Spiritual life is built according to certain rules. In particular, there are rules for those preparing for Holy Communion. What are these rules?

Communion usually takes 3-7 days to prepare. During this time, it is necessary to awaken in your heart those feelings that we talked about in previous chapters. The Church also commands in the days of spiritual preparation for the reception of the Holy Mysteries to pay special attention to its prayer rule. It is recommended to add the reading of the canons, akathists or the Psalter to morning and evening prayers. Of course, the duration of the prayer rule must be commensurate with one's own strengths and capabilities. When in doubt, it is best to seek advice from your confessor or parish priest.

On the days of preparation for communion, it is necessary to attend church services as often as possible. In the evening, on the eve of communion, you must be present in the temple for worship. Arriving home, before praying for sleep, the future ones should read the canons corresponding to the day of the week. They are distributed as follows: on Saturday evening, the canons to the Sweetest Jesus should be read, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the guardian angel; on Sunday - canons to the Sweetest Jesus, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the archangels, and also, whoever wishes, to the guardian angel; on Monday - canons of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, St. John the Forerunner and guardian angel; on Tuesday - canons to the Sweetest Jesus, the Mother of God Hodegetria or a prayer service, to the guardian angel; on Wednesday - canons of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, the guardian angel, the holy apostles and, whoever wishes, St. Nicholas; on Thursday - the canons of the Holy Cross, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the guardian angel; on Friday - the canon to Jesus the Sweetest, the canon and akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canons to the guardian angel, all the saints and, whoever wishes, the canon for the dead.

Although the church charter requires without fail to read the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos only on the eve of Saturday, there is a pious custom to read akathists to Jesus the Sweetest and the Mother of God daily, changing them every other day.

Do the canons and akathists need to be read immediately before prayers for the future? No, not necessarily. Thus, the well-known Athos ascetic Hieroschemamonk Tikhon († 1968) did not wait for the evening to read the rule for Holy Communion, but he began to read it already from noon.

In the evening, before the day of communion, the canon for Holy Communion must certainly be read. In the morning, on the day of communion, the morning prayers and the Follow-up to Holy Communion are read, in addition to the canon already read the day before.

The Monk Nektarios of Optina († 1928), when preparing spiritual children for Communion, especially strictly demanded from them that the entire canon be read before Holy Communion. He told how one of the deceased Optina hieromonks appeared to him, who told that after his death he was delivered from ordeals, as he always celebrated the Liturgy in peace with everyone and read out all the rules.

In what frame of mind should we begin to perform the rule of prayer? Of course, the reading of the prayer rule should not be formal. The prayers contained in it are the fruit of the spiritual enlightenment of many righteous people. We need to be imbued with their holy feelings and godly thoughts. The Church has established a prayer rule before communion in order to help people who have not yet reached spiritual perfection to bring their souls into a state of grace, which corresponds to the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Of course, the rule before communion is the minimum that we have no right to reduce. Some consider this rule to be too lengthy. This opinion comes from a lack of zeal for the salvation of one's own soul. Many ascetics, burning in spirit, were not content with the usual prayer rule before communion and spent several hours in prayer. The daily prayer rule of the Belgorod elder Archimandrite Seraphim (Tyapochkina; 1894–1982) lasted 7–8 hours. Archbishop Joseph of Voronezh and Zadonsk († 1892), on the eve of communion of the Holy Mysteries, spent the whole night at prayer, resting only an hour before the liturgy. His hands were covered with calluses due to the fact that he leaned on them, making numerous prostrations. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, while still a deacon, spent all the nights before Sundays and holidays in prayer, standing motionless until the very Liturgy.

The Glinsk Elder Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash; 1888–1974) stayed overnight in the church before the celebration of the Liturgy. Here he prayed without closing his eyes until morning. Once, instead of a watchman in the temple, the head of the temple had to be on duty. Having settled down on the left kliros, he peacefully fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw that the temple was already crowded with people. Annoyance seized him: he must have slept so much time! Probably, the church had to be opened instead of him by Father Andronik himself. That's the old man! What an example to the parishioners?! He looked at the clock - it showed two hours, and outside the windows there was still night darkness. The headman, in dismay, rushed to look for the keys and found them in the usual place. Fear gripped his soul. He looked back into the temple. There, the elder, surrounded by a dense crowd of people, bowed before the festive icon. For some time, with reverent awe, the headman watched as the heavenly Church prayed with the great ascetic. When Schema-Archimandrite Andronicus finished the rule, the people disappeared and the temple again plunged into the silence of the night.

The Rule for Holy Communion is a prayerful preparation for the Eucharist. During the celebration of the sacrament itself, we need to completely renounce everything worldly and immerse ourselves with all our being in the atmosphere of the sacrament. At this moment, our prayer should be especially concentrated and fervent.

During the service of the liturgy, the prayerful tension of Father John of Kronstadt, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, was so great that he was drenched in sweat, like Christ praying before suffering on the Cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. He even had to change clothes and change his shirt.

Prayer preparation for communion is accompanied by spiritual and bodily abstinence. In the days preceding communion, one must beware of filling one's soul with worldly concerns, and various entertainments must be completely excluded. At this time, products of animal origin are not consumed: meat, milk, eggs and, with strict fasting, fish. It is customary to start communion on an empty stomach, so after midnight nothing is eaten or drunk.

The significance of abstinence before communion can be judged from an incident that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Bishop Innokenty (Yastrebov), vicar of the Kyiv diocese, received a phone call from Governor-General Trepov and said that an archpriest had died in Vinnitsa under mysterious circumstances. He is not buried, waiting for representatives of the highest church authorities.

Bishop Innokenty hastily arrived in Vinnitsa. The late archpriest turned out to be a middle-aged man. During the autopsy of his body, all organs were found intact, except for the stomach. This organ was black in color and completely charred. When they took it out, it crumbled into small black embers.

The doctors who participated in the autopsy were unable to determine the cause of the archpriest's death. Then they began to question the wife of the deceased. She said with tears that over the past year her husband began to show strangeness: every morning, before going to celebrate the liturgy, he ate and drank. At first, the archpriest did not complain about anything, then he began to feel a burning sensation in his stomach, then - constant burning. Because of this, he stopped eating, and before his death, he constantly yelled:

Fire, fire inside!!!.

After listening to the story of the wife of the archpriest, Bishop Innokenty said:

The Divine Eucharist, apparently, was performed by an angel instead of the deceased, and the Holy Gifts burned the blasphemer.

Despite the importance of abstinence before communion, a Christian must measure his bodily achievement with his state of health and spiritual disposition. The severity of fasting should not exceed the strength of a person. Every Christian needs to know that extremes in the spiritual life are unacceptable. The Monk Pimen the Great said: "Everything that is above measure is from demons."

The Monk Sebastian of Karaganda issued severe reprimands to those who arbitrarily, without blessing, did not eat food at all for one or several days before communion. He sometimes did not even allow such unauthorized people to take communion. The monk blessed the weak and sick on the night before communion (until midnight, of course) to drink a cup of boiling water and eat a piece of bread so that by morning they would not become ill.

During Lent, the Monk Sebastian allowed people who had diseases of the stomach or lungs to relax their abstinence after receiving the Holy Mysteries. He blessed them to take milk or tea with milk as medicine. At the same time, the monk always ordered the sick, despite a good reason, to repent of breaking the fast before God and be sure to say this at confession.

Married people must abstain from conjugal communion before communion. Obstacles to the communion of the Holy Mysteries are also nocturnal defilements and menstruation in women.

Of course, it is absolutely unacceptable to approach the sacrament with an unrepentant sin on your conscience. No matter how unimportant this sin may seem to us, it is precisely this sin that can serve as an obstacle to worthy participation in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

In the Egyptian Skete, when the liturgy was performed, the Spirit of God descended on the Holy Gifts in the form of an eagle. This phenomenon was observed only by the clergy. It happened that during one of the divine services the likeness of an eagle did not appear to the eyes of the clergy. The serving hieromonk, puzzled by this, said to the hierodeacon:

We have sinned in some way, either you or I. Depart from the holy throne, and if the likeness of an eagle appears, it will be clear that it did not appear because of you.

The deacon departed, and the Spirit of God in the form of an eagle immediately descended upon the Holy Offering. After the end of the Liturgy, the hieromonk asked the hierodeacon who served with him:

What did you do?

I don’t know of any sin behind me,” answered the hierodeacon. - Unless one of the brethren came to me and asked for something, and I refused him, saying that I had no time.

The eagle did not leave because the brother was upset with you, - the hieromonk reasoned.

Realizing his guilt, the deacon went to the offended monk and, asking his forgiveness, reconciled with him.

A similar incident occurred at the end of the 18th century in the Valaam Monastery. At that time, the elder Xenophon lived there. Previously, he had been an Old Believer mentor for many years, but one day, having come to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for the liturgy, he was rewarded with a vision of the Heavenly Forces who served the hieromonk. After that, Xenophon converted to Orthodoxy and, having settled on Valaam, began to lead an ascetic life. For his piety, Xenophon was honored to be a spectator of the grace of God, manifested in various ways during the celebration of the liturgy. Somehow, during the service, the Finns entered the temple, very untidy appearance. The elder silently condemned them, and because of this, he immediately ceased to see the grace of God with his spiritual gaze. Immediately repentant, he began to ask for forgiveness from God. However, he began to contemplate blessed visions again only a month later.

Prayer preparation for communion is greatly harmed by passions. They take away its power from prayer, and make the soul unworthy for the Lord to enter into it. Here is an example of the detrimental effect of sinful desires on a person.

In the altar of the church, in which St. Basil the Great used to celebrate the Liturgy, above the altar hung a golden image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. When the saint offered up the Holy Gifts during the divine service, the golden dove, moved by the power of God, shook three times. In one of the services, the usual sign indicating the descent of the Holy Spirit on bread and wine did not occur. Saint Basil, reflecting on the cause of what had happened, looked around at the clergy who served with him and noticed that one of the deacons was looking passionately at the woman who was standing in the church. Immediately, the saint commanded the deacon to retreat from the throne and appointed him a strict penance. After this incident, he ordered that a partition with a curtain be erected in front of the altar, so that nothing could distract the clergy from attentive prayer and spiritual contemplation of the great sacrament.

Not only unrepentant sins and passions, with which we are seized, are an obstacle to worthy communion. The general spiritual and moral state of our soul, which often manifests itself in absent-minded and frivolous behavior, may not correspond to the great gift of Divine love given to us in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Monk Sevastian of Karaganda was strict with those who, without a valid reason, were late for the service and demanded that they confess and receive communion without proper preparation. Not allowing such people to take communion, the elder made a suggestion to them:

So only the sick can be communed, and you are in good health and have many sins behind you. Can’t you choose the time to prepare yourself, cleanse yourself with repentance, come to the temple on time, listen to the rule and the service, and, having confessed, approach the cup with the fear of God?! Entering the cup of the Holy Mysteries is not the same as approaching a cup of soup or a cup of tea!

What did the Monk Sebastian want to convey to the hearts of negligent Christians?

God is love. God's love for us was revealed in the fact that God sent His Only Begotten Son into the world so that we would receive life through Him (1 John 4:8-9). God's love for us is so great that His Son, saving us, gave Himself to be tortured on the cross. God expects the same selfless love for Himself from us. He waits not because he needs it, but because in this self-sacrificing love for God lies our salvation.

From the book "The Miracle of Holy Communion"

Priest Andrei Chizhenko explains.

Let us remind ourselves, dear brothers and sisters, of the great and beautiful exclamation uttered during the offering of the lamb, which became the Body of Christ, the priest in the altar. It sounds like this: “Come on. Holy to the holy." That is, let's be extremely attentive, now the Holy (the shrine of the Body and Blood of Christ) will be taught to the saints.

Who are these saints? They are all those believing Orthodox Christians who, with the help of humility, repentance, the Sacrament of Confession, prayer and fasting, doing good deeds, cleansed their souls and hearts by receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ. They With God help sanctified themselves with their prayerful and bodily feat, tried to get closer to the Creator in a difficult struggle with themselves. And He certainly didn't leave them. The merciful Lord will grant them the greatest Holy thing, both in heaven and on earth. He gives them Himself - His Most Pure Body and Blood, unites a sinful person with Himself, burns His sins and transforms and sanctifies his fallen nature. And thus, in reality, in fact, with the help of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, salvation, deification of man takes place. The doors to the Kingdom of Heaven are opened to him.

Can we be unworthy of this great Sacrament? Can we dare to approach it unprepared, without even trying to purify our hearts and bodies?
What is the basis for the practice of the Eucharistic fast and the rule of prayer before communion?

Let us recall the words of the Savior about demons: “This kind is cast out only by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21). Here is an indication for you of the three-day fast and the fast before the actual communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and of a rather lengthy prayer rule. With God's help, we must cleanse our spiritual and bodily organism from the passions of the devil and sin, and the tools for this saving action are prayer and fasting. They were given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. So do we have the right to ignore them?

The prayer rule itself for Holy Communion begins to take shape by the 10th-11th centuries. in a monastic environment. Pious laity also began to orient themselves to the same pious tradition. And thus the practice of special prayerful preparation before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ spread everywhere and became a church custom.

To date, one of the main documents regarding the topic of communion is the Document approved at the Bishops' Meeting of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on February 2-3, 2015 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, under the title: "On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist".

It contains the following provision: “3. Preparation for communion consists not only in the rejection of certain foods, but also in more frequent attendance at church services, as well as in the fulfillment of a prayer rule.

An invariable part of prayer preparation is the Follow-up to Holy Communion, which consists of the corresponding canon and prayers. The prayer rule usually includes canons to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel and other prayers (see "The rule for those preparing to serve, and those who want to partake of the Holy Divine Sacraments, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ" in the Followed Psalter). During Bright Week, the prayer rule consists of the Paschal canon, as well as the canon and prayers for Holy Communion. A personal rule of prayer must be performed outside of divine services, which always involve conciliar prayer. Special pastoral attention is required in relation to people whose spiritual path in the Church is just beginning and who are not yet accustomed to lengthy prayer rules, as well as children and the sick. The following Psalter suggests the possibility of replacing the canons and akathists with the Jesus Prayer and prostrations. In the spirit of this instruction, with the blessing of the confessor, the mentioned rule can be replaced by other prayers.

Usually, the prayer rule consists of the Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Canon to the Guardian Angel and the Follow-up to Holy Communion. At will, the believer can also read the Akathist to Jesus the Sweetest. It is advisable to read the canons on the day before the Divine Liturgy. Most of the time it's Saturday. Since they are originally and ideally read at Small Compline, celebrated on the evening before the Liturgy. Let's say you want to take communion on Sunday. On Saturday you can read three canons throughout the day (with breaks). It's not that hard. Even with slow reading, the canon does not take more than half an hour. If you have the strength and desire, or you are going, for example, to the early Liturgy, then you can also read the part of the Follow-up to Holy Communion on Saturday. This is the usual cap "beginning, psalms, canon to" It is worthy to eat. And with “It is worthy to eat” and through the final prayers for Holy Communion, the rule is read in the morning before the Liturgy. Thus, with God's help, you tune your soul to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

For example, many priests (this is also allowed for the laity) prepare for communion according to the special book “Canon”. It got its name due to the fact that it contains the canons for each day in preparation for Holy Communion. They change every day. On Monday, the canon to the holy Angels is included, on Tuesday to the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, on Wednesday the canon of Hodegetria, etc.
In this case, everyone chooses the measure of prayer for himself. In fact, three canons and the Follow-up to Holy Communion are obligatory. It is advisable to discuss the reduction or increase in prayerful preparation for participation in the Eucharist with your confessor or with a priest whom you trust.

In only one case is communion allowed without prayer and fasting preparation: if there is a threat of death of a person. Then only confession and communion of the dying are important.

Let us remember, dear brothers and sisters, the words of the holy supreme apostle Paul: “Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and thus let him eat and drink from this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying” (1 Cor. 11:27-30).

With God's help, we must cleanse ourselves as much as possible in order to become like the holy prophet Moses the God-seer. After all, the Liturgy is our individual ascent to Sinai, in the core of which we will see the Lord. And can we skip at least a step of this ascent without good reason?

Priest Andrei Chizhenko

The basis of the main Orthodox divine service is the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts and equally the communion by believers of the Blood and Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the source of eternal life for every human soul and after the Second Coming also the body, which will be resurrected for everyone. An Orthodox Christian who wishes to receive communion must properly prepare himself for this church sacrament.

The history of the creation of the rule

In Holy Scripture, in his epistle to the Corinthians, the holy Apostle Paul warns Christians against improper acceptance of the Body and Blood of Christ, since the consequences can be very unpleasant: many illnesses and even the death of a person (1st Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Apostle Paul, 11 :29.30).

Over the centuries, the rule of preparing for Communion has gradually changed depending on the conditions of life of Christians. In the V-VI centuries. these canons were read during the service. Undoubtedly, over time, the volume of following (the canon) increased and began to take too much time, which became beyond the power of believers. On this basis, the prayerful preparation for Holy Communion has not been read during divine services since the 11th century. A Christian, preparing to properly partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, must read all the prayers at home (in private), and with heartfelt attention, sincerely. The rule includes such prayers as:

• canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ;
• canon to the Guardian Angel before Communion;
• Canon of the Theotokos (prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos).

The composition of the penitential canon

The word "canon" in translation into Russian means a generally accepted rule that has a clear structure according to which it can be built. The canon, in its essence, is a spiritual hymnographic work of a poetic nature, dedicated to either the All-Holy Trinity, or one of the hypostases of God, the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Angels, holy people, as well as any significant events, in honor of which the existing Christian churches were formed. celebrations and celebrations.

Canon includes:

Unlike akathist, for example, to the Sweetest Jesus and many others, the canon can be read while sitting. The canon is subdivided into only nine cantos (however, in fact there are usually eight of them, since the second is skipped). Each song is preceded by an irmos.

Irmos is the first, pre-established text that does not change. Irmos can be of a certain voice (voice), there are eight in total. Therefore, it is usually signed "irmos, voice such and such." Since the canon is, as mentioned, a hymnographic work, chant inserts are included in it. Voice marking is important mainly for the church choir, which knows the tunes of everyone.

The second ode is omitted in ordinary modern canons, but is sung during Great Lent and is usually associated with events in the life of the Lord and the Church that took place on the eve of the Savior's suffering.

First Canto contains evidence of a repentant feeling for the deed. This allows the reader to tune in to a repentant mood, to realize himself not as a pompous master of this life, full of pride and lack of love for his neighbor, but unworthy of God's mercy. Forgiveness is indicated in the troparia, so that the Lord would give the one who prays repentant feelings and tears for sins to mourn his atrocities.

At the same time, the penitent dares to aspire to God in his spiritual misfortune. And also this part of the canon calls not to spend time aimlessly in laziness, and also asks for help Holy Mother of God, her intercession before God for those who have fallen in sin.

Second song, as mentioned, is omitted, since it is included only in liturgical texts, and only in the canons of special events.

In the third contains memories of the Last Judgment and hellish torments. The soul is called to repentance before the hour of death, in order to avoid eternal torment. Sedalen concludes by reflecting on how difficult it will be to stand before the throne of God with such a restless heart.

In the fourth song the Creator and the Holy Church gathered by him are praised. It speaks of worldly joys and pleasures, but the authors of the canon warn that a person should protect himself from these pleasures if he strives to be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a call not to accumulate worldly goods and not to get hung up on their accumulation, because they are all finite and will turn to dust. But the glory of God and His Kingdom will never end.

In the fifth song the grace of God is invoked. A person realizes that with each of his senses and every member he constantly sins and asks his soul, is this what she wanted?

in the sixth contains a request to wrest your soul from a sinful position, so that atrocities stop, the soul resurrects, remembering its deeds, and with contrition bowed before the Creator in anticipation of transfiguration and sanctification.

In the kontakion, the soul of the praying person is called to account for what it does what the devil craves, and is called to turn to God.

Ikos sets up repentance before the soul is sent to hell.

in the seventh a call sounds for a person so that he does not count on earthly riches, on the health of the body, beauty and strength. It is not given to anyone to know for sure to whom he is actually collecting his wealth, because the hour of death may come tomorrow. And it will not go to the one who spent his whole life on its accumulation. And these labors will not really help those who pray at the Judgment, because a person did not grow rich in God, but in vanity. In addition, health, strength and beauty eventually leave the human body.

in the eighth describes the petrification of the heart, which does not allow a person to repent, to experience the necessary feelings. It also mentions the fact that each person is equal before the Court of the Creator, and before Him there is no account of weight, neither spiritual dignity, nor title, nor age - nothing, only deeds, thoughts and deeds.

In the ninth song the one who prays calls for help the Most Holy Theotokos, all the saints of God and His angels, so that they pray for the salvation of his soul.

The canon ends with a prayer appeal to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In prayer, a person realizes his sinful actions, therefore he asks the Lord for forgiveness and healing for his wounds. Despite the fact that a person once refused God, he asks the Heavenly Father not to do the same, but, on the contrary, to enter his life and help, save him from the abyss of sin, so that he can bring the Creator a worthy fruit of repentance. Man yearns to renounce evil and become the heir of the Father's Kingdom.

Preparation for the Sacraments

Most often, the canon of repentance to the Lord is read as component prayers for Holy Communion. He sets the inner world on a wave of remorse. So that the sinner is able to comprehend his actions, settle down and receive the salvation of his soul for eternal life with God in His Kingdom. In the rule of preparation for Communion, there are three canons for Communion combined, they should be read as one, but the refrains are given in turn from each specific one. It includes three other canons: penitent to the Lord, prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel. Only a few parts of them are included.

Approaching Holy Communion, you need to properly prepare and free your soul from sinful damage. This is achieved through repentance. Canons before confession and

Communion helps to understand with what state it is appropriate to approach the Sacraments and makes it possible to correctly attune oneself already at home.

It is important that the appeal to the penitential canon does not turn into a mechanical proofreading, but is true spiritual repentance. If everything is done correctly, then you can get great benefits and purification. Perhaps that is why after Communion they read thanksgiving prayers.

Penitential canon in everyday life

Reading about the prayer of repentance to the Lord God, only from the point of view of preparation for the Sacrament of Penance (confession), one cannot find out all the possibilities of this small prayer. In modern spiritual practice, priests often resort to the advice to read this rule when a person is in various predicaments:

• in case of serious trouble;
• in diseases;
• in sorrows and sorrows;
• in the absence of children;
• with difficulties in personal and family life.

Most often, this rule is suggested to be read for health problems. If we take into account that all troubles and troubles happen to us because of our own sins, even seemingly unreasonable anger on the part of those around us, then bringing God one's disposition to repentance inclines the Lord to mercy.

Real story

In the practice of one fairly well-known modern priest, there are many real cases when reading the Penitential Canon for even six months turned the life of the worshiper and his loved ones in the most favorable direction.

Once, a woman was brought to the priest for guidance and advice on how to live on, who was dying of cancer. They led her by the arms into the holy temple of the Lord and led her to the priest. She told him that she was dying and that none of the doctors could help her. During the conversation, it turned out that at one time this woman had performed a lot of abortions in her youth, and this was not realized by her as a mortal sin of killing, moreover, her own children. Batiushka explained to her the scale of what she had done, and called everything by its right name.

The woman asked what she should do, because the dead cannot be returned. The priest blessed her every day to read the Penitential Canon for her deeds, to try to dispose her soul to sincere repentance and change, to invite the priest more often for confession and communion if she herself is unable to come to the temple. This ended the conversation.

A year later, according to the story of the priest, in the temple where the fateful conversation took place, by the time of the service, she entered fresh look an elderly but pretty smiling woman in a hat. She looked for someone in the crowd. When she saw the priest, she joyfully approached him, took a blessing and began to give thanks. He did not immediately recognize in her the woman who, dying a year ago, was brought by the arms for, most likely, the last conversation.

It turned out that upon arrival home, where the doctors had discharged her to die, she began to fulfill the blessing exactly: every day she read the canon, tried to arouse repentance in herself, diligently confessed and took communion. Six months later, she no longer needed support from relatives, she began to get out to the temple herself, her appetite improved, and the cancer receded. But that is not all. During this year, both of her daughters met their love, corrected their affairs, and so many favorable events happened in their lives, which have not happened throughout their entire lives. The Lord gladly accepted the penitent and hurried to bestow upon her and those close to her with His rich mercies.

The Power of Prayer

Repentance is said to be the second Baptism. And Baptism, as you know, washes away all sins from a person (as well as monasticism or tonsure as a monk). If you are honest with yourself and the Creator, then a sincere reading of the canon of repentance will wash away all the dirt from a person’s soul and give it freedom to live in love, goodness and for the eternal Kingdom of God.

Today is the day of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara. We have, thank God, many saints. And yet it cannot be said that we love everyone equally, perhaps because we know them differently. If we take the December ones, among the most beloved and close are the Holy Great Martyr Barbara and St. Nicholas - the miracle worker, Archbishop of the World of Lycia.

O.A. - Indeed it is. To whom the people's heart is located, whom the common people have greatly loved - this is passed down from generation to generation. There is already a special relationship with such a saint.

They are already considered ours, Russians!

O.A. - Certainly. And some will even be offended if you say that Varvara is not ours, Russian, saint. Everyone will say that ours. A particle of her relics is in the church of John the Warrior, and in our church of St. Euphrosyne, Grand Duchess of Moscow. Well, her relics rest in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv. Unfortunately, it is now occupied by schismatics. The Lord vouchsafed me to visit Kyiv as an 11-year-old schoolboy. I visited Vladimir Cathedral, Florovsky Monastery, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

In Rus' there was a custom when a child was three years old - for the first time they read a folk prayer to the holy Great Martyr Barbara. She is always depicted with a Chalice in her hands, and through her prayers people receive a Christian parting word in the last minutes of their lives, communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The prayer is this: “Holy Great Martyr Barbara, come to me, dear, confess me and take communion before the hour of death” .... and so on. This was my first prayer. It was very simple and therefore easy to remember. At first, the kids uttered it in their children's language, and then they learned complex, as we thought, prayers: "Our Mother of God, Virgin", "Our Father". Also in preschool age already knew them because Christian family From childhood we were taught to pray and love our great saints. We had an icon of St. Barbara at home. And we, praying, always peered into it. The icons were simple, but despite the poverty of our lives, they seemed to us the most beautiful. They gave us an amazing world. A great secret was revealed. Great Martyr Barbara was the first and most beloved saint. When it was scary, I always closed my eyes and read this prayer. And it became calm, because he knew: now the holy great martyr would come and drive away all the demons with the Chalice. This love has continued to this day. And then, when we got to know her life, special, outstanding, of course - the love of the people, her veneration only deepened. It is no coincidence that many are called by this name - both little girls in the world, and sisters, and abbesses in monasteries.

How to study the Holy Scriptures with children, so that it is both intelligible for them and entertaining, and at the same time does not lower this height?

OA - There is a children's Bible, there is the Law of God, especially Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky. It's pretty simple text.

- Yes, it is. But how to do it so that they don't get bored? Maybe in some kind of game?

OA - No, they won't get bored. Because they, on the contrary, need to be taught to serious things. There is always some mystery always giving the possibility of inner concentration. And again, their young memory remembers everything very well. We once went on a trip to the Holy Land and chose not only to visit the holy places, but also the Israel Museum. Why? It is very interesting. One group went for a walk in the old city, while the other went to the Israel Museum for an additional fee. What was interesting there? There, for example, there were real water carriers from the time of Christ the Savior (in Cannes there are water carriers of a later time). There is a part of the wing of the temple from which the holy Apostle James was thrown. Other relics date back to the earthly life of Christ. There is a layout of Jerusalem from the time of the Savior - very interesting. A huge open-air layout occupies several tens of square meters. And you look from a height, and you can study the streets, the gates through which the Lord entered, where He ascended. And when the guide walked, he told us: do you remember this or that? And he asked us a question. And we slowed down a little while we remembered. There were two girls with us, 12 years old. So they gave out the history of the Old Testament, names, events by heart, without hesitation. The tour guide was amazed. She asked: are your girls Orthodox or maybe Jewish, because Orthodox usually know the Old Testament worse than the New? So, it is important for children to speak seriously. They think, they remember. The most important thing is that they hear it as early as possible and from the most authoritative people, then they will reject all other concepts and opinions. The most authoritative person in the family is, of course, the mother. Dads rarely do this. And there is no need to think that faith will come later, and they themselves will understand. They won't understand. Of course, faith in Rus' was inculcated. How? Reading the Menaia, that is, the Lives of the Saints, reading the Holy Scriptures, reading spiritual literature, even just from life about God's help, about participation in the life of the saints. Children listen, because their sense of the spiritual world is more acute than that of an adult who has matured in his sins and fuss. Therefore, the kids are clean, they perceive and reproduce all this very well. And most importantly, they are used in their spiritual and moral life.

O.A. - A strict rule, of course, tells us that we need to read the day before and on the day of communion we need to get up early in the morning. But today's time is very difficult, vain, and a person today is heavily burdened. Moreover, we are not such very church people, for whom the rule to read is just to stand up and pray with ease. For many, this is difficult, and takes several hours. It is better to prepare in advance: to exclude fuss and entertainment, somehow withdraw into yourself a little, look at your life, at your actions. I recommend breaking the rule into parts. We start preparing in three days.

- When did the rule for communion appear?

O.A. - Historically, it was formed in different ways. And we see that if we take the rule itself, there are ancient prayers of Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and even more ancient prayers. The rule was formed for many centuries, but it has come down to us in this form, and the church has kept it this way for several centuries. The preparation itself must be. She cannot be absent, because we have extremes: either I will pray long and hard, then I will take communion - or I will not pray. The Lord is merciful, He will forgive me anyway. Of course, there are different cases, but again, each person should discuss the measure of his prayer rule and preparation for Holy Communion with his spiritual father or parish priest. Never in spiritual life should one take the decision of these questions upon oneself!

- What is lukewarmness in faith, and how can one recognize it in oneself?

And what is the grace of the Holy Spirit, how is it received?

O.A. - Lucidity in faith - we all know that. This is when a person experiences a certain indifference, so to speak, to his spiritual life. It does not burn, it is neither hot nor cold. He is lukewarm. That is, you see, he has such a state, as if he were in himself, and he is not interested in anything in life. That's how he believes. And it seems that a believer, but does not burn, does not live according to those laws and those rules that the Lord gave him. He does not care. He can go to the temple, light a candle, turn around and leave. But in fact, burning is the creation of good deeds. This is internal prayer, this is external good deeds, this is fasting. That is, lukewarmness is when he does not strive to improve and rise to God. And in life a Christian must always ascend from strength to strength. We need to improve so that every year we become better and closer to heaven.

But, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit is indeed given to us from the Lord. And we know that if we receive this grace, then we also receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Such as peace, joy, inner impulses to do good deeds, like love, which, of course, makes us akin to the Lord. Grace comes from the Lord. First of all - through the Holy Sacraments of the Church. We know the Seven Sacraments. We receive special thanks for Divine Liturgy. Also through contact with the sacred. Why are there icons, holy relics, a cross, holy water, prosphora. Through all this, through touching the holy objects. How to feel grace? Here, they say: grace has visited me. Sometimes we can't even find words to describe what we feel inside. It is always inspiration, inner uplift. This is tenderness, and peace, and joy, and love. I want to hug everyone when you go out in such joy, to forgive everyone. Tears flow: Lord, what kind of mercy You give me, because You visited me today, the grace of the Holy Spirit was revealed to me in my heart. And you really already think - here, indeed, You are on earth, Lord, and I want to strive for You.

Even the educated apostle Paul found no human words to describe grace.

Sometimes they say: why do you go to church, what did you forget there? And a believing person who has experienced this grace and joy, he forgets everything in this world, TV, friends are not needed. He only wants the Lord. Because I have never felt such a fullness of life, such love, as a person feels in the church of God. He goes to monasteries, comes and cannot enjoy.

The believer survives by the Lord. He knows that the Lord will never leave him, he will always give the Grace of the Holy Spirit, which will strengthen, which will help and which will give a sense of great sorrows and difficulties - joy, will make you feel the joy of this life and anticipate the joy that the Lord will give in eternity.

- Is it possible for lukewarm people to receive communion often? For example, outside the fast, allowing himself without fasting?

And what about children who do not get out of the computer? You try to take them to communion more often, but what is the post when you can’t pull them out from behind the computer? It turns out lukewarmness, will it not be harmful?

O.A. - Let's start with the kids. I would like to be heard. I will repeat once again that it is very important never to decide for yourself when I should take communion and in what state I should be. Everyone has their own condition, so let your confessor or your parish priest decide the measure of your approach to the Holy Chalice. Be sure to consult with him. Do not make your own decisions about these matters. They will not benefit you. This is the first. Second: is it possible for children to do this? Of course, the sacrament must be approached with preparation. Remember the words of the holy Apostle Paul, who said: many of you are sick and dying because they unworthily approach the Holy Chalice. In no case. And kids have to be patient. And so that they could prepare at least a day. Let them take communion less often, but let there be reverent preparation for the Holy Chalice in their hearts. Let once a month. If they play like that and are biased. But they must feel to whom they are going - to the Lord. So, they must move away from something secular. And this, believe me, will give a huge fruit. But so are we. What kind of debauchery is this now? Well, let's all start eating meat, drinking milk and going to the Chalice. Are you sick? There are no obstacles for the patient - eat, drink, you need strength. But if you feel healthy in yourself, if you can limit yourself, limit yourself. I recently told you and I will tell you again. The case was like this. That's how the old people felt about it. When I was still a young priest, I came to the meeting, and there was a grandmother of 95 years old. And my daughter came up to me and said: Father, tell her not to fast (was Great Lent), but ate. What should she fast at the age of 95? She can barely drag her legs behind her. I look and don't know what to say. Well, on the one hand, I understand, and on the other, what I will say to an old man. I look at her and say: well, mother, what are we going to do with you? She says: Father, can I ask you a question? And if I don't fast, will I die? I say you will die. She - and then why break the post? I tell my daughter: look, how she answered us. Let her do what her heart burns.

And I knew a woman, she gave birth to 8 children, and she never broke the fast, even when she gave birth. And she said that she always fasted in the hospital. And the nurses said no. She ate white bread and drank sweet tea. And she was full, and there was enough milk for the children.

Combining everything and remaining faithful to the Lord. The Lord will never leave a person. Therefore, look for such a balance yourself. You don't need to chill yourself. Today in one I allowed myself, tomorrow in another. And we'll get a Protestant society. Canceled everything, you are saved by faith. If we go like this, what will we get? We will destroy the church and give no inheritance to our own children. And so we are all in sorrow and we all live in passions. Therefore, we will be stricter to ourselves - and then we will get some result. It is better to infect yourself with strictness than with some kind of licentiousness. A good example will always remain, and a bad one will only relax all the people around us.

Allergy in young children - is it also for parental sins, for pride? And the child can also suffer because of quarrels and disputes in the family?

O.A. : every weakness has a spiritual basis, and there is something to repent of. Allergy is also ecology, it is both water and air, especially in the metropolitan area. But it is also the nervous system. Somehow we need to calm down, and we can calm down in a big city in a big family only when we come to the Lord. And any weakness, of course, is given for sins, we know this. In any case, you need to repent, correct yourself, draw closer to God. The closer to God, the less infirmities, because the Lord gives us the opportunity to direct our strength to prayer, to receive joy through Divine services, taking away unnecessary infirmity from us. Therefore, be closer to God, perform the Sacraments and everything will be fine!!!

I am reading a book by Vladyka Hilarion, which says that Christians do not need any additional evidence of the resurrection of Christ, they become true Christians because they have met the Risen Christ in their lives. How to understand this: to meet the Risen Christ?

OA: The reality of meeting with the Lord is real and tangible. We discussed with you how the Grace of the Holy Spirit works. This is known: through the sacrament of the Eucharist. In this sacrament, that deepest faith comes to a person, which we receive when we unite with God. Here there is a real meeting with Christ of each person. After all, it is no coincidence that we sing “Seeing the Resurrection of Christ” every night service. Not seen, but seen, that is, this is a living, real and experienced meeting of every Christian, if he lives a real, genuine, Christian life. It's about the inspiration we talked about. About that experience, about that inner and true joy, about that world, about that peace that a person receives. This is his real meeting with God. Therefore, a Christian does not need to prove. Here, understand: there is a practical faith, there is a theoretical one. Theoretical is just evidence. And practical is already heartfelt faith, when a person himself felt the action of the Grace of God and realized the very meeting with Christ through the experiences that he has in the church. In any case, theoretical faith, penetrating into our mind, must descend into the heart - and then it will only become stronger. Here, our grandmothers - they do not know Theology, they have never lived with reasoning about the Resurrection, archaeological, historical evidence. But what deep faith! In this case, it is purely practical. Perception of the Lord - and a real meeting. It was not easy for us in Soviet times every trip to the temple was given. I once asked my mother as a child: Mom, why do we believe in God? She said - son, I can’t tell you much, but look how the Lord helps us! And she simply told about her difficulties in life, about serious situations in life. And we, he says, came out of them. Others, look who does not go to church, how they live, and we, look how we live! The Lord has never left us and always helps us. She spoke about the early death of her father and how she raised all the children. About how we get on our feet, and so on. It was a feeling of a real participation of God in our life with her. We have already met God. Therefore, a believing person who lives a full-fledged Christian liturgical life does not need proof. We drop them. He already has Christ in his heart, because every day he meets with Him, from His hands he receives great mercy, which strengthens him in this earthly life.

-What is your attitude to the Psalter of the Theotokos?

O.A. I love her so much. Now I do not read, sinful. These are hymns of praise to the Theotokos. I read when I was studying, and it brought great joy. This is a living communication with the Queen of Heaven. I'm fine. Any prayer of the Mother of God always fills a person and brings him closer to the Mother of God. It's like talking to her. And there is confidence, and joy, and the discovery of the world of the Mother of God herself. Because everything there is dedicated to Her, Her experiences, the mercy that She shows to the human race. Deepest Psalter. If I say what place it can take in the life of a Christian, then I will say: not only not the last, but a significant place. Because not everyone can even understand the Psalter of David, you need to come to it, and you need to reach it. But the Psalter of the Mother of God is accessible to a person, especially, who is just embarking on the path of Christian life.

The rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Saratov, hegumen Pakhomiy (Bruskov) answers questions on the personal prayer rule of a Christian

Prayer is the free appeal of the human soul to God. How to correlate this freedom with the obligation to read the rule even when you clearly do not want to do this?

Freedom is not permissiveness. A person is so arranged that if he allows himself an indulgence, it can be very difficult to return to the previous state. There are many examples in hagiographic literature when ascetics abandoned their prayer rule in order to show love to the brothers who came. Thus, they placed the commandment of love above their prayer rule. But it should be remembered that these people reached extraordinary heights of spiritual life, they were unceasingly in prayer. When we feel that we do not want to pray, this is a banal temptation, not a manifestation of freedom.

The rule keeps a person in a spiritually developed state; it should not depend on a momentary mood. If a person leaves the prayer rule, he very quickly comes to relaxation.

In addition, it should be remembered that when a person communicates with God, an enemy of our salvation always strives to stand between them. And not allowing him to do this is not a restriction on the freedom of the individual.

At what point in time should you read the morning and evening rule?

This is clearly and clearly written in any Orthodox prayer book: "Awakening from sleep, before any other work, stand reverently before the All-Seeing God and, making the sign of the cross, say ...". In addition, the very meaning of prayers tells us that morning prayers are read at the very beginning of the day, when a person’s mind is not yet occupied with any thoughts. And evening prayers should be read for a dream to come, after any deeds. In these prayers, sleep is compared with death, the bed with a deathbed. And it is strange, after talking about death, to go to watch TV or communicate with relatives.

Any prayer rule is based on the experience of the Church, to which we must listen. These rules do not violate human freedom, but help to get the maximum spiritual benefit. Of course, there can be exceptions to any rule based on some unforeseen circumstances.

What else, besides morning and evening prayers, can be included in the prayer rule of a layman?

The rule of a layman may include quite a variety of prayers and rites. These can be various canons, akathists, reading of the Holy Scriptures or the Psalter, bows, the Jesus Prayer. In addition, the rule should include a brief or more detailed commemoration of the health and repose of loved ones. In monastic practice, there is a custom to include in the rule the reading of patristic literature. But before you add something to your prayer rule, you need to think carefully, consult with the priest, evaluate your strengths. After all, the rule is read regardless of mood, fatigue, other heart movements. And if a person has promised something to God, it must be fulfilled. The Holy Fathers say: let the rule be small, but constant. At the same time, you need to pray with all your heart.

Can a person himself, without blessing, begin to read the canons, akathists in addition to the prayer rule?

Of course it can. But if he did not just read a prayer according to the aspiration of his heart, but thereby increases his constant prayer rule, it is better to ask a blessing from the confessor. A priest with a glance from the outside will assess his condition correctly: whether such an increase will be beneficial to him. If a Christian regularly goes to confession, watches over his inner life, such a change in his rule will, in one way or another, be reflected in his spiritual life.

But this is possible when a person has a confessor. If there is no confessor, and he himself decided to add something to his rule, it is still better to consult at the next confession.

On days when the service lasts all night and Christians do not sleep, is it necessary to read evening and morning prayers?

We do not tie the morning and evening rule to a specific time. However, it would be wrong to read evening prayers in the morning, and morning prayers in the evening. We should not be hypocritical about the rule and read it at all costs, ignoring the meaning of the prayers. If you are not going to sleep, why ask God's blessing to sleep? You can replace the morning or evening rule with other prayers or reading the Gospel.

Is it possible for a woman to read a prayer rule with her head uncovered at home?

- I think that it is better for a woman to make a prayer rule in a headscarf. This brings up humility in her and shows her obedience to the Church. Indeed, from the Holy Scriptures we learn that the wife covers her head not for those around her, but for the Angels (1 Cor. 11:10). This is a matter of personal piety. Of course, God does not care whether you stand up for prayer with or without a headscarf, but this is important for you.

How are the canons and the following to Holy Communion read: on the same day the day before, or can their reading be divided over several days?

- It is impossible to approach the fulfillment of the prayer rule formally. A person must build his relationship with God himself, based on prayer preparation, health, free time, and the practice of communicating with a confessor.

Today, a tradition has developed in preparation for Communion to read three canons: to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Savior or the Mother of God, the following to Holy Communion. I think it's best to read the whole rule on the same day before Communion. But if it's hard, you can spread it over three days.

Often friends and acquaintances ask how to prepare for Communion, how to read the Psalter? What should they say to us laymen?

- You need to answer what you know for sure. You can not take responsibility for something strictly obligatory to prescribe to another or say something that you are not sure of. When answering, one must be guided by the common tradition of church life today. If not personal experience, you need to resort to the experience of the Church, the holy fathers. And if you were asked a question, the answer to which you do not know, you should be advised to turn to a priest or patristic creations.

I read the translation of some prayers into Russian. It turns out that I used to put a completely different meaning into them. Is it necessary to strive for a common understanding, to read translations, or can one understand prayers as the heart tells?

Prayers should be understood as they are written. An analogy can be drawn with conventional literature. We read the work, we understand it in our own way. But it is always interesting to know what meaning the author himself put into this work. Also the text of the prayer. The author put a special meaning into each of them. After all, we do not read a conspiracy, but turn to God with a certain petition or doxology. One can recall the words of the Apostle Paul that it is better to say five words in an understandable dialect than a thousand in an incomprehensible one (1 Cor. 14:19). In addition, the authors of most Orthodox prayers are holy ascetics glorified by the Church.

How to relate to modern prayers? Is it possible to read everything that is written in the prayer books, or do you prefer the more ancient ones?

- Personally, I am more touched by the words of more ancient canons, stichera. They seem deeper and more penetrating to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, reverence and try to find some benefit for yourself. But understand that some modern prayers are not of such high quality in their content as prayers composed by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but also be well educated. All texts that are offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo a strict selection.

What is more important - to finish reading the rule at home or to come to work on time?

- Go to work. If a person has gathered in a temple, then in the first place should be public prayer. Although the fathers compared public and domestic prayer with the two wings of a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, so can a man. If he does not pray at home, but only goes to the temple, then, most likely, prayer will not go with him in the temple either. After all, he has no experience of personal communion with God. If a person prays only at home, but does not go to church, it means that he does not have an understanding of what the Church is. And without the Church there is no salvation.

How can a layman replace service at home if necessary?

Today, a large number of liturgical literature and various prayer books are published. If a layman cannot be present at the service, he can read the morning and evening services, as well as the mass, according to the canon.

Is it possible to read the rule while sitting?

The Apostle Paul writes: "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial" (1 Cor. 6:12). Tired or sick - you can sit down in the Church, while reading the house rule. But you should understand what you are guided by: pain that prevents you from praying, or laziness. If the alternative to reading a prayer while sitting is its complete absence, of course, it is better to read sitting. If a person is seriously ill, you can even lie down. But if he is just tired or laziness fights him, you need to overcome yourself and get up. During worship, the Charter regulates when you can stand or sit. For example, we listen to the reading of the Gospel, akathists while standing, and while reading kathismas, sedals, and teachings, we sit down.