The temple is consecrated. The meaning of the order of the consecration of the temple. Prayer for the New Year

To answer these questions, one should start with the most seemingly obvious ... Any first grader will tell us that an Orthodox church is a place where people pray to God.

The Lord has vouchsafed us to live in a time when the domes of churches can be seen in every district of the city, especially in the center, and moreover, the entrance to these churches is free for everyone. “But wait,” some will object to us, “is it really necessary: to go to church, to stand among the crowd crowding you and at certain moments with everyone to ask for the same thing? It's calmer for me at home, sometimes I will light a candle there in front of the icon, I will pray in my own words about one thing, about another - God will hear me anyway ... ”.

Yes, absolutely right, the Lord hears everyone calling Him in truth, as the words of the Apostles say, but there is a huge difference between these two things.

The Monk Joseph of Volotsk in his work “The Illuminator” writes: “It is possible to pray at home - but it is impossible to pray like in a church where there are many fathers, where singing is unanimously sent to God, where like-mindedness, harmony and union of love are impossible.

At this time, O beloved, not only people cry out with a tremulous voice, but angels fall to the Lord, and the archangels pray ... And Peter was delivered from prison by a prayer: “Meanwhile, the church diligently prayed to God for him” (Acts 12: 5). If church prayer helped Peter, how can you not believe in its power, and what answer do you hope to receive? "

Hence, the temple is a place of the special presence of God. Yes, we are talking about the Creator in prayer to the Holy Spirit, that He “dwells everywhere and fills everything with Himself” (“… everywhere else and perform everything…”), however, it is obvious that His presence in a hypermarket, where music that distracts attention is constantly playing, perceptibly different from the presence in the temple, where great praise is performed to Him.

“Let Thy eyes be open to the temple this day and night, to this place, about which you said:“ My name will be there, ”- King Solomon once prayed, having built the first temple to the Lord in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:29). The same words are uttered publicly by the bishop during the rite of the great consecration of the church. During this sacrament, something happens that is very reminiscent of the holy Sacraments performed by God over a person.

The gates of the altar are closed and not a single candle is still burning in the temple. The priests prepare the throne behind the Royal Doors and, just as the nails were driven into the hands and feet of Christ, so they drive them into the four corners of the throne, pouring after that a fragrant composition that quickly solidifies in the air.

The future Throne is washed by the consecrated prayer of the bishop with water and wine mixed with incense, as a sign of memory that from the Wound of Christ, when He was pierced on the Cross by the centurion Longinus, Blood and water flowed out ...

The throne is anointed with peace - the same peace through which the Holy Spirit descends on all Christians immediately after Baptism. The acquisition of the Holy Spirit, according to the word of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov, is the goal of the Christian life. Such anointing is performed in the future and over the walls of the temple. It is surprising that myrrh, prepared exclusively for performing the Sacrament on a person, is used here, consecrating inanimate objects. It is this sacred act that gives rise to that ineffable difference between an ordinary building and a temple, the house of the Almighty Lord. Thanks to him, even dilapidated and desecrated by years of godlessness, temples preserve this atmosphere of the prayer that was once performed in him ...

An important point is that a piece of the relics of the martyr is necessarily laid at the foundation of the throne. This is the continuity from antiquity: the first three centuries after the Nativity of the Savior, being in persecution, Christians performed their most important sacred service - the Divine Liturgy - in the catacombs, underground burials.

And they did this without fail over the tombs of those who, with their lives, even to death, bore witness to the incarnate Savior, that He conquered death. After all, this is exactly how the word martyr is originally translated from the ancient Greek language - witness.

The logic of the ancients was surprisingly simple and elegant: there is no more worthy place on earth for the Body and Blood of the Lord than the relics of those who suffered for Him. That is why to this day the sacred Liturgy is celebrated on the relics of the martyrs embedded in the foundation of the throne, and that is why, before the moment of the service, when the Cherubic song is sung and bread and wine is transferred from the Altar to the Altar, the priest fully reveals the antimension - a special plate that lies on the throne, which also contains a piece of the relics of the martyr of Christ. It is here that the bread and wine will become the Body and Blood of the incarnate God.

The relics, before being laid in the foundation of the throne, will be solemnly worn out by the bishop along with all the clergy from the church, and a procession of the cross takes place around the newly consecrated church.

The procession stops in the street in front of the closed gates, behind which there is only the church choir - these people represent the angelic host, which, seeing Jesus Christ on the day of His glorious Ascension into Heaven, wondering about the mystery of the Incarnation, asked the words of the Psalm: “Who is this King of glory? " and heard the answer: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!" Such a dialogue is also taking place here, between the bishop and the singers, in memory of those events.

And only at the end of the sacred service, the bishop lights the first candle in the church, the fire from which spreads to all the other candles. Then the first liturgy is performed, after which the church begins to live a new liturgical life.

As we can see, the consecration of the temple is not only a symbolic act, it also has a very important spiritual significance. The very place of gathering of people in the name of the Lord becomes partaken of the grace of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, just as a person, through the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation, according to the word of the Apostle Peter, is elected to the Lord's inheritance (1 Pet. 2: 9), so an Orthodox church becomes a special place of God's presence on Earth.

Deacon Daniil Maslov

Photo by Anthony Topolov / ryazeparh.ru

Chin on the foundation of the church

The foundation and construction of a church can only be performed by the ruling bishop of the church region or by a priest sent from him. Anyone guilty of building a church without the blessing of the bishop is subject to certain punishment as one who despises episcopal authority.

After laying the foundation for the temple, the "Chin on the foundation of the temple" is performed - all together called the laying of the church. On the site of the future Throne, at the direction of the Trebnik, a wooden cross prepared in advance is erected.

The foundation of the church (if it is made of stone) is arranged as follows.

1 ... Moats are being dug along the perimeter of the future temple.

2 ... Building materials are prepared: stones, lime, cement and others necessary for the laying.

3 ... A special stone is prepared, which has a quadrangular shape. A cross is carved or depicted on it.

4 ... Under the cross (at the request of the bishop) there may be a place for the enclosure of holy relics, and in this case, a mortgage inscription is made: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, this church was founded in honor and memory (the name of the holiday or the name of the temple saint is indicated), under Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (his name), under the hierarchy of the Most Reverend (the name of the bishop and his city), and the essence of the holy power is laid (his name).

In the summer from the creation of the world (such and such), from Christmas according to the flesh of God the Word (year, month and day) ".

The foundation of the temple can be completed without the position of the relics of the saint and the mortgage inscription. If the church is made of wood, then instead of ditches, two pits are dug: for laying a quadrangular stone under the future altar apse and for placing a cross in place of the Altar. The logs for the foundation must also be prepared.

The rite for the foundation of the temple can be performed in two versions.

1 ... Abbreviated rank according to the Big Book.

2 ... Chin according to the Supplementary Book.

Before performing the rite according to the Supplementary Book, the bishop or priest, if he performs the rite, wears all the sacred garments of his dignity. The procession begins, when the bishop (or priest) goes to the place where the church was laid, accompanied by all the clergy. The bishop (or priest) is preceded by two deacons with censers, priests with crosses, the choir sings lithium stichera to the holiday or saint in whose honor the temple will be built. At the place of the bookmark, a table with the Gospel and a cross is placed in advance.

The succession of the rite to the foundation of the temple

Dying cross and the gospel.

Deacon:"Bless, Master."

Chorus:"Heavenly King ..."

Dying ditches, clergy, people and again the Gospel.

Reader:"Usual beginning", "Come, let us bow ..." (three times), psalm 142: "Lord, hear my prayer ...", "Glory, and now", "Alleluia" (three times).

Deacon:“Let us pray in peace to the Lord” with special petitions adapted to the subject of prayer.

Chorus:"God the Lord ..." and the troparia.

Reader: psalm 50 - "Have mercy on me, God ...".

Consecration water and oil.

Sprinkling holy water of the place where the cross will be erected, with a prayer: "Bless, Lord Jesus, our God, with a terrible sign and by the power of Thy Cross ...".

Raising the cross with the singing of the troparion of the 2nd voice: "I have set myself on the ground to the Cross, and will not require the wandering of enemies ...".

Prayer in front of the erected cross: "Lord God, the Almighty, typifying the Honest and Life-giving Cross with the rod of Moses ...".

Chorus: psalm 83 - "If Your village is beloved, Lord ...", "Glory, and now" and "Alleluia" (three times).

Deacon:"Let us pray to the Lord."

Chorus:"Lord have mercy".

Bishop reads a prayer over the stone.

Sprinkling stone consecrated water with the words: "This stone is blessed by sprinkling the sacred water sowing into the unshakable foundation of the temple ...".

Inserting relics into the foundation stone.

Laying down bishop stone in the ditch with the words: “This church is founded in the glory of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in honor and memory (the name of His feast, or the Mother of God, or the temple saint), in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Pouring oil on the stone.

Chorus: stichera of the 6th voice - "Jacob rose up in the morning, and a stone was taken ...".

If the foundation of a wooden church is consecrated, the bishop, taking an ax, beats it three times into the middle altar log with the words: “This work begins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in honor and memory (name of a holiday or saint). Amen".

Sprinkling the foundation of the temple from four sides, starting from the north, against the sun with the singing of psalms: 86th, 126th, 121st and 131st, with the reading of a special prayer and the repetition on each side of three blows with an ax to the middle log with the above words.

Singing in front of the erected cross, facing the east, prayers of invoking the Holy Spirit "For the Heavenly King ...".

Deacon:"Let us pray to the Lord."

Chorus:"Lord have mercy".

Bishop - prayers: "Our Lord our God, bending over in this place ..." and on bended knee: "We praise Thee, O Lord God of Forces ...".

Deacon - augmented litany: "Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy ...".

The exclamation of the bishop:"Hear us, God ...".

Consecration of a newly built or rebuilt church

Upon completion of the construction of a new church or major repairs to the existing one, it is supposed to be consecrated. Consecration of the temple is of two types.

1. Complete (great), set forth in the book under the title "The Rite of Consecration of the Temple, from the Bishop of the Creator."

2. Incomplete (small), consisting only in the consecration of water and sprinkling with holy water of the temple and church buildings.

Complete consecration is performed if

1) the temple is newly built or overhauled;

2) the premises of the church were desecrated by using it for non-religious purposes;

3) the premises of the church were used by non-Orthodox communities;

4) the throne was moved or damaged in the temple.

The right to consecrate temples belongs only to the bishop. According to the rules of the Ecumenical Church, if a church is not consecrated by a bishop, services in it are equated with schism and those guilty of this are subject to prohibition.

If the bishop is unable, for one reason or another, to consecrate the temple on his own, then he consecrates one antimension, on which he makes an inscription for which temple it is intended, and sends it there on a courier. Having accepted the antimension and the instruction to whom the consecration should be made, the temple begins to prepare for it. Usually, in this case, the temple is consecrated by the local dean, but the bishop can instruct some other priest to do this. Full consecration of the temple may not be produced at all times of the Church year. It is prohibited to carry out his on the following days:

1) when the memory of a saint or sacred event is celebrated, in the name or in honor of which the given temple was built;

2) on the days of the Lord's, the Theotokos' feasts, as well as on the days of the memory of the great saints, who, according to the Charter, are supposed to perform the polyeleos service;

3) churches in the name of the Resurrection of Christ are supposed to be consecrated only on Sundays, but not on Sundays of Great Lent, Easter, Pentecost; not on Sundays dedicated to the memory of the “holy forefathers” and “holy fathers”, and also not on those Sundays when the Mother of God is celebrated.

Incomplete consecration is performed if

1) the restructuring of the altar was done without moving the Throne;

2) the church has been defiled by some kind of impurity that violates its sanctity;

3) a person died in the temple;

4) the temple was stained with human blood.

The great consecration of the temple by the bishop

The newly built temple is an "ordinary" building until the moment when the rite of consecration is performed over it. After a perfect rite, the temple acquires new qualities, becomes the repository of the greatest shrine.

The following is being prepared for the consecration of the temple.

1 ... An altar on four pillars about 100 cm high. If a church is consecrated by a bishop, then in the center of the altar space there should be a fifth pillar 35 centimeters high with a box for relics. The width of the throne should be proportionate to the area of the altar.

2 ... At the top of the throne pillars, recesses ("containers") are cut out 1 centimeter deep for waxing, and below, 10 centimeters from the floor, incisions are made to fix the rope (rope). The same cuts are made around the throne board.

3 ... Holes of such dimensions are drilled at the four corners of the throne board and in the corresponding places of each pillar so that the nail connecting them completely enters them without protruding above the surface.

4 ... Four nails for the Throne and several, if desired, for the altar.

5 ... Four smooth nail stones.

Reading the 22nd psalm.

The repeated exclamation of the bishop: "Blessed is our ...".

Sprinkling nails and stones with holy water.

Setting up ("approving") the Throne - nailing the top board to the pillars.

Protodeacon: "Packs and packs, kneel down ...".

Rite of the great consecration of water

Great blessing of water should be done

1) at the end of the Liturgy, after the ambo prayer at the very Epiphany day or in eve of the holiday, when it happens in any other than Saturday and Sunday day of the week;

2) at the end of Vespers, after the litany "Let us fulfill our evening prayer ..." on the eve of the Epiphany, if it is on Saturday or Sunday.

On the very day of the Epiphany (January 6), the consecration of water is performed with a procession of the cross, called the "procession to the Jordan."

Succession of the Great Consecration of Water

At the beginning of the rank priest or bishop fully clothed an honest cross censes three times on one side - in front, and the clergy leave the altar through the Royal Doors. Primate, preceded by two candle-bearers and deacons with censers, carries a cross on his head, and yet one of the clergymen carries the Holy Gospel. Approaching large vessels filled with water in advance, the primate removes the cross from his head, overshadows the worshipers with it on four sides and puts it on the covered table. Everybody lights candles and abbot, preceded by a deacon with a candle, three times censes the table, icons, priests and worshipers.

The choir sings the tropari:

"The voice of the Lord on the waters cries out, verb: come, receive all the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason, the Spirit of fear of God, Christ who appeared" (three times);

"Today the waters are blessed with nature ..." (twice);

"Like a man came to the river ..." (twice);

"Glory, even now" - "To the voice of one crying in the wilderness ...".

Then three parimias are read from the book of the prophet Isaiah (35; 1–10, 55; 1–13, 12; 3–6), in which the Old Testament prophet predicts the Baptism of the Lord from John.

Then read the epistle of the apostle Paul(), which speaks of the mysterious type of the baptism of the Jews and spiritual food in the wilderness.

The Gospel is being read from Mark (1; 9–12), which tells about the Baptism of the Lord “in the streams of the Jordan”.

Then follows great litany:"In peace let us pray to the Lord ..." with special petitions for the consecration of water, after which the priest reads two prayers(secret and vowel), and the deacon incenses water. Further the priest blesses the water with his hand three times, saying: "You yourself, Humanity, to the King, come now also by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water" and immerses the cross in water three times holding it straight with both hands and making cruciform movements.

The Great Blessing of Water in the Temple

Chorus at that time sings the troparion of the feast of the Epiphany:"In the Jordan, baptizing You, Lord, Trinity worship appears: the Parents are testifying to You, calling your beloved Son, and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, communicates in words the statement: Appear, Christ God, and the world of enlightenments, glory to Thee."

Having made the consecration of the water, the priest sprinkles crosswise on four sides.

Later while singing stichera"Let us remember, faithfully, the greatness of God's good deeds about us ..." the priest sprinkles the entire temple.

Sung:"Blessed be the Name of the Lord from now to everlasting" (three times) and the priest makes a dismissal:"Even in the Jordan, he deigned to be baptized by John ...".

Prayers come to the priest to kiss the cross, a he sprinkles them consecrated water.

Small water consecration

If the Great Blessing of Water is performed only twice a year, the Small Blessing of Water can be performed almost all year round and in different places: in a church, in the homes of Christians, or in the open air, when it is provided for by the rules.

The Church has established the days on which it is necessary to perform the small blessing of water.

1. On rivers, springs and other bodies of water 1st August, on the feast of the Origin (Enduring) of the venerable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and in Friday at Easter week.

2. In temples- on Wednesday in the fourth week after Easter - on the day of Prepolovecheniya, and also in days of temple holidays. In some churches, a small consecration of water is performed according to tradition in Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In addition, parishioners who need it periodically order the performance of the holy prayer service in the church.

3. In the open air or in the homes of Christians small consecration of water is performed when laying the foundation or consecrating a new home.

Preparation for the ceremony is that

1) in the temple- a covered table is placed on which a blessed bowl filled with water is placed, and the cross and the Gospel are placed. Candles are lit in front of the bowl;

2) in the open air- the table is placed in the place where the prayer service will be performed, and the priest begins the procession to the place of consecration, taking out the cross on his head from the altar.

Follow-up of the small consecration of water

Small water consecration begins by the priest's exclamation"Blessed be our God, always, now and ever, and forever and ever", after which Psalm 142 is read:"Lord, hear my prayer ...".

Then sung:"God the Lord ..." with the troparions: "To the Mother of God I am diligently flowing now ..." (twice) and "We will never keep silent, Mother of God ...". While singing the troparia the priest censes water in a cruciform manner.

Psalm 50 is read:"Have mercy on me, God ...". The succession of the small consecration of water does not contain a canon, therefore here the troparia are sung:"Hedgehog rejoice as an angel ..." (twice) and the troparia of the rank that followed.

The deacon proclaims:"Let us pray to the Lord," and the priest utters an exclamation:"Like thou art holy, our God ...".

During the subsequent chanting of the troparia, "Now is the time of nast that sanctifies all ..." and others the deacon censes a temple or a house, in which the blessing of water is performed.

At the end of the troparia pronounced Prokemen, recited Apostle(), after him - halleluary and gospel:

There is also a pool in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate, called in Hebrew Bethesda, at which there were five covered passages. In them lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the movement of the water, for the Angel of God from time to time went into the pool and disturbed the water; and the one who first entered it after the disturbance of the water, he recovered, no matter what disease was possessed().

After the gospel reading the Great Litany is pronounced, - supplemented with petitions for the consecration of water - during which they perform burning incense of water.

Then the priest reads a prayer to the consecration of water: "God, our God, the Great in the council ...", and then secret prayer -"Incline, Lord, Your ear ...".

In practice, almost always another prayer is read:

“Great God, work miracles, they are countless! Come now to Thy servant who pray to Thee, O Lord, and eat Thy Holy Spirit and sanctify this water: and grant to those who drink from it and to those who receive and sprinkle Thy servant with it, the replacement of passion, forgiveness of sins, sickness, healing, and deliverance from all evil, and confirmation and the sanctification of the house and the cleansing of all filthiness, and the slander of the devil's repulsion: as if you were blessed and glorified, your most honorable and glorious Name, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever. Amen".

Then the priest takes the cross Crucifixion to yourself and its lower part makes a cruciform movement on the surface of the water, after which all the cross is immersed in water. In this moment the troparia are sung:"Save, Lord, Thy people ..." (three times) and "Your gifts ...".

After the completed blessing the priest kisses the cross and sprinkles all those present and the whole temple, while singing the troparia:"Source of healings ..." and "Look at the prayer of Thy servant ...".

The rite ends abbreviated augmented litany:“Have mercy on us, God ...”, consisting of only two petitions, after the first of which “Lord, have mercy” is sung three times, and after the second - 40 times.

Then a prayer is read"Master of the Most Merciful ...", which is part of the rite of the litia laid down at the all-night vigil.

A dismissal is made, the worshipers are applied to the cross, and the priest sprinkles each one suitable.

Rite of prayer

Prayer(prayer singing) - a special service in which they ask the Lord or His Most Pure Mother, Heavenly powers or the holy saints of God for grace-filled help in various needs, and also thank God for receiving blessings, hoped for or unaccounted for.

The rite of prayer in its structure is approaching matins. In addition to the church, prayer services can be performed in private homes, institutions, on the street, in the field, etc. Prayers in the church should be performed before Liturgy or after Matins or Vespers. As already noted, different types of prayers can refer either to public(on the days of temple holidays, during natural disasters, droughts, epidemics, during the invasion of foreigners, etc.), or to private (about blessing of various objects, about the sick, about travelers, etc.)

Usually, on the days of temple holidays, prayers are performed with a ringing.

Prayers differ from each other by the presence or absence of certain components in their rites:

1) prayer services with the reading of the canon;

2) prayer services without reading the canon;

3) prayer services without reading the Gospel;

4) prayer services with the reading of the Apostle and the subsequent reading of the Gospel.

Canons are sung in the rite of the following prayers:

2) during a fatal fever;

3) during the absence of rain (absence for a long time of rain);

4) during bezvedriya (when it rains for a long time).

Without canon prayers are performed:

1) for the New Year (New Year);

2) at the beginning of training;

3) for soldiers during hostilities;

4) about the sick;

5) thanks:

a) on receipt of a petition;

b) about every good deed of God;

c) on the day of the Nativity of Christ;

6) with a blessing:

a) going on a trip;

b) going on a voyage on the waters;

7) when the panagia rises;

8) with the blessing of the bees.

Without reading Gospels ranks are performed:

1) blessings of a warship;

2) blessings of a new ship or boat;

3) to dig a storehouse (well);

4) the blessings of the new storehouse.

The grace poured out by the Lord through prayers sounding at prayer services sanctifies and blesses:

1) elements: earth, water, air and fire;

2) spiritual and physical health of a person;

3) dwellings and other places of residence of Christians;

4) food, household and household items;

5) the beginning and completion of any activity ("good deed");

6) the time of a person's life and human history in general.

The rituals of the prayers are contained in the Book of Hours, the Great Trebnik and in the book "The Succession of Prayer Chants".

Rite of the general prayer

Prayer begins the priest's exclamation "Blessed be our God, always, now and ever, and forever and ever." Begins the first part of the prayer – the prayer of invoking the Holy Spirit is sung -"Heavenly King ..." and read"Usual start". Read next 142nd psalm does not sound at all prayers. The main principle of including psalms in the composition of one or another rite is that the meaning of the psalm correlates with the subject of the petitions contained in the prayer.

Then the deacon proclaims"God the Lord ..." with the prescribed verses, and the chorus "sings":"God is the Lord and appear to us, blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord." After that sung the following tropari to the Mother of God, voice 4th:

"To the Mother of God, we are diligent now as a dear, sinful and humble, and we will fall, in repentance calling from the depths of our soul: Lady, help, having mercy on us, sweat, we are perishing from a multitude of sins, do not turn away Thy servants, Thou shalt not turn away the hope of the Yama" (twice).

“Glory, and now” - “We will never keep silent, Mother of God, Your power to speak unworthy: if you weren’t coming to pray, who would have saved us from a bit of trouble, who would have kept us free to this day? We will not retreat, Lady, from You: Your servants will save you ever from all fierce ones. "

After the troparia read penitential 50th psalm and this is where the first part of the prayer ends. The second his part opens canon of the Most Holy Theotokos the eighth voice, which should be sung without irmos, although in the sequence of the prayer they are printed. The chorus of the troparia of the canon is different, depending on who is being ascended. So, in the canon of the Most Holy Trinity, the refrain: "Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee"; in canon

To the Life-giving Cross: "Glory, Lord, Thy Honest Cross"; in the canon to Saint Nicholas: “Saint Father Nicholas, pray to God for us”, etc. In this canon - “Most Holy Theotokos, save us”.

After the third canon of the canon, the deacon proclaims augmented litany:“Have mercy on us, God ...”, where he commemorates those for whom the prayer service is served: “We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visiting, forgiveness and welfare of the servant of God ( or servants of God, name). The troparion is sung: "The prayer is warm and the wall is invincible ...".

And for the 3rd and 6th songs the troparia are sung:

"Save your servants from troubles, the Mother of God, as we all run to You according to Bose, like an indestructible wall and intercession."

"Look with mercy, all-chanting Mother of God, anger on my fierce body, and heal my soul's illness."

According to the 6th song, small litany, ending with the same exclamation as at Matins: "Thou art the King of the world ...". Then the kontakion is read or sung to the Mother of God, voice 6:

"Christians' intercession is not shameful, an immutable intercession to the Creator, do not despise the voice of sinful prayers, but anticipate, like the Good One, to help us, who are rightly calling Ty: hurry up to prayer and plead for supplication, presenting everlastingly to the Mother of God, who honor Thee."

After the 6th canto at the general prayer service the Gospel is read, preceded by the prokimn:"I will remember Your name in every kind and kind" and his verse - "Hear, O children, and see and incline Thy ear":

And Mary arose in these days, and went with haste to the mountainous country, to the city of Judah, and entered the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice, and said: blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And where did it come from to me that the Mother of my Lord came to me? For when the voice of Thy greeting came to my ears, the baby leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed is she who believed, because what was said to her from the Lord would be accomplished. And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in God, My Savior, that He has looked upon the humility of His Servant, for from now on all generations will bless Me; that the Mighty One has created greatness for me, and His name is holy; and His mercy from generations to generations to them that fear Him; showed the strength of His arm; scattered the haughty with the thoughts of their hearts; deposed the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the humble; he filled the hungry with blessings, and let the rich go empty-handed; took Israel, his child, remembering the mercy, as he said to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed to the eternity. And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her house. ().

At the end of the gospel reading sung:

"Glory" - "Through the prayers of the Theotokos, Most Merciful, cleanse the multitude of our sins."

"And now" - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, cleanse my iniquity."

Then kontakion, voice 6:“Do not entrust me to human intercession, Most Holy Lady, but accept the prayer of Your servant: sorrow will hold me back, I can not endure the demonic shooting, the cover is not the Imam, below where the accursed one will run, we are always conquering and consolations are not the Imam, unless You, the Lady of the world: hope and the intercession of the faithful, do not despise my prayer, do it profitably. " AND litany.

Then the three remaining canon songs are recited, after which - "It is worthy to eat." The second part of the prayer ends stichera:"Highest of heaven and purest sun lordships ..." and so on.

In the final, the third part of the prayer sounds Trisagion according to "Our Father ..." with a cry of the priest"As Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever."

Then the troparia are read, which are part of the evening prayers: "Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us ...". Further the deacon proclaims the augmented litany:"Have mercy on us, God ..." and the priest reads a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos: “Oh, Most Holy Lady, Lady of the Theotokos, above all are the Angel and Archangel, and all creatures are most honest. Thou art helper of the offended, hopeless hope, poor intercessor, sad consolation, hungry Nurse, naked garment, healing the sick, salvation of sinners, all Christians help and intercession.

Oh, All-Merciful Lady, Virgin Mary, Lady, by Thy mercy save and have mercy on Thy servant, Great Lord and father of our Holy Patriarch (name), and Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, and the entire priestly and monastic order, our God-protected country, military leaders, city governors and Christ-loving army and goodwill, and all Orthodox Christians with Your honest robe, protect our honest robe, crying out to God without Christ, crying out to God may he gird us with his power from above against our invisible and visible enemies.

Oh, All-Merciful Lady, Lady of the Mother of God, raise us up from the depths of sin and deliver us from hunger, destruction, from cowardice and flood, from fire and sword, from finding aliens and internecine warfare, and from vain death, and from the attack of the enemy, and from pernicious wind, and from deadly ulcers, and from all evil. Grant, Lady, peace and health to Thy servant, to all Orthodox Christians, and enlighten with them the mind and eyes of the heart, hedgehog for salvation, and vouchsafe, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God, as His kingdom is blessed and glorified, with His beginningless Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen". The prayer ends with dismissal.

Consecration of the battleship

The rite of a general prayer service can be an example of the structure of any prayer singing. In prayer services for various needs, this order of prayers changes insignificantly: it includes or does not include readings of the canon and the Gospel; petitions are added to the litany (depending on the subject of prayer); the final one changes. Thus, knowing the sequence of the common prayer service, one can navigate in the order of performing any prayer singing. Further, the features of some of the most frequently performed prayers will be given.

Brief charter-scheme of the general prayer service I part

Part I

"Heavenly King ...".

Psalm 142: "Lord, hear my prayer ...".

"God the Lord ..." with verses.

Tropari: "To the Mother of God I am diligently flowing now ...".

Psalm 50.

Part II

Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos (irmos "Water has passed ...").

After the 3rd canto: "Save your servants from troubles, the Mother of God ...".

Troparion: "The prayer is warm and the wall is invincible ...".

After the 6th canto: "Save your servants from troubles, the Mother of God ...".

Small litany.

The priest's exclamation: "Thou art the King of the world ...".

Kontakion: "The betrayal of Christians is not shameful ...".

Prokeimenon: "I will remember your name in every kind and kind" with a verse.

The Gospel of Luke (1; 39-56).

"Glory" - "By the Prayers of the Mother of God ...".

"And now" - "Have mercy on me, God ...".

Kontakion: "Do not trust me to human intercession ...".

Littenia: "Save, O God, Thy people ...".

On the 9th canto: "It is worthy to eat ...".

Stichera: "Highest of Heaven ...".

Part III

Trisagion according to "Our Father ...".

The exclamation: "As Thine is the Kingdom ...".

Tropari: "Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us ...".

The litany is augmented: "Have mercy on us, God ...".

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Prayer for the New Year

The church sanctifies everything that accompanies a Christian in his daily life. Some things and phenomena of everyday life are given more attention, others - less, but everything that surrounds a person must be blessed by God. Prayer singing for the New Year has as its purpose a petition for the blessing of God for the period of a person's life, covered by the annual liturgical circle.

The features of the ritual for the New Year are as follows.

1 ... Instead of Psalm 142, Psalm 64 is read: "A song befits you, God, in Zion ...".

2 ... The litany "Let us pray in peace to the Lord" is supplemented with special New Year's petitions:

"O hedgehog mercifully the present thanksgiving and entreaty of us, unworthy of His servants, on our heavenly altar, accept and graciously have mercy on us, let us pray to the Lord";

“About a hedgehog auspicious existence of our prayers and forgive us and all our people all sins, voluntary and involuntary, we have done evil in the past summer, let us pray to the Lord”;

"About the hedgehog to bless the beginning and the passing of this summer by the grace of His humanity, but the times are peaceful, the air is well-dispersed and we are sinless in health with contentment, give a belly to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord";

"About the hedgehog to turn away from us all His anger, righteously moved against us for our sake, let us pray to the Lord";

“About the hedgehog to drive away from us all strangled passions and corrupted customs, but to plant His Divine fear into our hearts, let us pray to the Lord for the fulfillment of His commandments”;

“About the hedgehog to renew the right spirit in our womb and strengthen us in the Orthodox faith and those in a hurry to do good deeds and fulfill all His commandments to do Him, let us pray to the Lord”;

5 ... The litany "Rtsem all ..." is supplemented with the following New Year's petitions:

“Thank you with fear and trembling, as the servant of the disservice to Your benevolence, our Savior and Master, our Lord, about Your good deeds, you have poured out abundantly on Your servants, and we fall down and praise You, like God, we offer and tenderly cry: Deliver slaves from all troubles Yours and always, like the Most Merciful, fulfill the desire of all of us in the good, we pray earnestly to Ty, hear and have mercy ";

“About the hedgehog, bless the crown of the coming summer with His goodness and quench in us all enmity, disorder and internecine warfare, give peace, firm and unfeigned love, a decent structure and a virtuous life, we pray Thi, All-Merciful Lord, hear and have mercy”;

"About the hedgehog do not remember the innumerable iniquity and our deceitful deeds, in the past summer, and do not repay us according to our deeds, but remember us in mercy and bounty, we pray to Thee, Merciful Lord, hear and have mercy";

“Regarding the hedgehog of tribute, the rains are in good time, early and late, the fruitful dew, the winds are measured and good-natured, and the warmth of the sun shine, we pray to Thee, All-Blessed Lord, hear and have mercy”;

"About the hedgehog to remember His Holy Church and strengthen, to establish, resolve and pacify the hell gates and unharmed and unharmed by all the slander of visible and invisible enemies to obey forever, we pray to You, Almighty Sovereign, hear and have mercy";

“About the hedgehog, in this coming summer and all the days of our belly, from gladness, destruction, cowardice, flood, hail, fire, sword, invasion of aliens and internecine host and all deadly wounds, sorrow and need, we pray to Ty, Mercy Lord, hear and have mercy. "

6 ... The priest reads a prayer adapted to the subject of prayer singing:

“O Lord our Lord our God, the Source of life and immortality, all creatures visible and invisible to the Builder, putting time and age in His power and directing all kinds of your wise and all-good Providence! Thank you for Thy bounties, even Thou didst surprise us in the past time of our belly. We pray to You, all-generous Lord, bless the crown of the coming summer with Your goodness. From above, grant Thy good to all Thy people, but health, salvation and good haste in everything. Thy Holy Church, save this city and all cities and countries from every evil of the situation, grant peace and serenity. To You, the Beginningless Father, with Your Only Begotten Son, Your All-Holy and Life-giving Spirit, in the One Being glorified to God, always bring thanksgiving and praise Your Holy Name and praise it. "

Prayer for the beginning of the teaching of adolescents

Needless to say, how important is the process of raising children and teaching them the basics of the Christian faith and other sciences. What is inherent in a child in childhood turns out to be the most stable "material" for the formation of a person's personality and affects the content of his future activities. The process of upbringing and teaching adolescents, like all other aspects of a Christian's life, is sanctified by God's blessing, bestowed by Him through the prayers of the Church. In the prayer service at the beginning of training, there are the following features.

1 ... Instead of Psalm 142, Psalm 33 is read: "I will bless the Lord at all times ...".

2 ... The litany "Let us pray to the Lord" includes the following special petitions:

"On the hedgehog send down on these youths the spirit of wisdom and reason, and open the mind and mouth, and enlighten their hearts to accept the punishment of good teachings, let us pray to the Lord";

"About the hedgehog to plant in their hearts the beginning of wisdom, His Divine fear, and thus the will of youth to drive away from their hearts, and enlighten their minds, hedgehog to avoid evil and do good, let us pray to the Lord";

“About the hedgehog to open their minds, to accept and understand and remember all the good and soulful teachings, let us pray to the Lord”;

"About the hedgehog give them the wisdom that sits down on the throne, and put it into their hearts, as if he would teach them what is acceptable to him, let us pray to the Lord";

"For the hedgehog to suck them with wisdom and age to the glory of God, let us pray to the Lord";

“About his hedgehog being wisdom and a virtuous life, and prosperity in the Orthodox faith, joy and consolation by our parent, and the confirmation of the Orthodox-Catholic Church, let us pray to the Lord”;

3 ... Order does not contain a canon.

4 ... Before the Gospel, the Apostle to the Ephesians is read, conceived the 218th (). Then the beginning of the 44th Gospel of Mark is read ().

5 ... After the Gospel - augmented litany "Have mercy on us, God ...", supplemented by a special petition:

“We also pray to the Lord our God, for the hedgehog mercifully behold these youths, and send down into their hearts, minds and mouths the spirit of wisdom, reason and piety and His fear, and enlighten them with the light of His prudence, and give them strength and strength , in a hedgehog quickly accept, and hastily get used to the Divine law of His punishment, and all good and useful teaching; hedgehog to prosper them with wisdom and reason, and all good deeds for the glory of His Most Holy Name, and grant them health, and create them for long years to the building up and glory of His Church, with all our hearts: Lord, hear and have mercy on mercy. "

6 ... The priest reads a special prayer adapted to the subject of prayer singing:

“O Lord our God and our Creator, in His image honorable men, having taught Thy chosen ones, as if to be amazed at those who listen to Thy teachings, revealing wisdom as a baby; Teaching like Solomon and all who seek Thy wisdom, open the hearts, minds and mouths of Thy servants, in a hedgehog to receive the power of Thy law, and successfully cognize the useful teaching that is taught to them, in glory to Thy Most Holy Name, for the benefit and building of Thy Holy Church, and understand Thy good and perfect will. Deliver them from every tax of the enemy, keep them in Orthodoxy and faith, and in all piety and purity, all the days of their life, that they may prosper in understanding and in fulfilling Thy commandments; yes, such plans glorify Thy Most Holy Name, and they will be heirs of Thy Kingdom. As you are God, mighty in mercy, and good in strength, and all glory, honor and worship, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, always, now and ever, and forever and ever, befits You. "

Prayer singing for the sick

Physical and mental health is the greatest gift of God to His creation. A healthy person can direct the powers bestowed on him for various good deeds: prayer, helping the weak, improving churches, and other deeds of mercy. But it often happens that a person is overcome by various ailments that interfere with him not only in performing good deeds, but also in fulfilling the necessary responsibilities for duty and at home. According to the teaching of the Church, there is a direct dependence of a person's bodily diseases on the sins he commits. Therefore, in order to cure any disease, it is important first of all to pay attention to the root of the disease - this or that passion, which is the cause of sin. It is necessary to treat the disease from its root - fighting with passions and supplementing it with medical help.

But any spiritual work is impossible without prayer to God for help in existing problems. Therefore, first of all, a Christian must repentantly ask a merciful God for the cleansing of his sins, and then for the healing of the ailments that are the result of these sins. Prayer singing for the sick is based on just such a sequence of requests for healing. The ritual of this prayer service has its own characteristics.

1 ... Instead of Psalm 142, Psalm 70 is read: "On Thee, Lord, hope ...".

2 ... Then the patient, if he is able to do it (and if not - the priest), reads.

3 ... After the petition "For the peace of the whole world ...", special petitions for the sick are added to the Great Litany:

“For this house and those who live in it, let us pray to the Lord” (if the prayer is performed at home);

“About the hedgehog to forgive every sin, voluntary and involuntary, of His servants (His servant, namerek) and be merciful to him (him), let us pray to the Lord ";

“Do not remember the hedgehog mercy for the sake of His mercy, youth and ignorance; but graciously grant health to them (him), let us pray to the Lord ”;

“For the hedgehog, do not despise the diligent prayer of His servants (His servant), who are now praying (praying) with us; but graciously hear, and am good, and gracious, and to the man-loving him (him) to be, and the health of the tribute, let us pray to the Lord ";

“About the hedgehog, as sometimes weakened, with the word of His Divine grace, soon His ailing servants (His ailing servant) were raised from the bed of sickness, and make healthy (healthy) ones, let us pray to the Lord”;

“About the hedgehog visit them (him) by visiting His Holy Spirit; and heal every sickness, and every sickness that nests in them (in him), let us pray to the Lord ";

“Oh mercifully, as the Canaanite hear the voice of prayer, we, unworthy of His servants, crying to Him, and like that daughter, have mercy and heal His sick servants (His sick servant, name), Let us pray to the Lord ”;

4 ... After the litany are read troparion:“Swift in intercession, the One, Christ, quick from above, show your suffering servant's visit (your suffering servant), and deliver from sickness and bitter diseases, and raise up a hedgehog for Thee, and glorify incessantly, with the prayers of the Theotokos,

United Humanity "and kontakion:“On the bed of illness, lying (lying) and wounded (wounded) early in death, as sometimes you erected the Savior, Peter's mother-in-law, and weakened on the bed of the weary; And now, Merciful, visit and heal those who are suffering (suffering): You are the only one who bears the ailments and diseases of our race, and all that is powerful is as much merciful. "

5 ... The Apostle is read from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle James, conceived the 57th () and the Gospel of Matthew, conceived the 25th ().

6 ... Then a special litany for the sick is pronounced:

“To the physician of souls and bodies, with tenderness in a broken heart we fall to Thee, and groaning cry of Ty: heal the sickness, heal the passions of the souls and bodies of Thy servants (the soul and body of Thy servant, namerek), and forgive them (him), as mercifully, all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and soon raise up from the bed of illness, we pray Tis, hear and have mercy ”;

“Do not even die of sinners, but turn around and be alive, spare and have mercy on Thy servants (Thy servant, namerek), Merciful: prohibit illness, leave all passion and all affliction, and stretch out your strong hand, and like Jair's daughter from the bed of illness raise up and create healthy (healthy), we pray Tis, hear and have mercy ”;

“He healed the fiery illness of Peter's mother-in-law with Thy touch, and now the fierceness of Thy servants is suffering (Fierceness of Thy servant, namerek) heal the sickness with Thy mercy, give them (him) health soon, we pray diligently Tis, Source of celibacy, hear and have mercy ";

“Hezekiah’s tears, Manasseh’s and Ninevites repentance, and David’s confession received, and soon had mercy on those; and our prayers offered to Ti in tenderness accept, O All-blessed King, and as if you have mercy on your sick servants (your sick servant), granting health to them (him), with tears we pray to Ti Xia, the Source of life and immortality, hear and soon have mercy ”;

7 ... Then the Priest reads a special prayer for the sick:

“Master Almighty, Holy King, punish and not mortify, affirm those who fall, and raise up the overthrown, bodily people of sorrow, correct them, we pray to You, our God, Your servant ( namerek) visit the weak with Thy mercy, forgive him every sin, voluntary and involuntary. To her, Lord, they sent down your medical power from heaven, touch the flesh, extinguish the fire, tame the passion and all lurking weakness; wake up the doctor of your servant (name), raise him up from the sick bed, and from the bed of malice, whole and all-perfect, grant it to Thy Church, pleasing and doing Thy will. Yours is, a hedgehog to be merciful and to save us, our God, and we glorify Thee, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever, amen. "

Rite of blessing on a journey ("prayer for travelers")

One of the most frequent prayers in our churches is the rite of blessing on a journey. We all have to periodically make various trips - for short or long distances, of one duration or another. Travel is always associated with a certain risk: mechanical means of transportation or the ways that are used for this, sometimes, under the influence of various external circumstances, become unusable. Traffic safety is often affected by natural disasters, as well as the physical and psychological state of people responsible for transportation. All of these factors can lead to serious injury or even death on the road.

Therefore, the Church pays great attention to ensuring that travels involving obvious or implicit dangers are sanctified by God's blessing and the protection of travelers. Prayer singing, preceding the journey, has the following features.

1 ... Instead of Psalm 142, Psalm 140 is read: "Lord, I cry to You ...".

2 ... In the Peaceful (Great) Litany, after the petition "About floating ...", special petitions are added about those who are going to travel:

"About the hedgehog to have mercy on His servants (or his servant, namerek) and forgive them every sin, voluntary and involuntary, and bless their journey, let us pray to the Lord ”;

"About the hedgehog send them a peaceful Angel, a companion and a mentor, preserving, protecting, interceding and safeguarding from every evil of the situation, let us pray to the Lord";

"About the hedgehog to cover them and keep them intact from all the enemy's slander and circumstances, and convey and return harmless ones, let us pray to the Lord";

"Oh, a sinless and peaceful journey and a safe return in health, in all piety and honesty, give them a tribute, let us pray to the Lord";

"For the hedgehog to keep them unharmed and indomitable from all visible and invisible enemies and wicked people of bitterness, let us pray to the Lord";

"About the hedgehog to bless their good intention, and safely to the benefit of the soul and body create our grace, let us pray to the Lord."

3 ... On "God the Lord ..." special troparia about travelers are sung, voice 2: "The way and this, Christ, the companion of Thy angel Thy servant now, like Tobiah sometimes, have eaten preserving, and unharmed, to glory

Keeping her own, from all evil in all prosperity; the prayers of the Mother of God, the One Human-loving One ”;

"Lutse and Cleopa, who traveled to Emmaus, Savior, descend and now as Thy servant, who wants to travel, saving them from all the evil of the situation: all of You, like a Man-lover, can at least be."

4 ... The reading is made from the Acts of the Holy Apostles, the 20th conceived (). After which the Gospel of John is read, the 47th conceived ().

5 ... Then a special litany is pronounced about those setting out on the road:

"Correct the feet of mankind, O Lord, look mercifully on Thy servants (or against your servant, namerek)

and, having forgiven them every sin, voluntary and involuntary, bless the good intention of their counsel, and correct the exits and entrances with the journey, we diligently pray to Thee, hear and have mercy ”;

“Joseph, gloriously free from the anger of his brethren, O Lord, and instructing him into Egypt, and through the blessing of Thy goodness in all things He created prosperity; and bless these Thy servants who want to travel, and create their procession serenely and safely, we pray to Thee, hear and have mercy ”;

“To Isaac and Tobias, who sent the Angel of his companion, and thus created their peaceful and prosperous journey and return, and now, Beloved, the Angel is at peace with Your servant who are praying to You, in order to instruct them in every good deed, and to deliver from the visible and invisible enemies, and from every evil of the situation; return to Thy glory soundly, peacefully and safely, we earnestly pray to Thee, hear and have mercy ";

“Lutse and Cleopa, who traveled to Emmaus, and merrily returned to Jerusalem, by Thy glorious knowledge, having created, by Thy grace and Divine blessing, and now Thy servant by this we are to Thee who diligently pray to Thee, and in every deed blaz, to the glory of the Most Holy and Wholesome Thou observing and returning in a favorable time, like an all-generous benefactor, we pray that you hear quickly and have mercy on you. "

6 ... In conclusion, the priest reads a special prayer for the travelers: “Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the true and living Path, compassionate with your imaginary Father Joseph and the Most Pure Mother of God to Egypt, delighted Lutz and Cleopa to Emmaus, wandering; and now we humbly pray to Thee, Most Holy Lord, and Thy servant by Thy grace through Thy grace. And like Thy servant Tobiah, the guardian angel and mentor, they ate, preserving and delivering them from all evil of the situation of visible and invisible enemies and instructing them to fulfill Thy commandments, peacefully, and safely, and sanely transmitting, and returning the packs whole and serenely; and grant them all your good intentions to please Your well-being and fulfill Your glory. Yours is, to be merciful and save us, and to You we glorify with Your Beginning Father, and with the Most Holy, and Good, and Your Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. "

Thanksgiving prayer

("Thanksgiving for receiving a petition and for every good deed of God")

For a person who asked for and received what he asked for, it is natural to feel grateful. The Gospel contains the following parable: And when He was entering a village, ten men of lepers met Him, who stopped in the distance and said in a loud voice: Jesus the Instructor! have mercy on us. Seeing them, He said to them: Go, show yourself to the priests. And as they walked, they cleared up. One of them, seeing that he was healed, returned, glorifying God with a loud voice, and fell on his face at His feet, thanking Him; and it was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said: Have not ten been cleansed? where is nine? how did they not return to give glory to God, besides this stranger? And he said to him, Arise, go; your faith saved you ().

The apparent condemnation of the ungrateful is the direct content of this Gospel passage. The book "The Succession of Prayer Chants" indicates how a Christian, blessed by the Lord, should behave: "Having received some blessing from God, the abiye should have recourse to the church, and the priest should ask for thanksgiving to God from him ...". A thanksgiving prayer service can be included in the rite of the Divine Liturgy, but much more often it is performed as a separate service. The rite of the thanksgiving service, performed outside the Liturgy, has the following features.

1 ... Instead of Psalm 142, Psalm 117 is read: "Confess the Lord, that it is good ...".

2 ... After the petition "About sailors, travelers ...", special thanksgiving petitions are added to the Great Litany:

"O hedgehog mercifully the present thanksgiving, and the prayer of us, unworthy of His servants, take our heavenly altar, and graciously have mercy on us, let us pray to the Lord";

“About the hedgehog not to be abhorred by thanksgiving to us, His obscene servants, the hedgehog about the good deeds that are pleasing from Him, in a humble heart we offer; but as a fragrant censer, and a fat burnt offering be pleasing to Him, let us pray to the Lord ”;

“About the hedgehog and now listen to the voice of the prayer of us unworthy of His servants, and the good intention and desire of the faithful

Ours, always fulfill in goodness, and always, as generous, do good to us, and to His Holy Church, and to every one of His faithful slaves to ask for a gift, let us pray to the Lord ”;

“O hedgehog, deliver His Holy Church (and His servants, ti his servant, namerek) and all of us from all sorrow, misfortune, anger and need, and from all enemies, visible and invisible; with health, long life, and peace, and always protect His Angel with the army of His faithful, let us pray to the Lord. "

3 ... On "God the Lord ..." the troparion is sung "Thank Thy servant unworthy creature, O Lord, for Thy great deeds that have been upon us, we glorify Thee, bless, thank, sing and magnify Thy benevolence, and slavishly with love cry Ty: Our Benefactor, our Savior, glory You". On "Glory" - "Your blessings, and gifts to the tuna, as if you were a servant of indecency, O Lord, to You we earnestly flowing thanksgiving in strength, and to You, as a Benefactor and Creator, glorifying, crying out: glory to You, O most blessed God."

4 ... Read the Apostle to Ephesus, conceived the 229-230th () (in the days of the celebration of military victories - the Apostle to the Corinthians, conceived the 172nd ()) and the 85th conceived the Gospel of Luke ().

5 ... The litany "Have mercy on us, God ..." includes additional petitions:

“Thanks with fear and trembling, as if you were a servant of disservice to Your goodness, our Savior and Master, O Lord, about Your good deeds, you have poured out abundantly on Your servants, and we fall, and praise to You as we bring to God, and tenderly crying: Deliver your servants from all troubles , and always as if mercifully fulfill the desire of all of us in the good, we pray earnestly to Ti, hear and have mercy ";

“As if now you have mercifully heard the prayers of Your servants, O Lord, and you have shown on them the blessing of Your love for mankind, before and without despising, fulfill, for Your glory, all the good desires of Your faithful, and show us all Your rich mercy, despising all our transgressions. : we pray Ti, hear and have mercy ";

“Favorable, like a fragrant censer and like a fat burnt offering, let it be, O All-Merciful Master, this is our thanksgiving before the majesty of Thy Glory, and send down always like a generous servant of Thy rich mercies, and Thy compassions, and from all the resistances of visible and invisible enemies Thy Church (this abode, or this hail, or Deliver all this), but with Thy people all sinless long life with health, and grant perfection in all virtues, we pray You, All-Blessed King, hear mercifully and soon have mercy. "

6 ... Then the priest reads a special prayer of thanks:

“Lord Jesus Christ our God, God of all mercy and generosity, his mercy is immeasurable, and love for mankind is an unsearchable abyss; falling to Your Majesty, with fear and trembling, as if a servant unworthy of thanksgiving to Your benevolence for Your good deeds on Your servant (on Your servant) who were, now humbly bringing, as the Lord, the Lord and Benefactor, we glorify, we praise, and we sing, and we magnify Thank you, Your immeasurable and ineffable mercy is humbly pleading. Yes, as now, accept the prayers of Thy servants, and mercifully fulfill Thou, and in Thy and sincere love and in all the virtues of those who ripen, Thy good deeds of all Thy faithful receive, Thy Holy Church, and this city (or all this, or this abode) from all evil of the situation, delivering peace and serenity by giving, to You with Your Beginning Father, and the Most Holy, and Good, and Your Consubstantial Spirit, in the One Being glorified to God, always bring thanksgiving, and blessing to speak and sing praise ".

On other existing rituals of prayer chants

The Church performs some more rites of prayer chants, designed to ask for God's help in certain human needs. The rites of these prayers are given in the above-mentioned liturgical books. Since in the recent past, humanity was engaged almost exclusively in agricultural activities, most prayer services were drawn up with an orientation to the problems of farmers and livestock breeders. Such "common human" problems as wars and epidemics are also reasons for deep prayers. In short, the Trebniki contain the following main rites of prayer chants:

against adversaries("The follow-up of the prayer service to the Lord God, sung during the battle against the adversaries who are against us") - a prayer service performed during the invasion of foreigners;

during a disastrous outbreak("Prayer singing during a fatal fever and deadly infection") - prayers performed during the terrible infectious diseases devastating the Earth, such as plague, cholera, typhus, malaria, smallpox, diphtheria, poliomyelitis and others. Despite the fact that most of these diseases are practically placed under strict medical control and local cases do not reach the epidemic level, now there are problems with other, no less dangerous infectious diseases;

when there is no rain for a long time("The succession of the prayer service of singing, sung during the absence of rain") - a prayer service, which is performed during catastrophic droughts for farmers, and therefore for all people. Apparently, now, as a result of the development of irrigation methods in agriculture, the acuteness of the problem has been removed, but the climate changes observed in the most recent years have already led to a tangible shortage of agricultural products in the world;

Consecration of the "chariot"

when it's raining for a long time("The follow-up of a prayer song to the Lord our God Jesus Christ, sung during a time of lack of water, when much rain is falling for nothing") - prayer chant, performed, like the previous one, when problems arise with growing crops, caused by unfavorable weather conditions;

thanksgiving on the day of Christmas("The succession of thanksgiving and moleben singing to the Lord God, sung on the day of Christmas, hedgehog according to the flesh, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the remembrance of the deliverance of the Church and the Russian State from the invasion of the Gauls and with them twenty languages") - everything said about the thanksgiving service itself , is applicable to this order. The difference is that thanksgiving to God is given in memory of one of the most important historical events in the life of Russia - the liberation of it from the troops of Napoleon and his satellites;

going on a voyage on the waters("The rite of blessing to those who want to sail on the waters") - a prayer for travelers, which has small features, determined by the way of movement;

warship blessings or new ship or boat blessings- two rites, in which one of the important means of warfare, movement, transportation of goods and other things necessary for human activity is consecrated;

for digging a well (well) or blessing a new well- two prayers - the most important for a person of recent times of rite, which have not completely lost their significance in the modern world, especially against the background of existing environmental problems;

prayer chant from the flood the rite of prayer performed during the real danger of this natural disaster;

to the consecration of the "chariot"- the rite of prayer performed over cars and other wheeled vehicles.

Rite of consecration of a new house

Before the consecration of a newly built house, the priest can perform a small consecration of water in order to use it in the ritual. If there is no small consecration of water, he brings holy water and a vessel of oil with him. Before starting the ceremony, on each of the four walls of the house, the priest depicts a cross with oil. In the house, a table is supplied in advance, covered with a clean tablecloth, a vessel with holy water is placed on it, the Gospel, a cross is placed, candles are lit.

A brief charter-scheme of the rite of blessing of the new house

The priest's exclamation: "Blessed be our God ...".

Prayer of invoking the Holy Spirit: "Heavenly King ...".

"The usual beginning": Trisagion according to "Our Father ...".

"Lord have mercy" (12 times).

"Glory, and now."

"Come, let us bow ..." (three times).

Psalm 90: "Alive in the help of the Highest ...".

Troparion: "Like Zakheev's house ...".

Prayer: "To the Lord Jesus Christ our God ...".

Secret priestly prayer: "Master, Lord our God ...".

The priest's exclamation: "Yours is, the hedgehog is merciful and rescuing ...".

The blessing of the oil with the reading of the prayer over it: "Lord, our God, look now mercifully ...".

Sprinkling water on all walls of the house.

Anointing the walls of the house with oil with the words: "This house is blessed with the anointing of the holy oil in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Lighting candles in front of each cross depicted on the walls of the house.

Stichera: "Bless, Lord, this house ...".

The Gospel of Luke (19; 1-10).

Psalm 100: "I will sing mercy and judgment to Thee ..." and censing at home.

Littenia: "Have mercy on us, God ...".

The priest's exclamation: "Hear us, O God, our Savior ...".

Many years.

The meaning and purpose of the prayers of the rite can be understood from its individual fragments. So in the troparion on the 8th voice the following petition sounds:

“As for Thy house of Zacchaeus, Christ, salvation is the entrance, and now is the entrance of Thy holy servants, and Thy saints are with them.

In the prayer read after some time, the following is asked: “Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, who deigned under the shadow of Zacchaeus the tax collector to bring in the salvation of that and all his house, the former himself, and now here, is a life that delighted in and we are unworthy of the prayer to You and the supplication of all evil keep them safe, blessing them and this abode and those who are hateful to take out (always) preserve and abundantly all your good will give them your blessing for good. Like all glory, honor and worship befitting You with Your Beginning Father and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Finally, after everyone bows their heads, the following prayer is recited:

“O Lord, our God, look upon the high, living and humble, look upon the blessed house of Lavans at the entrance of Jacob and the house of Pentephrius by the parish of Joseph, bless the house of Avedarine by bringing the nod and in the days of the coming in the flesh of Christ our God, salvation to the house of Zacchaeus, the blessed house itself, this very house of Zacchaeus. and in it the lives of those who want to fence with Thy fear, and safeguard those who resist, and Thy blessing from the height of Thy dwelling have sent down to them, and bless and multiply all that is good in this house. "

Taking monastic vows

The monastic path is a special path of salvation, characterized by the fact that a monk takes on a burden that exceeds that which a Christian bears in the world. Monks(from Greek monk - lonely, hermit), or monks, take upon themselves vows, the fulfillment of which is one of the most important components of their feat:

1) virginity;

2) voluntary poverty, or non-possession;

3) renunciation of one's own will and obedience spiritual mentor.

Monasticism has three degrees.

1 ... Three-year ordeal, or degree novice, characterized by the fact that the “candidate”, without giving irrevocable monastic vows, lives a monastic life to test his determination and ability to “live the same angelic life”. The novice for this period wears a robe and a kamilavka and therefore this degree is also called ryasophor.

2 . Small angelic image, or mantle.

3. Great angelic image, or schema.

Dedication to monastic vows is called tonsure, which is performed by a bishop, if the tonsured is a priest, and by a hieromonk, abbot or archimandrite, if the tonsured is a layman. White clergy cannot tonsure a monk, according to the Nomokanon, which says: “Let the mundane priest not tonsure a monk, according to his will, even in Nikaia of the Holy Cathedral. What he will give to another, he himself cannot have ”(Ch. 82).

The succession of the attire of the cassock and kamilavka, the small schema or the mantle, as well as the order of tonsure into the great schema are not the subject of this collection. Those wishing to receive complete information on these issues can refer to the "Handbook of a clergyman".

How a person, in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, pulls off the old person, is sanctified, becomes a part of the spiritual body of the Church, i.e. a completely new person, a Christian, so the building becomes a temple, a place of the special presence of God on earth only after its consecration. It is not for nothing that this rite is also called the "renovation" of the temple: through ancient prayers and rituals, the building becomes holy, and therefore completely different, new. Man, the temple not made by hands, and the temple created by his hands, both are dedicated to God, become His dwelling place, therefore much during the consecration of the temple is done similar to what is done during the consecration of a person.

As at Baptism, a person sinks into consecrated water, puts on white clothes, is anointed with ointment, so the altar of the temple, its main place, the center of the altar, on which the most important sacrament is performed during the Divine Liturgy - a bloodless Sacrifice is brought from all and for all people by the laying of bread and wine is in the Body and Blood of Christ, it is washed, put on clothes and anointed with ointment. Even the appearance of the temple, crowned with a dome, or head, serves as an image of the human body. And not only the throne, but the whole of it is sprinkled with holy water and anointed with myrrh at consecration.

On the eve of the day of consecration, an all-night vigil is served in the newly created church. The service is performed to renew the temple (stichera and canon) in conjunction with the service of the temple, that is, the saint in whose name the temple was built. All-night vigil is served before the altar with the royal doors closed.

On the eve of the day of consecration, relics are brought to the newly created temple. The holy relics are placed on a diskos under a star and a cover in front of the image of the Savior.

On the day of the consecration of the temple, a prayer service is sung and a small consecration of water is performed.

The priests participating in the consecration of the temple put on all the sacred garments, and on top of these garments, to protect them, they put on white protective cuffs (aprons).

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

The arrangement of the throne (holy meal);
Washing and anointing him;
The vestment of the throne and the altar;
Consecration of the walls of the temple;
Transfer and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics;
Closing prayers, short lithium and dismissal.

1. The structure of the throne in the altar, when the top board is nailed to the prepared base with four nails and attached with wax (a composition of wax, mastic and fragrant substances), which signifies the Savior's nailing to the cross and the anointing of His body removed from the Cross with fragrant aromas.

After the approval of the throne, the royal doors are opened, which are still closed, and the bishop, turning his face to the people, kneeling with the believers, reads a prayer at the royal doors, in which, like Solomon, he asks the Lord to send down the Holy Spirit and consecrate this temple and altar. so that the bloodless Sacrifices offered on it would be accepted into the heavenly altar and from there would be sent down upon us the grace of heavenly overshadowing.

Water, as a sign of the grace-filled consecration of him by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, and a mixture of rose water with red wine, poured crosswise, which mysteriously forms all the sanctifying blood of the Lord, flowing from His ribs together with water on the Cross.

The washing of the throne is preceded by a secret prayer of the bishop over water and wine for the sending of the blessing of Jordan and the grace of the Holy Spirit to the consecration and completion of the altar.

After the throne is anointed with myrrh as a sign of the outpouring of God's grace; the fragrant composition of the world signifies the life-giving fragrance of spiritual gifts.

3. The vestment of the throne and the altar in special clothes; since the throne has a double meaning - the tomb and the throne of the glory of God - a double garment is placed on it: the lower one, white, signifying the shroud in which the Savior's body was entwined for burial, and the upper, decorated, depicting His eternal heavenly glory.

Putting on the throne underwear ("shrachitsa" from the Slavic "shirt"), the priests gird the throne three times with a rope (rope) so that a cross is formed on each side of it.

Then the outer garment of the throne (indithia) is sanctified, and the throne is clothed with it when singing the 92nd psalm: "The Lord shall reign, clothed in petting."

Then liturgical objects are placed on the throne: a seven-branched candlestick, a tabernacle, a monstrance, a cross, the Gospel.

4 consecration of the walls of the temple burning incense, sprinkling them with holy water and anointing with myrrh. The curing of the temple depicts the glory of God covering the Old Testament tabernacle in the form of a cloud; the anointing of the walls with peace marks the consecration of the temple by the grace of God.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral, a short litany is recited to the altar, and the bishop reads a prayer before the altar, in which he asks the Lord to fulfill a new temple and an altar of glory, holiness and beauty, so that a bloodless Sacrifice can be brought in it to the salvation of all people, “about the forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins , in the management of life, in the correction of the welfare of living, in the fulfillment of all righteousness. " Also, the bishop reads a secret prayer, in which he thanks the Lord for the continuous outpouring of grace that descended to him from the apostles, and then lights the first candle with his own hands.

A lit candle indicates that the throne has become the true altar of Christ, and depicts the Church of Christ, shining with the light of grace and giving light to the whole world.

5. Transfer by procession and position under the throne and in the antimension of the relics

From the consecrated church there is a solemn procession with the cross to another church for the relics, if they were placed in the nearest church. If the holy relics were in the consecrated church, then the bishop raises the holy relics to the head, exclaiming: "We will leave in peace," and everyone walks with crosses and banners around the entire church while singing troparions in honor of the martyrs: "Your martyr is in the whole world." and "Like the beginnings of nature."
When the relics are carried around the consecrated church, the troparion is sung, "Who built Thy Church on the stone of faith, Blazhe."

During this procession, the outer walls of the temple are sprinkled with holy water.

The transfer of the relics to the newly consecrated temple means that the grace of consecration is transferred and taught through the first temples, and that the new temple is dedicated to the patronage and protection of the holy intercessors of the former temple. So in the Old Testament, during the consecration of Solomon's temple, the ark of the covenant was transferred from the tabernacle and placed in the holy of holies. The enclosure of the relics (or antimension with relics) means the dedication of the temple to the Almighty forever, and their introduction into the temple marks the entry into the newly created church of the King of the glory of Jesus Christ Himself, who rests in the saints.

These words of the psalm, according to the explanation of St. Justin the Martyr and St. John Chrysostom, are related to the circumstances of the Ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. When Christ ascended to heaven, then it was commanded to the highest ranks of the angels established by God to open the gates of heaven, so that the King of glory, the Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, would enter and, having ascended, sits at the right hand of the Father. But the Heavenly Forces, seeing their Master in human form, in horror and bewilderment asked: "Who is this King of glory?" And the Holy Spirit answered them: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." And now, when these words are pronounced at the entrance to a consecrated temple, which marks heaven, with holy relics or antimension, before the eyes of Christians, as it were, the same event is being repeated, witnessed by the inhabitants of heaven. The king of glory enters the church with the holy relics, on which, according to the faith of the Church, the glory of the Crucified, "who rests in the saints," rests invisibly.

The holy relics are brought into the altar and placed under the throne, or in antimensions, on the grounds that in the first three centuries Christians performed divine services on the tombs of martyrs, by whose blood the Church was founded, established and strengthened throughout the world. At the Seventh Ecumenical Council, it was decided that churches should be consecrated only with the position of the relics of the martyrs in them.

Upon the completion of the procession, the bishop reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to confirm the consecrated church unwaveringly until the end of the century in order to bring in it worthy praise to the Most Holy Trinity.
Further, the bishop, on bended knee, reads a prayer for the founders of the temple (on the knee of the whole people). In these prayers, petitions are raised that the Lord would send down on us the grace of the Holy Spirit, give all like-mindedness and peace, and for the creators of the temple - the abandonment of sins.

6 closing prayers, lithium (short memorial service) and dismissal

After the consecration of the temple, immediately Divine Liturgy.

In the newly consecrated church, the Liturgy should be served seven days in a row, for the sake of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who henceforth always abides in the church.

Used materials: Hermogenes Shimansky "Liturgy. Sacraments and ceremonies" from the site "Pravoslavie.ru"

"Why do you need to consecrate a temple?" from the site "Tatiana's Day"

Photo of Nikolai Vsevolodov, Ivan Fomin, Larisa Zakharova, Maxim Vorobyov

"My house is a house of prayer" (Luke 19:46)
ROSE OF THE CONCERNING OF THE TEMPLE WITH ARCHIERONES

Prayers and rituals for the consecration of the temple raise our gaze from temples made with hands to temples not made by hands, members of the spiritual body of the Church, which are all faithful Christians (2 Cor. 6, 16). Therefore, during the consecration of the temple, something similar is done to what is done for the consecration of each person in the sacraments of baptism and chrismation.

The consecration of a church by a bishop is the most solemn.

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

the device of the throne (holy meal);

washing and anointing him;

the vestments of the throne and the altar;

consecration of the walls of the temple;

transfer and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics;

closing prayers, a short lithium and dismissal.

The structure of the throne is done in this way. First of all, the bishop, having blessed his colleagues, sprinkles holy water on the pillars of the throne and sprinkles the corners of it in a cruciform manner with boiling wax, while the priests cool the wax with the breath of their lips. Wax, otherwise mastic (that is, a composition of wax, mastic, crushed marble, dew incense, aloe and other fragrant substances), serving together with nails as a means for attaching the board of the throne, at the same time signifies the aromas with which the body was anointed Savior taken from the Cross.

After a short prayer that the Lord would grant the consecration of the temple without condemnation, the bishop sprinkles holy water on the upper plate of the throne on both sides of it, and she relies on the pillars of the throne while singing (in chorus) the 144th and 22nd psalms. Then the bishop sprinkles four nails and, placing them in the corners of the throne, fixes the board on the throne pillars with stones, with the help of the priests.

After the approval of the throne, the royal gates are opened for the first time, which are still closed, and the bishop, turning his face to the people, kneeling with the believers, reads a lengthy prayer at the royal doors, in which, like Solomon, he asks the Lord to send down the Holy Spirit and consecrate the temple and the altar this, so that the bloodless Sacrifices offered on it may be accepted into the heavenly altar and from there they would bring down the grace of heavenly overshadowing on us.

After the prayer, the royal doors are closed again and the Great Litany is proclaimed with the application of petitions for the consecration of the temple and the altar. This concludes the first part of the rite of consecration of the temple - the arrangement of the holy meal.

The secondary washing of the throne consists in pouring red wine mixed with rose water (Rodostamna) on it three times in a cruciform manner. With each pouring of the mixture, the bishop says the words of the 50th psalm: "Sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed: wash me and I will be whiter than snow", and after the third pouring the rest of the verses are read until the end of the psalm. The priests rub the rhodostamna, rubbing it with their hands on the upper board of the throne, then each priest wipes the "meal" with his lips.

After washing the meal, the bishop, with the blessing of the name of God, proceeds to the mysterious anointing of it with holy Mir. First, he depicts by Mir three crosses on the surface of the meal: one in the middle of the meal, and the other two on either side of it a little lower, indicating the places where the Holy Gospel, the discos and the chalice should stand during the liturgy; then depicts three crosses on each side of the pillars of the throne and on the ribs; finally, on the antimense, he depicts three crosses as holy Mir. At the same time, for each anointing, the deacon proclaims: "Let us hear it," and the bishop says three times: "Alleluia." The choir at this time sings the 132nd psalm: "Behold what is good or what is red." After the anointing of the throne, the bishop proclaims: "Glory to Thee, Holy Trinity, our God, forever and ever!"

Vestment of the throne... After the anointing with Mir, the throne is clothed in garments sprinkled with holy water. Since the throne marks the tomb of Christ and the Throne of the Heavenly King, two garments are laid on it: the lower one is “srachi € tsa” and the upper one is “inditiia”. Having put on the lower garment ("shrachitsa") on the throne, the clergy gird the throne three times with a rope (rope) so that a cross is formed on each side of it. When the throne is girded, the 131st psalm is sung. After vesting the throne in underwear, the bishop proclaims: "Glory to our God forever and ever." Then the outer garment of the throne (indithia) is sanctified, and the throne is clothed with it while singing the 92nd psalm: “The Lord shall reign, clothed in petty,” then after sprinkling with holy water, an iliton, antimension, the Gospel, a cross is placed on the throne, and all this is covered with a shroud.

Having given glory to God ("Blessed be our God ..."), the bishop commands the oldest presbyter to clothe the altar in sacred garments, sprinkled with holy water, put on it sanctified vessels, covers and cover them with a shroud. The altar is a place only for the preparation of the sacrifice, and not for its consecration, and therefore it is not sanctified like a throne. When the altar is clothed in clothes and when vessels and covers are placed on it, nothing is said, only there is sprinkling of holy water, and then everything on the altar is covered with a shroud. The zapads are removed from the bishop and priests, and the royal gates are opened.

After the consecration of the throne, the entire church is consecrated with incense, prayer, sprinkling with holy water and chrismation of the walls. The bishop, having made censing in the altar, proceeds and censes the entire church in advance of the protodeacon with a candle, and the bishop is followed by two oldest elders, one of whom sprinkles holy water on the walls of the church, and the other anoints them in a cruciform manner with Holy Mir, first over a high place, then over gates - western, southern and northern. With this circumambulation, the choir sings the 25th psalm (“Judge me, Lord, as I walked without malice”), in which the royal prophet pours out his joy at the sight of the beauty of the house of the Lord.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral, a short litany is pronounced at the altar, and the bishop, removing the miter, reads a prayer before the altar, in which he asks the Lord to fulfill a new temple and an altar of glory, holiness and beauty, so that a bloodless Sacrifice may be offered in it to the salvation of all people, “about forgiveness voluntary and involuntary sins, in the management of life, in the correction of the good living, in the fulfillment of all righteousness. " After this prayer, the bishop, with the obeisance of those present, reads a secret prayer in which he thanks the Lord for the continuous outpouring of grace that has descended to him from the apostles. After the exclamation, the bishop lights the first candle with his own hands and sets it on a high place near the throne, and until that time not a single candle had been lit in the altar.

Transfer and position under the throne of the holy relics after the consecration of the temple. From the consecrated church there is a solemn procession with the cross to another church for the relics, if they were placed in the nearest church. If the holy relics were in the consecrated church, then the bishop, having distributed the Gospel, the cross, holy water and icons in the altar to the presbyters, and the candles on the ambo to the laity, after censing the holy relics and litany, raises the holy relics to the head, exclaiming: “In peace let us go away, "and everyone walks with crosses and gonfalons around the entire church while singing the troparion in honor of the martyrs:" There is Thy martyr in the whole world "and" Like the beginnings of nature. "

When the relics are carried around the consecrated church, the troparion is sung: "Who built Thy Church on the stone of faith, Blazhe." During this procession, one of the priests, coming, sprinkles holy water on the walls of the temple. If the area does not allow the relics to be carried around the temple, then they are carried around the throne.

Upon completion of the procession, when they come to the western gates of the church, then the singers sing the troparions: "Holy Martyrs" (twice) and "Glory to Thee, Christ God" (once), and go to the temple, the western gates are closed after the singers, and the bishop with priests remains outside in the vestibule, puts a diskos with relics on a prepared table, worships them, overshadows the priests standing with the Gospel and icons at the table in front of the doors, facing the west, and following the exclamation: "Blessed are you, Christ our God," he exclaims : "Take the gates, your princes, and take up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter." The singers inside the temple sing: "Who is this King of glory?" The bishop, after censing the shrine, repeats these words again and the singers again sing the same words. Then the bishop, having removed the miter, reads aloud a prayer in which he asks the Lord to confirm the consecrated temple unwaveringly until the end of the century in order to bring in it worthy praise to the Most Holy Trinity. Then, with the obeisance of all, he secretly reads the prayer of the entrance, which is read at the liturgy at the entrance with the Gospel.

After the prayer, the bishop, taking the diskos with the holy relics on his head, marks the gates of the temple with them in a cruciform manner and says in response to the inquiring chorus: "The Lord of forces, He is the King of glory." The chorus repeats these words. The temple is opened, the bishop with the clergy enters the altar, while the troparion singers are singing: "Like the firmament of splendor above," and puts the diskos with the holy relics on the throne. Having honored the holy relics with worship and incense, the bishop anoints them with holy Myr, puts them in the reliquary with wax, as if at burial. This reliquary, with the blessing of the bishop, is placed under the throne in the middle pillar as the foundation of the throne.

After the position of the relics under the throne, the bishop, anointing with holy Mir a particle of relics, puts it in an antimension and strengthens it with wax. After reading the prayer: "Lord God, Izhe and this glory," the bishop kneels down a prayer for the founders of the temple (with the kneeling of the whole people). In these prayers, petitions are raised that the Lord would send down on us the grace of the Holy Spirit, give all like-mindedness and peace, and for the creators of the temple - the abandonment of sins.

Closing prayers, short lithium and dismissal... After this prayer, a small litany is pronounced, after which the bishop with the clergy goes to the vestment place (or to the solea). The protodeacon recites a short, augmented litany. After the exclamation, the bishop makes a cross over those standing on all four sides three times, and the protodeacon on each side before the overshadowing proclaims (standing before the bishop): "Let us pray to the Lord, all of you," and he censes on the cross. The choir sings: "Lord, have mercy" (three times). This is followed by the usual prayers preceding the dismissal, and the dismissal, which the bishop pronounces at the ambo with a cross in his hands. The protodeacon proclaims many years. The bishop sprinkles holy water on the temple (on all four sides), priests and people.

After the consecration of the temple, the hours (3rd and 6th) are immediately read and the Divine Liturgy is performed.

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Used an article from the site of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of the village of Gubino, Tomsk region.

For a Christian who has dedicated himself to serving God, it is proper to sanctify all his good undertakings by invoking God's help and blessing, since “unless the Lord builds the house, in vain laboring to build” (Ps. 126: 1). All the more it is necessary to call upon God at the foundation of the house of God, where the throne of God will be erected.

After laying the foundation (foundation) for the temple, a "rite on the foundation of the temple" is performed, which is usually called the laying of the temple. At the same time, the raising of the cross also happens. Since the rules of the Church (Apostolic Canon 31; Council of Antioch, pr. 5; Chalcedonian, 4; Double, 1, etc.) decreed that the dispensation of the temple began with the blessing of the bishop, the rite on the foundation of the temple is performed either by the bishop himself, or sent from him and the archimandrite, or presbyter, or priest who received the blessing. The rite of worship for the foundation of the temple is placed in the Great Trebnik. The divine service on the foundation of the temple of God consists, after the usual beginning and the initial psalms, in censing around the foundation while singing the troparion to the saint, in whose name the temple will be erected. Then the abbot reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to keep the builders of the temple intact, and the foundation of the temple to be unshakable and perfect to show the house to the praise of God. After the prayer, a dismissal is made, on which the saint is mentioned, in whose name the temple is being built. After the dismissal, the abbot, taking a stone and inscribing a cross with it, puts it in the base, saying: “Basics a and (his) the Most High, God is in his midst and does not move, God will help him the next morning. " Then the abbot erects the cross in the place where the holy meal (throne) will be, while saying a prayer in which he asks the Lord to bless and sanctify this place by the power and action of the Honest and Life-giving and Most Pure tree of the Cross in driving away demons and everyone who resists.

At the site of the foundation stone of the temple, a metal plaque is usually placed on which an inscription is made in honor of which holiday or saint the temple was consecrated, under which patriarch and bishop, what year, month and date. The stated rite of the laying and setting up of the cross is usually performed after the prayer service with the consecration of water.

Note.

In the Supplementary Trebnik, this rank is set forth more extensively. If the temple is made of stone, then ditches are dug at the site of the foundation of the temple, stones are prepared and on one of them - a quadrangular one - a cross is carved, under which, if the bishop or his viceroy wishes, a place is made for placing the relics. Then a plaque is prepared with the inscription when, in whose name the temple is consecrated, under which patriarch and bishop the foundation of the temple was made. In addition, a large wooden cross is prepared and a ditch is dug in the place where the throne should be built (for erecting a cross on this place). If the church is built of wood, then the logs are prepared on which it will stand. Upon the preparation of all these utensils, the bishop or priest comes from the nearest church, preceded by the deacons with censers, accompanied by other priests in full vestments, with the cross and the Gospel, in the presentation of icons and with the singing of sacred hymns in honor of the future temple, and come to the place of the laying ... Here, after the usual beginning, while singing "Heavenly King," the abbot performs incense at the site of the foundation of the temple. After the reading of the 142nd psalm, the great litany is pronounced with the attachment of petitions for the consecration and blessing of the founding of the church and the successful completion of the work begun. After the exclamation, "God the Lord" is sung and the troparion to the feast day or to the saint of the temple and the foundation. After the 50th psalm, a prayer is read for the consecration of water and the cross is immersed in the water with the singing "Save, Lord"; a prayer for the blessing of oil is also read, in which Jacob's outpouring of oil is recalled on the stone on which he slept and saw the ladder. After the consecration of water and oil, the abbot sprinkles holy water on the place where the cross will be erected, and reads a prayer for the consecration of this place by the power of the cross, and while singing the priest. with a song, the priests erect the holy cross on the site of the future throne. Then the abbot goes to the moat in the eastern part of the temple, sprinkles the main stone with holy water and the place where it should lie, saying: “The stone is blessed with this sprinkling of sacred water, sowing into the unshakable foundation of the temple, created in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, putting a board with an inscription in the recess, he covers it with a stone, saying the words: "This church is being founded for the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ... in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." On the laid stone, the priest pours consecrated oil and sprinkles with holy water all sides of the foundation of the temple while reading prayers and singing psalms. At the same time, if a wooden church is being built, then, as a sign of the beginning of the case, the abbot strikes the prepared logs with an ax crosswise several times. After sprinkling the entire foundation, the priest stands in front of the erected cross, sings "Heavenly King" and reads a prayer for the strengthening of the builders and for keeping the foundation of the temple unshakable. Then he reads another prayer with kneeling of all those praying for the blessing on this place of the altar to the offering of the bloodless Sacrifice. Then augmented litany is proclaimed, to which are attached three petitions for the founders and for the successful construction of the temple. After the exclamation: "Hear us, God ..." there is a proclamation of many years to the builders and benefactors of the newly built church and release. The procession returns to the church when the stichera is chanted to the temple or other hymns to the glory of God (Supplementary Trebnik, 1st chapter. The rite, visited on the foundation of the church and the erection of the cross).

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CROSS ON THE TEMPLE

For Christians, everything is sealed and sanctified by the image and sign of the cross. The cross is supplied not only to St. temples and houses, but the temple itself is overshadowed and crowned with it (St. John Chrysostom).

The cross on the temple is supplied for the splendor and decoration of the temple, for a veil and a solid fence, for deliverance and preservation by the power of the cross from all evil and misfortunes, from visible and invisible enemies - the temple and all the faithful entering the temple with faith and reverence, and on an honest cross those who look, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ crucified on the cross with faith and love.

In the Supplementary Book (2nd chapter) there is a special "Rite of prayer for placing a cross on top of the roof of the newly created church." This rite is performed as follows. The priest, having clothed and having ccented, utters the initial exclamation: "Blessed be our God ...", and after the usual initial prayers, the troparia sing: "Save, Lord, Thy people ...", "Glory": "Ascended to the Cross by the will ...", "And now ":" The betrayal of Christians ... ". The priest reads a prayer in which, recalling the installation by Moses in the wilderness of the copper serpent, which saved people from being bitten by snakes and served as a type of the Cross, he asks the Lord to bless the sign of the cross for the splendor and decoration of the temple, for protecting by the power of the cross those entering the temple and worshiping the Son crucified on the Cross God and have mercy on all who look at this sign and remember the saving death of the Lord. After the prayer, the priest sprinkles the cross with holy water, saying: "This sign of the cross is blessed and sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, by sprinkling sowing sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen." After singing: "Ascended to the Cross by will," the dismissal is pronounced to the temple, and the builders, taking the cross, put it in place, at the top of the church.

BLESSING BELL

Before the bell is hung on the bell tower, it is hung at the church so that it can be sprinkled on top and inside, and the bell is blessed according to a special rite: “The rite of the Campanian blessing, these are bells, or ringing” (Chapter 24 of the Supplementary Trebnik).

This rite is performed as follows: the bishop or priest leaves the church and comes to the bell, near which there is consecrated water and sprinkler on the table, and proclaims the usual beginning. The clergy sings: "To the Heavenly King," the Trisagion, Our Father is read and praise psalms are sung (Psalms 148-150), the great litany is pronounced, to which 4 petitions for the blessing of the bell are attached.

After the litany and the 28th psalm, a prayer for the blessing of the bell is read, and another prayer, the worshiper, is read in secret. Litany petitions and prayers contain a prayer for the blessing of the bell, for sending down the bell of grace, so that all who hear its ringing in days and nights are excited to the glorification of the holy name of the Lord and to the practice of the commandments of the Lord; the prayer is also lifted up that "at the ringing of the blessed Campanian, all windy storms, evil-dissolved air, hailstones, whirlwinds, terrible thunders and harmful lightning, bereavement, should subside, and all the slander of the enemy should be driven away."

After the prayers, the priest sprinkles holy water on the bell from 4 sides, from above, and around, and inside, saying three times: "This campaign is blessed and consecrated by sprinkling of holy water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen."

After the sprinkling, the priest censes around the Campan, inside and outside of it, while the clergy chants the 69th psalm: "God, come see me for my help." Then a paremia is read about the arrangement by Moses of sacred silver trumpets for calling the people to prayer and sacrifices to God (Num. 11,

1-10). After the paremia, three stichera are sung and the day's dismissal is pronounced.

ROSE OF THE CONCERNING OF THE TEMPLE WITH ARCHIERONES

Consecration, or "renewal", of the temple. The built temple can be a place for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy only after its consecration. Consecration of the temple is called "renewal", because through the consecration of the temple from an ordinary building is made a saint, and therefore completely different, new. According to the rules of the Orthodox Church (IV All. Sob., 4th right.), The consecration of the temple must be performed by the bishop. If it is not the bishop himself who consecrates, then he sends the antimension, consecrated by him, to the newly created church, where, after the establishment and consecration of the throne by the priest, the antimension is placed on him. This consecration of the temple - bishop's and priestly - is called great.

Existing ranks of the great consecration of the temple:

The temple is consecrated by the bishop himself- while he sanctifies the antimension. The rite is set forth in a special book and in the Supplementary Trebnik (or in the Trebnik in 2 parts, part 2): "The rite of consecration of the temple from the bishop creatago."

The bishop consecrates only the antimension... "Investigation of how to consecrate antimensions to the bishop" - is in the "Official of the hierarchal priestly service", as well as in the aforementioned "Rite of consecration of the temple from the bishop creatago".

The temple is consecrated by a priest, who received from the bishop a consecrated antimension for the position in the temple. The rite of worship is in the Great Trebnik, ch. 109: "Follow the consecrated antimension to put in the newly created church, given from the bishop to the archimandrite or abbot, or protopresbyter, or presbyter chosen for this and skillful."

The consecration of a church by a bishop is the most solemn.

All-night vigil on the eve of the consecration of the temple... On the eve of the day of consecration, small Vespers and All-Night Vigil are served in the newly created church. The service is performed to renew the temple (stichera and canon) from the Great Trebnik in conjunction with the service of the temple, that is, the saint in whose name the temple was built. Both small vespers and vigils are sung before the altar with the royal gates closed.

Note.

The consecration of the temple should not be performed on the very day on which the memory of the saint or the event in whose name the church was built is celebrated, for the reason that the consecration service of the temple should not be confused with the temple service in honor of the holiday. The consecration of the temple must be completed before the temple festival.

Churches in the name of the Resurrection of Christ are consecrated only on Sundays, because it is not proper to sing a Sunday service on simple (weekday) days.

The temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ and the temples of the Lord, the Theotokos and saints are not allowed to consecrate on the Weeks (Sundays) of the Forty Years, Pentecost, the Forefather's Week, Father before R. Kh., On the Week of R. Kh. And after the Enlightenment, as well as on those Sundays , on which the feasts of the Lord, the Theotokos and the polyeleos saints occur, "now (in these days) there is great oppression in the stichera and in the canons." For the same reason, the consecration of the temple to the saint (or saint) is not performed on all the feasts of the Lord, Theotokos and polyeleos saints.

In Great Lent on weekdays, the consecration of the temple is also not done (for the sake of fasting).

Preparation for the consecration of the temple... On the eve of the day of consecration, relics are brought to the newly created temple. The holy relics are placed on a diskos under a star and a cover in front of the image of the Savior on a lectern, and a lamp is kindled in front of them. Before the royal gates, a table is set on which the accessories of the throne are usually relied on: the Holy Gospel, the honest cross, priest. vessels, clothes on the throne and on the altar, nails, etc., and lighted candles are supplied at the four corners of the table. In the altar, closer to the mountainous place, a table is placed, covered with a veil, and on it are supplied holy Mir, church wine, rose water, streams for anointing with Mir, sprinklers, stones for nailing.

On the very day of the consecration of the temple (until the ringing), the relics will be worn out with reverence in a nearby temple and delivered to the throne. If there is no other temple near, then the relics stand in the consecrated temple in the same place near the local icon of the Savior. On the very day of the consecration of the temple, a prayer service is sung and a small consecration of the water is performed, after which the priests participating in the consecration of the temple put on all the sacred clothes, and on top of these clothes, to protect them, they put on white protective cuffs (aprons) and gird them. After vesting, the clergy bring in the table with the prepared utensils by the royal doors and set it on the right side of the altar. The royal gates are closed, and the laity cannot be in the altar, in order to avoid crowding.

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

the device of the throne (holy meal);

washing and anointing him;

the vestments of the throne and the altar;

consecration of the walls of the temple;

transfer and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics;

closing prayers, a short lithium and dismissal.

The washing and anointing of the throne holy Mir. After approval, the throne is washed twice: the first time with warm water and soap, and the second time with rose water mixed with red wine. This and the other washing is preceded by the secret prayer of the bishop over water and wine for the sending of the blessing of Jordan and the grace of the Holy Spirit to the consecration and completion of the altar. When the throne is washed with water, the 83rd psalm is sung, and after washing the throne is wiped off with towels. The secondary washing of the throne consists in pouring red wine mixed with rose water (Rodostamna) on it three times in a cruciform manner. With each pouring of the mixture, the bishop says the words of the 50th psalm: "Sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed: wash me and I will be whiter than snow", and after the third pouring the rest of the verses are read until the end of the psalm. The priests rub the rhodostamna, rubbing it with their hands on the upper board of the throne, then each priest wipes the "meal" with his lips.

After the consecration of the temple, the hours (3rd and 6th) are immediately read and the Divine Liturgy is performed.

In the newly consecrated church, the liturgy should be celebrated for seven days in a row for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who henceforth always abides in the church (Simeon of Thessaloniki). Newly consecrated antimenes must also remain on the throne in the temple for 7 days.

DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE BY A PRIEST

The priest consecrates the temple through the position (on the throne) of the antimension with the holy relics, consecrated and sent by the bishop. Therefore, during the consecration of a temple by a priest, everything that relates to the consecration of the antimension is not performed, as a result of this, the rite itself is distinguished by greater brevity and less solemnity. In other respects, the rituals during the consecration of a church by a priest, with a few exceptions, are the same as when a church is consecrated by a bishop.

Features during the consecration of a temple by a priest... The priestly consecration of the temple differs from the bishop's in that:

prayers for the confirmation of the throne, which are read by the bishop during the consecration of the antimension, are not read;

lower patronal clothing ("srach and tsa ”) is tied with a rope (cord) around the throne just like a belt, and not crosswise;

around the temple, instead of relics, they carry an antimension; holy relics are not placed under the throne, but only the antimension is placed on it.

According to the ancient practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, which came down to us from the Greek Church, during the consecration of a temple by a priest, the throne and walls of the temple were anointed with Holy Mir, and only in the Synodal period, starting withFrom 1698 to 1903, the priest was prohibited from performing this rite, believing that only the bishop had the right to perform it.

But at the beginning of the XX century. (since 1903) the ancient practice of consecrating the throne by a priest through the anointing of Holy Mir was restored again.

On the eve of the day of consecration, before the all-night vigil, at the local icon of the Savior, the priest puts on the table a diskos with a consecrated antimension, over which he puts a star, and covers everything with air. Before the holy antimension, a lamp is kindled, which should burn all night.

In the altar, on a special table near a mountain place, a sprinkler and stones for nailing and other items necessary for the consecration of the temple are placed.

A table is placed in the middle of the church, and on it are placed the sacred objects of the altar: the clothes of the throne and the altar, sacred vessels, the Gospel, the cross, the holy Miro and struchets, etc. (see the Appendix for more details).

In front of this table, on two lecterns, three consecrated icons are placed: the Savior, the Mother of God and the temple.

All-night vigil is performed in front of these icons in the middle of the church, and not in the altar. (The royal doors and the curtain are closed.) The entire service is performed for the renovation and the temple.

On the very day of the consecration of the temple, a small consecration of water is performed, after which the priests bring in holy water and a table with priest. objects into the altar through the royal doors and put on the right side of the throne.

The priests participating in the consecration of the temple must be dressed in full priestly vestments, over which they put on protective cords.

Having brought in the table, the royal gates are closed, after which they proceed to the consecration of the throne and the temple.

Like the episcopal consecration of a temple, the rite of consecration of a temple by a priest includes:

the device of the throne (meal);

washing him and anointing with holy Mir;

the vesting of the throne and the altar in garments;

consecration of the entire temple;

the transfer of the antimension and its position on the throne;

closing prayer and short lithium.

The structure of the throne... After the table with priest is brought into the altar. objects, the royal gates and the curtain are closed. The priests take the top board of the future throne, the primate sprinkles it with holy water on both sides, without saying anything. The singers begin to sing the 144th psalm. The board is installed on the pillars so that the holes drilled in it and in the pillars for nails coincide.

Wax is poured into the holes drilled under the nails and cleaned with knives. The singers sing the 22nd psalm. They also bring four nails and lay them down at the meal. The Primate sprinkles them with holy water and inserts them into the holes at the corners of the board. The priests, taking four stones, hammer nails into the pillars, thus attaching the meal to its base.

The washing and consecration of the throne... Warm water is poured onto the throne, and the priests rub it with their hands, and then rub the meal with soap. Then they again pour water to wash off the soap and wipe the throne with towels. The Primate again sprinkles holy water on the meal.

After that, they bring red wine mixed with rose water; the primate pours three times in a cruciform manner for the meal (in the middle and on the sides slightly below the middle). The priests, together with the primate, rub the wine from the rhodostamic to the throne and rub it dry with sponges. (The singers sing Psalm 83.)

Finally, the primate anoints the throne with holy Mir. (At the same time, the singers sing the 132nd psalm.) According to ancient practice, the priest who sanctifies the throne anoints the meal in a cruciform manner in the middle and at the four corners. At each anointing, the deacon says "Let us hear," and the primate, for each anointing, says "Alleluia" three times.

After this, the vesting of the throne and the altar in their garments.

The Primate sprinkles holy water on the lower garment of the throne (outside and inside), and put it on the throne; then he sprinkles the cord with holy water, and they tie it around the throne “simply” (Great Trebnik), that is, around the throne - in a circle, and not crosswise, as during the bishop's consecration of the temple; usually, the primate holds the end of the cord in his hand at the upper right corner of the throne (in the place of the recess for the cord - at the end of the board), and the deacon encircles the throne with a cord three times, after which a knot is tied at the right pillar of the throne (Supplementary Trebnik). At this time, the 131st psalm is read.

Then, while singing the 92nd psalm, an outer garment sprinkled with holy water ("india") is put on the throne. After that, they put the Gospel, the cross and the tabernacle on the throne, sprinkled with holy water, and they cover everything with a veil.

Likewise, with the sprinkling of holy water, they put on clothes on the altar, and upon it, after consecration with holy water, sacred vessels and shrouds are placed, and covered with a shroud.

Consecration of the altar and the entire temple... Having finished the vestments of the throne and the altar, all the priests remove the cuffs. The Royal Doors are opened, and the Primate, with two other senior priests, consecrates the altar and the entire temple. The abbot, preceded by the deacon, censes the altar and the entire church with a candle; the priests following him - one sprinkles holy water on the altar and the entire temple, and the second anoints the walls of the temple with Mir cross-like: above the mountain, above the western, southern and northern doors of the temple. At this time, the singers sing the 25th psalm.

After the consecration of the temple, entering the altar, the primate lights a candle with his own hands and delivers it on a high place near the throne. (Until now, not a single candle has been lit in the altar.)

The transfer of the antimension and its position on the throne... At this time, the altar cross and banners will be worn in the middle of the church. The priests take the Gospel, the cross and the temple icon, the deacons - the censer; the second priest takes the sprinkler. The Primate proclaims: "Let us leave in peace." And all the priests go to the middle of the church (in front of the younger ones, as in the procession of the cross). The choir follows the banner-bearers. The Primate, going out to the solea, censes the antimension, lying on the diskos in front of the icon of the Savior, makes a bow, takes the diskos with the antimension on his head and follows the procession around the church. The second priest walks in front of the procession and sprinkles holy water on the temple and people. Deacons, however, periodically addressing them, cense the antimension worn by the primate on the head, and also cense the temple on its southern, northern and western sides.

During the circumambulation, the singers sing the troparia: "On the stone of faith", "Holy Martyr", "Glory to Thee, Christ God."

When the procession comes to the western doors, the singers enter the interior of the temple, and the doors are closed (or covered with a curtain). The Primate removes the diskos from his head, puts it on the table in front of the church doors and worships the relics three times. Four candles are burning at the corners of the table. (Those carrying the Gospel, the cross, icons and banners stand at the table in front of the doors, facing west.)

The Primate, standing before the relics (antimension) facing the east, proclaims: "Blessed art, Christ our God ...". Singers (inside the temple): Amen.

After this, the primate says: "Take the gates, your princes, and take up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter." The singers respond to these words by singing: "Who is this King of glory?"

The Primate, leaving the singers' question unanswered, reads the prayers of the entrance (one aloud, the other secretly).

After the prayer, the primate answers the singers' question: "The Lord of forces, that is the King of glory." The singers repeat the question: "Who is this King of glory?" The Primate again proclaims: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." After that, taking the diskos, he blesses (the doors) in a cross-like manner with a diskos with an antimension lying on it, - the doors are opened, and everyone enters the temple when the troparion singers are singing: "As the firmament of the firmament is splendid."

The Primate with all the priests enters the altar and places the antimension on the throne, places the Holy Gospel on it and, having left, recites a prayer with kneeling. (The deacon proclaims: "Paki and Paki bend the knee.")

After the prayer, the deacon pronounces a small litany: "Step in, save, have mercy, raise up and save us, O God," and the priest utters a special exclamation: "For you are holy, our God, and rest upon the saints who have suffered, honest martyrs ..."

After the exclamation, the primate, taking up the cross, goes out with the cathedral of priests to the middle of the church. The deacon, standing in front of them, exclaims: "Let us pray to the Lord, with all thy mercy," and censes the cross. Singers (and people): "Lord, have mercy" (3 times). The primate makes the cross three times to the east. Then, according to the same rank, it overshadows three times to the west, south and north. After this, there is no release and long-term life; the primate and the clergy (and then the people) kiss the cross sprinkled with holy water. Then the hours are read, and the Divine Liturgy is served.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RITES INCLUDED IN THE RACE OF THE GREAT CONSENTING OF THE TEMPLE

The actions performed during the consecration of the temple have a mysterious sign and ancient origin. The rite of consecration begins with prayer and invocation of the Holy Spirit, because the altar is dedicated to the Almighty. The establishment of the throne spiritually indicates the Lord's dwelling among the believers for their sanctification. The board of the throne is affirmed with four nails to remind of the nailing of the Savior to the cross. The corners of the throne, which marks the tomb of Christ, are fastened with a special fragrant composition (wax-paste), to signify the fragrant ointment with which Nicodemus and Joseph anointed the body of the Savior taken from the Cross. After the approval of the throne, it is washed, which is an ancient and sacred act. An example of the cleansing of the temple of God and the altar was prescribed in the Old Testament (Lev. 16: 16-20). The throne is washed first with warm water and soap, and then with rose water and red wine, in remembrance of the fact that the Church was washed and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus Christ, which was represented by the sacrificial blood poured out by Moses on the altar at the consecration of the tabernacle (Lev. 8:24).

The throne will be anointed with Peace as a sign of the outpouring of God's grace. Confirmation of the throne and the temple has been used since ancient times. God Himself commanded Moses to consecrate the altar in the tabernacle with anointing oil, and Moses anointed the altar and consecrated it (Num. 7: 1).

After the anointing of the throne, two garments are placed on it, corresponding to the spiritual meaning of the throne as the tomb of the Lord and the Throne of the King of Heaven. The lower garment is girded with a cord to remind of the bonds with which the Savior was bound and brought before the high priests Anna and Caiaphas.

After the consecration of the throne, altar and utensils, the entire temple is consecrated with incense, prayer, sprinkling with holy water and anointing the walls of the temple with holy Mir. The censing of the entire church by the bishop depicts the glory of God, in the form of a cloud, covering the Old Testament sanctuary (Ex. 40, 34; 1 Kings 8, 10). The anointing of the walls with Peace marks the consecration of the temple by the grace of God.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral to the altar, the bishop reads a prayer, and lights the first candle with his own hands, and puts it near the altar on a high place. A lit candle indicates that the throne has become the true altar of Christ, and depicts the Church of Christ, shining with the light of grace and giving light to the whole world.

After the consecration of the temple, there is a solemn procession with the holy relics around the temple or to another, nearest, temple to transfer the relics to the newly consecrated temple. This last act means that the grace of consecration is transferred and taught through the first temples and that the new temple is dedicated to the patronage and protection of the holy intercessors of the former temple. So in the Old Testament, during the consecration of Solomon's temple, the ark of the covenant was transferred from the tabernacle and placed in the holy of holies. The enclosure of the relics (or antimension with relics) means the dedication of the temple to the Almighty forever, and their introduction into the temple marks the entry into the newly created church of the King of the glory of Jesus Christ Himself, who rests in the saints. During this procession, the outer walls of the temple are sprinkled with holy water.

Before bringing the relics into the temple, the bishop delivers a diskos with relics on a special table in front of the closed gates of the temple and proclaims: "Take the gates, your princes" and so on. And the singers inside the temple sing: "Who is this King of glory?" These words of the psalm, according to the explanation of St. Justin the Martyr and St. John Chrysostom, are related to the circumstances of the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. When Christ ascended to heaven, then it was commanded to the highest ranks of the angels established by God to open the gates of heaven, so that the King of glory, the Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, would enter and, having ascended, sits at the right hand of the Father. But the Heavenly Forces, seeing their Master in human form, in horror and bewilderment asked: "Who is this King of glory?" And the Holy Spirit answered them: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." And now, when these words are pronounced at the entrance to a consecrated temple, which marks heaven, with holy relics or antimension, before the eyes of Christians, as it were, the same event is being repeated, witnessed by the inhabitants of heaven. The king of glory enters the church with the holy relics, on which, according to the faith of the Church, the glory of the Crucified, "who rests in the saints," rests invisibly.

ANCIENT OF THE BONDING OF TEMPLES

Consecration of a temple and its dedication to God is an ancient and everlasting custom of the Church of God. Patriarch Jacob consecrated a stone in the house of God by pouring oil on it (Gen. 28, 16-22). Moses, at the command of God, sanctified the tabernacle and its accessories (Gen. 40: 9). Solomon consecrated the newly created temple and celebrated the consecration for seven days (2 Chron. 7, 8-9). After the captivity of Babylon, the Jews under Ezra renewed the second temple (1 Ezra 6, 16), and after the cleansing of the temple from the persecutions of Antiochus, they established an annual seven-day Feast of Renewal. The tabernacle and the temple were consecrated by the introduction of the civot of the covenant there, by the singing of priest. song, sacrifice, the pouring of sacrificial blood on the altar, anointing with oil, prayer and a national holiday (Ex. 40; 3 Kings 8 ch.).

During the period of persecution, Christians usually built churches over the graves of the martyrs, by which the temples were already consecrated, but the solemn and open consecration of the temples could not yet take place. Temples were to be built with the blessing of the bishop. This is how the custom was gradually established, which later received the force of law, to consecrate places of prayer meetings of Christians with the position of relics in churches and a bishop's blessing. When, with the multiplication of churches, the bishops did not have the opportunity to consecrate all the churches themselves, they consecrated only the altar table, or its upper plate, and the consecration of the building itself was left to the elders. This served as the beginning for the device of portable thrones, which were already in the troops of Constantine the Great, and then the antimenses.

The solemn and open consecration of churches began from the time of the end of the persecution against Christians. In the days of Constantine the Great, the consecration of churches was already an ordinary matter and was performed solemnly, with the participation of a council of bishops. Thus, the temple erected by Constantine the Great in Jerusalem at the tomb of the Savior was consecrated by a council of bishops, whom Constantine the Great convened for this first in Tire, and then in Jerusalem in 335 (September 13). Likewise, the temple in Antioch, founded by Constantine the Great and completed by his son Constantius, was consecrated by the Council of Antioch in 341.

The most important actions of the consecration of temples were: the raising of the cross on the site of the establishment of the throne; anointing the walls with holy oil and sprinkling the walls with holy water; reading prayers and singing psalms. From the IV century. The prayer of St. Ambrose of Mediolana for the consecration of the temple has survived to us, similar to the current prayer pronounced during the consecration of the temple after the establishment of the throne.

ABOUT THE LITTLE CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE

The rite of the great consecration of the temple through the position of the relics or the consecrated antimension in it occurs not only after the creation of the church, but also when:

the church is desecrated by pagan or heretical violence (Doctrine message in the Service Book) and

when, during the repair and renewal of the temple, the throne is damaged or shaken. This consecration of the temple is also called great.

In addition to this rite, there is a rite of minor consecration of the temple. It takes place when, during the repair of the temple inside the altar, the throne was not damaged and it was not moved from its place. In this case, it is prescribed, without making the great consecration of the temple, to sprinkle holy water on the altar from all sides, then the altar and the entire temple. For this, a small consecration of water is usually performed, after which two prayers are read to "renew the temple" (Big Trebnik, ch. 93). One of them: "Our Lord our God" is the one that is read at the end of the great consecration.

Small consecration of the temple also happens when the throne is desecrated only by the touch of unsanctified hands (as, for example, in a threatening fire), or when the temple was desecrated by some filth that violates the sanctuary, or human blood was shed in the church, or someone died here a violent death. In these cases, special prayers are read "for the opening of the church" (Great Trebnik, chap. 40, 41 and 42).

Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople owns the "Prayer for the Opening of the Temple from the Defiled Heretics", written by him after the restoration of the veneration of icons for the purification of the temples defiled by the evilness of the iconoclasts.

CONSOLIDATION OF SEPARATE CHURCH ICONS AND THINGS, NOT DURING THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE

During the consecration of the temple, all its accessories are consecrated, including the iconostasis and other icons that are in the temple.

Church icons and things new or renewed are consecrated separately before their use in the already consecrated church. In the Supplementary Trebnik (and in the second part of the Trebnik in 2 parts) there are special ranks for the consecration of the iconostasis, individual icons, several icons together, a cross, church vessels and clothes, vestments of the throne and other newly arranged utensils for the temple.

The consecration of these sacred objects and icons is performed according to the following order.

The consecrated things are placed on the table in the middle of the church. The priest, clothed in an epitrachelion and a phelonion, proceeds through the royal doors to the table and, having dropped it from all sides, usually begins: "Blessed is our God."

Singers: “Amen. Heavenly King. " Then the Trisagion according to our Father, Lord have mercy, is read (12 times) and a special psalm, depending on which sacred. items are sanctified. After the psalm: Glory and now. Alleluia (thrice).

The priest reads special prayers for the consecration of this icon or thing and after the prayer sprinkles them with holy water three times, saying each time:

"These vessels (or these clothes, or these icons, or this image) are sanctified - by the grace of the Most Holy Spirit, by sprinkling of sowing sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen." If an icon is consecrated, then the corresponding troparion is sung in honor of the one depicted on the icon.

After that, the priest makes a dismissal.

In the prayer read at the consecration of the cross, the Church prays to the Lord to bless and consecrate the sign of the cross and to fulfill the powers and blessings of the tree on which the most pure body of the Lord was nailed.

At the consecration of the icons of the Lord, a prayer is raised for the blessing and consecration of the icons of the Lord and for the granting of healing power to them and for the fulfillment of their blessing and the strength of the Image Not Made by Hands.

With the blessing of the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, a prayer is read to the Lord, incarnated from the Ever-Virgin Mary, for the blessing and consecration of the icon and giving it the strength and strength of a miraculous action.

With the blessing of the icons of the saints, a prayer is said for the blessing and consecration of images in honor and memory of the saints of God, so that the faithful, looking at them, glorify God who glorified them, and try to imitate the life and deeds of the saints.

Washing the upper seat of the throne with soap is not necessary if it is new and clean. “Because soap is used only for washing a meal, which can be washed without it, especially when it is wooden, well ironed and clean; consequently, whether to use it or not, is one ”(Bishop Nicholas. In response to a question from the Old Believer. M., 1839).

“The priests accept the table of the meal, the ruler sprinkles the pillars or the one-pillar with holy water, nothing more than a verb, and the table of the meal is strengthened, as if it is lepo, and is washed with warm water ... and poured with rhodostamnoy (“ ghoul water ”) if it is the same kind of wine, if not wine tochu. The same initial priest will anoint St. Meal with Peace. The holy meal will be anointed with the great holy Mir sice: he will create the cross in the middle of the refectory, and at the four corners of the cross he will create "(Official of the Holy Cyrus Paisius, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. . Kiev, 1862).