What prayers are read in the Easter fast. Prayers for Great Lent for every day - what to read at home during Lent
Great Lent precedes the Easter holiday - in 2019, Christians celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ on April 28.
The meaning of fasting is not just a rejection of meat and dairy food, it is self-restraint, that is, a voluntary rejection of everything that makes up a significant part of our earthly life. But first of all, in deep self-knowledge, repentance and the fight against passions.
Fasting provides an opportunity to think about a lot and rethink a lot spiritually. This is the time when we can force ourselves to stop, interrupt the endless, daily run, look into our own heart and understand how far we are from God, from the ideal to which He calls us.
But fasting without prayer is not fasting, but just a diet. During fasting, first of all, you need to take care of the purification of the soul and thoughts, and for this it is necessary to pray daily at home and, if possible, attend church services all seven weeks of Great Lent.
Prayer for Great Lent
Prayer in Lent should be given more time than usual. You can read the usual morning and evening prayers or something else, for example, the Psalter, but during fasting you need to add one more prayer to these prayers - a short and capacious prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian.
Prayer Saint Ephraim Sirina is one of the most frequently spoken during Lent.
© Sputnik / STRINGER
"Lord and Master of my life, the Spirit of idleness, despondency, lust and idle talk, do not give me. The spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love, grant me, Thy servant. She, Lord King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages, Amen."
In the brief lines of the prayer of St. Ephraim, the message of the path is captured spiritual development a person in which people ask God for help in the fight against their vices - despondency, laziness, idle talk, condemnation of others. And they ask to crown them with the crown of all virtues - humility, patience and love.
morning prayers
Publican's prayer: "God, be merciful to me a sinner." (Bow). According to the Gospel of Luke, this is a prayer of repentance, which was said by the publican in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee. In this parable, Christ cited the publican's prayer as an example of repentance and petition for God's mercy.
The preparatory prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the Saints, have mercy on us. Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee."
Trisagion: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity: "Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."
The Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven! your name, Thy will be done, as in heaven, and on earth. Give us our daily bread today, and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen." This prayer can be read at any time, including before meals and in the evening.
Evening prayers
Prayer to God the Father: “Eternal God and the King of every creature, having made me sing even at this hour, forgive me my sins, even if I have done this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filth of flesh and spirit And grant me, Lord, in this night's sleep to pass away in peace, so that, having risen from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the carnal and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from thoughts vain, defiling me, and the lusts of the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel: “Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree I have sinned in this day, and deliver me from all the wickedness of my enemy, but in no sin do I anger my God; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show me the goodness of the mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
And right before going to bed, you should say: "In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commit my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen."
About repentance
One of the greatest Saints, the Monk Macarius of Egypt, said, if you look deeper into yourself, then everyone from the bottom of their hearts will have to say the words of prayer: "God, cleanse me a sinner, for I will never (that is, never) do good before you."
You can say prayers not only during worship or at home - in the morning and in the evening. Lay people can pray at any time - when negative and sinful thoughts arise. Short Prayer will allow you to spiritually cleanse and tune in a positive way.
© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili
God, my God! Give my heart the ignorance of passions and lift my eye above the madness of the world, from now on create my life not to please them and grant me pity for those who persecute me. For Thy joy in sorrows is known, my God, and a straight soul will improve it, but its fate comes from Thy presence and there is no diminution of its bliss. Lord Jesus Christ, my God, make straight my paths on earth.
Priests advise reading all four Gospels on your own during Lent, as it is difficult to be a Christian without knowing Holy Scripture. It is recommended that you read the Scriptures every day, in a quiet environment where you can concentrate, and after reading reflect on what you have read and think about how to relate the Scriptures to your life.
The time of Great Lent is specially given by the Church so that we can gather, concentrate and prepare for the meeting of the Easter holidays.
Material prepared on the basis of open sources
The Savior's covenant is to always pray. Prayer is the breath of spiritual life. And just as the physical life stops with the cessation of breathing, so the spiritual life stops with the cessation of prayer.
Prayer is a conversation with God, with the Most Holy Mother of God, with the saints. God is ours Heavenly Father To whom you can always turn with your joys or sorrows. Therefore, at any time, not only at divine services and prayers, but in any other place, we can turn to the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints and ask them to help us, to intercede for us before the Lord.
We must learn to turn to God as the Source of Life. The first words to say in the morning are "Glory to Thee, Lord, Glory to Thee!" . Gradually short prayers gather into regulations- Mandatory prayers.
There are various - morning, afternoon, evening rules, etc. These prayers are composed by holy people and are imbued with the spirit of their ascetic life dedicated to Christ. The most perfect is the prayer "Our Father ...", left to His disciples by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Everyone's prayer rule is different. Some have morning or evening rule takes a few hours, others - a few minutes. Everything depends on a person's spiritual disposition, on the degree of his rootedness in prayer, and on what time he has at his disposal.
It is very important that a person fulfill the prayer rule, even the shortest one, so that there is regularity and constancy in prayer. But the rule should not turn into a formality. The experience of many believers shows that with constant reading of the same prayers, their words become discolored, lose their freshness, and a person, getting used to them, stops focusing on them. This danger must be avoided by all means.
It is necessary to get used to bows - belt and earthly. Bows make up for our absent-mindedness in prayer. Attention should also be paid to the external manner of holding oneself during prayer. You must stand straight, look directly at the icons, and remember that when you pray, you appear before the Face of the Heavenly Father.
Life and prayer are completely inseparable. A life without prayer is a life in which its most important dimension is missing; it is life "in the plane", without depth, life in two dimensions of space and time; it is a life content with the visible, content with our neighbor, but with our neighbor as a phenomenon on the physical plane, a neighbor in whom we do not discover all the immensity and eternity of his fate. The meaning of prayer is to reveal and affirm by life itself the fact that everything has a measure of eternity and everything has a dimension of immensity. The world in which we live is not a godless world: we ourselves profane it, but in its essence it came out of the hands of God, it is loved by God. His price in the eyes of God is the life and death of His Only Begotten Son, and prayer testifies that we know this - we know that every person and every thing around us is sacred in the eyes of God: loved by Him, they become dear to us too. Not to pray means to leave God outside of everything that exists, and not only Him, but everything He means for the world He created, the world in which we live.
About the post
The Church of Christ commands her children to lead a moderate lifestyle, highlighting the days and periods of obligatory abstinence - posts. Lent is such days when we should think more about God, about our sins before God, pray more, repent, not get irritated, not offend anyone, but on the contrary, help everyone. To make it easier to do this, you need, first of all, to eat only "lenten" food, that is, plant foods: bread, vegetables, fruits, since hearty food makes us want not to pray, but to sleep, or, conversely, to frolic . The Old Testament righteous fasted, and Christ Himself fasted.
weekly fast days(excluding "solid" weeks) is Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, the fast was established in remembrance of the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and on Friday - for the sake of the suffering on the cross and the death of the Savior. These days it is forbidden to eat humble meat and dairy foods, eggs, fish (according to the Charter from Fomin's Sunday until the feast of the Holy Trinity, fish and vegetable oil can be eaten), and in the period from the Week of All Saints (the first Sunday after the feast of the Trinity) to the Nativity of Christ on Wednesdays and Fridays, you should abstain from fish and vegetable oil.
There are four multi-day fasts in a year. The longest and strictest Great Lent, which lasts seven weeks before Easter. The strictest of them are the First and Last, Passionate. This fast is established in memory of the forty-day fast of the Savior in the wilderness.
Close in severity to the Great Assumption post, but it is shorter - from 14 to 27 August. With this fast, the Holy Church venerates the Most Holy Mother of God, Who, standing before God, invariably prays for us. During these strict fasts, fish can be eaten only three times - on the feasts of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God(April 7), the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (a week before Easter) and the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19).
Christmas post lasts 40 days, from November 28 to January 6. It is allowed to eat fish during this fast, except for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. After the feast of St. Nicholas (December 19), fish can be eaten only on Saturdays and Sundays, and the period from January 2 to 6 must be carried out in full severity.
Fourth post - Holy Apostles(Peter and Paul). It begins with the Week of All Saints and ends on the feast day of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul - July 12th. The charter about food in this post is the same as in the first period of Christmas.
The days of strict fasting are Epiphany Christmas Eve(January 18), the feasts of the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 11) and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27). 
Some relaxation in the severity of the fast is allowed for the sick, as well as the busy hard work, pregnant and lactating women. This is done so that fasting does not lead to a sharp decline in strength, and the Christian has strength for the prayer rule and the necessary work.
But fasting should be not only bodily, but also spiritual. “The one who believes that fasting is only abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting,” teaches St. John Chrysostom, “is the removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting off anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.”
The body of a fasting person, without being burdened with food, becomes light, strengthened to receive grace-filled gifts. Fasting subdues the desire of the flesh, softens the temper, suppresses anger, restrains the impulses of the heart, invigorates the mind, brings peace to the soul, eliminates intemperance.
By fasting, as Saint Basil the Great says, by an auspicious fast, by avoiding every sin committed by all the senses, we fulfill the pious duty of an Orthodox Christian.
Initial prayers
Rising from sleep, before any other occupation, reverently presenting himself before the Most High God and relying on himself sign of the cross, say:
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen (True, true).
Therefore, slow down a little, so that all your feelings come to silence and thoughts leave everything earthly, and then say prayers without haste, with attention of the heart.
In this prayer, we ask the Lord for blessings for the work ahead.
Praise to the Lord God
(small doxology)
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
In this prayer we praise God without asking for anything in return. It is usually pronounced at the end of the case as a token of gratitude to God for His mercy to us. This prayer is shorter: Thank God. In this abbreviated form, we say a prayer when we finish some good deed, for example, teaching, work; when we receive any good news, etc.
Publican's Prayer
God, have mercy on me a sinner.
Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Prayer for forgiveness of our sins. It must be said as often as we often sin. As soon as we sin, we must immediately repent of our sin before God and say this prayer.
Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through the prayers of Your Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us (have mercy on us). Amen.
We ask that God, through the prayers of the saints, have mercy on us, i.e. was merciful to us and forgave our sins. This prayer, like the prayer of the publican, should be in the mind and heart of a Christian as often as possible, because, constantly sinning before God, they must constantly turn to Him with a request for mercy.
This prayer can be pronounced shorter: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us , or even shorter: Lord have mercy! In the last abbreviated version, it is pronounced in church, during worship, often up to 40 times continuously.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our soul.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Container of all goodness and life Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save, Merciful, our souls.
We ask the Holy Spirit to deliver us from eternal punishment for sins and honored us with the Kingdom of Heaven.
Trisagion
(angelic song)
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Immortal, be merciful to us.
By the words: Holy God is meant God the Father; under the words: Holy Strong - God the Son; under the words: Holy Immortal - God the Holy Spirit. The prayer is read three times in honor of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. This prayer is called an angelic song because the holy angels sing it before the throne of God.
Doxology to the Holy Trinity
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
In this prayer, we do not ask God for anything, but only praise Him, who appeared to people in three Persons.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord (Father), forgive us our sins. Master (Son of God), forgive our iniquities. Holy (Spirit), visit us and heal our diseases, for the glorification of Your name
First at the Holy Trinity together, and then at each Person of the Holy Trinity separately, we ask one thing, albeit in different expressions: deliverance from sins.
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today, and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Our Heavenly Father! May Your name be glorified. Let your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for this day. And forgive us our sins, just as we forgive those who have sinned against us. And do not allow us to temptation, but deliver us from evil spirit. Because the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory belongs to You - to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now, always and forever and ever. Amen.
This is - essential prayer; that is why it is often read in church during divine services. It contains an invocation, seven petitions and a doxology.
morning prayers
Prayer to Jesus Christ
Come, let us worship our King God.
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God.
Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.
Come, let us worship the King, our God.
Come, let us bow down and bow down to the ground before Christ the King, our God.
Come, let us bow down and bow down to the ground before Christ Himself, our King and God.
In prayer, we invite all our bodily and spiritual strength, we invite other believers to worship Jesus Christ, our King and God.
Psalm 50 - David's penitential psalm
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Wash me most of all from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and my sin before me is taken out. I have sinned against you alone and done evil before you; as if you were justified in your words, and always win to judge Ty. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins give birth to me, my mother. Behold, thou hast loved the truth; the unknown and secret wisdom of Thy revealed to me. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Give joy and joy to my hearing; the bones of the humble will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation and confirm me with the Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked in Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in thy righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. As if you would have desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. Sacrifice to God the spirit is broken; a contrite and humble heart God will not despise. Please, O Lord, with Thy favor Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, an offering and a burnt offering; then they will offer bullocks on your altar.
Have mercy on me God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, blot out my iniquities. Wash me many times from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I recognize my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. You, You alone, I have sinned and done evil in Your sight, so that You are righteous in Your judgment and pure in Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother bore me in sin. Behold, You have loved the truth in the heart and within me have shown me wisdom (Your). Sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, and the bones will rejoice. crushed by you. turn away your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and confirm me with the Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the transgressors Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Spare me the blood. God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will praise your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise: for you do not want sacrifice, I would give it; You are not pleased with the burnt offering. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a contrite and humble heart You will not despise, O God. Do good, O Lord, according to Thy good pleasure Zion; raise up the walls of Jerusalem; then they will offer calves on your altar.
This psalm (psalm-song) was composed by the prophet King David, when he repented of that great sin that he killed the pious husband Uriah the Hittite and took possession of his wife Bathsheba. The prayer expresses deep contrition for the sin committed, which is why this psalm is often read in church during worship, and we, guilty of certain sins, should say it as often as possible.
Prayer 3rd St. Macarius the Great
To Thee, Lord, Lover of mankind, I have risen from sleep, and I strive for Thy works by Thy mercy, and I pray to Thee: help me at all times, in all things, and deliver me from all evil things of the world and the devil's haste, and save me. and lead me into your everlasting kingdom. You are my Creator and all good, the Provider and Giver, all my hope is in You, and I send glory to You, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
To Thee, Lord Lover of mankind, waking up from sleep, I turn and, by Thy mercy, hasten to Thy deeds, and I implore Thee: help me at all times, in every deed, and deliver me from every evil worldly deed and the devil's temptation; save me and lead me into your eternal kingdom. For You are my Creator, the Source and Giver of all goodness, all my hope is in You, and I glorify You now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
In this prayer, we express our readiness and desire before God, upon awakening from sleep, to engage in the deeds assigned to each by God, and we ask Him for help in these deeds; we also ask that He keep us from sins and lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven. Prayer ends with praise to God.
Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are You in women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
Mother of God Virgin Mary, full of the grace of God, rejoice! The Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the Fruit born of Thee, because You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
Praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary
It is worthy to eat, as truly, bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honorable Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
It is truly worthy to glorify Thee, Mother of God, eternally happy and most holy, and the Mother of our God. And we glorify You, the true Mother of God, the most honest of the Cherubim and the incomparably more glorious Seraphim, who without violation of virginity gave birth to the Son of God.
With this prayer we glorify the Most Holy Theotokos. There is a short prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, which we should say as often as possible. This prayer: Holy Mother of God, save us!
Angel of God, my holy Guardian, given to me from God from heaven, I diligently pray to You: Enlighten me today and save me from all evil, guide me to a good deed and direct me to the path of salvation. Amen.
Angel of God, my holy Guardian, given to me from God from heaven for preservation! I ask you diligently: You will enlighten me today and from all evil, teach me good deed and guide me to the path of salvation. Amen.
In this prayer, we ask the Guardian Angel to deliver us from all evil temptations and pray for us to God.
Troparion to the Cross and Prayer for the Fatherland
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victory to the opposition, and Thy keeping Thy Cross living.
Save, Lord, Your people and bless those who belong to You, helping Orthodox Christians to defeat their enemies and preserving Your holy Church by the power of Your Cross.
In this prayer, we ask that the Lord deliver us, Orthodox Christians, from troubles and misfortunes, grant us well-being in life, give us the strength to defeat all violators of peace and security of the state, and protect us with His Cross.
Prayer for health and the salvation of the living
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives, mentors and benefactors, and all Orthodox Christians.
Spiritual Father - the priest with whom we confess; relatives - relatives; mentors - teachers; benefactors - doing good, helping us.
In this prayer, we ask God for our parents, relatives and all our neighbors and friends for earthly and heavenly blessings, namely: health, strength and eternal salvation.
Prayer for the dead
Rest, Lord, the souls of the departed Thy servants (names), forgive their sins, free and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.
Rest, Lord, the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all their sins made of their own free will and against their will, and give them the Kingdom of Heaven.
We pray that He will settle our dead relatives, neighbors and all Orthodox Christians together with the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, where there is no suffering, but only one bliss, forgiving them all their sins through His unspeakable mercy.
Prayers throughout the day
Prayer before teaching
Good Lord, send us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, giving meaning and strengthening our spiritual strength, so that, listening to the teachings taught to us, we may grow to You, our Creator, to the glory. For our parents, for the consolation, for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland.
Merciful Lord! Send us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, which would give us understanding and strengthen our spiritual strength, so that, listening to the teaching taught to us, we grow up to You, our Creator, to the glory, to our parents for comfort, the Church and the Fatherland for the benefit.
We pray that God will give us understanding and a desire for teaching, that this teaching will serve for the glory of God, for the comfort of parents and for the benefit of our neighbors.
Before teaching, instead of this prayer, you can say the prayer: to the King of Heaven.
Prayer at the end of the teaching
We thank Thee, the Creator, as if Thou hast vouchsafed us Thy grace, in a hedgehog heed to the teaching. Bless our bosses, parents and teachers who lead us to the knowledge of the good, and give us strength and strength to continue this teaching.
We thank You, Creator, for the fact that You honored us with Your mercy to listen to the teaching. Bless (i.e. reward) our superiors, parents and teachers who lead us to the knowledge of good, and give us strength and health to continue this teaching.
In this prayer, we first thank God for helping us learn; then we ask that He reward with His mercy the rulers, parents and teachers who are trying to teach us good things, and give us strength and health to continue teaching.
At the end of the teaching, instead of this prayer, you can say the prayer: It is worthy to eat.
Prayer before eating
The eyes of all in Thee, O Lord, trust, and You give them food in good time, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every kind of animal goodwill.
The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, with hope, and You give food to all in due time; you open your generous hand and satisfy all living things at will (Psalm 144:15-16).
In this prayer, we ask God to bless our food and drink in health.
Instead of this prayer before lunch and dinner, you can read the Lord's Prayer: Our Father.
Prayer after eating
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your heavenly Kingdom, but as if in the midst of Your disciples, Thou hast come, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
We thank You, Christ our God, that You nourished us with Your earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom.
In this prayer, we thank God that He has satisfied us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayers for the dream to come
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of those who have sinned today, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy, so that I will not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body! Forgive me everything in which I have sinned in the past day (or past night), and deliver me from all the deceit of my evil enemy, so that I will not anger my God with any sin; but pray for me a sinner and unworthy slave so that I may be worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
With each of us there is a special angel, throughout our life from the time of our baptism; he protects our soul from sins, and the body from earthly misfortunes, and helps us live holy, which is why he is called in prayer the patron of the soul and body. We ask the Guardian Angel to forgive our sins, deliver us from the tricks of the devil and pray to the Lord for us.
Prayer of St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the king of every creature, having made me sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, Lord, to pass in this night of sleep in peace, but having arisen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Eternal God and King of all creatures, who has honored me to live to this hour! Forgive me the sins that I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my poor soul from all impurity of body and soul. And help me, Lord, to spend the coming night calmly, so that, having risen from my miserable bed, I could do what is pleasing to Your most holy name all the days of my life and defeat bodily and incorporeal enemies attacking me. And deliver me, Lord, from empty thoughts that defile me, and evil passions. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever. Amen.
In this prayer, we thank God for a well-spent day, ask Him to forgive sins, save us from all evil and Good night. This prayer ends with the doxology of the Holy Trinity.
Prayer 5, Saint John Chrysostom
Lord our God, if I have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, forgive me as Good and Lover of mankind. Peaceful sleep and serene grant me. Send your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, as if you are the Guardian of our souls and our bodies, and we send glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord our God! As a good and philanthropic one, forgive me everything that I have sinned on this day: in word, deed or thoughts; give me a peaceful and calm sleep; send me your guardian angel to cover and keep me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we give glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever. Amen.
We ask for forgiveness of sins, peaceful sleep and a guardian angel who would save us from all evil. This prayer ends with the doxology of the Holy Trinity.
Prayer to the Holy Cross
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and in joy they say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross e of the Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell and corrected the strength of the devil, and gave us His Honest Cross to drive away any adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let all who hate Him flee from Him. As the smoke disappears, so let them disappear; and as wax melts from fire, so let the demons perish before loving God and signified by the sign of the cross and exclaiming in joy: Rejoice, Most Honored and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you, Who descended into hell and destroyed the power of the devil and gave us You, His Honest Cross to drive away every enemy. Oh, Most Honored and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, help me with the Holy Lady the Virgin Mary and with all the saints in all ages. Amen.
In prayer, we express our faith that the sign of the cross is the strongest means of driving out demons, and we ask the Lord for spiritual help through the power of the Holy Cross.
A Brief Prayer to the Holy Cross
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
Protect me, Lord, by the power of the Honest (Honored) and Life-Giving (Life-giving) Your Cross, and save me from all evil.
You should say a prayer just before going to bed, kissing the cross worn on the chest, and protecting yourself and the bed with the sign of the cross.
In preparing the material, the following works were used:
"Conversations on Prayer", Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh,
"Explanatory Prayer Book", published by the parish in the name of Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky.
"On Prayer", Abbot Hilarion (Alfeev).
"Orthodoxy for Children", O.S. Barilo.
"Orthodoxy for Children", O.S. Barilo
In Great Lent, the laity must not only purify their bodies through abstinence, but also purify their minds. These days, believers refuse to take heavy food, bad habits and wrong thoughts. daily prayers help to resist temptation and not commit sins during fasting.
True believers are trying to rise spiritually on the eve of the brightest Sunday. To do this, they read the Holy Scriptures and turn to the Lord. Prayers can be read at home in the morning and evening hours. You can read prayers before meals or before going to bed. During Great Lent, it is very important to maintain purity of thoughts, not to get angry and not to swear. Special prayers help prepare for the Easter day and meet it brightly and joyfully.
morning prayers
The morning of the first day of Great Lent should begin with an appeal to Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity. They are addressed with special words, such prayers are called initial. With these prayers, the believer wants to show his readiness to test himself with fasting, to understand its meaning, to be imbued with the words and deeds of Jesus. This is a test of your spiritual strength.
The morning begins with a prayer to Christ, a psalm of David, the third prayer of St. Macarius the Great, praises and songs to the Theotokos. This is a list of basic prayers, how to pray on the First Day Fast and before Easter.
Evening prayers
During the day, you need to turn to God, with prayers and gratitude for the gift of daily bread. Prayers are read before eating and after the meal.
Before going to bed, the believer should turn heartfelt words to the Guardian Angel, thank him for his help and intercession. This is the most wonderful time to open your heart and turn your prayers to God the Father. Lenten prayer to Jesus Christ should be permeated with a sense of gratitude and enlightenment. The Son of God ascended Golgotha for the sins of men. It is important to remember and understand this.
An example of an evening prayer:
Lord Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Then you can read church prayers, or you can talk with God the way your heart tells you. It is important to understand that the Lord will hear any words spoken sincerely and with soul. You must not be distracted while praying. Think about problems, worldly vanity or indulge in unrighteous thoughts. If you pray, then prayer must come from the heart. Otherwise, you simply shouldn't do it.
Prayer of Ephrem the Syrian
There are a lot of prayers that can be read to a layman on the 1st day of Great Lent, but special attention should be paid to the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. This amazing prayer is read daily (except Saturday and Sunday), it is believed that it was first said by the great righteous man, Saint Ephraim the Syrian. Prayer is considered one of the most famous prayers and Post.
The text of the prayer must be read verbatim. At first, you can read by peeping into the text, but it is best to immediately memorize this prayer by heart. This prayer is very great strength must be treated with sincerity and respect.
This prayer is read twice after Lenten service from Monday to Friday. It is not read on the last two days of the week, because on these days services are not held as usual.
In the first reading of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, it is necessary to bow to the ground after each separately uttered petition. After that, they mentally read the prayer “God, cleanse me, a sinner” twelve times and bow at the waist. Then they read the whole prayer again and make one prostration.
Many lay people wonder why this prayer is given such great value during the Great Lenten Liturgy. The thing is that it enumerates all the negative and positive elements of repentance in a special amazing way. This, so to speak, will determine the list of exploits of each believer.
During the first week of Great Lent, special prayers are lifted up and strict abstinence takes place. In almost all temples and churches, the Penitential Canon is read from Monday to Thursday Reverend Andrew Cretan. Read more here:
Prayers for Great Lent
The second week of Great Lent is distinguished by a relaxation for the food taken, but does not affect the spiritual state of the believer in any way. All his thoughts should be directed to inner purification and striving for the perfection of his thoughts.
Initially, prayers were created so that every believer could talk with God. They included a special rhythm and a special syllable. Old Slavonic words plunge into a certain state, when the one who prays renounces everything earthly and ascends in thoughts, triumphing spiritually.
Great post - special time for all true believers. These days it is necessary to observe the prescribed rules of abstinence, strive for good deeds and lead a pious lifestyle. It is forbidden to spend time in noisy companies, have excessive fun, drink alcohol, engage in carnal pleasures. The restrictions placed on the body free the soul from the influence of its desires.
Every day a person experiences many different emotions:
- anger;
- envy;
- anger;
- joy;
- resentment;
- disappointment;
- pride;
- hatred.
All this builds up gradually, adding fatigue and irritation. In Great Lent, a great chance is given to cleanse your soul from the burden of earthly sins, routine, everyday and petty interests. Prayer is a precious helper, helping to remove all the accumulated negative load from a person.
Prayers for First Time Fasters
In fasting, a person completely changes the way of his life and this significantly affects his well-being, work, daily affairs. However, habits do not want to let go and it becomes more and more difficult to fight them every day. It is especially difficult to subordinate one's desires to those people who have decided to fast for the first time.
During fasting, relief is allowed for those who are sick, for children, pregnant women and travelers. It is important to understand that adherence to the strictest fasting diet is not an indicator of spiritual purity and righteousness. Refusal of protein and fatty foods should cleanse not so much the body as thoughts and feelings. Some people confuse fasting with diet. The purpose of fasting is to get rid of envy, hatred, sinful thoughts, and not to cleanse the body of extra pounds and toxins.
What about those who understand the true value of Great Lent but find it difficult to withstand the restrictions? In this case, you need to rely on the Holy Word. It is prayer that helps to overcome the feeling of discomfort that a person begins to experience, limiting himself in food and his usual way of life. During prayer, an understanding comes of how small, fleeting and insignificant are the fussy desires of a person who is thirsty for wealth, fame or honors. Life is very fleeting, what will those people who did not do good, did not leave a bright memory take with them to heaven? Understanding the higher truths of being comes during prayer and turning to God.
It's never too late to walk the path of righteousness
Those who fast for the first time do not know what prayers to read and how to talk with God. If there is a desire to follow the path of improving one's spirituality, all obstacles will be overcome.
For those who are not familiar with church prayers difficulties may arise. This and a large number of unfamiliar text, and complex language, and sometimes a lack of understanding of the meaning. Sometimes such a prayer can turn into an attempt to pronounce the words correctly and not become a sincere appeal to God. In this case, you can seek help from church ministers. There are many prayers translated into understandable and modern language, but the meaning is completely preserved in them.
In Lent, it is advisable to go to church services. Prayer in a holy place acquires unthinkable power. A person feels sublimity and real faith, which is saturated with the surrounding space. The church has a special atmosphere that purifies the heart, making it overflow with kindness, joy and happiness.
It is believed that the prayers performed at this time have great power. Of course, if they are read sincerely, with faith in the soul. François Mauriac famously remarked on how this should happen: “You don't have to have faith to pray; you have to pray to gain faith.”
Great Lent is a period of abstinence from the usual pleasures to which the Orthodox Christian is accustomed. Among the pleasures of the Orthodox Church is not only food, but also entertainment - spiritual and bodily.
What is the meaning of the post?
If the meaning of this Christian tradition consisted only in food restrictions, then fasting would not be much different from a regular diet. It is believed that only in a state of restraint of the bodily becomes especially susceptible to spiritual work on oneself, therefore fasting is a period of abstinence and repentance. And repentance is unthinkable without reading a prayer. What prayers to read in fasting? The most famous Lenten prayers and prayer books are “For every petition of the soul”, penitential canon Saint Andrew of Crete. The most famous and revered in Great Lent, it is read in all churches and in the homes of believing Christians throughout Lent.
Prayer during fasting
The famous Saint Theophan the Recluse said that a person is not complete without a body, just as prayer is not complete without it, in turn, is that it follows:
All these rules should be strictly observed during fasting, and, in addition, the volume of prayer readings during this period should be increased and special spiritual attention should be paid to them.
The Significance of the Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian
The repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian consists of only three dozen words, but contains all the most important elements of repentance, indicates what the prayer should make the main efforts to. Thanks to this prayer, the believer determines for himself the way to get rid of ailments that prevent him from drawing closer to God.
In addition, this prayer is accessible and succinctly expresses the meaning and meaning of Great Lent. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian reflects the main commandments given by the Lord, and helps in an accessible form to comprehend one's attitude towards them. It is read by the Orthodox in their homes and churches at the end of each service during the Lenten period.
Who is Efrem Sirin
But not only the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian made him a revered saint, this man is known as a church orator, thinker and theologian. He was born in the 4th century in Mesopotamia, in a family of poor peasants. For a long time, Ephraim did not believe in God, but by chance he became one of the best preachers of that time. According to legend, Ephraim was accused of stealing sheep and put in jail. During his stay in prison, he heard the voice of God, calling him to repent and believe in the Lord, after which he was acquitted by the court and released. This event turned the young man's life upside down, forcing him to repent and retire for a life away from people.
For a long time he led a hermit's life, later he became a student of the famous ascetic - St. James, who lived in the surrounding mountains. Under his leadership, Ephraim preached sermons, taught children and helped in the services. After the death of Saint James, the young man settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa. Ephraim persistently studied the Word of God, the works of great thinkers, holy elders, scientists. Possessing the gift of teaching, he could easily and convincingly convey this information to people. Soon people began to come to him in need of his guidance. It is known that the pagans who attended Ephraim's sermons converted to Christianity easily and confidently.
The veneration of the saint today
Today Ephraim the Syrian is called the father of the church, the teacher of repentance. All his works are imbued with the idea that repentance is the meaning and engine of the life of every Christian. Sincere repentance, combined with tears of repentance, according to the saint, completely destroys and washes away any sin of a person. The spiritual heritage of the saint includes thousands of works, but only a small part of them has been translated into Russian. The most famous prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in Great Lent, as well as his tearful prayers, prayers for different cases life and a conversation about the free will of man.
The History of Prayer
How Ephraim the Syrian created this prayer, no one will tell for sure. According to legend, one desert hermit saw angels holding a large scroll in their hands, covered with inscriptions on both sides. The angels did not know to whom to give it, stood in indecision, and then God's voice was heard from heaven, "Only Ephraim, my chosen one." The hermit brought Ephraim the Syrian to the angels, who handed him the scroll and told him to swallow it. Then a miracle happened: Ephraim spread the words from the scroll like a wondrous vine. So the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian during Great Lent became known to every Orthodox Christian. This prayer stands out among all the other Lenten hymns, it is most often read in the temple, and most often it is during this prayer that the whole church kneels before God.
Prayer text
The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, the text of which is presented in this article, is easy to remember and read, despite the presence
Lord and Master of my life!
The spirit of idleness, despondency, arrogance
and idle talk do not give me.
The spirit of chastity, humility,
grant me patience and love, Thy servant.
Hey, Lord the King, grant me my sight
transgressions and do not judge my brother,so blessed are you forever and ever.
Amen.
This is the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. The text of the prayer may not be understood by all Christians due to the presence of Church Slavonic words in it, and behind modest petitions in this prayer there is a meaning so deep that not every Christian manages to comprehend it from the first reading. For a complete understanding, below is an interpretation of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.
Interpretation of prayer
As can be seen from the text of the prayer, it is divided into two types of petitions: in some, the supplicant asks the Lord to “not give” - that is, to free from shortcomings and sins, and in another series of petitions, the supplicant, on the contrary, asks the Lord to “give” him spiritual gifts. The interpretation of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian has a deep spiritual meaning, consider the meaning of each of them.
Petitions for deliverance sound like this: "Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, arrogance and idle talk." Only through prayer is a person able to perform a feat and get rid of these sins.
Idleness
It would seem that idleness is not so great sin compared to envy, murder and theft. However, it is the most sinful negative state of man. The translation of this word with means the emptiness and passivity of the soul. It is idleness that is the cause of man's despondent impotence before spiritual work on himself. In addition, it invariably breeds despondency - the second terrible sin human soul.
Despondency
It is said that idleness symbolizes the absence of light in the human soul, and despondency symbolizes the presence of darkness in it. Despondency is the impregnation of the soul with lies about God, the world and people. The devil in the Gospel is called the father of lies, and therefore despondency is a terrible devilish obsession. In a state of despondency, a person distinguishes only the bad and evil around him, he is unable to see goodness and light in people. That is why the state of despondency is tantamount to the beginning of spiritual death and the decay of the human soul.
curiosity
The penitential prayer of Ephraim the Syrian also mentions such a state of mind as arrogance, which means a person’s desire for power and domination over other people. This striving is born out of despondency and idleness, because, being in them, a person breaks his relations with other people. Thus, he becomes internally lonely, and those around him become only a means to achieve his goals. The thirst for power is dictated by the desire to humiliate another person, to make him dependent on himself, his freedom is denied. They say that in the world there is nothing more terrible than such power - the disfigured emptiness of the soul and its loneliness and despondency.
idle talk
The Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian and such a sin of the human soul as idle talk, that is, idle talk, are mentioned. The gift of speech was given to man by God, and therefore it can only be used with a good intention. The word used to commit evil, deception, expression of hatred, impurity carries a great sin. This is what the Gospel says that at the Great Judgment, for every idle word uttered during life, the soul will answer. Idle talk brings people lies, temptation, hatred and decay.
The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian helps to realize these sins, to repent of them, because only by realizing that one is wrong, a person is able to move on to other petitions - positive ones. Such petitions sound like this in prayer: “The Spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love ... grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother.”
Chastity
The meaning of this word is wide, and it means two basic concepts - “integrity” and “wisdom”. When a suppliant asks the Lord for chastity for himself, this means that he asks for knowledge, experience to see goodness, wisdom to lead righteous life. The integrity of these petitions is human wisdom, allows a person to resist evil, decay and departure from wisdom. Asking for chastity, a person dreams of restoring life in peace and harmony for the mind, body and soul.
humility
Humility and sympathy are not the same concepts. And if humility can be interpreted as impersonal humility, then humility is humility that has nothing to do with self-humiliation and contempt. A humble man rejoices in the comprehension revealed to him by God, in that depth of life which he discovers in humility. A humble fallen person needs constant self-exaltation and self-affirmation. A humble-wise person does not need pride, since he has nothing to hide from other people, therefore he is humble, not eager to prove his importance to others and to himself.
Patience
“It remains only to endure” is not Christian patience. True Christian patience is the Lord who believes in each of us, trusts us and loves us. It is based on the belief that good always triumphs over evil, life conquers death in Christian faith. It is this virtue that the supplicant asks for himself from the Lord when he speaks of patience.
Love
In fact, all prayer boils down to asking for love. Idleness, despondency, arrogance and idle talk are an obstacle to love, it is they who do not let it into the heart of a person. And chastity, humility and patience are a kind of roots for the germination of love.
How to read a prayer
When the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, some rules should be followed:
- Reading is performed on all days of Great Lent, except Saturday and Sunday.
- If the prayer is read for the first time, then after each petition one should bow to the ground.
- Subsequently church charter requires bowing to the ground three times during the reading of the prayer: before petitions for deliverance from ailments, before petitions for grants, and before the beginning of the third part of the prayer.
- If the soul so requires, prayer can also be performed outside the Lenten days.
What prayers are read in fasting
In addition, believers read those prayers that they say on ordinary days. When the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, reading and prayers from the Book of Hours and Triodion are usually performed, as well as the prayer book "For every petition of the soul."
Conclusion
The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in Great Lent is the quintessence of the spiritual requests of the one who prays to God. She teaches him to love, enjoy life and helps to observe the regime of fasting.
Complete collection and description: prayer during the Christmas fast for the spiritual life of a believer.
On this topic
Advent Post: How to Pray and Fast (Video)
The Advent fast is one of the longest and the last in the outgoing year, and will last until Christmas Eve. For 40 days fasting is prohibited from eating meat and dairy products. The rest of his rules are not as strict as during Lent. Details about what food should be like during the Advent, the features and traditions of fasting before Christmas, are told by Neskuchnye Novosti with reference to Styler.
Traditions in Advent: history and features
Since ancient times, fasting on the eve of Christmas Eve for believers lasted 7 days. However, at the beginning of the 11th century, church reform, and Patriarch of Constantinople It was decided to increase the duration of the Advent fast to 40 days.
The people called this fast Filippovka (on the day before the start of the Nativity Fast, the memory of the Apostle Philip is venerated). Its name is also known - Korochun. The peasants considered the Nativity Fast as gratitude to the Lord for the harvest.
As with any fasting, the church sets certain rules for eating food during the Advent. The monks observe them with all strictness, some indulgences are possible for the laity. However, it is worth remembering that fasting is not a diet. This is a time for spiritual cleansing before the great holiday, when, in addition to food restrictions, it is necessary to pray daily and ask for repentance.
Dishes for Christmas Lent: how to eat by day
Food in the Christmas post is quite varied. Despite the fact that meat, eggs and dairy products cannot be eaten, fish, butter, red wine are allowed in the fasting diet on certain days. In total, three periods of different severity are distinguished in the nutrition calendar.
From November 28, when the Advent begins, and until December 19, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - dishes without oil, on Tuesday, Thursday and weekends - hot dishes with the addition of vegetable oil and fish.
On December 4, on the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, a glass of dry red wine is allowed. Also, wine and fish are allowed to be eaten on the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 19).
From December 20 to January 2 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - dry eating. On Tuesdays and Thursdays - hot meatless dishes with butter. Saturday and Sunday - food vegetable oil and fish. A glass of wine can be drunk on January 1st.
The strictest period of Advent begins on January 2 and lasts until Christmas Eve. On Monday and Wednesday - dry food, on Tuesday and Thursday - hot dishes without oil.
On Friday, January 6, according to the rules, you need to abstain from food until the first star appears in the evening sky. Breaking the fast should start with juicy ( a traditional dish from rice or wheat). Lenten dishes during the Advent can be prepared from seasonal vegetables, boil any cereals on water, bake lean bread, you can also eat dried fruits, honey and nuts.
The recipe for delicious lean cauliflower cutlets diversifies the menu on days when vegetable oil is allowed to be added to food:
Beetroot and cabbage caviar is an alternative to salad during the Christmas Lent:
The familiar vinaigrette is also meatless dish. A very tasty and unusual salad recipe with the addition of champignons and beans.
Fasting is not a reason to give up desserts. A delicious and healthy granola recipe fully complies with the rules of the Christmas Lent.
On a fish fasting day, you can cook a fish pie with onions and rice.
Prayers during the Advent
The period of fasting is, first of all, a time of spiritual cleansing, the obligatory ritual of which is prayer with a pure heart and repentance. Also, the church these days recommends reading the Holy Scriptures.
“Eternal and merciful God, forgive me the sins I have committed by deed, speech or thought. Give, Lord, to my humble soul cleansing from all filth. Send me, Lord, in the night restful sleep so that in the morning I may again serve Your most holy name. Deliver me, Lord, from vanity and dashing thoughts. Like there is strength and Your kingdom, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
Prayer during the Advent after meals:
“We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of your Kingdom of Heaven, but as if in the midst of your disciples you came, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us. We thank you, Christ our God, that you nourished us with your earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, sending them peace, come to us and give us salvation.
Beginning of Advent on November 28: Traditions, Customs and Prayers
Every year, for the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, believers prepare in advance, purifying their soul and body. In order not to anger the Saints and avoid serious difficulties in life, it is necessary not only to observe the Advent fast, but also to honor its traditions and customs.
For the wonderful holiday of the New Year, people begin to prepare in advance. Everyone knows that it will be followed by a great religious event - the Nativity of Christ. This day is one of the most important for Christian believers. People remember the birth of the miraculous Infant Jesus Christ. Now his personality causes a lot of controversy, but for the parishioners of the Orthodox Church, he has always been considered the Savior who died for the sins of mankind.
The main rule of the most important Orthodox holidays- observance of the post. Christmas is no exception, and 40 days before the holiday, believers begin to actively prepare for it. During this period, people purify not only the body, but also the soul, and this helps strong prayer. Traditions are an integral part of Advent and must be followed.
Traditions and customs of the Advent
The purpose of Advent is spiritual and physical cleansing before Christmas. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to completely exclude food of animal origin from the diet, as well as engage in charitable deeds and say prayers daily.
The Advent menu is quite strict. In addition to meat products, it is necessary to completely exclude alcohol and fish. However Orthodox Church allows the use of a small amount of red wine and fish dishes on holidays.
Despite the restrictions on food, on the first day of fasting, believers set the table, but before starting the meal, they said a prayer and thanked God for his generosity and kindness.
On the first day of Advent and on Christmas itself, Christians prepared kutya. In ancient times, it was believed that this is a traditional Christmas dish that must be present on the table. However, it was allowed to serve only "poor" kutya, which was prepared on the water, during the post.
In addition to kutya, on the last day of fasting, compote and pancakes were served on the table, which were also prepared on the water. It was customary to treat carolers in order to attract prosperity to the house.
On weekends, it is allowed to cook food with vegetable oil, but it is advisable to do this as little as possible.
During this period, believers attend church more often than usual. This is one of the main rules of spiritual purification.
To attract wealth, during the Nativity fast, women and girls went to visit each other, where they did needlework, spun yarn, while saying:
“A lazy housewife has no shirt and no money. The more I spin, the more wealth I will get.
It was believed that the woman who made the most yarn products would be the richest.
During the fast, it was forbidden to marry and get married, so couples tried to do this before it came.
The eve of the Advent coincides with the date of the memory of the Apostle Philip, so the fast is also called Philippov. It was believed that from that day on, wolves get close to the huts, so people from November 27 began to build and repair fences to protect themselves and their loved ones from predators.
On the first day of Lent, it is customary to do charity work and treat the homeless. If you follow this tradition, then next year will be successful.
According to church custom, on Christmas Eve you can not eat all day until the first star appears. This custom is connected with the story of the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of a miraculous Baby.
Daily Prayer for Advent
Advent without prayer is just a diet. If you want to achieve union with God and cleanse your soul of sins, you must say a prayer every day.
“Lord of Heaven, hear my prayer. Cleanse my sinful soul, deliver me from unforgivable evil. I ask You to become my helper and protector, and I will remain Your eternal servant. Help me, God, bless me. Amen!".
Prayer must be said daily during the Advent period, preferably at bedtime.
Prayer on the first day of Advent
The first day of Advent is considered one of the most important. On the morning of November 28, immediately after waking up, say:
“The Christmas fast begins, my soul and body are cleansed. I pray to You, Almighty, and I ask you to deliver me from evil and evil thoughts. Give me strength to endure difficult trials. Yes, send me your blessing. Amen".
This prayer will give you strength so that you can observe the Advent fast in accordance with all the rules.
Prayer before meals
Fasting implies only restrictions on food, but not starvation. To ensure that eating is beneficial not only for your body, but also for your soul, before starting a meal, say:
“Thank you, God, for the blessings you have given me. May my table always be as rich, with all the frills. Bless our food with prayers. Amen".
Prayer must be said before each meal. During the Advent, it is forbidden to swear at the table and share negative news and memories, otherwise your prayer appeals will lose their power.
Prayer after meals
Prayer after a meal is essential in order to thank God for the food on your table. After finishing the meal, without getting up from the table, say:
“The Lord God, our Protector and Savior. Thank you for feeding us. Rich at the table. For your attention. Hear our words and bless us. Amen".
Never throw away food left on the table. It is advisable to leave it for later or give it to the poor. By throwing food out of the house, you scare off well-being.
In the Christmas post, it is important to properly plan your diet. Severe food restrictions can harm your body. To prevent this from happening, find out the recipes Lenten menu. With their help, you can eat tasty and healthy every day without harm to health. May your wishes always come true and don't forget to press the buttons and
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CHRISTMAS POST (prayers, troparion, recipes)
PRAYERS BEFORE AND AFTER TASTING FOOD
The celebration of the Nativity of Christ, built in the image of the celebration of Easter, is preceded by a forty-day fast, which received the name of the Nativity Fast. Sometimes it is called Philip's fast, since the conspiracy for the Nativity Fast falls on November 14 (November 27, according to the new style), on the day of the memory of the Apostle Philip.
Such a reserve made it possible for the family to live without unnecessary fuss, to correctly plan the daily routine, week, season, in order to allocate time for both home prayer and attending church services. The products that were always at hand allowed our ancestors to be hospitable and hospitable hosts, help those in need, give shelter to wanderers who pilgrimage to holy places, and supply them with food for their further journey.
DISHES FOR THE FILIPPO TABLE
Below are recipes for cooking dishes for the Philippian table.
Advent - mushroom soup with rice.
Advent - a time for intense prayer and repentance
Work, family, life, public transport, entertainment - all this takes time. And somehow it turns out that there is no time to pray, to visit the temple - to think about future life. But the Nativity Fast will help to wake up from this nightmare of reality and adequately prepare for the coming of Christ into the world.
This is a time for intense prayer and repentance. Whether we think about it or, on the contrary, drive away such thoughts from ourselves - but sooner or later every person will have to die. This is not a horror story, but a reality awaiting everyone.
The only thing to be afraid of here is that one can depart into eternity without repentance, with the burden of sins on one's shoulders. To prevent this from happening, a person needs to be constantly “on guard”. Lent is a time of increased supervision of one's own soul. Fasting is not only observing dietary restrictions, but also an opportunity to “curb” your passions, cleanse yourself with repentance, and think not about the temporary, but about the eternal.
Repentance time
This is a complex spiritual process that opens a person to a vision of his own sins and a desire to get rid of them.
I repented of my deed, the man says. He means that he no longer wants to return to a specific word or deed. The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia". Literally, it translates as "change of mind." That is, a person not only notices his sins, but also wants to get rid of them. They prevent him from escaping.
Imagine a person who has a splinter on his toe. He cannot properly put on shoes and go to the temple, stand for prayer. After a few days, the finger may become inflamed, if the splinter is not pulled out in time, suppuration may occur. Doesn't it remind you of anything? A splinter, like a sin, prevents a person from going to God. If you do not get rid of it in time, severe inflammation may occur.
A person cannot pray, cannot think about his salvation, because his thoughts are concentrated on spiritual pains: how to earn more, where to relax, where it is more profitable to buy, what is more tasty to cook. All this very quickly displaces thoughts about the meaning human life- be saved. It is for such a person that the Advent fast can become a spiritual rebirth.
It is necessary to make an effort to pull out the splinter, and if suppuration has already begun, then it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Similarly, a sinful person who finds it difficult to cope with his ailments needs to call on the Doctor for help. Then there will be tears, repentance and spiritual insight. How more people repents and changes spiritually, the more sins he sees.
Prayer and caring for people
Advent is an excellent period for spiritual enlightenment. Moderate restriction in food (without fanatical depletion of the body, when there is no strength for anything), prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures and spiritual literature, reflection on what has been read should take important place in the schedule of the Orthodox Christian.
But this does not mean at all that you need to forget about all life issues: stop cooking, washing, collecting children for school, taking care of relatives, and instead of communicating with loved ones, quickly run to your “cell” to read prayers. Prayer is not only the whispering of memorized words. It is important to constantly remember the Lord and seek His will. It is important to show love and care to people, because in every person there is an imprint of God.
No wonder John the Evangelist writes:
Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Therefore, we must be attentive, caring, help each other. This is the example the Savior sets for us.
In fasting, it is important not to show your “piety” outwardly, this is a time of repentance, but not ostentatious, but sincere, internal, deep. Christ Himself says that it is not necessary to be gloomy and gloomy so that everyone can see that you are carrying out "feats of fasting." God sees everything, and for the secret he will reward clearly.
So the peculiarities of nutrition, the rule of prayer, confession, attendance at divine services is a mystery, the inner essence of which is known only to you and God.
Patience of Sorrows
What happens externally is seen not only by people, but also by demons. If you rejoice at the time church services, then they are trying to steal this joy, if you better understand what is written in the Gospel, they are trying to distract you with sinful thoughts. These are just some of the temptations.
By the way, about the last. Get ready for the fact that during the Christmas Lent strange things will happen around you: even calm people will start to quarrel, relatives will no longer understand, at the same time drivers in minibuses will become angry, sellers in supermarkets, a “random” passerby will swear. This may sound like an exaggeration, but different tests are really possible in fasting.
Why is that? The more steps you take towards God, the more attempts to bring you back are made by evil spirits. In addition, the path of salvation is impossible without the patience of sorrows. Open the life of any saint - and you will find a lot of examples of causeless slander against him, humiliation, misunderstanding on the part of relatives, diseases, and so on.
John the Baptist endured all sorts of sorrows and was beheaded - his head on a platter was asked by the daughter of Herodias for a lovely dance. The Great Martyr Varvara died at the hands of a pagan father. The Monk Pimen the Many Sick was paralyzed, but through his prayers others were healed of various illnesses. And how many small examples can be found!
Of course, God does not send such trials to a weak person. But if even minor sorrows befall you, you can rejoice. First, you are moving in the right direction. Secondly, the Lord does not forget about you. Thirdly, God himself believes that you can do it. So it remains to thank and justify the trust.
Advent is a time of prayer, repentance and enduring sorrows. So stock up on patience, love, the desire to change, etc. tears of repentance. Christmas is a bright holiday. You have to wash your soul.
