The first fast in life - especially Lent - is a golden time of neophyte, when it seems that you will move mountains. At this time, other people’s advice is perceived with skepticism, because “with me, of course, everything will be different and better.” But still.

Rule one: it's not about the food.

With the onset of Lenten time, the Internet and the airwaves are filled with detailed gastronomic instructions about what Orthodox Christians can and cannot eat from now on. These instructions are sometimes, to put it mildly, strange - several years ago, on one of the central television channels, carrot juice was included in the list of “prohibited products,” God knows why.

Adding to the excitement are the calendars, which are still actively reprinting the instructions of the monastic charter with its dry eating, and sometimes complete abstinence from food.

Looking at all this “Lenten bacchanalia,” I remember the expression of John of Damascus: “If fasting was all about food, then cows would be holy.” And as a person who at one time did not have time, but honestly tried to ruin his health by literally observing the Typikon, I would like to remind you of the rule that has recently become ubiquitous: you determine the extent of your fast in a personal conversation with your confessor or confessing priest.

And you shouldn’t come to it with a list and “piece by piece” approve the types of permitted products. The main idea here is that fasting is not a ritual of “sacred eating of potatoes,” but our sacrifice to God. And of course it should not turn into a shortcut to get to the hospital.

Fasting is designed to discipline, but at the same time be feasible. A miner cannot fast like a housewife, a student cannot fast like a pensioner with hypertension, not to mention children, pregnant women or, for example, diabetics, for whom refusal of food or certain products can be deadly.

It’s quite a good idea to “compensate” for the “admission of prohibited foods” into your menu by being more discerning in spiritual food. For example, you can read good, not necessarily even “spiritual” books that you have been putting off for so long. But TV and social networks will quite survive your absence for seven weeks.

And yet, a little more about food

On the other hand, the concessions allowed must also be reasonable. And, believe me, an adult, conditionally healthy man It is quite possible to do without animal food for seven weeks without harm to health.

Yes, the physical state changes a little, you just have to get used to it. When switching to plant-based foods, you usually want to eat more often (especially if it’s cold outside). Maybe, especially at first out of habit, your mood may change.

As a rule, such problems are easier to bear if you enter into Lent smoothly and use Maslenitsa as a “cheese week” and not a “pancake glutton week”. Leaving the fast also requires a certain moderation, but we are not talking about that yet.

A reasonable approach should also be taken by those who regularly play sports. If you are not a member of the Olympic team, then until Easter you may well refrain from breaking records - after all, there are fewer resources, and your body is not made of iron. But sports perseverance and endurance will be quite useful to you.

Lent is a time of prayer

It has been said many times that the main purpose of fasting is prayer. Actually, in order to “take” a person a little out of his usual state and direct him to prayer, all food restrictions were invented. In general, fasting is intended to become a time of self-observation, inner peace and clarity.

The prayer exercises prescribed for believers during Lent are a series of special general services and your personal prayer rule. The measure of both, again, within reasonable limits, varies.

Services

It is clear that to attend all church services by fasting, as ancient Russian peasants sometimes did (since field work in middle lane did not start at this time) modern man, especially a resident of a metropolis, cannot afford it. And yet, there are several special services that are desirable to attend.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Lent, and then on the evening of Wednesday of the fifth week (formally, at the Thursday morning service), the “Great Penitential Canon” by Andrei of Crete is read in churches. Of course, you can read it at home, and now you can even listen to it on disk. But if possible, being in church is highly desirable.

During Great Lent, and now during other fasts, the sacrament of Unction is celebrated en masse in churches, which is very consonant with the Lenten discipline. Its time and duration vary in different temples, you just need to find out about the nearest ones and choose a convenient one.

It helps a lot to end the fast with dignity and prepare for the Easter holiday by attending the services of the latter. Holy Week. Some Orthodox Christians even take vacations for these days, and in Orthodox gymnasiums they announce special holidays.

All of the above are key points that it would be good not to miss. Of course, other church services during Lent also continue (though liturgies are served a little less frequently, which in the first six weeks are held only on Wednesdays and Fridays on weekdays). And visiting them depends on your capabilities.

It is important to keep in mind that after Unction you must take communion at the first opportunity. That is, in the usual way, prepare and attend either the nearest liturgy, or the liturgy next weekend (of course, all with attending the evening service the day before).

Also, during liturgies on weekdays, the Hours may be served in full, and then the service will take longer than usual. However, this depends on the customs of a particular temple, about which it is worth asking the attendant at the candle box in advance.

Prayer Rule

Fasting is a time of prayer, and personal rules at this time should also be given a little more attention. But here again it is necessary to call on reason to help.

Remember that fasting is a race long distance. Therefore, a person who decides to read half of the Psalter every day as a feat risks giving up altogether before the end of the first week. Calculate your strengths, if necessary, consult with a priest, take into account the circumstances.

As a result, some will add something to the set of daily prayers, others will simply try to finally finish reading the morning and evening rule. This is again a matter of conscience, personal strength, time and patience. The main thing is that prayer, in principle, does not leave the focus of your attention.

About neighbors

Communication with others requires special comments.

We all live among people. These are both family members and our colleagues. And it is precisely during fasting that situations often arise in the style of “I would be a righteous person, but my neighbors are so in the way!” But, in the end, it is the person who is standing in front of you now that some Fathers called the main person in your life.

Therefore, fasting is the time to make peace or improve relationships. And, of course, this is not the time to stir up conflicts (although sometimes you really want to, out of hunger).

In addition, during Lent we have several civil holidays, sometimes accompanied by collective feasts. And here we again call on reason to help.

It is clear that it is better for Orthodox Christians not to go out at a rollicking corporate party. But it is possible to sit for a while with colleagues at the table with a bottle of champagne and a couple of salads, thereby demonstrating that Orthodox Christians are not gloomy hermits, but quite peaceful people. (Small life advice: Bring a bunch of bananas to the table. Otherwise, the “champagne + pickled cucumber” set is provided to you).

***

We hope that all of the above will at least a little help you safely cross the vast sea of ​​Lent (or, as usually happens, by the end of it again state that “didn’t have time, “didn’t do”, “didn’t read”, “didn’t”) and meet with dignity Easter holiday.

And quietly whisper: “Christ is Risen!”

Great Lent is a time of repentance and preparation for the celebration of the main Christian holiday - Easter. Christ's Resurrection. The peculiarities of Lenten time in the Church are expressed primarily in the liturgical tradition. Lenten services help us focus on our repentance and remind us of the events that preceded the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the material “Thomas” we have collected those services that are performed only during Great Lent, or are associated with holidays falling during Great Lent.

Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness

18th of Febuary

On the evening of Forgiveness Sunday, on the eve of the first day of Lent, a divine service is served, during which clergy and laity ask each other for forgiveness.

The Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete:

February 19- February 22, March 21

The oldest and longest canon, written by St. Andrew of Crete in the 7th century. In the first week of Lent, the canon is read in parts from Monday to Thursday at Great Compline. The canon is read in full on the 5th week of Lent on Wednesday (St. Mary's Station).

Station of Mary of Egypt, March 21

5th week of Lent. At Thursday morning (Wednesday evening) the life of Mary of Egypt and the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete are read in its entirety.

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

A divine service during which the faithful are offered for communion the Holy Gifts, previously consecrated at the full liturgy (Presanctified). It is performed during Lent on weekdays.

In February: 21st, 23rd, 28th

In March:2, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 30th

In April: 2, 3, 4

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

The rite of the liturgy of the Byzantine rite, compiled by St. Basil the Great.

It is served 10 times a year, 7 of which are during Lent.

In February: 25th

In March:4th, 11th, 18th, 25th

In April: 5th, 7th

Passion

Evening service with akathist to the Passion of Christ (suffering). As a rule, 4 Sundays of Great Lent are served in a row.

Prayer singing to the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, February 23

A prayer service is performed on the day before the feast day of St. Theodore Tyrone after the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, then a prayer is read over koliv (boiled wheat with honey). On the holiday itself (February 24) the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Memorial services for parents Saturdays: March 3, 10, 17

The day before, at the all-night vigil, parastas is served - the continuation of the Great Requiem for all deceased Orthodox Christians. In the morning, the funeral Divine Liturgy is celebrated, after which a general memorial service is served.

Rite of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, February 25

First Sunday of Lent. After the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, a special rite of the Triumph of Orthodoxy is served.

Worship of the Week of the Cross, March 11

On the eve of the third Sunday (March 10, Saturday), at the all-night vigil, the cross is solemnly brought out for veneration.

Akathist to the Blessed Virgin Mary, March 23

In honor of the holiday of Praise Holy Mother of God(March 24, Saturday) on Friday evening an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is sung. On the holiday itself, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Palm Sunday service, April 1

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. All-night vigil the night before and liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The night before at the all-night vigil and in the morning after the liturgy, the willow branches are consecrated.

Holy Thursday services, April 5

Remembrance of the Last Supper and the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ.

In the morning Vespers is served with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and reserve Gifts are being prepared for the communion of the sick. At its end, during the bishop's service, the rite of Washing the Feet is performed.

In the evening Matins is served with the reading of 12 passages from the Gospels dedicated to the Passion (suffering) of the Lord. There is an old Russian custom of bringing home burning candles from this service.

Good Friday services, April 6

In the morning the sequence of the hours of Great Heel with the pictorial ones is performed, the liturgy is not served.

Afternoon- Vespers with the removal of the shroud; at the end of the service the canon “Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos” is sung.

In the evening On Friday or Saturday night, Matins is served with the rite of the Burial of the Shroud of the Savior.

Service of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, April 7

Usually, on the Feast of the Annunciation, the All-Night Vigil is served the night before, and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served in the morning.

In 2018, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincides with Holy Saturday. Therefore, there is no All-Night Vigil the day before. In the morning, Vespers is served, which turns into the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

Holy Saturday services, April 7

The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which connects with Vespers. 15 proverbs are read (selected fragments Old Testament), which contain prototypes and prophecies about the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. After the liturgy - the consecration of Easter dishes.

The evening before Easter service The Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church.

Every day, except Saturdays and Sundays, at all services of the daily cycle the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read:

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.

Services during Lent

The first fast in life - especially the Great Lent - is a golden time of neophyte, when it seems that you will move mountains. At this time, other people’s advice is perceived with skepticism, because “for me, of course, everything will be different and better.” But still.

Rule one: it's not about the food.

With the onset of Lenten time, the Internet and the airwaves are filled with detailed gastronomic instructions about what Orthodox Christians can and cannot eat from now on. These instructions are sometimes, to put it mildly, strange - several years ago, on one of the central television channels, carrot juice was included in the list of “prohibited products,” God knows why.

Adding to the excitement are the calendars, which are still actively reprinting the instructions of the monastic charter with its dry eating, and sometimes complete abstinence from food.

Looking at all this “Lenten bacchanalia,” I remember the expression of John of Damascus: “If fasting was all about food, then cows would be holy.” And as a person who at one time did not have time, but honestly tried to ruin his health by literally observing the Typikon, I would like to remind you of the rule that has recently become ubiquitous: you determine the extent of your fast in a personal conversation with your confessor or confessing priest.

And you shouldn’t come to it with a list and “piece by piece” approve the types of permitted products. The main idea here is that fasting is not a ritual of “sacred eating of potatoes,” but our sacrifice to God. And of course it should not turn into a shortcut to get to the hospital.

Fasting is designed to discipline, but at the same time be feasible. A miner cannot fast like a housewife, a student cannot fast like a pensioner with hypertension, not to mention children, pregnant women or, for example, diabetics, for whom refusal of food or certain products can be deadly.

It’s quite a good idea to “compensate” for the “admission of prohibited foods” into your menu by being more discerning in spiritual food. For example, you can read good, not necessarily even “spiritual” books that you have been putting off for so long. But TV and social networks will quite survive your absence for seven weeks.

And yet, a little more about food

On the other hand, the concessions allowed must also be reasonable. And, believe me, an adult, relatively healthy person can do without animal food for seven weeks without harming his health.

Yes, the physical state changes a little, you just have to get used to it. When switching to plant-based foods, you usually want to eat more often (especially if it’s cold outside). Maybe, especially at first out of habit, your mood may change.

As a rule, such problems are easier to bear if you enter into Lent smoothly and use Maslenitsa as a “cheese week” and not a “pancake glutton week”. Leaving the fast also requires a certain moderation, but we are not talking about that yet.

A reasonable approach should also be taken by those who regularly play sports. If you are not a member of the Olympic team, then until Easter you may well refrain from breaking records - after all, there are fewer resources, and your body is not made of iron. But sports perseverance and endurance will be quite useful to you.

Lent is a time of prayer

It has been said many times that the main purpose of fasting is prayer. Actually, in order to “take” a person a little out of his usual state and direct him to prayer, all food restrictions were invented. In general, fasting is intended to become a time of self-observation, inner peace and clarity.

The prayer exercises prescribed for believers during Lent are a series of special general services and your personal prayer rule. The measure of both, again, within reasonable limits, varies.

Services

It is clear that a modern person, especially a resident of a metropolis, cannot afford to attend all church services by fasting, as ancient Russian peasants sometimes did (since field work in the middle zone had not yet begun at that time). And yet, there are several special services that are desirable to attend.

On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Lent, and then on the evening of Wednesday of the fifth week (formally - at the Thursday morning service) the “Great Penitential Canon” by Andrei of Crete is read in churches. Of course, you can read it at home, and now you can even listen to it on disk. But if possible, being in church is very desirable.

During Great Lent, and now during other fasts, the sacrament of Unction is celebrated en masse in churches, which is very consonant with the Lenten discipline. Its time and duration vary in different temples, you just need to find out about the nearest ones and choose a convenient one.

It is very helpful to end the fast with dignity and prepare for the Easter holiday by attending the services of the last Holy Week. Some Orthodox Christians even take vacations for these days, and in Orthodox gymnasiums they announce special holidays.

All of the above are key points that it would be good not to miss. Of course, other church services during Lent also continue (though liturgies are served a little less frequently, which in the first six weeks are held only on Wednesdays and Fridays on weekdays). And visiting them depends on your capabilities.

It is important to keep in mind that after Unction you must take communion at the first opportunity. That is, in the usual way, prepare and attend either the nearest liturgy, or the liturgy next weekend (of course, all with attending the evening service the day before).

Also, during liturgies on weekdays, the Hours may be served in full, and then the service will take longer than usual. However, this depends on the customs of a particular temple, about which it is worth asking the attendant at the candle box in advance.

Prayer Rule

Fasting is a time of prayer, and personal rules at this time should also be given a little more attention. But here again it is necessary to call upon reason to help.

Remember that fasting is a long distance race. Therefore, a person who decides to read half of the Psalter every day as a feat risks giving up altogether before the end of the first week. Calculate your strengths, if necessary, consult with a priest, take into account the circumstances.

As a result, some will add something to the set of daily prayers, others will simply try to finally read the morning and evening rules to the end. This is again a matter of conscience, personal strength, time and patience. The main thing is that prayer, in principle, does not leave the focus of your attention.

About neighbors

Communication with others requires special comments.

We all live among people. These are both family members and our colleagues. And it is precisely during fasting that situations often arise in the style of “I would be a righteous man, but my neighbors are so in the way!” But, in the end, it is the person who is standing in front of you now that some Fathers called the main person in your life.

Therefore, fasting is the time to make peace or improve relationships. And, of course, this is not the time to stir up conflicts (although sometimes you really want to, out of hunger).

In addition, during Lent we have several civil holidays, sometimes accompanied by collective feasts. And here we again call on reason to help.

It is clear that it is better for Orthodox Christians not to go out at a rollicking corporate party. But it is possible to sit for a while with colleagues at the table with a bottle of champagne and a couple of salads, thereby demonstrating that Orthodox Christians are not gloomy hermits, but quite peaceful people. (A little life advice: bring a bunch of bananas to the table. Otherwise, the “champagne + pickles” set is guaranteed for you).

***

We hope that all of the above will at least a little help you safely cross the vast sea of ​​Lent (or, as usually happens, by the end of it again state that “didn’t have time, “didn’t do”, “didn’t read”, “didn’t”) and meet with dignity Easter holiday.

And quietly whisper: “Christ is Risen!”

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Maria Sergeevna Krasovitskaya is a senior lecturer in the department of liturgical theology at St. Tikhon's Orthodox University, author of a course of lectures on liturgics.

Each liturgical day is an indissoluble unity of the service of time and how, what and at what time the liturgy is performed on this day, how on this day the sacrament of the Eucharist is revealed to us. If during the period of the singing of the Octoechos there is not much diversity, then during the period of the singing of the Triodion the variety of forms of the appearance of the Eucharist among the services increases church day. This is what we will talk about.

So, the Eucharist during the days of Lent. Let us emphasize that the main limitation of fasting is not restrictions on food, its quantity and quality, restrictions on entertainment, restrictions on free time (which is mostly devoted to prayer), the greatest severity is the restriction on the celebration of the Eucharist. It is important for us here not just to understand the established order, but to feel the taste of Lenten worship as keenly as we know the taste white bread or the taste of black; we must know this deeper than just with our minds. When you delve into the meaning of the regulations of the Charter, the service takes on completely new colors: when you come to church on Bright Week, when the liturgy is celebrated every day, you understand what we are deprived of by fasting and what Easter brings us.

So, in fasting according to the rules of St. Fathers, rules Ecumenical Councils It is prohibited to celebrate the full liturgy on weekdays. Back in the 4th century, rule 49 of the Council of Laodicea decreed “not to celebrate the full Divine Liturgy on the days of the Holy Pentecost, except Saturdays and Sundays.” On the weekdays of Great Lent, what we call the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated. The first mention of this liturgy dates back to the end of the 6th - beginning of the 7th century. There is reason to believe that it originated (of course, not in its current form) in Antioch at the end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century. And in the middle of the 6th century it was accepted by Constantinople, from where it spread throughout the Church Universe.

For the prayers of thanksgiving read after the Presanctification, the troparion and kontakion of St. Gregory Dvoeslov, Pope (VI century). Now in the church consciousness the liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is associated precisely with his name; St. Gregory is commemorated at the dismissal of this liturgy. Certainly, but he is not the author of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts; but it was he who introduced its celebration in the Roman Church (now Roman Catholics perform Presanctification only once a year - on Good Friday). St. Gregory streamlined this order, perhaps adding something (what exactly is unknown). Therefore, it is not in vain that he is remembered at this liturgy.

A little about Grigory Dvoeslov. He is called two-worded (from the Greek διαλογος) as the author of dialogues about the life of the Italian fathers. Dialogue is a conversation between at least two people, which is why it is called Double-talk. He was the Pope of Rome and apparently worked on streamlining church chants. Just as the system of osmoglasiya is associated with the name of John of Damascus in the Eastern Church, so in the West the famous Gregorian chant is associated with the name of Gregory Dvoeslov. Of course, he was not the only one who composed all the monuments of this layer of musical culture, but the culture itself is associated with his name, with his time, with his works. It must be said that Gregorian chant stands out very much from the entire Western musical culture. It is extraordinarily beautiful, and having heard it, one cannot help but feel its deep unity with the unison singing of the Eastern Church.

Gregory the Dvoeslov was canonized quite late, and in our Typikon he is not mentioned at all, but in the Chetyi-Minaia under March 12 there is his life, and it is presented first, and the saint corresponding to this number in the Typikon is mentioned second. March 12 is the day of the death of Gregory Dvoeslov, and there is a service for him in the Menaion. Now a completely unique situation has arisen: on the day of memory of Gregory Dvoeslov, the Presanctified Liturgy is not celebrated. In the Solovetsky calendar, Presanctification is indicated for this day, but in Moscow, in those parishes where I have been, Presanctification was not performed on this day. This is our church reality. But if this issue arises for the church people, then it can also arise for the hierarchy and somehow be resolved. On Mount Athos they must serve the Presanctified One on this day, and if the memory of St. Gregory falls on Saturday or Sunday, then his service is moved to one of the weekdays for the sake of the Presanctified.

The Trullo Council, with its 52nd rule, formulates the order of performing the Presanctified Liturgy during the days of Great Lent differently. It says this: “On all days of Holy Pentecost, except Saturdays and weeks, and the holy day of the Annunciation (previously, even on the Annunciation, which fell on a weekday, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served), let the holy liturgy be none other than the Presanctified Gifts.” This means that on the weekdays of Great Lent only an incomplete liturgy can be celebrated, only the Presanctified Gifts, and on Saturday and Sunday - the full liturgy. A contrast arises between the complete liturgy and the incomplete one. Sometimes we do not feel keenly enough the difference between the complete liturgy (for example, St. John Chrysostom) and the incomplete liturgy, Presanctified, because we can come to confess and receive communion in both cases. It is necessary not only with the mind, but also with the whole being to feel the difference between what is happening at one and another liturgy.

Now there are two rites of the full liturgy - Basil the Great and John Chrysostom (the liturgy of the Apostle James in Russia is celebrated on very rare occasions and, it seems, only in the St. Petersburg Academy; in Greece, on the contrary, in memory of the Apostle James it is served in almost all churches ). These are liturgies at which the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated. The main thing that binds the members of the Church is their common cause - the Divine Liturgy ( Greek wordλειτουργια means “common cause”); on it the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed - the preparation, offering, transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord and the communion of believers with the Holy Gifts.

The presanctified liturgy is, in fact, an vespers service, during which the faithful partake of the Holy Gifts consecrated in advance. We can offer the following comparison: for example, a priest comes to a sick person’s home to give him Holy Communion with spare Holy Gifts. In this case, the Translation of the Gifts took place during the liturgy in the church, and they receive communion after the end of the service, after some period of time. Here we must be very careful in terms: it cannot be said that the sacrament of the Eucharist is not celebrated at the Presanctified Liturgy. After all, if we partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ behind the Presanctified One, then we also participate in the Eucharist; It’s just that the sacrament turned out to be extended in time: the Transmission of the Gifts took place in a week, and we receive communion on one of the weekdays of the week. The sick person to whom the priest came receives communion as best he can, and during the weekdays of Great Lent we participate in the Eucharist in the manner permitted by the Charter.

According to the Jerusalem Rule, Presanctification is performed on Wednesday and Friday, and on other days - during the Polyeleos feast. According to the Studio Charter, the Presanctified Liturgy was celebrated on all five weekdays (this remnant of the Studio Charter was preserved in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra until its closure), and this is important to know, because you and I perceive the Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday and Friday as something special, something out of the ordinary, but in fact on any weekday St. During Pentecost, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is possible. It is performed on such days in certain cases, which will be discussed below. And therefore, the Presanctified One must be felt as something normal for a weekday, but the full liturgy on a weekday can be performed by fasting only on the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. Celebrating the Presanctified Liturgy and communion with the spare Holy Gifts will not break fasting as abstinence from the daily full liturgy. Here I refer you to the work of Fr. Alexander Schmemann ““, in which he vividly and clearly speaks about the two meanings of communion in a person’s life and the two meanings of fasting.

So, the full liturgy in fasting is performed only on week and Saturday, as well as on the feast of the Annunciation, no matter what day of the week it falls on. On Wednesday and Friday of each week of Great Lent, as well as on Thursday of the fifth week, on the day of the Finding of the Head of John the Baptist, on the day of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste and the temple saint, if they fall on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated on these days. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is also celebrated on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week.

The celebration of the Presanctification in the days of commemoration of the Finding of the Head of John the Baptist and the Forty Martyrs gives us a model (and the Typikon is a book of models) for the polyeleos service of other saints, new ones, or other celebrations. So, for example, in some churches they appoint the Presanctified One on the day Sovereign icons Mother of God, and in general, the appointment of an additional Presanctified Liturgy is a possible thing that does not contradict the Charter. With us this is done timidly, cautiously and rarely, and this is right: in church life one must be careful. But still, history testifies that the Presanctified Liturgy can be celebrated on all five weekdays, and not just on Wednesday and Friday.

Let us move on to a more specific consideration of the observance of the Presanctified Liturgy. To do this, it is necessary to begin with the service that precedes it, and here there is a difficulty: in our parishes, Vespers is served in the morning, and Matins, as a rule, in the evening. We try to talk first of all about the Charter, and only then about its violations. Let's take heels (Friday) as an example; On this day it is necessary to celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. What services precede it?

In the parishes on Thursday morning the rite of fine rites and vespers were performed. This Vespers already refers to Friday, and according to the Rule it should be performed, although not in the evening, but still somewhere in the middle of the day. But we cannot gather for church in the middle of the day, so we do it in the morning. So the liturgical day of Friday began a long time ago: on Thursday morning we performed fine vespers and vespers, and this vespers already applies to Friday. Then Compline follows in the church circle, which is very rarely celebrated in parishes. In some churches on Thursday evening they serve Great Compline, Matins (of course, Lenten) and the first hour, and in some only Matins and the first hour. According to the Rule, Matins should be in the morning, and between Compline and Matins, of course, there should be a Midnight Office, but in parishes all this is reduced. Matins, of course, should be in the morning, but in most churches we attend it in the evening. And, finally, Friday itself, when in the morning the third, sixth and ninth hours are celebrated in churches, the rite of fine rites and vespers, at which the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served.

There is a special order of services, notable for the fact that the rite of representation is performed. This rite is performed in two cases: when there is no liturgy on this day at all and when the liturgy is served at Vespers or after Vespers. Let's consider the first case, when there is no liturgy. It may not exist for two reasons: due to church needs, when there is no bread and wine (for example, in the monastery of St. Sergius there were such cases) or there is no priest, and when the liturgy is not prescribed according to the Charter. For example, in our time during Lent on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays, the liturgy is not celebrated, and then the rite of representation is performed, which seems to depict the liturgy (hence its name). Its initial part contains chants familiar to everyone: Bless the Lord, my soul; Praise, my soul. Lord, In the Kingdom(Lenten pictorial paintings begin immediately with In Your Kingdom).

In the second case, the rite of representation is performed when the liturgy is scheduled for Vespers. It must be said that the Charter is synthetic knowledge, not analytical. In fact, one cannot say a word about the Charter without knowing the entire context of this word. Therefore, when we talk about Church Day Services at the beginning of the course, we need to know much of what we will talk about at the end of the course. We whole year We’re talking about different things, but we’re talking about the same thing. The most important question is a combination of the Eucharist and the services of the church day. And one more question that is very important in the course of the Charter is the peculiarities of the position of Vespers among the services of the daytime circle. Vespers occupies a very special place; it stands on the border of two days. The very name of Vespers is associated with evening, with the passing of the astronomical day; its liturgical theme is the expectation of the Messiah, and the pinnacle of the service is the New Testament text “Now you have let go of Your servant, O Master...”, which was pronounced at the moment of the meeting of the Old and New Testaments, when the aspirations of Israel were fulfilled, the Savior of the world came and the Old Testament righteous man recognized Him. This topic itself is certainly related to sunset: sunset of the day, sunset, sunset ancient world, the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The whole service has a kind of final, outgoing character; it can be very festive, but, compared to Matins, it has a different connotation - something ends, something ends, something goes away. And it is, of course, connected with the passing day, although according to the Rule, Vespers begins a new liturgical day. We say that Sunday service begins on Saturday evening, Thursday service begins on Wednesday at Vespers. And Vespers finds itself on the border of two days: it ends the outgoing day and begins a new liturgical day.

School liturgics divides Vespers as follows: until Vouchsafe, Lord Vespers refers to the passing day, and after Vouchsafe, Lord- to the upcoming one. This is both right and wrong, because before Lord grant already sang stichera on Lord, I cried, which talk about the theme of the coming day. And at the same time after Lord grant The theme of the evening, the theme of the passing of the day does not disappear, it remains. But still, such a division is justified: as we remember, on Forgiveness Sunday at Vespers it is at Vouchsafe, Lord a turning point occurs - the transition from non-lenten services to lenten ones. And the point is not to cut Vespers, like a loaf of bread, into two parts, but to feel this tension inside it, the tension of the connection between two days. On the evening of a great holiday (for example, the first day of Easter), the great prokeimenon is proclaimed: “Who is a great God, as is our God...” The great prokeimenon is proclaimed not for the sake of Bright Monday, but for the sake of the outgoing first day of Easter, although formally this vespers begins the next day; Meanwhile, something connects her with the passing day.

The celebration of the Presanctified Liturgy at Vespers, and in general the celebration of the Liturgy at Vespers, most clearly shows that Vespers is connected with two days and refers to two days. IN Holy Saturday The liturgy is celebrated at Vespers, and this is not the liturgy of the first day of Easter, but of Great Saturday, because Vespers ends the outgoing day. After Vespers, the Liturgy is celebrated at special days year: on Holy Saturday, on Maundy Thursday, in and Epiphany Christmas Eve. Also, if the Annunciation falls on a weekday of Pentecost, then the full liturgy is also celebrated at Vespers. The Presanctified Liturgy is always celebrated at Vespers. What does it mean?

In reality, you and I feel that the service is a little longer than just the full liturgy. In fact, we should feel this more acutely and strongly, because Vespers on these days should be performed in the afternoon (at 3-4 pm). And therefore, all day long you and I remain in perfect fasting - after all, in order to participate in the Eucharist, you must not eat anything (in liturgical language this is called perfect fasting, in contrast to ascetic fasting, when you cannot eat certain types of food). At 3-4 o'clock in the afternoon, the ninth hour begins, fine, vespers and liturgy; Thus, the communion will be closer to the evening. The appointment of the liturgy at Vespers is not a formality, but an order, a complete deep meaning: it highlights certain days of the year that the children of the church must spend in perfect fasting, in tense anticipation of the liturgy and the Communion of the Holy Mysteries. These days bear a very special stamp, and you and I, although we do not fast until the evening, should know this. Now in many Orthodox Churches in Western countries, the Presanctified Liturgy is celebrated in the evening, as required by the Charter. It should be noted that in this case, those who work during the day can come to work. After all, a person who works five days a week may sometimes never attend a single presanctified church during the entire Lent. Holy Synod The Moscow Patriarchate in 1968 issued the following determination:

To bless in the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the evening where the ruling bishop deems it useful.

When celebrating the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the evening hours, abstinence for communicants from eating and drinking must be at least six hours; however, abstinence before communion from midnight from the beginning of the given day is very commendable, and those who have physical strength can adhere to it.

"Liturgics: A Course of Lectures." M.S. Krasovitskaya. M., 1999. 2004 2

Unfortunately, for most people, Lent is associated only with some bodily restrictions on food. Those who are a little more “advanced” in Orthodoxy will also remember abstaining from idleness and entertainment, gossip and condemnation. All this is true. But the essence and significance of the post is by no means limited to this. It is not for nothing that the Holy Fathers called this period, favorable for man, “spiritual spring.” It is impossible to understand this without experiencing the beauty and significance of fasting services. In the article we will dwell only on some of its features, giving rise to an independent, deeper acquaintance.

Why are services long?

The period from the first week to Friday the sixth inclusive is called holy pentecostal and lasts exactly 40 days. The seventh week is called Holy Week and stands out separately. The first fast service falls on the evening of the so-called “ Forgiveness Sunday", since the church day begins in the evening.

Church services of Lent differ primarily in their duration. Their goal is to set a person in a repentant mood, to prepare the soul for the meeting with the Risen Christ. This is achieved through intense prayer.

During the evening service of Great Lent, Great Compline is served instead of Small Compline. At Matins the usual canon to the saint is replaced three-songs - special canons consisting of three songs. In addition, special readings are made Lenten hours . At Vespers they also sound proverbs (excerpts from the Old Testament).

Particular attention is paid to reading the Psalter during Lent. This applies to both home and church prayer. During a week in the temple, the entire book is now read twice instead of once.

Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian

During Lent, we often hear the following prayer in church:

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.

The words of this prayer belong to the holy ascetic desert of the 4th century - Rev. Ephraim Sirina. It is read on days of fasting not only in church, but also at home along with morning and evening rule. In this case, the recitation of the prayer is accompanied by a large number of bows.

It should be said that the abundance of bows is one of the main features of the services of this fast. Prostrations are made by believers not only during the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, but also at other moments of the services. This rule does not apply only to Saturday and Sunday services.

The penitential canon of Andrei Kritsky

From Monday to Thursday of the first week of Holy Pentecost, a special service is performed in the evenings with the reading of the Penitential Canon. This is one of the most outstanding works of church hymnography, written by St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete. In general church use, the canon was already known in the 10th century.

Why was this work called Great? This name is due not only to its large size (the canon is divided into four full parts), but also to the abundance of thoughts, comparisons and allusions from the Old and New Testaments.

The general mood of creation reflects the state of the soul, which bitterly mourns its sins. The same repentant mood is conveyed by the repeated refrain: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me. On Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent, at Matins, the canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in its entirety at one time.

This service was called "Mary's Standing" in honor of the memory of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, which takes place this week. At the same time, the life of the holy ascetic, who spent forty years in the desert, is read in the temple. This service is the longest of all church services and lasts approximately five hours.

Specifics of Lenten Liturgies

Another of the main features of Lenten services is that full Liturgies are not served in the church on weekdays. The only exception is for the Feast of the Annunciation, if it falls during the week. What is the reason for this specificity?

The fact is that Lent implies some limitation of a person in things that are joyful and pleasant for him. And this applies not only to physical oppression, but also to mental oppression. Of course, the main spiritual joy for a Christian is the Eucharist (communion), celebrated during the Divine Liturgy.

The full Liturgy is not celebrated so that we can re-evaluate this gift of God to man and have time to “hungry” for it. However, even here a small concession was made for the believers. Another feature of fasting services is that on Wednesdays and Fridays, instead of the full service, .

Already from the name you can understand that people can partake of the pre-consecrated saints of the Body and Blood of Christ, which are usually prepared on Sunday. Such a Liturgy is never served again in the year.

Liturgies are celebrated in full rite on weekends. Moreover, on Sundays of Lent, except Palm Sunday, it is served Liturgy of Basil the Great. It takes place only ten times a year. It differs from the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in the more extensive and deeper content of the secret prayers of the Eucharist, read by priests at the altar.

Lent memorial services

Three Saturdays of Lent in a row, starting with the second, are called parents' memorial Saturdays. On these days, the funeral Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and the Great Requiem Service are served. On the eve of Friday, a parastas is performed (funeral evening service with the reading of the 17th kathisma).

These are days of special remembrance of the dead. Such services are motivated by the fact that on weekdays of Lent there is no church commemoration of the departed, since the full Divine Liturgy is not celebrated. In order not to deprive our families of the Church’s prayers for them these days, parental memorial Saturdays were established.

Sunday passions

On the days of the Holy Pentecost, another exceptional divine service is celebrated - Passion. It is served on four Sundays, from the second to the fifth, during the days of fasting. Passion came to us from the same place where the black vestments of the priesthood came from - from the West. From Latin "passion" translated as "suffering" .

This service is not in the church charter, so its content may vary in different churches. The following of passion has reached us in the form in which it was compiled in mid-17th century Metropolitan Peter (Mogila). In fact, this service is the evening service of Lent on Monday. At the same time, an akathist to the Cross or Passion of the Lord is served.

The obligatory part is reading a passage from one of the Gospels about the Passion of Christ. Hence the number of passions in a year - according to the number of four evangelists. After the service, a sermon must be preached, for which the clergy carefully prepares.

Week of the Cross

Among other features of the services, one cannot fail to mention the third Sunday of this Lent. At the all-night vigil of this day, the Cross is brought out for worship by believers. At the same time the chant is sung:

We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy resurrection.

The end of the third week marks the middle of Lent; half the journey has been completed. The cross is brought out to believers to strengthen the strength of those fasting, so that it is easier to go the rest of the way. Moreover, this tradition has its roots in Byzantium.

As you know, previously baptism was accepted there exclusively on Holy Saturday, before Easter. To strengthen the strength of the catechumens (preparing for baptism), the Cross was carried out in the middle of Lent. He remains in the temple until Friday, which is why the fourth week is also called "cross-worshipping".

"Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

Completely separate from all services is the so-called "Saturday Akathist", or "Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary". It takes place on the fifth week of Holy Pentecost. At Matins, an akathist to the Mother of God is read "Rejoice, Bride Bride" .

This is the first and only akathist established by the Church Charter. It was written in honor of the protection of Constantinople by the Most Holy Theotokos from the invasion of foreigners in 626. To perform the service, the priests on this day go to the middle of the temple. The Akathist is read in parts, four times. After each part, a kontakion (short chant) is sung. "To the Chosen Voivode" and the temple is censed.

In its atypical festivity for Lent, “Saturday of the Akathist” is similar to the Annunciation. And only in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos are two such great exceptions made during Great Lent.

As you can see, guard services have a huge meaning and diversity. On the last one, Holy Week they are even more spiritually saturated. This should be discussed separately. However, it makes sense, if possible, not to miss any of the most important services during Lent, because they will not be repeated this year.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

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