Instructions on how to behave as an Orthodox Christian in the temple of God.

HOW AN ORTHODOX PERSON BEHAVIOR IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD:

I will go into Your house, I will bow to Your holy temple in Your passion. Lord, guide me with Your righteousness, for the sake of my enemy, straighten my path before You: for there is no truth in their mouths, their heart is vain, their throat is open, their tongues are flattering. Judge for them, O God, that they may fall away from their thoughts; for the multitude of their wickedness, I will rid them of them, for I have grieved Thee, O Lord. And let all who trust in Thee rejoice, rejoice forever, and dwell in them, and let those who love Thy Name boast in Thee. For you have blessed the righteous, O Lord, for you have crowned us with weapons of favor.
(Psalm 5:7-12)

One must enter the church quietly and reverently, as into the house of God, into the mysterious dwelling of the Heavenly King. Noise, conversations, and even more so laughter, when entering a church and staying in it, offend the holiness of the temple of God and the greatness of the God who dwells in it.

Upon entering the temple, you should stop near the door and make three bows (to the ground on ordinary days, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays - to the waist) with prayers:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. - Bow.
God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. - Bow.
Who created me, Lord, forgive me! - Bow.

At the following prayers, bows are usually made from the waist:

We bow to Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.
It is worthy to eat as one truly blesses Thee, the Mother of God...
Glory, and now...
Lord have mercy! (Thrice) Bless.
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

After this, as usual, bowing on both sides to the people who had first entered and making three bows from the waist with the Jesus Prayer: - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner - listen to the Divine Service that has begun with reverence and fear of God.

According to ancient custom, men are supposed to stand on the right side of the temple,

The church service is performed with many great and small bows. The Holy Church requires bowing with inner reverence and outer decorum, slowly, and, if possible, at the same time as other worshipers in the church. Before bowing, you need to overshadow yourself sign of the cross and then make a bow - if it’s small, then you need to bow your head so that you can reach the ground with your hand, but if it’s big, you need to bend both knees together and reach the ground with your head.

The sign of the cross should be depicted on oneself correctly, with reverence, slowly, joining together the first three fingers of the right hand as a sign that God is the One and Equal Trinity, and the remaining two fingers folded and bent towards the palm in commemoration of the fact that Jesus Christ is God and Man, who came to our earth for the sake of salvation. The right hand folded in this way ( right hand) should be placed first on the forehead, so that the Lord will enlighten our mind, then on the belly, in order to tame the flesh that wars against the spirit, and then on the right and left shoulders - to sanctify our activities.

The Church Charter strictly requires that we bow in the temple of God not only earnestly, decorously and all at the same time, but also leisurely (“without struggling”), and in a timely manner, that is, exactly when it is indicated. Bowing and kneeling should be done at the end of each short petition or prayer, and not during its execution. The Church Rule pronounces strict judgment on those who bow improperly (Typikon, Monday of the first week of Holy Great Lent).

Before the start of any divine service, three bows must be made from the waist.
Then, at all services, at every Come, let us bow down, to the Holy God, at the threefold Alleluia and at Bless the Name of the Lord, three bows are made from the waist, only on Alleluia in the middle of the Six Psalms, for the sake of deep silence, according to the Charter, no bows are required, but the sign of the cross is performed .

On the Voucher, Lord, both at Vespers and at Matins (in the great doxology, sung or read), three bows from the waist are made.

At all litanies of church services, listen carefully to each petition, mentally raising a prayer to God and, making the sign of the cross while shouting: Lord, have mercy or Grant, Lord, make a bow from the waist.

When singing and reading stichera and other prayers, one should only bow when the words of the prayers encourage this; for example: “let’s fall down”, “let’s bow down”, “let’s pray”.

After the Most Honest Cherub and before the Name of the Lord, bless the Father (or Master), a deep bow from the waist is always due.

When reading akathists on each kontakion or ikos, a bow is made from the waist; when pronouncing or singing the thirteenth kontakion three times, bows to the ground or waist are due (according to the day): the same bows are due after reading the akathist prayer.

The memorial is read with bows after each article (and in some monasteries bows are given to the ground or from the waist, according to the day, in others it is always from the waist).

According to Worthy at Vespers and Matins, also during the singing of the Most Honest Song on the 9th song of the canon - bow according to the day; After the verse We praise, we bless, a bow is required.

Before and after reading the Gospel (Glory to Thee, Lord), one bow is always given; on the polyeleos, after each magnification - one bow from the waist.

When starting to read or sing the Creed, when pronouncing the words: By the Power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, when starting to read the Apostle, Gospel and Paramia, one is supposed to sign oneself with the sign of the cross without bowing.

When the clergyman, teaching peace, says: Peace to all or proclaims the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love (love) of God and the Father, and the communion (communion) of the Holy Spirit be with you all and the choir (choir), answering, sings: And the spirits yours or And with your spirit, you should make a bow from the waist, without the sign of the cross.

A bow is required during any blessing by the clergyman of all those praying, as well as during dismissal, if it is performed without the Cross. When the dismissal is pronounced by the clergyman with the Cross, with which he overshadows those praying, then the bow should be made with the sign of the cross. Unpious self-indulgence is when the laity, with the general blessing of the clergyman, fold their palms, and then sometimes also kiss them.

When you proclaim your Head to the Lord, bow your head and stand until the end of the prayer said by the priest: at this time the priest prays to God for all who bowed their heads.

When the church overshadows the people with the Cross, the Holy Gospel, an image or the Holy Cup, then everyone must be baptized, bowing their heads. And when they light candles or bless with their hands, or burn incense to the people, they should not be baptized, but only bow. Only on Bright Week of Holy Easter, when the priest censes with the Cross in his hand, does everyone cross themselves and, answering his greeting, Christ is risen, say: Truly he is risen.

Thus, there should be a distinction between worship before a shrine and before people, even if they are sacred. When accepting the blessing of a priest or bishop, Christians fold their palms crosswise, placing the right on the left, and kiss the right hand of the blessing, but do not cross themselves before doing this.

When applying (kissing) the Holy Gospel, the Cross, holy relics and icons, one should approach in the proper order, slowly and without crowding, make two bows before kissing and one after kissing the shrine; make bows throughout the day - earthly or deep waist bows, reaching your hand to the ground.

When venerating icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and saints, one should not kiss their faces.

The Patriarchal Official of the mid-17th century indicated that when kissing icons of the Savior, one should kiss the foot (in the case of a half-length image, the hand); to the icons of the Mother of God and saints - in the hand; to the icon Image miraculously Savior and to the icon of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist - in a braid of hair.
An icon may depict several sacred persons, but the icon must be kissed once, so that when worshipers gather, they do not detain others and thereby disturb the decorum of the church.

From Holy Easter to the Feast of the Holy Trinity, from the Feast of the Nativity of Christ to the Feast of the Epiphany (Svyatka), and in general on all great feasts of the Lord, prostrations to the ground during church services are canceled.

“I will bow down to Thy holy temple, and let us confess to Thy name Thy mercy and Thy truth.”

Every temple is the house of God on earth. And a small village church with a choir of old women’s voices, and the majestic Lavra with numerous churches and many pilgrims and tourists are a place of the special presence of the Lord. I remember words from one article. It says that God does not need man-made buildings for worship, but for us to show love for Him. He does not need our prayers, but we need to have a place where we can bring our sorrows and joys and, in conversation with God, show that we are striving for Him with our souls.

When we love someone, we only talk about him and rush to where we can meet the person dear to us. And although He is omnipresent and infinite, in the church He is especially close to us sinners. We go to church not because we love the Lord, we still need to learn this. We will comprehend this perfect science of Love throughout our lives, and everyone will achieve it to their own extent. The grace to transform and become better, the strength to work on oneself is given for humility, and not for work. But in the beginning, when we are still spiritual babies, we must at least take a step towards the Creator, so that He, seeing our desire, Himself takes us by the hand and leads us further.

Anyone who came to faith at a conscious age will notice that all the events that brought us closer to God and which we called accidents or coincidences, were in fact small stones that build the strength of faith in our soul.

I live in western Ukraine, in the city of Ternopil. Later I learned that our city is one of the first in Ukraine in terms of the number of “religious buildings”, and a true temple of God ( Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate) there is one in it.

At first, out of ignorance, I went briefly to the schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate”, then to the Greek Catholics (their church is a 5-minute walk from the house). In general, Ternopil, although it is a regional center, is small, up to 300 thousand people, compact and green. And each microdistrict is surrounded on all 4 sides by churches of different faiths.

When I first started going to my church, I often heard phrases from people like: “I have a church in the courtyard of my house, and I’m going right here, across the whole city.” This surprised me, because for me it was simply one of the churches closest to home. And I didn’t share the enthusiasm to drive across the city.

By a strange coincidence, our cathedral in the name of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia is located across the street from the Roman Catholic church, a real one, with an organ. Two poles, two roads and two opposite worldviews, truth and lies seem to be looking at each other. Be that as it may, given the difficult religious situation in the region and firmly attached to our temple

Under the name “Moscow Church”, many call our church nothing more than “that beautiful one, with golden domes.”

I have been going to church for more than 7 years. I didn’t have any special search for the meaning of life. But from somewhere I knew that God exists. My mother began to pray when I was often sick during adolescence. But at the same time, she said that it was wrong to go to church “on schedule” (meaning on Sundays). She believed that one should go there when “the soul asks.” And when I already went with my mother to our church and expressed this point of view to the priest in confession, he managed to convince me that Sunday services are our debt to God. We don’t want to go to school or work every day, but this is our responsibility. It's the same here. He also told me to always wear a cross.

I obeyed. From that time on, I regularly attended church on Sunday. I didn’t understand much, but I liked it there. At that time, I had prayers like “so that my birthday is a success,” etc. Later, when the library opened and my mother began to bring spiritual books, a new interesting world opened up to me. Of course, for a very long time the church was on its own, on holidays and on Sundays, and my young student life with discos, short skirts and friendships with guys was on its own. Everything changed after a lot of books read and several pilgrimage trips. I realized that I need to change internally.

So I can limit my conscious age in church to 3 years, no more.

Previously, more than 15 years ago, our beautiful ancient temple was in the very center of the city. But in the early 90s it was forcibly taken away by the Kiev Patriarchate. Services took place for a long time in the courtyard of our former church in a tiny priest’s house. At that time, the young Bishop Sergius was appointed to the Ternopil and Kremenets Sees. The first persecutions and trials fell on his shoulders. The temple was broken into, priests were beaten, icons were broken. And the Bishop himself was attacked and forced to live, hiding with one pious parishioner. I know about these events from eyewitness accounts, because at that time I did not yet go to church. But 15 years later, what joy fills the hearts of all of us, parishioners, and especially those who survived the terrible time of persecution, when we pray in our beautiful church.

Here there is only a miracle and the endless mercy of God: in a small closet 15 - 20 people fought off the attacks of “patriotic nationalists”, and now the large temple and even the entire courtyard cannot accommodate all the worshipers. God can even make good out of human misfortune: if a new temple had not been built, then we would all be very cramped in the old one.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth”

Then, in the early 90s, the Bishop, the clergy and the small flock had nothing but hope in the help of the Lord and Holy Mother of God. There was a site for the construction of a new temple and a strong faith that God would not abandon those who hope in Him.

First, the diocesan administration was built with a church on the second floor in honor of the new martyrs and confessors of the Russians. The temple occupied 2 small rooms, the choir was right above people’s heads. Probably, the parishioners never had such fervent and grateful prayer as then. There were few of them and the misfortune brought strangers together.

Then the lower church appeared in the cathedral building in honor of St. martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. It was at that time that I came to church. I remember large beautiful icons, the solemn reverent service of the Lord and the sandy floor under my feet. Water was dripping from the ceiling, and it seemed to me that something important was happening here and I should not pay attention to the inconvenience. Sometimes everyone knelt down. It was spring, probably Lent...

A special feature of our church is that we have the happiness of constantly, almost every day, seeing our dear Bishop Sergius. On Saturday he serves the All-Night Vigil, and on Sunday the late Liturgy. In addition, on weekdays, if he is not at the parish or away, he is present at the Liturgy, without serving, at the altar. After the service, he comes out, blesses those present and goes to his office. Every day dozens of people come for archpastoral advice and admonition. There is no queue as such; the Lord himself calls from among many the one who most needs help and support. But he never leaves until he accepts everyone.

Vladyka Sergius was a resident of the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra, then served in Smolensk for several years. Now to visit us for the patronal feast of St. Every year a bus of Smolensk martyrs always arrives. Pilgrims are a little afraid of our western region, knowing that they don’t like Russians here. But when they manage to get them to talk, they admit how they look forward to a visit to us and a meeting with the Bishop, how they would like their ruling bishops to be as close to the people.

We love our Bishop very much and are afraid that he may be transferred to another department. But I think the church leadership understands how much he is needed here, in our troubled region. His firmness in defending the unity of the church, his standing in the truth of Orthodoxy, his prayers strengthen people and protect us from all evil.

One episode really struck me. In 1993, my mother wanted to consecrate Easter cake. But she came to church late. On the holiday itself, after the service. There was no one in the temple except the novice. Everyone was resting after the Easter night service. And that man, seeing two women (my mother was with a neighbor) who did not know when Easter cakes were blessed, took pity on them, called Vladyka at home and received the blessing to bring them to his home, where he blessed the Easter cakes for the two of them, not wanting to leave anyone without bright Easter joy. They didn’t even know how to take the blessing then. Vladyka gave them postcards, signed them and told them to take them back to the city.

This is a manifestation of love for the lost, those who understand nothing. But even after this, my mother did not immediately come to church. But I was surprised for a long time.

I remember when the domes were consecrated, Vladyka himself climbed in a crane basket to the height of birds’ flight and from there sprinkled holy water on the crosses. The joy in my soul was extraordinary then.

“Sing to our God, sing, sing to our King, sing”

Now, by God’s grace, I have been singing in the church choir for more than two years. Previously, there was only a bishop's choir, then a children's choir appeared - young schoolgirls were just learning the wisdom of church singing, but their thin voices seemed angelic to the parishioners. Now the choir sisters have grown up, and in the choir there are both students and 25-year-old girls like me, but the choir is still called a children's choir. Sometimes it sounds a little funny. And last year, through the efforts of Deacon John (now a priest) and his mother, a third choir was created - a fraternal one - from male parishioners. I personally really like male singing, especially monastic singing. The brothers are just learning, but they are studying a lot, so they are moving forward by leaps and bounds. Their singing is very solemn and soulful. At one time we sang the Sunday Liturgy in two choirs. While the fraternal choir is on forced vacation, because the priest was sent to the parish and the choir was left without a regent. But among the guys there are people with a musical education, and while they are working on material, they are not participating in services. And the choir in which I sing was also left without a regent last year - due to a joyful event - the marriage and birth of a child to our dear Natasha. But since we have been singing for longer, 3 girls alternately perform the duties of the regent. One is our pride, a beautiful voice and canonarch Irina - in the choir since she was 10 years old. He knows the rules and voices and, even without special musical education, guides us perfectly. This is a talent from God. The second is Maria, a student at a music school; to some extent a confessor, because she endures harassment and unfair treatment from some teachers just because she refuses to go to sing in the Catholic Cathedral on Sundays. And the third - Svetlana - simply has an ear and has been singing in the choir for a long time. But we are looking forward to our Natalia returning from maternity leave. Down below, people immediately sense her appearance. We become like soldiers who have seen their general, and we sing better.

“Remembered in the night your name"O Lord, keep Your law"

Another great joy of ours can be called the night Liturgies, which Vladyka blessed to serve during Great Lent on Saturday night. For the second year already, parishioners gathered at night at 3 o'clock in the temple. Last year, Vladyka always served; this year, apparently convinced that we no longer needed to be “involved,” he was not always present. And he wasn't very healthy.

It is an amazing sight and feeling: prayer in the middle of a sleeping city. They served without turning on the lights, only by candlelight, as in a monastery. Silence promoted attention and reverence. The temple was always full, everyone tried to join in this small feat of faith and love, to work for the Lord. There were always many participants. It is characteristic that if last year I had to wake up in the middle of the night, straight out pulling myself out by the hair, then this year, thank God, sleep was easily escaped by a few sounds of the alarm clock. This is probably confirmation that if we are lazy, it is our own fault, since we have not developed good habits. And if you accustom yourself to something useful, albeit difficult, then it will be much easier to conquer yourself.

At every night Liturgy there were parents with small children. I was amazed at the courage of the parents and the firmness of their intention to raise worthy citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, as well as the fact that they do not spare their children, but teach them to serve God from a very early age.

The church has a Sunday school for both children and adults.

It is healthy and soul-saving to discover something new in class every time in familiar things and words, in the interpretation of the incomprehensible in the Gospel, in discussions and discussions of various everyday situations in the light of Orthodoxy.

Every summer children go to summer camp. In nature, frolicking and taking a break from school, they do not give up prayer at the same time, as novice Georgy works with them. And those parents who are free at this time also go with them, help arrange their daily life and become children themselves for a while, obeying the rules of the camp.

Children are also learning to make simple souvenirs with their own hands for the holidays.

There are several large families in the temple. Strange as it may seem, it is mothers with 3 or 4 children who are the most active in parish life. Not only do they manage to help in the church garden, but every year they organize a Christmas tree for their children and come up with new scenarios and costumes. We admire them unmarried girls who always lack time, and we consider ourselves overloaded with work or study and having one obedience in the choir.

I especially want to talk about one woman, Nadezhda, who raised seven children. Two daughters became wives of priests, two sing in the choir, and the son studies at the Pochaev Seminary. Her difficult life and work made her old before her time, but I think that in the next century, in blissful eternity, she will be one of the most beautiful. She dedicated her entire life to serving others and raising her children. She had no time for rest and for herself. And even now, when the children have their own families, and there are two daughters left to educate, she does not spare herself for any work. I was struck by one striking example of this just recently. On one of the bright Easter days there was a cathedral service in the church, priests from all over the diocese gathered, up to 30 people. Naturally, there was also a festive meal. Afterward, the women gathered in the kitchen to help those who worked there clean up. The head of the kitchen sat everyone down at the table to eat together and then clean up. This is a pleasant moment for everyone; the food prepared was very tasty. And Nadezhda has already started washing the dishes. She, of course, heard that everyone should sit down at the table. No one noticed that she was not with us. And while we carefreely enjoyed a wonderful meal and were in no hurry to get to work, Nadezhda washed all the dishes, that is, she did the lion’s share of this very work. This woman does not think that she is tired and deserves rest, but simply works for the glory of God. My friend, hearing that I was surprised, reasonably noted that she was working not for herself, but for the sake of her children, so that God would help them.

Seminarians from Pochaev come to us on holidays and sing at the service.

I especially remember the Feast of the Holy Martyrs in 2003. Then there was the first Liturgy in the upper, spacious, with high ceiling and arched windows, the temple. The iconostasis was simple, made of plywood, probably, the icons were not new, gilded, in rich icon cases, but painted, in ordinary ones wooden frames. The floor was concrete. At night, my mother and I, like many other parishioners, carried a carpet from the house to cover the floor. I was then glad that our carpet fell right under the Vladyka’s feet, in the center, under his pulpit. To this day, traces of wax on it remind me of that first Liturgy on September 30, 2003. I just returned from a pilgrimage trip to Russia. Not knowing anything about Father Seraphim, I came straight to the 100th anniversary of his glorification as a saint. I really want to talk about the trip, but the topic is different. One thing I know for sure is that it was during those joyful days of pilgrimage that I learned what grace is, perhaps for the first time. That morning on August 1st His Holiness Patriarch served on the street, in a built summer altar. The service was also broadcast on a large screen, since many people could not watch it up close. There was no place on the territory, I stood right in the middle of the garden to the right of the Trinity Cathedral, there were bushes with berries under my feet, branches on the side fruit trees. I didn’t hear everything, but I won’t forget such awe and tenderness as then. When the entire crowd of thousands of pilgrims sang “I Believe,” I felt a lump in my throat, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I could not sing. Likewise, in my newly built church, in much more modest surroundings than at the celebrations in Diveevo, I was filled with an inexplicably joyful and bright feeling. Of course, I didn’t sing “I Believe.”

Previously, perhaps, I paid attention to external splendor. On Sunday, while I wasn’t singing in the choir, I went to the late Liturgy, which the Bishop serves decorously, solemnly, reverently. And the choir in which I sing now sings the early one. At first it was difficult to get up at 6 am, but then I got used to it. And I began to understand that worship is not theater, and there is no need to be greedy for visible beauty. Both at the cathedral Liturgy and when one priest serves, God does not change. He is invisibly present in the church. We go to the temple to Him, and not to the Lord or our beloved priest.

My job allows me to attend Liturgy on weekdays. At this time, two singers are singing - Alla and Larisa. Young and God-fearing, they wanted to go to the monastery, but at that time our parish was being organized and the Bishop invited them to this difficult obedience. It would seem that their work is not so hard. They love God, they like to sing, sing for pleasure. They pay little money, have food and shelter over their heads. But you think so until they ask you to replace them for a few days when you need to get treatment or go to your parents. After all, 5–6 hours on your feet every day is not something everyone can do. And between services there are funerals, weddings and other services. After a couple of days I no longer feel like going to church. And this is how they live all year round. And they themselves are small, fragile, get sick often, and their voices get weak. They are always happy when someone comes to sing to them on weekdays. Singing with two voices does not sound the same as singing with three or four. And when good composition You can choose more beautiful chants. How tolerantly and lovingly, without irritation, they withstand the mistakes of new students who are just learning to sing, and candidates - readers (these are the guys who take our annual probation before exams for the seminary), who master the Church Slavonic language.

I am very glad that our services have not been shortened. All-night vigil on Saturday and holidays ends at 21-22 hours. And the Lord will always bless everyone (!). Until you receive the blessing, until you get home. I was lucky - 10 minutes and at home, and whoever is further away, and with children, then this is already a feat. When there were very few people, at the very beginning, someone suggested not to serve everything completely, to skip something. But the Vladyka said: “Let there be 2 people in the temple, even if not one, but I don’t bless the reduction.” And people still came, and there are more and more of them. If anyone grumbles, it is those who are forced to defend the Liturgy in order to be at the memorial service for friends or relatives.

Through the intercession of Bishop Sergius, miraculous icons are brought to us. Already 2 or 3 times we were visited by the keeper of the Derzhavinskaya icon (the Face of the Savior is completely covered in blood) and the myrrh-streaming icons of the Most Pure Virgin and St. Nicholas with this universal miracle and at the same time a treasure. When I'm in line to kiss miraculous icons I stood there quite easily, without noticing the passage of time, for 7 (!) hours, then I realized that Divine power and help were present here. For a long time 3-4 hour services were very difficult for me. I kept thinking about my legs and back. Then I clearly felt who gave me these powers...

Every year, on the patronal feast day, a miraculous copy of the ancient Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God arrives from Pochaev (the original is located above the Royal Doors of the Assumption Cathedral and never leaves its place. Pilgrims can venerate it every day before the early Liturgy, when the icon is lowered for veneration). Last year, we were also visited by the Sovereign Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is now in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

On such days, parishioners try to stay in the church overnight, pray, stay near the great shrines, and partake of grace. As happens everywhere, there are activists whose composition hardly changes on such nights. As a rule, these are middle-aged women. I am amazed at their willpower and diligence. When the young people are already sleeping peacefully on the mat on the choir, they still read akathists. They spend whole nights in prayer, not sparing themselves, not thinking about the worries and labors of the coming day.

In church we are like in school. Here we must learn to love, forgive, and be forgiving of others. But if the school gives only knowledge, and both work and patience are required from us, then the Church of God is itself the source of grace-filled life-giving power. We not only learn new things about holidays, saints, we fulfill our duty towards God (in regards to reverence Sundays and holidays), but we also receive strength and help in carrying out our daily affairs, but most importantly - in the work of our whole life - in the work of saving the immortal soul.

We don’t always want to go to worship, and prayer is not often fervent and sincere, and more than once, because of our sins, the Lord does not allow us to feel grace in His temple. But it's still for me the only place in the city, which is expensive, which you are afraid of losing. The tense situation was before the presidential elections in Ukraine. We knew that one of the candidates supported the excommunicated “Patriarch Filaret” and advocated the unification of churches in Ukraine. In frequent cases of seizures of canonical Orthodox churches in the west of the country and violations of the rights of believers of the Moscow Patriarchate, we expected a new wave of lawlessness. The Lord blessed to keep the fast, to carry out religious processions and to be on duty in the temple for those who have time. Then the parishioners tried to constantly read akathists in the church, they served prayers... There was one prayer in their souls: “Lord, Mother of God, do not leave us orphans without a mother - the Church.” We were ready to defend our shrine, but we knew that we must humble ourselves under the strong hand of God. Vladyka greatly strengthened and supported us in those days. Thank God we survived this ordeal. But I have not forgotten the phrase once said by our priest, that we should cherish these minutes of communication with God, that we should read spiritual literature, of which there is now a lot, including in our church library, while there is time, because that such prosperity cannot last long.

Many people have a favorite temple. And for me, my temple is the only one. I didn’t look for it, didn’t compare it with others. According to the word of the Lord: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” God simply brought me here, to this “ship of salvation,” to protect and preserve me from the raging waves of the sea of ​​life. This is the greatest mercy of God in my life, a huge miracle! Because for many years I walked past a church under construction on my way home, and I was not interested in what was happening outside its walls.

Faith is not only a priceless gift loving God to us, who have done nothing to deserve it. This is also a feat. The feat of cutting off your will, subordinating your life to spiritual laws, which are not always easy to fulfill. But I hope that by the grace of God I will someday be able to sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, say : “Lord, I have loved the beauty of Your house and the dwelling place of Your glory.” .

In Samara, near the old city cemetery, a majestic temple in honor of All Saints is being built.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Syzran, a church in honor of All Saints is being built in Samara in the area of ​​the old city cemetery. The temple is designed to be large and majestic, in the style of a Byzantine basilica.

Deacon Evgeny Zhuvagin responsible for the construction of the temple talked about how construction began:

We can say this is the revival of the temple, which was built at the expense of the townspeople in 1865 in the area of ​​the railway station. In the 30s of the last century, the temple was destroyed. The almshouse building with arched windows and stucco moldings has been preserved. Nowadays there is a railway transport technical school there. Nearby is a pharmacy - the former gatehouse of the Church of All Saints.

The administration gave permission to build a temple in the Zheleznodorozhny district, at the intersection of Kievskaya and Tukhachevsky streets.

Father Evgeniy passed near this place for several years, and inner voice said: “It would be nice to build a temple here.” Previously there was a wasteland here. There is a cemetery nearby; many saints of God are buried - clergy and laymen strong in faith. Apparently they prayed to God about it. And the parishioners said that when they passed by on the tram, they thought it was a good place for the temple.

On April 11, 2001, Archbishop (now Metropolitan) of Samara and Syzran Sergius consecrated a railway trailer for divine services. And in September the trailer was set on fire. After the fire, many Orthodox Christians responded and were listed cash from different dioceses. And now the construction of the temple is already being completed. Finishing work is underway.

- Why did you decide to invite an icon painter from Serbia?

The temple project was created by the famous Samara architect Yuri Ivanovich Kharitonov. Yuri Ivanovich proposed to paint the temple with frescoes. He told me about the icon painter Vladimir from Serbia. This is already the twenty-first temple for him. Now Vladimir is painting our temple. I have finished painting the dome, now I have to paint the altar.

While work was going on in the upper church, they served in the lower church for seven years. Divine services are held daily.

Architect Yuri Ivanovich Kharitonov spoke about the work on the project of this temple:

A location was chosen and two temporary trailers were installed, which stood parallel to each other. They were united by a high nave. This structure resembled a basilica. This is how the decision came to build a temple in the form of a cross-domed basilica, in the Byzantine tradition, but in combination with ancient Russian motifs of the 12th century. I have been working on the project for more than ten years. Temple architecture - complex engineering structure. In this area there are karst cavities, complex in geology.

The temple is two-story, three-level: the lower temple is in honor of the Holy Spirit, the upper one is of All Saints, and there are also galleries that will be painted with frescoes.

The fresco is a prayer in colors, sincere, alive. This can be said to be an eternal painting, since the paint does not lose color. A rich palette is created by lime with fine sandstone and natural natural colors. The fresco is painted in one step on wet plaster without artificial materials. The icon painter uses water, pigment and four primary colors: white is ordinary lime, black is conveyed by burnt vine, yellow is obtained using clay, and red is obtained from ocher burned on fire.

In Russia I have not found any craftsmen who paint frescoes on plaster. In 1993, in Serbia, I met the icon painter Vladimir. I saw his paintings. And when it was time to start painting the Church of All Saints, with the blessing of Bishop Sergius, I invited Vladimir to Samara.

Icon painter Vladimir Kidishevich Graduated from the Academy of Arts in Belgrade. In Serbia he painted eight churches, about ten in Montenegro, also in Greece and Mount Athos. The twenty-first was our Samara, Russian temple. The result was a kind of prayer shield: Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Russia. He painted both new and old churches that did not have frescoes.

- What are your impressions of Russia?- I ask the icon painter Vladimir.

I'm useful here. I didn’t meet anyone, didn’t see anyone in Samara. I work in the dome from morning to evening. I know Father Evgeniy, Father Mikhail - good people. All!

- Tell us how you became an icon painter?

I was an artist. He wrote abstract compositions. I really liked it and it worked out well. Everything changed in 1983. It so happened that at home in Belgrade on Sunday I went to a restaurant to drink coffee - and heard the ringing of a bell. Not far away, a hundred meters away, there was a temple. I decided to come in. He arrived and the Liturgy began. I stood in service like other people. Then they went to receive communion, and I - without confession, without preparation - was with them. The priest, without asking anything, gave me communion.

Came back home. I collected all the art books, materials, oils, paints and threw them away. I took a board, eggs, pigment - and after two or three days I got the image of the Virgin Mary. He stopped painting secular paintings. Until 1999 there were only icons. Then he approached one priest and suggested that he try to paint a fresco. He agreed, highlighted a wall in the temple, and I began to work on the icon “Abraham’s offering to God of his son Isaac.” This was my first mural.

Metropolitan Amfilohiy of Montenegro invited me to his place and blessed me to work in different churches. I have been making frescoes for 25 years now.

- What style do you paint in?

I saw old paintings from the 11th-12th centuries. For me, this is just an example: what is needed and how it is needed. I don’t copy them, I can’t say that my paintings are Byzantine. The style is more modern.

An icon is the best art. I studied the history of painting: Renaissance, romanticism, impressionism - you need to know everything. How can I paint the face of the Virgin Mary without knowing anatomy? I make brushes from old ones or take them from artists who have a lot of them and don’t use them. I select the thickness of the brush specifically for the fresco, since there are no identical brushes for the fresco and the icon on the board.

- What do you focus on when creating your works?

On Holy Bible- Dilapidated and New Testament. You need to know why, why, how it is written. Then it will be easier to paint an icon or a fresco. People have asked me why the prophet Ezekiel has wide eyes. Remember what he saw? The holy prophet Ezekiel saw a prototype of the general resurrection. If you saw this, what kind of eyes would you have?

- What inspires you in icon painting?

I like it when people come to church, rejoice, look at the icons, and pray to the saints. It is important that your work is needed.

There is nothing better job on wet plaster. The smear is juicy and alive. What holds the paint? I don’t have any glue, like when painting an icon. Now they are working and acrylic paints. There is nothing, just pigment, lime and water. The solution is applied to the wall, trimmed so that it is smooth, the plaster is dried, the water evaporates along with clear crystals lime At this time it is important to start painting the icon. For example, five or six apostles in one composition, you need to work quickly to complete it in one day, before the plaster dries. If there was a lot of time and I realized every second that I was working, then the image would have turned out more realistic. But this would no longer be an icon of the saint, but only a certain portrait.

- Is it difficult for you to paint such a large temple alone?

Yes, the temple here is large, but when creating an icon it is impossible to work with two or three people. The icon painter alone works with paints, writes, cleans up. All alone.

- What subjects do you paint?

Icons of saints, Twelve and Great Feasts, Pantocrator - the Lord Pantocrator, icon of the Last Supper, passion of Christ, Saints John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, icons of the Mother of God. The entire earthly journey of Christ. On the southern side the miracles and healings performed by Christ will be depicted, on the northern side - the passion of Christ. As the area and wall allow.

- Would you like to still work in Russia?

As God willing. I probably won’t undertake to paint a large temple anymore. It's very hard. Each icon must be painted completely in one day, because it is a fresco and cannot be put off until tomorrow. In total, in the dome of the temple he painted icons of twenty-four prophets of the Old Testament. This is one image, but painting an icon of the holidays is much more difficult. Now I’m working on the frescoes of the pre-altar part of the ceiling.

I am very glad that I am here in Russia. This means a lot. Thank you to Vladyka Sergius for trusting me, Father Eugene, who helps in many ways.

Deacon Mikhail Korolev shared his impressions:

The icons are like a real fairy tale, the paintings are very beautiful. This is a gift from God. Thanks to the efforts of Father Evgeny Zhuvagin, a miracle happened! The temple has been built. Parishioners are already praying in it. It was very difficult to achieve this. At first the conditions were difficult: the stoves were heated, there was no water, no windows, no doors.

By the will of God, the temple was restored. It seems to me that it is the only one painted in this style, and will become one of the shrines of the Volga region. It's like a symbol - the Church of All Saints!

Ksenia Novoselova.

The word about the cross...for us who are being saved is the power of God.
1 Cor. 1, 18

On Sunday of the third week of Great Lent all-night vigil The Life-Giving Cross is brought to the center of the temple, which the believers worship throughout the week.

Just as a traveler, tired from a long journey, rests under a spreading tree, so Orthodox Christians, making a spiritual journey to Heavenly Jerusalem - for the Easter of the Lord, find the “Tree of the Cross” in the middle of the journey, so that under its shade they can gain strength for the further journey. Or just as before the arrival of a king returning with victory, his banners and scepters march first, so the Cross of the Lord precedes Christ’s victory over death - Bright Resurrection.

During this worship the song is sung:

We bow to Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.

In the middle of Lent, the Church exposes the Cross to believers in order to, by reminding them of the sufferings of the Lord’s death, inspire and strengthen those who fast to continue the feat of fasting. The veneration of the Cross continues in the fourth week of Lent - until Friday, and therefore the entire fourth week is called the veneration of the Cross.

“The cross is the guardian of the entire universe, the cross is the beauty of the church, the cross is the power of kings, the cross is the strengthening of believers, the cross is the glory of angels and the plague of demons.” This is how one of the church hymns explains the meaning of the cross for the whole world. “With the reed of the cross, having dipped it in the red ink of Your blood, You, Lord, royally signed for us the forgiveness of sins,” says one of the stichera of the holiday.

About the Worship of the Cross

... “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). For the spiritual man judges all things, but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:15, 14). For this is madness for those who do not accept with faith and do not think about the Goodness and Omnipotence of God, but investigate divine affairs through human and natural reasoning, for everything that belongs to God is above nature and reason and thought. And if someone begins to weigh: how God brought everything from non-existence into existence and for what purpose, and if he wanted to comprehend this through natural reasoning, then he will not comprehend. For this knowledge is spiritual and demonic. If someone, guided by faith, takes into account that the deity is good and omnipotent, and true and wise and righteous, then he will find everything smooth and even and the path straight. For without faith it is impossible to be saved, because everything, both human and spiritual, is based on faith. For without faith, neither the farmer cuts the furrows of the earth, nor the merchant on a small tree entrusts his soul to the raging abyss of the sea; neither marriages nor anything else in life happens. By faith we understand that everything is brought from non-existence into existence by the power of God; By faith we do all things correctly, both divine and human. Faith, further, is uncurious approval.

Every act and miracle-working of Christ, of course, is very great and divine and amazing, but most amazing of all is His Honorable Cross. For death has been overthrown, ancestral sin has been destroyed, hell has been robbed, the Resurrection has been given, we have been given the power to despise the present and even death itself, the original bliss has been returned, the gates of heaven have been opened, our nature has sat at the right hand of God, we have become children of God and heirs not through anything else, but through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For all this was arranged through the Cross: “all of us who were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,” says the apostle, “were baptized into His death” (Gal. 3:27). And further: Christ is God's power and God's wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24). Here is the death of Christ or the Cross, which clothed us in the hypostatic wisdom and Power of God. The power of God is the word of the cross, either because through it the power of God was revealed to us, that is, victory over death, or because, just as the four ends of the Cross, united in the center, the height, and depth, and length, and latitude, that is, all visible and invisible creation.

The cross was given to us as a sign on the forehead, just as circumcision was given to Israel. For through him we, the faithful, are distinguished from the unbelievers and are known. He is a shield and a weapon, and a monument to victory over the devil. He is a seal so that the Destroyer will not touch us, as Scripture says (Ex. 12, 12, 29). He is the rebellion of those who lie down, the support of those who stand, the staff of the weak, the staff of the shepherd, the returning guide, the prosperous path to perfection, the salvation of souls and bodies, the deviation from all evils, the author of all good things, the destruction of sin, the sprout of resurrection, the tree of Eternal Life.

So, the tree itself, precious in truth and venerable, on which Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, as consecrated by the touch of both the Holy Body and the Holy Blood, should naturally be venerated; in the same way - and nails, a spear, clothes and His holy dwellings - a manger, a den, Golgotha, the saving life-giving tomb, Zion - the head of the Churches, and the like, as the Godfather David says: “Let us go to His dwelling, let us worship at the footstool of His feet.” And what he means by the Cross is shown by what is said: “Become, O Lord, to the place of Your rest” (Ps. 131: 7-8). For the Cross is followed by the Resurrection. For if the house and bed and clothing of those whom we love are desirable, how much more is that which belongs to God and the Savior, through which we are saved!

We also worship the image of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, even if it were made of a different substance; We worship, honoring not the substance (let it not be!), but the image, as a symbol of Christ. For He, making a testament to His disciples, said: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (Matthew 24:30), of course the Cross. Therefore, the Angel of the Resurrection said to the wives: “Seek Jesus of Nazareth, crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23). Although there are many Christs and Jesuses, there is only one - the Crucified One. He did not say, “pierced with a spear,” but, “crucified.” Therefore the sign of Christ must be worshiped. For where the sign is, there He Himself will be. The substance from which the image of the Cross consists, even if it were gold or gems, after the destruction of the image, if this happened, should not be worshiped. So, we worship everything that is dedicated to God, paying respect to Him Himself.

The Tree of Life, planted by God in Paradise, prefigured this Honest Cross. For since death entered through the tree, it was necessary that Life and Resurrection should be given through the tree. The first Jacob, bowing to the end of Joseph's Rod, symbolized the Cross by means of an image, and, blessing his sons alternating hands(Gen. 48:14), he very clearly outlined the sign of the Cross. The same thing was indicated by the rod of Moses, which struck the sea in a cross shape and saved Israel, and drowned Pharaoh; hands stretched out crosswise and putting Amalek to flight; bitter water that is sweetened by the tree, and a rock that is torn and gives forth springs; the rod that gives Aaron the dignity of a priesthood; the serpent on the tree, lifted up as a trophy, as if it had been put to death, when the tree healed those who looked with faith on the dead enemy, just as Christ, in the flesh that knew no sin, was nailed for sin. The great Moses says: you will see that your life will hang on a tree before you (Deut. 28:66). Isaiah: “I stretched out My hands all day long to a disobedient people, who walked in an evil way, according to their own thoughts” (Isaiah 65:2). Oh, that we who worship him (that is, the Cross) would receive our inheritance in Christ, Who was crucified!

Venerable John of Damascus,
Exact statement Orthodox faith book 4

Everyone has their own answer to this question. Someone wants to receive completely earthly and understandable benefits from God: health, help in work and study. For some, this is an opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle and think about the eternal. Some people consider it their duty to the Creator to go to church on certain days and holidays, while others need church to understand their historical and cultural roots. All this is good and understandable, and a person will really get what he wants, but is that the only reason the Church is needed? After all, you can take a break from the hustle and bustle in the lap of nature, and think about the eternal with a book. There are also many means to achieve health, which, by the way, people resort to much more often. The duty to the Creator is not to visit the temple, but to preserve the spiritual heritage of the ancestors there are different ways. Yes, and you can pray in any place and at any time. So what can the Church give to a person that nothing else can give?

The heart of the Church is the Liturgy.

The Church grew and developed from the Liturgy - a sacrament celebrated in the image of the Last Supper of Christ and commanded by the Lord. The temple walls are a majestic frame, and church services, the main one of which is the Liturgy, are a visible manifestation of what is happening in the Church of Christ, invisible and secret to others, the renewal of man in union with Christ.

According to the word of God, the Church is the Body of Christ, and the people who make up the Church are parts of this body. The introduction of a person to the Church makes him a partaker of this mystical Body, opening up to him the possibility of Holy Communion, to which Christ calls those who believe in him. It is in the temples of God that this great sacrament is performed, and therefore is it reasonable to push away the hand that stretches out to those who seek Life itself in the Chalice of Holy Communion and look for earthly things in the Church instead of heavenly things? After all, Christ Himself promised those who believe in Him not earthly blessings, but the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.

But why then, the question may arise, are prayers, the blessing of water and fruits of the earth, prayers for health needed? Seek first the Kingdom of God, says the Lord, and everything else will be added to you. To those who have already entered the Church of Christ and have found the most important thing - new life in Christ, the Lord will give and other things asked, if necessary. Having entered a person’s heart, Christ enters his entire life, sanctifying and transforming everything, from water, the fruits of the earth, a person’s home to his very deeds and even the surrounding reality.

Will the one who comes to church for earthly things, forgetting about the Heavenly Bread, really not receive what he asks for? After all, in fact, this is not why Christ, the Son of God, was crucified? He will receive it, of course, by the unspeakable mercy of God. But such a petitioner will be like a man building a house on sand, or, as the proverb goes, carrying water in a sieve. The benefit received will soon be carried away by the fleeting waters of life’s bustle, and instead of the expected happiness there will be only disappointment and emptiness.

What if God is already in the soul?

It is not surprising that a person feels the existence of the Most High or believes in Him. According to the words of the holy Apostle James, it is good to believe that there is a God, but you should not calm down with this, because demons also believe and tremble. The Lord will expect from those who believe in Him deeds worthy of faith—the fulfillment of His commandments. The Lord also speaks about that necessary thing, without which it is not possible for either man to be in God or God in man—the sacrament of Communion. How can a person far from the church say that he already has “God” in his soul? Of course, he calls personal religious and mystical experiences “god”, or, in other words, he has an idol in his soul - some kind of his own idea of ​​\u200b\u200bGod.

Entering the Church and partaking of its sacraments reveals to a person a new, previously unknown life, different from his own. personal experience. That is, it brings a person into reality from the internal confinement of individualism, from the framework of his own Self. Without this, personal spirituality can become idolatry, and personal prayer can become meditation or a conspiracy. Sin divides people, its consequence is a person’s inner loneliness, misunderstanding, lack of love for each other. Church prayer, offered on behalf of everyone and at the same time on behalf of each individual, helps to overcome the internal imprisonment of pride and subtle egoism, introducing us into the circle of those gathered in the name of the Lord, among whom is Christ Himself. Faith in God, in Christ, is then saving when it leads to the fulfillment of what He commanded - all-round love for God and no less love for one’s neighbor than for oneself. And what kind of love we see in Christ Himself, in His life and, leading to the resurrection from the dead, death on the cross for the human race.

Entering the Church is sharing the experience of life in Christ. Without such entry - communion, everything will be just words. The knowledge of God is not a theory, but life itself, both external - noticeable to others, and internal. The sacrament of the Church is penetration into the hidden depths of life in God.

Is it enough to just be a good person?

In the Gospel there is a story about how the Apostle Peter, seeing Jesus walking on the water in the middle of a storm, asked Him to let him, Peter, walk on the water to Him. So he wanted to be convinced to the end that the one walking was Christ. Christ commanded him to go, and Peter went, but when he saw many waves, he was horrified and began to drown and call on the Lord. Then Christ extended his hand and saved him from the water.

God gives man what man cannot do on his own in principle. You can be virtuous, generous, strong and on your own, but you cannot walk on water - death and nothingness - with your feet without Christ. A person can achieve a lot on his own, and therefore consider that he does not need God, or remember Him when there is a need, as it were, for magic wand to achieve earthly goals. All you need is everything from this world and from this life. But if nothing is needed other than earthly things - health, happiness in personal life, success in business - a person will never ascend to Heaven, will never find eternal Life in Christ, new life.

Christ Himself definitely says that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, it is not enough just to be a good man. What is born of the flesh is flesh, He says, and all flesh is like grass - today it is, but tomorrow it is not. It is necessary to be born again in holy Baptism, it is necessary to renew life with repentance, learning to live according to the commandments of God, following Christ, each bearing his own cross, which is fully possible only in unity with Him, which takes place in the bosom of the Church.

The temple is heaven on earth.

The Church usually performs all the most important things in a special place - the temple. The church is the form of existence of those who want to be with Christ, and the temple is a holy place that gathers the faithful. The place where the Liturgy was performed became the place where all the sacraments of the Church of Christ were performed. Every Sunday, and in other places every day, a bloodless sacrifice is made in the temple for the human race. There, in the church, in the sacrament of Baptism, a person is born into a new life, there prayers are offered for each and every one, there a person receives forgiveness of confessed sins in repentance. Therefore, there is no more important place on earth than the temple of God. “I will enter the house of God, I will worship Your holy temple,” the prophet once exclaimed, “In the midst of the church I will sing to You. So is it possible to believe in God and pass by the church?