On the 8th week after Easter, the Church celebrates the last movable twelfth feast - Pentecost, or the Day of the Holy Trinity (another name for the holiday). This is one of the oldest holidays: it is already mentioned in the sources of the end of the 2nd century BC. and second only to Easter in antiquity. In the modern Charter, this holiday has the highest status: it is one of the three most significant twelfth holidays (together with the Nativity of Christ and Theophany), which, in terms of the solemnity of worship, are second only to Easter, but in a number of aspects surpass other twelfth holidays.

The name "Pentecost" arose in the intertestamental period (approximately in the III - II centuries BC) and is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures (Com. 2 ,1; 2 Macc. 12 .22; Acts. 2 ,1; 20.16; 1 Cor. 16 ,8). The meaning of the naming is simple: the Old Testament prototype of our holiday fell on the 50th day after the Jewish Easter, and the church holiday of Pentecost took exactly the same place in the calendar regarding the Christian Easter. Another name - the Day of the Holy Trinity - is associated with the theological meaning of the event: on this day we celebrate the appearance of the Holy Spirit, which became a decisive event in the revelation of the Holy Trinity. The revelation of God the Father and God the Son was fully manifested in the previous events of the gospel history and in the teaching of the Lord Jesus, while the revelation of the Holy Spirit was insufficient. Only the fact of His descent upon the apostles already speaks clearly to us about God glorified in the Trinity.

Now let's briefly recall the event of the holiday. After the ascension of Christ, the apostles were all together in Jerusalem, waiting for the acceptance of another Comforter, as the Lord had commanded them. On the day of the Jewish holiday of Weeks (or Pentecost), all 12 apostles in their renewed composition (together with Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas) gathered in the upper room, where they stayed during the entire period from Easter to Pentecost. This chamber was a spacious room at the top of the house; such chambers were in many Jewish homes, and the rabbis often used them for prayers and meetings. There is a stable tradition that it was the Zion Upper Room, where the Last Supper took place.

And suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where they were.And divided tongues appeared to them, as if of fire, and rested one on each of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance(Acts. 2 , 2–4). In the above description, attention is paid to the signs of the Epiphany, which are characteristic of the Holy History and which manifested themselves in this event: a loud sound ( noise), strong wind, fire. This means that the descent of the Holy Spirit was essentially a Theophany and thus indirectly expresses the idea of ​​the Divine dignity of the Holy Spirit.

Thus, the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were able to speak in the languages ​​of different peoples, that is, they received not only a gift of grace, but also a real opportunity to preach the Gospel to both Jews and foreigners. This day is considered the birthday of the Church, not only because it became the starting point of the apostolic sermon, but primarily due to the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit acts in the Sacraments of the Church and assimilates to the believers the fruits of the redemption made by Christ (without the Holy Spirit, living and acting in the Church, the Church itself is unthinkable).

After describing the actual descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, St. Luke narrates about the reaction of the Jews who were in Jerusalem, who saw the apostles speaking in different languages, and also cites the speech of the Apostle Peter. It should be noted that, in accordance with Deut. 16 , 16, the Feast of Weeks was one of three days on which all orthodox Jews were to come to the central sanctuary (that is, to Jerusalem). And although in terms of “popularity” Pentecost was inferior to the other two holidays (Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles), nevertheless, on this day, many pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem from different parts of the world where the Jews lived. The fact that the apostles spoke in the languages ​​of the nations testified to their acceptance of the gift of God, and the Jews who came to Jerusalem providentially confirmed this. It turns out that already at the moment of the birth of the Church, the sermon about Christ is multilingual and addressed to all peoples; this is not a closed national-religious community (as was the Old Testament Jewish community), but the Christian Church has been characterized by cultural diversity and a rich ethnic composition since its very inception.

Against the enthusiastic reaction of the Jews of the diaspora, some skeptical residents of Jerusalem accused the apostles of they drank sweet wine(Acts. 2 , 13). In response to this, the apostle Peter delivered his first speech, in which he answered this reproach, and explained the meaning of everything that happened to the apostles, and also remembered the events (the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ) that preceded this. Note that the apostle Peter in his speech quoted the prophecy of Joel ( 2 , 28–29), testifying to its fulfillment on that day; the text of this prophecy is read as a proverb at the divine service of the feast.

An important question arises: why is the descent of the Holy Spirit by the Providence of God timed to coincide with the day of Pentecost? The Old Testament speaks of the agricultural nature of the Feast of Weeks (Old Testament Pentecost): feast of the harvest of the first fruits(Ex. 23 16) and sacrificed two wheat loaves baked from the flour of the new harvest (see: Lev. 23 , 16–17). And just as the Feast of Weeks was the beginning of the material harvest, so the New Testament Pentecost is the beginning of the spiritual harvest. The Lord in the Gospel calls the apostles "workers of the harvest" (see: Lk. 10 , 2), and the founding of the Church signifies the beginning of the preaching of Christianity, which is a harvest in the spiritual sense. It is in this sense that it explains the relevance of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of the Weeks of St. John Chrysostom: “What kind of Pentecost is this? This is the time when it was necessary to cut the harvest with a sickle, when it was necessary to gather the fruits. Did you see the image? Look, in turn, at the truth itself. When it was necessary to put the sickle of the word into action, when it was necessary to gather the harvest, then, like a sophisticated sickle, the Spirit flies. Listen, indeed, what Christ says: lift up your eyes and look at the fields, how they have turned white and ripened for the harvest(In. 4 , 35); and further: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few(OK. 10 , 2).

Now about the most striking features of the festive service. The All-Night Vigil generally follows a standard pattern; Let us note the "return" of two well-known prayers, which since Pascha have not been used either in divine services or in private prayer. These are “We have seen the true light ...” and “To the King of Heaven ...” On the eve of the Trinity, “We have seen the true light ...” is sung on “Lord, cry ...” with the fourth stichera, and “King of Heaven ...” - when singing stichera on the verse. “O Heavenly King…” is usually sung by the whole temple. In general, the stichera “O Heavenly King…” on the day of Pentecost is, as it were, a birthday girl, therefore, at the all-night vigil of the holiday, it is sung several times (even before the canon and before the doxology).

At the Liturgy, instead of the Trisagion, “You are baptized into Christ…” is sung. This reminds us that in the early Christian Church, the catechumens were baptized on Pentecost. It seemed appropriate - the day of the founding of the Church and the growth of its new members.

But the most striking service in terms of liturgical uniqueness is the Great Vespers, which is celebrated on the day of the feast after the Liturgy. There are several features that occur once a year. Thus, special petitions for the grace of the Holy Spirit are added to the peaceful litany. And the climax is, of course, the reading of kneeling prayers. There are only seven of them, they are divided into three parts: two in the first and second, three in the third. The parts are separated by short prayers: the first - after the great prokimen (“Who is God great ...”), the second - after the special litany “Rzem all ...”); after the second part is sung "Vouchify, Lord ..." and then the third part. At the very end of Vespers, the third of its features is a long special dismissal: “Who exhausted Himself from the Father’s and Divine bowels and descended from heaven to earth ...” In his introductory, very lengthy phrase, all the saving actions of God are sung, starting with the Incarnation and ending with the Cross death and the message of the Spirit. This dismissal sums up the entire redemptive work of the Lord.

And in conclusion, a few words about the custom of decorating churches on the day of the Holy Trinity with greenery. This custom, according to the famous liturgist of the early XX century. M. Skaballanovich, "gives special grandeur to the holiday and noticeably puts it forward from a number of other holidays." About the meaning of this tradition, the same M. Skaballanovich writes: “According to the law of Moses, on the feast of Pentecost, it was supposed to bring the first fruits of the harvest to the temple ... And on the feast of Christian Pentecost, branches and flowers are brought as the firstfruits to God from the spring, renewed by the power of the life-giving Spirit and indicate spiritual fruitfulness Church of Christ". There is another interesting explanation: the greenery at this moment (end of May - June) is fresh and beautiful, the whole creature is renewed, it is like a period of "spring rejoicing". Decorating churches with this greenery, we not only create a magnificent atmosphere, but also remember that the Lord created all the beauty of the world for man, which moves us to thanksgiving and fervent prayer.

Aleksey Sergeevich Kashkin, Candidate of Theology, Lecturer, Head of the Department of Biblical Studies, Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary, May 27, 2018

Week 8 of Easter. Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost.

Mch. Theodotus of Ancyra and MCC. seven virgins. Mchch. Peter, Dionysius and others like them.

The vigil service of the holiday is performed according to Triodion.

Note. According to ancient tradition , on the Day of the Holy Trinity on the festive lectern (in proskinitaria) - the icon of Pentecost ("The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles"). Beginning with the Great Vespers on the very day of the feast (with kneeling prayers), there is an icon of the Most Holy Trinity on the lectern. On the Monday of the Holy Spirit in the evening (before Vespers), the icon of Pentecost is again laid down, which remains on the lectern until the celebration of the feast on Saturday.

Calendar Notes:

At the great supper"Blessed is the husband" (the whole kathisma).
In the morning magnification: "We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and we honor Thy All-Holy Spirit, Whom from the Father Thou hast sent as Thy Divine Disciple." “Seeing the Resurrection of Christ” we do not sing. There are no refrains in the Triodi for the 9th ode of the canon, but in the Triodi of musical singing published by the Holy Synod (1891), the following refrain is indicated for the meritor on the day of Pentecost: ". “Holy is the Lord our God,” we do not sing.
From this day until the giving of Pentecost, in the morning, when the great doxology is sung, the katavasia “He is covered by the Divine…”.
At the liturgy antiphons of the feast, entrance verse: "Be exalted, O Lord, by Thy power; let us sing and sing to Thy power." Instead of the Trisagion - “You are baptized into Christ ...”, instead of “Worthy” - “Rejoice, Queen ...”. After "Save, God ..." we sing "We have seen the True Light ...". After the dismissal of the Liturgy, the Royal Doors are closed, the 9th hour and Great Vespers are celebrated.
At the great supper"To the King of Heaven" (usually sung by the people). The preparatory psalm is read, the great litany with the addition of special petitions, the entrance with a censer, the great prokimen "Who is God great ..." and the reading of kneeling prayers. Vespers will be dismissed at the open Royal Doors: "Who is from the Father and the Divine bowels ...".

The order of readings, according to the calendar:

At the great supper"Blessed is the husband" - the whole kathisma.

On "Lord, I have called" the stichera of the feast, tone 1 and tone 2 - 10 (the first and fourth stichera - twice). "Glory, and now" - a holiday, voice 8: "Come, people ...".

Katavasia after each song - first, the irmos of the 1st canon (in the first song - “Pont covered ...”), then the 2nd (in the first song - “Divine cover ...”).

According to the 3rd song - the sedal of the holiday, the voice of the 8th: "Savior's diligence ...". "Glory, and now" - the same saddle.

According to the 6th song - the kontakion of the holiday, the voice of the 8th: "When the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof the confluence descended ...", and the ikos, the voice is the same: "Soon and well-known, give consolation ...".

We don’t sing “Honest” on the 9th song. (The usual incense is performed.) According to tradition, the refrain to the 9th ode of the canon: “Apostles, the descent of the Comforter is sighted, wondering how the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of fiery tongues.”

According to the 9th song, “Holy is the Lord our God” is not proclaimed, but the luminary of the holiday is sung: “All-Holy Soul ...” (twice). "Glory, and now" - the insignia of the holiday: "Light is the Father ...".

"Every breath ..." and laudatory psalms.

In praise of the stichera of the holiday, tone 4 - 6 (each stichera - twice). "Glory, and now" - a holiday, tone 6: "King of Heaven ...".

Great praise. According to the Trisagion - the troparion of the feast, tone 8 (once). Litany and dismissed: “Already in the vision of a fiery tongue from Heaven sent down the Most Holy Spirit on His holy disciples and apostles, Christ, our True God, by the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, glorious and all-praiseful apostles, and all the saints, have mercy and save us, as Good and Humanitarian."

On the clock is the troparion and kontakion of the feast.

At the Liturgy holiday antiphons.

Entrance verse: “Be lifted up, O Lord, by Your strength; let us sing and sing to Your strength.”

Note. Before proclaiming the entrance verse, one should say “Wisdom, O sti” (see note on January 6).

At the entrance - the troparion of the holiday. "Glory, and now" - the kontakion of the holiday.

Instead of the Trisagion - "Elitsy in Christ ...".

Prokeimenon, tone 8: “Their utterance went out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world”; verse: "The heavens will proclaim the glory of God, but the firmament proclaims the creation by His hand."

Apostle - Acts. 3.

Alleluia, tone 1: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established..."; verse: "From Heaven look upon the Lord...".

Gospel - Jn. 27.

The meritor is the irmos of the 9th song of the 2nd canon of the holiday: “Rejoice, Queen ...” (before giving).

Communion - the holiday: "Your Good Spirit will guide me to the earth right."

After “Save, O God, Thy people…” we sing: “We have seen the True Light…”.

Let go of the holiday: "Already in the vision of fiery tongues ..." (as in the morning).

According to the established long-standing liturgical practice of the Russian Church, immediately after the dismissal of the Liturgy, the royal doors and the veil are closed, and Great Vespers is served, preceded by the 9th hour.

Note. "And according to u ste liturgist And and v. O the 9th hour flies u tea. In Ned e liu in e Chera Holy u I am 50s. Zn A menuet r A her last e r A di kneel e niya, beginning A em yer e th: bless e o our God... and v. O years of study e this reader: king Yu sky e sleepy..., and purpose A body psalm O m.t A same litany I led And kaya” (Typicon, ch. 50, Ned e la holy u I am Pentik O stii).

At the end of the 9th hour the veil is opened. Before great evening peal is supposed to be peal, as on great holidays. The initial exclamation of vespers: "Blessed is our God ...". Reader: "To the King of Heaven". Pre-Psalm (read). The priest reads the prayers of the lamp on the salt in front of the royal doors. The Great Litany with the addition of special petitions after the petition “On the Floating…” (see, for example, in the Colored Triodion). There is no kathisma.

On "Lord, I have called" the stichera of the feast, tone 4 - 6 (see on the praises of Matins; each stichera - twice). "Glory, and now" - a holiday, tone 6: "King of Heaven ...".

Entrance. Great prokeimenon, tone 7: “Who is the great God, as our God? You are God, work miracles, with verses (according to custom).

After the prokeimenon, the deacon proclaims: “Packs and packs, bow the knee, let us pray to the Lord.” Singers: "Lord, have mercy" (three times).

The priest reads the first kneeling prayer.

1st prayer: “Most pure, undefiled, without beginning, invisible…”. The prayer “Blessed be Thou, O Lord, Lord Almighty…” is also added. At the end of the prayer, the deacon: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up and save us, O God, by Your grace”, singers: “Lord, have mercy” (once), deacon: “Most Holy, Most Pure ...”, singers: “To You, Lord” . Priest: “For yours is, hedgehog…”.

The litany of the ominous: "Rzem all ...". Exclamation: "Yako Gracious ...".

Priest reads the second prayer.

2nd prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, Thy peace is given by man ...". The prayer “Lord, Lord, deliver us from every arrow that flies in the days…” is also added. At the end of the prayer, the deacon proclaims: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up ...”, the singers: “Lord, have mercy” (once), the deacon: “Most Holy, Most Pure ...”, the singers: “To you, Lord.” Priest: “By the goodwill and goodness of Thy Only-Begotten Son, blessed be Thou with Him, with Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit…”.

"Give me, Lord ...".

Deacon: "Packs and packs, bow your knees...". Singers: "Lord, have mercy" (three times).

Priest reads the third prayer.

3rd prayer: "Eternally flowing, Animal and Enlightening Source ...". The prayer also joins: "God the Great and Eternal ...". And another prayer: "God the Great and Most High ...". At the end of the prayer, the deacon: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up ...”, the singers: “Lord, have mercy” (once), the deacon: “Most Holy, Most Pure ...”, the singers: “To you, Lord.” Priest: “For Thou art the rest of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to Thee…”. The Royal Doors are closed.

Litany: “Let us fulfill the evening…”, and the prayer of head bowing.

On the poem, the stichera of the holiday, tone 3: “Now as a sign to everyone ...”, etc. (with their own refrains). "Glory, and now" - a holiday, voice 8: "Come, people ...".

According to the Trisagion - the troparion of the holiday, tone 8: “Blessed are you, Christ our God ...” (once). At the singing of the troparion, according to custom, the royal gates are opened.

Proclamation: "Wisdom", etc. according to custom.

Let go from the open royal gates: “Who from the Father’s and Divine bowels exhausted Himself and descended from Heaven to earth, and our all perceptible nature, and deified it, still ascended into Heaven and at the right hand of the gray-haired God and Father, the Divine and Holy , and of the same essence, and of the same power, and of the same glory, and of the co-eternal Spirit sent down on His holy disciples and apostles, and by this he enlightened them, the same the whole universe, Christ, our True God, with the prayers of the Most Pure and Immaculate Holy Mother of God, glorious saints, praiseworthy God-preachers and spirit-bearing apostles and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, for He is Good and Lover of mankind.

See: Charter (Church's Eye). M., 1641. L. 545 (88) rev., 546 (90) rev.; Svyatogorsk Charter of church following. M.; Athos, 2002, pp. 183–184.

On the evening of the Twelve Feasts of the Lord, a great vespers is performed with an entrance and a great prokeimon.

Cf.: Typicon, ch. 50, "On the Sunday of the evening of the holy 50s." According to the established custom, the people sing "To the King of Heaven" at the beginning of Vespers.

According to the Charter, after the dismissal of the Liturgy, the 9th hour is celebrated, starting after the exclamation Blessed be our God... normal start (with King of Heaven...). The Rule is silent about the usual beginning at Vespers with kneeling prayers, pointing only to prayer. King of Heaven before the opening psalm. This can also be taken as an indication that only prayers are read (or sung) at Vespers. King of Heaven without other prayers of the usual beginning (cf.: Bulgakov S.V. Handbook for clergymen. K., 1913. M., 1993. S. 681; Table book of the clergyman. M., 2001 T. 4. S. 592), and as a “default” of the Typicon, which implies the presence of all the prayers of the usual beginning at Vespers, including King of Heaven(cf.: Rozanov V. Liturgical Rule of the Orthodox Church. S. 737). According to St. Athanasius (Sakharova), “in the evening ... of Pentecost, not only the 9th hour has its full beginning (even King of Heaven), although it immediately follows the dismissal of the Liturgy without consumption, but Vespers, which begins immediately after it, also has a full beginning, in which even King of Heaven. By this, the charter, as it were, wants to emphasize more strongly that the service of the actual day of Pentecost has ended completely, and now the service of the next day, Monday, begins” (see: Athanasius (Sakharov), bishop. On the commemoration of the dead according to the Charter of the Orthodox Church. St. Petersburg: Satis, 1995, p. 86).

All kneeling prayers the priest reads on his knees in the royal gates, facing the people; according to established practice, while reading prayers, the priest holds flowers in his hands.

After the exclamation: "Wisdom" - the singers: "Bless", the priest: "This is blessed ...", the singers: "Affirm, O God ...", the priest: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us", the singers: "The most honest Cherubim ...", the priest: “Glory to Thee, Christ God…”, singers: “Glory, and now”, “Lord, have mercy” (three times), “Bless”; the priest pronounces the dismissal.

From year to year, at the evening feast of the Trinity (according to the Charter, it is celebrated immediately after the Sunday Liturgy), we listen to the kneeling prayers of St. Basil the Great. For the first time since the Feast of the Resurrection, the entire church congregation kneels in prayer before God. The bishop or priest reads long prayers at the open Royal Doors.

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With sublime songs and prayers, the Church calls on those who pray to worthily accept the priceless gifts of the grace of God. Vespers begins with the prayer "To the King of Heaven", with which other divine services also begin. But in the present day, it has a special meaning for believers who remember the descent of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.

At the great litany, the deacon prays for “those who await the grace of the Holy Spirit” and “bow their hearts before the Lord and their knees” and asks God that He, “taking our knees like incense (incense)”, send us His rich mercies and heavenly help. After the litany, the stichera follow on “Lord, I have called,” an entrance is made with a censer, “Quiet Light” is sung, and the prokeimenon is proclaimed: “Who is a great God, like our God, You are God, work wonders.”

After that, the priest and all the worshipers kneel down and with concentration, with a feeling of heartfelt contrition, ask God for their spiritual renewal.

At this time, the temple becomes that ancient chamber in which the Holy Spirit first descended on the apostles.

Feast of Pentecost

After the ascension of Jesus Christ, the tenth day came: it was the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. The Jews then had a great feast of Pentecost in memory of the Sinai legislation. All the apostles, together with the Mother of God and with other disciples of Christ and other believers, were unanimously in the same upper room in Jerusalem. It was the third hour of the day, according to the Jewish account of hours, that is, according to ours, the ninth hour of the morning.

Suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind, and filled the whole house where the disciples of Christ were. And fiery tongues appeared and rested (stopped) one on each of them. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to praise God in different languages, which they did not know before. So the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Savior, descended on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues, as a sign that He gave the apostles the ability and strength to preach Christ's teachings to all peoples; descended in the form of fire as a sign that it has the power to scorch sins and purify, sanctify and warm souls.

The image of the Trinity in the Holy Trinity Ioninsky Monastery

On the occasion of the feast of Pentecost, in Jerusalem at that time there were many Jews who came from different countries. Hearing the noise, a huge crowd of people gathered near the house where the disciples of Christ were. All the people were amazed and asked each other: “Are they not all Galileans? How do we hear each of our own languages ​​in which we were born? How can they speak with our tongues about the great things of God?” And they said in bewilderment: "They drank sweet wine."

Then the apostle Peter, standing up with the other eleven apostles, said that they were not drunk, but that the Holy Spirit had descended on them, as had been foretold by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus Christ, whom the Jews crucified, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on them. Concluding his sermon on Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter said: “Know therefore, all the people of Israel, that God has sent this Jesus, whom you crucified, as the Savior and Christ.”

Peter's sermon had such an effect on those who heard it that very many believed in Jesus Christ. They began to ask Peter and the other apostles: “What shall we do, brethren?”

Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; then you will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Those who believed in Christ willingly accepted baptism, there were about three thousand people that day. Thus, the Kingdom of God, that is, the holy Church of Christ, began to be established on earth.

Icon of the Holy Trinity in the Trinity Ioninsky Monastery

From the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Christian faith began to spread rapidly, with the help of God; the number of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ increased day by day. Taught by the Holy Spirit, the apostles boldly preached to everyone about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, about His suffering for us and resurrection from the dead. The Lord helped them with many great miracles, which were performed through the apostles in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Initially, the apostles preached to the Jews, and then dispersed to different countries to preach to all nations. To perform the sacraments and preach the Christian doctrine, the apostles ordained bishops, presbyters (priests, otherwise priests) and deacons through ordination.

That grace of the Holy Spirit, which was clearly given to the apostles, in the form of fiery tongues, is now served invisibly in our Holy Orthodox Church - in her holy sacraments, through the successors of the apostles - the pastors of the Church: bishops and priests. This day is considered the birthday of the New Testament Church and has been solemnly celebrated since ancient times.

The text of the service of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost (All-night service, Liturgy, Vespers of kneeling), compiled by the society. MN Skaballanovich and is printed with the blessing of the Honorary Chairman of the society, the abbot of the Kyiv Trinity Ioninsky Monastery, Bishop Iona of Obukhovsky.

Prepared specifically for the Ioninsky Monastery, but contains all the hymns and hymns of the service. It is given in Church Slavonic with a parallel translation into Russian and an explanation.

According to the Russian Orthodox tradition, God is in everyone's soul, and in order to ask him for something, it is not necessary to go to church, since the text of the prayer comes to God through the word. The order of service in the church is only the earthly embodiment of faith. You can come here, repent and receive a blessing.

It is very important for many people not only to feel the support of God in their souls, but also to see his incarnation in the icons that are in the temple. Divine services are held in the church according to certain canons. The duration and start time differ depending on the church holiday.

Schedule of liturgies

For church cloisters there is no general rule for holding Divine Liturgies, matins, especially on weekdays. The temple opens early in the morning. The time of the event is determined by the priest himself. depending on the wishes of the people visiting it.

On major Christian holidays, evening and morning liturgy is held. In addition, a prayer service is held on Sunday. The beginning of the service in the church on Sundays, as a rule, takes place at 7-8 o'clock in the morning. In some churches, Matins and Matins may be moved an hour later or an hour earlier. That's why about matins you need to check with the servants of the temple where you go, how long the liturgy lasts in the morning, they decide. Vespers at 19-20 hours. There is also a night service, but only on major holidays: Epiphany, Easter. In addition, a religious procession is held for the glory of God.

How long the service in the church lasts depends on the significance of the holiday. On weekdays, it can be held for a maximum of 2 hours, and the Sunday service in the Orthodox Church reaches up to three hours.

What time the evening service in the church begins also depends on the scale of the holiday. The earliest start can be at 16:00, the latest at 18:00. Such a service takes place within 2-4 hours. If church holidays are celebrated, then it is divided into everyday, small and great. conducted using the all-night language.

Types of worship

Regardless of who conducts it and in what place, all services are divided into daily, annual and weekly. Services are held in full in monasteries, and it is the monks who follow all the canons of the church. The monks fully comply with the rules of church services, but in small churches they are held depending on the schedule created by the ministers.

Every day of the week is celebrated in the church and is dedicated to certain moments.:

• Sunday is a small Easter, on this day the resurrection of Christ is remembered.
• You can pray to the angels on Monday.
• John the Baptist hears prayers on Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, the betrayal of Judas and the memory of the Cross are remembered.
• Thursday is considered an apostolic day and is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
• On Friday, services are held dedicated to prayer for the suffering of Christ.
• Saturday is dedicated to the Mother of God.

Therefore, if you do not have the opportunity to go to church regularly, then you can read prayers by day, depending on who they are intended for.

Church services on weekdays

Believers visit the temple not only on Saturday or Sunday, but also on weekdays. You can go to church when it is convenient for the believer. At the same time, a Christian parish must always be open. The daily cycle of worship is divided into 9 different parts, and it includes:

• The circle starts at 18:00.
• Compline is the reading of prayers in the evening.
• From 12:00 midnight there is a midnight service.
• Matins is divided into the following: the first hour - from 7:00, the third hour - from 9:00, the sixth hour - from 12:00, the ninth hour - from 15:00.

Liturgy, held from 6:00, 9:00 to 12:00, is not included in the daily cycle of church service. Speaking about the ideal service, each temple should work at this time, and all the listed services should be held.

The peculiarity of their conduct depends solely on the chief priest of the church. In the villages, early and late readings of prayers take place only in large temples.

Service in the temple

As already mentioned, the service is held in each temple, the only difference is in the timing and duration. During the day, the main service is the Divine Liturgy.

At the service, a prayer is read, Christ is remembered, and it ends with an invitation to all who wish to go through the sacrament of Communion. It takes place between 6 and 9 o'clock.

On Sunday, as a rule, one service is held, and it is called the Eucharistic. The service on this day goes one after another. Matins gives way to mass, and mass, in turn, gives way to evening service.

Not so long ago, there were changes in the Church Charter, and now Compline is held only during the beginning of Great Lent. If we are talking about church holidays, then the service may not stop, and one replaces the other.

In addition to large services, rituals and sacraments, reading evening and morning prayers, reading akathists in the temple, and much more can be held in the church. All divine services, regardless of the time of holding, are conducted by the servant of the temple, and visitors become its participants.

Going to church, reading a prayer for the night or during the day is exclusively everyone's business. No one can force a person to go to church and pray. Only the person himself decides for himself what to do, what to visit and how to convey his prayer to God.

9.1. What is worship? The worship of the Orthodox Church is the service to God by reading prayers, hymns, sermons and sacred rites performed in accordance with the Charter of the Church. 9.2. What are worship services for? Worship as the outer side of religion serves as a means for Christians to express their inner religious faith and reverent feelings for God, a means of mysterious communion with God. 9.3. What is the purpose of worship? The purpose of the worship service established by the Orthodox Church is to give Christians the best way to express petitions, thanksgiving and praises addressed to the Lord; to teach and educate believers in the truths of the Orthodox faith and the rules of Christian piety; to bring believers into mysterious communion with the Lord and communicate to them the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit.

9.4. What do the names of Orthodox services mean?

(common cause, public service) is the main divine service during which Communion (Communion) of the faithful 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 meant to be performed at midnight.

Matins – service performed in the morning, before sunrise.

Clock Services – commemoration of the events (by the hour) of Good Friday (the 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 "awake." The All-Night Vigil consists of Vespers, Matins and the First Hour. In modern churches, the all-night vigil is most often performed in the evening on the eve of Sundays and holidays.

9.5. What worship services are performed in the Church daily?

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

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

morning- from Midnight Office, Matins, the first hour.

Daytime- from the third hour, the 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, divine services are performed only in the morning and evening, with some reductions.

9.6. What is depicted in the Liturgy?

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

9.7. What is called lunch?

– In the people, the Liturgy is called Mass. The name "mass" comes from the custom of ancient Christians after the end of the Liturgy to use the leftovers of the brought bread and wine at a common meal (or public dinner), which took place in one of the parts of the temple.

9.8. What is called lunch?

- The service of the pictorial (Lunch) is the name of a short service that is performed instead of the Liturgy when it is not supposed to serve the Liturgy (for example, during Great Lent) or when it is impossible to serve it (there is no priest, antimension, prosphora). The liturgy serves as some image or likeness of the Liturgy, is similar in composition 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 lunch.

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 isn't there a censing of the temple at every service?

– Burning of the temple and worshipers happens at every divine service. Liturgical censing is complete when it covers the entire church, and small when the altar, the iconostasis and the people from the pulpit are censed.

9.11. Why is there censing in the temple?

- Incense raises the mind to the throne of God, where it goes with the prayers of the faithful. In all ages 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 withheld only this and a few others (oil, wine, bread). And outwardly nothing resembles the grace-filled breath of the Holy Spirit so much as the smoke of incense. Filled with such lofty symbolism, censing greatly contributes to the prayerful mood of believers and its purely bodily effect on a person. Incense has an uplifting, excitatory effect on the mood. To this end, the charter, for example, before the Paschal vigil prescribes not just incense, but an extraordinary filling of the temple with a smell from the placed vessels with incense.

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

– The groups have adopted a certain color of the vestments of the clergy. Each of the seven colors of liturgical vestments correspond to the spiritual meaning of the event in honor of which the service is performed. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but in the Church there is an unwritten tradition that assimilates a certain symbolism to various colors used in worship.

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

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

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

On holidays in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos and angelic forces, as well as on the days of memory of holy virgins and virgins dress color blue or white, symbolizing special purity and purity.

Purple adopted on the feasts of the Cross of the Lord. 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. In red vestments, services are held in honor of the holy martyrs who shed their blood for the faith of Christ.

In green clothes 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 the green color is a symbol of life. Divine services are also performed in green vestments in honor of the saints: the monastic feat revives a person by union with Christ, renews his whole nature and leads to eternal life.

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

White color as a symbol of the Divine uncreated light, it was adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany (Baptism), Ascension and Transfiguration of the Lord. In white vestments, Paschal Matins also begins - as a sign of the Divine light that shone from the Tomb of the Resurrected Savior. White robes are also relied upon for Baptisms and burials.

From Easter to the Feast of the Ascension, all divine 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 the dikirium and the trikirium. Dikyriy - a candlestick with two candles, signifying two natures in Jesus Christ: Divine and human. Trikirion - a candlestick with three candles, signifying faith in the Holy Trinity.

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

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

On the feasts of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Origin (Deposition) 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 those praying in the temple?

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

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

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

9.18. What date does carnival start?

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

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

- The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read until Wednesday of Passion Week.

9.20. When is the Shroud taken away?

– The shroud is taken to the altar before the start of the Easter service on Saturday evening.

9.21. When can one venerate the Shroud?

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

9.22. Is there Communion 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 take place on Great Saturday, at Easter?

– Liturgy is served on Great Saturday and Pascha, therefore, there is also the Communion of the faithful.

9.24. How long 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 in the morning.

9.25. Why are the Royal Doors open throughout the entire service during the Liturgy during Paschal Week?

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

9.26. What days is the Liturgy of Basil the Great?

- The Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated only 10 times a year: on the eve of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and the Baptism of the Lord (or on the days of these holidays, if they fall on a Sunday or Monday), January 1/14 - on the day of memory of St. Basil the Great, on five Sundays Great Lent (Palm Sunday is excluded), on Maundy Thursday and on 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 more drawn-out singing of the choir, which is why it is served a little longer.

9.27. Why is the liturgy not translated into Russian to make it more understandable?

– The Slavic language is a grace-filled spiritualized language that the holy church people Cyril and Methodius created specifically for worship. People have lost the habit of the Church Slavonic language, and some simply do not want to understand it. But if you go to the Church regularly, and not go occasionally, then the grace of God will touch your heart, and all the words of this pure spirit-bearing language will become clear. The Church Slavonic language, due to its figurativeness, accuracy 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 still not in 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 in it. The fact that people do not perceive worship is a language problem in the least; in the first place - ignorance of the Bible. Most of the chants are highly poetic retellings of biblical stories; without knowing the source, it is impossible to understand them, in whatever language they are sung. Therefore, whoever wants to understand Orthodox worship must first of all begin by reading and studying Holy Scripture, and it is quite accessible in Russian.

9.28. Why are the lights and candles sometimes extinguished during worship in the temple?

- At Matins, during the reading of the Six Psalms, candles are extinguished in churches, except for a few. The Six Psalms is the cry of a penitent sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. The absence of illumination, on the one hand, helps to reflect on what is being read, on the other hand, it reminds of the gloom of the sinful state depicted by the psalms, and that external lightness does not suit the sinner. By arranging this reading in this way, the Church wants to incline believers to self-deepening, 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. , Savior, relationships broken by sin. The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the grief of the 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 the Six Psalms. The composition of the Six Psalms includes: Psalm 3 “Lord, that thou hast multiplied”, Psalm 37 “Lord, let not fury”, Psalm 62 “God, my God, I will morning at Thee”, Psalm 87 “Lord God of my salvation”, Psalm 102 “Bless my soul is the Lord”, Psalm 142 “Lord, hear my prayer”. The Psalms are chosen, probably not without intention, from different places of the Psalter evenly; in this way they represent it all. The psalms are chosen to have a uniform content and tone, which dominates the Psalter; namely, they all depict the persecution of the righteous by enemies and his firm hope in God, only growing from the increase in persecution and in the end reaching exultant calm in God (psalm 102). All these psalms are inscribed with the name of David, except for 87, who is the “sons of Korah”, and they were sung by him, of course, during the 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, it is these ones that have been chosen here because in some places they mean night and morning (ps. ", v. 14: "I will learn from the flattering all day long"; ps. in the days I called out and in the nights before you”, v.10: “all day long my hands have lifted up to you”, vv.13, 14: “the food will be known in the darkness of your wonders ... and I call to you, Lord, and pray in the morning mine will precede Thee"; ps.102:15: "his days are like a green flower"; ps.142:8: "I hear you do me Thy mercy in the morning"). Psalms of repentance alternate with thanksgiving ones.

Six Psalms listen in mp3 format

9.30. What is a "polyle"?

- Polyeleos is the most solemn part of matins - the divine service, which is performed in the morning or in the evening; polyeleos are served only at festive matins. This is determined by the liturgical charter. On the eve of Sunday or the Feast of Matins, it is part of the All-Night Vigil and is served in the evening.

Polyeleos begins after reading the kathismas (Psalms) with the singing of laudatory verses from the psalms: 134 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and 135 - “Confess to 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” sounded after the kathismas, numerous lamps (oil lamps) were lit in the temple. Therefore, this part of the All-Night Vigil is called the "multi-eleon" or, in Greek, polyeleos ("poly" - a lot, "oils" - oil). The Royal Doors are opened, and the priest, preceded by a deacon holding a lit candle, censes the throne and the entire altar, the iconostasis, the choir, those praying, and the entire church. The open Royal Doors symbolize the open Tomb of the Lord, from where the kingdom of eternal life shone. After reading the Gospel, all those present at the service approach the icon of the feast and venerate it. In memory of the fraternal meal of the ancient Christians, which was accompanied by anointing with fragrant oil, the priest traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of everyone who approaches the icon. This practice is called the anointing. The anointing with oil serves as an external sign of participation in the grace and spiritual joy of the feast, communion with the Church. Anointing with consecrated oil on the 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"?

- Lithia in Greek means fervent prayer. The current charter recognizes four types of litia, which, according to the degree of solemnity, can be arranged in this order: a) “litia outside the monastery”, laid on some of the twelfth feasts and on Bright Week before the Liturgy; b) lithium at the great vespers, connected with the vigil; c) lithium at the end of the festive and Sunday matins; d) Litany for the dead after everyday Vespers and Matins. In terms of the content of prayers and the rite, these types of lithium are very different from each other, but they have in common the procession from the temple. This exodus in the first form (of those listed) of lithium is complete, and in the rest it is incomplete. But here and there it is performed in order to express prayer not only in words, but also in movement, to change its place in order to enliven prayerful attention; the further purpose of the lithium is the expression - removal from the temple - of 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 character of the lithic prayers. Finally, in the lithium, the Church proceeds from her grace-filled environment into the outer world or into the porch, as a part of the temple that comes into contact with this world, open to all who are not accepted into the Church or excluded from it, with the goal of a prayer mission in this world. Hence the nationwide and ecumenical character (about the whole world) of lithic prayers.

9.32. What is the procession and when does it happen?

- The procession of the cross is a solemn procession of clergy and believing laity with icons, banners and other shrines. Religious processions are made on annual, special days established for them: on the Bright Resurrection of Christ - the Easter Procession; on the feast of the 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 emergency religious processions established by the Church on especially important occasions.

9.33. Where did the processions come from?

- Just like the holy icons, the processions of the cross got their origin from the Old Testament. The ancient righteous often made solemn and popular processions with singing, trumpeting and jubilation. Narratives about this are set out in the sacred books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Numbers, Kings, Psalter and others.

The first prototypes of the processions were: the journey of the sons of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; the procession of all Israel after the ark of God, from which came the miraculous division of the Jordan River (Josh. 3:14-17); a solemn sevenfold circumambulation with the ark around the walls of Jericho, during which the miraculous fall of the impregnable walls of Jericho took place at the sound of sacred trumpets and the cries of all the people (Josh. 6:5-19); as well as the solemn nationwide transfer of the ark of the Lord by the 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 Midnight Office, the Paschal procession is performed - the worshipers, led by the clergy, leave the church to make a solemn procession around the church. Like the myrrh-bearing women who met the resurrected 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 resurrected Savior.

The Paschal procession is accompanied by candles, banners, censers and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ accompanied by a continuous ringing of bells. Before entering the temple, the solemn Paschal procession stops at the door and enters the temple only after the jubilant message has sounded three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs!” The procession 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 take place?

- The first Paschal procession takes place on Easter night. Then, during the week (Bright Week), every day after the end of the Liturgy, the Easter procession is performed, and until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the same processions are performed every Sunday.

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

- This mournful and deplorable procession takes place in memory of the burial of Jesus Christ, when His secret disciples Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by the Mother of God and the myrrh-bearing wives, carried Jesus Christ who died on the cross. They went from Mount Golgotha ​​to the vineyard of Joseph, where there was a burial cave, in which, according to the custom of the Jews, they laid the body of Christ. In remembrance of this sacred event - the burial of Jesus Christ - the procession is performed with the Shroud, which represents the body of the deceased Jesus Christ, as it was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb.

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

Anyone who is called a Christian, who celebrates the mournful moments of the suffering and death of the Savior, cannot but be a participant in the heavenly joy of His Resurrection, for, according to the words of the apostle: "But joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him"(Rom. 8:17).

9.37. On what emergencies are religious processions performed?

- Extraordinary religious processions are performed with the permission of the diocesan church authorities on cases of particular vital importance for the parish, the diocese or the entire Orthodox people - during the invasion of foreigners, during the attack of a devastating disease, during famine, drought or other disasters.

9.38. What do the banners with which the processions are performed mean?

- The first prototype of the banners was after the Flood. God, appearing to Noah during his sacrifice, revealed 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 the covenant of God, so the image of the Savior on banners 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 banner was at the exit of Israel 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 gazed at the sacred cloud cover and with spiritual eyes perceived the presence of God Himself in it.

Another prototype of the banner is the copper serpent, which was erected by Moses at the command of God in the wilderness. When looking at him, the Jews received healing from God, since the bronze serpent represented the Cross of Christ (John 3:14,15). So while carrying banners during the procession, 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 Archetypes that exist in heaven and receive spiritual and bodily healing from the sinful remorse of spiritual serpents - demons that tempt all people.

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