eternity and good deeds.

67. For what should time be set aside every day?

Set aside time each day to meditate on your sins and ordeals.

68. As soon as you wake up in the morning, what prayer to read?

As soon as you wake up, you should cross yourself and say: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and vouchsafe me, Lord, to remain without sin on this day”

69. To what should one force oneself?

You must force yourself, even though you don't feel like it, to prayer and everything good.

70. Where is the beginning of sin?

Watch your thoughts - this is the beginning of sin.

71. What is the most important thing for a believer?

The believer has the main object of his desires - to glorify the name of God here on earth, to benefit others and be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

72. What are the greatest gifts of God given by God to believers?

The greatest gifts of all the gifts of God are the communion of the Holy Mysteries, confession and Holy Scripture, explained by the Holy Fathers.

73. Is it necessary to dwell on important thoughts in prayer?

Do not engage in thoughts that come during prayer, no matter how important and necessary they may seem.

74. How to get rid of bad habits?

Only sincere and pure confession can free you from sinful habits.

75. When the Lord does not forgive us sins.

When we ourselves do not forgive others.

76. What should you do before going to bed?

Every day before going to bed, one must check about all the violations of the commandments of God that were committed during the day.

77. What prayers are holy?

Those prayers are holy that come from a reverent, contrite, and humble heart.

78. How to gain peace of mind?

Reproach yourself for every sin, every bad thought, and immediately repent and gain peace of mind.

79. How to seek benefit for yourself?

You must look for your own benefit in the benefit of others.

80. What kind of people should we move away from?

Let us depart from those who hinder and harm our salvation.

81. How to help the deceased?

Pray for his soul. Work hard for the church or in the monastery for the sake of the deceased.

82. What is the reverence for icons?

Respect for domestic icons is expressed: in keeping them clean, in lighting lamps in front of them, in kissing them only in bodily purity.

83. What power does the image of the sign of the cross have?

When with faith you depict a cross on yourself, then none of the unclean spirits will be able to approach you.

84. What should one resort to first during an illness?

In case of illness, first of all, resort to spiritual healing: the sacrament of confession, communion, unction, and holy things. But don't forget to see your doctor too.

85. Are there any signs by which we can know whether we are on the path of salvation?

The signs by which we can know if we are on the path of salvation are as follows:

• Love for the word of God
• Love for prayer and the sacraments, like confession and communion,
• Acceptance of sorrows, as from the hand of God,
• Inner disgust from all grave sins.

86. How should one maintain spiritual joy in oneself?

Spiritual joy must be maintained in oneself by the following means:

1. Reading the word of God
2. Visiting the Temple of God
3. Mercy bodily and spiritual,
4. Moderate eating and drinking
5. prayer
6. Presentation of the blessings of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

87. What is meekness?

Meekness is expressed in the patience of insults, condemnations and troubles from others.

88. What to do when despair from many sins attacks?

The sin of despair is one of the gravest mortal sins of a Christian. Should never despair. St. John Chrysostom says:
"The ocean has limits, but God's mercy is infinite."

89. How should one pray to God?

We must pray to God in such a way that there is nothing between the soul of the one praying and God, no thoughts, nothing but God.

90. Is it possible to shorten the prayer rule as needed?

Can. And when this need has passed, again return to your rule.

91. How can a demon be defeated?

A demon can be defeated by kindness, humility and long-suffering. Fasting, prayer, love and faith in God

92. What should a person who asks God know?

The praying God must observe two rules: the first is to ask hard, the second is to ask for what is due.

93. What is better for us to ask God for our own needs or others?

God wants us in our needs to ask Him more than others intercede for us.

94. If the heart sympathizes with an evil thought, what should be done?

It is necessary to drive away the bad thought with the Jesus prayer “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner” and confession.

95. What is better, a large rule of prayer, but not always fully fulfilled, or a small one, but always fulfilled?

Let the prayer rule be small, but performed constantly and carefully.

96. Is it a sin to believe signs: for example, an unlucky day, someone met, the hand itched, the cat ran across, the spoon fell, etc.?

You should not believe in omens. There are no clues. Whoever believes in prejudice is hard at heart, and whoever does not believe is happy. Faith and superstition are incompatible things.

97. Can the sign of the cross be replaced if necessary?

The Jesus Prayer will replace the sign of the cross, if for some reason it cannot be placed.

98. How should a holiday be dedicated to God?

A festive day should be spent like this: to be in the temple, pray at home, read divine books, conduct pious conversations, engage in Divine thought and do good deeds.

99. Can I work on Holidays?

It is possible only after visiting the Temple, as well as for the benefit of the sick, poor widows and orphans. And you can't work like that unless absolutely necessary. The day is holy and things are sleeping.

100. What does it mean when loved ones appear in a dream?

If close people appear to us in a dream, then this is a sign that we need to pray for them.

101. When should one pray in one's own words?

Prayer in your own words is allowed outside the church. It is not advised to pray in your own words during the service. You have to pay attention to what you read.

The Jesus Prayer during church services can be said during breaks and when you can’t hear what they are reading or singing ...

103. How should one treat one's neighbors?

How you would like to be treated. One must treat one's neighbor kindly, without even doing any kind of insult.

104. When do we push God's help away from us?

When we grumble. Let us never grumble, for by grumbling and despair we repel divine help from ourselves.

105. Who benefits for the soul from their sorrows and sufferings?

One who suffers complacently and thanks God.

106. How to look at those who offend me?

Pray for the offenders: they are your friends, through them the Lord will give crowns, and if you grumble, you will lose your crowns.

107. How to humble yourself?

108. Does everyone have to endure sorrows?

Every person must endure temptations and tribulations. They are sent either to stop evil, or to admonish, or to cleanse for former sins, or for greater glory in the future life.

109. Is it enough just to endure an insult?

No, we must also take care not to become angry with the offender.

110. What should one especially ask the Lord God in prayers for?

Pray, firstly, to be cleansed of passions, secondly, to be delivered from ignorance and forgetfulness, and thirdly, to be delivered from every temptation and abandonment.

111. What does God require of us?

He requires that we always remember Him.

112. Who should be loved more: God or your relatives?

Love God, and be no more attached to your own than to Him.

113. How to know the will of God in life?

All those who want to know the will of the Lord should, having prayed to God, ask experienced spiritual fathers or brethren and take their advice as from the mouth of God.

114. What is the virtue of withdrawing from the world?

The virtue of withdrawing from the world is not to occupy your mind with the world, but to fill it only with God.

115. How to acquire the fear of God?

A person acquires the fear of God if he has the memory of death and eternal torment; if every evening he will test himself as he spent the day, and if he will be in close fellowship with a man who fears God.

116. Under what condition will a person improve?

Those who want to be saved should not pay attention to the shortcomings of others, but always look at their own, then they will improve.

117. What gives rise to humility?

Work for God, self-restraint in everything and silence gives rise to humility. Humility asks for the forgiveness of all sins.

In every spiritual need, repeat the prayer: "God, seek my help, Lord, seek my help." And it will be for you deliverance from all evil and the protection of all that is good in you.

119 What special virtues are dear to the Lord?

Of all the virtues, nothing else is more pleasing to the Lord than meekness, humility, and love of neighbor.

120. Is it possible to pray at any time and in any place?

At any time and in any place you can pray: raise your mind to God.

121. How to achieve good prayer?

In order to achieve good prayer, one must first drive away all thoughts that are alien to God, and even attempts to represent spiritual things.

122. How to overcome anger in yourself?

A great victory over the spirit of anger is gained by the one who prays for the offender.

123. How to deal with sadness and depression?

To do this, one must resort to prayer, confession, communion, to the word of God, to visit the temple of God and spiritual conversations.

124. What is the best remedy for discouragement?

This is the opening of the heart to an experienced mentor.

125. What is the most necessary and useful knowledge?

To know oneself (one's weaknesses, shortcomings, habits) is the most difficult and most useful knowledge.

126. What is the best way to pray - standing or kneeling?

Sinners, when they pray on their knees, urge God to mercy more than when they pray standing up.

127. Can a good deed be achieved by bad means?
A good deed cannot be achieved and achieved by bad means.

128. Is it possible to have a passion for a person, to desire to see him?

Desire not the vision or presence of a loved one, and delight not in the thought of him.

129. How should fasting days be spent?

During fasting, one should deviate from worldly fuss; think about your sins and mourn, weep for them before God. The days of fasting should be devoted entirely to works of mercy; visit the sick and the afflicted, and learn the word of God.

130. How to decide to follow Christ?

Tell yourself "Alas, soon death". One, another dies near you; behold, your hour will strike. Turn to God and place yourself, defiled and burdened with many sins, before the face of Him, the All-Knowing, the Omnipresent. Will you still offend the eye of God with your vile appearance of sin? Ascend mentally to Golgotha ​​and understand what your sins are worth. Will you still bruise the head of the Lord with the thorns of your sins? Will you still nail Him to the cross, pierce His side, and mock His longsuffering? Or do you not know that when you sin, you participate in the torment of the Savior and for that you will share the fate of the tormentors? After all, one of two things: either perish forever if you remain like this, or repent and turn to the Lord. Look! Everyone has already gone to the Lord ... and he turned, and another, and a third ... Why are you standing and procrastinating?

131. What prayers should be uttered to the Lord in order to help one to embark on the path of salvation?

Do not think, do not compose prayers. Come in simplicity with your one need, as a sick person to a doctor, as a bound to a liberator, with a sincere confession of your weakness and impotence to overcome yourself and with surrender to God's omnipotence. Fall on your face, bow down - many, many. And do not depart from prayer while the prayer is moving. Prayer grows cold, take up meditation again, and from this again proceed to prayer. And for prayer, pick up short appeals to God:
“Have mercy on Your creation, Lord!”
“God, be merciful to a sinner!”
“Oh, Lord, save me! Oh Lord, hurry up!"
Remember church songs: "Behold the Bridegroom is coming..." - "My soul, my soul, rise, that you sleep..." and the like. Thus laboring thyself, strike unceasingly at the doors of God's mercy.

132. How should one believe?

You have to believe in simplicity of heart. God Himself commanded to believe so. For what God has said is, of course, the most perfect truth, against which even objections are inappropriate. In the fullest sense, true faith is that when one believes only because God has commanded it, and when, in order to believe, he does not seek anything else, how to find out how God commanded, and as soon as he finds out that God commanded so, and so believe, and rests on that complete calm, not allowing any hesitation.
This is a children's faith, unquestioningly believing in God the Father! The Lord demanded it when He said: "Unless you are like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven"(Matthew 18:3). From this you can conclude for yourselves that whoever otherwise believes in any way cannot but doubt whether he will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such a childish faith is not blind, but seeing, and seeing with pure eyes, not powdered with anything. She only does not embark on mental research, and as soon as she finds out that God said so, she calms down. This is her most faithful, most solid and most reasonable basis for all beliefs. Blind faith is that which does not know what to believe in, or if it knows, then it is not complete, somehow; neither does he know why he should believe, and he does not care to know either one or the other. Such is for the most part the faith of our simple people.

133. How to relate to the disease?

God sent sickness. Give thanks to the Lord, for everything that comes from the Lord is for good. If you feel and see that you yourself are to blame, then start with repentance and pity before God that you did not save the gift of health. given to you by them. And then, nevertheless, reduce it to the fact that the disease is from the Lord, for every combination of circumstances is from the Lord, and nothing happens by chance. And after this, again thank the Lord. Illness humbles, softens the soul and relieves its usual heaviness from many worries. But in all cases, do not forget to consult a doctor.

134. Is it possible to pray for recovery during illness?

Praying for recovery is not a sin. But we must add: "If you will, Lord!". Complete obedience to the Lord, with submissive acceptance of what is sent as a blessing from the Good Lord, and gives peace to the soul ... and propitiates the Lord ... And He will either heal or fill with consolation, despite the deplorable situation.
But there are such illnesses, the healing of which the Lord imposes a ban, when he sees that illness is more necessary for salvation than health.
Of course, in case of any disease, any treatment must be carried out only under the supervision of a doctor, through whom the Lord will fulfill His Will.

135. Can God forgive such sins as theft, deceit, fornication?

These sins are great, very great. But there is no sin that overcomes the mercy of God. Forgiveness of sins is given not according to our merits, but by the grace of a philanthropic God, who is always ready to forgive, as soon as someone turns to Him with repentance. And it is not the greatness and multitude of sins that makes unworthy of forgiveness, but one impenitence. As soon as you have broken down and repented, forgiveness is already awarded to you in Heaven, and at the moment of confession, this Heavenly decision is announced to you. The handwriting of all the sins of all people, the Lord Savior, carried on His Body to the Cross and there tore it to pieces. The application to each of these actions of mercy is performed in the Sacrament of Penance, and it happens really. He who has received permission from his spiritual father stands without guilt before the face of God's truth.

136. How can you strengthen your faith and hope in the Lord?

Hope and faith cannot be strong without works and labors in the cause of salvation. Kindly apply these active labors, and faith with hope will immediately begin to come to life. What are the deeds and works?
To have disgust for all sins - not only deeds, but also thoughts and sympathy for them.
Define yourself for things that are opposite to them.
You have to find and install it for yourself.
The main thing is to avoid the flesh of the land ... It must be severely punished - to kill.
Prayer order to establish home and church ...
To streamline external relations and avoid cases that can excite the movements of passions.
I guess you have strong pride and rebelliousness. Seek humility and obedience...
Keep the memory of God and the memory of death, do not let go of the thought that God sees you, you stand under His eye, and beware of everything that is objectionable to Him.
Remember that what is needed for salvation, no one can do for you for you. You must do that yourself. Help from the Lord is always ready, but it does not come to the one who does nothing, but only to the one who does, works, but cannot bring the matter to the end.

137. Is it saving when others pray for you?

It is saving only if you yourself pray and work for your salvation. You need to know that someone else's prayer can only help your own, and not replace it. This is our common lot - to pray ourselves and ask others for prayer. And the Savior promised that prayers together are always heard.

138 When can I read the rule of Seraphim of Sarov?

The rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity

This rule is intended for lay people who, for various reasons, do not have the opportunity to perform the prescribed prayers.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov considered prayer to be as necessary for life as air. He asked and demanded from his spiritual children that they pray unceasingly, and commanded them to pray the rule, now known as the Rule of St. Seraphim.
Waking up from sleep and standing in a chosen place, everyone should read that saving prayer that the Lord Himself conveyed to people, that is, Our Father (thrice), then Virgin Mary, rejoice (thrice), and, finally, the Creed once. Having completed this morning rule, let every Christian go about his business and, doing it at home or while on the road, should read quietly to himself: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. If there are people around, then, doing business, say only with your mind: Lord, have mercy, and continue like this until dinner. Before dinner, do the same morning rule.
After dinner, doing their job, everyone should read quietly: Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner - what to continue until nightfall.
When it happens to spend time in solitude, you need to read: Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner. And going to bed at night, every Christian should repeat the morning rule and after it, with the sign of the cross, let him fall asleep
At the same time, the holy elder said, pointing to the experience of the holy fathers, that if a Christian clings to this small rule, as a saving anchor amid the waves of worldly fuss, fulfilling it with humility, then he can reach a high spiritual measure, for these prayers are the foundation of a Christian: first - as the word of the Lord Himself and set by Him as a model of all prayers, the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord. And the Creed contains all the dogmas of the Orthodox faith.
He who has time, let him read. Gospel, Apostle, Lives of the Saints, other prayers, akathists, canons. If it is impossible for anyone to fulfill this rule, then the wise old man advised to fulfill this rule both lying down, and on the way, and in deeds, remembering the words of Scripture: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2, 21; Rom. 10 ,13)

139 What is the Lives of the Saints?

The “Lives of the Saints” is nothing else than the life of the Lord Christ, renewed in every saint to a greater or lesser extent, in one form or another. Or more precisely: this is the life of the Lord Christ, continued through the saints, the life of the incarnate God Logos, the God-man Jesus Christ, who became a man in order to give and transmit His divine life to us as a person, in order to sanctify us as God with His life, and make immortal and eternal our human life on earth. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, all are from the One (Heb 2:11). The lives of the saints are in reality the life of the God-man Christ, which overflows into His followers and is experienced by them in His Church. His life continues through all ages; every Christian is a co-corporeal of Christ (cf. Eph. 3:6), and a Christian is that he lives the divine-human life of this body as its organic cell. Living by Christ, the saints do the works of Christ, for by Him they become not only powerful, but also omnipotent: I can do everything in Jesus Christ who strengthens (Phil. 4, 13). Lives - Nothing but a kind of continuation of the Acts of the Apostles. They have the same gospel, the same life, the same truth, the same love, the same faith, the same eternity, the same power from above, the same God and Lord. For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8):

The same for all people of all times, distributing the same gifts and the same divine powers to all who believe in Him. This continuation of all the life-giving divine forces in the Church of Christ through the ages and ages and from generation to generation constitutes the living Sacred Tradition. This Sacred Tradition continues uninterruptedly as a grace-filled life in all Christians, in whom through the holy sacraments and holy virtues the Lord Christ lives by His grace, who is wholly in His Church, and she is His fullness: the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:23) .

Therefore, the "Lives of the Saints" is both proof and evidence that our origin is from heaven; that we are not of this world, but of another; that man is a real man only by God; that on earth they live by heaven; that our residence is in heaven (Philippians 3:20); that our task is to infuriate ourselves by feeding on heavenly bread, Who came down to earth (cf. John 6:33:35:51), and came down in order to feed us with eternal Divine truth, eternal Divine goodness, eternal Divine truth, eternal Divine love, eternal Divine life through Holy Communion, through living in the one true God and the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 6:50:51:53-57).

140 What is the "Acts of the Holy Apostles"?

These are the deeds of Christ, which the holy apostles did by the power of Christ, or, moreover, they did by Christ, who in them and works through them. And what is the life of the holy apostles? The experience of the life of Christ, which in the Church is transferred to all the faithful followers of Christ and continues through them with the help of the holy sacraments and holy virtues.

Thank God for everything!

From the Practical Guide for the Orthodox Christian

1. Waking up in bed, first of all remember God and put the sign of the cross on yourself.
2. Do not start the day without a prayer rule.
3. Throughout the day, everywhere and in every deed - pray with short prayers.
4. Prayer is the wings of the soul, it makes the soul the throne of God, all the strength of a spiritual person is in his prayer.
5. In order for God to hear a prayer, one must pray not with the tip of the tongue, but with the heart.
6. None of those around you will be left in the morning without your sincere greetings.
7. Do not stop praying when the enemy makes you feel insensible. The one who forces himself to prayer when his soul is dry is higher than the one who prays with tears.
8. You need to know the New Testament with your mind and HEART, learn from it constantly; do not interpret the incomprehensible yourself, but ask St. fathers.
9. Take holy water with thirst for the consecration of the soul and body - do not forget to drink it.
10. Greeting of gratitude to the Queen of Heaven - “Virgin Mary, rejoice ...” say more often, although every hour.
11. In your free time, read the writings of the fathers and teachers of spiritual life.
12. In temptations and misfortunes, recite the Psalter and read the prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos "We contain many misfortunes ...". She is our only Intercessor.
13. When demons shoot their arrows at you, when sin draws near to you, then sing the hymns of Holy Week and Holy Pascha, read the canon with an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus Christ, and the Lord will release the bonds of darkness that have bound you.
14. If you cannot sing and read, then in the moment of battle remember the name of Jesus: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Stand at the cross and heal with your weeping.
15. In fasting times, fast, but know that God is pleased with fasting not only of the body, that is, abstinence of the womb, but abstinence of the eyes, ears, tongue, and also abstinence of the heart from serving the passions.
16. A person embarking on spiritual life must remember that he is sick, his mind is in error, his will is more inclined towards evil than good, and his heart is impure from the passions seething in it, therefore, from the beginning of spiritual life, everything must be aimed at acquiring mental health.
17. Spiritual life is a constant unceasing struggle with the enemies of the salvation of the soul; never sleep in your soul, your spirit must always be alert, be sure to always call on your Savior in this battle.
18. Be afraid to unite with the sinful thought approaching you. He who agreed with such thoughts has already committed the sin that he thought about.
19. Remember: to die, you need to be negligent.
20. Constantly ask: "Your fear, Lord, plant in my heart." Oh, how blessed is he who has a constant trembling before God!
21. Give your whole heart to God without a trace - and you will feel heaven on earth.
22. Your faith should be strengthened by frequent repentance and prayer, as well as by association with people of deep faith.
23. Get yourself a memorial, write down there, if possible, all living and dead acquaintances, all those who hate and offend you, and remember them daily.
24. Seek unceasingly works of mercy and compassionate love. Without these works it is impossible to please God. Be the sun for everyone, mercy is above all sacrifices.
25. Don’t go anywhere unless you need an emergency (do not spend time in idleness).
26. Talk as little as possible, don't laugh, don't be curious with idle curiosity.
27. Never be idle, but honor church holidays and Sundays according to the commandment of God.
28. Love holy solitude (in full measure for monasticism, partly for the laity).
29. Endure all insults in silence, then by reproaching yourself, then by prayer for those who offend.
30. The most important thing for us is to learn patience and humility. With humility we will defeat all enemies - demons, and with patience - the passions that fight against our soul and body.
31. In prayer, do not show to anyone, but only to God, your tears of compunction and zeal for salvation.
32. Honor an Orthodox priest as an evangelizing angel sent to rejoice you and bring you deliverance.
33. Treat people with the same care as with the messengers of the great kingdom, and with the same care as with fire.
34. Forgive everyone and sympathize with everyone in their suffering.
35. Do not rush about only with yourself, like a chicken with an egg, forgetting your neighbors.
36. Whoever seeks rest here cannot have the Spirit of God in him.
37. Anguish and embarrassment attack from lack of prayer.
38. Always and everywhere call on your Guardian Angel to help you.
39. Keep always the weeping of your heart about your sins, and when you confess them, you partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, then quietly rejoice in your liberation.
40. You should know only your own indecencies and shortcomings, CAREFULLY beware of other people's sins and think and reason, do not ruin yourself by condemning others.
41. Do not be self-willed, seek spiritual advice and guidance.
42. Every evening, confess to God all your sinful deeds, thoughts, words that happened during the day.
43. Before going to sleep, in your heart, make peace with everyone.
44. You shouldn't be telling dreams to other people.
45. Fall asleep with the sign of the cross.
46. Night prayer is more expensive than daytime.
47. Do not lose touch with your spiritual father, be afraid to offend him, offend him, do not hide anything from him.
48. Always thank God for everything.
49. Human nature must always be divided into one's own self and into the enemy who is attached to you because of your sins - and watch yourself carefully, check your thoughts and actions, avoid what your inner enemy wants, and not your soul.
50. Inner sorrow for one's sins is more salutary than all bodily exploits.
51. There are no better words in our language than "Lord, save me."
52. Love all the statutes of the Church and bring them closer to your life.
53. Learn to vigilantly and constantly (always) watch yourself, especially your feelings: through them the enemy enters the soul.
54. When you recognize your weaknesses and impotence to do good, then remember that you do not save yourself, but your Savior the Lord Jesus Christ saves you.
55. Your faith must be your impregnable fortress. The fierce enemy does not sleep - guards your every step.
56. We are brought closer to God by the life cross: sorrow, tightness, illness, labors; do not grumble against them and do not be afraid of them.
57. No one enters heaven by living well.
58. As often as possible, partake of the Holy Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ with tenderness of heart, you live only by them.
59. Never forget that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is near at the door, do not forget that Judgment and retribution are coming soon at what hour for whom.
60. Remember also what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him and His commandments for those who do.
61. Read this alphabet, Christian, at least once a week, it will help you in fulfilling what you have written, and will strengthen you on the SPIRITUAL PATH.

(Priest MIKHAIL Shpolyansky)

Watch the video about the rules of conduct in an Orthodox church

Life According to Christ - Christian Day

According to the nature of the present life, the end of the day is usually spent in absent-mindedness, so harmful to the soul. Most townspeople now positively cannot sit at home in the evenings: some kind of force draws them to familiar houses, to evening meetings or to theaters. And, positively, you are surprised, considering in your mind the number of theaters, large and small, and cinemas - how is there enough public for all of them?

Meanwhile, the evening is a time that can be used for spiritual life. All daily affairs are over, cares are postponed for tomorrow, and in the evening calm God is somehow felt closer.

This is the time when you can open the Holy Scriptures, spiritual books, and when, while reading such pages, bright images of holy people will surround you, calling you there, on high, into the radiance of the mountain light.

Happy is he who, having set his soul high with such reading, longs for prayers and, standing before the icons, first reads the prescribed evening prayers, then, having fulfilled this rule of his, begins to pray in his own words: and he will tell God about everything that fills him, that he is agitated and seething, will tell Him all his desires, giving himself to God's full disposal. He will remember all those who are dear to him, and pray that God will keep them and prolong their attachment to him. As an affectionate child of his mother talks about everything, so he will tell God everything he would like - large and small. He will also remember those who have departed from the earth and whom he, unchanged amid the general worldly variability, has not forgotten ... And then he will go to sleep, signing his pillow with the sign of the cross, crossing all four walls and asking himself in the psalm "Alive in the help of the Most High" God's night of protection.

And the Guardian Angel will stand at the head of such a person with a quiet smile of love, rejoicing that here God's property is resting from the daily struggle in the creation of God's will ...

We have not sufficiently analyzed the question of the influence of spirituality on the forces and life of a person, and this influence is undoubted. The kingdom of grace in which a person moves gives him a special life, while a person who lives outside of grace undoubtedly reduces his life and his strength.

How, if not by the beneficial effect of grace even on the physical side of a person, to explain the fact that the righteous in the most terrible living conditions, in caves without the sun, in dry eating, lived to a hundred or more years? And people who constantly take care of their health and do everything to prolong life rarely exceed six or seven dozen?

If the bodies of people who have lived righteously exude, after their death, some gracious invisible currents that revive people who come to them for help, then what can be said about the very life of people led by grace?

All this life is permeated with currents of such grace, which works miracles in a person. Here is the elder Ambrose of Optinsky, approaching the age of eighty, who, after a day of work and a night spent almost without sleep, in the morning, half-dead, rises to his daily feat, during which he will listen to the most terrible confessions, see many mournful, weeping people, weak in body and spirit, instruct a hundred monastics. Here it is, in which there is a slight glimmer of life, which exists in an incomprehensible way; here he is, frail, dying every day, pouring the miraculous power of life into the souls of people.

Here he is, John of Kronstadt, in the daily sermon, in the ministry, on the road. Late, well after midnight, returning to Kronstadt, when the lights in the whole city had long been extinguished, he quickly runs pen over paper, sketching line after line of his diary. And after a short sleep, while the stars are still burning in the sky, intending to burn out for a few more hours, he will go out of the house and, unseen by anyone, raising his eyes to this mysterious sky and to these God-glorifying stars, he will begin to pray a silent prayer. And there is the matins, during which he reads from the service books and sings on the kliros a mass with many communicants, a tour of the sick and dead in Kronstadt and a long ride from house to house in St. Petersburg with requests for healing, with a confession of serious sins and infirmities ... they almost tear him to pieces, they seize upon him, they torment his heart, but, all imbued with currents of grace, having sated in the morning with the miraculous brush of the Body and Blood of Christ, he is young in his old age, light, mobile, full of strength for this human hard labor life, which he gave him God. In exactly the same way, those Angels who stand - bend over the headboards of people who called them before going to bed to keep them invisibly pour strength into people ...
* * *

Here comes the day. In spring, summer and at the time of the first autumn, a person awakens in the rays of the sun and joyfully gets up to do his work; in winter, the sun has not yet risen, when a person should rise, using some effort on himself ... What to do - nothing in life is given for free.

One righteous teacher of our time, Bishop Theophan the Recluse, advises you to always go against yourself: if you want to lean on your elbows, it’s better to sit up straight.

Just as the first thought of a loving person upon awakening will be the thought of a beloved being, so let our first thought upon awakening be the thought of God... And let the sign of the cross be the first movement of the hand. And this sign, under which we must fight faithfully and stubbornly, will serve for us as the call that the sound of a military trumpet is for a soldier.

Russians, by their nature, cops, interfere with one thing with another: instead of quickly dressing, some people indulge in different thoughts at the wrong time while dressing ... They will start pulling on a stocking, do not finish this business, think and think for five to ten minutes. Everything in life must be done quickly, decisively, clearly.

Those who do not care about their appearance are wrong. The Lord dressed the whole world with beauty, giving her a crown in man... The tree, submissive to God's will, stands and flaunts in its inviolable decoration. Why, then, should a person violate with impurity, lack of care for himself, God-created and God-like beauty? When the whole person is washed, then the soul is somehow cleaner.

And the man is dressed...

Prayer should not be approached in a disorderly manner. In monasteries they dress for prayer. A person must be picked up morally and physically, and not stand before God in a disheveled form.

“Raise us up, O Lord, to praise and to the doing of Thy commandments…”

In order to put yourself in a prayerful mood, it is good to read some spiritual book beforehand, but reading the Gospel is a must for a person.

In addition to the fact that the Gospel teaches us everything that is necessary for the soul, it also contains miraculous power: by delighting the soul, the Gospel calms us, brings the soul into a state of grace-filled silence and drives away the tempting enemy from us.

According to the disposition of the present life, the inhabitants of the city spend part of the morning reading newspapers with a description of everything that is happening in the world, with a description of all sorts of incidents and crimes that have occurred in recent days ... reading is unnecessary, even harmful, because it disperses the soul, introduces it into range of vital interests, worldly vulgarity. Whereas spiritual reading, a description of the life of the saints, which we will think about in the morning, has an uplifting effect, setting our thoughts in a high mood for the whole day. Worldly temptations will have less influence over us when bright images of those who were glorified in earthly humiliation will stand before our eyes, renewed by reading in the morning: in humility they acquired high, in poverty rich.

Happy is the one who has developed the habit of going to bed earlier and going to bed earlier - daily, or at least several times, at least once a week on weekdays, to attend the Divine Liturgy: he is happy at the hour of solitude in the church immersed in semi-darkness where it is easier for the soul to go into prayer, where God is felt closer.

And there the earthly work will begin.

Whatever we do, let us recognize ourselves as God's workers and do our work as if God had given us a lesson for today and will ask us for an account tonight. Children at the beginning of their studies read the so-called prayer before teaching.

There is a little-known prayer before the beginning of any work

“Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of Your Father without beginning, You said with Your pure lips, as without Me you can do nothing; My Lord, Lord, by faith the volume is in my soul and the heart spoken by You, I fall down to Your goodness; help me to accomplish this work, which I am starting, about You Yourself, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The mood of a Christian should always be even, the relationship with people - affectionate and kind. In addition to people who depend on us, whom we can constantly offend with our arrogance, rudeness, harshness, how many cases are there to be kind to strangers, completely unfamiliar to us, to be pleasant or unpleasant.

The person walking in front of us has dropped something - the duty not only of courtesy, but also of Christian love, will be to pick up this thing. I once had a chance on Nevsky Prospekt, at a time when there are a lot of people there and in the middle of the street rushing, overtaking each other, horses and cars, to see an ancient old woman who was helplessly marking time, obviously wanting to cross the street and not daring to indulge in it. terrible sea for her.

A general, a very rich man who belonged to the highest circle, approached her, offered his services to the old woman, took her by the arm and confidently began to lead her across the street. It was an act not only chivalrous, but also an act deeply Christian.

When we pass by churches, we must not forget to take off our hats in front of them and put the sign of the cross on ourselves, so as not to deserve a reproach at the Last Judgment that we were ashamed of the Son of Man on earth.

It is strange how proud a person feels when the tsar approaches at a crowded meeting to say a few words to him, how usually such a person is surrounded immediately after, showing him all sorts of signs of attention. But to show that we are trying to be close to the Lord Almighty - we consider this a shame. Why is a person full of such madness and such vileness, for which it is even impossible to find a name?

... How nice it is to enter an open church from a noisy street, where inextinguishable lamps are quietly burning in front of some revered icon and everything is full of some kind of holy concentration. How good it is to breathe this air, which captures the prayers poured out here, miracles performed here, in which there is an echo of the great words spoken here, in which there is some kind of breath of eternity ... Stand for at least a few minutes, breathe this air, renew your connection with heaven - and move on...

Along the way, we will have many chances to offer even a small sacrifice to God. It is a rare day that we do not meet on the way a collector asking for a church building. Unwinding big money for ourselves, can we really spare a copper coin for him!.. In general, let the thought of God and eternity be constantly alive in us, directing our actions.

In our time, more than ever, people have developed a desire for luxury and swagger. And out of a desire to keep up with others, they make incredible expenses, completely unnecessary, and even fifty dollars will be spared for a good deed. As if nothing had happened, they spend tens of rubles at any hour to decorate the dinner table with luxurious fresh flowers on those days when guests are invited to the table. They dress up beyond any need, turning everyday life into a continuous irreplaceable holiday, eating thin, expensive dishes, drinking drinks brought from different European countries for crazy money.

Why all this? And will these or other “brands” of wine serve us well, will the gates of paradise open? A Christian cannot live a big life. At every step he must compel and humble himself. And before you arrange luxury around you, remember that there are churches in Russia in which paper images are in the iconostasis.

The abyss of entertainment that is now offered to the townspeople is also not good for the soul. All these gatherings and spectacles, of which most are directly calculated for the sinful impulses of our corrupt nature - all this sitting for hours at cards, with excitement developing over them, these dancing parties that also inflame a person - all this can be replaced by healthier and smart entertainment.

And most of all, a person should look closely at that Divine face, which is reflected in the wondrous creation of God's hands - in nature.

When you are tired of earthly labors, instead of looking for noisy companies, go outside the city or in the city itself look for some pleasant places. Here the river rolls its waters in front of you - think about how these drops of water are carried away by the current to another large river that carries its waters to the ocean, so a drop of your existence, together with other people, irresistibly strives into one great ocean of eternity.

Look at any hour to the heavens, which speak aloud of God. Try in the whisper of the leaves of a sprawling grove to hear the quiet, reverent prayer to God created by the trees.

As for the evasive and swift birds, think about how much good, clear and beautiful the Lord has invested in these lovely birds, carefully making their nests and raising their chicks. Over a meadow blade of grass or over a flower quietly shaking a fragrant cup on a thin stalk - once again marvel at the wisdom of Him Who developed this plant with His own hand so wonderfully and beautifully, as even thousands of hands of the greatest earthly masters cannot do.

To look at nature and understand it is almost like praying. And for the ascetics of all times, nature in those beautiful places that they almost always chose for their exploits was the best companion and stimulus to their prayers. And if during such a walk you are “in the spirit”, that is, inspiration of prayer and thoughts finds on you, hold on, stop this mood ...

…You have reached the evening.

How good is the prayer that poured out at this hour from the soul of Basil the Great, touched by the beauty of nature plunging into rest.

“Blessed are you, Lord Almighty, enlightening the day with the light of the sun and clarifying the night with fiery dawns, Even the longitude of the day has made us worthy to pass and draw near the beginning of the night; hear our prayer and all your people, and forgive us all voluntary and involuntary sins. Accept our supplications in the evening and send down the multitude of Thy mercy and Thy bounty on Thy inheritance. Bless us with Thy holy Angels. Arm us with the weapons of truth. Guard us with Your truth. Keep us in Your strength."

Holidays should be marked by a special aspiration of the soul to spiritual objects, a particularly vivid reminder to oneself of those great events that are celebrated, of those holy and wondrous people who are revered on this day.

Nothing in life comes without effort. So in order to brightly celebrate the holiday, it is necessary to prepare for it from afar. The Church knew what she was doing when she established fasts before the great holidays - Easter, the Nativity of Christ, the Assumption of Our Lady, when she established a one-day fast before the feast of the Baptism of Christ, and another fast in honor of the apostles, not without a secret, perhaps, the thought to honor everyone with this fast generally glorified holy followers of Christ.

Fasting refines the body, which usually crushes the spirit, seeks to enslave it and, as it were, suppress it. Fasting gives us freedom from the bonds of the world, from all sorts of temptations and temptations. Fasting brings us closer to heaven, makes us more sensitive and receptive to the phenomena of the spiritual world.

The holiday aims to give rest to the soul, tired of worldly fuss, among strong spiritual impressions, to bring heaven closer to us, to renew in our souls so easily forgotten images of Christ, the Mother of God and the saints.

But during the holidays, we not only do not strengthen our soul, but only weaken it, and the holiday passes with us in the exact opposite way as it should and as the Church wishes. Instead of attending church services more often before the holiday, strengthening ourselves in spiritual reading, reading, for example, the life of the saint to whom we are going to celebrate, at least before the days of our name days, we scour the shops to update our clothes and buy a myriad of provisions for holiday food. At the same time, we completely forget that it is not with a new dress and not with an extra heavy dish and a large amount of wine that we can please God and attract festive grace to ourselves.

And the whole ecclesiastical side of the matter on the feast is completely in the background for us. So, it happens that a person who has been busy with festive preparations to the point of fatigue will not get to church at all either for the Christmas vigil or for Mass. It would be as if someone, called before the face of the king, began to prepare in advance for this occasion a big reception for relatives and friends, and in the fuss about this reception would miss the day when he was appointed to appear before the king.

In general, among the stupidities of our life, one of the biggest is that people perform certain external rites, completely indifferent to the events by which these rites are caused. For example, people do not believe at all either in Christ or in His Resurrection, but celebrate Easter: on this day they dress up, prepare the Easter table for breaking the fast - this is just as pointless as if a Christian began to celebrate a Mohammedan holiday.

The holiday is usually marked by aimless staggering to visit each other, congratulating their acquaintances on something, although these acquaintances would be unbelievers, a great consumption of food and all sorts of sweets - in a word, the complete victory of worldly life and worldly principles, worldly vanity.

All this should be just the opposite. Festive preparations should be shortened as much as possible, because a Christian is full every day, and should not mark the holiday with a feast. Before a big holiday, you need to say goodbye and commune a few days before it or on the very day of the holiday, and spend the entire holiday time in this atmosphere of spiritual abstinence. Russian tsars on holidays went to the graves of their ancestors, visited the clergy and prisons, and we should at least celebrate the holiday with some good deeds, which none of us does.

Recently, among many wealthy families, a custom has formed on the day of their name day, when they used to convene guests, spend a lot of money on it and get very tired from it, to leave the city altogether for some place nearby: for example, from St. Petersburg for the whole day to Pavlovsk , Vyborg or Helsingfors. This avoided festive fuss, fatigue and expenses, and something useful was acquired in these cities with the money saved from the abolition of the festive reception.

Even more correct is the custom to commemorate your holiday with some kind of pilgrimage.

Especially when the soul is wounded and hurts, when you are far apart from the people you love, when you are worried about some deep and prolonged emotional excitement - then the festive fuss is completely unbearable for you and you are drawn somewhere far away, away from the usual situation, away from this festive scope, which only offends and torments you.

I knew two cousins ​​who went through intense grief at the same time. One lost her beloved mother, with whom she lived soul to soul, and whose disappearance left an unfillable void in her life. Another loved one person whom she wanted to consider her fiance, but her parents did not give consent to this marriage, and therefore the situation was unbearable, strained and painful.

This young man was abroad at the time, and they were in daily correspondence. Their relatives lived noisily and cheerfully, and the holiday in their state of mind seemed to them torture.

Hearing from their acquaintances how good winter is in Sarov and Diveevo at the Monk Seraphim, they both decided to leave for Sarov from the New Year. Two days before the New Year they left Petersburg for Moscow, and in the evening on New Year's Eve they left Moscow for Nizhny.

Tired of the day, they calmly went to bed in their department at ten o'clock and were in oblivion at that time, when there, in noisy Petersburg, to the clink of glasses and a splash of champagne, people spoke to each other hackneyed phrases about new happiness.

On New Year's Day, they crossed the Oka in the predawn darkness on a sleigh, boarded the Arzamas train, and all day on January 1 they rode in a cart from Arzamas to Diveevo, where they arrived in the evening and defended the solemn vigil, since the other day, January 2, was the day of repose great elder Seraphim. They arrived in Sarov for a late mass, visited all the places marked by the exploits of the elder, spent the night there, bathed in the healing spring of the elder Seraphim, returned to Diveev and lived there until the evening of Epiphany.

The orphaned daughter found satisfaction of her grief there and returned from there revived, and the bride made a vow: if her wedding takes place, to be with the elder with gratitude along with her fiancé ... Everything soon settled for the better.

How such a celebration of the holiday differs from that meeting of the New Year, which is completely inconsistent with Christian dignity, which has now become fashionable. Thank God, people faithful to the Church are standing at this hour in the temple for the newly introduced prayer service. And others sit in a restaurant from ten o'clock among the clapping of wine corks to the sounds of a softening orchestra and at the stroke of twelve o'clock with loud wishes on the tongue they clink glasses. They will meet the New Year without even crossing their foreheads. Of course, it happens here and not without scandals.

It was said above about the joy that solitary prayer gives to the soul on weekdays - in the darkness of winter, early mass. Participation in national celebrations has a completely different impression on the soul.

What happiness, for example, to look at the magnificent celebrations of the Moscow religious processions, where the earthly Church is crowned, adorned, exalted.

Under the loud chants of the prayers of the mighty choir, the solemn procession slowly moves, and in front of it is a huge lantern carried on a stretcher with a burning candle, depicting a temple. Then a whole forest of banners stretches out: some are light, others are barely restrained by strong banner-bearers, swaying heavily on their strong shafts. Holy faces shine in the sun, heavy and sonorous metal pendants ring. Glorified by miracles, icons, some of enormous size, seem to be floating in the air above the crowd, raised high from the ground on a stretcher.

And then - in solemn robes, a bright, brilliant host of clergy. And it is felt to the soul that the heavenly Church has risen above these visible churches, and another wonderful procession is unfolding above this earthly procession ...

All such Orthodox impressions support the faith, nourish the spirit and make one feel the realm into which the soul will be absorbed in the next century...

Evgeny Poselyanin
From the book "Ideals of the Christian Life"

When I say “normal”, I do not mean “average”, I mean one who lives according to Orthodox canons.

And this, of course, is not a complete list, and the items in it are not in order of priority.

So, a normal Christian:

1. Goes to services as often as possible.

The minimum requirement is to go to the morning service every Sunday. But it often happens that this is not enough. And “going to the service” does not mean just being present at it, but it means being spiritually involved - either silently listening, or crossing yourself, singing along, and so on.

2. Pray at home every day

Ideally, you need to read the morning and evening rule and prayer before and after eating food. It is especially important that husbands and wives pray together, and that parents pray with their children. Include daily Bible readings here, especially the Psalter.

3. Participates in the sacraments

This means not only confessing and taking communion, but also taking unction if you get sick. It means to be baptized, to be married. It is even worth considering whether you or another man in your family should be ordained.

4. Avoid immorality in thought, word and deed

Everything we do with our body, soul, and words matters to our salvation. Let your body, soul and words serve for the benefit of you and your loved ones. Look for someone to help, not to be helped.

5. Observes fasts according to the church calendar

The priest you are confessing to will advise you on how to relate the fasts to the daily life of your family. Orthodox keep fast on Wednesdays and Fridays and, of course, during the Great, Petrov, Assumption and Christmas fasts.

6. Goes to confession

The sacrament of confession is extremely important for the soul. You need to go to confession at least once during each fast. But also - simply, when it is necessary for your soul, when there is a sin that torments you.

And often finds them during confession. But the priest (or confessor, if you have one) will listen to you at any time. This is the source that you need to use constantly.

8. Gives a tenth of the income to the Church

Giving a tenth of your income to the Lord (after all, your income is His gift to you) is a biblical norm that Orthodox Christians must adhere to. If you can't give all 10 percent, choose a different amount, but give regularly, gradually moving towards giving 10 percent. And if you can give away more than 10 percent, give it back. And do it not only when it's hard for you, when something bad happens in life - donate when everything is good. The fact that giving a tenth of the income is precisely the Orthodox tradition was pointed out many times by the fathers of the Church.

9. Gives alms and does charity work

It means helping those in need. This help can also be monetary, but you can help with your own work, and moral support, and even just being close to those who are having a hard time, with those who are sick, etc.

10. Constantly improves the level of his education

It is necessary all the time to seek an ever deeper comprehension of faith - and not only in the sense of understanding what, in fact, it means to be a believer, pious, devout. This also means that our mind must be constantly in the power of the Lord, so that He heals and changes it. All our thoughts should be connected with God - whether we read spiritual literature, whether we attend courses in religious education, etc. The purpose of all our activities in the field of education is to get to know and understand the Holy Scripture as deeply as possible.

11. Shares faith with others

If you are grateful to the Lord for giving us Salvation, you will want to share your faith with other people.

12. Goes to religious processions, makes pilgrimage trips

That is, he travels to visit shrines. Usually these are monasteries, temples and other holy places.

Translation by Anna Barabash

The new book by Archpriest Pavel Gumerov "", published by the publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery, provides in an accessible form the initial knowledge necessary for those who are preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism or are just starting to live an Orthodox life. The book presents the main provisions of our faith, tells about the Sacraments, the commandments of God and about prayer.

The goal of the life of an Orthodox Christian is union with God. The word "religion" is translated from Latin - the restoration of communication. Hence the word "league" (in musical notation - an arc connecting notes).

The Christian religion is also called the Orthodox faith. The words "faith", "trust", "confidence" have the same root. We believe in God and trust Him, we have confidence that the Lord is always near, always close and will never leave his children who turn to Him. Precisely confidence, and not self-confidence, that is, hope only in one's own feeble forces. A Christian knows that God's Providence operates in his life, which leads him, sometimes even through difficult trials, to salvation. And so the Orthodox person is not alone in this world. Even if friends and loved ones turn away from him, God will never leave him. In this he differs from unbelieving or unbelieving people. Their life is accompanied by constant stress, tension, fear: how to survive in this cruel world? What will happen tomorrow? etc. An Orthodox person should not have fear of the present and the future: perfect love to God, faith in Him casts out fear(cf.: 1 John 4:18). But faith is not just the recognition that there is some cosmic Mind, the Absolute; it is a living connection with the Living God.

Without faith, not a single sacrament or even rite is possible. The grace of God, healing and strengthening us, is given only according to our personal faith. The priesthood is not a magical ritual: they did something for us, and now everything will be fine with us. No, you need to open your heart to God, personally turn to Him. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned(Mark 16:16).

Unfortunately, many modern people who consider themselves Orthodox approach the sacraments and other sacred rites of the Church without understanding, faith and personal appeal to God. Just in case, children are baptized, out of fashion or respect for traditions, they get married and go to church on.

If we turn to the Gospel, we will see that the Lord performs miracles, healing only by the faith of those who turn to Him or by the faith of those people who ask for the sick. For example, once Christ taught the people in a certain house and a paralyzed man was brought to this house. Unable to enter the house because of the crowd, the bringers dismantled the roof and lowered the bed with the sick person through the roof. Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: child, your sins are forgiven you. And healed him(see: Mk. 2, 1-12). That is, the miracle happened according to the faith of the friends of the paralytic, who really wanted his healing.

And here is an example of a personal appeal. One woman, who suffered from bleeding for twelve years and spent all her possessions on doctors, had a strong faith that, only by touching the Savior's clothes, she would receive healing. And her faith was not put to shame. Touching the robe of Christ, she received healing. The Lord Himself praised her faith, saying: hold on, darling! your faith saved you(see: Matt. 9, 20-22). And there are many such examples in the Holy Scriptures.

The most important question: how to acquire faith and how to strengthen it in your heart? Faith is acquired through turning to God, through prayer. Praying, a person begins to feel the presence of God in his life, and he no longer needs other evidence of the existence of God, he knows that, turning to the Lord with prayer, he receives through his prayer. The second thing that strengthens faith is gratitude to God. It is necessary to notice in your life the blessings and gifts of God poured out on us.

Moreover, you need to thank the Lord not only for the pleasant moments of life, but also for the trials that are sent. “Did something good happen? Bless God and good things will remain. Has something bad happened? Bless God and the bad will stop. Thank God for everything!" - speaks .

Prayer Rule

So, prayer for an Orthodox Christian is a way of connecting with God, a conversation, communication with Him. Turning to the Lord in prayer is the need of the soul of a believing person; it is not for nothing that the holy fathers called prayer the breath of the soul.

In fulfilling the daily rule of prayer, two things must be remembered.

Daily prayer is called the rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian

First. The daily one is called the rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian. Every Orthodox Christian should pray in the morning and before going to bed - read the morning and evening prayers set out in the Orthodox prayer book. Also pray before meals (read the Lord's Prayer "Our Father" or "The eyes of all trust in You, Lord ...") and after meals (read a prayer of thanksgiving). These prayers are also contained in the Orthodox prayer book. Christians pray before the start of any work (work, study, other activities) and after its completion. Before starting work, a prayer is read "To the King of Heaven" or special prayers for the beginning of any business from the prayer book. After the end of the case, the prayer to the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat” is read. You can also read special thanksgiving prayers, which are also contained in the prayer book; they are read, thanking God for His blessings.

There must be regularity and discipline in the prayer life. The daily prayer rule cannot be omitted and pray only when you want and there is a mood. A Christian is a warrior of Christ, in Baptism he takes an oath of allegiance to the Lord. The life of every warrior, soldier is called service and is built according to a special routine and charter. In the service, arbitrariness and laziness are unacceptable. And the Orthodox person also carries out his service. The prayer rule is not only communication with God, which should be the need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service takes place according to the charters of the Church.

The prayer rule is not only communication with God, which should be the need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service takes place according to the charters of the Church

Second, which should be remembered when fulfilling the rule: you cannot turn daily prayer into a formal reading of the prescribed prayers. It happens that in confession one has to hear something like this: “I began to read the morning prayers and only in the middle I realized that I was reading the evening rule.” So the reading was purely formal, mechanical. God does not need such a prayer. So that the fulfillment of the rule does not turn into an empty “proofreading” (read the rule for a tick, and you can safely go about your business), you need to read it slowly, better out loud, in an undertone or in a whisper, pondering the meaning of the prayer, standing reverently, because we stand before God Himself and talk to Him. Before prayer, you need to stand for some time in front of the icons, calm down, drive away all worldly thoughts and cares, and only then begin prayer. If during the reading of prayers attention is scattered, extraneous thoughts come and we are distracted from what we are reading, it is recommended to stop and start reading the prayer again, already with due attention.

It can be difficult for a new beginning Christian to immediately read a complete prayer rule. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest, he can choose at least a few morning and evening prayers from the prayer book, for example, three or four, and pray for the time being according to this abbreviated rule, gradually adding one prayer from the prayer book. As if ascending from strength to strength(cf.: Ps. 83, 6-8).

Understanding and skill in prayer will definitely come with time, if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in the prayer life.

Of course, it is not easy for a person taking the first steps in spiritual life to follow the unabridged rule. He still does not understand much, the unfamiliar Church Slavonic text is still difficult for him to understand. To understand the meaning of the texts you read, you should purchase a small dictionary of Church Slavonic words. Understanding and skill in prayer will surely come with time, if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in the prayer life. Here is a comparison. Everyone who starts playing sports starts with small loads. For example, he runs short distances, works out with light dumbbells, but then gradually, more and more, increases the load and eventually achieves good results.

Christians always read prayers in the morning, asking God for blessings for the coming day and thanking Him for the past night, they pray to Him every evening, following the rule that prepares for sleep and is a confession of the sins of the past day, that is, it has a repentant character. But the whole day of an Orthodox person should also be spiritualized by the memory of God. This memory is very well strengthened by prayer. You can't do anything without me- says the Lord (John 15, 5). And every deed, even the simplest, must begin with at least a brief prayer for the invocation of God's help to our labors.

It is very good when we do not limit ourselves to just reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God with a prayer throughout the day.

Too many mothers of infants complain that they never have time to read the daily rule. Spiritual life suffers from this: a person rarely begins to remember God. Indeed, when a child causes a lot of trouble, you need to constantly get up to him day and night, feed him and take care of him - it can be very difficult to fulfill a complete prayer rule. Here you can advise to constantly call on the name of God during the day. For example, if the mother is preparing food, pray that the dinner will turn out delicious; before breastfeeding, read "Our Father"; followed by a prayer of thanksgiving. If there are especially many things to do, you should pray that the Lord will help, give strength and time to redo all the things. Thus, our life will pass with constant remembrance of God, and we will not forget Him in the vanity of the world. This recommendation is suitable not only for the Orthodox mother of small children, but also for any Orthodox Christian. It is very good when we do not limit ourselves to just reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God with prayer throughout the day.

Prayers are conventionally divided into supplicatory, repentant, thanksgiving and glorifying (although repentance is also a request for the forgiveness of sins). Of course, we must turn to the Lord not only with requests, but also incessantly thank Him for His countless blessings. And most importantly, be able to see them, notice them in your life and appreciate the gifts of God. It is very good at the end of the day to make a rule for yourself to remember all the good things that were sent from God on the past day, and read thanksgiving prayers. They are in any complete prayer book.

In addition to the obligatory prayer rule, every Orthodox person can also fulfill a special rule. For example, read the canons, akathists, the Psalter during the day. This is especially necessary to do in difficult, mournful or simply difficult periods of life. For example, the prayer canon to the Theotokos, which is found in the prayer book, is read "in every sorrow of the soul and situation," as the very title of this canon says. If a Christian wants to take on a constant prayer rule (reading the canons or, for example, saying the Jesus Prayer - “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” - according to the rosary), he must take the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest for this. Before communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, Orthodox Christians fast, that is, they fast and read the canons: penitent; prayer to the Mother of God; the canon to the Guardian Angel and the canon before Holy Communion with prayers.

It should also be added that in addition to the constant prayer rule, a Christian must regularly read the word of God - Holy Scripture. You can hear such an opinion: why bother God with your requests, prayers, the Lord already knows what we need. Turning to God is necessary only in special cases, when it is really necessary.

Such an opinion is a simple excuse for one's own laziness. We cannot bore God with our prayers. He is our Heavenly Father, and, like any Father, He wants His children to communicate with Him, to turn to Him. And God's grace and mercy towards us can never fail, no matter how much we turn to God.

There is one story on this subject.

In the house of some rich people, they stopped praying before meals. One day a priest came to visit them. The table was laid very elegantly: the best dishes were taken out and the best drinks were served. The family gathered at the table, everyone looked at the priest and thought that now he would pray before eating. But the priest said: "The father of the family should pray at the table, because he is the first prayer book in the family." There was an awkward silence, because no one in this family prayed. The father cleared his throat and said: “You know, dear father, we don’t pray, because in prayer before meals, the same thing is always repeated. Habitual prayers are empty talk. These repetitions every day, every year, so we don't pray anymore."

The priest looked at everyone in surprise, but then the seven-year-old girl said: “Daddy, don’t I need to come to you every morning and say “Good morning” anymore?”

At present, a large number of people who have understood with their minds or felt with their hearts that God exists, who are aware, albeit unclearly, of their belonging to the Orthodox Church and who want to join Her, face the problem churching, that is, entering the Church as a full and full member of Her.

This problem is very serious for many, because, entering the temple, an unprepared person faces a completely new, incomprehensible and even somewhat frightening world.

Clothes of priests, icons, lampadas, chants and prayers in an obscure language - all this creates in the newcomer a sense of his own alienness in the temple, leads to reflections about whether all this is necessary for communication with God?

Many say: "The main thing is that God is in the soul, but it is not necessary to go to church."

This is fundamentally wrong. Popular wisdom says: “To whom the Church is not the Mother, God is not the Father.” But in order to understand how right this saying is, it is necessary to know what is the Church? What is the meaning of her existence? Why is Her mediation necessary in man's communion with God?

The Rhythm of the Christian Life

PriestDaniel Sysoev

Let's start with the simplest. Each type of life has its own characteristics, its own rhythm, its own order. So the newly baptized Christian should have his own rhythm and type of life. First, the schedule changes. Waking up in the morning, a Christian stands in front of the icons (they are usually placed on the eastern wall of the room), lights a candle and a lamp and reads the morning prayers from the prayer book.

How to pray according to the text? The apostle Paul writes that it is better to say five words with the mind than a thousandtongue (1 Cor. 14:19). Therefore, the one who prays must understand every word of the prayer. St. Theophan advises to start with the fact that, having analyzed part of the rule, pray with these words, gradually add new prayers until a person begins to understand the whole rule. During prayer, in no case should you imagine the saints or Christ. So you can go crazy and spiritually damaged. It is necessary to carefully follow the words of the prayer with the mind, forcing the heart to remember that God is everywhere and sees everything. Therefore, it is more convenient to keep hands pressed to the chest during prayer, as the liturgical Charter says. Do not forget to protect yourself with the sign of the cross and bow down. They are very beneficial for the soul.

After morning prayers, they eat prosphora and drink holy water. And they go about their business. Before sitting down to eat, a Christian reads the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father, Thou art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

And then he makes the sign of the cross over the food with the words: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." After the meal, we do not forget to thank the Lord:

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as if in the midst of Your disciples, Thou hast come, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.

It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify You. (Bow.)

During the day, Christians try to keep God in mind all the time. And so we often repeat the words: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." When it is hard for us, during temptations, we turn to the Mother of God with the words:

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.

Before every good deed, we ask God for help. And if the matter is big, then you can go and order a prayer service in the church. In general, our whole life is dedicated to the Creator. We consecrate houses and apartments, cars, offices, seeds, fishing nets, boats and much more in order to receive grace through this. If you like, we create an atmosphere of holiness around us. The main thing is that the same atmosphere should be in our hearts. We try to be at peace with everyone and remember that any business (work, family, apartment cleaning) can serve both salvation and death.

In the evening, before going to bed, we read prayers for the coming dream, asking God to save us in the night. We read Holy Scripture every day. Usually a chapter of the Gospel, two chapters of the Epistles of the Apostles, one kathisma of the Psalter (but the measure of reading is still determined individually).

Every week we fast on Wednesday (remembering the betrayal of Judas) and Friday (remembering the Calvary torment of Christ) and we keep big fasts (Great, Petrovsky, Assumption and Christmas). On Saturday evening and Sunday morning we are always in the temple. And we try to take communion at least once a month (and the more often, the better). Before Communion, we usually fast for three days (for example, if we take communion once a month or less, and if more often, then we determine the measure of fasting together with the confessor), we read the rule from the prayer book (three canons: the repentant, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, as well as the Following to Holy Communion). We definitely come to the evening service, confess our sins, and go on an empty stomach in the morning to the Liturgy.

It is very useful to find a confessor - a priest who helps us to go to Christ (but in no case to ourselves - beware of false spirituality!). There is no need to rush to the first priest you meet. Confess to different people, pray, and if you have a heartfelt understanding with someone, then he, gradually, can become your spiritual father. Just find out first whether his life is pious, whether he follows the fathers of the Church, whether he is obedient to the bishop or not. It is also advised to look at how he performs worship. Reverence before the face of God will tell you if he can help you come to Christ. Ask your confessor for an explanation based on Scripture and the writings of the Holy Fathers, and then follow their advice. This is not to be done because you do not trust him, but because you need training, which is impossible with blind obedience.

From Priest Daniil Sysoev's book "Why haven't you been baptized yet?"

MY FIRST PRAYERS

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity

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

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not 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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to 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 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 look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Virgin Virgin

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You in women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
Worthy to eat

It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify you.

CHURCH ETIQUETS

Before entering the Temple, one should make the sign of the cross with bows three times.

To do this, in order to correctly make the sign of the cross, the thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand are connected in such a way that their ends are necessarily folded evenly, the other two fingers - the ring and little fingers - are bent to the palm. With three joined fingers, they touch the forehead, stomach, right shoulder, then the left, depicting a cross on ourselves, and lowering our hand, we bow.

You should come to the service in advance in order to calmly, without fuss, enter the Temple and be a participant in the service from the beginning to the kissing of the Cross. First you need to go to the festive icon lying on the lectern in the middle of the church: cross yourself twice, bow and venerate, that is, kiss the holy icon and cross yourself and bow again.

You must enter the Temple quietly.and reverently, as into the house of God. Noise, conversations, walking, and even more so laughter, offend the holiness of the Temple of God. In the temple, men of any age take off their hats and should stand on the right, while women pray with a headscarf covered, being on the left side of the Temple. Entering the Temple and leaving it, one must cross himself three times and bow at the waist towards the altar. We make bows with prayers: “God be merciful to me, a sinner (oh)”, “God, cleanse me, a sinner (s), and have mercy on me” and “Creating me, Lord, forgive me.”

In notes about health or for the repose, only names and only baptized people are written. The Church does not pray for the unbaptized. Names are neededwrite in full, in the genitive case.

In the Temple, we can pray for ourselves, for our relatives and friends, for their health or repose. To do this, you need to go to the desired icon. Putting a candle in front of the icon of a particular saint, you need to be able to turn to him with a prayer, request, gratitude. Approaching the icon, cross yourself, mentally gather yourself and say to yourself: "Saint Father ( saint's name), pray to God for us.” Then light a candle, kiss the icon with the same words and, standing in front of the icon with a lit candle, say your prayer. Who knows, maybe read the troparion. Putting a candle for yourself or someone, you can pray like this: "Holy saint of Christ and father ( saint's name) help me, a sinner, in my life, beg the Lord to grant me health and salvation and forgiveness of my sins, help my children. ..” etc. When placing candles in front of different icons, especially during the service, try not to walk all over the Temple, as this distracts the worshipers.

The Church has rules of conduct during conciliar prayer. When the priest overshadows those praying with the Cross or the Gospel, with an image or with the Holy Gifts, everyone is baptized, bowing their heads. When he overshadows with candles, blesses with his hand or censes, you should not be baptized, you just need to bow your head.

Before communion, everyone bows to the ground and stands up, saying to themselves: “Behold, I come to the Immortal King and our God.” In front of the Holy Chalice, the hands are folded crosswise on the chest, with the right hand on top of the left. This replaces the sign of the cross, since it is impossible to be baptized in front of the Chalice before and after Communion, so as not to accidentally touch it and spill the Holy Gifts. Approaching the priest, they call their name. Having communed, everyone kisses the edge of the Chalice. After that, a little warmth is taken: diluted wine and a piece of prosphora, which are on a separate table. After communion on that day, they no longer kneel.During the liturgy, they usually kneel three times: when the blessing of the Gifts takes place (from the exclamation "Thank the Lord" until the end of the song "I'll sing to you" ), when the Holy Chalice is brought out for communion and when the priest overshadows the people with the Holy Chalice with the words: "Always, now and ever, and forever and ever." When the priest censes in our direction, reads the Gospel, pronounces the words "Peace to all" , it is customary to bow your head. At the end of the liturgy, the faithful go to venerate the Cross, which the priest holds in his hand, and kiss it. TO rest without bows:

• In the middle of the Six Psalms on "Alleluia" - three times.
• At the beginning "I believe"
• On vacation "Christ our true God"
• At the beginning of the reading of Holy Scripture: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.Baptized with a bow:
• At the entrance to the temple and exit from it - three times.
• With every petition of litanies.
• At the exclamation of a clergyman giving glory to the Holy Trinity
• With the exclamations of “Take, eat”, “Drink everything from her” and “Yours from yours”, “Holy to the saints”
• At the words: "Most honest"
• At every word: “Let's bow”, “Worship”, “fall down”
• During the words: "Alleluia", "Holy God" and "Come, let us worship",
• by the exclamation "Glory to you, Christ God",
• before vacation - three times
• On the canon on the 1st - 9th song at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the Saints
• On the lithium after each of the first three petitions of the litany - three bows, after the other two - one each.Baptized with a bow to the ground
• Fasting at the entrance to the temple and exit from it - three times
• In fasting after each chorus to the song of the Virgin "We magnify you"
• At the beginning of singing: "Worthy and righteous"
• After "We'll sing to you"
• After "It is worthy to eat" or Zadostoynik
• At the exclamation: "And vouchsafe us, Lord"
• When taking out the Holy Gifts, at the words: “With the fear of God” and the second time - at the words: “Always, now and forever”
• In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing "Most Holy Lady", at every verse; when reading "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" and so on. at the Lenten supper - three bows
• In fasting when praying "Lord and Master of my life"
• During the fast at the final chant: "Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom." Just three earthly bowsBelt bow without the sign of the cross: With the words:
• "Peace to all"
• "God bless you"
• "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"
• "And may the mercy of the Great God be"
• With the words of the deacon: “And forever and ever” (after “For Thou art the light, our God”) It is not allowed to be baptized:
• While reading the psalms
• Generally while singingYou need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at all at the last words. Prostrations are not allowed:
• on Sundays,
• in the days from Christmas to Epiphany,
• from Easter to Pentecost,
• during the days of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day three earthly bows to the Cross). Bows stop from the evening entrance until “Vouchify, Lord” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.

MYSTERIES

• Baptism. A symbol of a person's entry into the Church. It is performed according to the faith of the person being baptized (adult) or according to the faith of the baby's parents. This is the only sacrament that can be performed not only by a priest, but (in case of need) by any lay person. Baptism is performed with water (a symbol of the washing of the spirit), but if necessary, snow or sand can be taken.
• Chrismation. The sacrament of the descent of the Spirit of God upon a newly baptized member of the Church. Usually performed immediately after baptism.
• Repentance. The sacrament of reconciliation of the sinner with God through confession and permission given by the priest
• Eucharist, or communion. Participation in the everlasting Last Supper of Christ. The Eucharist is the incarnation of Christ under the guise of bread and wine, the acceptance of which means communion with the sacrament of redemption.
• Unction, or unction. The sacrament performed over the sick for their healing
• Marriage. Sacrament of consecration of married life.
• Priesthood, or ordination. The sacrament of the transmission of apostolic grace from bishop to bishop and the right to priesthood from bishop to priest. There are three levels of priesthood: bishop, priest, deacon. The first performs all seven sacraments, the second - everything except ordination. The deacon only helps in the performance of the sacraments. Patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop - this is not a dignity, but only various forms of episcopal ministry.

CHURCH CALENDAR

HOLIDAYS

Twelfth rolling holidays
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem- Sunday;
Easter- Sunday;
Ascension of the Lord- Thursday;
Day of the Holy Trinity(Pentecost) - Sunday.

Twelfth non-passing holidays
Epiphany- January 6/19;
Meeting of the Lord- February 2/15;
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary- March 25/April 7;
Transfiguration- August 6/19;
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary- August 15/28;
Exaltation of the Holy Cross- September 14/27;
Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary- November 21/December 4;
Nativity- December 25/January 7.

Great holidays
Circumcision of the Lord- January 1/14;
Nativity of John the Baptist- June 24/July 7;
Holy Apostles Peter and Paul- June 29/July 12;
The Beheading of John the Baptist- August 29/September 11;
Protection of the Holy Mother of God- October 1/14.

Church calculus is conducted according to the old style. The second date indicates the new style.

POSTS

There are four long posts a year. In addition, the Church has established fasting days - Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. One-day fasts have also been established to commemorate some events.

Multi-day posts
Great Lent- pre-Easter, a total of seven weeks. Fast strict. Very strict weeks- the first, fourth (Cross) and seventh (Passionate). On Holy Week, fasting ends after the liturgy on Holy Saturday. According to custom, they break the fast only after Paschal matins, i.e. on the night of Holy Resurrection.

Great Lent is associated with a rolling circle of holidays and therefore falls on different dates in different years, depending on the day of the celebration of Easter.

Petrov post- before the feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Starts on All Saints' Day (the Sunday after Trinity Day) and continues until July 12, new style. This fast changes its duration in different years, because it depends on the day of the celebration of Easter. This post is the least strict, ordinary.

Assumption post- before the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. It always falls on the same dates: August 14-28 new style. This - strict fast.

Christmas (Filippov) post- begins the day after the celebration of the Apostle Philip, always falls on the same days: November 28 - January 7 of the new style.

One day posts

Wednesday and Friday- throughout the year, except for continuous weeks (weeks) and Christmas. Fast ordinary.
Epiphany Christmas Eve- 5/18 January. Fast very strict(There is a folk custom on this day not to eat until the star).
The Beheading of John the Baptist- August 25/September 11. Fast strict.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross- 14/27 September. Fast strict.

very strict post- dry eating. Eat only raw vegetable food without oil.
Strict post- eat any boiled vegetable food with vegetable oil.
regular post- in addition to what they eat in strict fasting, they also eat fish.
Weakened post(for the infirm who are on the road and eat in canteens) - they eat everything except meat.

HOW TO REMEMBER THE DEAD.

The custom of commemorating the dead is found already in the Old Testament Church. The Apostolic Ordinances mention the commemoration of the dead with particular clarity. In them we find both prayers for the departed during the celebration of the Eucharist, and an indication of the days on which it is especially necessary to commemorate the departed: third, ninth, fortieth, annual Thus, the commemoration of the departed is an apostolic institution, it is observed throughout the Church, and the liturgy for the departed, the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for their salvation, is the most powerful and effective means of asking the departed for the mercy of God.

Church commemoration is performed only for those who were baptized in the Orthodox faith.

Immediately after death, it is customary to order a magpie in the Church. This is a daily enhanced commemoration of the newly deceased during the first forty days - until a private judgment that determines the fate of the soul beyond the grave. After forty days, it is good to order an annual commemoration and then renew it every year. You can also order a longer-term commemoration in monasteries. There is a pious custom - to order a commemoration in several monasteries and temples (their number does not matter). The more prayer books for the deceased, the better.

Days of commemoration should be spent modestly, calmly, in prayer, doing good to the poor and loved ones, in thinking about our death and future life.

The rules for submitting notes "On repose" are the same as for notes "On health"

Memorial services are served before the eve. Eve (or eve) is a special square or rectangular table on which stands a Cross with a Crucifixion and holes for candles. Here you can put candles and put products to commemorate the dead. Believers bring various products to the temple so that the servants of the Church commemorate the dead at the meal. These offerings serve as a donation, almsgiving for the deceased. In the old days, in the courtyard of the house where the deceased was, on the most significant days for the soul (3rd, 9th, 40th), memorial tables were laid, at which the poor, the homeless, orphans were fed, so that there were many prayer books for the deceased. For prayer, and especially for almsgiving, many sins are forgiven, and the afterlife is alleviated. Then these commemorative tables began to be placed in churches on the days of the ecumenical commemoration of all Christians who have died for centuries with the same purpose - to commemorate the dead. Products can be anything. It is forbidden to bring meat into the temple.

Memorial services for suicides, as well as for those who are not baptized in the Orthodox faith, are not performed.

But in addition to all of the above, the Holy Church creates at certain times a special commemoration of all fathers and brothers who have passed away from the age of faith, who have been honored with a Christian death, as well as those who, having been overtaken by sudden death, were not sent to the afterlife by the prayers of the Church. The requiems performed at the same time are called ecumenical.
On Saturday, meat-fare, before cheese week, On the eve of the memories of the Last Judgment, we pray to the Lord that He show His mercy to all the dead on the day when the Last Judgment comes. On this Saturday, the Orthodox Church prays for all those who have died in the Orthodox faith, whenever and wherever they live on earth, whoever they are in terms of their social origin and position in earthly life.
Prayers are offered for people "from Adam to this day who have died in piety and right faith."

Three Saturdays of Great Lent - Saturdays of the second, third, fourth weeks of Great Lent- established because during the presanctified liturgy there is no such commemoration as is performed at any other time of the year. In order not to deprive the dead of the saving intercession of the Church, these parental Saturdays were established. During Great Lent, the Church intercedes for the departed, so that the Lord forgives their sins and raises them to eternal life.

On Radonitsa - Tuesday of the second week after Easter- share the joy of the Resurrection of the Lord with the departed, in the hope of the resurrection of our departed. The Savior Himself descended into hell to preach victory over death and brought the souls of the Old Testament righteous from there. From this great spiritual joy, the day of this commemoration is called the “radonitsa”, or “radonitsa”.

Trinity parent Saturday- on this day, the Holy Church calls us to commemorate the dead, so that the saving grace of the Holy Spirit cleanses the sins of the souls of all our departed forefathers, fathers and brothers from the century and, interceding for the gathering of all in the Kingdom of Christ, praying for the redemption of the living, for the return of the captivity of their souls , asks "to give rest to the souls of those who have departed in a place of cooling, as if not the dead will praise Thee, O Lord, whoever is below in hell of confession will dare to bring Thee: but we, the living, bless Thee and pray, and we bring prayers and sacrifices to Thee for our souls."

Dimitriev parental Saturday- on this day, a commemoration of all Orthodox killed soldiers is made. It was established by the holy noble prince Dimitry Donskoy at the suggestion and blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh in 1380, when he won a glorious, famous victory over the Tatars on the Kulikovo field. Commemoration takes place on the Saturday before Demetrius Day (October 26, old style). Subsequently, on this Saturday, Orthodox Christians began to commemorate not only the soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield for their faith and fatherland, but together with them for all Orthodox Christians.

It is necessary to remember the deceased on the day of his death, birth and name day.