For many people, church life is limited to rare trips to church in cases where things are not going as successfully as we would like. We usually light a couple of candles and can leave a donation. After this, we wait for some relief or serious positive changes in life, sincerely believing that we received some kind of grace at the time of visiting church. But in fact, spiritual nourishment cannot be limited to superficial and often thoughtless actions. If you really want to feel the grace of the Holy Spirit, then you need special rituals - church sacraments. Our article will be dedicated to them.
Church sacraments: definition and general characteristics
Every person who has at least sometimes encountered the Christian religion has probably heard such a phrase as “church sacrament.” It is understood as a certain sacred act that should bestow grace on a person from the Holy Spirit.
It is necessary to clearly understand the differences between ordinary church services and rituals and the sacraments. The fact is that most rituals were invented by people and only over time became mandatory for those who lead a spiritual life. But the secret of the church sacraments is that they were established by Jesus Christ himself. Therefore, they have a special divine origin and act on a person at the psychophysical level.
Why is it necessary to take part in the sacraments?
This is a special action that guarantees a person grace from higher powers. Quite often, to ask for healing or well-being for our loved ones, we come to the temple and take part in the service. It is also quite common in Orthodoxy to hand over notes with names to clergy who pray for the people indicated on the paper. But all this may be effective, or it may not. Everything depends on the will of God and his plans for you.
But church sacraments in Orthodoxy make it possible to receive grace as a gift. If the sacrament itself is carried out correctly and a person is determined to receive a blessing from God, then he falls under the influence of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and it is up to him how to use this gift.
Number of church sacraments
Now Orthodoxy has seven church sacraments, and initially there were only two. They are mentioned in Christian texts, but over time five more sacraments are added to them, which together form the ritual basis of the Christian religion. Every clergyman can easily list the seven church sacraments:
- Baptism.
- Confirmation.
- Eucharist (comunion).
- Repentance.
- Blessing of Unction.
- Sacrament of Marriage.
- Sacrament of the Priesthood.
Theologians claim that Jesus Christ himself established baptism, confirmation and communion. These sacraments were mandatory for any believer.
Classification of sacraments
Church sacraments in Orthodoxy have their own classification, every Christian who takes the first steps on the path to God should know about this. Sacraments can be:
- mandatory;
- optional.
- baptism;
- anointing;
- participle;
- repentance;
- Blessing of oil.
The Sacrament of Marriage and Priesthood are the free will of a person and belong to the second category. But it is worth keeping in mind that Christianity recognizes only that marriage that is sanctified by the church.
Also, all sacraments can be divided into:
- one-time;
- repeatable.
A one-time church sacrament can only be performed once in a lifetime. The following fit this category:
- baptism;
- anointing;
- sacrament of the Priesthood.
The remaining rituals can be repeated many times depending on the spiritual needs of the person. Some theologians also consider the Sacrament of Marriage to be a one-time rite, since a wedding in a church can be performed once in a lifetime. Despite the fact that many are now talking about such a rite as debunking, the official position of the Church on this issue has not changed for many years - a marriage concluded before God cannot be canceled.
Where are church sacraments studied?
If you do not plan to connect your life with serving God, then it is enough for you to have a general idea of what the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church are. But otherwise, you will need to carefully study each ritual that occurs during your studies at the theological seminary.
Ten years ago as teaching aid The book “Orthodox Teaching on the Church Sacraments” was published for seminarians. It reveals all the secrets of the rituals, and also includes materials from various theological conferences. By the way, this information will be useful to anyone who is interested in religion and wants to deeply penetrate into the essence of Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular.
Sacraments for children and adults: is there a separation?
Of course, there are no special church sacraments for children, because they have equal rights and responsibilities with adult members of the Christian community before God. Children take part in baptism, confirmation, communion and blessing of oil. But repentance causes certain difficulties for some theologians when we talk about a child. On the one hand, children are born practically sinless (with the exception of original sin) and do not have actions behind them for which they need to repent. But, on the other hand, even a small childish sin is a sin before God, and therefore needs awareness and repentance. You should not wait for a series of minor offenses to lead to the formation of a sinful consciousness.
Naturally, the Sacraments of Marriage and Priesthood are inaccessible to children. Participation in such rituals can be taken by a person who, according to the laws of the country, is recognized as an adult.
Baptism
The Church Sacraments of Baptism literally become the gate through which a person enters the Church and becomes its member. To perform the sacrament, water is always necessary, because Jesus Christ himself was baptized in the Jordan in order to set an example for all his followers and show them the shortest path to the atonement of sins.
Baptism is performed by a clergyman and requires some preparation. If we are talking about a church sacrament for an adult who has consciously come to God, then he needs to read the Gospel and also receive instructions from a clergyman. Sometimes before baptism, people attend special classes, during which they receive basic knowledge about the Christian religion, church rituals and God.
Baptism is carried out in the temple (when we're talking about about a seriously ill person, the ritual can be performed at home or in the hospital) by a priest. A person faces the east and listens to cleansing prayers, and then, turning to the west, renounces sin, Satan and his former life. Then he plunges into the font three times under the prayers of the priest. After this, the baptized person is considered born in God and, as confirmation of his belonging to Christianity, receives a cross, which must be worn constantly. It is customary to keep a baptismal shirt all your life; it is a kind of amulet for a person.
When the sacrament is performed on a baby, the parents and godparents (godparents) answer all questions for him. In some churches, one godfather is allowed to participate in the ceremony, but he must be of the same gender as the godson. Keep in mind that becoming a godfather is a very responsible mission. After all, from this moment you are responsible before God for the soul of the child. It is the godparents who must lead him along the path of Christianity, instruct and admonish him. We can say that recipients are spiritual teachers for a new member of the Christian community. Fulfilling these duties improperly is a grave sin.
Confirmation
This sacrament is performed immediately after baptism; it is the next stage in a person’s churching. If baptism washes away all his sins from a person, then confirmation gives him the grace of God and strength to live as a Christian, fulfilling all the commandments. Confirmation occurs only once in a lifetime.
For the ritual, the priest uses myrrh - a special consecrated oil. During the sacrament, myrrh is applied in the shape of a cross to the forehead, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, hands and feet of a person. The clergy call this the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. From this moment a person becomes a real member and is ready for life in Christ.
Repentance
The Sacrament of Repentance is not a simple recognition of one’s sins before a clergyman, but an awareness of the unrighteousness of one’s path. Theologians say that repentance is not words, but deeds. If you come to the realization that you will do something sinful, then stop and change your life. And in order to strengthen one’s decision, one needs repentance, which cleanses one from all committed unrighteous acts. After this sacrament, many people feel renewed and enlightened, it is easier for them to avoid temptations and adhere to certain rules.
Only a bishop or priest can receive confession, since it is they who received this right through the Sacrament of the Priesthood. During repentance, a person kneels and lists all his sins to the clergyman. He, in turn, reads cleansing prayers and makes the sign of the cross over the confessor. In some cases, when a person repents of some serious sins, penance is imposed on him - a special punishment.
Please note that if you have undergone repentance and are committing the same sin again, then think about the meaning of your actions. Perhaps you are not strong enough in your faith, and you need the help of a priest.
What is a communion?
The church sacrament, which is considered one of the most important, is called “communion.” This ritual connects a person with God on an energetic level; it cleanses and heals a Christian spiritually and materially.
The church service at which the Sacrament of Communion is celebrated takes place on certain days. In addition, not all Christians are allowed to attend, but only those who have undergone special training. You must first talk with the clergyman and declare your desire to receive the sacrament. Usually the minister of the church appoints a fast, after which it is necessary to undergo repentance. Only those who have fulfilled all the conditions have access to the church service at which the Sacrament of Communion is performed.
During the process of the sacrament, a person receives bread and wine, which are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This makes it possible for a Christian to connect with divine energy and cleanse himself of everything sinful. Church ministers claim that the sacrament actually heals a person. deep level. He is reborn spiritually, which always has a beneficial effect on human health.
Church sacrament: unction
This sacrament is often called the consecration of oil, since during the ritual, oil is applied to the human body (olive oil is most often used). The sacrament got its name from the word “cathedral,” meaning that the ritual should be performed by several clergy. Ideally there should be seven.
The Sacrament of Anointing is performed on seriously ill people who need healing. First of all, the ritual is aimed at healing the soul, which directly affects our bodily shell. During the sacrament, the clergy read seven texts from various sacred sources. The oil is then applied to the person's face, eyes, ears, lips, chest and limbs. At the conclusion of the ritual, the Gospel is placed on the head of the Christian, and the priest begins to pray for the remission of sins.
It is believed that it is best to perform this sacrament after repentance, and then receive communion.
Sacrament of Marriage
Many newlyweds think about getting married, but few of them realize the seriousness of this step. The Sacrament of Marriage is a very responsible one that forever unites two people before God. It is believed that from this moment on there are always three of them. Invisibly, Christ accompanies them everywhere, supporting them in difficult moments.
It is important to have information that there are some obstacles to performing the sacrament. These include the following reasons:
- fourth and subsequent marriages;
- lack of faith in God of one of the spouses;
- refusal of baptism by one or both spouses;
- the spouses are related to the fourth degree.
Keep in mind that a wedding requires a lot of preparation and a very thorough approach.
Sacrament of Priesthood
The sacrament of ordination to the priesthood gives the priest the right to conduct services and independently perform church rites. This is a rather complicated procedure that we will not describe. But its essence is that through certain manipulations the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on the minister of the church, which gives him special power. Moreover, according to church canons, the higher the church rank, the greater the power descends on the clergyman.
We hope that our article has given you some idea of the church sacraments, without which a Christian’s life in God is impossible.
The Church, wrote the great shepherd Saint John of Kronstadt, “sympathizes with and responds to all the essential needs of the soul and body of a Christian by actively helping or giving help through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, by whom every soul lives».
Of all the sacred actions that are performed in the Orthodox Church, the most significant are Sacraments, in which, under a visible image, the invisible grace of God, spiritual, uncreated energy, is communicated to believers. It nourishes and heals our spiritual and physical nature.
The sacraments have Divine origin, since they were established by Jesus Christ Himself. In each of them, a certain grace is communicated to the Christian, characteristic of this particular Sacrament. The Seven Sacraments, through which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are communicated, correspond to all the most important needs of our spiritual life.
Sacrament of Baptism
Why do we accept baptism or do we baptize our children? Usually priests ask about this during conversations before the Sacrament of Baptism with someone who is preparing to become a Christian or wants to baptize their child. Everyone must answer this very important question first of all for themselves. So why are we baptized? You can hear very different answers: for God to send good luck in life; so as not to get sick; we are Russians, we live in Russia, which means we need to be baptized; so that bad people don’t jinx it and spoil it, etc. All these answers are either completely wrong or contain only a small fraction of the truth. Yes, in baptism a person receives protection and protection from all the power of the enemy; Yes, our country has been Orthodox for more than a thousand years and our ancestors left us this great treasure - the Christian faith and Orthodox traditions. But this is not the main thing. In holy baptism we are born again - for a new, eternal life and die for the old life, carnal and sinful. With the waters of baptism, a person is washed from original sin, as well as from all sins that he committed before baptism, if he is baptized as an adult. We come into this world through our parents, they give us physical birth, and we receive spiritual birth in the baptismal font. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God(John 3:5), the Lord tells us. Entering the Kingdom of Heaven means saving your soul, getting closer to God. And by being baptized, we become adopted by God, restoring that connection with Him that humanity has lost. More than two thousand years ago our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world; we calculate our chronology from this great date. By the time of His coming, the sins of people had multiplied so much, human nature was corrupted so much that it was necessary to revive it, to restore the human image, which had decayed due to passions. To do this, God Himself takes upon Himself our human nature and goes through the entire path of earthly life: from birth, temptations, suffering and until death. Christ overcame all temptations, endured all torments, died for us on the Cross and rose again, thereby resurrecting fallen human nature. Now everyone who accepts holy baptism, is born of Christ, becomes a Christian and can enjoy the fruits of the atoning Sacrifice of Christ, follow the path that He showed us in the Gospel. For He Himself spoke about Himself: I am the way and the truth and the life(John 14:6). The Gospel is the word of God, a textbook of life for every Christian; it tells us how to live, how to follow the path of Christ, how to fight sins and how to love God and people.
The sacrament of baptism is performed in three immersions with the invocation of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The priest immerses the person being baptized into the font with the words: “The servant of God is baptized ( namename) in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen".
The Savior Himself commanded to baptize in the name of the Holy Trinity, commanding the apostles to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit(Mt 28:19).
In baptism a person becomes not only a child of God, but also a member of the Church. The Church was created by Christ Himself: I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it(Mt 16:18). The Church is the body of Christ, the people of God, Orthodox Christians, united by common faith, prayer and the Sacraments. The sacraments are established by God; they are conductors of the grace of God, the uncreated Divine energy. In them we receive grace, help from God. They heal our spiritual and physical nature.
A person consists of soul and body. The soul needs much more care than the body. We never forget about the body, but many may not remember about the soul for years. We have already said that baptism is called the second birth. What does a mother do after giving birth when she is given a baby? She puts it to her chest and feeds him. After baptism, a person also needs spiritual nourishment - the Sacrament of Communion, prayer. Baptism is only the very beginning of the journey. It is not enough to give birth to a person, he must be raised, educated, trained. Baptism is also compared to a seed. If you water the seed, loosen the ground, weed the weeds, and take care of it, a beautiful tree will grow from it and bear fruit. But if the seed is not taken care of, it may die and not bring any benefit. The same is true in spiritual life. Baptism does not save us automatically, without our efforts. It makes us children of God and children of the Church, which means we must use all those grace-filled gifts that exist in the Church. The Lord has invested in the Church everything we need for our salvation. The Holy Sacraments, morning and evening prayers, Sunday and holiday services, fasting - all this should accompany the life of an Orthodox person. Having accepted holy baptism, we must try to learn more fully about spiritual life: read the Holy Scriptures and other spiritual literature. Fortunately, huge opportunities for self-education are now open. With very little effort, you can learn the basics of the Orthodox faith, study church traditions, holidays. There is no need to think that since we were not taught this from childhood, then we can no longer comprehend this science. It is not too late to go to God at any age, and the Lord will certainly reveal himself to everyone who turns to Him.
If a person is baptized and continues to live as he lived, without changing anything in his life, he is like a madman who bought a train ticket, but is not going to go. Or he entered a very good university, but doesn’t want to study. Some people are brought to church only twice in their lives: once to be baptized, and a second time to have a funeral service. This is scary: it means that a person’s entire life has passed without God.
After baptism, a person is not only born into a new life, but also dies to the old, sinful life. A Christian must avoid sins, fight them, live according to the commandments of God. By receiving baptism, we receive from God the gift of forgiveness of all our sins and therefore must keep the bright robes of baptism clean. As a sign of the holiness of the soul of the newly baptized, a white baptismal shirt is put on him.
Baptism is a great Sacrament, but without our faith it has no effect. But also faith, as is known, idle, dead(James 2:20). And the works of faith are life according to the Gospel, prayer, good deeds. The Gospel says that when a demon leaves a person, he wanders through deserted places and, not finding shelter for himself, returns and sees his house (that is, the human soul) swept out, empty, and brings with him seven other demons. And the last is worse than the first. Saint John Chrysostom refers these words to the Sacrament of Baptism. When baptism is completed, but no spiritual work is being done, then the spiritual emptiness is filled with spirits of evil. If a person after baptism does not lead a spiritual life or parents, having baptized a child, do not engage in his spiritual education (do not teach him prayers, do not take him to church), a different spirituality fills the soul. Now that sects and occultism have spread, this is especially dangerous. But there is another danger: the influence of evil on the child’s soul through means mass media, The Internet and communication with vicious people is huge. If a person does not receive the correct Christian education, if his soul is not cared for, it will become spiritually sick. Evil is sticky. Christian education is an inoculation against the evil that reigns in the world. Without faith in God, it is impossible to protect children from temptations. All hope is for the family.
By accepting baptism, we renounce the devil and all his works, which are sin. To protect us from the devil, we are given great weapons: baptism and the Cross of the Lord. It says: “Save and preserve.” It should not be removed. By removing the cross, we deprive ourselves of protection and protection. A person who wears a cross, prays and begins the Sacraments should not be afraid of the devil. If God is for us, who can be against us?(Rom 8:31).
At baptism, a Christian is given a Guardian Angel, who protects and protects him from all danger, including from the power of demons. This Angel also helps a person in all matters of salvation, encouraging him to good thoughts and deeds.
Parents and godparents should remember how great a responsibility they now have for the Christian upbringing of their children. By raising a child in the commandments, you lay the foundation for his entire life. Every father, every mother wants their children to love them and be their support, and the fifth commandment speaks about this: Honor your father and your mother...(Exodus 20:12). You need to know the commandments and tell your children about them. When we teach a child to pray for his parents in the morning, we are already teaching him to honor his father and mother and take care of them.
A family is a small Church, an image of a large, cathedral Church, where people all pray together, are saved, and go to God. If we always remember the main thing - the salvation of our souls and the salvation of our children - we go together to Christ and pray to Him, God will bless our family and send His help in all the works and affairs of our lives.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this (that is, everything else) will be added to you(Matthew 6:33), the Lord tells us.
Yes, the path of spiritual life is difficult, but it is necessary to follow it. The main thing is to take the first steps, then it will be easier. This is the only opportunity to save our children, protect our families and raise our country. Without the revival of human souls, our souls, Russia will not be reborn.
Sacrament of Confirmation
The sacrament of confirmation complements the sacrament of baptism and is performed immediately after it, as if uniting with it. In the 3rd century, Saint Cyprian of Carthage wrote: “Baptism and confirmation are two separate acts of baptism, although united by the closest internal connection so that they form one whole, inseparable in relation to their performance.”
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Spirit descends on the newly baptized person, imparting to him the gifts of grace. Confirmation, like all other Sacraments, has its basis in Holy Scripture and dates back to apostolic times. In the time of the holy apostles, everyone who was baptized received the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the hands of the bishop. Later, the practice of anointing with holy myrrh was established - a special fragrant substance consecrated by the primate, that is, the chief bishop of the Church. In the Russian Orthodox Church, holy myrrh is brewed in Moscow, in the Small Cathedral of the Donskoy Monastery, during Holy Week. This is a very difficult, lengthy process (it takes several days). At the same time, the Gospel is read, and more and more new components are added to the ointment - in total, it contains about forty substances. The myrrh is blessed on Maundy Thursday.
When performing the Sacrament of Confirmation, the priest crosswise anoints the newly baptized person with the main parts of the body responsible for actions, feelings and abilities: forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, chest, arms and legs - with the words: “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen". The Holy Spirit descends on a Christian and sanctifies his spiritual and physical nature - the members of the body and the senses. Man becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. Saint Simeon of Thessalonica says: “Confirmation puts the first seal and restores the image of God, damaged in us through disobedience. In the same way, it revives in us the grace that God breathed into the human soul. Confirmation contains the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the treasury of His fragrance, the sign and seal of Christ.” We accept both baptism and confirmation in order to revive in ourselves the pristine image of God, damaged by the Fall.
Faith in God, entry into the Church, rebirth in the Sacraments - all this changes a person. His perceptions and feelings are transformed, and it is for this purpose that parts of the body are anointed with the holy world. A person without faith, not enlightened by holy baptism, can be called a spiritual invalid. Disabled people are also called people with disabilities, and indeed, the spiritual capabilities of such a person are very small. On the contrary, a Christian, having been reborn in baptism, having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in confirmation, leading a spiritual life, begins to see, hear and feel what is closed to others. His spiritual feelings become sharper, his possibilities increase. This can be compared to how a certain person peers into the distance with the naked eye and sees distant objects very vaguely, indistinctly, and is not able to see something at all. But then he picks up binoculars, puts them to his eyes, and a completely different picture opens up to him.
Another meaning of confirmation is the dedication of our entire spiritual and physical nature, our entire life, to God. Baptism and confirmation sanctify us, and sanctification is dedication. To sanctify means to make sacred. The baptism of infants in our Church is usually performed on the fortieth day, just as the Infant Christ was brought to the Temple of Jerusalem. This was done according to tradition, for forty-day-old babies - the first-born males - in Israel were brought to the temple to be dedicated to God. And we, through the anointing of our members and senses, dedicate them to the service of God. From now on, they should serve not sinful pleasures, but the salvation of our soul. However, as Saint Cyprian of Carthage noted, there is no obstacle to baptizing an infant before the fortieth day.
Confession, or the Sacrament of Repentance
Repentance, without a doubt, is the basis of spiritual life. The Gospel testifies to this. The Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John began his sermon with the words: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand(Mt 3:2). Our Lord Jesus Christ comes out to public service with the same exact call (see: Matthew 4:17). Without repentance, it is impossible to draw closer to God and overcome your sinful inclinations. Sins are spiritual dirt, filth on our soul. This is a load, a burden with which we walk and which greatly hinders our life. Sins do not allow us to get closer to God, they distance us from Him. The Lord gave us a great gift - confession, in this Sacrament we are absolved from our sins. The Holy Fathers call repentance second baptism, baptism of tears.
God Himself absolves us from sins in confession through the priest, who is a witness of the Sacrament and has from God the power to bind and solve human sins (see: Matt. 16:19; 18:18). The clergy received this power by succession from the holy apostles.
You can often hear the following statement: “As with you, believers, everything is easy: if you sinned, you repented, and God forgave everything.” In the Pafnutievo-Borovsky Monastery I was in Soviet time museum, and after the visitors had examined the monastery and the museum, the guide played a record with the song “Once Upon a Time There Lived Twelve Thieves” performed by Chaliapin. Fyodor Ivanovich wrote in his velvety bass voice: “He abandoned his comrades, abandoned raids, Kudeyar himself went to the monastery to serve God and people.” After listening to the recording, the guide said something like this: “Well, this is what the Church teaches: sin, steal, commit robbery, but you can still repent later.” This is an unexpected interpretation of a famous song. Is it so? Indeed, there are people who perceive the Sacrament of Confession in exactly this way. It seems that such a “confession” will not bring any benefit. A person will approach the Sacrament not for salvation, but for judgment and condemnation. And having formally “confessed” he will not receive permission from God for his sins. Not so simple. Sin and passion cause great harm to the soul. And even after repenting, a person feels the consequences of his sin. Like a patient who has had smallpox, scars remain on his body. It is not enough to simply confess sin; you must make an effort to overcome the inclination to sin in your soul. Of course, it’s not easy to give up passion right away. But the repentant should not be a hypocrite: “If I repent, I will continue to sin.” A person must make every effort to take the path of correction and not return to sin, ask God for help in the fight against passions: “Help me, Lord, for I am weak.” A Christian must burn the bridges behind him that lead back to a sinful life.
Why do we repent if the Lord already knows all our sins? Yes, he knows, but he expects us to repent, admit them and correct them. God is our Heavenly Father, and our relationship with Him should be viewed as the relationship between a parent and children. Let's give an example. The child did something wrong to his father, for example, broke a vase or took something without asking. The father knows perfectly well who did this, but he waits for his son to come and ask for forgiveness. And, of course, he expects his son to promise not to do this again.
Confession, of course, should be private and not general. General confession refers to the practice when the priest reads a list of possible sins, and then simply covers the confessor with an epitrachelion. Thank God, there are very few churches left where they do this. General confession became an almost universal phenomenon in Soviet times, when there were very few functioning churches and on Sundays, holidays, as well as fasting, they were filled with people praying. It was impossible to confess to everyone who wanted to. Conducting confession after the evening service was also not allowed. Of course, such a confession is an abnormal phenomenon.
The word itself confession means that a Christian has come tell, confess, tell about your sins. The priest in prayer before confession reads: “These are Your servants, in a word will be resolved with favor." Man himself is freed from his sins through words and receives forgiveness from God. Of course, sometimes it can be very difficult, it’s a shame to open our sinful wounds, but this is how we get rid of our sinful habits, overcoming shame, tearing them out like a weed from our soul. Without confession, without cleansing from sins, it is impossible to fight passions. First, passions need to be seen, pulled out, and then everything must be done so that they do not grow again in our soul. Not seeing your sins is a sign of spiritual illness. Why did the ascetics see their sins, as countless as the sand of the sea? It's simple. They approached the Source of Light - God and began to notice such secret places of their souls that we simply do not see. They observed their soul in its true state. A fairly well-known example: let’s say the room is dirty and not cleaned, but it’s night and everything is hidden in twilight: everything seems to be more or less normal. But then the first ray of sun appeared through the window, illuminated part of the room - and we begin to notice the disorder; further more. When the sun shines brightly on the whole room, we see what a mess it is. The closer you are to God, the more complete your vision of sins.
A noble citizen, a resident of the small town of Gaza, came to Abba Dorotheus, and Abba asked him: “Eminent gentleman, tell me, who do you consider yourself to be in your city?” He replied: “I consider myself great and first.” Then the monk asked him again: “If you go to Caesarea, who will you consider yourself to be there?” The man replied: “For the last of the nobles there.” - “If you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there?” “There,” he replied, “I will consider myself one of the common people.” - “If you go to Constantinople and approach the king, who will you consider yourself to be?” And he answered: “Almost like a beggar.” Then the Abba said to him: “This is how the saints are: the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”
Confession is not a report on spiritual life or a conversation with a priest. This is self-exposure, without any self-justification and self-pity. Only then will we receive satisfaction and relief and depart from the lectern easily, as if on wings. The Lord already knows all the circumstances that led us to sin. It is completely unacceptable to tell in confession which people pushed us to sin. They will answer for themselves, but we must answer only for ourselves. A husband, brother or matchmaker contributed to our downfall - it doesn’t matter, we need to understand what we ourselves are to blame for. Saint righteous John Kronstadtsky says: for those who are accustomed here to repent and give an answer for their life, it will be easy to give an answer at the Last Judgment of God.
Confession should not be put off until later. It is unknown how much time the Lord gave us to repent. Each confession must be perceived as the last, for no one knows on what day and hour God will call us to Himself.
There is no need to be ashamed to confess sins, you need to be ashamed to commit them. Many people think that a priest, especially someone they know, will condemn them; they want to appear better at confession than they are, to justify themselves. Meanwhile, any priest who confesses more or less often cannot be surprised by anything, and you are unlikely to tell him anything new and unusual. For a confessor, on the contrary, it is a great consolation when he sees before him a person who sincerely repents, even of grave sins. This means that it is not in vain that he stands at the lectern, accepting the repentance of those coming to confession.
In confession, the repentant is not only given forgiveness of sins, but also given the grace and help of God to fight sin. Confession should be frequent and, if possible, with the same priest. Rare confession (several times a year) leads to heart petrification. People stop noticing their sins and forget what they have done. Conscience easily comes to terms with so-called minor, everyday sins: “Well, what’s wrong? It feels good. I don’t kill, I don’t steal.” And vice versa, frequent confession makes the soul, conscience worry, awakens it from slumber. Sins cannot be tolerated. Once you begin to fight even one sinful habit, you feel how it becomes easier to breathe both spiritually and physically.
People who confess rarely or formally sometimes stop seeing their sins altogether. Any priest knows this well. A person comes to confession and says: “I have not sinned in anything” or: “I have sinned in everything” (which is actually the same thing).
All this happens, of course, from spiritual laziness, unwillingness to carry out at least some work on one’s soul. The books “Helping the Penitent” by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), “The Experience of Constructing a Confession” by Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) and others can help you prepare for confession in detail, without missing anything, to confess your sins. Confession can be hampered by anxiety and forgetfulness, so it is entirely acceptable to write down your sins on a piece of paper and read them to the priest.
How to prepare your child for his first confession
According to the tradition of our Church, confession of children begins at the age of seven. This coincides with the transition from childhood to adolescence. The child reaches the first stage of spiritual maturity. His moral will becomes stronger. Unlike a baby, he already has internal forces resist temptations.
The first confession is a special event in the life of children. It can determine for a long time not only the attitude towards confession, but also the direction of his spiritual life. Parents must prepare the child for it all previous years, living in the grace-filled experience of the Church. If they were able to instill piety in the child, then they will be able to prepare him for the first confession so that this day will be a holiday for him.
A child's thinking is primarily visual and figurative, rather than conceptual. His idea of God is formed gradually, according to the image of his relationship with his parents. He hears the prayer every day: “Our Father...” - “Our Father...” The Lord Himself uses this comparison in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Just as a father embraces his son who has returned to him, so God receives a repentant person with great joy. If relationships in a family are built on love, then it is not difficult to explain to your son or daughter why you need to love your Heavenly Parent. For children, this is as natural as loving their parents. The child needs to talk about Divine love as often as possible. The thought of a loving God evokes in him a feeling of repentance and a desire not to repeat bad deeds. Of course, by the age of seven, children already know that heaven exists and that there will someday be a trial, but the motives for their behavior are not determined by this. It is absolutely unacceptable to scare children and say that God will punish them. This can completely distort a child’s understanding of God. He will have a painful feeling of fear in his soul. Later such a person may lose faith.
In preparation for confession, it is important to make the child feel that he is already old enough and can evaluate his own actions. The conversation should not resemble a lesson that he must remember. There is no need to restrict his freedom. He can sincerely repent only of what he recognizes as a wrong and bad act. Then the desire and determination to improve is born. After confession, the child should feel a relief similar to what he experiences when parents forgive their children’s offenses with trust and love.
Vanya Shmelev remembered his first confession all his life: “I come out from behind the screen, everyone is looking at me - I’ve been there for a very long time. Maybe they think what a great sinner I am. And my soul is so light, easy" ( Shmelev I. S. Summer of the Lord).
Children aged seven are often shy. Parents should begin conversations about confession long before this event. Then the child will gradually get used to it and will wait with some excitement, but without timidity. Each time you need to talk to him about this very calmly, emphasizing that he is already big and knows how to do a lot on his own.
A child’s first participation in the Sacrament of Repentance is not a general confession of an adult who has been burdened with many sins over the decades. At the age of seven, children make only their first experiments, take their first lessons in the school of repentance, in which they will study all their lives. Therefore, it is not so much the completeness of confession that is important, but rather the correct mood of the child. Parents should help him understand what may be dangerous for him. spiritual development, which can take root and acquire the power of a skill. Such dangerous sins are: deceit, lies, conceit, boastfulness, selfishness, disrespect for elders, envy, greed, laziness. In overcoming bad, sinful habits, parents must show wisdom, patience and perseverance. They should not suggest sins or directly point out bad habits formed in the child’s soul, but convincingly show their harm. Only such repentance, which is carried out with the participation of conscience, bears fruit. Parents should look for the reasons for the appearance of sinful habits in the child’s soul. Most often, they themselves infect the child with their passions. Until they overcome them in themselves, correction will not give noticeable results.
When preparing for confession, it is important not only to help the child see his sins, but also to encourage him to acquire those virtues without which it is impossible to have a full-blooded spiritual life. Such virtues are: attention to one’s internal state, obedience, skill of prayer. Children can perceive God as their Heavenly Parent. Therefore, it is easy to explain to them that prayer is living communication with Him. A child needs both communication with his father and mother, and a prayerful appeal to God.
After confession, parents should not ask the child about it; one should show all the fullness of affection and warmth so that the joy of this great event is imprinted as deeply as possible in the child’s soul.
Sacrament of Communion
The Sacrament of Communion, or in Greek Eucharist(translated as thanksgiving), takes main, central place in the church liturgical circle and in the life of the Orthodox Church.
What makes us Orthodox people is not wearing a cross or even the fact that holy baptism was once performed on us, especially since in our time this is not a special feat. Now, thank God, you can freely profess your faith. We become Orthodox Christians when we begin to live in Christ and participate in the life of the Church and its Sacraments.
The sacrament of communion was first performed by our Lord Jesus Christ. This happened on the eve of the Savior’s suffering on the cross, before Judas handed Christ over to be tortured. The Savior and His disciples gathered in a large room prepared for this purpose - the upper room - to celebrate the Easter meal according to the Old Testament custom. This traditional dinner was celebrated in every family as an annual remembrance of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The Old Testament Easter was a holiday of deliverance, liberation from Egyptian slavery.
But the Lord, having gathered with His disciples for the Easter meal, put a new meaning into it. This event is described by all four evangelists and is called the Last Supper. The Lord establishes the Sacrament of Holy Communion at this farewell supper. Christ goes to suffering and the cross, gives His Most Pure Body and Honest Blood for the sins of all mankind. And an eternal reminder to all Christians of the sacrifice He made should be the communion of the Body and Blood of the Savior in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Lord took the bread, blessed it and, distributing it to the apostles, said: Take, eat: this is My Body. Then he took the cup of wine and, giving it to the apostles, said: Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.(Mt 26:26-28).
The Lord transformed bread and wine into His Body and Blood and commanded the apostles, and through them their successors - bishops and presbyters - to perform this Sacrament.
The Eucharist is not some simple memory of what happened more than two thousand years ago. This real repetition of the Last Supper. And at every Eucharist - both in the time of the apostles and in our 21st century - the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, through a canonically ordained bishop or priest, transforms the prepared bread and wine into His most pure Body and Blood.
The Orthodox Catechism of St. Philaret (Drozdov) says: “Communion is a Sacrament in which the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes (partakes) of the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins and eternal life.” Through the Holy Gifts, Christ Himself enters into us at communion, and the grace of God rests on us.
The Lord tells us about the obligatory nature of communion for all who believe in Him: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. And again: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.(John 6, 53-54, 56).
One who does not partake of the Holy Mysteries separates himself from the Source of life - Christ, and places himself outside of Him. And vice versa, Orthodox Christians who regularly approach the Sacrament of Communion with reverence and proper preparation, according to the word of the Lord, abide in Him. And in the sacrament, which revitalizes, spiritualizes, heals our soul and body, we, like in no other Sacrament, are united with Christ Himself. You should talk with your spiritual father or the priest of your parish about how often you need to receive communion.
The sacrament of communion should constantly accompany the life of an Orthodox person. After all, here on earth we must unite with God, Christ must enter our soul and heart.
A person who seeks union with the Lord in his earthly life can hope to be with Him in eternity.
The sacrament of communion is the greatest miracle on earth, which occurs constantly. Just as God once descended to earth and dwelt among people, so now the entire fullness of the Divine is contained in the Holy Gifts, and we can partake of this greatest grace. After all, the Lord said: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen(Mt 28:20).
How to prepare for communion
The Holy Mysteries - the Body and Blood of Christ - are the greatest shrine, a gift from God to us, sinners and unworthy. It’s not for nothing that they are called the Holy Gifts.
No one on earth can consider himself worthy to be a communicant of the Holy Mysteries. By preparing for communion, we cleanse our spiritual and physical nature. We prepare the soul through prayer, repentance and reconciliation with one’s neighbor, and the body through fasting and abstinence.
Those preparing for communion read three canons: the Repentant Canon to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prayer Service to the Mother of God and the canon to the Guardian Angel. We also read going to holy communion. It includes the canon for communion and prayers. All these canons and prayers are contained in the ordinary Orthodox Prayer Book.
On the eve of communion, you must be at the evening service, because the church day begins in the evening.
Fasting is required before communion. Spouses must refrain from physical intimacy during preparation. Women who are in purification (during menstruation) cannot receive communion. Of course, it is necessary to fast not only with the body, but also with the mind, sight and hearing, keeping your soul from worldly entertainments. The duration of the Eucharistic fast is negotiated with the confessor or parish priest, but usually they fast for three days before communion. Of course, fasting depends on the physical health, spiritual state of the communicant, as well as on how often he approaches the Holy Mysteries. If a person receives communion at least once every two weeks, he can fast for one day.
Those preparing for communion no longer eat after midnight. You need to take communion on an empty stomach. Under no circumstances should you smoke before communion.
The most important thing in preparing for the Sacrament of Communion is cleansing your soul from sins which is performed in the Sacrament confession. Christ will not enter into a soul that is not cleansed from sin and not reconciled with God. When preparing to receive communion, we must approach the cleansing of our soul with all responsibility in order to make it a temple for the acceptance of Christ. You can confess on the day of communion or the night before.
When preparing for communion of the Holy Mysteries, we need (if there is such an opportunity) to ask for forgiveness from everyone whom we have voluntarily or unwittingly offended, and to forgive everyone ourselves.
After communion, you must thank God. You need to listen carefully to prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion. If for some reason it was not possible to listen to them in church, you need to read them yourself from the Prayer Book. During the day you should refrain from vain activities and idle talk.
Miracle of Holy Communion
Once, when the holy abbot Sergius was performing the Divine Liturgy, Simon, a disciple of the saint, saw how heavenly fire descended on the Holy Mysteries at the moment of their consecration, how this fire moved along the holy altar, illuminating the entire altar - it seemed to curl around the holy meal, surrounding the celebrant Sergius. And when the monk wanted to partake of the Holy Mysteries, the Divine fire coiled up, “like some wonderful veil,” and entered inside the holy chalice. Thus, the saint of God took communion of this fire “unscorched, like a bush of old that burned unscorched...” Simon was horrified by such a vision and remained silent in awe, but it did not escape the monk that his disciple was granted a vision. Having received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, he left the holy throne and asked Simon: “Why is your spirit so afraid, my child?” “I saw the grace of the Holy Spirit working with you, father,” he answered. “See that you don’t tell anyone about what you saw until the Lord calls me from this life,” the humble Abba commanded him.
Sacrament of Anointing (unction)
In Greek and Slavic languages the word oils Means oil; in addition, in Greek it is consonant with the word “mercy.” IN The Sacrament of Anointing when anointed with consecrated oil, the sick person, through the prayer of the clergy, receives grace from God, healing mental infirmities and bodily illnesses and cleansing from forgotten and unconscious sins. This Sacrament has several names. In ancient liturgical books it is called oil, holy oil, oil associated with prayer. In our country, the name “blessing of oil” is most often used. Popularly it is called unction, because according to tradition it is performed by a council of seven clergy. However, the Sacrament will also be valid if it is performed by one priest on behalf of the Church.
The sick person must be prepared for this Sacrament through Sacrament of Repentance. Although sometimes the Lord God sends illnesses to the righteous for spiritual improvement, for most people illness is the result of the destructive effects of sin. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures say that God is the true Physician: I am the Lord, your healer(Exodus 15, 26). Any sick person must first of all turn to God in order to be cleansed of sins and correct his life. Without this, medical help may be ineffective. Our Savior, when they brought the paralytic to Him for healing, first of all forgives his sins: Child! your sins are forgiven you(Mk 2:5). The holy Apostle James also points out the connection between forgiveness of sins and healing through the prayer of priests (see: James 5, 14-15). The Holy Fathers were guided by biblical teaching: “He who created the soul created the body, and He who heals the immortal soul can also heal the body from temporary suffering and illness,” says St. Macarius the Great. The great elder Ambrose of Optina writes about the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Unction: “The power of the Sacrament of Anointing lies in the fact that it especially forgives sins that are forgotten due to human weakness, and after the forgiveness of sins, bodily health is also granted, if God’s will is for this.” All the prayers of the Sacrament of Holy Oil are permeated with the idea of the connection between bodily healing and the forgiveness of sins.
Holy Gospel tells about the numerous miracles of healing that our Lord performed during His earthly ministry. The Savior gave the grace of healing various diseases to His disciples - the apostles. The Gospel says that the apostles whom the Lord Jesus Christ sent to preach repentance many sick people were anointed with oil and healed(Mk 6:13). This indicates Divine Ordinance The Sacraments of Anointing.
The closest disciple of Christ, the Apostle James, says that not only the apostles, but also the elders healed with prayer and the anointing of oil: If any of you is sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will forgive him(James 5:14-15).
In ancient times, this Sacrament was performed by several elders and their number was not strictly established. One presbyter was allowed to do this. At the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century in the Eastern Church, seven priests performed the consecration of oil. This number in Holy Scripture symbolizes perfect completeness. Our modern Breviaries speak of “seven priests.” But, we repeat, even one presbyter, in case of need, can perform this Sacrament.
From the words of the holy Apostle James it is easy to conclude that this Sacrament is given sick. In this case, we are talking about a seriously ill person, whom the holy apostle calls to the suffering. However, neither the Holy Scriptures nor the Holy Fathers say that we are talking only about the dying. People who do not have the correct church consciousness often have a serious misconception that unction is performed only on the dying. Sometimes such people even go as far as superstition, thinking that the sick person will die if he is given unction. This opinion is completely incorrect and has no basis either in the Apostle’s commandment about the Blessing of Oil, or in the rite according to which it has been performed since ancient times in the Orthodox Church.
According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, the sick person on whom the blessing of oil is performed must be in consciousness.
Unction is not performed on infants under seven years of age, since healing the patient is in direct connection with the cleansing of his soul from forgotten and unconscious sins. The sacrament of holy oil can be performed in church if the patient is able to move, as well as at home or in the hospital.
If the unction is performed in a church with the participation of many parishioners, you must first register (indicate your name) at the candle box to remember him during prayers.
Performing the Sacrament of Anointing on a sick person as a means of spiritual healing does not cancel the use of natural remedies given by the Lord for healing our illnesses. And after unction, it is necessary to take care of the sick person - invite doctors, give medicines, and take other measures to alleviate his condition and recover.
After unction, the patient should soon receive communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Sacrament of wedding
The marriage of Orthodox Christians must be blessed by God, sanctified by the Church, and we receive this blessing in the Sacrament of Wedding. Orthodox marriage has great significance; it is celebrated in the image of the union of Christ and the Church. As the Apostle Paul writes: the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is the Savior of the body. And further: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her(Eph 5:25). In the Sacrament of Wedding, those entering into marriage are given the grace of God so that they build their marital union in unanimity and love, to be one soul and body, as well as for the birth and Christian upbringing of children. But the most important thing to remember is that a wedding is not a magical act that binds them forever and helps them no matter how they behave. Unfortunately, many people understand the Sacraments and rituals this way. Like, I need to do something, perform some kind of ritual, and everything will be fine. No, without our labors, faith and prayer, no Sacrament will have any benefit. The Lord gives us grace and help, and we must open our hearts and accept it with faith, become co-workers with God in our field family life. And then a wedding can give us a lot, we will fully receive its grace-filled gifts. Therefore, you need to pray to God, ask Him for help and embody in your family the main commandment of love for your neighbor. The husband, just as Christ loves and cares for the Church, must love his wife, and the wife must honor and obey her husband, just as the Church honors and loves Christ. A Christian must approach the Sacrament of Marriage with the thought that he is getting married once for the rest of his life and that he and his God-given half will share all the joys and difficulties. Only with such a thought can one withstand all the trials and storms of life.
The wedding couple is reminded that we are marrying for eternity with rings - a symbol of infinity, without beginning and without end - they are put on when the spouses are engaged. Walking around the lectern three times during a wedding has the same meaning, also a sign of eternal life. Before leading the wedding couple around the lectern, the priest puts crowns on them.
What kind of crowns are these? Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh writes: “In ancient times, every time there was a holiday, it was the most ordinary family, or city, or Public Holiday, — people put on crowns of flowers. IN Ancient Rus' On their wedding day, the bride and groom were called prince and princess - why? Because in ancient society, until a person was married, he was a member of his family and was subordinate in everything to the eldest in the family - whether his father or grandfather. Only when a person got married did he become the master of his life. The ancient state consisted, as it were, of a union of sovereign, that is, independent, families. They were free to choose their destiny. All issues were resolved in agreement, in mutual understanding, but each family had its own voice and its own rights.”
It was as if a wedding was taking place for a new kingdom. By getting married and creating a family, spouses create not only their own small “state,” but, most importantly, their own small church, which is part of the single Ecumenical Orthodox Church. In this church, people, just like in the Universal Church, gathered to serve God, go to Him together and be saved together. As has already been said, the husband is the head in this small church, the image of Christ the Savior Himself - the Head of the great Church. The spouse and children are assistants to the head of the family-church in all family work and affairs.
The crowns are placed as a sign of victory: the bride and groom were not overcome by intemperance before marriage and retained their virginity. Anyone who has lost chastity and purity before marriage is, strictly speaking, unworthy of crowns. Therefore, crowns were either not placed on newlyweds at all, or they were placed not on their heads, but on the right shoulder (resolution of the Stoglavy Council).
Crowns have another meaning. These are also the crowns of martyrdom, with which the Lord crowns His faithful servants who have withstood all suffering and trials. Marriage is not only family joys, it is a shared burden, sometimes very difficult, the cross that the spouses bear, the trials and storms that befall them. In marriage, sometimes it is no easier to be saved than in a monastery. This daily “bearing of each other’s burdens,” the resigned bearing of the cross of life is generally called bloodless martyrdom.
Having put crowns on the bride and groom, the priest prayerfully turns to God: “Lord our God, crown (them) with glory and honor”. These words are the secret formula during the wedding. The priest pronounces them three times. Words crown with glory and honor taken from the Psalter (Ps 8:5-6). The psalmist says that man was crowned with glory at creation because he received the image and likeness of God. He is also crowned with honor, since God has given him power over all other creatures. According to St. John Chrysostom, in the wedding one can see the gracious restoration of that majesty over the creatures with which Adam and Eve were invested at the time when God pronounced the marriage blessing upon them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.(Genesis 1:28).
During the Sacrament of Wedding, the spouses drink from a common cup. The cup is served three times, first to the husband and then to the wife. The cup symbolizes that in marriage, all the joys and trials of the spouses should be divided in half, equally.
There is a pious tradition for newlyweds - confess and take communion at the liturgy on the wedding day. This custom is due to the fact that in ancient times the blessing of a married couple took place at the liturgy. Certain elements of the liturgy are still present in the wedding rite: the singing of the “Our Father”, the common cup from which the spouses drink... Confession and communion before the wedding have great importance: is born new family, the newlyweds have a new stage of life, and they must begin it by being renewed, cleansed in the Sacraments from sinful filth. If you can’t take communion on the wedding day, you should do it the day before.
Sacrament of the Priesthood
The Holy Apostles, the closest disciples of the Savior, chosen by Him Himself, received from the Lord the grace to perform the Sacraments: baptism, confession (absolution from sins), Eucharist and others. The apostles were instructed by God (for He appointed some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, and others as shepherds and teachers.(Eph 4:11), through laying on of hands (ordination) began to place people in sacred degrees: bishop, presbyter(priest) and deacon. The Apostle Paul writes to Bishop Titus, whom he appointed for the Church of the island of Crete: This is why I left you in Crete, so that you would complete what was unfinished and install presbyters in all the cities, as I ordered you.(Titus 1:5). From this it follows that bishops, as successors of the apostles, received from them the power not only to perform the Sacraments, but also to consecrate to sacred degrees. In the Orthodox Church, the succession of episcopal consecrations and ordinations comes continuously from the apostles themselves.
Deacons - assistants to priests and bishops - are the third degree of the priesthood and are also ordained by bishops. In the primacy of the Church, in apostolic times, the first seven deacons were elected, they were placed before the Apostles, and they, having prayed, laid their hands on them(Acts 6:6).
The sacrament of the priesthood gives grace to perform church sacraments, sacred rites and services. It also has another name - consecration, which translated from Greek means ordination. Both in the time of the apostles and now, people are consecrated to the sacred degrees by laying hands of the bishop on the protege and reading special prayers over him.
There are three holy degrees: bishop, presbyter, deacon. The bishop is the senior clergyman and has the power to ordain priests and deacons, as well as perform all other Sacraments.
A presbyter or priest can perform all the Sacraments, except for ordination. The deacon serves and helps with all the Sacraments, sacred rites and services, but only together with the bishop or priest.
The sacrament of ordination occurs on Divine Liturgy which is carried out by the episcopal ministry. Bishop, by apostolic rules, ordain at least two other bishops. Usually, the ordination of bishops is performed solemnly, by an entire council of the episcopate. The priesthood and deaconship are ordained by one bishop. Deacons are ordained at the liturgy after the consecration of the Holy Gifts. This shows that the deacon himself does not have the right to perform the Sacraments.
The priest is ordained after the great entrance at the liturgy, so that he can then participate in the consecration of the Holy Gifts. Bishops are consecrated at the beginning of the liturgy, after entering with the Gospel, and this shows that the bishop himself can ordain different degrees of the priesthood.
Priests are not only the performers of the Holy Sacraments and church services. They are shepherds, mentors for the people of God, they have the grace and authority to teach and preach the word of God.
1. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM there is such a sacred action. in which the believer in Christ, through immersing the body in water three times, with invocation of name Holy Trinity — Father and Son and Holy Spirit, washed from original sin, as well as from all sins committed by him before baptism, reborn by the grace of the Holy Spirit into a new spiritual life (spiritually born) and becomes a member of the Church, i.e. blessed Kingdom of Christ. Baptism is necessary for everyone who wishes to be a member of the Church of Christ. "If anyone is not born from water and Spirit, cannot enter the Kingdom of God,” said the Lord Himself (John 3 , 5)
2. THE SACREMENT OF CONFIRMATION- a sacrament in which the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which strengthen him in the spiritual Christian life. The Apostle Paul says: “He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who captured us and gave a deposit of the Spirit into our hearts" (2 Cor. 1
, 21-22)
The Sacrament of Confirmation is the Pentecost (descent of the Holy Spirit) for every Christian.
3. SACRAMENT OF REPENTANCE (Confession)- a sacrament in which a believer confesses (orally reveals) his sins to God in the presence of a priest and through the priest receives forgiveness of sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus Christ gave to the saints to the apostles, and through them priests the power to permit (forgive) sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him"(John. 20 , 22-23).
4. THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION (Eucharist)- a sacrament in which a believer (Orthodox Christian), under the guise of bread and wine, receives (tastes) the very Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this is mysteriously united with Christ and becomes a partaker of eternal life. Our Lord Christ Himself established the sacrament of holy communion during the last Last Supper, on the eve of His suffering and death. He Himself performed this sacrament: “Taking bread and thanking God the Father for all His mercies to the human race, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: Take, eat: this is my Body, which is given for you; do this in My remembrance. Likewise Taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My Blood of the new testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In a conversation with the people, Jesus Christ said: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him” (John 6:53-56)
5. MARRIAGE (Wedding) there is a sacrament in which, with the free (before the priest and the Church) promise by the bride and groom of mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed, in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, and the grace of God is asked and given for mutual help and unanimity, and for the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.
Marriage was established by God Himself in heaven. After the creation of Adam and Eve, “God blessed them and God said to them: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).
Jesus Christ sanctified marriage by His presence at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and confirmed its divine institution, saying: “He who created (God) in the beginning created man and woman (Gen. 1:27). And he said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh (Gen. 2:24), so that they are no longer life, but one flesh. And what God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6).
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her<…>he who loves his wife loves himself” (Eph. 5:25,28)
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:22-23)
The family is the foundation of the Church of Christ. The sacrament of marriage is not obligatory for everyone, but persons who voluntarily remain single are obliged to lead a pure, immaculate and virginal life, which, according to the teaching of the Word of God, is higher than married life, and is one of the greatest feats (Matt. 19, 11-12; 1 Cor. 7, 8-9, 26, 32, 34, 37, 40, etc.).
6. PRIESTHOOD there is a sacrament in which a correctly elected person (to become a bishop, presbyter or jiacon), through episcopal ordination, receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sacred service of the Church of Christ.
This sacrament is performed only on persons elected and ordained clergy.
The sacrament of the priesthood is a divine institution. The Holy Apostle Paul testifies that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself “gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of saints, for the work of service, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” (Eph. 4, 11-12).
There are three degrees of priesthood:
1. The one ordained as a deacon receives the grace to serve in the celebration of the sacraments.
2. Anyone ordained as a priest (presbyter) receives the grace to perform the sacraments.
3. He who is ordained a bishop (bishop) receives the grace not only to perform the sacraments, but also to consecrate others to perform the sacraments.
7. ANOINTING (Unction) there is a sacrament in which, when anointing a sick person with consecrated oil, the grace of God is called upon the sick person to heal him from physical and mental illnesses.
The sacrament of consecration of oil is also called unction, because several priests gather to perform it, although one priest can perform it if necessary.
This sacrament originates from the apostles. Having received from the Lord Jesus Christ the power to heal every disease during preaching, they “anointed many who were sick with oil and healed them” (Mark 6:13).
The Apostle James speaks in particular detail about this sacrament: “Is any of you sick, let him invite the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).
Sending his disciples to preach, Jesus Christ told them: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are talking here, as the Holy Church teaches, about the Sacraments established by the Lord. A sacrament is a sacred action in which, through some external sign, the grace of the Holy Spirit is mysteriously and invisibly given to us, the saving power of God is certainly given. This is the difference between the Sacraments and other prayer actions. At prayer services or memorial services, we also ask for God’s help, but whether we receive what we ask for, or whether we will be given another mercy - everything is in God’s power. But in the Sacraments, the promised grace is given to us without fail, as long as the Sacrament is performed correctly. Perhaps this gift will be for us to judge or condemn, but the mercy of God is given to us!
The Lord was pleased to institute seven Sacraments: baptism, confirmation, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood, and consecration of oil.
Baptism
It is like a door to the Church of Christ; only those who accept it can use other Sacraments. This is such a sacred act in which a believer in Christ, through triple immersion of the body in water, with the invocation of the name of the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is washed from original sin, as well as from all the sins he himself committed before Baptism, and is reborn by grace the Holy Spirit into a new, spiritual life.
The sacrament of Baptism was established by Jesus Christ Himself and sanctified by being baptized by John. And so, just as the Lord in the womb of the Holy Virgin put on human nature (excluding sin), so the one who is baptized in the font becomes a partaker of the divine nature: “As many as were baptized into Christ, they put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Accordingly, Satan loses power over a person: if before he ruled over him as over his slave, then after Baptism he can only act from the outside - by deception.
To receive Baptism, an adult requires a conscious desire to become a Christian, based on strong faith and heartfelt repentance. Babies Orthodox Church baptizes parents and adoptees in the faith. This is why godfathers and mothers are needed, to vouch for the faith of the person being baptized. When he grows up, the adoptive parents are obliged to teach the child and ensure that the godson becomes a true Christian. If they neglect this sacred duty, they will sin gravely. So, preparing a beautiful cross and a white shirt for this day, bringing a towel and slippers with you does not mean preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism, even if you are going to baptize an unintelligent baby. He must still have believing recipients who know the basics of Christian doctrine and are distinguished by piety. If an adult approaches the font, let him read first New Testament, Catechism and accept the teachings of Christ with all your heart and mind.
In the Sacrament of Confirmation, the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which will henceforth strengthen him in the Christian life. Initially, the apostles of Christ called for the Holy Spirit to descend on those who turned to God through the laying on of hands. But already at the end of I, the Sacrament began to be performed through anointing with chrism, since the apostles simply did not have the opportunity to lay hands on everyone who joined the Church in different, often distant places.
Holy myrrh is a specially prepared and consecrated composition of oil and fragrant substances. It was consecrated by the apostles and their successors, the bishops. And now only bishops can consecrate the chrism. But the Sacrament itself can be performed by priests.
Usually Confirmation follows immediately after Baptism. With the words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen” - the priest anoints the believer’s forehead with a cross - to sanctify his thoughts, eyes - so that we walk along the path of salvation under the rays of gracious light, ears - so that a person will be sensitive to hearing the word of God, lips - so that they are capable of broadcasting Divine truth, hands - for sanctification for deeds pleasing to God, feet - for walking in the footsteps of the commandments of the Lord, chest - so that, having put on the whole armor of the Holy Spirit, we can do everything in Jesus Christ who strengthens us. Yes, through anointing different parts body, the whole person is sanctified - his flesh and soul.
Repentance ()
Repentance is a Sacrament in which a believer confesses his sins to God in the presence of a priest and through the priest receives forgiveness of his sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Savior gave St. to the apostles, and through them to the priests, the power to forgive sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him” (John 20:22-23).
To receive forgiveness of sins from the confessor, the following is required: reconciliation with all neighbors, sincere contrition for sins and true confession of them, a firm intention to correct one’s life, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and hope in his mercy. How important the latter is is clear from the example of Judas. He repented of his terrible sin - betraying the Lord, but in despair he hanged himself, since he had no faith and hope. But Christ took upon Himself all our sins and destroyed them with His Death on the Cross!
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In the Sacrament of Communion, an Orthodox Christian, under the guise of bread and wine, eats the very Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this mysteriously unites with Him, becoming a partaker of eternal life.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by Christ Himself during the Last Supper, on the eve of His suffering and death: taking bread and thanking (God the Father for all His mercies), He broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying: Take and eat, this is My Body, which is for betrays you. Also taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying: drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22 , 19-24; Cor. I, 23-25). Having established the Sacrament of Communion, Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to always perform it: “Do this in My remembrance.”
Not long before, in a conversation with the people, the Savior said: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink. He who walks on My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).
The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated in the Church of Christ until the end of time during the Divine service called the Liturgy, during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, are transformed into the true Body and true Blood of Christ. In Greek, this Sacrament is called “Eucharist,” which means “thanksgiving.” The first Christians took communion every Sunday, but now not everyone has such purity of life. However, the Holy Church commands us to take communion every Lent and no less than once a year.
How to prepare for Holy Communion
You must prepare yourself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting - prayer, fasting, humility and repentance. Without confession, no one can be admitted to Communion, except in cases of mortal danger.
Anyone who wants to receive communion worthily should begin to prepare for this at least a week in advance: pray more and more diligently at home, regularly attend Church. In any case, you must be at the evening service on the eve of the day of communion. Fasting is combined with prayer - abstinence from fast food - meat, milk, butter, eggs and, in general, moderation in food and drink.
Those preparing for Holy Communion must become aware of their sinfulness and protect themselves from anger, condemnation and indecent thoughts and conversations, and refuse to visit places of entertainment. The best time to spend is reading spiritual books. Before confession, you must certainly reconcile with both the offenders and the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. Anyone wishing to receive communion must come to the priest making confession at the lectern on which the Cross and the Gospel lie, and bring sincere repentance for the sins he has committed, without concealing any of them. Seeing sincere repentance, the priest places the end of the stole on the bowed head of the confessor and reads a prayer of permission, forgiving his sins in the name of Jesus Christ Himself. It is more correct to confess the evening before so that you can devote the morning to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. As a last resort, you can confess in the morning, but before the start of the Divine Liturgy.
Having confessed, you must make a firm decision not to repeat previous sins. There is a good custom - after confession and before Holy Communion, do not eat, drink or smoke. This is definitely prohibited after midnight. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink from a very early age.
After singing “Our Father,” you need to approach the steps of the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be taken out. At the same time, let the children who receive communion go first. When approaching the Chalice, you must bow to the ground in advance, fold your arms crosswise on your chest and not cross yourself in front of the Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Clearly pronounce your Christian name, open your mouth wide, reverently accept the Body and Blood of Christ and immediately swallow. Having received the Holy Mystery, without crossing yourself, kiss the bottom of the Chalice and immediately go to the table with warmth to drink Communion. Do not leave the church until the end of the service; be sure to listen to prayers of thanks.
On the day of communion, do not spit, do not eat too much, do not get drunk on alcohol, and generally behave decently, in order to “honestly keep Christ received within you.” All this is mandatory for children from 7 years old. For prayerful preparation for Holy Communion, there is a special rule in more complete prayer books. It consists of reading three canons the evening before - the Repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and prayers for the coming sleep, and in the morning - the morning prayers, the canon and special prayers to Holy Communion.
Marriage
There is a Sacrament in which, with the bride and groom freely (before the priest and the church) promising mutual fidelity to each other, their marital union is blessed and the grace of God is asked for mutual help and the blessed birth and Christian upbringing of children.
Marriage was established by God Himself in heaven. After the creation of Adam and Eve, he blessed them and said: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). Jesus Christ sanctified the Sacrament with his presence at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and confirmed its divine institution: “He who created in the beginning man and woman... said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6).
“Husbands,” says the apostle. Paul, “love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her... Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, and He is the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5 , 22-23, 25). The sacrament of marriage is not obligatory for everyone, but those who remain celibate are obliged to lead a virgin life, which, according to the teaching of Christ, is higher than marriage - one of the greatest feats.
What else do those wishing to get married in the Church need to know?
That the Sacrament of Marriage is not performed during fasts: Great (48 days before Easter), Assumption (August 14-28), Rozhdestven (November 28 - January 7), Petrovsky (from Sunday after Trinity, until July 12), on Christmastide (between and Epiphany - from January 7 to 19) and on Bright (Easter) Week, as well as on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and on some other days of the year.
Because marriage is a great Sacrament, and not just a beautiful rite, therefore one should approach it with the fear of God, so as not to desecrate the shrine through divorce. What is recognized as the main thing in our state civil marriage, why is it desirable to have a marriage certificate issued by the registry office to perform a church Sacrament? That one of the parts of the Sacrament is the betrothal of the bride and groom, for which they must have wedding rings.
In the Sacrament of the Priesthood, a correctly chosen person through episcopal ordination (ordination in Greek) receives the grace of the Holy Spirit for the sanctified service of the Church of Christ.
There are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, presbyter (priest) and bishop (bishop). There are also names that do not denote a new degree, but only the highest honor: for example, a bishop can be elevated to archbishop, metropolitan and patriarch, a priest (priest) to an archpriest, a deacon to a protodeacon.
He who is ordained a deacon receives the grace to serve in the performance of the Sacraments, he who is ordained a priest receives the grace to perform the Sacraments, and he who is ordained a bishop receives not only the grace to perform the Sacraments, but also to consecrate others to perform the Sacraments.
The sacrament of the priesthood is a divine institution. St. Apostle Paul testifies that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself “ordained... others to be shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ” (Eph. 4:1-12). The Apostles, performing this Sacrament, elevated them to deacons, presbyters and bishops through the laying on of hands. In turn, the bishops they appointed consecrated those destined for sacred service. Thus, like fire from candle to candle, a succession of correctly ordained clergy has come down to us from apostolic times.
For people who have recently entered the Church, there is a whole problem - what to call them? Clergymen in the rank of deacon and presbyter are usually called “fathers” - by name: Father Alexander, Father Vladimir - or by position: Father Protodeacon, Father Housekeeper (in a monastery). There is also a special, affectionate address in the Russian language: father. Accordingly, the spouse is called “mother.” It is customary to address the bishop as follows: “Vladyka!” or “Your Eminence!” The Patriarch is called “Your Holiness!” Well, what about the clergy and church workers, ordinary parishioners? It is customary to address them as “brother”, “sister”. However, if a person in front of you is much older than you, it would not be a sin to say to him: “father” or “mother”; the same is addressed to monastics.
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The sacrament of unction, in which, when anointing a sick person with consecrated oil (oil), the grace of God is invoked on him for healing from physical and mental illnesses and the remission of sins forgotten without malicious intent.
The sacrament of unction is also called unction, because seven priests gather to perform it, although, if necessary, one priest can perform it. Unction takes its origins from the Holy Apostles. Having received from the Lord Jesus Christ the power to heal every disease, they anointed the sick with oil and healed them” (Mark 6:13). The apostle speaks in detail about this Sacrament. James: “If any of you is sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And prayer will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will forgive him” (James 5:14-15). Infants are not given unction, because they cannot consciously commit sins.
Previously, the blessing of oil was performed at the bedside of the sick, now - more often - in church, for many people at once. A small vessel with oil is placed in a dish with wheat (or other grains) as a sign of God’s mercy, to which, in imitation of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel and as a reminder of the shed Blood of Christ, red wine is added. Around the vessel, seven candles and seven sticks with cotton wool at the end are placed in wheat. All those present hold lit candles in their hands. After special prayers, seven selected passages from the epistles of the apostles and seven gospel narratives are read. After each of them, with a prayer to the Lord - the Physician of our souls and bodies, the priest anoints the sick person’s forehead, cheeks, chest, and hands with a cross. After the seventh reading, he places the opened Gospel, like the healing hand of the Savior Himself, on the head of the sick and prays to God for the forgiveness of all their sins.
In any case, grace acts through the consecrated oil, but this effect is revealed, according to God’s vision, differently: some are completely healed, others receive relief, and in others the strength is awakened to endure the illness complacently. Forgiveness of sins, forgotten or unconscious, is granted to the one receiving the unction.
The founders of religions and the authors of sacred texts tend to be very strict about sex and reproductive function generally. Islam tries to hide a woman from a man (purdah), Judaism imposes restrictions on a woman’s life during her period, and the Vatican to this day shudders at the words “contraception” and “masturbation”.
Perhaps this comes from those ancient times when human life had to be regulated by divine laws so that he would not slip into an animal state. Perhaps this is simply an attempt by the strong (that is, the man) to assert his power over the weak (the woman). A new study provides another answer: with such establishments, men guarantee paternity.
It is obvious that the evolutionary interests of men and women are not the same. It is difficult for them to agree on a number of issues. Here are just a few of them.
When can you start having sex? How often is it permissible to have sex? How many children should you have? How close will they be to each other? Should you be on birth control? In what cases is abortion permitted? Does this include domestic violence? What about poverty? What should spouses do if one of them loses sexual desire? Or will he fall in love with someone else? What to do if one of the spouses suspects their partner of cheating? Who will take care of the children after divorce?
In an ideal world, these issues would be discussed with respect for the rights of both parties, and sometimes partners would admit without hysterics that there is no solution that satisfies everyone. In reality, negotiations lead to scandals, beatings, humiliation and broken hearts.
But not all religious prohibitions were invented by men in order to gain power over women. For example, Christianity has rejected polygamy, despite a number of obvious advantages of polygamy for the reproductive success of the male. Australian Cardinal George Pell once recalled Augustine's words that the sacrament of monogamous marriage was established in order to force men to care for their children.
At the same time, Christianity believes that the husband should “preside” over his wife, with corresponding consequences for the social order, which, in fact, nullify all the gains of monogamy. By the way, Mr. Pell said the above while complaining about the invention of the birth control pill. In his opinion, because of them, women and society as a whole have deteriorated greatly. A typical male complaint.
There is no doubt that families and society benefit when fathers provide equal care to children. In this case, the parties often come to a compromise in order to ensure that the children have the best possible life. The price of this cooperation is the abandonment of an important evolutionary acquisition - jealousy, which helped our ancestors (and us too) to be confident that we would not have to raise children alone or raise someone else's offspring.
