Rules for visiting an Orthodox church for women. Structure of the temple, rules of conduct

For a person who enters a church for the first time, everything seems incomprehensible and mysterious - how many times should one cross oneself, where should one put the candles, how should one address others? Indeed, there are special rules of behavior in the church. You should know them before entering the sacred vaults - firstly, so that you yourself feel confident, and secondly, so as not to disturb anyone during the service.

Appearance

Many have heard that a woman should enter church with her head covered with a scarf. An entire industry has already grown up around similar headdresses. In fact, the rule applies only to married women, and does not apply to girls and children. It’s just that modernity has made its own adjustments to the ancient tradition. Definitely, you need to cover your head so as not to incur the wrath of the “grandmothers”. It is better to sacrifice your own convenience, but not to provoke a conflict.

There are other rules of behavior for women in the church.

• It is not customary to wear trousers. If you come by just to light a candle, the main thing is to throw on a scarf. Only models of trousers with a low waist, when the bare navel sticks out, can cause criticism. In this form they may even ask you to leave. However, if you are deliberately going to work, buy a long dress or skirt, preferably “floor-length”. The temple is not a place to show off your figure or fashion trends.

• You should also avoid blouses with open shoulders and neckline. It's not good to seduce with your appearance. By the way, if you call yourself a Christian, it is a sin to dress this way in everyday life, then post half-naked photos on social networks. This is a manifestation of pride, and this behavior also provokes sinful thoughts in other people.

• You should not paint your eyebrows, eyelashes, and especially your lips too thickly, because believers venerate icons and crosses. Someone then has to erase your lipstick marks from the shrine, is that pleasant?

• It is also undesirable to perfume yourself heavily - perhaps not everyone will like to inhale the aroma of your perfume for a long time. In addition, people with poor health often go to church, children - some of them may be allergic to smells.

To behave correctly in church, you need to think - why are you going there? Looking for a groom, showing off your beauty or praying? Then many questions will disappear by themselves.

Men must take off their hats when entering the church. Appearance should be neat and decent - many come to duty in their best suit. Sweatpants and T-shirts, especially transparent ones, are inappropriate. You should shave and do not smoke before entering the temple. You cannot come to church drunk. The clergy and other people present should be treated with respect; if this is not so, then you probably shouldn’t enter.

How to behave at work

The service at first seems very confusing and long. To understand it, you can read specialized literature and attend catechism courses at the church. The rules of behavior are quite simple.

The main thing is to avoid conversations and not move from place to place. You must not be late; it is not customary to light candles or approach the icons during the service. Notes must be submitted in advance. Where to stand does not play a special role. Previously, men and women stood separately during services, but now there is no such rule. If you come for the first time, go to where the other men are. Over time, you will begin to navigate better.

• Temples usually do not have changing rooms. If there is, leave your outerwear there, just take out valuables, money and keys from your pockets - thieves also come into the church, for some people nothing is sacred. Very expensive fur coats should not be left unattended - stand in it, or take a bag where the clothes will fit and place it next to you.

During censing, it is customary to part ways to give room to the priest. Several times during the service he goes around the entire temple with a censer, fumigating the parishioners. Usually the passage is cleared by churchwomen - women who keep order during the service. Therefore, if you are asked to leave, do so. No one will bother you needlessly. In general, be prepared to receive a reprimand - after all, for beginners in the church everything is new. Over time, the rules of behavior will become clear and natural.

During the liturgy, it is customary for the choir to sing the Creed and the Our Father; one must learn the texts of these prayers by heart. It is not customary to sit in church. However, if you are tired or feel ill, you can go out, take a breath of fresh air, stretch your legs, and then slowly return. If you are sick, take your medicine with you - there are no doctors on duty in churches. Those who cannot stand for a long time can sit and listen to the service.

Morning and evening service

Communion is celebrated during the Liturgy, it is held in the morning. If they started singing prayers in chorus, it means that it will begin soon, it’s time to prepare the children. Parents with babies approach the Cup first. Then the older children, then everyone else. If they let you through, go ahead, there should be a competition to see who is kinder. Bow silently and pass. By the way, in the Orthodox Church it is customary to greet acquaintances this way. Conversations and heated exchanges of news should be postponed until later.

At the evening service before the holidays, there is often a litia - a special rite of vespers, during which everyone is blessed with a special oil. Before this, you need to venerate the icon, then go to the priest, he will anoint your forehead. Then bow slightly, venerate your hand (usually a cross is given on the handrails), step away, and take the consecrated bread. You can eat it in the temple or take it with you.

If the service is on the eve of communion, confession usually takes place in the evening, this is done on a first-come, first-served basis. Before approaching the priest, it is customary to bow to other parishioners with the words: “Forgive me.” People will bow back. The rules of conduct in church, although they do not exclude ordinary politeness, still differ from the generally accepted ones. When saying goodbye to a person, for example, it is customary to say not “goodbye,” but to wish the “Guardian Angel” so that the person gets home safely.

Before leaving the temple, it is customary to approach the images and bow to the festive icon. Bows can be from the waist (most often), or to the ground - during Lent. If in doubt, watch how others come out and do the same.

Interaction with the clergy

The church has a special attitude towards priests. It is customary to take a blessing from them. Before leaving, they also come for a blessing. It is not necessary to approach every priest if there are many of them. It is enough to fold your hands on your chest and bow with the words: “Bless, honest fathers.” If there is a bishop in the church, then only he is blessed, the others only bow.

Usually all the clergy leave before the meeting of the bishop, and in this case it is not customary to disturb the decorum in the church; choose another time to talk with your confessor. A personal blessing is taken from the bishop after the service, when he leaves the altar. Everyone does it differently, if they didn’t notice you, you shouldn’t be offended - God’s grace will not pass you by.

• You can make an appointment at the diocesan administration if you have a specific case. The rules of conduct in the church allow the address to Bishops - “Lord”.

• Instead of the usual greeting, you should say: “Bless you,” fold your palms one on top of the other, the right one should be on top. Then it is customary to kiss one’s hand as a sign of respect not for the person of the clergyman, but for God, from whom he received holy orders.

• Some priests themselves do not allow their hand to be kissed, placing it on the head of their spiritual children. And in this case, the blessing is considered received.

While in church, you can talk with the priest about parish affairs. If the matter is serious, you may be invited to the office. It is customary to discuss spiritual issues in confession. It is customary to call Orthodox priests “father” in person; they themselves should call themselves “priest,” “archpriest.”

• Rules of conduct strictly prohibit coquetry with clergy. For this, the priest himself can be punished, up to and including defrocking. It is not customary to be interested in the details of the priest’s personal life - who his wife is, how many children they have, where they live, what salary they receive, etc. This is indecent. The priest will tell you everything you need to know himself.

Usually, church attendants monitor how the rules of conduct are followed. There is no need to be offended if a churchwoman comes up and asks for something. In the Orthodox Church it is not customary to disturb anyone in vain. Over time, you yourself will understand how to behave correctly in church. Until then, patience and attention must be exercised. God bless you!

Rules of conduct in church

An Orthodox church is a place of special presence of the Glory of God and His Grace, and one should dwell in it with reverence and love. Just as, when going on a visit, we try to look decent, so when coming to Church, we should remember Who we are coming to and Who is looking at us.
A person who carefully monitors the state of his soul will definitely notice that his behavior, thoughts, and wishes also depend on his clothes. Formal clothing obliges you to do a lot.
The Holy Scripture says: “A woman should not wear men’s clothing, and a man should not dress in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is an abomination to the Lord God” (Deut. 22:5)
Men are not allowed to appear in church in T-shirts, shorts, sportswear, work clothes, or unkempt clothing. Before entering the temple, they are required to remove their headdress.
Women should not come to Church in short skirts or trousers or with makeup on their faces. Lipstick on the lips is especially unacceptable. The Lord looks not at faces, but at the hearts of people. A woman's head should be covered with a headscarf, scarf or headscarf.
All parishioners, despite the warm weather, are recommended to wear long sleeves.

2. At the entrance to the temple

You should come to the temple before the start of the service in order to have time to submit notes, buy and light candles, and venerate the icons.
Approaching the temple, pious Christians, looking at the holy crosses and domes of the church, make the sign of the cross and bow from the waist. Rising to the porch, they again sign themselves three times with the sign of the cross and bow. If the bow is small, then you need to tilt your head so that you can reach the ground with your hand; with a great (to the ground) bow, you need to bend both knees together and reach the ground with your head.
The sign of the cross should be depicted on oneself with reverence, slowly, joining together the first three fingers of the right hand as a sign that God is the One and Equal Trinity. The remaining two fingers are folded and bent to the palm - in commemoration of the fact that Jesus Christ is God and man, who came to our earth for the sake of salvation. The right hand (right hand) folded in this way must be placed first on the forehead, so that the Lord will enlighten our mind, then on the belly, in order to tame the flesh that wars on the spirit and sanctify our feelings, and then on the right and left shoulders to sanctify our bodily strength.

Then you need to say a short prayer:
God, be merciful to me, a sinner(bow).
God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me(bow).
Who created me, Lord, forgive me!(bow).

3. Attitude towards the poor at the temple

When doing good to one's neighbor, everyone must remember that the Lord will not abandon him. “Do you think that the one who feeds Christ (that is, the poor), wrote St. Augustine, “will not be fed by Christ?” After all, in the eyes of the Lord, because of our sins, perhaps we look more terrible and insignificant than all these unfortunate people who live on alms.
You should not tempt yourself with the thought that the poor “earn” no less than us, and sometimes are dressed no worse. Everyone will be asked first of all for their deeds. Your job in this case is to show mercy.
If you see that there are beggars in front of you, spending all their money on drinking, give them not money, but food: bread, apples, cookies, etc. The Monk Ambrose, when asked why he gave to drunkards, answered: “To save them from one more sin - theft.”

4. In the temple

You need to enter the holy temple with spiritual joy and remember that the Savior Himself promised to comfort you in sorrow: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28).
Upon entering the church, parishioners buy candles and submit notes for the health and repose of people baptized in the Orthodox Faith. Afterwards, it is customary to venerate the “festive” icon lying on a lectern in the middle of the church, and make small bows before the icons of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints (if the service has not begun at this time).
Before the service begins, you can light candles in front of one image or another, which are purchased at the entrance in a “candle box” - this is our small contribution - a sacrifice to the Church.
You should not pass between the Royal Doors and the lectern, but when you pass in front of the lectern, make a small bow, making the sign of the cross.
We need to teach children to go to church (Matthew 19:14), teach them to pray and behave decently in church. Parents who come to church with children should observe their behavior and not allow them to distract the worshippers, play pranks, or laugh. You should try to calm a crying child; if this fails, you should leave the temple with the child.
Women are prohibited from entering the altar. Men can enter the altar only with the permission of the priests, and then only through the northern or southern doors. Only clergy enter the altar through the Royal Doors.
Directly adjacent to the iconostasis is the solea - an elevated platform along the entire altar. Opposite the royal doors is the ambo - the central part of the solea. Without the permission of the clergy, it is also not allowed to ascend to the pulpit and solea.
In a temple, it is indecent to show curiosity and look at others. It is unacceptable to condemn and ridicule the involuntary mistakes of employees or those present in the temple. One should not condemn or reprimand a newcomer who does not know the church rules. It is better to help him with polite and kind advice. Candles should only be purchased from the temple you came to.
It is prohibited to enter the temple with animals and birds.
Smoking is prohibited even on the street within the church fence.
When visiting the temple of God, we must remember that we are in the presence of the Lord God, the Mother of God, holy angels and saints.

5. Appeals

There are certain church rules for addressing priests and laity (temple employees and parishioners).
“Brother”, “sister” - the best way to address the laity. We are all children of the One God and descendants of Adam and Eve.
“Father” or “father” is how priests are called as performers of the sacraments through which people are born to spiritual life. Usually after the words “father” a name is added, for example, “Father Igor.” You can address a deacon as “Father Deacon,” and the rector of a church (monastery) as “Father Superior.”
In the conversations of Orthodox people, the word “father” is often heard. It must be remembered that this word is used only when directly addressing a person. You cannot, for example, say “Father Vladimir blessed me,” this is illiterate.
There is no point in addressing clergy as “holy father,” as is customary in Catholic countries. The holiness of a person is known by his death.
Female altar servers, as well as older women, are affectionately called “mother.”
Bishops (Patriarch, metropolitans, bishops) must be addressed as “Vladyka”, as those vested with ecclesiastical authority.
When addressing a clergyman in writing, priests should be addressed as “Your Reverence,”
archpriests - “Your Reverence”,
bishops - “Your Eminence”,
archbishops and metropolitans - “Your Eminence”,
Patriarch - “Your Holiness.”

6. Blessing of the priest

Every believer considers it imperative to ask for a blessing when meeting a priest (or bishop), but many do this incorrectly. Of course, there are no strict canons on this issue, but the traditions of the Church and simple common sense tell us how to behave.
Blessing has many meanings. The first of these is greeting. Only someone equal in rank has the right to shake hands with a priest; everyone else, even deacons, receive a blessing from him when they meet the priest. To do this, you need to put your palms together, the right one on top of the left, in order to receive the blessing hand in them and kiss it as a sign of respect for the sacred office. And for nothing more! The folding of the palms does not have any mysterious meaning; grace does not “fall” in them, as some old women teach.
You can be blessed by a priest not only when he is in church clothes, but also in civilian clothes; not only in the temple, but also on the street, in a public place. However, you should not approach an unveiled priest who does not know you for a blessing outside the church.
In the same way, every layman says goodbye to a priest. If several priests are standing nearby, and you want to be blessed by everyone, then first you need to approach the senior one.
The second meaning of a priestly blessing is permission, permission, parting words. Before starting any important business, before traveling, as well as in any difficult circumstances, we can ask the priest for advice and blessings and kiss his hand.
Finally, there are blessings during the church service. The priest, saying: “Peace to all,” “The blessing of the Lord is upon you...”, “The grace of our Lord...”, makes the sign of the cross over the worshipers. In response, we humbly bow our heads without folding our hands - after all, it is impossible to kiss the blessing right hand.
If the priest overshadows us with sacred objects: the Cross, the Gospel, the Chalice, the icon, we first cross ourselves and then bow.
You should not approach the blessing at an inopportune moment: when the priest is giving communion, censing the temple, anointing with oil. But you can do this at the end of confession and at the end of the liturgy, while kissing the Cross. You should not abuse the blessing by approaching the same priest several times a day. The words “bless, father” should always sound joyful and solemn to a layman, and they should not be turned into a saying.

7. Icons and candles

One should venerate icons, holy relics and the Holy Gospel slowly and without crowding, leave bulky bags aside and bow twice before kissing and one after kissing the shrine. Since the honor given to the icon is directed to the face depicted on it, when kissing it (kissing it), we mentally touch this face.
When kissing icons of the Savior, you need to kiss the foot (in the case of a half-length image, the hand); to the icons of the Mother of God and saints - in the hand; to the icon of the miraculous image of the Savior and to the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - in a braid of hair.

Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos you can say a short prayer:

“Most Holy Mother of God, save us.”

Before the Honest Life-Giving Cross of Christ the following prayer is read:

“We worship Your Cross, Master,
and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.”
Before the icon of the saint:
“Holy servant of God (name of the Saint),
pray to God for me, a sinner (sinner),
may the Lord forgive me all my sins
and through your holy prayers will enable you to achieve
Kingdom of Heaven."

We must treat the church candle with reverence: it is a symbol of our prayerful burning before the Lord, His Most Pure Mother, and the holy saints of God.

Lighting candles in the temple is part of the service, it is a sacrifice to God. Therefore, candles should only be purchased in the temple where you came to pray. A candle expresses the warmth and flame of a person’s love for the Lord, the Mother of God, an angel or a saint, at whose faces the believer places his candle. And if this love does not exist, then the candles have no meaning, our sacrifice is in vain. Some of us remember God and the saints only when we enter church, and then only for a few minutes. It is in vain to think that it is enough to place a candle in front of the icon, and the duty is fulfilled, we have become pure and righteous, and our prayer will be fulfilled - as if God, the Mother of God and the saints need candles!
The candles are lit one from the other, which is burning, and, having melted the bottom, they are placed in the socket of the candlestick. The candle must stand strictly straight. If there is no free space in the candlestick in front of the icon, everyone is busy with burning candles, you should not put out someone else’s candle for the sake of your own; it is more appropriate to ask the minister to put it up later. And there is no need to be embarrassed that your half-burnt candle was extinguished at the end of the service - the sacrifice has already been accepted by God.
There are no mandatory rules about where and how many candles believers should place. However, according to established tradition, first of all, a candle is lit for a holiday or a revered temple icon, then for the relics of a saint, if there are any in the temple, for your saint (whose name you bear), and only then for health or repose. If there is no icon of your heavenly patron in the temple, then a candle is placed in front of the image of All Saints.
For the dead, candles are placed on the eve of the Crucifixion, mentally saying: “Remember, Lord, Thy deceased servant (name) and forgive his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven.” For health or any need, candles are usually lit for the Savior, the Mother of God, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, as well as for those saints to whom the Lord gave special grace to heal illnesses and give help in various needs, see.

8. During the Liturgy

The duties of Christians include visiting church to participate in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays, including the All-Night Vigil the day before, and on holidays.

The establishment and observance of church holidays is necessary for our salvation; they teach us the true Christian faith and, through obedience and reverence for God, bring peace and joy to the soul.
“You must definitely go to church services...” exhorted the Monk Ambrose of Optina. “...you’ll walk, you’ll be healthy and sober.”
“A sure sign of the death of the soul,” said another Optina elder, the Monk Barsanuphius, “is avoidance of church services. A person who grows cold towards God first of all begins to avoid going to church, first tries to come to the service later, and then completely stops visiting the temple of God.”
By being late for the beginning of the Divine Liturgy or leaving before its end, a person shows disrespect for the Sacrament. In case of emergency, you can leave the Divine Service, but not during the reading of the Gospel and the celebration of the Eucharist.
If the service has begun or you come to the temple already during the Liturgy, you need to stand in a certain place and listen intently to the readings and chants. When you see your acquaintances, do not rush to shake their hands, but only greet them with a silent bow.
Conversations are not allowed during the Liturgy. Words of St. Ambrose of Optina: “The Lord sends sorrows for conversations in the Temple.”
In the Orthodox Church, it is allowed to sit only during the reading of kathismas (Psalms) and parimes (readings from the Old and New Testaments at Great Vespers on great holidays and days of remembrance of especially revered saints). For the rest, it is not customary to sit in the presence of God, but to pray standing; after all, in prayers we turn to the King of kings, to the Creator of the universe. You can sit only due to special weakness, illness, so that, as Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your legs while standing.” However, you cannot sit with your legs crossed or your legs stretched out. Before you sit down, ask God to strengthen you physically. During the reading of the Gospel and in especially important places of the Liturgy, you need to stand.
Men, according to ancient custom, stand on the right side of the temple, and women on the left. In church, during the Divine service, you are supposed to stand facing the altar; during the censing of the temple, you should not turn around after the clergyman and stand with your back to the altar.
In addition, to this day one can observe the pious rule when women let men go ahead during Anointing, Confession, Communion, veneration of the holiday icon and the Cross. At the end of the service, the same prayers are read as upon entering the church.
In church you should not squeeze through those praying, move from place to place, talk, or place candles in front of icons. A candle is a sacrifice to God, but in this case remember that another sacrifice is more acceptable - a “broken spirit,” a humble awareness of your sinfulness before the Lord, which will highlight all your desires and needs brighter than any candle.
Try to refrain from making comments, unless, of course, there is obvious hooliganism or blasphemous behavior. In such cases, it is permissible to make comments in a delicate manner, without irritability or arrogant instruction in the voice.
It is especially important to maintain silence, not to move around, not to buy or light candles and not to venerate icons during important moments of the Liturgy, such as:

• when the priest comes out with the censer,
• when reading the Six Psalms,
• when bringing out the Gospel and during its reading,
• while singing “Mercy of the World...” until the priest exclaims “First remember...”
• while singing the Creed and Our Father,
• when taking out the Holy Chalice (Chalice).

Be afraid, wittingly or unwittingly, to offend with your behavior those praying and those shrines that surround us in the temple of God.

9. Bows and Sign of the Cross

The saving power of church prayers, chants and readings depends on the feeling with which our hearts and minds receive them. Therefore, if it is impossible to bow for one reason or another, then it is better to humbly ask the Lord for forgiveness than to violate church decorum.

Before the start of any service, three bows are required. At all services, while reading or singing “Come, let us worship...”, with three times “Alleluia...”, with “Holy God...”; to “Be the Name of the Lord...”; to “Glory to God in the highest” and when the priest exclaims “Glory to Thee, Christ God, our hope, glory to Thee,” one is supposed to bow. Only in the middle of the reading of the Six Psalms are no bows made, but the sign of the cross is performed.
Sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make a bow from the waist: during the litanies, with the exclamation “Lord, have mercy” or “Give, Lord,” together with the clergyman; when a clergyman overshadows those present in the church with a cross, or a Gospel, or a Chalice, or a holy icon.
When starting to read or sing the Creed, reading the Gospel, the Apostle or proverbs, one is supposed to make the sign of the cross without bowing.
When the priest says: “Peace to all,” “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...”, “Bow your heads to the Lord”; While reading the Gospel, burning incense, lighting candles, or blessing with your hand, you should bow your head.
During the opening of the Royal Doors, one must bow.
When in church people are blessed with a cross or the Gospel, an image or a Chalice, then everyone is baptized, bowing their heads, and when the bishop sanctifies those praying with candles (dikirium and trikirium) or when the priest blesses with his hand, as well as when incense is applied to those who are present, then one should not be baptized, but just bow your head; only on the Holy Week of Easter, when a priest censes with a cross in his hand, exclaiming: “Christ is Risen!” - everyone crosses themselves and exclaims: “Truly He is Risen!” With this we reverently respond to the action of the clergyman, sanctifying us with the power of God’s grace. When accepting the blessing of a priest or bishop, Christians kiss his right hand, but do not cross themselves before doing so. One should not kiss the left hand of clergy, which is typical for Jews, but only the right hand, through which the blessing is given.
Prostrations should be made at the end of the prayer “We sing to You”; at the end of the prayer “It is worthy to eat”; at the beginning of the “Our Father” prayer, when bringing out the Holy Gifts for communion, during the blessing of the Holy Gifts; exclamation “Always, now and ever and unto ages of ages” and “Theotokos and Mother of light...”
One should not make prostrations and kneel after communion of the Holy Mysteries and on Sundays, great holidays, as well as from Holy Easter to Pentecost, from the Nativity of Christ to the Epiphany of the Lord (Svyatka), since on these days our reconciliation with God is remembered.

10. Holy Communion

They approach Holy Communion after repentance of sins in confession and the priest’s prayer of permission (children under seven years old are allowed to receive communion without confession). They prepare for Communion by prayer and fasting, abstaining from various entertainments and pleasures (the duration of preparation is determined by the blessing of the priest).

Those preparing for Communion read 3 canons according to the prayer book: a prayer service to our Lord Jesus Christ, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, Guardian Angel, and a prayer service to Holy Communion. It is advisable to be at the evening service on the eve of Communion, and it is also imperative not to eat or drink anything, starting from twelve o’clock at night.
During Communion, you need to approach the Chalice with your hands crossed on your chest - the right over the left - with great reverence and fear of God and with faith and love for Christ, partake of His Holy Body and Blood, kiss the Chalice, but without crossing yourself and be careful not to accidentally push her, then go to the table to wash down the Communion with warmth.

After Communion, you should listen (or read) prayers of thanksgiving with attention. At the end of the Liturgy, go up and venerate the cross, which the priest gives to the believers near the altar.

11. Rule on bowing during the reading of Lenten hours and at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is a divine service during which the faithful are offered for communion the Holy Gifts, previously consecrated - at the previous full liturgy according to the rite of St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom and preserved in a reliquary, usually on the throne or (less often) on the altar.

Before the Liturgy, the Lenten Hours (3rd, 6th and 9th) are read, they begin with the exclamation of the priest: “Blessed is our God...”

At the 3rd hour, the 16th, 24th and 50th psalms are read, then the reader says: Glory even now... Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God (three times). Lord, have mercy (three times). Glory, and now... Then he reads an ordinary kathisma. You can sit while reading kathismas. After the verse of the kathisma, the priest, standing in front of the royal doors, pronounces the fasting troparion of the hour: “Lord, Who sent down Thy Most Holy Spirit in the third hour by Thy Apostle, do not take Him away from us, O Good One, but renew us who pray to Thee.” At each hour the fast troparion of the hour is sung three times, with bows to the ground. At the end of each hour it is read prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian. This prayer is accompanied bows to the ground, which should be done at the same time as the priest makes them. After bows, the final prayer of the hour is read and the next service begins: after the third hour - the service of the sixth hour, then the ninth hour, similar to the service of the third hour with some differences (at the 6th hour psalms 53, 54 and 90 are read, on the 9th - 83rd, 84th and 85th. After the fast troparion of the 6th hour, a paremia (excerpt) from the book of the prophet Isaiah is read). Worship continues Great Vespers, but the first exclamation of the priest: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages!”, the same as at the Liturgy of John Chrysostom or Basil the Great. Then, as usual, follows reading Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord, my soul!” The priest reads lamp prayers, in which he asks the Lord to “fill our lips with praise... so that we may magnify the holy name” of the Lord, “during the rest of this day, avoid the various snares of the evil one,” “spend the rest of the day blamelessly before the holy Glory” of the Lord. At the end of the reading of Psalm 103, the deacon says Great Litany.“Let us pray to the Lord in peace” are the first words of the litany. “Lord, have mercy,” answers the choir, and with it the worshippers after each request commit . At the end of the litany and the exclamation of the priest, the reader begins to read 18 kathisma, which consists of psalms (119-133), called "songs of ascension". After this the deacon says "small" litany. “Let us pray again and again in peace to the Lord,” i.e. “Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.” “Lord, have mercy,” answers the choir, and with it the worshippers after each request commit bow with the sign of the cross. At this time, the priest’s prayer follows: “Lord, do not rebuke us in Your wrath, and do not punish us in Your anger... Enlighten the eyes of our hearts to know Your Truth... for Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory.” Then it reads second part of reading 18 kathisma, at this time the priest censes the throne with the Holy Gifts three times and bows to the ground before the throne. Pronounced again "small" litany, during which the priest reads a prayer: “Lord our God, remember us, sinful and indecent servants of Yours... Lord grant us everything we ask for salvation and help us to love and fear You with all our hearts... for You are a good and philanthropic God...” Read the last one, the third part of the kathisma, during which transfer of the Holy Gifts from the altar to the altar . Prayers, noting the importance and sacredness of this moment, must go down on your knees. After transferring the Holy Gifts to the altar you can get up from your knees. The priest pours wine into the cup, covers the holy vessels, but does not say anything. The reading of the third part of the kathisma is completed, and it is pronounced again "small" litany and the exclamation of the priest. The choir starts singing verses from Psalms 140 and 141: “Lord, I called to You, hear me!” and the stichera laid out for this day. During this singing, the deacon censes the altar and the entire church. Clenching is a symbol of the prayers we offer to God. While singing the stichera on "And now" clergy perform grand entrance. The primate reads the prayer: “In the evening, as in the morning and at noon, we praise, bless You and pray to You... do not let our hearts deviate to evil words or thoughts... deliver us from all those who snare our souls... All glory, honor and worship is due to You, Father and Son and Holy Spirit." The priests go out onto the solea (the raised platform in front of the entrance to the altar), and the Primate blesses the Holy Entrance with the words: “Blessed is the entrance of Your saints, always now and ever and unto ages of ages!” The deacon, tracing the holy cross with a censer, says “Wisdom, forgive me!”“Forgive” means “let’s stand upright, reverently.” An ancient choir sings liturgical hymn "Quiet Light". Next it is sung n rockyman - a verse from Holy Scripture, most often from the Psalter. It precedes proverbs – reading from the Holy Scriptures. Before the proverb when shouting: “Reading Genesis...” or, for example, “Reading Proverbs...” the sign of the cross is made without bowing, and during reading it is customary to stand with your head bowed. During reading the first proverb the priest takes a lighted candle and a censer. At the end of the reading, the priest, drawing the holy cross with a censer, says: “Wisdom, forgive me!”, thereby calling for special attention and reverence, pointing to the special wisdom contained in the present moment. Then the priest turns to those gathered and, blessing them, says: “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone!” According to established tradition, at this moment praying kneel down . After the priest has spoken the words, you can get up from your knees. After the second reading from the Old Testament there is singing five verses from Evening Psalm 140, beginning with the verse: “May my prayer be corrected, like incense before you” While singing “Let it be corrected...” praying on their knees , and the priest, standing at the altar, censes it, and then the altar on which the Holy Gifts are located. At the end of the singing everyone gets up. Then the priest pronounces a prayer that accompanies all Lenten services - prayerSaint Ephraim the Syrian. This prayer is accompanied bows to the ground what to do then the same when the priest makes them. By the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian Vespers ends; what follows is herself Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Proclaimed by a deacon or priest special litany:« Rtsem all...", further the same as at the full Liturgy. Then comes the solemn moment transfer of the Holy Gifts to the throne. The choir begins to sing a special song: “ Now the heavenly powers serve with us invisibly, for behold, the King of Glory enters, behold, the Sacrifice, mysteriously consecrated, is transferred.” During the transfer of the Holy Gifts, everyone should reverently go down on your knees . The priest in the altar, with his hands raised up, pronounces these words three times, to which the deacon responds: “Let us draw near with faith and love and be partakers of eternal life. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia." The priest at the Royal Doors, according to established tradition, says in a quiet voice: “ Let us begin with faith and love" and places the Holy Gifts on the throne, covers them, but does not say anything. After this it is pronounced prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrianwith three prostrations . The Royal Doors are closing ( when opening and closing the royal doors, a bow is made without the sign of the cross), the curtain closes halfway. The deacon or priest says petitionary litany:« Let us fulfill our evening prayer to the Lord..." This is followed by Lord's prayer"Our Father", exclamation of the deacon - "Let's hear it", i.e. Let us be attentive, and the priest, touching the Holy Gifts with his hand, exclaims: “The Presanctified Holy One to the Saints!” This means that the Presanctified Holy Gifts are offered to the saints, i.e. to all the faithful children of God, to all those gathered at this moment in the temple. At this time they usually bow to the ground. The choir sings: “There is One Holy, One Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen". Then the deacon opens the royal doors, with reverence and attention accepts the chalice from the hands of the priest and, turning to the worshipers, proclaims: “Draw near with the fear of God and faith...”Everyone bows to the ground. The priest reads a prayer before communion and administers communion to the laity (at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, Infants are usually not given communion). Next comes Thanksgiving after Communion. The priest, having bowed and taken the chalice, goes to the royal doors, saying secretly: “Blessed is our God...”, and then loudly proclaims to the worshipers in the royal doors: “Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages...”. Those who have received communion make a bow, while those who have not received communion make a bow to the ground.

Then the priest reads the prayer behind the pulpit and dismissal (words that conclude the service, a blessing for those praying to leave the church at the end of the service).

After this, the priest gives a sermon, the Holy Cross is given for kissing, the communicants thank God for communion (the reader reads prayers of thanks, everyone listens and prays). The service is over.

12. Upon leaving the temple

The end of the morning service is the entrance of the priest with the cross. This moment is called release. During the holiday, believers approach the Cross, kiss it and the priest’s hand holding the cross.

When accepting the blessing of a priest, Christians fold their palms crosswise, placing the right on the left, and kiss the right hand of the blessing, but do not cross themselves before doing this. This custom recalls that this hand held the Holy Cup of the Eucharist. After leaving, you need to bow to the priest.
When leaving the temple, you need to make three bows from the waist with the sign of the cross.
If you have to leave the church before the end of the service, due to urgent need or due to urgent circumstances, remember that leaving the Divine Service unless absolutely necessary is a sin before God. Pious Christians ask the Lord for forgiveness for this and confess this sin in confession to a priest.
One elder was given a vision in which the Angel of the Lord wrote down those entering the church, and crossed out those leaving out of laziness. Try especially not to leave the church during the Liturgy.
The care of the Holy Church for us continues even after the service, so that we do not lose the grace-filled mood that, by the grace of God, we were awarded in church. The Church commands us to disperse after the service in reverent silence, with thanksgiving to God, with prayer that the Lord will grant us to always visit His holy monastery until the end of our lives.
We must not forget that we come to church with the goal of saving the soul, and not to receive any privileges from God or from loved ones. Therefore, upon returning from church, we need to find the strength to fully engage in home life, without requiring anyone to indulge us in our fatigue.

The main thing is the mutual love of the parishioners and understanding of the content of the service. If we enter the temple of God with reverence, if, standing in the church, we think that we are in heaven, then the Lord will fulfill all our requests.

BRIEF RULES OF GOOD CONDUCT IN THE TEMPLE

The Orthodox Temple is a semblance of heaven on earth; in the Temple, heavenly angelic forces serve invisibly with us; in the Temple, God Himself invisibly abides with us, and therefore our behavior in the Temple must correspond to the holiness and greatness of the House of God.

1.On the way to the Temple you need to pray. On the advice of the Holy Fathers, they usually read “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...”, the Jesus Prayer, the 50th Psalm and other prayers as desired.

2.As you approach the Temple, make the sign of the cross and bow from the waist. You should not stand on the street and pray for a long time and for show, like the Pharisees of the Gospel. Rising to the porch, before entering the doors, make the sign of the cross again. Upon entering the Temple, you should stop near the doors and make three bows with prayers: God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me.

3.Enter the Temple with spiritual joy, seeking peace, tranquility and cleansing of your soul. The Savior Himself promised to comfort you in sorrow: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” When you see holy icons, think that the Lord Himself and all the saints are looking at you. Be reverent and have the fear of God.

4.Women should not enter the Holy Temple in trousers, short skirts, or with makeup on their faces. Lipstick on the lips is especially unacceptable. A woman's head must be covered. Men are required to remove their hats before entering the Temple.

5.Come to the Temple 10-15 minutes before the start of the service. During this time, you can submit notes, put a donation on the eve, buy candles, place them and venerate the icons. If you are late, then be careful not to disturb the prayer of others. If it is not possible to freely approach the icons and light candles, ask them to pass the candles through other people.

6. If possible, follow the ancient custom: men should stand on the right side of the Temple, women on the left, leaving a clear passage from the main doors to the Royal Doors.

7. While reading the Gospel, singing the Cherubic Song and the Eucharistic Canon (after the Creed), one should maintain reverent silence and pray fervently. At this time, it is unacceptable to bother anyone with questions or requests to pass a candle.

8. Buy candles only in the Temple where you came to pray (blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' ALEXIY II). A candle is a sacrifice to God and His Temple. A candle expresses the warmth of love and reverence for the one to whom it is placed. A candle is not a means of propitiating or “appeasing” God. Without repentance, without fulfilling the commandments of the Lord, God does not need any sacrifices.

9. In the Holy Temple one should stand, not sit, and only in case of ill health or severe fatigue is one allowed to sit and rest.

10. When coming to the Temple with children, make sure that they behave decorously, modestly and do not make noise. The time of their prayer in the Temple must be proportionate to their strength. It is necessary to cultivate not the habit of standing in the Temple, but reverence for the shrine. If children need to leave the Temple, tell them to cross themselves and leave quietly, or lead them out yourself.

11. If a small child bursts into tears in the Temple, immediately lead him or carry him out of the Temple. Never allow a child to eat anything in the Temple other than blessed bread and prosphora. Make sure that the child does not lose crumbs from these shrines.

12. While standing in the Temple, do not be curious and do not look at those around you. Do not judge or ridicule the involuntary mistakes of employees or those present in the Temple. If you do not understand the words of prayers and chants, say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

13. Never talk during the Divine Service. Remember the words of St. Ambrose of Optina: “The Lord sends sorrows for talking in the Temple.”

14. If the place where you are used to standing is occupied, stand where it is free. Do not dare to claim your non-existent rights to any place in God’s Temple.

15. A newcomer who does not know church rules should not be condemned or reprimanded. If necessary, help him with polite and kind advice. A reprimand can only be made to someone who grossly violates piety by interfering with common prayer.

16. If possible, do not leave the Temple until the end of the service. Before the end of the Liturgy, never leave the Temple unless absolutely necessary. This is a sin before God.

17. One approaches Holy Communion after repentance of sins in confession and the priest’s prayer of permission. Only children under seven years of age are allowed to receive communion without confession.

18. They prepare for Communion with prayer and fasting, abstaining from various entertainments and pleasures (the duration of preparation is determined by the blessing of the priest). Those preparing for Communion read the canons and rules for Holy Communion according to the prayer book, which for beginners is better not to do on the last day, but to distribute the reading of these prayers over all days of preparation for Communion. It is imperative to be at the evening Divine Service on the eve of Communion, and also not to eat or drink anything, starting from twelve o’clock at night.

19. Approach Holy Communion humbly and reverently, crossing your arms over your chest (right to left). With the fear of God, partake of the Holy Mysteries without being baptized, kiss the Chalice so as not to accidentally push It, and silently go to the table with a drink. After Communion, read prayers of thanksgiving from the prayer book.

20. At the end of the Liturgy, come and venerate the Cross, which the priest gives to the believers near the altar. When leaving the Temple, make three bows from the waist with the sign of the cross.

REMEMBER CHRISTIAN! IF THE CHURCH IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US, THEN WE OURSELVES WILL SOON END OUR INGLORIUS EXISTENCE. THE CHURCH IS THE SOUL OF LIFE.

“A sure sign of the death of the soul is avoidance of church services. A person who grows cold towards God, first of all, begins to avoid going to church, first tries to come to the service later, and then completely stops visiting the Temple of God” (Rev. Barsanuphius of Optina).

It is very difficult for a person who rarely visits Orthodox churches or does so for the first time in his life to navigate a new environment. Everything seems incomprehensible to such a person and raises a lot of questions. In addition, most people in this situation may have questions about how to behave correctly in God’s temple in order to feel confident and not be distracted from prayer.

Classmates

How to dress to visit a temple

It's no secret that to visit a temple you need to dress correctly. There are many beliefs about dress code rules, but not all of them are true.

How to dress for church as a woman

According to the rules, a woman must enter the temple with her head covered. However, this only applies to married women. This rule does not apply to girls and children. On the other hand, modern life makes its own adjustments to the usual way of life, and in order not to irritate the church “staff”, it is still better to cover your head. This will not be difficult, but will help avoid conflict situations.

In addition to the headdress, there are other rules for women, by adhering to which you can feel confident and comfortable in the temple:

1. It is not customary to wear trousers to church. However, if you went to the temple just “on the way” to light a candle, it will be enough to cover your head. Still, it is not recommended to enter the temple wearing low-waisted trousers that expose the midriff. In this case, you may even be asked to leave the temple. If you are going to church deliberately for a service, the best clothing would be a long, floor-length skirt. Remember that God's temple is not a place for showing off the merits of your figure and fashionable clothes.
2. You should also not wear blouses and blouses with a deep neckline and open shoulders to church.. In general, women who consider themselves Orthodox Christians are not recommended to dress this way and display semi-nude photographs of themselves for public viewing. Firstly, this is considered a manifestation of your desire, and secondly, it provokes others to sinful thoughts.
3. Going to church for worship, It is not recommended to wear too much makeup. Moreover, you should not paint your lips, because you will venerate the cross and holy images. Then the church employees will have to wipe off the remnants of your lipstick from the icons. And for other parishioners, traces of lipstick on a shrine will not cause pleasant associations.
4. You should also not wear too much perfume.. You will be in a confined space with a lot of people for a long time. Not everyone may like to smell this scent. In addition, small children and people with poor health go to church. People may develop an allergic reaction.

When going to a temple, it is important to clearly define the purpose of your visit. Church is a place for prayer, not for dating or showing off your appearance. If you remember this, issues of appropriate appearance will be resolved automatically.

Rules for men

For men, there are also a number of certain rules when visiting the temple.

1. Upon entering the church, you must remove your headdress.
2. Your appearance when visiting a temple should be neat and tidy. Many believers wear their best suit to the service.
3. It is not acceptable to enter the temple wearing transparent sleeveless tops and sweatpants or shorts.
4. It is advisable not to smoke and shave clean before visiting the temple.
5. It is unacceptable to appear in the temple in a drunken state.

Church officials and other parishioners should be treated with respect and remain quiet in their presence. Otherwise, you should not enter the church at all.

Rules of conduct during worship services

To an uninitiated person, the Divine Service may seem long and incomprehensible. If you want to understand all the intricacies and approach what is happening consciously, you can read special literature or take special courses that are held at many churches.

In general, the rules of behavior during Divine services are not as complicated as they might seem at first glance:

Sign of the Cross

Most people who consider themselves Orthodox Christians may not thoroughly know the rules of conduct in church, but they seem to know how to make the sign of the cross. However, there are some nuances here that are very important to know about. The sign of the cross itself is not a saving ritual, but only an outward manifestation of our faith.

How to make the sign of the cross correctly?

When is it necessary to make the sign of the cross?

It is necessary to be baptized in the following cases:

1. At the entrance to the doors of an Orthodox church.
2. Venerating to the cross or icons.
3. At the beginning and at the end of the prayer, sometimes during its reading.
4. At the beginning of matins.
5. During the service.

Beginning parishioners can clarify all the necessary points before the start of the service in order to behave correctly and feel comfortable.

Interaction with clergy

Arriving at church, accepted take a blessing from a priest. Besides, blessing can be received before leaving church. If there are several priests in the Orthodox Church, it is not necessary to ask for a blessing from everyone. If there is a bishop in the church, the blessing should be received from him, and the rest of the priests should only bow. You can take a personal blessing from the bishop after he leaves the altar.

If you have a specific question for the bishop, you can make an appointment at the diocesan administration. You can address an Orthodox bishop as “Vladyka.”

You can greet the bishop with the words “Bless.” In this case, you should fold your hands one on top of the other. The right palm should be on top. After the blessing, it is customary to kiss the hand of the clergyman as a sign of respect to the Lord.

Some priests, instead of kissing their hand, place it on the head of the parishioner. This is also a sign of the blessing received.

In the church you can talk with the priest about parish affairs. For spiritual matters there is a sacrament. When addressing an Orthodox priest, one must say “father” before his name.

It is unacceptable to show coquetry in front of a clergyman. For such liberties, a priest may be subject to punishment up to and including defrocking. It is also indecent to be interested in the details of the priest’s personal life - his marital status and the number of children, etc.

Usually there are attendants on duty in the temple who monitor order and compliance with the rules of behavior. If a church employee comes up to you and asks you for something, you should not be offended. In the temple no one will be disturbed in vain. Over time, you will become familiar with the rules of behavior and begin to feel confident when entering the temple, but until then you should be patient and carefully follow the advice.

Immediately after the completion of the Divine Liturgy in the morning, it is held. If you heard that the church began to sing prayers in chorus, then it’s time to prepare the children, because communion will begin soon.

Mothers with babies are the first to approach the Chalice.. Then the older children are brought in and then everyone else comes up. If you are allowed to go ahead, try to pass and not delay people out of a desire to appear more kind and well-mannered. Silently bow to those letting you through and approach the Chalice.

During the service, you can greet your friends at the entrance with a silent bow. You should not start conversations or heated discussions about the news.

Before Christian holidays, during the evening service, it is often held lithium. This is a special rite of Vespers. At this time of this service, it is customary to bless all worshipers with a special oil. First of all, at the litia, you need to go up and venerate the icons, then go up to the priest so that he anoints his forehead with a cross. Next, you need to bow slightly to the priest and kiss his hand and step aside, taking a piece of consecrated bread from the servant. You can eat this piece right in the temple or take it home with you.

On the eve of communion, confession is usually held. It usually takes place on a first-come, first-served basis. Before approaching the priest for confession, it is customary to bow to all parishioners standing nearby with the words “forgive me.” After this, people will bow to you in return.

When saying goodbye to a person in church, it is customary to say to him not Goodbye, but “Guardian Angel.”

Before leaving the temple, you must approach the festive icon and bow. Bows can be from the waist or to the ground. Prostrations should be made during Lent.

When can women come to church?

Many people are interested in the question of whether it is permissible for women to visit the temple during their menstrual periods. To date, there is no clear answer to this question.. According to the Old Testament, a person in an impure state (including women on menstrual days) you should not enter the temple of God.

The New Testament says that a woman these days may well attend church. It is believed that this cycle was created by God and therefore, in principle, cannot be considered unclean. If necessary, the New Testament even allows a woman to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and venerate holy icons on critical days.

Thus, the opinions of clergy on this matter today differ. Perhaps in this matter one should follow the rule of the golden mean and refrain from visiting the temple on critical days unless absolutely necessary. If you are in dire need of spiritual support, you can visit the temple.

A temple is not only a house of prayer, but also a place of the special presence of God, and just as when we are going to visit, we try to look worthy, so when we come to Church, we should remember Who we are coming to and Who is looking at us. A person who carefully monitors the state of his soul will definitely notice that his behavior, thoughts, and wishes also depend on his clothes. Formal clothing obliges you to do a lot.

Women should not come to Church in trousers, short skirts, sleeveless sweaters and blouses (with open arms), or with makeup on their faces. Lipstick on the lips is especially unacceptable. A woman's head should be covered with a headscarf, headscarf or scarf.

Men are required to remove their hats before entering the temple. You cannot appear in church in T-shirts, shorts, or untidy sportswear.

HOW TO BEHALF WITH BEGGARS POSITIONED IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE

When doing good to one's neighbor, everyone must remember that the Lord will not abandon him. “Do you think that the one who feeds Christ (that is, the poor),” wrote St. Augustine, “will not be fed by Christ?” After all, in the eyes of the Lord, because of our sins, perhaps we look more terrible and insignificant than all these unfortunate people who live on alms.

You should not tempt yourself with the thought that the poor “earn” no less than us, and sometimes are dressed no worse. Everyone will be asked first of all for their deeds. Your job in this case is to show mercy.

If you see that there are beggars in front of you, spending all their money on drinking, give them not money, but food: an apple, cookies, bread, etc.

ABOUT BEHAVIOR IN TEMPLE

You should arrive at the temple ten to fifteen minutes before the start of the service. This time is usually enough to submit notes, buy and light candles, and venerate the icons.

Approaching the temple, pious Christians, looking at the holy crosses and domes of the church, make the sign of the cross and bow from the waist. Rising to the porch, they again sign themselves three times with the sign of the cross and bow.

Upon entering the temple, you should stop near the doors and make three bows with prayers:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. - Bow.

God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. Bow.

Lord, who created me, forgive me. Bow.

After this, they give notes, touch them to the icons, light candles and take a comfortable place, standing with reverence and fear of God.

According to ancient custom, men stand on the right side of the temple, women on the left, leaving a clear passage from the main doors to the Royal Doors.

In addition, to this day one can observe the pious rule when women let men go ahead during Anointing, Communion, veneration of the holiday icon and the Cross. At the end of the service, the same prayers are read as upon entering the church.

When we visit the temple of God, let us remember that we are in the presence of the Lord God, the Mother of God, holy angels and saints.

Be afraid, wittingly or unwittingly, to offend with your behavior those praying and those shrines that surround us in the temple of God.

If you come to church during the Divine Service, it is better to refrain from squeezing through the worshipers and placing candles in front of the icons. A candle is a sacrifice to God, but in this case remember that another sacrifice is more acceptable - a “broken spirit,” a humble awareness of your sinfulness before the Lord, which will highlight all your desires and needs brighter than any candle.

If possible, refrain from making comments, unless, of course, there is obvious hooliganism or blasphemous behavior. It is permissible for someone who violates the norms of behavior to make comments in a delicate manner, without irritability or arrogant instruction in the voice.

It is unacceptable to walk around the temple during the service, much less carry on conversations.

During divine services in the Orthodox Church they pray standing, and how can one sit in the presence of God, because in prayers we turn to the King of kings, to the Creator of the universe. Sitting is allowed only due to special weakness or illness, so that, as Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing.” However, you cannot sit with your legs crossed or your legs stretched out. Before you sit down, ask God to strengthen you physically. During the reading of the Gospel and in especially important places of the Liturgy, you need to stand.

Parents, coming to church with their children, should observe their behavior and not allow them to distract the worshipers, play pranks, or laugh. You should try to calm a crying child; if this fails, you should leave the temple with the child.

You cannot enter the temple with animals and birds.

You should kiss the icons, leaving bulky bags aside.

You need to approach the Chalice during Communion with your arms crossed on your chest - the right one over the left.

During the censing of the temple, you should not turn around after the clergyman and stand with your back to the altar.

During the opening of the Royal Doors, one must bow. Smokers are prohibited from smoking even on the street within the church fence.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LEAVE THE TEMPLE BEFORE THE END OF THE SERVICE?

The service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God. Would it be pleasant for the owner of the house to whom the guests came if they left before the end of the holiday?

Remember that leaving a service unless absolutely necessary or due to urgent circumstances is a sin before God. Especially try not to leave the church during the Liturgy, at least before singing “Our Father...”.

The end of the morning service is the entrance of the priest with the cross. This moment is called release. During the holiday, believers approach the Cross, kiss it and the priest’s hand holding the cross. After leaving, you need to bow to the priest.

The care of the Holy Church for us continues even after the service, so that we do not lose the grace-filled mood that, by the grace of God, we were awarded in church. The Church commands us to leave the temple in reverent silence, with thanksgiving to the Lord, who has made us worthy to be present in the temple, with a prayer that the Lord will grant us to always visit His holy house until the end of our lives.

COLORS OF LIVING VESTMENTS AND THEIR SYMBOLICS

The liturgical clothes of clergy have different colors, each of which symbolizes the spiritual significance of the event in honor of which the service is being performed. The main colors of liturgical vestments are white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black.

Before the service, when vesting, the clergy read special prayers prescribed by the charter, in which the symbolic meaning of the sacred vestments is revealed.

On holidays in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the days of remembrance of the prophets, apostles and saints, the color of the vestment is royal: gold or yellow of all shades due to the fact that Christ is the King of Glory, and His servants have in the Church the fullness of grace of the highest degree of priesthood .

On holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and angelic powers, as well as on days of remembrance of holy virgins and virgins, the color of the vestment is blue or white, symbolizing special purity and innocence.

On the feasts of the Holy Cross, the color of the vestments is purple or dark red, symbolizing the Savior’s feat of the cross.

On holidays and days of remembrance of the holy martyrs, the dark red color of their vestments is adopted as a sign that the blood shed for the faith of Christ was evidence of their fiery love for the Lord.

In green vestments of all shades, the day of the Holy Trinity, the day of the Holy Spirit and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is celebrated, since green is a symbol of life, for everything that has life according to the will of the Father and through the Son is revived by the Holy Spirit. Divine services in honor of saints, ascetics and holy fools are also performed in green vestments, since their feat, while killing the sinful principles of human nature, does not kill the person himself, but renews his entire nature and leads to eternal life.

During fasting, the color of the vestments is dark: dark blue, purple, dark red, black. Black clothes are usually worn on weekdays during Lent.

Burials, as a rule, are performed in white vestments, since for a Christian death is only a transition to another world.

The white color of vestments is adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany (Epiphany), Transfiguration and Ascension of the Lord, as it symbolizes the Divine Light coming into the world and sanctifying God’s creation.

The holiday - Easter - begins in white vestments as a sign of the Divine light shining from the Tomb of the risen Savior. In some churches it is customary to change vestments at Easter Matins for each of the eight songs of the canon, so that the priest appears in vestments of a different color each time. The play of colors is very consistent with this “triumph of triumphs”. The Easter liturgy, like all services of the subsequent Bright Week, is performed in red vestments, symbolizing the victory of the “Sun of Truth” - the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

HOW TO CORRECTLY ATTACH ICONS

Since the honor given to the icon is directed to the face depicted on it, when kissing it (kissing it), we mentally touch this face.

You should approach the icons slowly, without crowding. Say a prayer mentally, cross yourself twice with bows from the waist and venerate the icon as a sign of love and respect for what is depicted on it. Then make the sign of the cross for the third time and bow.

In the same order, Christians should approach any shrines: icons, the Holy Gospel, the Cross, holy relics.

When kissing the icon of the Savior, one should kiss His feet; Mother of God and saints - hand; to the icon of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and to the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - hair. You should not kiss the face on icons.

An icon may depict several sacred persons, but when there is a gathering of worshipers, the icon is supposed to be kissed once, so as not to delay others and thus not disturb the decorum of the church.

Before the image of the Savior, you can say the Jesus Prayer to yourself:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos you can say a short prayer:

"Most Holy Mother of God, save us."

Or the following:

“To my Queen, the Most Blessed, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and the strange Representative, to those grieving with joy, to the offended Patroness, see my misfortune, see my sorrow. Help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as you will “For I have no other help except You, no other Representative, no good comforter, except You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever.”

Before the honest Life-giving Cross of Christ the following prayer is read:

“We worship Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.”

Before the icon of the saint:

“Holy saint of God Nicholas (or the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the blessed prince Alexandra, etc.), pray to God for me, a sinner (sinner), may the Lord forgive me all my sins and through your holy prayers HELP me reach the Kingdom of the Unbearable.”

THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF ICONS IN THE CASE OF OUR SALVATION.

“Holy icons provide us with great benefit in the matter of our salvation.

1. Holy icons have a beneficial effect on all spiritual powers of a person:

A) they serve to enlighten the minds of Christians. Illiterate people who cannot read the Holy Scriptures understand the economy of our salvation through icons, assimilate the history of the Old and New Testaments and especially the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who read the same events are more deeply imprinted in their souls through holy images;

B) holy icons in the heart of a Christian arouse love for the Lord God and the saints depicted on them, move Christians to the most fervent prayer, intensify feelings of tenderness and contrition for sins;

C) holy icons strengthen the will of Christians in the fight against sin and in doing good deeds by the examples and deeds of the saints depicted on them, the executions of sinners, the appearance of the Last Judgment, etc.

2. By arranging and kissing the holy icons and worshiping them, we thereby testify to our love for God and the saints depicted on them. “The honor of the image,” says Saint Basil the Great, “passes on to the prototype; thus, through the veneration of holy icons we attract to ourselves the blessing of God and the love of the saints of God.

3. For the Lord God, holy icons serve as an instrument for the manifestation of His Divine power for our salvation: through them He performs great signs and wonders to confirm faith in Him and His Holy Church, to console sorrowful hearts, and to heal illnesses. If the Lord pours out His grace visibly through holy icons, then all the more does He serve invisibly for our sanctification and salvation. And if God himself apparently acts through holy icons for our salvation, then it takes a lot of courage (to say the least) to assert that icons do not have great significance in the matter of salvation.

4. Where there are holy icons, the machinations of the enemy of the human race - the evil spirit - are ineffective or less effective, therefore he tries with all his might to destroy them. If holy icons help Christians in the fight against visible enemies, then even more so they help them in the fight against invisible enemies; we know that through holy icons evil spirits were completely expelled from people possessed by them.

Let us conclude our conversation with the words of St. John of Damascus; “Away with you, envious devil! You envy that we see the image of our Master and through him we are sanctified; you envy that we see His saving sufferings, we are amazed at His perfection, we contemplate His miracles, we recognize and glorify the power of His Divinity; you envy the honor of the saints which they have been awarded by God; you do not want us to look at the images of their glory and become zealots of their courage and faith; you do not tolerate the bodily and spiritual benefits that come from our faith. But we do not listen to you, man-hating demon.

Doctor of Theology Archbishop Sergius Spassky