Church service during Lent. Peculiarities of the Lent service

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

Why are services long?

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

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

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

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

Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian

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

Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. To her, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen.

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

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

The penitential canon of Andrei Kritsky

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

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

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

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

Specifics of Lenten Liturgies

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

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

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

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

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

Lent memorial services

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

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

Sunday passions

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

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

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

Week of the Cross

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

We worship Your Cross, Master, and holy resurrection We praise yours.

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

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

"Praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary"

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

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

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

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

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

Read also on our website:

show more

Holiday of the Light Christ's Resurrection from time immemorial, it is celebrated by all Orthodox Christians. This holiday is considered the largest and is preceded by 48 days of fasting (during which Lent Services are held by day). This time in church life is rich in special services that are designed to unite and inspire Christians to the feat of Lent.

Forgiveness Sunday

Forgiveness Sunday, or Raw Sunday, falls on the last Sunday before the start of the service of Lent. At services, they read an excerpt from the Gospel from the Sermon on the Mount, which talks about the forgiveness of all offenses in the name of atonement for sins. It is because of these Sunday services that Orthodox Christians have a tradition of asking for forgiveness and forgiving.

First week of Holy Pentecost (Lent)

Pentecost begins on Clean Monday. Apart from Palm Sunday, there are 5 Sundays throughout Lent, each of which has a special holiday (some kind of reminder of the events in the life of Christ). As for divine services, throughout Lent, liturgies are not held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: they are considered the most strict in observing the rules of fasting. The only exceptions are big holidays churches. On these days, only morning and evening services are held, the main theme of which is to gain the will and not allow the demon to tempt the spirit of the Orthodox. On Wednesdays and Fridays, Liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts are held. Every Saturday a service is held for St. John Chrysostom. On Sundays they serve the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, and it is also served on Thursday and Saturday, the week before Easter.

During the first four days, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in all Orthodox churches.

On the fifth day of Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. First, they read the canon about the holy great martyr Theodore Tyrone. After this, “kolivo” (boiled porridge with honey) is brought into the hall and the minister blesses it with a special prayer in order to then distribute this gift to all parishioners.

During the first Sunday, the Triumph of Orthodoxy is held. This holiday was established during the time of Queen Theodora in 842. It commemorates the spiritual victory of Christians at the 7th Ecumenical Council. At the end of the liturgy, the priest reads a prayer service in the middle of the church, surrounded by the faces of Mary and the Savior.

Second, third and fourth weeks of Holy Pentecost

On the second Sunday of the forty-day fast, the Russian Orthodox Church remembers St. Gregory Palamas. He was the Archbishop of Thessalonites and lived in the 14th century. His teachings consisted in the idea that for good deeds in the Christian life the Savior will illuminate with a gracious light all who believe and bestow upon them his blessing.

On the third Sunday of the forty-day fast, the Great Doxology is held and the sacred cross is brought out for veneration. But the cross is displayed not only for worship: first of all, parishioners are reminded of the feat of Jesus. And these reminders, in turn, inspire and strengthen parishioners in faith to continue fasting. This holy crucifix is ​​left for veneration only until Friday. It is because of this event that the third Sunday of the Holy Pentecost is called the Sunday of the Cross.

On the fourth Sunday, they remember Saint John of the Climacus, who wrote about the rules of good deeds that lead believers to the Throne of God.

On the eve of the fifth Thursday they perform a “standing Holy Mary Egyptian”, it is also called “St. Mary’s Station”. This is the morning service at which the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read. It is this canon that is read at the beginning of the forty-day fast. Also at this service they read “the life of the Most Holy Mary of Egypt.” By the way, Mary of Egypt was a great sinner before coming to Christ, but her true repentance should still be an example of God’s unspeakable mercy.

Annunciation

The Annunciation is one of the most significant holidays of Christianity. It is dedicated to the news of the coming arrival of the Savior. Archangel Gabriel himself descended from heaven on this day to bring news to the Mother of God of Jesus Christ. Usually this holiday falls during Lent, although sometimes it coincides with a holiday Great Easter. On this day the fast can be relaxed. Can be added to dishes vegetable oil and eat seafood.

Fifth week of Holy Pentecost

On the fifth Saturday they perform the Praise of the Mother of God. Majestic akathists to the Mother of God are read in churches. This service is read in order to confirm parishioners in the faith.

The fifth Sunday falls on the “following of the Most Holy Mary of Egypt.” Temples teach in the face of Mary of Egypt the standard of pure repentance. This is done with the aim of convincing those who suffer mentally of the power of God’s ineffable mercy.

Sixth week of Holy Pentecost

The sixth Saturday of Lent is also called Lazarus. Services on this day are distinguished by their unusual warmth and value. At liturgies, Orthodox parishioners remember how Jesus Christ raised Lazarus. During morning services, troparia for the Immaculates are sung.

Sunday is the Bright Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This holiday is also called Palm Sunday. At night services, the Gospel is first read, and then “The Resurrection of Christ” is sung. They read Psalm 50 from the Gospel, sanctifying themselves with prayer and blessed water. Willow branches are also blessed. After consecration, they are distributed to all those praying. With these willows you need to defend the entire service with burning candles. This symbolizes the triumph of life over the all-consuming, but eternally losing faith, death.

Holy Week (Palm Week)

The events of this week are dedicated to the memories of the trials, execution and burial of the Lord. Orthodox Christians keep a strict fast for 6 days, trying to raise their prayers to the Almighty. Based on the significance of the deeds that took place, all the days of this week are called great. It is worth noting that most prayers and chants take place during the last three days.

For three days this week all the activities are dedicated to memories of the last dialogues of Jesus Christ with his disciples. As for worship services, morning time, following the Six Psalms and Hallelujah, the troparion “Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight” is sung. Following the canon they sing “I see Your palace, my Savior.” During these days, liturgies are held.

On Thursday, ministers remember the Last Supper and perform the sacrament of Holy Communion; Orthodox Christians strive to receive communion. Also this Thursday, after the evening service, all 12 parts of the four Gospels are read, which describe the suffering of Jesus Christ before the crucifixion.

On Friday evening service the ministers carry out the Shroud of Jesus Christ from the altar and place it in the middle of the church. This ritual reflects Jesus' victory over sin and death, his endless faith in humanity and people's debt to him for atonement for their sins.

On Saturday morning service, to the sound of bells and solemn chants of “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us...”, the shroud is carried in front of the parishioners around the church, thus seeing off Christ to the next world every year.

This concludes the services of Lent.

Lent in 2019: which services should you not miss? We will consider this issue in detail in this article and will help you successfully fast.

Lent in 2019

Every day, except Saturdays and Sundays, at all services of the daily cycle the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read. For the first time during the Lenten Triodion, it is pronounced on Wednesday and Friday of Cheese Week, and for the last time on Great Wednesday (April 24), after which all prostrations, except before the Shroud, cease until the day of Pentecost.

On the first four days of Pentecost, it is read at Great Compline. It is sung in its entirety on Thursday morning of the fifth week, which is usually performed on Wednesday evening, the day before - one of the longest and most complex services is called "". In addition, on Thursday of the fifth week there is a special ancient service, which in origin is Vespers with Communion. This service is also celebrated every week on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as on the first three days of Holy Week. According to the charter, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts should be celebrated in the evening, but in parish practice this is rare - the service is usually postponed to the morning.

On the first Friday of Great Lent (March 15, 2019), at the end of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, a prayer service is performed with the blessing of koliva (boiled wheat grains or other cereals with honey). Memory of St. Vmch. Theodora - first Saturday (March 16) of Great Lent.

From Wednesday of the Cross (April 3), half of Pentecost, at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts a litany about those preparing for Holy Baptism is added.

The second and third (March 23, 30 in 2019) - commemoration of the deceased. On these days, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and a memorial service are celebrated. (On April 6, the funeral service is not celebrated in connection with the pre-celebration of the Annunciation.)

The fifth Saturday (April 13) of Great Lent is a celebration; the day before, on Friday evening (April 12), Matins is served with the singing of an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. Sixth Saturday (April 20) - commemoration of the resurrection of the holy righteous Lazarus of the Four Days (eating fish caviar is allowed at the meal).

On all Sundays of Pentecost, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is performed, and in the first week after the end of the Liturgy, prayer singing in honor is also performed. The second Sunday is dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas, a teacher of the Church who formulated the theology of grace. On the eve of the third Sunday, at Matins, during the Great Doxology, the Honest and Life-giving cross Lord's. On the Fourth Sunday of Pentecost, the Church remembers St. John, abbot of Mount Sinai, author of the famous ascetic work “The Ladder”, and on the fifth (April 14) - the feat of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. Due to the coincidence this year of the 4th Week of Great Lent with the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the service of St. John Climacus (from Triodion) is moved to Great Compline on Friday evening.

On the day of the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos (April 7), the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served. On holiday, fish is allowed at meals.

Last Sunday before Easter - , Palm Sunday(April 21). On this day, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is celebrated and willows are consecrated.

On the first four Sundays of Great Lent there is also a special service - Vespers with an akathist to the Passion of Christ (Passion). This service is of Western origin and serves as a constant reminder of the saving feat and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary.

On the first three days of Holy Week, the last Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of the year is celebrated. At the matins of these days (the first of them takes place on Sunday evening), the troparion is sung, and at dismissal the words “The Lord is Coming to His Free Passion” are pronounced.

Maundy Thursday (April 25) - commemoration of the Last Supper and the establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. On this day, Vespers is celebrated with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and reserve Gifts are prepared for the communion of the sick. At the end of the Liturgy, during the bishop's service, the Rite of Washing the Feet is performed.

On Thursday evening, Good Friday Matins with reading is celebrated, one of the longest and beautiful services church year. There is an old Russian custom of bringing home burning candles from this service.

(April 26) is a day of strict fasting. In the morning, the Consequence of the Hours of Great Heel with figurative ones is performed; the Liturgy is not served. After noon - after the dismissal, the canon “Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos” is sung, during which the kissing of the Shroud takes place.

On Friday evening or Saturday night the Savior is celebrated. On Holy Saturday itself (April 27) the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is served, during which the clergy changes from Lenten purple and black robes to white. During this service, the Gospel is already read, in which the Resurrection of Christ is remembered (chapter 28 of the Gospel of Matthew). After the Liturgy - the consecration of Easter dishes.

On Easter night, services begin with the Midnight Office with the reading of the canon of Great Saturday before the Shroud. Before this, during non-liturgical times, the Acts of the Holy Apostles are read in the church. After the Midnight Office, Easter Matins is served with the Paschal Canon of St. John of Damascus, and then the Easter Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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