The time of the beginning of the liturgy. First Steps in the Orthodox Church: Twelve Things You Need to Know


Public worship or, as the people say, church services- this is the main thing for which our temples are intended. Every day, the Orthodox Church celebrates evening, morning and afternoon services in churches. Each of these divine services consists, in turn, of three types of divine services, collectively united in a daily circle of divine services:

evening - from the 9th hour, Vespers and Compline;

morning - from Midnight Office, Matins and the 1st hour;

daytime - from the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and Divine Liturgy.

Thus, the entire daily circle consists of nine services.

In Orthodox worship, much is borrowed from the worship of the Old Testament times. For example, the beginning of a new day is considered not midnight, but six o'clock in the evening. That is why the first service of the daily cycle is Vespers.

At Vespers, the Church remembers the main events sacred history Old Testament: about the creation of the world by God, the fall of the forefathers, about the Mosaic legislation and the ministry of the prophets. Christians give thanks to the Lord for the day they have lived.

After Vespers, according to the Church Rule, it is necessary to serve Compline. In a certain sense, these are public prayers for the future, at which the descent of Christ into hell and the liberation of the righteous from the power of the devil are remembered.

At midnight, it is supposed to perform the third service of the daily circle - the Midnight Office. This service was established to remind Christians of the Second Coming of the Savior and the Last Judgment.

Before sunrise, Matins is served - one of the longest services. It is dedicated to the events of the Savior's earthly life and contains many prayers of repentance and thanksgiving.

About seven o'clock in the morning they make the 1st hour. This is the name of a short service at which the Orthodox Church recalls the stay of Jesus Christ at the trial of the high priest Caiaphas.

The 3rd hour (nine o'clock in the morning) is served in remembrance of the events that took place in the Zion room, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and in Pilate's praetorium, where the Savior was sentenced to death.

The 6th hour (noon) is the time of the crucifixion of the Lord, and the 9th hour (three o'clock in the afternoon) is the time of His death on the cross. These events are dedicated to the above services.

The main worship Orthodox Church, a kind of center of the daily circle, is the Divine Liturgy. Unlike other services, the liturgy provides an opportunity not only to remember God, the entire earthly life of the Savior, but also to really unite with Him in the sacrament of Communion, established by the Lord Himself during the Last Supper. In terms of time, the liturgy should be performed between the 6th and 9th hours, before noon, in the pre-dinner time, which is why it is also called Mass.

Modern liturgical practice has brought its own changes to the prescriptions of the Charter. So in parish churches, Compline is celebrated only during Great Lent, and Midnight Office - once a year, on the eve of Easter. The 9th hour is also served extremely rarely. The remaining six services of the daily cycle are combined into two groups of three services.

In the evening, Vespers, Matins, and the 1st hour are performed one after another. On the eve of Sundays and holidays, these services are combined into one service, called the All-Night Vigil. In ancient times, Christians did often pray until dawn, that is, they stayed awake throughout the night. Modern all-night vigils last two to four hours in parishes and three to six hours in monasteries.

In the morning, the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and the Divine Liturgy are served in succession. In churches with a large parish on Sundays and holidays, there are two liturgies - early and late. Both are preceded by reading hours.

On those days when the liturgy is not supposed to (for example, on Friday Holy Week), a brief succession of pictorial ones takes place. This divine service consists of some chants of the liturgy and, as it were, “depicts” it. But the fine arts do not have the status of an independent service.

Divine services also include the performance of all the sacraments, rites, the reading of akathists in the temple, communal readings of morning and evening prayers, ruled for Holy Communion.

Schedule of public worship in churches.

What time does the early morning and late morning church service begin and end?

Important: each church has its own schedule of public services! There is no general schedule for all temples!

Two liturgies, early and late, are served on large Christian holidays and Sundays in churches with large parishes.

Early service is performed at 6-7 o'clock in the morning, late - at 9-10 o'clock in the morning. In some churches, the time shifts to 7-8 in the morning for an early service and 10-11 in the morning for a late one.

The duration of public worship is 1.5-2 hours. In some cases, the duration of the morning liturgy can be 3 hours.

What time does the evening and night service in the church begin and end?

Evening public worship is served not earlier than 16:00 and not later than 18:00. Each temple has its own schedule.

The duration of the service is 2-4 hours and depends on the significance of the upcoming holiday. According to the Rule, Vespers can be daily, small and great.

The All-Daily is performed on weekdays, unless a feast with a polyeleos or a vigil falls on them.

Malaya is part of the All-Night Vigil. Great is served on major holidays and can be served separately or combined with Matins.

The world is changing, and these changes affect, among other things, the Church Charter. Night or all-night vigils rarely last three to six hours (for monasteries). In ordinary churches, the duration of the night service is 2-4 hours.

The beginning of the night service is at 17:00-18:00 depending on the parish Charter.

What time does the church service start and end today: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?

Communion and the end of the Liturgy

daily circle church services consists of nine different services. This includes:

  • Vespers - from 18:00 - the beginning of the circle,
  • Compline
  • Midnight Office - from 00:00,
  • matins,
  • 1st hour - from 7:00,
  • 3rd hour - from 9:00,
  • 6th hour - from 12:00,
  • 9th hour - from 15:00,
  • Divine Liturgy - from 6:00-9:00 to 12:00 - is not included in the daily circle of services.

Ideally, in every functioning church, these services should be performed daily, however, in practice, the daily circle is performed only in large churches, cathedrals or monasteries. In small parishes, it is impossible to ensure a constant worship in such a rhythm. Therefore, each parish determines its own pace, coordinating it with its real possibilities.

It follows from this that the exact schedule of services must be found out in the temple that you are going to visit.

Approximate times for morning and evening services are given at the beginning of the article.

What time does the Sabbath service begin and end at the church?

Having carefully read the previous part of the article, you most likely drew attention to the fact that the beginning of the liturgical day does not correspond to 00:00 (as is customary in secular life), but 18:00 (of the previous calendar day).

What does it mean?

This means that the first Saturday service begins on Friday after 6:00 pm, and the last one ends on Saturday before 6:00 pm. The most important Saturday service is the full Divine Liturgy.

As a rule, Saturday services are dedicated to venerable fathers and mothers, as well as all the saints, who are addressed with appropriate prayers. On the same day, there is also a commemoration of all the dead.

What time does the church service start and end on Sunday?

The first Sunday service begins on Saturday after 18:00, and the last one ends on Sunday before 18:00. Sunday services are filled with the theme of the Resurrection of the Lord. That is why Sunday services, especially the Divine Liturgy, are the most significant in the weekly cycle of services.

Check the exact schedule of services in the temple you are going to visit.

What time does the festive service in the church begin and end: schedule

You can find the approximate time of morning and evening services at the beginning of the article.

Each temple draws up its own schedule of public services, including festive ones. There is no general schedule for all temples!

As a rule, the Charter prescribes to serve in holidays the so-called "all-night vigil" is a particularly solemn service, which in modern interpretation has retained the division into vespers and matins.

In addition, on the days of the twelfth and other major holidays, the Liturgy is sure to take place, during which the faithful take communion.

At the same time, each festive divine service has accompanying texts and rituals peculiar to it alone, which cannot but affect the duration of the divine service.

What time does the Christmas service start and end at the church?



Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
  • 1st hour service. Time - from 7:00. The verses are read about the fulfillment of the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah.
  • 3rd hour service. Time - from 9:00. Stichera about the Incarnation are read.
  • 6th hour service. Time - from 12:00. The stichera are read with a call to meet Christ, the gospel is read.
  • 9th hour service. Time - from 15:00. Poems are read. At the end are read pictorial.
  • Depending on the day on which Christmas Eve falls, one of the evening Liturgies is performed: Basil the Great or John Chrysostom. Time: depending on the temple from 17:00.
  • Celebration of the Great Vespers of the Nativity of Christ.
  • Celebration of the All-Night Vigil of the Nativity of Christ. Time: depending on the temple - from 17:00 to 23:00.

There is no strict sequence in the conduct of the festive service. In large churches and monasteries, Christmas services (evening, the most solemn part) last 6-8 hours, in small ones - 1.5-2 hours.

Find out about the exact time of the Divine service in the temple you are going to visit.

ABOUT folk traditions Christmas celebrations can be read.

What time does the church service start and end on Epiphany Eve?

Services on Epiphany Christmas Eve are very similar to Christmas services.

On this day, the hours are read in the morning, and the Liturgy of Basil the Great is performed in the evening. After the Liturgy, as a rule, the first water blessing takes place.

Depending on the day that Baptism falls on, the order of services may differ.

On January 19, morning and evening services are served with the obligatory subsequent blessing of water.

The exact time of worship will be prompted to you directly in the temple.

What time does the festive service in the church for the Candlemas begin and end?

The Meeting completes the Christmas circle of Orthodox holidays. Date of celebration - 15 February.

After the solemn morning liturgy, a rite of consecration of water and candles is held.

Be sure to check the time of the liturgy in the temple.

What time does the festive service in the church on the Annunciation begin and end?



Congratulations on the Annunciation

The Annunciation is celebrated on April 7th. However, believers should attend the evening service on April 6. All-night vigils are held in some churches from 6 to 7 April.

On April 7, an early and/or late liturgy is served with obligatory confession and communion of the laity.

What time does the festive service in the church on Palm Sunday begin and end?

The date of the celebration of Palm Sunday depends on the date of the celebration of Easter and is determined according to the lunisolar calendar.

Festive services begin with an evening service and subsequent all-night vigils on Lazarus Saturday. Lazarus Saturday is the day before Palm Sunday. During the evening service, willow branches are necessarily consecrated.

IN Palm Sunday an early and / or late liturgy is performed, followed by the consecration of the willow.

The time of worship depends on the internal charter of the temple.

What time does the festive service in the church on Easter begin and end?

Everything depends on the internal charter of the temple. Be sure to check the time of worship!

As a rule, festive services begin on Saturday with the evening service (16:00-18:00). In some churches, after the evening service, the blessing of Easter cakes is carried out.

Then all-night vigils begin with an obligatory religious procession at 24:00.

After vigils and matins, the Divine Liturgy is served, followed by the blessing of Easter cakes. As a rule, the blessing occurs at the first rays of the sun.

Evening in Svetloye Christ's Resurrection corrected and evening service. However, Easter cakes are no longer blessed.

Beautiful Easter greetings can be found.

What time does the festive service in the church on Radonitsa begin and end?



The meaning of the holiday Radonitsa

Radonitsa is a special holiday that links the past and the future. On this day, it is customary to commemorate the deceased relatives and friends.

Radonitsa is celebrated on the ninth day after Holy Sunday.

The other day, an evening service is performed, and in the morning an early and / or late liturgy. A full memorial service is served either after the evening service, or after the morning services - it all depends on the internal charter of the temple.

In addition, the statutes of many churches prescribe Easter services for the dead in city cemeteries.

More information about Radonitsa.

What time does the festive service in the church for the Trinity begin and end?

The date of the celebration of the Trinity or Pentecost depends on the date of the Bright Resurrection.

Important: on the eve of the feast of the Trinity, the Trinity Parental Saturday is necessarily arranged, a feature of which is a special funeral service. This is a special Requiem Liturgy, after which you can and should visit the cemetery and commemorate the dead.

Evening Parental Saturday celebrated with a festive All-Night Vigil.

On Sunday, early and/or late festive liturgies are celebrated. In many churches, bouquets of twigs and medicinal herbs are consecrated.

Be sure to check the time of worship directly in the temple you want to visit!

Tips on how to talk to children about the Trinity.

Goda will help you not to miss the iconic services.

Video: How to behave in the Temple?

Christmas for a Christian is much more than a decorated tree and gifts. This day is considered the second most important after Easter, which is called the "Feast of Holidays". The Nativity of Christ is at the same time a global event that does not lose its importance despite the past centuries, and a very personal holiday for every Orthodox person. After all, Christ was born for everyone and for everyone.

Those who are well acquainted with Christianity understand that the incarnation of God on earth is a unique event that brought man closer to the creator. This holiday is filled with amazing joy and peace, but at the same time some sadness, because this baby was born for a difficult mission.

Therefore, the main thing in the celebration of Christmas is by no means a table bursting with dishes, although this is an important part of any holiday, but a Christmas service.

Many of those who come to this night service concerned about how long the Christmas Divine Liturgy lasts, what is read and sung at this service. This article is intended to answer such questions.

What is the Christmas service?

The service begins late in the evening on Christmas Eve, that is, January 6th. At 11 pm, a festive service begins, which lasts until 3-4 am. From the All-Night Vigil, the Hours and the Divine Liturgy of Basil the Great, the Christmas service is formed. The liturgy is usually served in the morning, but the festive liturgies take place at night, immediately after the All-Night Vigil and the Hours. The same happens at Easter.

The All-night Vigil includes Matins and Compline. Do not be surprised that the names of the services do not correspond to the time of day. There is a daily cycle of services in the church, but on great holidays, the morning and evening services are combined into the All-Night Vigil. Matins is celebrated according to the order of the great feasts. It sings the canon "Christ is born ..."

Actually, the liturgy does not last so long and completes the entire cycle of festive services. Most likely, people who ask the question how long the Christmas Liturgy lasts in the temple have in mind the Christmas service as a whole. After all, those who pray come all night, and not at the end.

The text of the Christmas liturgy is in many respects similar to the texts of the liturgies on ordinary days. The Christmas one is distinguished by the festive antiphons sung on it: “The Lord sends the rod of power from Zion, and rule in the midst of Your enemies. With Thee began on the day of Thy power in the lordship of Thy saints.

Communion at Christmas

It is celebrated at the Christmas Liturgy and Communion. For many Christians, a very joyful event is not only the presence on holiday services but also Communion on them.

Confession at this service does not take place in all churches, because it is long and intense, many people come to the church, and in some places only one or two priests serve.

Most often, confession before the Christmas Liturgy is held in advance, 1-2 days in advance. In some churches there is even an opportunity to take communion twice after one confession. For example, confessions are made on the evening of January 3rd, and communion takes place at liturgies on the morning of 4th and at night of 7th. It is important to read the Eucharist to Holy Communion both times.

Getting ready right

How to prepare for the Christmas Liturgy? Christmas Eve is held in strict fasting, it is not necessary to starve to the first star. This tradition has been going on since the time when Vespers began after dinner, and after it followed the liturgy of Basil the Great, which ended already at dark time. After it, it was possible to eat food, and this is precisely what “until the first star” meant.

So it is much more important to visit the temple on January 6, if possible, and not to starve. The opposite tradition - to cook 12 Lenten dishes on this day - is also not established by the church, and it is better to spend this day calmly, prayerfully and with concentration, and not in a fuss. But you can cook sochivo - a dish of wheat grains and honey. The best preparation for the Christmas liturgy in the temple there will be reading of spiritual literature, the study of the upcoming service. This will give strength in a long service, because everything that is sung and read will become clear.

But putting candles and kissing the icons when the temple is full is not at all necessary.

Holiday symbolism

All the Christmas traditions, which were later transferred to the celebration of the New Year, have a deep meaning. For example, a Christmas tree is a symbol eternal life thanks to its evergreen needles. On top of it is put on an eight-pointed star, usually silver or gold, which is reminiscent of Bethlehem. It's in Soviet time it was replaced by five-pointed and red. On Christmas Eve, it is customary to put a burning candle on the windowsill - a sign that we are waiting for Christ, lighting the way in the winter darkness.

Gifts of the Magi

At the Christmas Liturgy, an excerpt from the Gospel of the Adoration of the Magi is read. By the way, the custom of giving gifts at Christmas is connected precisely with this episode. Holy Scripture. Just as the Magi presented their gifts to the Christ Child, so we also give gifts to each other. These gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh (myrrh) - are symbolic. Gold was presented to the Child as a King, frankincense - as God, myrrh - as a Man who will suffer and die, because this substance was used to embalm the buried bodies.

Symbols of preparation for Christmas

To dive deeper into the meaning of the holiday, let's go back a little. The prefeast of Christmas, that is, special church services that precede the holiday, lasts from January 2 to January 6. For other holidays, the prefeast lasts only 1 day. And interestingly, church services in the period leading up to Christmas have a parallel with the texts of the services of Holy Week. This reminds us that the Incarnation of the Savior is the first step towards His redemptive mission.

Moreover, the very birth in the form of a defenseless child is a huge step of God towards people, a temporary renunciation of his unlimited power, as it is called in Theology - kenosis (from the Greek. Condescension).

The Baby was born not in the royal chambers, but in a manger; Mary and Joseph did not even find a place in a hotel. The world did not meet him well. Persecution of the future Messiah began from birth. King Herod, who learned from the Magi about who was born in Bethlehem, arranged for the massacre of babies, because he was afraid that the new King would take away his power. Mary and Joseph with the baby managed to escape to Egypt.

Peace in the soul

No one was aware that Jesus was not born for earthly power. “My kingdom is not of this world,” said the Savior. The Kingdom of Heaven will not come on earth until the end of time. But we can open our hearts to Christ, and then He will reign in our hearts and there will be peace. After all, according to Christ, "the Kingdom of God is within you."

You can strive for this at any time of the year and at any period of life, and Orthodox holidays will remind of the most important thing - about God, about love, about our own soul. If the Nativity of Christ left just such a trace in a person, it means that it was not in vain for him and he met him correctly, regardless of whether he observed any traditions.

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How to behave at the liturgy

The liturgy is not an ordinary divine service, but a sacrament, that is, such a sacred action in which the faithful are given the grace of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies them.

At this special divine service, prayers and hymns are offered to God, and the mysterious Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for the salvation of people. Under the guise of bread and wine, the Orthodox are taught the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the liturgy takes precedence over other services.

At the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, all earthly life Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, the liturgy is divided into three parts: the proskomedia, the liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful.

Proskomedia

Proskomidia is usually performed during or before the reading of the 3rd and 6th hours.

The living and deceased members of the Church are commemorated at the proskomedia. People who order proskomidia pass to the altar notes with names and prosphora purchased in a church shop. The priest pulls out particles from the prosphora and commemorates the health or repose of those served. Only the names of baptized people who take communion can be submitted for proskomidia.

Great joy comes to the souls of the departed from their commemoration at the proskomedia.

At the end of the proskomedia, the priest censes the entire temple. At this time, the reader finishes reading the clock. The liturgy of the catechumens begins.

Liturgy of the catechumens

Catechumens are people who have not received the sacrament of baptism, that is, not baptized or who are under a priestly ban, penance.

1. The Liturgy of the catechumens begins with the words: "Blessed is the Kingdom, always, now and ever, and forever and ever." The choir sings: "Amen". We overshadow ourselves with the sign of the cross.

2. The great litany begins. Litany- these are special petitions uttered by the clergyman, to which the choir responds with singing: "Lord have mercy" . It is necessary to be baptized at each pronounced petition of the litany.

3. At the end of the litany, the choir begins to sing the so-called pictorial antiphons. There are only three of them, in honor of the Holy Trinity. They are sung in succession and are divided among themselves by small litanies.

4. After the second figurative antiphon, the choir sings a song to the Lord Jesus Christ: "Only Begotten Son..." , in which we hear about the incarnation of God into man in order to deliver people from sin.

5. Small litany - we are baptized at every petition.

6. And the third antiphon is sung, which begins with the words of the thief crucified with the Lord on the cross: “In Your Kingdom, remember us, Lord…” . You need to listen carefully to this song. It has a deep meaning. After all, we remember that Jesus Christ said to this thief: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” . The third antiphon is some commandments, obeying which a person will come to the Kingdom of Heaven.

7. During the singing of the third antiphon, a small entrance is made. The clergy leave the altar carrying a candle, a censer and the Gospel. This action symbolizes the procession of the Lord with a host of angels.

8. After entering, troparia and kontakia are sung, which reflect the sacred events of the holiday. We are baptized at every song.

At this time, the priest in secret prayer asks the Heavenly Father to accept the Trisagion and forgive our sins, voluntary and involuntary.

10. Next comes the reading of the Apostle. This is a book that contains the acts and messages of the holy apostles to various peoples. During the reading of the Apostle, the deacon censes, his censing should be answered with a bow of the head.

11. After reading the Apostle, the choir sings "Alleluia" thrice. We are baptized three times with bows.

12. The priest proclaims: “Wisdom, forgive me, let us hear the holy Gospel. Peace to all" - you need to bow your head accepting the blessing.

13. While reading the Gospel, as if listening to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, one should stand with bowed head.

14. After reading the Gospel, the litany follows: “Pray for the catechumens of the Lord… Vernia, for the catechumens let us pray, that the Lord have mercy on them… He will pronounce them with the word of truth… He will reveal the Gospel of truth to them…” - as we see, petitions are connected with catechumens, people who are not yet in the bosom of the church, that is, not baptized, or who are under a ban, penance.

15. At the second litany, the priest proclaims: “Elitsy, Announcements, come out, Announcements come out, but no one from the catechumens of the figurines, packs and packs, let us pray to the Lord in peace” . From these words it is clear that the catechumens must leave the church before the end of the liturgy. This is explained by the fact that a person who is unrepentant of sins or who does not belong to the faithful of the church (baptized) cannot be present at the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the greatest sacrament of the Church, when wine and bread are transformed into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Sacrament of Communion, all faithful children are united with Christ.

Liturgy of the Faithful

Let us examine how to behave at the liturgy of the faithful.

Faithful Christians constitute the Church of Christ and only they can serve the priest in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

1. At the end of the litanies, the Cherubic Hymn is sung.

If you translate it from Church Slavonic into Russian, it means the following: “We, mysteriously portraying the cherubim and singing the thrice-holy song to the Trinity, which gives life, will now leave the care of everything worldly, so that we can glorify the King of all, Whom the angelic forces invisibly carry and glorify” .

This prayer reminds us how the angelic forces in heaven serve at the throne of God and is based on the visions of the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel.

Drawing a conclusion on the above, how to behave on the Cherubic Hymn? The answer is simple! The way they would behave if they were before the Throne of God.

2. The Great Entrance is when the clergy leave the altar carrying the Chalice of wine and paten (special liturgical utensils) with the Lamb. They stand on the pulpit and commemorate the Patriarch, the diocesan bishop, all the benefactors who come to the church and pray, all Orthodox Christians. This is done in order to show that the Holy Gifts will be offered as a Sacrifice to God for the salvation of all those who are commemorated.

The Great Entrance symbolizes the procession of the Lord Jesus Christ to free suffering for the salvation of the world.

4. The deacon proclaims: “Doors, doors, let us pay attention to wisdom” . The words “Doors, doors” in ancient times referred to gatekeepers, so that they would not let catechumens or pagans into the temple during the celebration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Words: With wisdom, let us listen (we will listen) call the attention of believers to the saving teaching of the Orthodox Church, set forth in the Creed.

5. The choir sings the Creed. At the beginning of the Creed, the sign of the cross should be made.

The Creed was compiled by the will of the Holy Spirit by the Holy Fathers 1 and 2 Ecumenical Councils. It is an invariable guide for all Orthodox Christians in their spiritual life.

Symbol of faith- This summary our faith.

"I believe" is allowed to sing along with the choir.

6. The deacon or priest proclaims: "Let's become good, let's stand with fear, let's pay attention, bring holy exaltation in the world" . With these words, believers are called to gather their spirit and mind before the upcoming sacred service.

The Eucharistic Canon begins. The choir sings a song "The Grace of the World..." .

3. Why is it necessary to behave in this chant? 'Cause when you sing the words “We sing to you, we bless you, we thank you…” the most great mystery- the priest asks God to send the Holy Spirit on those who pray and the Gifts. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gifts transforms Them into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the Holy Eucharist, one should pray with special attention. The importance of this moment is so great that not a single minute of our life can compare with it. This sacred moment contains all our salvation and God's love for the human race, for God has appeared in the flesh.

4. While singing Worthy to Eat (or another sacred song in honor of the Theotokos - worthy), the priest prays for the living and the dead, commemorating them by name, especially those for whom the Divine Liturgy is served. And those present in the temple should at this time remember by name their loved ones, the living and the dead.

5. After it is worthy to eat or a worthy person replacing it - bow to the ground. At the words: And everyone, and everything - a bow is made from the waist.

6. At the beginning of the public singing of the Lord's Prayer - Our Father - you should depict the sign of the cross on yourself and bow to the ground.

7. At the exclamation of the priest: "Holy - holy" the earthly bow is due for the sake of the offering of the Holy Lamb before His fragmentation. At this time, one should remember the Last Supper and the last conversation of the Lord Jesus Christ with the disciples, His suffering on the Cross, death and burial.

8. After the opening of the royal doors and the bringing out of the Holy Gifts, which means the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Resurrection, at the exclamation: "Come with the fear of God and faith!" - bow to the ground.

9. When starting to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, after the priest reads the prayers before communion, one should bow to the ground, fold his hands crosswise on his chest (in no case should he be baptized, so as not to accidentally push and spill the Holy Chalice - cross-folded hands replace the sign of the cross at this time) and slowly, reverently, with the fear of God, approach the Holy Chalice, naming your name, and after receiving the Holy Mysteries, kiss the lower part of the Chalice, as the most pure rib of Christ itself, and then step aside calmly, without making the sign of the cross and bowing until receiving warmth. We should especially thank the Lord for His great mercy, for the grace-filled gift of Holy Communion: Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Glory to Thee, God! Earthly bows on this day are not performed by the communicants until the evening. Those who do not partake of the Divine Liturgy, during the holy moments of communion, should stand in the church with reverent prayer, not thinking about earthly things, not leaving the church at that time, so as not to offend the Holy Things of the Lord and not violate the deanery of the church.

10. At the words of the priest: "Always, now and ever, and forever and ever" , at the last appearance of the Holy Gifts, depicting the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to Heaven, an earthly bow with the sign of the cross is required for those who have not been honored with the Holy Mysteries, and for those who participate - a bow with the sign of the cross. Whoever has not yet had time to receive warmth by this time should turn his face to the Holy Chalice, thereby expressing reverence for the great Shrine.

11. The holy antidoron (from Greek - instead of a gift) is distributed to those present after the Divine Liturgy for the blessing and sanctification of the soul and body, so that those who did not partake of the Holy Mysteries would taste the consecrated bread. The Church Charter indicates that antidoron can only be taken on an empty stomach - nothing to eat or drink.

Antidor should receive it reverently, folding his palms crosswise, right to left, and kissing the priest's hand that gives this gift.

12. At the end of the liturgy, the priest commemorates the names of the saints whose memory is celebrated on that day and the creator of the liturgy (for example, John Chrysostom, who wrote the liturgy called the liturgy of John Chrysostom).

The choir sings for many years, where the patriarch, the diocesan bishop, parishioners of the temple and all Orthodox Christians are commemorated.

13. All those praying approach the Cross, which the priest gives to kiss.

Divine Liturgy(from Greek λειτουργία (liturgy) - common cause) - the main Christian, during which either the Eucharist is celebrated (from the Greek εὐχαριστία (Eucharist) - thanksgiving, gratitude).

The first Liturgy was served by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Upper Room of Zion, and each Liturgy is a mysterious continuation of this event.

  • Wednesdays and Fridays
  • on Thursday of the 5th week of Great Lent,
  • on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,
  • in the days of St. John the Baptist (March 9 in a non-leap year, March 8 in a leap year) and the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 22), if these holidays fall during Great Lent and do not fall on Sunday,
  • on the temple feast and on the feast of the revered saint (except for the feast of the Annunciation), which occurred during the specified period.

This liturgy is called so because they partake in it, consecrated earlier in the liturgy or.
The universal celebration of the Presanctified Liturgy on the days of the Holy Fortecost is approved, and has the goal not to deprive the faithful of mystical communion with the Lord and, at the same time, not to break fasting and repentance by celebrating a solemn full liturgy.

Three Parts of the Liturgy

2. Liturgy of the catechumens, which begins with the words of the priest: "Blessed be the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever" and ends with the words: "announcement, get out".
This part could be attended by catechumens who listened to readings from the Gospel and the Apostle.

3. The Liturgy of the Faithful, which begins with the words: “Faces of faith, packs and packs, let us pray to the Lord in peace ...” and ends in retirement.
“Currently, the requirement for the presence at the Liturgy of faithful only church people ( faithful) is not implemented in practice; however, at a deeper level, it is nevertheless realized, because everything that will happen next at the Liturgy is completely closed from the uninitiated, non-church consciousness. Liturgy is perceived and understood only after entering the tradition of church life and becoming acquainted with the teachings of the Church.
At the Liturgy of the faithful, the most important moment in the Liturgy is performed -). It begins with the words of the priest "The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ Be With You All" and ends with the words "And may the mercies of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ be with you all".

Anaphora - the core of the Liturgy

The central part of the Christian Liturgy, during which the transfer of the Holy Gifts takes place, is the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer, Eucharistic Canon). Ancient in origin, it is the most important point of Orthodox worship as a whole.

In all Anaphoras, several main parts can be distinguished:
1. Praefatio ( lat. introduction) - the initial prayer containing praise and thanksgiving to God.
2. Sanctus ( lat. saint) - the anthem "Holy, Holy, Holy ...".
3. Anamnesis ( lat. remembrance) - the remembrance of the Last Supper with the pronunciation of the sacramental words of Jesus Christ.
4. Epiclesis ( lat. invocation) - the invocation of the Holy Spirit to the "present" Gifts.
5. Intercessio ( lat. intercession, intercession) - prayers for the living and the dead, constituting, with the remembrance of the Virgin and all the saints.

Times and Days of the Liturgy

The Liturgy is celebrated in large temples daily (with the exception of days when it cannot be performed), in most others - every Sunday. The beginning of the Liturgy is usually at 9-10 o'clock in the morning, in churches where there is more than one, an early liturgy (at 6-7 o'clock in the morning) can also be performed. The duration of the service (depending on whether it is performed by a priest or a bishop): 1.5–2 hours.
As for the Typikon (), it gives the time for the beginning of the Liturgy and the time for setting the meal on various days (Sat, Sun, holidays). The difference between the two is 1 hour.

Liturgy is not allowed in the following days.
1. Wednesday and Friday of Cheese Week (the week before Lent).
2. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the weeks of Great Lent.
3. In Good Friday if this day does not coincide with the Feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God(April 7), when the Liturgy of the saint is laid down.
4. On the Friday preceding the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany of the Lord, if the days of the feasts themselves fall on Sunday or Monday.

Liturgy and Sacrament of Holy Communion

Those who wish to take communion at the Liturgy of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must first cleanse their conscience in. Also put before Communion. The meaning of the Sacrament is revealed in prayers to St. Communion, which can be found in . One must prepare for Communion, but no one can be fully prepared for it.

Note. In modern parish practice, on holidays and liturgy, the service is served after midnight (in this case it is 6 hours).



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