The temptation is great to fall into despondency: “How can I live without tasty food! No more fun now! What long services!” - whereas there is no reason for despondency. Long services are both high examples of medieval spiritual poetry and philosophical reflections about man’s place in eternity, and a feeling of unity with other worshippers, and communication with God Himself.

No less often, if not more often, the other side of Lenten despondency occurs: “I cannot fast according to the rules. I miss services. I get distracted by the bustle of the world.”

It’s banal, but no less true: remember that God does not need a stomach and legs, but a heart. He sees in the human soul a sincere desire to serve Him, and He also sees infirmities.

This constant remembrance of God will be our unceasing joy in Him.

No, of course, we all don’t need to become hesychasts for fasting, but we can try to become half a step closer to the ideal.

It’s worth spending a little more time on prayer than you usually do. More attention during services - sometimes it is worth taking with you a book with the texts of the service. Execute more carefully prayer rule- leave the computer half an hour earlier and read evening prayers. Add . On the road, listen to or read the Psalter.

It is useful to fight numerous Lenten temptations with prayer: respond to irritation, anger, and despondency with yourself short prayer Jesus.

Household chores, the road during rush hour, noise at work - even if we were able to organize our lives in such a way that we eat only permitted food, read the entire prayer rule and even pray during the day, we get terribly tired from all this fuss. And here the temple comes to our aid.

In monasteries and in many parish churches in large cities, during Great Lent, services are performed every day in the morning and evening. It’s worth going to at least part of the service before or after work - it puts you in a completely different mood from the surrounding reality.

There are divine services for which it is not a sin to take time off from work early. These are - in the first four days of Great Lent, on Wednesday evening of the fifth week, an akathist to the Mother of God on Friday evening, services...

It is good to visit at least once during Lent - by the way, in some churches it is sometimes performed in the evenings (for example, in the Sretensky Monastery several times during Lent, the Presanctification begins at 18.00).

It is well known: it is not God who needs fasting, but us. Great Lent consists of two parts: Lent and Holy Week. The first is the time of repentance, the second is the time of cleansing, preparation for Easter.

It is not for nothing that the Church offers us the reading of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete twice during Lent. It is not for nothing that every Lenten Saturday during the All-Night Vigil we hear the chant “Open the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life.” It is not for nothing that three weeks before Lent the Church calls for repentance: with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, the parable of the prodigal son, a reminder of Last Judgment and the expulsion of Adam from paradise.

It is for repentance that we need the time of Lent. If you are not going to repent, you should not start fasting - it is a waste of your health.

By the way, health. If problems with well-being arise during fasting, the degree of abstinence should be immediately discussed with your confessor.

There can be no question of any unauthorized fasting according to the regulations or even close to the regulations if there are diseases associated with the stomach or metabolism. In modern conditions, even monasteries on rare occasions fast with dry eating - God will not condemn a working person who is not in good health.

(It is worth remembering that during Great Lent a sacrament is performed in churches - anointing with specially consecrated oil with a prayer for the healing of the sick.)

A stomach ulcer will in no way bring you closer to God, but can also significantly distance you - there is an extremely thin line between a sincere desire to obey the church charter, not sparing your belly, and pride in your zeal.

“If I fast, I become vain, and if I don’t fast, I become vain,” he laments in his “Ladder.”

“Vanity by fasting” is dangerous in its obviousness and goes hand in hand with condemnation. Brother eats fish during the first week of Lent, while you sit on bread and water? None of your business. He drinks milk, but you don’t even put sugar in your tea? You don’t know the specifics of how his body works (by the way, in seminaries students are often given dairy products). You ate a sausage and the next day went to receive communion, whereas you began the Eucharistic fast even before the All-Night Vigil? This is a matter for him and the priest who admitted him to the sacrament.

“Vanity through non-fasting” is a more subtle passion. In our time, there is such a character as the tax collector, who is proud that he is not a Pharisee. And here another trend arises: he doesn’t eat vegetable oil - but at home I make a hundred prostrations before bed! He doesn’t drink any alcohol - but I repent every weekend!

Therefore, I would like to repeat the call of educators to kindergarten: “Look at your plate!”

And in general, talk less about food. No matter how much this simple truth sets one's teeth on edge, Lent is only to the smallest extent - a change in diet.

Vegetarians never eat animal food - this neither brings them closer to God nor removes them, exactly in accordance with the words of the apostle.

Continuation famous quote: “but by every word of God” - ideally suits the Lenten period, when special attention is paid to reading the Bible - the word of God.

Behind Lent It is customary to read the entire Gospel. Also during this period, the Old Testament is read daily in churches.

It would be good to combine a decrease in interest in the contents of other people's plates with an increase in attention to others in general.

Focusing on your own spiritual state should not turn into indifference to others. Fasting should benefit the cultivation of both virtues: love for God and love for neighbors.

He called for spending the money saved on the Lenten meal to help the poor. After having lunch in the canteen for a few days without a cutlet, you can buy gloves for a freezing beggar or an educational game in an orphanage.

During fasting, it is not at all necessary to interrupt communication with people who may need it - a pregnant friend, a sick neighbor, a lonely relative. A conversation with them over a cup of tea is not entertainment, but helping your neighbor.

A kind attitude towards our neighbors sometimes turns into the most unpleasant side for us: people-pleasing. In fact, as a rule, there is no good attitude here - there is one’s own weakness of character and dependence on the opinions of others. It is during Great Lent that this passion intensifies.

“Let's meet on Friday after work in a cafe!” - a friend suggests, and now you order a cake with her - you can’t offend!

“Come visit on Saturday evening!” - the neighbors call, and you skip the service, instead of apologizing and rescheduling the meeting for a later time or Sunday.

“Eat a piece of chicken, otherwise I’ll be offended!” - the relative is openly capricious, and here you can even hide behind respect for your elders, only this will be cunning: reluctance to enter into conflict is not always associated with love for your neighbor.

To free ourselves from the sin of man-pleasing, we can recall the advice given: we must hide our personal fasts so as not to fast for show, but church-wide fasting is standing in faith. We must not only respect our neighbors ourselves, but also strive to be respected for ourselves and our faith.

Most often, people understand polite explanations and get into the situation. And even more often it turns out that our sophisticated interpretations are far-fetched. Our friend in the coffee shop is not at all embarrassed by our empty cup of espresso, the neighbors will be glad to see you after the service, and a relative will gladly treat a fasting guest to potatoes and mushrooms.

Finally, the most important rule of Lent is to remember why this period exists.

Lent is a time of concentrated anticipation of the Light Christ's Resurrection. Active expectations: together with the Lord we will try to go through forty days of fasting, together with the Lord we will approach the tomb of Lazarus, together with the Lord we will enter Jerusalem, we will listen to Him in the Temple, we will take communion together with the Apostles at His Last Supper, we will follow Him on the Way of the Cross, with Mother of God and with Christ’s beloved Apostle John we will grieve on Golgotha...

Finally, together with the myrrh-bearers we will come to open coffin and again and again we will experience the joy: He is not here. Christ is Risen!

Starting March 11, 2019, Orthodox Christians begin their longest fast. Lent lasts 48 days, starting on Holy Monday and ending on the eve of Happy Easter on Holy Saturday.

Duration of Lent

The church established a seven-week fast in memory of how Jesus Christ spent 40 days in the desert. All this time he did not eat anything and constantly resisted the temptations of the devil. He withstood the test of loneliness and hunger, did not succumb to the temptations of the Devil, and forced him to retreat.

A believer, starting a multi-day fast, strives to cleanse his soul, fighting external and internal temptations. This behavior helps to understand what a feat the Savior accomplished, struggling with passions for 40 days. human nature, feel the burden of resisting temptation.

To the 40 days of the Fast of Christ in the desert, the Church added Holy Week, in memory of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, where the Savior took upon himself suffering and martyrdom. IN Great Week believers remember and experience the torment of Jesus, mourn on the day of his death in order to sincerely rejoice on the Bright Sunday of Christ.

Post Description

Great Lent is not only the longest, but also the strictest of all the fasts of the annual cycle. It involves a complete rejection of meat and dairy products. Fish and vegetable oil are allowed to be consumed several times in 48 days. In the last Holy Week, the rules of fasting are close to complete abstinence from food. The church presents in detail the daily diet of a fasting person at annual Orthodox calendars. Such calendars can be purchased at any church store.

To make it easier for people to endure Great Lent, it is preceded by Maslenitsa week. This is a time of festive feasts with an abundance of savory dishes. The body stores the necessary amount of animal proteins, and abstinence from meat and dairy products is much easier to tolerate.

For beginners, maintaining a multi-day fast can be very difficult. The clergy say that you should not exhaust yourself with fasting on the road, in illness or in motherhood. Nursing mothers, sick people, as well as those who are on the go need more nutrients to maintain the body, so during such periods it is not only possible, but necessary to retreat from fasting.

Those who have just set out on the path of Christianity, first of all, need to understand that the time of fasting is not only the refusal of certain foods, it is abstinence from all sin, including alcohol, intimate relationships and slander.

The holy apostles and clergy unequivocally say that the time of fasting is a time for the education of the spirit. “It’s not the sin that goes into the mouth, it’s the sin that comes out of the mouth,” says the biblical aphorism. This phrase contains deep meaning fasting. By deviating from the rules of eating Lenten food, a person does not sin in the eyes of the Lord, but when he curses and curses, offends his neighbors in word and deed, then his soul is denigrated by grave sin.

How to pray correctly during Lent?

Endure Lent for all church canons hard. Prayer helps strengthen oneself in faith. During Lent, churches hold daily services to help parishioners pray. That is why during Lent you should strive to come to church as often as possible. The clergy will prompt and guide the believer who has accepted fasting. During the service, a person not only joins in the divine chants, but has the opportunity to communicate with like-minded people and feel that he is not alone in his faith. Communication with other believers increases the desire to endure the fast to the end according to all the rules.

Lay people who are unable to attend church can pray at home on their own or with the whole family. During Lent, daily morning and evening prayers are read, to which is added the famous universal prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.

When choosing daily prayers, the fasting person must remember that on these days he only needs to ask the Lord to cleanse his soul from vices and strengthen him in faith. Petitions for love and prosperity are best left for holidays.

Prayers need to be read daily, and several times a day, especially when moments of temptation arise. Reading the Gospel helps to distract from bad thoughts. If you have children, have a Bible reading every night. By introducing a child to faith, parents themselves become one step closer to God, pleasing him with their actions.

No matter how long Lent is, it ends by Easter. Believers who were able to withstand it according to Orthodox laws, in festive night The Resurrection of the Lord receives an indescribable reward - God's Grace. May God be with you.

Prayers during Lent

The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is one of the most frequently pronounced during the Great Orthodox fasting. The prayer is read daily, except weekends and until Wednesday of Holy Week inclusive.

Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. To her, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen

Morning prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be your name yes he will come Your kingdom, Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

The time of Great Lent is a period of renewal, transformation and concentration, a school of repentance. This is the time of preparation for the meeting of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. There are many literary works dedicated to Lent. The website of the Thomas magazine has prepared a selection of books that it recommends reading on these important days for an Orthodox person.

“Great Lent. Works of Russian writers"

The period of action of the works of Russian classics presented in this collection is the period of Lent. In these texts, writers turn to the most intimate - to human souls. The motives of the gospel events, the themes of repentance and humility, the harmony of the relationship between God and man - this is exactly what is described in the book “Great Lent. Works of Russian writers."

Quote:

Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev, excerpt from the book “The Summer of the Lord”:

“Our Orthodox faith, Russian... it is, my dear, the best, the most cheerful! It eases the weak, enlightens despondency, and brings joy to the little ones. And this is the absolute truth. Even though it’s Lent for you, it’s still a relief for the soul.”

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmeman, “Great Lent”

The book by the famous preacher, Doctor of Theology, Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann is dedicated to revealing the spiritual meanings of the Great Seven Weeks of Lent and is addressed to a wide range of readers.

The author himself wrote about the intention of his book: “This brief interpretation of Great Lent is written for those increasingly numerous readers today who would like to better understand the liturgical tradition of the Church and take a more conscious part in its life.”

Quote:

“We must remember that no matter how limited our fast is, if it is a real fast, it will lead to temptations, to weakness, to doubts and to irritability. In other words, it will be a struggle in which we will probably be defeated more than once. But if our fast is, in essence, real, then here our life in Christ is revealed, a life of struggle and achievement. Faith that does not overcome doubts and temptations is rarely true faith.”

“The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete with a parallel translation into Russian and explanations of the text”

Andrew of Crete (c. 660-740) is a famous Christian preacher, theologian, and author of spiritual texts. His Great Penitential Canon is read during the first four days of Lent.

A special service is dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt, the patroness of penitent women, during the fifth week of Lent - the St. Mary's Station. The book also includes the Gospels of the Holy Passion of Christ and the Proverbs of Holy Saturday.

Observance of Lent is a voluntary act and is deeply individual. In order for laity to fast according to church regulations, it is necessary to receive the blessing of a confessor because Christians, before entering into fasting, must prepare spiritually and undergo the sacrament of confession.

Lent is the strictest and longest of all four multi-day fasts established Orthodox Church, will begin on February 19, after Forgiveness Sunday. Lent is the first of the many-day fasts of the year, the goal of which is to achieve internal qualitative changes, this is not just a refusal of modest food, but also from harmful passions and sinful thoughts.

First day of Lent 2018 prayers: a time of renunciation from worldly affairs and communication with God

During Lent, like any other, the strictest food ban is placed on meat, since it is believed that the violent death of an animal whose meat we subsequently eat leaves its mark.

The Bible says that food for people in paradise was only plant-based, and that all the animals created by God were needed by people. Based on this, the attitude towards them should have been appropriate, therefore, during the flood, everyone was saved - “a pair of every creature.”

Liturgically, Clean Monday begins on the evening of Sunday, February 18th. After Vespers, a special rite of forgiveness is performed: the rector of the church speaks a parting word before Lent, the first one bows to the parishioners and asks for their forgiveness. Next, all clergy and laity ask each other for forgiveness. This is done in order to enter Lent with a pure soul, having made peace with all neighbors.

First day of Lent 2018 prayers: Lenten prayer

Orthodox Christians go towards Christ, preparing themselves for Easter, cleansing their body and soul of that earthly thing that can prevent them from approaching the Heavenly. Fasting is not a strict diet, but a time of prayer. In itself, food restriction will not prepare us for the Great Holiday. But, if during Lent we free ourselves from past grievances, forgive our enemies as the Lord forgives us, clear our minds from bad thoughts, we will come closer to the state in which God would like to see us. This is being in love and divine grace.

You should devote more time to prayer during Lent than usual. You can read the usual morning and evening prayers or something else, for example, the Psalter, but during fasting you need to add one more to these prayers - the short and succinct prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian.

Prayer St. Ephraim Sirina is one of the most often pronounced during Lent.

The prayer that tradition attributes to one of the great teachers of spiritual life, St. Ephraim the Syrian can truly be called a Lenten prayer, since it especially stands out among all the chants and prayers of Lent.

Here is the text of this prayer:

Lord and Master of my life,

Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.

Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Your servant.

Hey, Lord, King!

Grant me to see my sins,

And don't judge my brother

For blessed art thou unto the ages of ages.

Holy Week

Events of Holy Week ( Holy Week) Orthodox Christians will remember throughout Lent. Indeed, on the first four Sunday services, Vespers is served with an akathist to the Passion of Christ (Passion). During Holy Week we remember the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. The first three days of Holy Week are the days when the last Sacraments of the Eucharist are celebrated in the current church year. On dismissal they say the words “The Lord is Coming for the Free Passion.” This is a reminder that the Lord voluntarily took on our sins and accepted suffering and death for the sake of our salvation.

The strictest fast is observed on Good Friday, the day before Holy Saturday. Good Friday is observed in strict abstinence. At the Great Saturday service, the canon of Great Saturday is read before the Shroud. This is the time before Easter Matins... Lent ends, Easter is coming!

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Lent is the longest and strictest of all. This period is aimed not only at physical, but also at spiritual cleansing. To prevent religious tradition from turning into a regular diet, pray daily to the Lord and the saints.

Lent is a preparation for Easter. During this period, believers can achieve unity with God and cleanse their souls of sins. Many people mistakenly think that during fasting they simply need to give up prohibited foods. However, without prayer requests and performing godly deeds, fasting is a common diet. Don't forget to attend church and try to devote more time to prayers than usual.

The meaning of Lent

The main meaning of Lent is not to give up meat and dairy products, but to cleanse the soul. That is why the church recommends abstaining not only from certain foods, but also from usual entertainment.

During fasting, it is recommended to spend less time in front of the TV or on the Internet. Entertainment programs and meaningless information only clog our lives. Free hours are best spent in church, where you can pray and repent of your sins.

During this period, you can rethink your life and think about your purpose. During fasting, you will be able to look into your heart and understand what you really want from life.

Take care not only of cleansing your body, but also your soul. Get rid of negative thoughts and try to let go of old grievances. Imagine that every day you have the opportunity to start life from scratch, but to do this you need to say goodbye to the past.

Morning prayer during Lent

Orthodox believers know that it is necessary to begin every morning with prayer, especially during fasting. With its help, you can create a positive attitude and protect yourself from any troubles.

“Lord God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Cleanse my soul from sins, deliver me from evil thoughts. Protect me from enemies and from their atrocities. I believe in Your generosity and kindness that You give to us. Glory to You, God. Amen!"

Evening prayer during Lent

During the period of Lent, it is recommended not only to begin, but also to end the day with a prayer appeal. This prayer It is advisable to say every evening before going to bed:

“Lord God, creator of all life on earth and the King of Heaven, forgive me for the sins I have committed during the day in word or deed. Even in a dream, I, God’s servant, do not lose faith in You. I believe that You will save me from sins and cleanse my soul. Every day I hope for Your protection. Hear my prayer, answer my requests. Amen".

Before going to bed, do not forget to pray to your Guardian Angel:

“Guardian Angel, protector of my soul and my body. If I have sinned this day, deliver me from my sins. Don't let the Lord God be angry with me. Pray for me, God’s servant (name), before the Lord God, ask him for the forgiveness of my sins and protect me from committing evil. Amen".

Prayer for forgiveness of sins

During Lent, every believer must repent for their sins - this is an important part of spiritual cleansing. Don't forget to say your prayer every day.

“I, servant of God (name), turn to You, Lord, and with all my heart I ask You to forgive my sins. Have mercy on me, Heavenly King, deliver me from mental torment and self-torture. I will turn to You, Son of God. You died for our sins and You rose again to live forever. I hope for Your help and ask you to bless me. Forever You are my Savior. Amen!"

Main prayer for Lent

Short prayer Ephraim the Syrian is the main prayer for the period of Lent. It is said on weekdays, at the end of each Lenten service. With its help, you can repent, rid your soul of sins, and also protect yourself and your loved ones from illnesses and committing evil.

“Lord God, Lord of my days. Do not allow the spirit of inaction, sadness, self-love to come to me. Grant the spirit of sanity and humility, love and patience to me, Your servant (name). Lord God, punish me for my sins, but do not punish my neighbor for them. Amen!"

Holy Week is an important period of Lent. At this time, you need to eat right, excluding prohibited foods, and the nutrition calendar will help you with this. We wish you happiness and health, and don't forget to press the buttons and

18.02.2018 06:52

Many prayers in Christianity are very difficult to remember, because they are usually read in Church Slavonic. ...