Teacher: How do you understand the epigraph? How can it be related to the topic of the lesson?

Disciples: Prayers and bows are the rites and customs of our church. These are sacred actions of Orthodox Christians in the form of asking God for mercy and blessings.

Teacher: What rituals do you know?

Disciples: The main ritual actions of the Russian Orthodox Church include: prayers, consecration of a home, consecration of bread, eggs, Easter cakes, religious processions, etc.

Teacher: A ritual is any external sign of reverence expressing prayer - this is the sign of the cross and bows, as well as the lighting of a church candle and lamp.

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– Let’s write down the definition of ritual and forms of rituals in a notebook.

Ritual- this is a set of actions in which some religious ideas are embodied (Ozhegov’s dictionary).

Forms of rituals:

1. Any church service(for example, blessing of water)
2. Sacrament (the sacrament of marriage is performed in the wedding ceremony)
3. Prayers (they are accompanied by sign of the cross, kneeling)

Sign of the Cross

The word "sign" ( emphasize that the stress falls on the first syllable) means “sign”. Thus, the sign of the cross is a sign of the cross, its image. Christians make the sign of the cross, asking for help and protection from God, to testify to their faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, His resurrection.

Nowadays, it is customary to perform the Sign of the Cross in the following sequence:

According to Orthodox teaching, the power of the sign of the cross, like prayer, calls on God and protects from the influence of demonic forces. In addition, from the lives of saints it is known that sometimes the sign of the cross was enough to dispel demonic spells and perform a miracle.

Until the 5th century, the sign of the cross was made with one finger, most likely the index finger. The imposition of the full sign of the cross (forehead - belly - shoulders) is first mentioned in Georgian sources - in the “Life of Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles”. The sign of the cross with two fingers began to be used after the 5th century. This method was adopted in order to emphasize the unity of the Divine and human nature of Christ. By the way a person is baptized, one can determine what religion he is. At the last lesson, an individual task was proposed: “Using the two-fingered hand.”

The student tells the prepared material.

Teacher: When is it necessary to be baptized?

1. At the beginning, end and during prayer.
2. When approaching one or another shrine.
3. When entering and leaving the temple.
4. Before kissing a cross or icon.

In all significant cases of life (danger, trial, joy, grief, work, etc.)

Bows

Teacher: After the sign of the cross, Orthodox Christians bow. What do you think bowing means?

Disciples: In Orthodoxy, bowing means humility of a person, awareness of one’s sinfulness and giving honor to the Greatness of God.

Teacher: The Church Charter requires that Orthodox Christians bow in church slowly and when necessary. There are two types of bows: waist and earth.

Belt bows are performed:

1. At the end of the prayers
2. When pronouncing the name of the Lord or the Virgin Mary
3. With three times “Hallelujah”

Prostrations

In order to know how to behave in church, you don’t need to try to “learn” all the provisions of church life: you should just go to church more often, and when going to it, think about meeting God, and not about how they will react to the actions of a “newbie” "

The custom of lighting a candle

What does a person do first when he crosses the threshold of the temple? Nine times out of ten, it goes to the candle box. Lighting candles in front of sacred objects - ancient custom. The custom of lighting candles in churches came to Russia from Greece.

In the first centuries of Christianity, candles were always lit during services. On the one hand, it was a necessity: Christians, persecuted by pagans, retired to dungeons and catacombs for worship, and besides, worship services most often took place at night. But for another, and main reason, lighting had spiritual significance. Lamps and candles were used to depict Christ - the Uncreated Light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.

When the persecution of the church stopped, the custom of lighting candles remained. It is customary to light candles and lamps in front of icons of saints and tombs of martyrs, as in front of shrines.

Russian-Byzantine churches had very narrow windows, creating twilight, darkness even in the most sunny light. This symbolized earthly human life, immersed in the darkness of sin, but in which the light of faith shines.

Teacher: Where do they put the candles?

Students: Place candles in the cells of candlesticks, melting the bottom edge for stability.

Teacher: How many candles do they put?

Students: Church candle- a visible sign of ardent love. If they are not in a person’s soul, a candle as a sign does not express anything. The quantity doesn't matter.

Teacher: When do you light the candles?

Students: During non-liturgical times and before the start of the service.

Teacher: In ancient times, wax was an offering made by believers to the temple as a voluntary sacrifice. Pure wax signifies the purity of the people carrying it. Wax is offered as a sign of our repentance and readiness to obey God, similar to the softness and pliability of wax.

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Blessing of water

Orthodox Christians have the custom of using bread and water consecrated in the church. Almost every believer keeps a bottle of holy water and prosphora.

The consecration of water was accepted by the Church from the apostles and their successors. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan, the element of water was sanctified and became a source of sanctification for man. This is where the Christian tradition of blessing water in church originates. It is believed that such water receives the beneficial power to sanctify, heal, protect and protect from evil.

Blessed water can be stored for many years while remaining fresh. There is a known case when the Monk Ambrose of Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill man and he was healed.

Teacher: In what cases is holy water used?

Disciples: 1. In the sacrament of baptism for immersion in the font. 2. When consecrating temples, residential buildings, buildings. 3. For sprinkling believers at prayer services and during religious processions. 4. For distribution to believers.

Teacher: It should be remembered that, according to the teachings of the Church, the wonderful properties of water are revealed only to sincere believers.

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Blessing of bread

There has always been a special relationship with bread. It was bread that Jesus Christ used, saying: “Eat, this is My body,” when he first performed the main sacrament for Christians - communion.

Teacher: What is the bread for communion called?

Pupils: Prosphora.

Teacher: (emphasis falls on the last syllable)- this is the name of the bread that was brought for the liturgy. It consisted of two parts, which symbolized earthly bread and heavenly bread. Each part of the prosphora is made one from the other, and only then they are joined together. On the upper part there is a seal depicting a four-pointed equilateral cross with the inscriptions above the crossbar IC and XC (Jesus Christ), under the crossbar NIKA (Victory).

The lower part of the prosphora corresponds to the earthly composition of man, top part with a seal - to the spiritual principle in a person.

The prosphora is made round as a sign of the eternity of Christ, as a sign that man was created for eternal life. The prosphora can be received at the candle box after the liturgy by submitting a note of health or repose before the start of the service. Prosphora is a sacred thing and is eaten along with holy water on an empty stomach.

We invite you to remember the ritual of consecrating Easter cakes and eggs. The guys share their impressions.

I would like to remind you that blessed eggs cannot be thrown away; they must either be eaten, or, like spoiled prosphora, taken to church or burned.

So, today we got acquainted with the main customs and rituals of the Orthodox Church: the sign of the cross, bows, the custom of lighting a candle, the blessing of water and bread.

A tradition has been established of performing many rituals that influence the life of a believer in different ways, but at the same time always establish his connection with God. Some of them came to us from biblical times and are mentioned in Holy Scripture, others are of later origin, but all of them, together with the holy sacraments, are integral parts of the general spiritual foundation of our faith.

The difference between rites and sacraments

Before we start talking about what it is church ceremonies in Orthodoxy, it is necessary to emphasize their fundamental difference from other forms of sacred rites, which are called sacraments, and with which they are often confused. The Lord gave us 7 sacraments - baptism, repentance, confirmation, marriage, communion, consecration of oil, priesthood. When they are performed, the grace of God is invisibly communicated to believers.

At the same time, church ritual is only a part of earthly reality, elevating the human spirit to accept the sacrament and directing its consciousness to the feat of faith. It should be remembered that all ritual forms receive their sacred meaning solely through the prayer that accompanies them. Only thanks to it can an action become a sacred rite, and an external process turn into a ritual.

Types of Orthodox rituals

With a large degree of convention, everything Orthodox rituals can be divided into three categories. The first includes liturgical rites that are part of the general order of liturgical church life. Among them, committed in Good Friday the removal of the holy shroud, the year-round blessing of water, as well as the blessing of artos (leavened bread) during Easter week, the church ritual of anointing with oil performed at Matins, and a number of others.

The next category includes the so-called everyday rituals. These include the consecration of the home, various products, including seeds and seedlings. Then we should name the consecration of good undertakings, such as traveling or building a house. This should also include church ceremonies for the deceased, which include a wide range of ceremonial and ritual actions.

And finally, the third category is symbolic rituals established in Orthodoxy to express certain religious ideas and are a symbol of man’s unity with God. In this case, a striking example is the sign of the cross. This is also a church rite, symbolizing the memory of the suffering endured by the Savior, and at the same time serving as a reliable barrier from the action of demonic forces.

Anointing

Let's look at some frequently occurring rituals. Everyone who happened to be in church at Matins (a divine service performed in the morning) became a witness, and perhaps a participant in the ritual in which the priest makes a cross-shaped anointing of the forehead of the believer with consecrated oil, called oil.

This church rite is called anointing. It symbolizes God's mercy poured out on man, and it came to us from Old Testament times, when Moses commanded that Aaron and all his descendants, the servants of the Jerusalem Temple, be anointed with sacred oil. In the New Testament, the Apostle James, in his conciliar letter, mentions its healing effect and says that this is a very important church rite.

Unction - what is it?

To warn possible error in the understanding of two having common features sacred rites - the rite of anointing and the sacrament of unction - require some explanation. The fact is that each of them uses consecrated oil - oil. But if in the first case the priest’s actions are purely symbolic, then in the second they are aimed at invoking God’s grace.

Accordingly, it is a more complex sacred rite and is performed, according to church canons, by seven priests. Only in extreme cases is it allowed to be performed by one priest. Anointing with oil is performed seven times, while excerpts from the Gospel, chapters from and special prayers intended for this occasion are read. At the same time, the church rite of anointing, as mentioned above, consists only in the fact that the priest, while blessing, applies oil with the sign of the cross on the forehead of the believer.

Rituals associated with the end of a person’s earthly life

The church funeral rite and subsequent remembrance of the deceased also occupy an important place. In Orthodoxy, this is given special significance due to the importance of the moment when a person’s soul, having parted with mortal flesh, passes into eternity. Without touching on all its aspects, we will dwell only on the most significant points, including special attention deserves a funeral service.

This funeral service can be performed over the deceased only once, unlike a memorial service, litia, commemoration, etc. It consists of reading (singing) established liturgical texts, and their order is different for lay people, monks, priests and infants. The purpose of the funeral service is to ask the Lord for remission of sins to His newly departed slave (slave) and to grant peace to the soul that has left the body.

In addition to the funeral service, the Orthodox tradition also provides for such an important rite as a memorial service. It is also a prayer song, but it is much shorter in duration than the funeral service. It is customary to perform a memorial service on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day after death, as well as on its anniversary, namesake and birthday of the deceased. When removing the body from the house, as well as during the church commemoration of the deceased, another ritual of funeral service is performed - lithium. It is somewhat shorter than a memorial service and also takes place in accordance with established rules.

Consecration of homes, food and good beginnings

Sanctification in the Orthodox tradition refers to rituals as a result of which God’s blessing descends on a person and on everything that accompanies him in this earthly life. According to the teachings of the church, until the second coming of Christ, the world around us will invisibly create its own dirty business The enemy of the human race is the devil. We are doomed to see external manifestations of his activities everywhere. Man cannot resist him without the help of Heavenly forces.

That is why it is so important to cleanse our homes from the presence of people in them through church rituals. dark forces, to prevent the evil one from entering us along with the food we eat, or to put invisible obstacles in the way of our good undertakings. However, it should be remembered that any ritual, as well as a sacrament, acquires grace-filled power only under the condition of unwavering faith. To consecrate something, while doubting the effectiveness and power of the ritual, is an empty and even sinful act, to which the same enemy of the human race is invisibly pushing us.

Blessing of Waters

It is impossible not to mention the rite of consecration of water. According to established tradition, the blessing of water (blessing of water) can be small and great. In the first case, it is performed many times throughout the year during prayer services and during the sacrament of Baptism. In the second, this ritual is performed once a year - during the feast of the Epiphany.

It was installed in memory of the greatest event described in the Gospel - the immersion of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, which became a prototype of the washing of all human sins, taking place in the holy font, opening the way for people to the bosom of Christ's Church.

How to confess to receive remission of sins?

Church repentance of sins, regardless of whether they were committed intentionally or out of ignorance, is called confession. Being a sacrament and not a rite, confession is not directly related to the topic of this article, and yet we will briefly dwell on it due to its extreme importance.

The Holy Church teaches that everyone going to confession is obliged first of all to make peace with their neighbors if they have had any disagreements with them. In addition, he must sincerely regret what he has done, otherwise how can he confess without feeling guilty? But this is not enough. It is also important to have a firm intention to improve and continue to strive for a righteous life. The main foundation on which confession is built is faith in God’s mercy and hope in His forgiveness.

In the absence of this latter and essential element repentance itself is useless. An example of this is the Gospel Judas, who repented of betraying Jesus Christ, but hanged himself due to lack of faith in His boundless mercy.

To an ignorant person it may seem that the concepts of Ritual and Sacrament Orthodox Church are identical. This is not so: with outward appearance similar signs both terms convey different semantic load. The similarity of the concepts lies in the connection of the Divine and the human, strengthening the strength of the believer and acquiring special qualities. When performing a ritual or sacrament, the clergyman asks for mercy from the Lord.

Church rituals

The term "church ritual" has two different interpretations: this is the name for the order of worship, including the Sacraments, a set of prayers and various symbolic actions performed by the priest and parishioners. Individual church services are called rites: consecration of a home, memorial services, prayer services. The essence of a church rite or ritual is an external sacred rite that reflects the ideas of Christianity.

In Orthodoxy, all church rituals are divided into three types:

1. Liturgical services, which are an integral part of the liturgy.
2. Related to a person’s daily life: consecration of a home, prayers for travelers and students, memorial services.
3. Symbolic, reproducing the ideas of the church. A striking example is the sign of the cross, which protects from evil forces and reminiscent of the crucifixion of the Savior.

Sacraments

The main difference of the Sacrament is the receipt of divine grace, which occurs in an invisible and incomprehensible way. During the actions that form the basis of the Sacrament, a person is awarded the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. His spiritual rebirth and renewal takes place. At the moments of sacred rites, the meeting of God and man occurs with all possible completeness. The signs of the Sacraments are: invisible grace, visible action (rite) and divine origin: they were established by the Savior himself.

Each Sacrament brings grace: baptism - liberation from sin, anointing - strengthening in spiritual life, unction - the remission of unconscious and forgotten sins. At a wedding, the strength necessary to create a family is given, and through ordination - to perform sacred actions. Communion and confession form an integral part of spiritual and moral life Orthodox person.

In the modern Orthodox Church, seven special services are classified as Sacraments: baptism, wedding (marriage), Eucharist (communion), confirmation, repentance (confession), priesthood, unction (unction). The rest are classified as rituals.

Due to circumstances, the believer may not take part in the rituals, but the Sacraments - baptism, confession and communion - are required. Wedding is required for marriage, priesthood for ordination. Blessing of oil is performed in cases where a person is facing a serious illness.

Baptism is the first Sacrament received by a believer. During this sacred action, the human body is immersed three times in the font as a sign of cleansing from sins: original and acquired. There is a birth for a new life, in which the main thing is to live for Christ and other people. This is the first step for Eternal Life in God.

The Savior introduced the concept of baptism into the life of the church, receiving it from John the Baptist. Baptism cannot be accepted twice: just as a person is born once, so the Sacrament is never repeated. After Baptism, the Sacrament of Confirmation is performed, during which myrrh is applied to parts of the human body: face, arms, legs and chest. It consists of oil and incense, and is blessed before use.

So that the gifts of the Holy Spirit do not lose their grace after the Sacrament, the newly baptized person needs to live according to the rules established by the Orthodox Church. An important part of a Christian’s life is participation in the Sacraments of Penance and Communion (Eucharist). The first is the awareness and confession of committed sins to the confessor. When performing the Rite of Repentance, through grace, purification and the granting of spiritual strength to fight temptations occur.

The Eucharist or Communion symbolizes a person’s communion with the Divine through his acceptance of wine and bread as a sign of the Blood and Body of Christ. In Christianity, it is generally accepted that through eating food a person became mortal, and Communion allows one to receive Eternal Life.

Paths to salvation through church sacraments and rituals

In the church tradition, there is a point of view that a Christian has two paths to salvation. The first is to become a monk or priest. The priesthood is awarded to the elect; they are ordained to serve the Lord by people who are ordained, belonging to the highest degree of spiritual rank - bishops.

The second way is to get married. So that the believer in the family can acquire spiritual benefits and to give strength, the united couple goes through the Sacrament of Marriage. In it, those getting married make a promise to each other to be together in any circumstances and ask for blessings for the birth and upbringing of children.

The Last Sacrament Received Orthodox Christian- Unction. The purpose of prayers and actions performed during worship is spiritual healing through repentance. The believer is forgiven all sins, including forgotten ones.

IN ancient Rus' there was a close connection and interaction between the church and home life our ancestors. Orthodox people paid great attention not only to what they prepared for lunch, but also to how they prepared it. They did this with constant prayer, in a peaceful state of mind and with good thoughts. And they also paid special attention church calendar- looked at what day it was - fasting or fasting.

The rules were observed especially strictly in monasteries.

The ancient Russian monasteries owned vast estates and lands, had the most comfortable farms, which gave them the means to make extensive food supplies, which in turn gave them abundant means for the wide hospitality bequeathed to the inhabitants by their holy founders.

But the matter of receiving strangers in monasteries was subordinated to both the general church and private statutes of each monastery, that is, one food was offered to the brethren, servants, wanderers and beggars on holidays and feeding days (commemorated for depositors and benefactors) days, another on weekdays; one - on fast days, the other - on fast days and on fasts: Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrovka - all this was strictly determined by the statutes, which were also distinguished by place and means.

Nowadays, not all the provisions of the church charter, which were oriented primarily at monasteries and clergy, can be applied in Everyday life. However Orthodox person You need to learn some rules mentioned above.

First of all, before you start preparing food, you must pray to God.

What does it mean to pray to God? To pray to God means to glorify, thank and ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins and your needs. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards God.

Why do you need to pray to God? God is our Creator and Father. He cares about us all more than any child-loving father and gives us all the blessings in life. By him we live, move and have our being; that is why we must pray to Him.

How do we pray? We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart; but since each of us consists of a soul and a body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions: the sign of the cross, a bow to the waist, and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility We kneel before Him and bow to the ground.

When should you pray? You should pray at all times, without ceasing.

When is it especially appropriate to pray? In the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessings on the coming day. When starting a business - to ask God's help. At the end of the case - to thank God for help and success in the case. Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health. After lunch - to thank God who feeds us. In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep. For all cases, special prayers are prescribed by the Orthodox Church.

Prayer before eating food:

Our Father...or: The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal good will.

On Thea - on You. They hope - they turn with hope. In good time - in due time. If you open it, you open it. Animal - Living being, everything living. Favor - good disposition towards someone, mercy.

What do we ask of God in this prayer? In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health.

What does it mean to do every kindness to animals? These words mean that the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish, and in general about all living things.

Prayer after lunch and dinner:

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. Amen.

Earthly goods are everything necessary for earthly life, for example, food and drink.

What are we praying for in this prayer? In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom.

These prayers should be read standing, facing the icon, which must certainly be in the kitchen, out loud or silently, making the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the prayer. If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud.

What can be said about someone who crosses himself incorrectly and carelessly during prayer or is ashamed to cross himself? Such a person does not want to confess his faith in God; Jesus Christ Himself will be ashamed of him Last Judgment His own (Mark 8:38)

How should one be baptized? To make the sign of the cross, the first three fingers right hand- thumb, index and middle - put together; We bend the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - to the palm. We place the fingers folded in this way on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right and left shoulder.

What do we express by folding our fingers like this? By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons. The two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human. By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross.

Why do we sign the cross on our forehead, stomach and shoulders? To enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength.

May be, to modern man It will seem strange or even fantastic to say that the taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. However, in the Lives of the Saints there is a very convincing story on this topic.

One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodisius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes.

Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty. To which the monk replied:

“Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery. When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this. Thus, everything is done with blessing. Your servants begin every task with grumbling and annoyance at each other. And where there is sin, there can be no pleasure. In addition, your courtyard managers often beat the servants for the slightest offense, and the tears of the offended add bitterness to the food, no matter how expensive they are.”

The Church does not give any special recommendations regarding food intake, but you cannot eat before the morning service, and even more so before communion. This prohibition exists so that the body, burdened with food, does not distract the soul from prayer and communion.

What is the Sacrament of Communion? The fact is that a Christian accepts the true Body of Christ under the guise of bread, and the true Blood of Christ under the guise of wine for union with the Lord Jesus Christ and for eternal blissful life with Him (John 6:54-56).

How should one prepare for Holy Communion? Anyone who wishes to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must first fast, i.e. fast, pray more in church and at home, make peace with everyone and then confess.

Should you take communion often? One should receive communion as often as possible, at least once a month and necessarily during all fasts (Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrov); otherwise it is unfair to be called an Orthodox Christian.

During what church service is the Sacrament of Communion celebrated? Behind Divine Liturgy, or mass, which is why this service is considered more important than other church services, for example, Vespers, Matins and others.

In liturgical practice, the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Typikon. Typikon, or Charter, is a liturgical book containing detailed instructions: on what days and hours, at what divine services and in what order the prayers contained in the Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos and other liturgical books should be read or sung. The Typikon also pays great attention to the food eaten by believers.

How to behave in the Temple of God.

Church is a special, sacred place. That is why you should know and strictly follow the rules of behavior in it. This is especially true for people who rarely visit churches and are not very often present at services. Before you go to Holy place, you need to learn and remember how to behave correctly in church. Needless to say, what you should be wearing pectoral cross and appropriate clothing. Mobile phone It’s better to leave it at home, or, as a last resort, turn it off while visiting the temple.

When visiting church, you must observe the following rules:

Enter the Holy Temple with spiritual joy, filled with humility and meekness.

Always come to the Holy Temple at the beginning of the service.

During the service, try not to walk around the Temple.

If you come with children, make sure they behave modestly and teach them to pray.

Men are not allowed to wear a headdress in the temple.

Women must enter the Temple modestly dressed and with their heads covered. For Orthodox Christian clothing, there is a rule - the head, shoulders and knees are covered. It is unacceptable to receive communion and venerate holy objects with painted lips.

If, standing in the Church, we think that we are in heaven, then the Lord will fulfill all our requests.

You must remain in the church until the end of the service. You can leave ahead of time only due to weakness or serious necessity.

About the need to visit the Temple of God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth for our salvation, founded the Church, where he is invisibly present to this day, giving us everything we need for eternal life, where “the Heavenly Powers serve invisibly,” as it is said in Orthodox hymns. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20), He said to His disciples, the apostles, and to all of us who believe in Him. Therefore, those who rarely visit the temple of God lose a lot. Parents who do not care about their children attending church sin even more. Remember the words of the Savior: “Let the little children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14).

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verse 4), the Savior tells us. Spiritual food is just as necessary for the human soul as bodily food is for maintaining bodily strength. And where will a Christian hear the word of God, if not in church, where the Lord Himself invisibly instructs those gathered in His name? Whose doctrine is preached in the church? The teaching of the prophets and apostles, who spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the teaching of the Savior Himself, Who is true Wisdom, true Life, the true Path, the true Light, enlightening every person coming into the world.

Church - Heaven on earth; The worship performed in it is an angelic work. According to the teachings of the Church, when visiting the temple of God, Christians receive a blessing that contributes to success in all their good endeavors. “When you hear the ringing of a church bell, calling everyone to prayer, and your conscience tells you: let’s go to the house of the Lord, then, if you can, put everything aside and hurry to the Church of God,” advises St. Theophan the Recluse. - Know that your guardian angel is calling you under the roof of the house of God; It is he, the celestial being, who reminds you of earthly Heaven, in order to sanctify your soul there with the grace of Christ, in order to sweeten your heart with heavenly consolation, but who knows? “Perhaps he is calling there also in order to take you away from temptation, which you cannot avoid if you stay at home, or to shelter you under the canopy of the temple of God from great danger...”

What does a Christian learn in church? Heavenly wisdom, which was brought to earth by the Son of God - Jesus Christ! Here he learns the details of the Savior’s life, becomes acquainted with the lives and teachings of the saints of God, and takes part in church prayer. A cathedral prayer believers - great power!

The prayer of one righteous person can do a lot - there are many examples of this in history, but the fervent prayer of those gathered in the house of God brings even greater fruit. When the apostles were expecting the coming of the Holy Spirit according to the promise of Christ, they remained with Mother of God in the Upper Room of Zion in unanimous prayer. Gathering in the temple of God, we expect that the Holy Spirit will descend on us. This is what happens... unless we put up obstacles ourselves.

For example, a lack of openness of heart prevents parishioners from uniting in temple prayer. In our time, this often happens because believers do not behave in the temple of God in the way required by the holiness and greatness of the place. Therefore, it is necessary to know how the temple is structured and how to behave in it.

RULE OF THE REVEREND SERAPHIM OF SAROV FOR THE LAYS.

This rule is intended for lay people who, for various reasons, do not have the opportunity to perform the required prayers (evening and morning rules). Prayer Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky considered it as necessary for life as air. He asked and demanded from his spiritual children that they pray unceasingly, and commanded them prayer rule, now known as the Rule of St. Seraphim.

Having awakened from sleep and stood in the chosen place, everyone must read that saving prayer that the Lord Himself conveyed to people, i.e., Our Father (three times), then the Virgin Mary, Rejoice (three times), and, finally, the Creed once. Having done this morning rule, let every Christian go to his work and, while 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, while doing something, say only with your mind: Lord, have mercy, and so continue until lunch. Before lunch, do the same morning rule.

After dinner, while doing his job, everyone should read quietly: Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner, which continues until nightfall.

Whenever you happen to spend time in solitude, you need to read: Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And when going to bed at night, every Christian must 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 adheres to this small rule, like a saving anchor among the waves of worldly vanity, humbly fulfilling it, he can achieve 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 for all prayers, the second one was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord. And the Creed contains all the dogmas Orthodox faith. He who has time, let him read. Gospel, Apostle, other prayers, akathists, canons. If it is impossible for anyone to follow this rule, then the wise old man advised to follow this rule both while lying down, and on the way, and in action, remembering the words of Scripture: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10 ,13).

Introduction.

Currently, the Russian Orthodox Church still occupies a leading place in our country in terms of the number of religious supporters, although since 1917 it has been separated from the state. The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is an independent church. It is headed by a patriarch, elected by the local council for life.

During the course of his life, an Orthodox Christian is supposed to perform a fairly large range of various kinds of divine services, that is, duties in accordance with the canons and customs of his faith. IN last years The number of people receiving baptism, consolidating their marriages with church weddings, and seeing off their loved ones on their last journey in accordance with Orthodox customs is growing.

Along with this, the composition of worship is increasing, it is becoming more complex and diverse. How should one fulfill one’s Christian duty and properly prepare for communion with the Holy Sacraments, what is their ritual and spiritual side?

The basis of Orthodox dogma is the Niceno-Tsargrad Creed, approved on the first two Ecumenical Councils 325 and 381. These are ideas about the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection from the dead, baptism, afterlife etc. All fundamental tenets of faith are declared to be revealed and eternal.

Mysteries of Christianity.

Sacraments - cult actions, during which “the invisible grace of God is communicated to believers,” that is, the revival of religious consciousness occurs by reminding the content and meaning of the basic provisions of the doctrine.

Orthodox and Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments: baptism, communion, repentance (confession), confirmation, marriage, consecration of oil, priesthood.

Initially, Christianity had only two sacraments - baptism and communion. All seven were officially recognized only in 1279 at the Council of Lyon. All sacraments are borrowed from pre-Christian cults, which received some specific features in Christianity.

Baptism is one of the main sacraments and symbolizes the acceptance of a person into the Christian church. Many pagan religions practiced the ritual of washing with water as a means of cleansing from evil spirits. Christianity interprets baptism as death for a sinful life and rebirth for a spiritual, holy life. In the Orthodox Church, the baby is dipped into water three times; in the Catholic Church, the baby is simply doused with water. Orthodox tradition indicates that the water should be free of impurities. Heating is also considered an admixture, so if baptism occurs in winter, according to the strict requirements of the canon, the water must be at natural (outdoor) temperature. At baptism, naming occurs. Usually the name was chosen by the priest based on the names of the saints to whom a particular calendar day is dedicated. An unscrupulous priest could give the baby a name that has already gone out of use or sounds strange to contemporaries.

Communion , or the Holy Eucharist (“blessed sacrifice”), occupies an important place in the Christian cult. According to legend, this ritual was established by Christ himself at the Last Supper. In memory of this event, believers partake of the sacrament - bread and wine, believing that they have tasted the body and blood of Christ. The origins of this ritual lie in ancient beliefs and are based on sympathetic magic (by eating part of an object to give oneself the qualities of that object). For the first time, the ritual of eating bread and wine as a way of communion with divine powers arose in Ancient Greece. The early Christians did not know this ritual. Only in 787 did the Council of Nicea officially enshrine this sacrament in the Christian cult.

Repentance is charged to Orthodox and Catholics as a mandatory regular action. Confession is the strongest way to control the thoughts and behavior of a believer. As a result of confession and repentance, forgiveness of sins should follow. Absolution is the prerogative of the priest, who imposes punishment or suggests a way to correct sins (excommunication from the church - complete or temporary, orders to fast and pray for a certain time). In early Christianity, confession was public - the entire community judged the degree of the believer’s misconduct. Only from the 12th century was secret confession introduced, in which the believer repents of his sins to one priest. The secret of confession is guaranteed. The procedure for confession is different for Orthodox and Catholics. Catholics confess in closed booths, where they do not see the priest, and the priest does not see the confessor. Thus, the priest speaks to the “soul” of a person, without paying attention to his appearance, which can evoke different feelings. An Orthodox believer confesses in the vestibule of the church. The priest covers his head with a veil and places his hands on it. The identity of the person confessing is not a secret for him, as for others present.

The problem of maintaining the secret of confession has always been difficult to solve. Violation of the secrecy of confession to “prevent greater evil” was allowed in cases where information about anti-government actions was revealed during confession. In 1722, Peter the Great issued a decree according to which all priests were obliged to report to the authorities every identified case of rebellious sentiments, plans against the sovereign, and the like. The clergy readily carried out this decree. On the other hand, the church has arrogated to itself the right to decide issues of forgiveness for antisocial acts - murder, theft, etc.

Following baptism in the Orthodox Church, anointing . The human body is lubricated with aromatic oil (myrrh), with the help of which the grace of God is supposedly transmitted. The ancient magical origin of this ritual is beyond doubt. Anointing as a consecration was already practiced in Ancient Egypt and among the Jews. There is not a word about anointing in the New Testament, but it was introduced into the Christian cult, apparently taking into account its psychological effect.

Marriage as a sacrament was established only in the 14th century. This ritual is Christian churches refers to the most beautiful and solemn actions designed to have a deep emotional impact. Many non-believers go to perform this ritual because of its beauty and solemnity.

Blessing of Unction It is performed on a sick person and consists of anointing him with wooden oil - oil, which is supposedly sacred. The Orthodox Church believes that with the help of this ritual healing from illnesses is accomplished. Catholics perform it as a blessing for the dying. The connection with ancient magical rites can be traced in the ceremony of consecration of oil - seven apostolic epistles are read, seven ectenias (forgiveness) are pronounced, and seven anointings of the sick person with oil are performed.

Sacrament of the Priesthood occurs when a person enters the clergy. The bishop conveys “grace” to the new priest by placing his hands on his head. In a distant way, this rite is reminiscent of initiation rites in ancient times. Similar actions have been and are being carried out by various closed societies ( knightly orders, Masons). The solemnity of the ceremony is intended to emphasize the role of priests in fulfilling the mission of the church. The initiate takes an oath of selfless service and receives the appropriate vestments.

Christian rituals.

Prayer . The Church requires constant prayer, turning to God or the saints for help. It is stated that everyone’s prayer will be heard and fulfilled according to his faith. The roots of prayer are in magical spells that ancient man called upon the spirits to help or conjured to leave him. Some christian prayers simply borrowed from more early religions- among the ancient Greeks, Romans, Jews. The necessity of daily prayerful appeal to God with the corresponding canonical text is aggravated by the fact that God only understands specific language, used by the church. For Catholics it is Latin, for Orthodox Christians it is Church Slavonic. Therefore, usually, after the obligatory beginning of prayer, the believer turns to God in his native language and talks with him “without protocol.”

Icons. The Orthodox and Catholic churches give great importance cult of icons . In early Christianity there were fierce debates about icons, which were regarded as relics of paganism and idolatry. Indeed, remnants of fetishism remain in the cult of icons. This is manifested in the rules that regulate the care of the icon and stipulate cases of its destruction. You cannot burn or otherwise destroy an icon. If it has fallen into disrepair and because of this it leads into temptation more than it imparts holiness, it must be floated on river water early in the morning - God himself will decide its fate. This is exactly what they did with the idol of the god Perun in Kyiv, when Prince Vladimir and his retinue baptized their subjects for the first time. Fetish idols were supposed to work miracles, this is also required of icons - they “cry”, become covered in “bloody sweat”, “lighten or darken” “by themselves”, etc. In Catholicism there are more sculptural images of deities and saints, and in Orthodoxy it is icon painting that is the leading religious art. That's why wonderful stories There are more things associated with icons in Orthodoxy.

Cross. Worship of the cross is the most varied rite. Temples and priests' robes are crowned with a cross. Believers wear it on their bodies; no ritual is complete without it. According to the church, the cross is revered as a symbol martyrdom Christ crucified on the cross. Before Christians, the cross was revered as a sacred symbol in Ancient Egypt and Babylon, in India and Iran, in New Zealand and South America. The ancient Aryan tribes revered a rotating cross - the swastika (symbol of Khors, the sun god). But the early Christians did not honor the cross; they considered it a pagan symbol. Only since the 4th century has the image of the cross been established in Christianity. So it is still not completely clear why Catholics have a four-pointed cross, while Orthodox Christians have a six-pointed one. Eight-pointed, eleven- and eighteen-pointed crosses are also venerated.