Consecrated water in the church. Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water. How the blessing of water was first performed

All our life next to us is a great shrine - holy water.
Consecrated water there is an image of God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual defilements, sanctifies and strengthens them for the deed of salvation in God.
We plunge into it for the first time in baptism, when, when receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him in new life in Christ.
Holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of temples and all items used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, any household item.
We are sprinkled with holy water in processions of the cross, during prayer services.
On the day of the Epiphany, everyone orthodox christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, prayerfully partaking of holy water in sickness and all kinds of infirmity.
Epiphany water, like holy communion, is accepted by believers only on an empty stomach.
“Consecrated water,” as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, “has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it”. She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily diseases.
Holy water extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits - that is why they sprinkle holy water on a dwelling and every thing that is consecrated.
The Monk Seraphim, after the confessions of the pilgrims, always allowed them to taste from the cup of the holy Epiphany water.
The Monk Ambrose sent a bottle of holy water to the terminally ill - and the incurable disease, to the amazement of the doctors, disappeared.
Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised to sprinkle food and food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, “sanctifies everything by itself”.
When someone was very sick, Elder Seraphim blessed to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The elder said that medicines are stronger than holy water and blessed oil - no.

HOW WAS THE FIRST TIME DEDICATION OF WATER

The consecration of water was accepted by the Church from the apostles and their successors. But the first example was set by the Lord Himself when He plunged into Jordan and sanctified the whole nature of water.
Water did not always need sanctification. There were times when everything on earth was pure and holy.
“And God saw everything that He had created, - says the book of Genesis, - very good” (Genesis 1:31). Then, before the fall of man, everything was created by the Word of God, everything was quickened by the Holy Spirit, which hovered over the water. Everything on earth was sealed with the all-sanctifying blessing of God, and therefore everything earthly elements served for the benefit of man: they supported life, protected the body from destruction. Living in this harmonious, paradise environment, a person, according to the promise of God, had to be immortal, for “God did not create death” (Wis. 1:13).
But man himself, through communion with an unclean spirit, received the seed of uncleanness into his soul. And then the Spirit of God departed from the unclean creature: “And the Lord [God] said: It is not forever for my Spirit to be despised by men [these], because they are flesh” (Genesis 6: 3).
Now everything that the hands of sinners touched became unclean, everything became an instrument of sin, and therefore was deprived of God's blessing and was subjected to curse. The elements that served man before have changed. The earth now brings thorns and thistles, the air saturated with decay becomes dangerous and sometimes deadly. Water, having become a drain of sewage, became infectious, dangerous, and now, in the hands of the Justice of God, it began to act as an instrument of punishment for the wicked.
But this does not mean that humanity has been deprived of holy water. The source of streams that Moses drove out of the rock, of course, did not plain water, but the water is special. The water in the source of the Samaritan was not easy, fossilized by the forefather Jacob and consecrated later by the Savior's conversation at this source.
The concept of holy water is found in Old Testament: “And the priest will take holy water into an earthen vessel” (Num. 5, 17).
But a very special water flows in the Jordan River. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared on the Jordan to sanctify the watery nature and make it a source of sanctification for man.
That is why at the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan the miracle of creation was repeated: the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended, and the voice of the Heavenly Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
Thus, after the fall of man, the consecration of water took place for the first time.

WHY DOES THE CHURCH CONCERN THE WATER

Why does the Church again and again sanctify water when it has already been sanctified by the Baptism of the Son of God Himself?
We, fallen people, although renewed by the grace of God, always, to death, carry within ourselves the seed of ancient sinful impurity, therefore we can always sin, and thus again and again bring into the world impurity and decay. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, having ascended to heaven, left us his living and life-giving word, granted the believers the right to bring down to earth the blessing of the Heavenly Father by the power of faith and prayer, sent down the Comforter Spirit of truth, Who always abides in the Church of Christ, so that the Church, in spite of the inexhaustible in the heart of the human seed of sin and uncleanness, has always had an inexhaustible source of sanctification and life.
Keeping this commandment of the Lord, the Holy Church with the Word of God, sacraments and prayer always sanctifies not only the person himself, but also everything that he uses in the world. By this, the Church puts a limit to the spread of sinful impurities, prevents the multiplication of the disastrous consequences of our sins.
The church sanctifies the earth, asking God for the blessing of fertility, sanctifies bread, which serves us as food, and water, which quenches our thirst.
Without blessing, without sanctification, could this perishable food and drink keep us alive? “It is not the procreation of fruit that nourishes a man, but Thy word preserves those who believe in Thee” (Wis. 16:26).
Hence the answer to the question of why the Church sanctifies water arises.
By blessing the water, the Church returns to the water element the primitive purity and holiness, brings down to the water by the power of prayer and the Word of God the blessing of the Lord and the grace of the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit.

WHY WATER IS CONCENTRATED IN SPECIAL VESSELS

Like everything in the Church, the vessel in which the blessing of water is performed carries great symbolic significance.
Outwardly, the blessed vessel resembles a chalice for the sacrament. The vessel for the consecration of water is a large bowl on a low stand with a round base for placing it on the table. WITH east side bowls have cells, where at the beginning of the consecration of water three candles are installed - in the image of the Holy Trinity, sanctifying and enlightening people with Divine grace. As a vessel and a receptacle of God's grace, the cup of water approaches in its symbolic meaning the Eucharistic cup - chalice (translated from Greek - a drinking vessel) and, like the chalice, signifies Holy Mother of God and the ever-virgin Mary, in whose womb the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ was formed. The round base of the bowl for the consecration of water is a sign of the circle of the earthly Church, the round bowl itself, into which water is poured, signifies the Heavenly Church, and all together is a symbol of the Mother of God, as the purest vessel of God's grace.
The same basic symbolic meanings also has a baptismal font. This vessel is also made in the form of a bowl, only significantly large sizes than water blessing, and on a high stand.

HOW DOES THE RACE OF THE GREAT WATER CONSULTATION

The rite of consecration of water, which is performed on the feast of the Epiphany, is called great due to the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the memory of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Church sees not only the prototype of the mysterious washing of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water, through the immersion of God in the flesh into it.
The great consecration of water is sometimes performed at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer after the ambo, and sometimes at the end of Vespers, after the litanies: “Let us fulfill evening prayer our ... ”.
It is celebrated at the liturgy on the very day of the Epiphany, as well as on the eve of the Epiphany, when this eve is on some day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. If the eve of the Epiphany is on Saturday or Sunday, then the great blessing of water takes place at the end of Vespers.
On the very day of Epiphany (January 6), the blessing of water takes place with a solemn procession of the cross, known as the “procession to Jordan”.
Both on the eve of the Epiphany, and on the very holiday, the clergy go out for the consecration of water through the royal gates. Before the removal of the Cross, a priest or bishop in full vestments censees the venerable Cross three times only in front. Carry out the Cross on the head, preceded by two candle-bearers and deacons with censers. One of the clerics carries Holy gospel... In this order, they go to large vessels filled with water in advance. Here a priest carrying the Cross removes it from his head. By the water, he overshadows the Cross on four sides and puts it on a made and decorated table. Those gathered light candles, the abbot, preceded by a deacon with a candle, censes three times near the table, the icon, the clergy and the people.
The great consecration of water begins with the singing of the troparion: “The voice of the Lord on the waters cries out, saying: come, send all the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of reason, the Spirit of fear of God, Christ who appeared”, “Today the waters are sanctified by nature” and others. Then three parimias are read from the book of the prophet Isaiah (35, 1-10; 55, 1-13; 12, 3-6). Great Old Testament prophet three times predicts the Baptism of the Lord from John, which took place on the verge of two Testaments. He expresses the joy and hope of the Church about drawing water from the source of salvation: “Thirsty! all go to the waters ... Seek the Lord when you can find Him; call on Him when He is near. Let the wicked leave his way and the wicked - his thoughts, and let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He is merciful ”(Isa. 55: 1; 6-7).
Then they read the Epistle of the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 10: 1-4) about the mysterious type of the baptism of the Jews in the name of Moses in the midst of the cloud and the sea, and about their spiritual food in the wilderness, and drinking from a spiritual stone, which was the image of the coming Christ.
Finally, the Gospel of Mark (1, 9-12) is read, where the apostle narrates about the very Baptism of the Lord.
How amazing, high and divine is the voice of the Church, with which she calls the Lord from heaven to our earthly waters!
“Great art, O Lord, and wonderful are Your works, and not a single word will suffice for the singing of Your miracles! By your will, from non-being into being, you have brought all kinds of things: with Your power, contain the creature, and with Your providence build the world - All the clever Powers tremble for You: The sun sings for you: The moon praises you: The stars are present for you: The light listens to you: The abysses tremble for you: sources. Thou hast stretched out the sky like a skin: Thou hast affirmed the earth on the waters: Thou hast protected the sea with sand: Thou hast poured out the air to breath. Angelic powers serve You: Faces of the Archangels bow to You - God is the indescribable son, beginningless and unspeakable - For the Lover of Man the King, come now also by the influx of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water ”.
At the same time, there is censing over water. Consecration of water when reading a prayer is accompanied by a threefold blessing by her hand of the shepherd while pronouncing the words: “You yourself, Human-loving King, come now by the influx of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water”.
The Great Agiasma (Greek - "shrine", this is the name of the water consecrated according to the order of the Great Consecration) is consecrated, in addition to the threefold immersion of the honest Cross in it, with the sign of the Cross, a blessing and stronger and more complex prayers and chants than with the small consecration of water performed at prayer services.
“You yourself, loving man, to the King, come now by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water. And give her the grace of deliverance, the blessing of Jordan: create an incorruptible source, a gift of sanctification, permission of sins, healing of ailments, destructive demons, unapproachable to resisting forces, angelic fortress filled, ”- this is said about water, that it is asked to be filled with an angelic fortress, and if it is asked, then, with faith that the acquisition of such a mysterious power by water is possible - and will be ...
“I have fulfilled the angelic fortress, so that all those who receive and receive communion have it for the purification of souls and bodies, for the healing of passions, for the consecration of houses, and for every benefit a fair amount ... Even now, O Lord, sanctify this water by Your Holy Spirit. Rain to everyone who touches it and those who receive communion and who are smeared with it, consecration, health, cleansing and blessing, ”- the priest prays with such strong and responsible words of authority.
And before that, the deacon makes approximately the same petitions:
“For the hedgehog to sanctify the waters by this power and action and influx of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
About the hedgehog descends on the waters, this purifying freshwater Trinity acts ...
About the hedgehog to be given them the grace of deliverance, the blessing of Jordan, the power and action and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ...
O hedgehog, send down the blessing of Jordan to the Lord God and consecrate these waters ...
About the hedgehog of this water being, the sanctification of the gift, the deliverance of sins, for the healing of the soul and body, and for great good ...
About the hedgehog to be this water that brings to eternal life ...
About the hedgehog this will appear to drive away all slander of visible and invisible enemies ...
About those who draw and consume houses for the consecration ...
About this hedgehog to be in the purification of souls and bodies, to all who draw on faith and partake of it ...
For the hedgehog to be vouchsafed to us to be filled with sanctification, these waters by communion, by the invisible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord. "
At the end of the reading of all prayers, the priest immerses the honest Cross three times in water, holding it with both hands straight, while singing the troparion of the feast of the Epiphany:
"In the Jordan, baptizing You, O 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 a word the statement: Appear, Christ God, and the world of enlightenments, glory to Thee."
The priest, taking a vessel with blessed water and sprinkles, sprinkles crosswise on all sides.
Then they approach him for kissing the Cross, and each one who is suitable is sprinkled with consecrated water by the priest.
Even St. John Chrysostom said that the holy Epiphany water for many years remains incorruptible, it is fresh, pure and pleasant, as if this just a minute had been drawn from a living source.
Here is the miracle of God's grace, which everyone sees even now!
According to the Church's beliefs, haghiasma is not a simple water of spiritual significance, but a new being, spiritual-bodily being, the interconnection of heaven and earth, grace and matter, and, moreover, very close.
That is why the Great Hagiasma, according to the church canons, is regarded as a kind of lower degree of Holy Communion: in those cases when penances are imposed on a member of the Church for the sins he has committed and the prohibition to approach the Holy Body and Blood is imposed, the usual canonical proviso is made: "Let me give you haghiasm."
Many mistakenly believe that the water consecrated on Epiphany Eve and the water consecrated on the very day of Epiphany are different, but in fact, on Christmas Eve and on the very day of Epiphany, the same rite of the great blessing of water is used when blessing water.
Epiphany water is a shrine that should be in every home of an Orthodox Christian. It is carefully kept in the holy corner, near the icons.

HOW THE WATER IS BANALIZED AT THE MOBILE ORDERED BY THE BELIEVERS

Besides Epiphany water Orthodox Christians often use water consecrated at prayer services.
Prayer singing, or prayer service, is a special service in which the Lord is asked, Mother of God and the saints about sending mercy or thank God for receiving benefits.
Prayer services are performed in a church or private homes.
In the church, prayers are performed after the liturgy and are performed at the request and needs of the faithful. These prayer chants include prayer orders performed with a blessing various subjects, about the healing of the sick, about those heading on a long journey, about the warriors, etc. At molebens, the rite of small consecration of water usually takes place.
The small consecration of water is also performed by the Church on the day of the Origin (passing) of the venerable trees. Of the Life-giving Cross Of the Lord and on the day of Prepolovanie, when the words of the Savior, full of the deepest secrets, spoken by Him to the Samaritan woman are recalled: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water flowing into eternal life ”(John 4:14).
For a small consecration of water, a covered table is placed in the middle of the church, on which a bowl of water is supplied and the Cross and the Gospel are placed. Candles are lit in front of the bowl.
After the priest's exclamation, Psalm 142 is read: "Lord, hear my prayer ...". Then they sing: "God is the Lord" and the troparia: "To the Mother of God I am diligently flowing now ...". "We will never keep silent, Mother of God ...". At the same time, the priest censes water in a cruciform manner.
After the reading of Psalm 50: “Have mercy on me, God ...”, troparion and litany, the censing of the church or at home is performed.
At the end, the prokeimenon is pronounced and the Apostle is read (Heb. 2: 14-18), in which St. Paul says about Christ:
“And as children are partakers of flesh and blood, then He also accepted these, in order by death to deprive the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and to deliver those who were subject to slavery from the fear of death throughout their lives. For He will not receive Angels, but will receive the seed of Abraham. Therefore, He had to become like the brethren in everything, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to atone for the sins of the people. For as He Himself endured, being tempted, He can help those who are tempted. "
Then the Gospel is read (John 5: 2-4):
“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 the Lord from time to time went into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever first entered it after the disturbance of the water, he recovered, no matter what sickness was possessed ”.
The litany is recited: “In peace let us pray to the Lord,” in which petitions for the consecration of water are raised. As a rule, the censing of the water is performed. Then the priest reads a prayer for the consecration of the water.
Sometimes a special prayer is read: “Great God, work miracles, they are endless! Come now to Thy servant, O Lord, who pray to Thee, and eat Thy Holy Spirit and sanctify this water; and the sanctification by the house and the cleansing of all filthiness, and the slander of the devil's repulsion: as if blessed and glorified, the most honorable and glorious Your name, Father and Son, and Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".
After reading the prayers, the priest, taking the honest Cross with the Crucifixion, makes a cruciform movement with its lower part on the surface of the water, then plunges the entire Cross into the water. At the same time, the troparia sing: "Save, Lord, Thy people ..." (three times) and "Thy gifts ...".
Then the priest kisses the Cross taken out of the water and sprinkles all those present and the whole church. Those present apply to the Cross, and the priest sprinkles each one.
After the blessing of water, everyone who ordered a prayer service can receive holy water.

WHY THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR WATER SOURCES

“The most important of all needs for human life are water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, honey, milk, grape juice, oil and clothing: all this serves the godly for the benefit, but the sinners can turn to harm” (Sir. 39, 32-33).
“... What gift is so necessary for us as water? - says the holy martyr Hippolytus of Rome. -Everything is washed with water, and is nourished, and cleansed, and watered. Water gives water to the earth, produces dew, fattens the grapes, ripens the ears ... But why talk a lot? Without water, nothing that we see can exist: water is so necessary that when other elements have a dwelling under the arches of heaven, it received a container for itself above the heavens. The Prophet himself testifies to this, crying out: “Praise Him, the heavens of the heavens and the waters that are higher than the heavens” (Psalm 148: 4).
And the Church with a fiery prayer cries out to the Lord to call forth sweet and abundant water from the depths of the earth.
In the well, the digging of which is carried out according to the special prayers of the priest, there is not just water: already “digging a well” is consecrated by a special rite.
"Grant us water in this place, sweet and tasty, I will be happy with it for consumption, not harmful for acceptance ..." - the priest prays and is the first to start digging a well.
Over the dug well, a special prayer is again performed: “To the Creator of the waters and the Baker of all ... You yourself sanctify this water: eat your holy power for every resistance, and rain for all who receive from it, for drinking, or for washing for the sake, health of the soul and body, to change every passion and every ailment: as if there will be healing of water and peace to all who touch it and receive it ... "
Ordinary well water becomes an object of worship and, moreover, a miraculous object - "the water of healing and rest."
Many springs, wells, springs are known, where, through the prayers of the saints, water is poured, which has a greater blessing than the waters of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Not only drinking this water, but even dipping into the waters of these springs brings many healings and miracles.
The Church has always performed and is now performing the consecration of the waters of public sources, rivers, lakes. This water also enters the reservoirs, and then into the water pipes, into our apartments.
It can be argued that there is not a single stream of water in the world, not a single drop that would not be sanctified, spiritually fertilized by prayer, blessed and, consequently, that would not be life-giving and saving for people, animals, birds and the earth itself.
If we always did what the Church and the Word of God teach us, then the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit would constantly be poured out on us, then every source would be a source of healing for us from bodily and mental ailments, every cup of water would serve as purification and enlightenment, “Water of healing and rest,” holy water.
But it doesn't work that way. They get sick from water, water becomes a dangerous, deadly and destructive element. Why tap water - and holy water doesn't help us!
Are the prayers of the Church powerless?
When God intended to punish the first world with water, then He said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth was filled with evil by them; and behold, I will destroy them from the earth ... I will bring a flood of water on the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which is the spirit of life, under heaven; all that is on earth will lose life ”(Genesis 6, 13, 17). These words can be applied to our day as well. Do not be surprised that water does not heal, does not bring benefits. What is surprising here, when the main sacrament - the Eucharist, the acceptance of the Body and Blood of the Lord - serves many not for salvation, but for condemnation ...
“He who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:29).
Miracles and healings still occur today. But only those who receive it with a living faith in the promises of God and the power of the prayer of the Holy Church, those who have a pure and sincere desire to change their lives, repentance, and salvation are rewarded with the miraculous effects of holy water.
God does not work miracles where they want to see them only out of curiosity, without a sincere intention to use them for their salvation. A wicked and adulterous generation, the Savior said about his unbelieving contemporaries, is looking for a sign; and no sign will be given to him.
In order for the holy water to be beneficial, we will take care of the purity of the soul, the lightness of thoughts and deeds. And with every touch of holy water, we will raise this prayer in our mind and heart.

PRAYER FOR THE RECEPTION OF PROSPHORA AND HOLY WATER

O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift and Thy holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and weaknesses, according to Thy infinite mercy with the prayers of the Purification Thy Mother and all Thy saints. Amen.

It's not a secret for anyone that for a long time people have been using baptismal and holy water to get rid of diseases and heal their spirits.

Every year on January 19, people go to church to take an unusual liquid, and thousands of those who want to improve their health rush to swim in the ice hole, not looking at And not in vain. There are various cases of healing the sick due to the properties of baptismal grace.

And in fact, studies of water taken from one of the churches showed that the frequency spectrum of the liquid's radiation is similar to the electromagnetic indicators of healthy organs of the human body. Thus, the unusual properties of holy water arise due to the information program embedded in it in the form of a balanced set of frequencies healthy person.

If few doubts about the miraculous qualities taken from the church, then not everyone knows that ordinary tap water also becomes bioactive for the holiday and is able to retain its unusual properties for a year or longer. Studies have shown that water taken from the tap on January 19 changes its structure during the day. The experiments included the measurement of the biofield, acid-base balance, hydrogen potential and the results of exposure of a person to a liquid during external and internal use.

The data obtained through research suggests that the properties of holy water have a positive effect on human health. A multiple increase in the biofield was recorded, as well as an improvement in its energy and physical indicators when using the baptismal liquid externally and as a drink. This helped to improve health, enhance human protection from the effects of pathogenic radiation. external environment... It can be assumed that the meaning of holy grace is that it cleanses the body of harmful toxic and pathogenic formations.

It was found that the properties of which were studied for several years, has two maxima of biological activity during baptism: at night, about two hours, and at noon. Moreover, these peaks have the highest electrical conductivity, which changes during the day, and the samples taken correspond to these parameters for a long time.

From this it follows that it is on January 19 that the structure of all water existing on Earth changes, and this is a cyclical planetary phenomenon. And it does not matter at all where it is taken from: whether it is poured into a bottle, a jar, or is in the sea, river or in the form of snow. And already water assumes its standard structural state.

All samples taken at Baptism retained their properties in the future, and the maximum bioactivity was shown by about two hours collected at night. Experiments have shown that it is this healing liquid that does not lose its amazing qualities when diluted and mixed. Water from other sources returns to its usual properties the very next day.

Therefore, if on Epiphany from a quarter of the first night during the day to draw a liquid from the tap, then it will have the properties of holy water all year round. And in order to get the maximum bioactive effect without plunging into the ice hole, then, from half past one to two in the morning, you need to take a shower or at least wash in a regular water supply.

Dowsing studies have proven that treatment with holy water has a tangible healing effect. It raises the size of the human biological field tens and even hundreds of times, replenishes his energy. After a one-time bathing on January 19 during the year, it is enough to drink Epiphany liquid in small quantities, preferably on an empty stomach. The properties of holy water will maintain an increased level of biofield and have a positive effect on health.

Throughout their lives, next to Orthodox believers is haghiasma, this is the name of holy water in Greek. Holy water is water that is ordinary in its composition and origin (spring, well, tap, lake, river), which, after performing a special prayer service, acquires healing and sanctifying properties, which is called blessing.

Epiphany water should be in the home of every Christian believer.

The first time we plunge into it in Baptism, three times, while receiving this Sacrament, we are immersed in a font filled with holy water. In the Sacrament of Baptism, she washes away the sinful impurities of a person, regenerates and renews him in Christ into a new life. Holy water is always used for the consecration of temples and other items that are used in worship, for the consecration of buildings, houses, and other household items.

It is important to know that bathing for Baptism in consecrated reservoirs is just a tradition, it gives cleansing from sins and is not a substitute for Confession. Christians in the days church holidays try to attend services and participate in the main Sacrament of the Temple - Holy Communion.

Holy water is often used in services and in churches. Someone uses it in everyday life for the consecration of premises and objects, people and animals, storing it for Baptism for future use. Throughout the next year, holy water, as a rule, does not grow moldy or cloudy.

Questions from visitors and answers from experts:

Why is holy water holy? Water acquires such qualities after consecration. There are natural sources of water that are holy. Believers usually make pilgrimages to them. Scientists who conducted research on this liquid determined that it differs from ordinary water in bioenergetic and electromagnetic indicators.

Some people explain the "holiness" of such water by its huge silver content. Silver kills disease-causing microbes and disinfects. For this reason, the water does not deteriorate throughout the year. Nevertheless, this version is subject to criticism, due to the fact that in some churches for Baptism, water is consecrated without the use of silver. The answer to this question, probably, lies in the molecular structure of the consecrated water, it differs from the usual one. For example, after freezing, it forms crystals of unique and perfect forms. And ordinary water is uneven and blurry. Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that holy water becomes holy as a result of the ritual of consecration, which is believed, explaining in scientific terms, disinfection and its structuring.

Prayer for the acceptance of holy water

In our prayer speeches, we turn to the Lord God, to His Most Pure Mother - our Helper and Intercessor, to the Holy Angels and holy people - the saints of God, because for their sake the Lord God will quickly hear us sinners, our prayer speeches.

Prayer for the acceptance of holy water:

“O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift and Thy holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and infirmities, through Thy unlimited mercy by prayers Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints. In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

How to use holy water

Consecrate the apartment

If for some reason you cannot turn to a clergyman, then the rite of consecration can be carried out on your own. However, in this case, you should first visit the church and receive a blessing.

To consecrate an apartment yourself, you need to have at home:

church wax candles;
holy water;
a book with prayers;
icon.

So that it does not penetrate into your home negative energy you need to lead spiritually correct image life. You need to believe in God sincerely, not to violate his commandments, not to wish others bad, thoughts not to defile with bad thoughts, talk with dirty words, the body with unhealthy habits. And your life will become easier, adversity will recede.

Holy water, brought home from church on any day, expels the unclean spirit very well from the living quarters. You can also use the water that was illuminated on the great feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, and is stored in the house. Nevertheless, it is recommended to use fresh holy water for lighting, since if water is in the house for a long time, it absorbs the negative of earthly life.

How to consecrate an apartment with holy water yourself? During the consecration, the vessel must be held in the left hand, and the holy water must be sprayed in front of you with the right, moving along the walls in all the rooms. You should start from the east corner of the room and work your way clockwise. At this time, say the prayer "Our Father".

“Our Father who art in heaven!

Hallowed be thy name;

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done, as in heaven, on earth;

Give us our daily bread this day;

And forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors;

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Some argue that the consecration of the dwelling should take place on Thursday or Sunday, but church officials say the opposite:

"There is no appointed day for the Lord God; he will always answer our prayers."

Consecration will not insure a person against new sins, but it will contribute to the construction of an internal foundation on which the life and happiness of your family will be built as a result.

Drink like medicine

Holy water carries not only medicinal properties, but also endowed with tremendous spiritual strength, so you should not drink it like plain water, it is better to use it in small quantities in the morning, while saying special prayers.

Can you drink holy water as usual? Consecrated water should not be drunk like ordinary water, due to the fact that water can lose its sanctity and go into ubiquity, which will affect the mental balance and will not bring any benefit to a person.

Seraphim of Sarov advised to consume holy water in a large spoon every hour and explained that the best medicine for a believer does not exist.

When drinking holy water, lightness and joy appear in the soul, the mood rises, the soul becomes more beautiful and fresh, and you become closer to the Lord God. As we know, everything good with continuous consumption ceases to be such, it will become commonplace and cease to provide you with the pleasant effect that you will receive with rare use.

For example, if a medicine is misused, it can harm a person. This also applies to holy water, if you drink it every day in large volumes like plain water, then it will lose the properties that it possesses, you will not feel joy and peace after drinking.

Consecrate the willow

Is it possible to consecrate a pussy willow at home with holy water? There are a number of rules that should be followed before the consecration of the willow:

Only the person who cannot be present in the church for a good reason can consecrate the willow at home;
A woman cannot perform a ceremony
In addition to the willow itself, holy water is also needed. They sprinkle it with willow, and pronounce the same words as the priest in the temple.
It is recommended to illuminate the willow on Saturday.

Prayer for lighting the willow:

“O Lord our God, sit on cherubimech, raising up the power of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, may he save the world by the Cross, and by His burial, and by His resurrection. He, who has now come to Jerusalem for free passion, people sitting in darkness, and the canopy of deaths, accepting the resurrection of a sign, branches of trees, and a date, signifying resurrection sretosh. Vladyka himself and us, following the imitation of onekh, on the pre-holiday this day, keep vaia and branches of the tree in the hands of those who wear it and keep it. Yes, like these people and children, I offer you hosanna, and we will also, in songs and spiritual songs, achieve life-giving and three-day Resurrection, in the same Christ Jesus our Lord: with Him you are blessed, with the Most Holy, and the Good, and Your Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and ever. Amen."

Consecrate Easter cake and eggs

It should be remembered that the rite of consecration must be done in the most serious, calm, confident state and always with love in your heart and with all your soul, and then you will succeed.

Is it possible to consecrate Easter cake and eggs at home with holy water? Many people ask this question when there is no opportunity to visit the temple for the consecration of Easter meals. At home, it is possible to perform the lighting rite, but you should adhere to some rules.

For the rite of consecration, you will need holy water, wax candle, any brush for sprinkling Easter cakes and eggs. Light a candle with a match, stand in front of the Faces of the Saints and pray. First, turn to the Lord God in simple words:

“Our Lord! Our Savior, our Comforter! Our Jesus Christ! Tomorrow is Your Day, and today I baked a cake for You, painted eggs. Our Lord, through prayers I send you my love and gratitude. Accept from me my modest gifts, these prayers and the cake that I baked "

Then read the prayers "Our Father", "Theotokos" and "Holy Spirit".

Prayer "Mother of God":

“Theotokos Virgin Mary, filled with the grace of God, rejoice! The Lord is with You; blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit born by You, because You have given birth to the Savior of our souls. "

Prayer to the "Holy Spirit":

"To the Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfill everything, Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all defilement, and save our souls, Better."

After reading, turn to the Lord God again.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ! I ask You to cleanse and illuminate all my cakes and eggs that are here. Send the Holy Spirit and your God's Blessing into them. "

Take a brush with both hands, you cannot take with your palm, holy water, calmly and confidently, bless the cakes and eggs three times with cross-shaped movements, while saying the words:

“With the power of the Fiery Cross, with the Love of Jesus Christ, I bless all this food that the Lord has given us today, and which we accept with gratitude. God the Father, God the Sun, God the Holy Spirit. Amen. Or. In the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Divine Mother. Amen."

After completing all the actions, again turn to the Lord God, and pray to Him to bless and consecrate the Easter dishes. Again take holy water and bless the beads three times with a cross and say the words:

“In the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Divine Mother. Amen".

Holy water is water that is ordinary in composition and original origin (well, spring, lake, river, tap), miraculously acquiring sanctifying (grace-filled) and healing properties after a special prayer service called water consecration.

All our life next to us is a great shrine - holy water (in Greek "agiasma" - "shrine"). We plunge into it for the first time in Baptism, when, when receiving this Sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the SacramentBaptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and regenerates him into a new life in Christ.

Holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of temples and all items used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, any household item. We are sprinkled with holy water at processions of the cross, during prayer services.

Blessing of water or blessing of water, there is a small one performed at any time at a prayer service for water, and a great one. The Great Blessing of Water is performed twice a year - on the very day of the Epiphany, and also on the eve, on the eve of the Epiphany (Epiphany Christmas Eve). On Christmas Eve and on the very day of the Feast of the Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord), the same rite is performed during the consecration of water.

Epiphany water is a shrine that every Orthodox Christian should have in his home. It is customary to use holy baptismal water on an empty stomach together with prosphora after the morning prayer rule with special reverence as a shrine.
"Consecrated water," as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, "has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it." She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily diseases. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, after the confessions of the pilgrims, always allowed them to taste from the cup of the holy Epiphany water.

The Monk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised to sprinkle food and food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, “sanctifies everything by itself”. When someone was very sick, St. Seraphim blessed to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. He said that medicines are stronger than holy water and blessed oil - no.

It is important to know that bathing in consecrated reservoirs is only a tradition, it does not bring any cleansing from sins and is not a substitute for the Sacrament of Penance (Confession). On the days of church holidays, Christians try to participate in divine services and the main Sacrament of the Church - Holy Communion.

There is no need to store large containers of holy water: when it runs out, you just need to add ordinary pure water, which will be consecrated by the existing Epiphany.

According to the church canons, the Great Agiasma is regarded as a kind of lower degree of Holy Communion: in those cases when penance is imposed on a member of the Church for the sins he has committed and the prohibition to approach the Holy Body and Blood of Christ is imposed, the clause usual according to the canons is made: "Yes, give hagiasmu."

The assertions that holy water acquires its properties thanks to silver ions from a silver cross, which a priest immerses in water during the Rite of water consecration, look naive. There is even such an anecdote about this:
“How many silver ions are there in a liter of blessed baptismal water, if the consecration was carried out in an ice-hole cut in the ice of the Volga (as it usually happened before the revolution and is practiced today), in a place where the width of the river reaches a kilometer, the depth is ten meters, the speed of the current - 5 km / h, and the cross, with which the village priest blessed the water, is it wooden? "

The consecration of water in the Sacrament of Baptism is generally accomplished simply by the hand of a priest. And, nevertheless, this water has all the properties that holy water should have.

V Orthodox Church holy water has the widest application as a source of God's grace in the mysterious sanctification of everyone and everything. So, newborn babies (or unbaptized age ones) through baptism in water are freed from original sin and unite with Christ, becoming a new creature. A person dies, his remains and his last dwelling - a coffin, are sprinkled with holy water for parting words into eternity, as well as a place of rest - a cemetery.

Who goes on a journey, he is blessed with sprinkling of holy water. Before the beginning of the teaching, the youths are sprinkled with holy water. Both the foundation of the house and the person's dwelling itself are invariably sanctified with holy water. In the church, everything that has a sacred use is necessarily consecrated through sprinkling with holy water, like the temple itself at the foundation, at the completion of its construction, and constantly on deliberate days and holidays of the year.

So, in the temple, everything belonging to the altar and the servants of the altar - the altar, altar, antimension, service vessels, crosses, Gospels, altar robes, vestments of clergymen, etc. - is blessed with holy water. All sacred objects are also consecrated - icons, crosses, banners, reliquaries, bells and so on.

It is difficult to find something that would be so necessary for people in their earthly life and constitute such an essential need as bread and water. Bread is the simplest and natural human food that supports and strengthens his strength. A person uses water to quench his thirst and prepare food, wash his body and the things he uses with it.

These two substances, essential for a person in his bodily life, turn out to be integral elements for him in spiritual life. Bread, consisting of many grains, personifies the Church - One with a plurality of its members. Bread serves the greatest Sacrament - Holy Communion.

By blessing the water, the Church returns to the water element its primitive purity and holiness, and by the power of prayer and the Word of God brings the blessing of the Lord down to the water. Consecrated water is an image of God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual defilements, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God, extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits.

Therefore, holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of temples and all items used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, any household item. Believers are sprinkled with holy water in processions of the cross, during prayer services.

PRAYER FOR THE RECEPTION OF PROSPHORA AND HOLY WATER

O Lord my God, may Thy holy gift be: prosphora and Thy holy water for the forgiveness of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my soul and body, for the health of my soul and body, for the conquest of my passions and weaknesses according to Thy boundless mercy with the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and of all Thy saints. Amen.

The ABC of Faith

All our life next to us is a great shrine - holy water.

Consecrated water is an image of God's grace: it cleanses believers from spiritual defilements, sanctifies and strengthens them for the deed of salvation in God.

We plunge into it for the first time in baptism, when, when receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him into a new life in Christ.

Holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of temples and all items used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, any household item.

We are sprinkled with holy water in processions of the cross, during prayer services.

On the day of the Epiphany, every Orthodox Christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, prayerfully partaking of holy water in sickness and all kinds of weakness.

Epiphany water, like Holy Communion, is accepted by believers only on an empty stomach.

"Consecrated water,- as St. Demetrius of Kherson wrote, - has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it. " She, accepted with faith and prayer, heals our bodily diseases.

Holy water extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits - that is why they sprinkle holy water on a dwelling and every thing that is consecrated.

The Monk Seraphim, after the confessions of the pilgrims, always allowed them to taste from the cup of the holy Epiphany water.

The Monk Ambrose sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill man - and the incurable disease went away to the amazement of the doctors.

Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised to sprinkle food and food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, "sanctifies everything by itself."

When someone was very sick, Elder Seraphim blessed to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The elder said that medicines are stronger than holy water and blessed oil - no.

How the blessing of water was first performed

Water did not always need sanctification. There were times when everything on earth was pure and holy.

“And God saw all that He had created,- it says in the book of Genesis, - very good "(Genesis 1:31). Then, before the fall of man, everything was created by the Word of God, everything was quickened by the Holy Spirit, which hovered over the water. Everything on earth was sealed by the all-sanctifying blessing of God, and therefore all earthly elements served for the benefit of man: they sustained life, protected the body from destruction. Living in this harmonious, paradise environment, a person, according to the promise of God, had to be immortal, for "God did not create death"(Prem. 1:13).

But man himself, through communion with an unclean spirit, received the seed of uncleanness into his soul. And then the Spirit of God departed from the unclean creature: "And the Lord [God] said, My Spirit will not forever be despised by men [these], because they are flesh."(Genesis 6,3).

Now everything that the hands of sinners touched became unclean, everything became an instrument of sin, and therefore was deprived of God's blessing and was subjected to curse. The elements that served man before have changed. The earth now brings thorns and thistles, the air saturated with decay becomes dangerous and sometimes deadly. Water, having become a drain of sewage, became infectious, dangerous, and now, in the hands of the Justice of God, it began to act as an instrument of punishment for the wicked.

But this does not mean that humanity has been deprived of holy water. The source brought out by Moses from the rock flowed, of course, not simple water, but special water. The water in the source of the Samaritan was not easy, fossilized by the forefather Jacob and consecrated later by the Savior's conversation at this source.

The concept of holy water is found in the Old Testament: "And the priest will take holy water into an earthen vessel"(Num 5.17).

But a very special water flows in the Jordan River. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared on the Jordan to to consecrate the watery nature and make it a source of sanctification for man.

That is why, at the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan, the miracle of creation seemed to be repeated: the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended and the voice of the Heavenly Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"(Matthew 3,17).

So, after the fall of man, for the first time consecration of water.

Why does the Church consecrate water

Why does the Church again and again sanctify water when it has already been sanctified by the Baptism of the Son of God Himself?

We, fallen people, although renewed by the grace of God, people always, to death, carry in ourselves the seed of ancient sinful impurity, and therefore we can always sin, and thereby again and again bring impurity and corruption into the world around us. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, having ascended to heaven, left us his living and life-giving word, granted the believers the right to bring down to earth the blessing of the Heavenly Father by the power of faith and prayer, sent down the Comforter Spirit of truth, Who always abides in the Church of Christ, so that the Church, in spite of the inexhaustible in the heart of the human seed of sin and uncleanness, has always had an inexhaustible source of sanctification and life.

Keeping this commandment of the Lord, the Holy Church with the Word of God, sacraments and prayer always sanctifies not only the person himself, but also everything that he uses in the world. By this, the Church puts a limit to the spread of sinful impurities, prevents the multiplication of the disastrous consequences of our sins.

Church sanctifies the ground asking her for the blessing of fertility from God, sanctifies bread serving us as food, and water that quenches our thirst.

Without blessing, without sanctification, could this perishable food and drink keep us alive? "It is not the procreation of fruit that feeds a man, but Thy word preserves those who believe in You."(Prem. 16.26).

Hence the answer to the question of why the Church sanctifies water arises.

By blessing the water, the Church returns to the water element the primitive purity and holiness, brings down to the water, by the power of prayer and the Word of God, the blessing of the Lord and the grace of the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit.

Why is water blessed in special vessels

Like everything in the Church, the vessel in which the blessing of water is performed carries great symbolic significance. Outwardly, the blessed vessel resembles a chalice for the sacrament. The vessel for the consecration of water is a large bowl on a low stand with a round base for placing it on the table. On the eastern side of the bowl there are cells where three candles are placed at the beginning of the consecration of water - in the image of the Holy Trinity, sanctifying and enlightening people with Divine grace. As a vessel and receptacle for God's grace, the chalice of water approaches in its symbolic meaning to the Eucharistic chalice - chalice (translated from Greek - drinking vessel) and, like the chalice, it marks the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, in whose womb the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ was formed. The round base of the bowl for consecration of water is a sign of the circle of the earthly Church, the round bowl itself, into which water is poured, signifies the Church heavenly, and all together is symbol of the Mother of God as the purest vessel of God's grace.

The baptismal font has the same basic symbolic meanings. This vessel is also made in the form of a bowl, only much larger than the blessed one, and on a high stand.

How does the rite of the great consecration of water take place

The rite of consecration of water, which is performed on the feast of the Epiphany, is called great by the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the memory of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Church sees not only the prototype of the mysterious washing of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water, through the immersion of God in the flesh into it.

The great consecration of water is sometimes performed at the end of the liturgy, after the prayer before the ambo, and sometimes at the end of Vespers, after the litanies: "Let's fulfill our evening prayer ...".

It is celebrated at the liturgy on the very day of the Epiphany, as well as on the eve of the Epiphany, when this eve is on some day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. If the eve of the Epiphany is on Saturday or Sunday, then the great blessing of water takes place at the end of Vespers.

How water is blessed at a prayer service ordered by believers

In addition to Epiphany water, Orthodox Christians often use water consecrated at prayer services.

Prayer singing, or moleben, is a special service in which they ask the Lord, the Mother of God and the saints to send mercy or thank God for receiving benefits.

Prayer services are performed in a church or private homes.

In the church, prayers are performed after the liturgy and are performed at the request and needs of the faithful. These prayer chants include prayer rites performed with the blessing of various objects, about the healing of a sick person, about those heading on a long journey, about soldiers, etc. At molebens, the rite of small consecration of water usually takes place.

The small consecration of water is also performed by the Church on the day of the Origin (bearing) of the venerable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and on the day of Prepolovanie, when the words of the Savior, which were full of the deepest secrets, are recalled to the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water flowing into eternal life"(John 4:14).

For a small consecration of water, a covered table is placed in the middle of the church, on which a bowl of water is supplied and the Cross and the Gospel are placed. Candles are lit in front of the bowl. After the priest's exclamation, Psalm 142 is read: "Lord, hear my prayer ..."... Then they are sung: "God the Lord" and troparia: "To the Mother of God I am diligent now ...", "We will never keep silent, Mother of God ..."... At the same time, the priest censes water in a cruciform manner.

After reading Psalm 50: "Have mercy on me, God ...", troparia and litany, censing of a temple or house is performed.

At the end, the prokeimenon is pronounced and the Apostle is read (Heb. 2: 14-18), in which St. Paul says about Christ:

“And as children are partakers of flesh and blood, then He also took these, in order to deprive by death of the power of the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and to deliver those who were subject to slavery from the fear of death throughout their lives. For He will not receive Angels, but will receive the seed of Abraham. Therefore, He had to become like the brethren in everything, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to atone for the sins of the people. For as He Himself endured, being tempted, He can help those who are tempted. ".

“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 the Lord from time to time went into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever first entered it after the disturbance of the water, he recovered, no matter what kind of sickness was possessed ”.

The litany is pronounced: "In peace let us pray to the Lord", in which petitions are raised for the consecration of water. As a rule, the censing of the water is performed. Then the priest reads a prayer for the consecration of the water.

Sometimes a special 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 Thy servant who drink from it and receive Thy servant and sprinkle it with passion, forgiveness of sins, sickness, healing, and deliverance from all evil, and confirmation and the sanctification by the house and the cleansing of all filthiness, and the slander of the devil's repulsion: as if blessed and glorified is Thy most honorable and glorious Name, Father and Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".

After reading the prayers, the priest, taking the honest Cross with the Crucifixion, makes a cruciform movement with its lower part on the surface of the water, then plunges the entire Cross into the water. At the same time, the troparia are singing: "Save, Lord, Thy people ..."(three times) and "Your gifts ...".

Then the priest kisses the Cross taken out of the water and sprinkles all those present and the whole church. Those present apply to the Cross, and the priest sprinkles each one.

After the blessing of water, everyone who ordered a prayer service can receive holy water.

Why the Church prays for water sources

"The most important of all the needs for human life are water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, honey, milk, grape juice, oil and clothing: all this serves the godly for the benefit, and the sinners can turn to harm."(Sir. 39: 32-33).

“... What gift is so necessary for us as water?- says the holy martyr Hippolytus of Rome. - With water everything is washed and nourished and cleansed and watered. Water gives water to the earth, produces dew, fattens the grapes, ripens the ears ... But why talk a lot? Without water, nothing of what we see can exist: water is so necessary that when the other elements have a dwelling under the arches of heaven, it received a container for itself above the heavens. The Prophet himself bears witness to this, crying out; "Praise Him, the heavens of the heavens and the waters that are higher than the heavens"(Psalm 148.4).

And the Church with a fiery prayer cries out to the Lord to call forth sweet and abundant water from the depths of the earth.

In the well, the digging of which is carried out according to the special prayers of the priest, there is not simple water: already "digging a well" is consecrated by a special rite.

"Grant us water in this place, sweet and tasty, I will be happy with it for consumption, not harmful for acceptance ..." - the priest prays and is the first to start digging a well.

Over the dug well, a special prayer is again performed: “To the Creator of the waters and the Baker of all ... You yourself sanctify this water: eat your holy power for every resisting action, and give all those who receive from it, for drinking for the sake of, or for washing for the sake, health of the soul and body, to change every passion and every ailment: as if there will be healing of water and peace to all who touch it and receive it ... "

Ordinary well water becomes an object of worship and, moreover, a wonder-working object. "Water of healing and rest".

Many springs, wells, springs are known, where water is poured out through the prayers of the saints, more blessed than the waters of Bethesda of Jerusalem... Not only drinking this water, but even dipping into the waters of these springs brings many healings and miracles.

The Church has always performed and is now performing the consecration of the waters of public sources, rivers, lakes. This water also enters the reservoirs, and then into the water pipes, into our apartments.

It can be argued that there is not a single stream of water in the world, not a single drop that would not be sanctified, spiritually fertilized by prayer, blessed and, consequently, that would not be life-giving and saving for people, animals, birds and the earth itself.

If we always did what the Church and the Word of God teach us, then the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit would constantly be poured out on us, then every source would be for us a source of healing from bodily and mental ailments, each cup of water would serve as purification and enlightenment, "Water of healing and rest", holy water.

But it doesn't work that way. They get sick from water, water becomes a dangerous, deadly and destructive element. Why tap water - and holy water does not help us!

Are the prayers of the Church powerless?

When God intended to punish the first world with water, then He said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence by them; and behold, I will destroy them from the earth ... I will bring a flood of water on the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which is the spirit of life, under heaven; everything that is on earth will lose its life "(Genesis 6, 13.17). These words can be applied to our day as well. Do not be surprised that water does not heal, does not bring benefits. What is surprising here, when the main sacrament - the Eucharist, the acceptance of the Body and Blood of the Lord - serves many not for salvation, but for condemnation ...

“He who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:29).

Miracles and healings still occur today. But only those who receive it with a living faith in the promises of God and the power of the prayer of the Holy Church, those who have a pure and sincere desire to change their lives, repentance, and salvation are rewarded with the miraculous effects of holy water. God does not work miracles where they want to see them only out of curiosity, without a sincere intention to use them for their salvation. A crafty and adulterous race, - said the Savior about his unbelieving contemporaries, - looking for a sign; and no sign will be given to him.

In order for the holy water to be beneficial, we will take care of the purity of the soul, the lightness of thoughts and deeds. And with every touch of holy water, we will raise this prayer in our mind and heart.

Prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water

Sretensky monastery
"New Book" - 1997