Trinity Day (history, status, worship). Divine service on the day of the Holy Trinity Liturgy on the feast of the Holy Trinity

Saturday of the 7th week of Easter. Trinity Parents' Saturday

The entire service in Triodion is in order. Its procedure is the same as on Meat Shabbat.

At the Liturgy of the Blessed Triodion, cantos 3 and 6, on 8. At the entrance - the troparion “In the depth of wisdom”, “Glory” - “Rest with the saints”, “And now” - “To you and the Wall”. Prokeimenon, tone 6 - “Their souls will dwell in good things.” Apostle of the day: Acts, ch. 51, and for the repose: 1 Cor., count. 163. Gospel of the day: John, count. 67, and for the repose: John, count. 21. According to “Pretty much...” - “Worthy to eat.” Participated in "Blessedness, who has chosen and accepted." Instead of “Videhom the True Light,” according to custom, it is sung “Depth of Wisdom.”

We sing the services of the saints from the Menaion at Compline.

Sunday of Holy Pentecost. Day of the Holy Trinity

The entire service is according to the Triodion.

At the Great Vespers "Blessed is the Man", all the kathisma. On “Lord, I have cried” stichera on 10, “Glory, and now” - “Come, ye people.” Entrance. Prokeimenon of the day. Parimia - 3. At the litia, stichera are self-concordant - 3, “Glory, even now” - “When You sent Your Spirit to us.” On the poem there are stichera, tone 6 - “The Gentiles do not understand”, “Lord, the Holy Spirit is invading”, “To the Heavenly King”, “Glory, even now” - “The Gentiles sometimes”. According to “Now you let go” - troparion, tone 8:

“Blessed art thou, O Christ our God, Who art the wise fishers of phenomena, Who sent down the Holy Spirit unto them, and with them caught the universe. Lover of mankind, glory to Thee” (three times).

At Matins, at “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday (three times). Kathismas. Sedalny. Polyeleos. Magnification: “We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, and honor Your All-Holy Spirit, Whom You sent from the Father as Your Divine disciple.”

Degree - 1st antiphon of the 4th tone. Prokeimenon, tone 4 - “Your Good Spirit will guide me to the right earth.” Verse - "Lord, hear my prayer, inspire my prayer." Gospel - John, count. 65. “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ” is not sung, but immediately according to the Gospel - Psalm 50, “Glory” - “Prayers of the Apostles”, “And now” - “Prayers of the Mother of God”. Stichera, tone 6 - “To the King of Heaven.” There are two canons of the holiday. Irmos of both canons (twice). Troparions on 12. If the Biblical songs are not versified, then the chorus to the troparions is: “Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.” Katavasia - irmos of both canons.

According to the 3rd song - the sedal of the holiday, "Glory, and now" - the same.

According to the 6th song, kontakion, tone 8:

“When the tongues came down and merged, dividing the tongues of the Most High, when the fiery tongues were distributed, we all called into unity, and accordingly we glorified the All-Holy Spirit.” Ikos. Synaxarium. I won’t sing “The Most Honest” for the 9th song. In Triodion and Typikon there are no special choruses for the 9th song. According to the 9th song - “Holy is the Lord our God” we do not say the verb, but the exapostilary of the holiday. To praise the stichera of the holiday on 6, “Glory, even now” - “To the Heavenly King...” Great doxology. Troparion of the holiday.

Let go: “And in a vision of fire, a tongue from heaven sent down the Most Holy Spirit on His holy disciples and apostles, Christ, our True God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints...”

At the Liturgy there are antiphons of the holiday. Entrance - “Be exalted, O Lord, in Thy power; let us sing and sing of Thy strength.” “Come, let us worship” we do not sing, but after the entrance we sing the troparion, “Glory, even now” - the kontakion of the holiday. Instead of the Trisagion - "Elites in Christ." Prokeimenon, tone 8 - “Their message went out into all the earth.” Apostle - Acts, ch. 3. Gospel - John, count. 27. Although for the 9th song of the canon the Triodion does not provide special choruses, in the Triodion of musical singing, published by the Holy Synod, for the venerable saint on the day of Pentecost, the chorus is indicated: “Apostles, the descent of the Comforter was seen, amazed at how the Spirit appeared in the form of a fiery tongue Holy", then irmos "Hail, Queen". Participated in "Thy Good Spirit will guide me to the right of the land."

After “Save, O God, Thy people,” we sing “We see the true Light.” Dismissal of the holiday - “Like in the vision of a tongue of fire,” as at Matins.

At the dismissal of the Liturgy, the royal doors are closed, and the 9th hour begins according to the usual rite. During the 9th hour, the primate distributes flowers to the concelebrants and brethren. At the prayer of the 9th hour, the priest pronounces the initial exclamation of Vespers: “Blessed is our God,” “To the King of Heaven” (usually sung). Reader - opening psalm. The priest reads the prayers of light on the pulpit. The Great Litany, with the addition of special petitions after the petition “For those who float”:

“For those who are coming and awaiting the grace of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.”

“For those who bow their hearts and knees before the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.”

“Let us pray to the Lord that we may be strengthened to do what is pleasing to God.”

“Let us pray to the Lord that His rich mercy may be sent upon us.”

“For the acceptance of our kneeling, like incense before Him, let us pray to the Lord.”

“For those who require His help, let us pray to the Lord.”

"Oh, let us be delivered."

There is no kathisma. On “Lord, I have cried” - stichera of the holiday on 6, tone 4 “Glorious today”, “Glory, and now” - “To the Heavenly King” (written on the holiday on “Praise”). Entrance with censer. "Quiet Light". The Great Prokeimenon, tone 7 - “Who is the great God, like our God? You are God, work miracles.”

After the prokemna, the deacon exclaims, “Back and back, on bended knee, let us pray to the Lord.” Singers - “Lord, have mercy” (three times). Before this, a special low lectern or capital is placed at the royal doors. The Colored Triodion relies on it. The priest, kneeling in the royal gates facing the people, reads the first prayer. At the end of it, the deacon exclaims: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.” "Most Holy, Most Pure." The priest exclaimed: “For it is Thine to have mercy and to save us, O Lord our God, and to Thee we send glory.” Litany "Rtsem all". Exclamation - “Yako Gracious.”

Deacon - “Back and back, on bended knee, let us pray to the Lord.” Singers - “Lord, have mercy” (three times). The priest reads the second prayer, at the end of which the deacon exclaims: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.” "Most Holy, Most Pure." Exclamation - “By the good pleasure and goodness of Thy Only Begotten Son, with Him art Thou blessed, with Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit.” The singers say “Amen” and sing “Vouchsafe, Lord.”

Deacon - "Pack and pack, bend the knee." The priest reads the third prayer. At the end of it, the deacon: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.” "Most Holy, Most Pure." Exclamation - “For You are the Repose of our souls and bodies, and to You we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Litany "Let us perform the evening prayer." Stichera on the verse, tone 3 - “Now as a sign to all,” “Glory, even now,” tone 8 - “Come, people, let us worship the Trinitarian Divinity.” According to “Now You Let Go” - the troparion of the holiday “Blessed art thou, O Christ our God...” (once). The exclamation is “Wisdom” and dismissal with the royal doors open.

Let go: "Who from the Father's and Divine bosom exhausted Himself, and descended from heaven to earth, and perceived our entire nature and made it (his) deified, and yet again ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God and the Father; the Divine, and the Holy, and the Consubstantial, and the One-Powerful, and the One-Glorified, and the Co-Essential Spirit, who sent down upon His holy disciples and apostles and thereby enlightened them, with the same, the whole universe, Christ, our True God, through the prayers of the Most Pure and Immaculate Holy Mother, the glorious saints, the most praiseworthy preachers of God and the spirit-bearing apostles and all the saints, He will have mercy and save us, for He is Good and Lover of Mankind.” At Little Compline we sing the canon to the Holy Spirit, irmos, twice, troparia - on 4. According to the Trisagion - kontakion of the holiday. At the Midnight Office on the 1st Trisagion - the troparion of the holiday, on the 2nd - kontakion, "Lord, have mercy" - 12 times and dismissal.

Holy Spirit Monday

At Matins, at “God is the Lord” - the troparion of the holiday (three times). Two kathismas. Holiday sedals. 1st canon of the holiday with irmos at 8 (irmos twice), 2nd canon of the holiday with irmos at 6 (irmos twice). Katavasia - "Divine Veil". According to the 3rd canto - the sedalene of the holiday, according to the 6th - kontakion and ikos. I won’t eat the “honest” one. The luminary of the holiday. On "Praise" - stichera of the holiday, "Glory, and now" - "Pagans sometimes." A great doxology is sung. Troparion of the holiday. Litany and dismissal: “Like in the vision of a fiery tongue.”

At the Liturgy of the Blessed, the 3rd hymn is at 4, the 6th hymn is at 4. At the entrance, “Come, let us worship,” we do not sing, but the entrance hymn is “Be exalted, O Lord, by Thy power, let us sing and sing Thy strength,” and immediately the troparion holiday, “Glory, even now” - kontakion. Prokeimenon, tone 6 - “Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance.” Verse - “To You, O Lord, I will cry, O my God, do not keep silent from me.” Apostle: Eph., count. 229. Gospel: Matthew, count. 75. Honored and involved in the holiday.

For the service on the Day of the Holy Spirit with a polyeleos or vigil to a great saint or temple saint, see volume 1, p. 124.

Saturday. Celebration of the Feast of Pentecost

The entire holiday service.

There is no entrance or parimia at Vespers.

At Matins there is no polyeleos, sedate or Gospel. A great doxology is sung. The end of Matins is festive.

The troparion and kontakion of the holiday are on the clock.

At the Liturgy of the Blessed Feast, hymn 9, two canons, on 8. At the entrance - the troparion of the feast, "Glory, and now" - kontakion. Prokeimenon and Alleluia - holiday. Apostle - Rom., count. 79. Gospel - Matthew, count. 15. Participated in the holiday.

See the Service of the Saints Menaion is celebrated the day before.

1st Sunday after Pentecost. All Saints

At Great Vespers - all kathisma. On “Lord, I cried” - stichera for 10: Sunday - 6 and all saints - 4, “Glory” - “Martyr’s Divine Face”, “And Now” - dogmatic “King of Heaven” Parimia three. At the litia there are stichera of the temple and all the saints. On the stichera there are Sunday stichera in the 8th tone, "Glory" - all saints. “And now” - “My Creator and Deliverer.” According to “Now You Let Go” - the troparion “To the Virgin Mary” (twice) and the saints, tone 4: “Thy martyr throughout the whole world, as with scarlet and hair, adorned with the blood of Thy Church, with those He cries out to Thee “O Christ God: send down Thy bounties upon Thy people, grant peace to Thy life and great mercy to our souls” (one time).

At Matins, at “God the Lord” - the Sunday troparion (twice), “Glory” - the saints, “And now” - “From everlasting.” Kathismas are common. Sunday sedals with the Mother of God. For the Immaculates - troparia "Cathedral of Angels". Ipakoi΄, sedate, prokeimenon - voice. Sunday Gospel 1st, Matthew, count. 116.

See: From this day forward, the Sunday morning Gospels are read in a row.

"Having seen the Resurrection of Christ." Psalm 50, “Glory” - “Prayers of the Apostles”, “And Now” - “Prayers of the Virgin Mary”. Stichera "Jesus has risen from the grave." Canons: Sunday at 4, Cross Sunday at 2, Theotokos at 2 and all saints at 6. Katavasia - “I will open my mouth.” According to the 3rd canto - the sedalion of the saints, according to the 6th - kontakion, tone 8:

“As the firstfruits of nature, the Planter of creation, the universe brings to Thee, O Lord, God-bearing martyrs, with those prayers in the deep world Thy Church, Thy life preserved by the Mother of God, O Thou Most Merciful,” and the icon of the saints. On the 9th song we sing “The Most Honest”. The luminary of the resurrection, "Glory" - the saints, "And now" - the Mother of God. On “Praise” there are 5 Sunday stichera and 3 saint stichera, “Glory” – the 1st Gospel stichera, “And now” – “Most blessed art thou.” Great doxology. Troparion "He is risen from the grave...".

At the Liturgy - Blessed Tone for 4, and the Canon of Saints, hymn 6 for 4. At the entrance - the Sunday troparion, "Glory" - the troparion of all saints, "And now" - the kontakion of all saints.

Prokeimenon, tone 8 - “Pray and give thanks to the Lord our God” and saints, tone 4 - “God is wondrous in His saints.” Apostle - Heb., count. 330. Gospel - Matthew, count. 38. Participated - “Praise the Lord from heaven” and “Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord.”

See: The service of saints according to the Menaion is postponed to another day.

Prayer for Petrov Fast.

2nd Sunday after Pentecost. All saints who shone in the Russian land

The service is performed according to the Octoechos and the Service to all the saints who have shone in the lands of Russia, published by the Moscow Patriarchate.

At Great Vespers, at “Lord, I cried” the Sunday stichera - 4 and 6 saints, “Glory” - saints, “And now” - the dogmatist “Worldwide Glory”. Entrance. Prokeimenon of the day and three parimia of saints. At the litia - the stichera of the temple, the saints, "Glory, and now" - "They will rejoice with us." On the stichera are the stichera of the Octoechos, "Glory" - the saints, "And now" - the Theotokos, "Look at the prayers."

At the blessing of the loaves, the troparion “To the Virgin Mary” (twice) and the saints, tone 8: “Like the red fruit of Your saving sowing, the Russian land brings to You, Lord, all the saints who shone forth in that one. Through those prayers in the deep world, the Church and our country are the Mother of God observe, O Most Merciful" (once).

At Matins, at “God the Lord” - the Sunday troparion (twice), “Glory” - the saints, “And now” - the Theotokos “For our sake”. After the usual kathismas, sedalny Sundays. Polyeleos. Greatness: “We magnify you, all saints, who have shone forth in the lands of Russia, and we honor your holy memory, for you pray for us to Christ our God.” Troparion "Cathedral of Angels", hypakoi΄ voices, sedals of the saints. Sedate and prokeimenon - voices. Sunday Gospel 2: Mark. 70. “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ” and so on usually. Sunday canons with Irmos for 4, the Mother of God for 2 and saints for 8. Katavasia - “I will open my mouth.” According to the 3rd song of the kontakion, voice 3: “Today the face of the saints in our land who have pleased God stands in the Church and invisibly prays to God for us: The angels praise him with him, and all the saints of the Church of Christ will celebrate him: for everyone is praying for us. of the Eternal God", ikos and sedal. According to the 6th song - kontakion and ikos of Sunday. The luminary of the resurrection, "Glory" - the saints, "And now" - the Mother of God. On “Praise” there are 4 Sunday stichera and 4 to the saints, “Glory” is the 2nd Gospel stichera, “And now” - “Most blessed art thou.”

Great doxology. Troparion "Today is salvation for the world." Litany and dismissal.

On the clock there are Sunday troparia, "Glory" - saints, kontakion - Sunday and saints, alternately.

At the Liturgy, the Blessed Tone at 6, and the 3rd hymn of saints at 4. At the entrance - the Sunday troparion, the Church of the Mother of God (if there is one) and the saints. Sunday Kontakion, “Glory” - of the saints, “And Now” - of the Church of the Virgin Mary or “Representation of Christians”.

The Sunday Prokeimenon: “Lord, be Thy mercy upon us, as we trust in Thee,” and the saints, “The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord.”

Apostle - series: Rom., count. 81, and saints: Heb., count. 330. Gospel - series: Matthew, count. 9, and saints: Matt., count. 10.

Participated - “Praise the Lord” and “Rejoice, ye righteous.”

* Handbook of a clergyman, vol. 1, ed. Moscow Patriarchate. With. 290.

Trinity, Pentecost, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit are one of the main Christian holidays, included in Orthodoxy among the twelve holidays. The Feast of the Holy Trinity is called Pentecost because the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles took place on the fiftieth day after Resurrection of Christ. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost is described in Acts of the Holy Apostles(Acts 2:1-18). On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ (tenth day after the Ascension), the apostles were in the Zion Upper Room in Jerusalem, “ ...suddenly there came a sound from the sky, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where they were. And cloven tongues as of fire appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance"(Acts 2:2-4).
Jesus Christ promised them the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles before His ascension into heaven. The descent of the Holy Spirit indicated the trinity of God - “ God the Father creates the world, God the Son redeems people from slavery to the devil, God the Holy Spirit sanctifies the world through the dispensation of the Church».
Washed and gifted by the One Spirit, feeling that this was only part of the spiritual gifts they had received from the Lord, they joined hands, forming a new Church, where God Himself is invisibly present, reflected and acting in souls. Beloved children of the Lord, united with Him by the Holy Spirit, they came out of the walls of the Zion upper room to preach Christ’s teaching about love. On the day of Pentecost, the universal apostolic Church was formed (Acts 2:41-47).

Worship.

The holiday of Christian Pentecost contains a double celebration: - both for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, and for the glory of the Most Holy Spirit, who apparently descended on the Apostles and sealed the new eternal covenant of God with people. Order of worship for the celebration of the Holy Trinity (according to the Triodion):
- Saturday of the 7th week of Easter. Trinity parent.
- Sunday of Holy Pentecost. Day of the Holy Trinity.
- Monday of the Holy Spirit.
- Saturday. Celebration of the Feast of Pentecost.
- 1st Sunday after Pentecost. All saints.
- 2nd Sunday after Pentecost. All the saints who have shone in the Russian land.

Trinity day.

The Church dedicates the first day of Pentecost, that is, Resurrection, primarily to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity; and this day is popularly called Trinity Day.
The Church begins the celebration of the Holy Spirit, as usual, with an evening service after the Liturgy on Trinity Day. At this service, stichera are sung glorifying the descent of the Holy Spirit, and three touching prayers of Basil the Great are read with kneeling, in which believers confess their sins before the Heavenly Father and, for the sake of the great sacrifice of His Son, ask for mercy; They also ask the Lord Jesus Christ to grant them the Divine Spirit, for the enlightenment and strengthening of their souls, and, finally, they pray for our departed fathers and brothers, may the Lord rest them in the place " brighter, greener and calmer". Saint Basil the Great, who composed the touching prayers of the Vespers of Pentecost, says in them that the Lord especially on this day deigns to accept prayers for the dead and even for " like those held in hell".
At Matins two canons of this holiday are sung: the first was written by Cosmas of Mayum, the second by John of Damascus.

Whit Monday.

The Church dedicates the second day of Pentecost, i.e. Monday, to the glory of the Holy Spirit, which is why it is called the Spiritual Day. On this day, the church glorifies the Holy Spirit - according to Christian beliefs, " giver of life"who supports the Universe in its existence; in his person is God, as believers believe," pours out grace on his children". This holiday was established with the aim of establishing the divine essence of the Holy Spirit and its unity with the two other hypostases of the Holy Trinity - God the Father and God the Son.
The service in honor of the Holy Spirit begins with the great vespers of Trinity Day (Trinity) and continues on Spiritual Day. On Monday after completion Divine Liturgy The birch trees that decorated the temple during Trinity are taken out of the church. Believers break off branches from the blessed trees, take them home and place them near the icons. According to the church calendar, the Week of All Saints (All Saints Week) begins on Spiritual Day.

Hymns for the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Troparion for the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Kontakion of the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

The Greatness of the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Worthy of the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Zadostoynik is a church hymn sung at the liturgy during the Eucharistic canon. At the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, “It is worthy to eat...” is sung, at the liturgy of St. Basil the Great, “He rejoices in You...”, but on the twelve feasts, which is Pentecost, instead of “It is worthy to eat...” choruses and irmos are sung 9 -th song of the canon, hence the name “zadostoynik”.

Choruses.

Irmos of the 9th song.

Folk customs. Rituals.

Trinity Parents' Saturday.

On the Saturday before Trinity, one of the most important commemorations of deceased ancestors of the year took place - Trinity Parents' Saturday.
This custom comes from the Slavic folk holiday - Semik, celebrated on Thursday (the seventh Thursday after Easter - that’s why the name of the holiday is Semik), before Trinity. On this day, the dead were remembered who died an unnatural or premature death - suicides, drunkards (who died from drunkenness), drowned people. In Semik they buried the hostage dead who had accumulated over the winter in the “skudelnitsa”, and who were forbidden to be buried at any other time. Funerals in Semik were held at home, in cemeteries, in chapels, at battle sites and mass graves. A funeral meal with ritual food (pancakes, pies, jelly, etc.) and alcohol was obligatory. Commemoration was often accompanied by cheerful festivities and even fist fights.
On Trinity, it was customary to decorate not only churches, but also huts, courtyards and even streets with fresh herbs, flowers and branches. A special place was given to young birch branches.
In addition, Russians have preserved an ancient custom that has pre-Christian roots. It consisted of coming to church on Trinity Sunday with a bunch of grass that was to be mourned. Tears meant rain. It was believed that after this there would be no drought in the summer

Materials used:
1. Prot. S. Slobodsky “The Law of God” M.: Yauza-press, Lepta Book, Eksmo, 2008.
2. From websites:
- http://ru.wikipedia.org
- http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Trop/IT3038.htm
- http://www.bogoslovy.ru
- http://proeveryday.ru/index.php?id=molitva/prazdnik19
- http://diak.ortox.ru/
- http://troitsa.paskha.ru/Bogosluzhenie/Tropar/

Pentecost in icons and paintings by great masters.

(Click on thumbnail below to view larger image)

9.1. What is worship? The divine service of the Orthodox Church is serving God through readings of prayers, chants, sermons and sacred rites performed according to the Charter of the Church. 9.2. Why are services held? Worship, as the external side of religion, serves as a means for Christians to express their religious inner faith and reverent feelings for God, a means of mysterious communication with God. 9.3. What is the purpose of worship? The purpose of the divine service established by the Orthodox Church is to give Christians the best way to express petitions, thanksgivings and praises addressed to the Lord; teach and educate believers in the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rules of Christian piety; to introduce believers into mysterious communion with the Lord and impart to them the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit.

9.4. What do Orthodox services mean by their names?

(common cause, public service) is the main service during which Communion (Communion) of believers takes place. The remaining eight services are preparatory prayers for the Liturgy.

Vespers- a service performed at the end of the day, in the evening.

Compline– service after supper (dinner) .

Midnight Office – a service intended to take place at midnight.

Matins – a service performed in the morning, before sunrise.

Clock services – recollection of the events (by the hour) of Good Friday (suffering and death of the Savior), His Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

On the eve of major holidays and Sundays, an evening service is performed, which is called the all-night vigil, because among the ancient Christians it lasted all night. The word "vigil" means "to be awake." The All-Night Vigil consists of Vespers, Matins and the first hour. In modern churches, the all-night vigil is most often celebrated in the evening before Sundays and holidays.

9.5. What services are performed in the Church daily?

– In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, the Orthodox Church performs evening, morning and afternoon services in churches every day. In turn, each of these three services is composed of three parts:

Evening service - from the ninth hour, Vespers, Compline.

Morning- from Midnight Office, Matins, first hour.

Daytime- from the third hour, sixth hour, Divine Liturgy.

Thus, nine services are formed from the evening, morning and afternoon church services.

Due to the weakness of modern Christians, such statutory services are performed only in some monasteries (for example, in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery). In most parish churches, services are held only in the morning and evening, with some reductions.

9.6. What is depicted in the Liturgy?

– In the Liturgy, under external rites, the entire earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted: His birth, teaching, deeds, suffering, death, burial, Resurrection and Ascension to heaven.

9.7. What is called mass?

– People call the Liturgy mass. The name “mass” comes from the custom of ancient Christians, after the end of the Liturgy, to consume the remains of the brought bread and wine at a common meal (or public lunch), which took place in one of the parts of the church.

9.8. What is called a lunch lady?

– Sequence of figurative (obednitsa) – this is the name of a short service that is performed instead of the Liturgy, when the Liturgy is not supposed to be served (for example, during Lent) or when it is impossible to serve it (there is no priest, antimension, prosphora). The Obednik serves as some image or likeness of the Liturgy, its composition is similar to the Liturgy of the Catechumens and its main parts correspond to the parts of the Liturgy, with the exception of the celebration of the Sacraments. There is no communion during mass.

9.9. Where can I find out about the schedule of services in the temple?

– The schedule of services is usually posted on the doors of the temple.

9.10. Why is there not censing of the church at every service?

– The presence of the temple and its worshipers occurs at every service. The liturgical censing can be full, when it covers the entire church, and small, when the altar, iconostasis and the people standing in the pulpit are censed.

9.11. Why is there censing in the temple?

– Incense lifts the mind to the throne of God, where it is sent with the prayers of believers. In all centuries and among all peoples, the burning of incense was considered the best, purest material sacrifice to God, and of all the types of material sacrifice accepted in natural religions, the Christian Church retained only this and a few more (oil, wine, bread). And in appearance, nothing resembles the gracious breath of the Holy Spirit more than the smoke of incense. Filled with such high symbolism, incense greatly contributes to the prayerful mood of believers and with its purely bodily effect on a person. Incense has an elevating, stimulating effect on the mood. For this purpose, the charter, for example, before the Easter vigil prescribes not just incense, but an extraordinary filling of the temple with the smell from the placed vessels with incense.

9.12. Why do priests serve in vestments of different colors?

– The groups are assigned a certain color of clergy vestments. Each of the seven colors of liturgical vestments corresponds to the spiritual significance of the event in honor of which the service is being performed. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but the Church has an unwritten tradition that assigns a certain symbolism to the various colors used in worship.

9.13. What do the different colors of priestly vestments represent?

On holidays dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the days of remembrance of His special anointed ones (prophets, apostles and saints) the color of the royal vestment is gold.

In golden robes They serve on Sundays - the days of the Lord, the King of Glory.

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

Purple adopted on the Feasts of the Holy Cross. It combines red (symbolizing the color of the blood of Christ and the Resurrection) and blue, reminiscent of the fact that the Cross opened the way to heaven.

Dark red color - the color of blood. Services in red vestments are held in honor of the holy martyrs who shed their blood for the faith of Christ.

In green vestments The day of the Holy Trinity, the day of the Holy Spirit and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) are celebrated, since green is a symbol of life. Divine services in honor of the saints are also performed in green vestments: the monastic feat revives a person by union with Christ, renews his entire nature and leads to eternal life.

In black robes usually served on weekdays. Black color is a symbol of renunciation of worldly vanity, crying and repentance.

White color as a symbol of Divine uncreated light, it was adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany (Baptism), Ascension and Transfiguration of the Lord. Easter Matins also begins in white vestments - as a sign of the Divine light shining from the Tomb of the Risen Savior. White vestments are also used for Baptisms and burials.

From Easter to the Feast of the Ascension, all services are performed in red vestments, symbolizing the inexpressible fiery love of God for the human race, the victory of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

9.14. What do candlesticks with two or three candles mean?

- These are dikiriy and trikiriy. Dikiriy is a candlestick with two candles, symbolizing the two natures in Jesus Christ: Divine and human. Trikirium - a candlestick with three candles, symbolizing faith in the Holy Trinity.

9.15. Why is there sometimes a cross decorated with flowers on the lectern in the center of the temple instead of an icon?

– This happens during the Week of the Cross during Great Lent. The cross is taken out and placed on a lectern in the center of the temple, so that, with a reminder of the suffering and death of the Lord, to inspire and strengthen those who are fasting to continue the feat of fasting.

On the holidays of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Origin (Demolition) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the Cross is also brought to the center of the temple.

9.16. Why does the deacon stand with his back to the worshipers in the church?

– He stands facing the altar, in which is the Throne of God and the Lord Himself is invisibly present. The deacon, as it were, leads the worshipers and on their behalf pronounces prayer requests to God.

9.17. Who are the catechumens who are called to leave the temple during worship?

– These are people who are not baptized, but who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. They cannot participate in church Sacraments, therefore, before the start of the most important church Sacrament - Communion - they are called upon to leave the temple.

9.18. What date does Maslenitsa start from?

– Maslenitsa is the last week before the start of Lent. It ends with Forgiveness Sunday.

9.19. Until what time is the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian read?

– The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read until Wednesday of Holy Week.

9.20. When is the Shroud taken away?

– The Shroud is taken to the altar before the Easter service on Saturday evening.

9.21. When can you venerate the Shroud?

– You can venerate the Shroud from the middle of Good Friday until the start of the Easter service.

9.22. Does Communion happen on Good Friday?

- No. Since the Liturgy is not served on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself.

9.23. Does Communion happen on Holy Saturday or Easter?

– On Holy Saturday and Easter, the Liturgy is served, therefore, there is Communion of the faithful.

9.24. Until what hour does the Easter service last?

– In different churches the end time of the Easter service is different, but most often it happens from 3 to 6 o’clock in the morning.

9.25. Why aren’t the Royal Doors open throughout the entire service on Easter Week during the Liturgy?

– Some priests are awarded the right to serve the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open.

9.26. On what days does the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great take place?

– The Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated only 10 times a year: on the eve of the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany of the Lord (or on the days of these holidays if they fall on Sunday or Monday), January 1/14 - on the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Great, on five Sundays Lent (Palm Sunday is excluded), Maundy Thursday and Great Saturday of Holy Week. The Liturgy of Basil the Great differs from the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in some prayers, their longer duration and longer choir singing, which is why it is served a little longer.

9.27. Why don’t they translate the service into Russian to make it more understandable?

– The Slavic language is a blessed, spiritualized language that the holy church people Cyril and Methodius created specifically for worship. People have become unaccustomed to the Church Slavonic language, and some simply do not want to understand it. But if you go to Church regularly, and not just occasionally, then the grace of God will touch the heart, and all the words of this pure, spirit-bearing language will become understandable. The Church Slavonic language, due to its imagery, precision in the expression of thought, artistic brightness and beauty, is much more suitable for communication with God than the modern crippled spoken Russian language.

But the main reason for the incomprehensibility is not the Church Slavonic language, it is very close to Russian - in order to fully perceive it, you need to learn only a few dozen words. The fact is that even if the entire service were translated into Russian, people would still not understand anything about it. The fact that people do not perceive worship is a language problem to the least extent; in the first place is ignorance of the Bible. Most of the chants are highly poetic renditions of biblical stories; Without knowing the source, it is impossible to understand them, no matter what language they are sung in. Therefore, anyone who wants to understand Orthodox worship must, first of all, begin by reading and studying the Holy Scriptures, and it is quite accessible in Russian.

9.28. Why do the lights and candles sometimes go out in the church during services?

– At Matins, during the reading of the Six Psalms, candles in churches are extinguished, except for a few. The Six Psalms is the cry of a repentant sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. The lack of illumination, on the one hand, helps to think about what is being read, on the other hand, it reminds us of the gloom of the sinful state depicted by the psalms, and of the fact that external light does not suit a sinner. By arranging this reading in this way, the Church wants to incite believers to deepen themselves, so that, having entered into themselves, they enter into a conversation with the merciful Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner (Ezek. 33:11), about the most necessary matter - the salvation of the soul through bringing it into line with Him. , Savior, relationships broken by sin. The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the sorrow of a soul that has moved away from God and is seeking Him. Reading the second half of the Six Psalms reveals the state of a repentant soul reconciled with God.

9.29. What psalms are included in the Six Psalms and why these particular ones?

– The first part of Matins opens with a system of psalms known as six psalms. The sixth psalm includes: Psalm 3 “Lord, who has multiplied all this,” Psalm 37 “Lord, let me not be angry,” Psalm 62 “O God, my God, I come to You in the morning,” Psalm 87 “O Lord God of my salvation,” Psalm 102 “Bless my soul the Lord,” Psalm 142 “Lord, hear my prayer.” The psalms were chosen, probably not without intention, from different places in the Psalter evenly; this is how they represent it all. The psalms were chosen to be of the same content and tone that prevails in the Psalter; namely, they all depict the persecution of the righteous by enemies and his firm hope in God, only growing from the increase of persecution and in the end reaching jubilant peace in God (Psalm 103). All these psalms are inscribed with the name of David, excluding 87, which is the “sons of Korah,” and were sung by him, of course, during persecution by Saul (maybe Psalm 62) or Absalom (Psalms 3; 142), reflecting the spiritual growth of the singer in these disasters. Of the many psalms of similar content, these are chosen here because in some places they refer to night and morning (Ps. 3:6: “I fell asleep and arose, I arose”; Ps. 37:7: “I walked lamenting all day long”) ", v. 14: "I have taught the flattering all day long"; ps. 62:1: "I will pray to You in the morning", v. 7: "I have commemorated You on my bed, in the morning I have learned from You"; ps. 87:2: " I cried out to You in the days and in the night,” v. 10: “All day long I lifted up my hands to You,” v. 13, 14: “Thy wonders will be known in the dark... and I have cried out to You, O Lord, and morning prayer mine will precede Thee"; Ps. 102:15: "His days are like a field flower"; Ps. 142:8: "I hear that in the morning show Thy mercy to me"). Psalms of repentance alternate with thanksgiving.

Six Psalms listen in mp3 format

9.30. What is "polyeleos"?

– Polyeleos is the name given to the most solemn part of Matins – a divine service that takes place in the morning or evening; Polyeleos is served only at festive matins. This is determined by the liturgical regulations. On the eve of Sunday or a holiday, Matins is part of the all-night vigil and is served in the evening.

Polyeleos begins after reading the kathisma (Psalter) with the singing of verses of praise from the psalms: 134 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and 135 - “Confess the Lord” and ends with the reading of the Gospel. In ancient times, when the first words of this hymn “Praise the name of the Lord” were heard after the kathismas, numerous lamps (unction lamps) were lit in the temple. Therefore, this part of the all-night vigil is called “many oils” or, in Greek, polyeleos (“poly” - many, “oil” - oil). The Royal Doors open, and the priest, preceded by a deacon holding a lighted candle, burns incense to the altar and the entire altar, iconostasis, choir, worshipers and the entire temple. The open Royal Doors symbolize the open Holy Sepulcher, from where the kingdom of eternal life shines. After reading the Gospel, everyone present at the service approaches the icon of the holiday and venerates it. In memory of the fraternal meal of ancient Christians, which was accompanied by anointing with fragrant oil, the priest draws the sign of the cross on the forehead of everyone approaching the icon. This custom is called anointing. Anointing with oil serves as an external sign of participation in the grace and spiritual joy of the holiday, participation in the Church. Anointing with consecrated oil on polyeleos is not a sacrament; it is a rite that only symbolizes the invocation of God's mercy and blessing.

9.31. What is "lithium"?

– Litiya translated from Greek means fervent prayer. The current charter recognizes four types of litia, which, according to the degree of solemnity, can be arranged in the following order: a) “lithia outside the monastery,” scheduled for some twelfth holidays and on Bright Week before the Liturgy; b) lithium at Great Vespers, connected with the vigil; c) litia at the end of the festive and Sunday matins; d) lithium for the repose after weekday Vespers and Matins. In terms of the content of the prayers and the rite, these types of litia are very different from each other, but what they have in common is the departure from the temple. In the first type (of those listed), this outflow is complete, and in the others it is incomplete. But here and here it is performed in order to express the prayer not only in words, but also in movement, to change its place to revive prayerful attention; The further purpose of the lithium is to express - by removing from the temple - our unworthiness to pray in it: we pray, standing before the gates of the holy temple, as if before the gates of heaven, like Adam, the publican, the prodigal son. Hence the somewhat repentant and mournful nature of lithium prayers. Finally, in litia, the Church emerges from its blessed environment into the outside world or into the vestibule, as a part of the temple in contact with this world, open to everyone not accepted into the Church or excluded from it, for the purpose of a prayer mission in this world. Hence the national and universal character (for the whole world) of lithium prayers.

9.32. What is the Procession of the Cross and when does it happen?

– A procession of the cross is a solemn procession of clergy and lay believers with icons, banners and other shrines. Processions of the cross are held on annual special days established for them: on the Holy Resurrection of Christ - the Easter Procession of the Cross; on the feast of Epiphany for the great consecration of water in memory of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, as well as in honor of shrines and great church or state events. There are also extraordinary religious processions established by the Church on especially important occasions.

9.33. Where did the Processions of the Cross come from?

– Just like holy icons, religious processions got their origins from the Old Testament. The ancient righteous often performed solemn and popular processions with singing, trumpeting and rejoicing. Stories about this are set out in the sacred books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Numbers, the books of Kings, Psalms and others.

The first prototypes of the religious processions were: the journey of the sons of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; the procession of all Israel following the ark of God, from which the miraculous division of the Jordan River occurred (Joshua 3:14-17); the solemn seven-fold circumambulation of the ark around the walls of Jericho, during which the miraculous fall of the impregnable walls of Jericho took place from the voice of the sacred trumpets and the proclamations of the entire people (Joshua 6:5-19); as well as the solemn nationwide transfer of the ark of the Lord by kings David and Solomon (2 Kings 6:1-18; 3 Kings 8:1-21).

9.34. What does the Easter Procession mean?

– The Holy Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with special solemnity. The Easter service begins on Holy Saturday, late in the evening. At Matins, after the Midnight Office, the Easter Procession of the Cross takes place - worshipers, led by the clergy, leave the temple to make a solemn procession around the temple. Like the myrrh-bearing women who met the risen Christ the Savior outside Jerusalem, Christians meet the news of the coming of the Holy Resurrection of Christ outside the walls of the temple - they seem to be marching towards the risen Savior.

The Easter procession takes place with candles, banners, censers and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ under the continuous ringing of bells. Before entering the temple, the solemn Easter procession stops at the door and enters the temple only after the jubilant message has been sounded three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs!” The procession of the cross enters the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing women came to Jerusalem with joyful news to the disciples of Christ about the risen Lord.

9.35. How many times does the Easter Procession happen?

– The first Easter religious procession takes place on Easter night. Then, during the week (Bright Week), every day after the end of the Liturgy, the Easter Procession of the Cross is held, and before the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the same Processions of the Cross are held every Sunday.

9.36. What does the Procession with the Shroud on Holy Week mean?

– This mournful and deplorable procession of the Cross takes place in remembrance of the burial of Jesus Christ, when His secret disciples Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by the Mother of God and the myrrh-bearing women, carried in their arms the deceased Jesus Christ on the cross. They walked from Mount Golgotha ​​to Joseph's vineyard, where there was a burial cave in which, according to Jewish custom, they laid the body of Christ. In remembrance of this sacred event - the burial of Jesus Christ - a Procession of the Cross is held with the Shroud, which represents the body of the deceased Jesus Christ, as it was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.

The Apostle says to the believers: "Remember my bonds"(Col. 4:18). If the Apostle commands Christians to remember his sufferings in chains, then how much more strongly should they remember the sufferings of Christ. During the suffering and death on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, modern Christians did not live and did not share sorrow with the apostles, therefore in the days of Holy Week they remember their sorrows and lamentations about the Redeemer.

Anyone called a Christian who celebrates the sorrowful moments of the Savior’s suffering and death cannot help but be a participant in the heavenly joy of His Resurrection, for, in the words of the Apostle: “We are joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”(Rom.8:17).

9.37. On what emergency occasions are religious processions held?

– Extraordinary processions of the Cross are carried out with the permission of the diocesan church authorities on occasions that are especially vital for the parish, the diocese or the entire Orthodox people - during an invasion of foreigners, during the attack of a destructive disease, during famine, drought or other disasters.

9.38. What do the banners with which religious processions take place mean?

– The first prototype of banners was after the Flood. God, appearing to Noah during his sacrifice, showed a rainbow in the clouds and called it "a sign of an everlasting covenant" between God and people (Gen.9:13-16). Just as a rainbow in the sky reminds people of God’s covenant, so on banners the image of the Savior serves as a constant reminder of the deliverance of the human race at the Last Judgment from the spiritual fiery flood.

The second prototype of the banners was during Israel's exit from Egypt during the passage through the Red Sea. Then the Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and covered all the army of Pharaoh with darkness from this cloud, and destroyed it in the sea, but saved Israel. So on the banners the image of the Savior is visible as a cloud that appeared from heaven to defeat the enemy - the spiritual Pharaoh - the devil with all his army. The Lord always wins and drives away the power of the enemy.

The third type of banners was the same cloud that covered the tabernacle and overshadowed Israel during the journey to the Promised Land. All Israel looked at the sacred cloud cover and with spiritual eyes understood in it the presence of God Himself.

Another prototype of the banner is the copper serpent, which was erected by Moses at the command of God in the desert. When looking at him, the Jews received healing from God, since the copper serpent represented the Cross of Christ (John 3:14,15). So, while carrying banners during the procession of the Cross, believers raise their bodily eyes to the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints; with spiritual eyes they ascend to their prototypes existing in heaven and receive spiritual and physical healing from the sinful remorse of spiritual serpents - demons who tempt all people.

A practical guide to parish counseling. St. Petersburg 2009.

About the liturgical features of the Trinity Day–Archpriest Konstantin Pilipchuk, secretary of the Kyiv diocese, associate professor of the KDA.

– What are the liturgical features of the Feast of the Holy Trinity?

– The service for Trinity, celebrated at the present time, differs significantly from the service in the first centuries of Christianity. Then this holiday was not so widely known and, according to liturgists, it was celebrated on Sunday, in fact no different from the usual Sunday service.

Over time, starting from the 3rd and especially from the 4th century, when the Church had already received legitimate status, the worship of the Trinity began to acquire new colors and new prayers.

– When did kneeling prayer appear?

– In the 4th century, kneeling prayers already appeared, the authorship of which is attributed to the pen of Basil the Great. Also dating back to the 4th century is the testimony of St. John Chrysostom that the temple was decorated with greenery and flowers for this holiday. Since the 7th century, we have known the kontakion of the holiday, the authorship of which belongs to Roman the Sweet Singer. By the 8th century, John of Damascus and Cosmas of Mayum wrote the solemn canons of the Trinity.

And from the 9th to the 10th centuries, a solemn stichera of the holiday appeared in liturgical sources, now very much loved by the Orthodox people: "King of Heaven..." This stichera so well illustrates the image of the third Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord Himself calls “Comforter” in the Gospel, that since the 14th–15th centuries it has been included in the so-called regular beginning of all rites of the Orthodox Church, all prayers, even the morning and evening rules .

The full rite of the solemn service of Pentecost first appears in the statutes of the Church of Constantinople in the 10th century.

–Are there any liturgical features of the Liturgy?

The main feature and special solemnity of the Liturgy was the custom of the ancient Church to perform the Baptism of catechumens (those preparing to accept Christianity) on this day. Hence the appearance of the solemn baptismal chant “Elitsa was baptized into Christ...” instead of the “Trisagion.” This feature contributed to the popularization of this holiday in ancient times and its spread. Moreover, this feature also coincides with the holiday of Holy Easter and Epiphany.

M. Nesterov. Trinity Old Testament

– Another chant, which also relates to this holiday,–This is a wonderful stichera “I have seen the true light...”

“Over time, she also entered into the rites of the Liturgy. They began to sing it after Communion at every service. Moreover, during the period from Easter to Pentecost, 50 days, these prayers are not used, preparing a person to perceive with special attention the meaning of these chants on the day of Holy Pentecost.

Also, from Easter to Pentecost, the Church abolishes kneeling. And the most striking feature of the Trinity service is the service of Great Vespers on the very day of the holiday after the Divine Liturgy, with the reading of kneeling prayers. It is from this day that we again begin to sing a prayer appeal to the Holy Spirit and again receive permission from the Church Charter to kneel.

St. Andrey Rublev. Trinity

– What does kneeling mean in religious terms?

– In the ancient Church, litanies, which were used in divine services and were not as numerous and not as meaningful as at the present time, were always accompanied by genuflection.

Kneeling itself in religious terms is very important - a person, through his physical, external manifestations, demonstrates his attitude towards God, his special reverence for Him. When a person stands before God in tenderness and reverence, he wants to bow his knees before Him.

In kneeling prayers for Trinity, each of us turns to God, in the One Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so that the Lord does not abandon His creation, does not leave us all without His personal attention, without His Grace, His love and care.

Trinity. Kneeling prayers

– Is it true that Pentecost is the crown of God’s saving plan for man, the fulfillment of the entire earthly ministry of Jesus Christ?

- Absolutely right. Before His suffering, the Lord told the apostles that He must undergo suffering, otherwise the Comforter would not come to them: “...For if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you; and if I go, I will send Him to you...” (John 16:7). Completing his earthly mission, the Lord sends us the Comforter Spirit, who gathers us all together into the special mystical Body of Christ - the Church, and gives us special gifts of grace, special help, without which we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is especially important that from this moment, from the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Lord opens to us the opportunity to be with Him, opens to us the Royal Gates to heaven. But we must understand that for us this is only a potential opportunity.

We say that the Lord conquered death, the Lord conquered sin, but at the same time we are eyewitnesses of the fact that both death and sin are present in man’s earthly life - in what sense should we perceive these words?

The Lord never violates the will of man. In His love, He desires that each of us, of our own free will and without coercion, return to the bosom of the Father, to the Edenic abodes. But we cannot do this with our own efforts, talents or gifts; we cannot resist sin. Therefore, the Lord established the Church and teaches us the Divine Sacraments in It. The first Sacraments are Baptism and Confirmation, with which the Lord seals a person in the Holy Spirit, through the anointing with chrism he gives us the promise that he will not leave us. And it depends on us: to be with the Lord or not, to enter the Kingdom of God or not, to come to the Creator or not.