Church service begins today. Easter service in church: what time does it start?

Details: Sunday morning service in church - from all open sources and different parts of the world on the website for our dear readers.

On Sundays in all Orthodox churches a special service is performed - the Divine Liturgy. It occupies a special place among all Christian services.

The peculiarity of the Divine Liturgy is that it is during this service that the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist (communion) is performed. This sacrament contains the essence of Christianity - the restoration of man's unity with God.

The Liturgy consists of three parts - Proskomedia, Liturgy of the Catechumens and Liturgy of the Faithful.

The priest and deacon read prayers called “entrance” in front of the closed royal doors, then enter the altar and put on sacred vestments.

The priest performs actions over five special loaves - prosphoras - that symbolize the sacrifice. It is at this time that Transubstantiation takes place - wine and bread become the Holy Gifts, the blood and flesh of Christ.

Concluding the Proskomedia, the priest blesses the censer and asks God to bless the Holy Gifts - bread and wine. All this time, the altar remains closed, and the reader on the choir reads the Book of Hours.

A catechumen is a person who undergoes the catechumen - preparation for the Sacrament of baptism, during which he learns the basics of the Christian faith. Nowadays, people are most often baptized in infancy, so the question of announcement is not raised, but the name of the second part of the liturgy has been preserved. Everyone is allowed to attend this part of the liturgy - both baptized and unbaptized.

“Bless, lord!” - exclaims the deacon. In response, the priest, still in the altar, pronounces words glorifying the Holy Trinity, which the choir ends with the word “Amen”.

The priest prays in the altar, the deacon calls on those gathered: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace.” He then pronounces the great litany, which lists the various petitions to God.

The choir sings psalms and hymns, after which the royal doors open, and the priest and deacon leave the altar through the northern entrance, bringing out the Holy Gospel. This is called a "small entrance".

The choir sings a few prayers, then the priest exclaims: “Let us hear!” (let’s listen), and the reading of a fragment from the “Acts of the Apostles” begins. At this time, the priest walks around the temple, censing. Then the choir sings: “Hallelujah!”, and the central moment of the Liturgy of the Catechumens begins - the reading of a fragment from the Gospel.

The reading is followed by a prayer for living and dead Christians.

The Liturgy of the Catechumens ends with the priest’s call: “Catechumens, come forth!”

Only the baptized can attend the Liturgy of the Faithful.

This part of the service begins with the recitation of a short litany, after which the choir sings the “Cherubic Song.” During its singing, the priest and deacon carry the chalice through the northern entrance and pray for the hierarchs of the Church, priests, monks and all those present. This is called the "great entrance."

Among the prayers that are heard during the Liturgy of the Faithful, two stand out: the “Creed” and the “Lord’s Prayer” (“Our Father...”). The first of them is summary Christian doctrine, and the second was granted by the Savior himself. As a sign of special respect, these prayers are sung not only by the choir members, but by all parishioners led by the priest.

The culmination of the Liturgy of the Faithful is communion. First, the clergy receive communion in the altar, then the chalice is taken out of the altar, and the parishioners begin receiving communion. Children approach the bowl first, then adults. Approaching the chalice, Christians fold their arms crosswise on their chests, partake of the Holy Gifts and kiss the chalice, and then go to the table to wash down the communion with diluted wine (“warmth”).

Having thanked God for the sacrament, the priest announces the end of the liturgy with the words: “We will depart in peace!”, and the choir sings: “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever.”

As a rule, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, the priest delivers a sermon. It explains in detail the content of the passage from the Gospel that was read during the service.

Parishioners take turns approaching the priest and kissing the cross he holds in his hands. After this, the Christians leave the temple.

Related article

What colors of vestments do Orthodox clergy use during worship?

Sources:

  • Portal “ABC of Faith”: Divine Liturgy
  • How to behave correctly in the Temple

In the Orthodox Church, Sunday is a special day on the calendar. This is the focus of the entire liturgical week, a special holiday, the very name of which indicates the miraculous event of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is no coincidence that every Sunday in Orthodoxy is called Little Easter.

All Orthodox worship is divided into certain services from the daily circle, departing at set times. Over hundreds of years of the formation and development of Orthodox worship, a charter was developed that determined the order and features of each service.

In Orthodoxy, the liturgical day begins in the evening of the day before the celebrated event. Therefore, Sunday services in the church begin on Saturday evening. Most often, Saturday evening is marked by the departure of Sunday's Great Vespers, Matins and the first hour.

At Sunday Vespers, among other standard hymns, the choir performs certain stichera dedicated to the risen Lord. In some churches, at the end of Sunday Great Vespers, a lithium is performed with the blessing of bread, wheat, oil (oil) and wine.

At Sunday morning a special troparion is sung in one of eight voices (tunes); the polyeleos is performed - a special chant “Praise the name of the Lord”, after which the choir sings the Sunday troparions “Cathedral of Angels”. Also at Sunday matins, special canons are read: the Sunday canon, the Holy Cross and the Mother of God (sometimes, depending on the order in which the Sunday service is connected with the memory of the venerated saint, the canons may change). At the end of Matins the choir sings a great doxology.

The Saturday evening service ends with the first hour, after which the priest performs the sacrament of confession for those who wish to receive Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ at the liturgy on Sunday.

On Sunday itself, the service in the Orthodox church begins in the morning. Usually at half past eight. First, the sequences of the third and sixth hours are read, and then the main service of Sunday follows - divine liturgy. The liturgy itself usually begins at nine in the morning. Most often, in Orthodox churches on Sunday, a liturgy is celebrated, compiled by the great Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. This rite is standard, except that the choir performs special Sunday troparia depending on the current voice (there are only eight of them).

Usually on Sundays in churches at the end of the liturgy, a prayer service is held, during which the priest specifically prays for the needs of believers: for health, for healing in illnesses, blessings on travel, etc.

After the end of the prayer service, a memorial service in memory of the deceased and a funeral service can be held in the church. Thus, the Church on Sunday does not forget to pray especially not only for the health of living people, but also for deceased relatives.

How is Sunday service in church?

Church services or, in popular words, church services are the main events for which churches are intended. According to Orthodox tradition, daytime, morning and evening rituals are performed daily there. And each of these services consists of 3 types of services, which are collectively combined into a daily circle:
  • vespers - from Vespers, Compline and the ninth hour;
  • morning - from Matins, the first hour and midnight;
  • daytime - from the Divine Liturgy and the third and sixth hours.

Thus, the daily circle includes nine services.

Contents [Show]

Service Features

In Orthodox services, much is borrowed from Old Testament times. For example, the beginning of a new day is considered to be not midnight, but 6 pm, which is the reason for holding vespers - the first service of the daily cycle. It recalls the main events of the Sacred History of the Old Testament; we are talking about the creation of the world, the fall of our first parents, the ministry of the prophets and the Mosaic legislation, and Christians give thanks to the Lord for a new day lived.

After this, according to the Church Charter, it is necessary to serve Compline - public prayers for the coming sleep, which speak of the descent of Christ into hell and the liberation of the righteous from it.

At midnight, the 3rd service is supposed to be performed - the midnight service. This service is held with the purpose of reminding of the Last Judgment and the Second Coming of the Savior.

The morning service in the Orthodox Church (Matins) is one of the longest services. It is dedicated to the events and circumstances of the Savior’s earthly life and consists of many prayers of repentance and gratitude.

The first hour is performed around 7 o'clock in the morning. This is a short service about Jesus' presence at the trial of the high priest Caiaphas.

The third hour takes place at 9 am. At this time, the events that took place in the Upper Room of Zion are remembered, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and in Pilate’s praetorium the Savior received a death sentence.

The sixth hour is held at noon. This service is about the time of the Lord's crucifixion. The ninth hour should not be confused with it - the service of His death on the cross, which takes place at three o'clock in the afternoon.

The main divine service and the peculiar center of this daily circle is considered to be the Divine Liturgy or mass, distinctive feature which from other services is the opportunity, in addition to memories of God and the earthly life of our Savior, to unite with Him in reality, participating in the sacrament of Communion. The time of this liturgy is from 6 to 9 o’clock until noon before lunch, which is why it was given its second name.

Changes in the conduct of services

Current practice Divine services introduced some changes to the regulations of the Charter. And today Compline is held only during Lent, and Midnight - once a year, on the eve of Easter. Even less frequently, the ninth hour passes, and the remaining 6 services of the daily circle are combined into 2 groups of 3 services.

The evening service in the church takes place in a special sequence: Christians serve Vespers, Matins and the first hour. Before holidays and Sundays, these services are combined into one, which is called the all-night vigil, that is, it involves long night prayers until dawn, carried out in ancient times. This service lasts 2-4 hours in parishes and from 3 to 6 hours in monasteries.

Morning worship in the church differs from past times with successive services of the third, sixth hours and mass.

It is also important to note the holding of early and late liturgies in churches where there is a larger congregation of Christians. Such services are usually performed in holidays and on Sunday. Both liturgies are preceded by the reading of the hours.

There are days when there is no morning church service or liturgy. For example, on Friday Holy Week. In the morning of this day, a short sequence of visual arts is performed. This service consists of several chants and seems to depict the liturgy; However, this service has not received the status of independent service.

Divine services also include various sacraments, rituals, reading akathists in churches, community readings of evening and morning prayers and rules for Holy Communion.

In addition, services are held in churches according to the needs of parishioners - demands. For example: Wedding, Baptism, Unction, funeral services, prayer services and others.

In each church, cathedral or temple, service hours are set differently, therefore, to obtain information about the conduct of any service, clergymen recommend finding out the schedule compiled by a specific religious institution.

And to those who doesn't know him, you can adhere to the following time periods:

  • from 6 to 8 and from 9 to 11 am - early and late morning services;
  • from 16 to 18 hours - evening and all-night services;
  • During the day there is a festive service, but it is better to check the time of its holding.

All services are usually performed in a church and only by clergy, and believing parishioners participate in them by singing and praying.

Christian holidays

Christian holidays are divided into two types: transferable and non-transitionable; They are also called the twelve holidays. To avoid missing services regarding them, it is important to know the dates.

Not transferable

Rolling for 2018

  1. April 1 - Palm Sunday.
  2. April 8 - Easter.
  3. May 17 - Ascension of the Lord.
  4. May 27 - Pentecost or Holy Trinity.
The duration of church services on holidays differs from each other. This mainly depends on the holiday itself, the performance of the service, the duration of the sermon and the number of communicants and confessors.

If for some reason you are late or do not come to the service, no one will judge you, because it is not so important what time it will start and how long it will last, it is much more important that your arrival and participation are sincere.

Preparation for Sunday ritual

If you decide to come to church on Sunday, you should prepare for this. The morning service on Sunday is the strongest, it is held for the purpose of communion. It happens like this: the priest gives you the body of Christ and his blood in a piece of bread and a sip of wine. Prepare for this The event needs at least 2 days in advance.

  1. You should fast on Friday and Saturday: remove fatty foods from your diet, alcohol, marital intimacy, do not swear, do not offend anyone and do not be offended yourself.
  2. The day before communion, read 3 canons, namely: the repentant prayer to Jesus Christ, the prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel, as well as the 35th Follow-up to Holy Communion. This will take about an hour.
  3. Read a prayer for the coming sleep.
  4. Do not eat, do not smoke, do not drink after midnight.

How to behave during communion

In order not to miss the start of the church service on Sunday, you need to come to the church early, around 7.30. Until this time, you should not eat or smoke. There is a specific procedure for visiting.

After communion, under no circumstances rush to get what you want. e, that is, get high and so on, don’t desecrate the sacrament. It is recommended to know moderation in everything and read grace-filled prayers for several days so as not to desecrate this service.

The need to visit the temple

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who came to earth for our sake, founded the Church, where to this day everything we need is present and invisible, which is given to us for eternal life. Where “the invisible Heavenly Powers serve for us,” they say in Orthodox chants, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them,” is written in the Gospel (chapter 18, verse 20, Gospel of Matthew), - this is what the Lord said to the apostles and everyone who believes in Him, therefore invisible presence of Christ During services in the temple, people lose if they do not come there.

An even greater sin is committed by parents who do not care about their children serving the Lord. Let us remember the words of our Savior from Scripture: “Let your children go and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for for them is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The Lord also tells us: “Man shall not live by bread, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (chapter 4, verse 4 and chapter 19, verse 14, the same Gospel of Matthew).

Spiritual food is also necessary human soul, as well as bodily to maintain strength. And where will a person hear God’s word, if not in the temple? After all, there, among those who believe in him, the Lord himself dwells. After all, it is there that the teachings of the apostles and prophets are preached, who spoke and predicted by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there is the teaching of Christ Himself, who is true Life, Wisdom, Path and Light, which enlightens every parishioner coming into the world. The temple is heaven on our earth.

The services that take place there, according to the Lord, are the works of angels. By being taught in a church, temple, or cathedral, Christians receive God's blessing to help them succeed in good deeds and beginnings.

“You will hear the church bell ringing, calling for prayer, and your conscience will tell you that you need to go to the house of the Lord. Go and, if you can, put all your affairs aside and hurry to God’s Church,” advises Theophan the Recluse, a saint of Orthodoxy, “Know that your Guardian Angel is calling you under the roof of the House of the Lord; it is he, your celestial being, who reminds you of earthly Heaven so that you can sanctify your soul there by your grace of Christ and delight your heart with heavenly consolation; and - who knows what will happen? “Perhaps he is also calling you there in order to ward off temptation from you, which cannot be avoided in any way, because if you stay at home, there will be no shelter for you under the canopy of the Lord’s house from the great danger...”

A Christian in church learns the Heavenly wisdom that the Son of God brings to earth. He learns the details of the life of his Savior, and becomes acquainted with the teachings and lives of the saints of God, and takes part in church prayer. And congregational prayer is great power! And there are examples of this in history. When the apostles were awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were in unanimous prayer. Therefore, in the church, in the depths of our souls, we expect that the Holy Spirit will come to us. This happens, but only if we do not create obstacles for this. For example, insufficient openness of heart can prevent parishioners from uniting believers when reading prayers.

In our time, unfortunately, this happens quite often, since believers behave incorrectly, including in church, and the reason for this is ignorance of the truth of the Lord. The Lord knows our thoughts and feelings. He will not leave those who sincerely believe in him, as well as a person in need of communion and repentance, so the doors of God’s house are always open to parishioners.

Liturgy and Communion - what is the difference?

Liturgy is the name of a church service, and communion is the reception (with proper preparation) of the holy gifts. Communion is like a fresh new shirt - you can’t put it on a dirty body. Communion is given as a reward for fasting and intensive reading of prayers.

1. How to prepare correctly for the church service on Sunday (for the Liturgy) if you want to receive communion?

If you decide to visit the temple on Sunday “in full”, then you should prepare in advance. The Sunday morning “strongest” service in the church is called Liturgy (when they receive communion, that is, the priest gives “the blood and body of Christ” = a piece of bread in wine). We can talk a lot about the benefits of communion, but here we will talk about how to prepare for it:

-You need to prepare for a coupledays.

You must fast at least Friday and Saturday: do not eat animal food, do not sin: do not drink alcohol, do not engage in “marital intimacy,” try not to swear, do not offend or be offended.
- on Saturday, read 3 canons at night (it will take about 40 minutes) (the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel) + another 35 minutes “Following to Holy Communion.”
- in the evening you should also read prayers for the coming sleep (about 20 minutes)
- after midnight, do not eat, drink or smoke, that is, go to bed before 00-00.

2.When should I come to church before the Sunday morning service (Liturgy)? When does Sunday morning service start?

Liturgy and Communion

We arrive at church around 7-20 (but better check the schedule).
Until then you need to:
- be strictly on an empty stomach, incl. no smoking. You can only brush your teeth, and then try not to swallow anything.
– read the morning rule (min 15-20)

In the church itself? when the Liturgy and Communion take place:

-writing notes for health and peace (simple ones are possible)
- we come up and kiss the central icon.
- light candles whoever we want (I usually put 3 candles: on the main candlestick, for the saint at will and for the repose).

There is no need to light candles during the service itself, as this distracts everyone.

We line up for confession. It usually starts at 7:30 (again, check the schedule of services in your church). Let's confess.
- We take a place: men on the right side of the temple, women on the left.
- The liturgy lasts about 2 hours. All this time we listen to prayers, think “about life, what we did wrong where” and all the time we repeat “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”

Time usually passesquickly when Liturgy and Communion are going on.

Liturgy takeaway

When everyone began to read the “Creed”, it means that soon there will be communion itself.
- When everyone began to read “Our Father”, it means that communion will be held very soon.
- When the priest brings out 2 large bowls for the first time, we simply bow our heads.
- When the priest brings out small cup (it contains the sacrament) - then we bow, kneeling down.
- They can carry alms trays around the church. Donate as much money as you like there.

3.What to do during the communion itself?

Participle: First, small children receive communion, then men, then women. Only those who have prepared correctly have the right to receive communion. Don't anger God.
- When approaching communion, we cross our arms over our chests (right at the top). We approach the bowl as close as possible. We do not cross ourselves, so as not to touch the thicket. We say the name, open our mouth, eat Communion from a spoon, let ourselves be wiped, kiss the cup and let's go eat and drink.
- On a special table we take a small cup of water and a piece of prosphora. They eat and drink so that the pieces of Communion get completely inside and do not accidentally fly out with saliva or something else. It’s better to drink it first and then eat the prosphora.
- We wait until the end of the service to kiss the cross. The priest can say “Participants, listen to the words of the prayer of thanksgiving” - then let’s go listen to the prayer. If this does not happen, then at home we read “Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion.”

4.What to do after receiving Holy Communion?

We no longer kneel anywhere: neither in front of icons, nor during the rest of the service.
- We wait for the end of the service and kiss the priest’s cross.
- read prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion
- you can go home. Immediately after communion, do not immediately smoke or drink alcohol (at least eat normally first). Do not desecrate the Sacrament.

Attending a church service is one of the most important events for every Christian. It is aimed at introducing an adult or a child into the life of the temple, which implies communication with God, the study of religious dogmas, the search for unity with God and eternal salvation.

Church routine

The church is not just a place for prayer, it is believed that Christ dwells there. Everyone who comes to the temple must adhere to special rules of behavior (women cover their heads with a headscarf, men take off their hats, before entering, after leaving the threshold of the temple, you need to make the sign of the cross, etc.) and it is advisable to know the work schedule of the church. This will make it possible to avoid awkward situations and waste of time.

Almost all churches have the same daily routine. At 7-8 o'clock in the morning the priest begins the morning service, it lasts several hours. At the end of it, the clergyman conducts various sacraments at the request of the laity - weddings, baptisms, prayer services, memorial services, etc. The evening service begins at approximately 17.00, it ends at least 2 hours later. After this comes the hour of confessions and conversations with parishioners. But sometimes, if the priest went to church services (communion, unction of the sick, funeral with a trip to the cemetery), it may not be carried out.

When does the Palm Sunday service begin?

Divine services can be daily (they are held for believers according to a special schedule - morning, afternoon, evening, midnight office, liturgy, etc.) or festive, organized in honor of religious holidays. Church service does not imply passive listening to prayers, but active participation through thinking, turning to God and performing ritual actions. During the ceremony, prayers, psalms from the Bible are read, and church songs are sung.

Divine services are needed to bring a person closer to God, to grow in grace, as the priests say. They are carried out according to a special schedule, and on religious holidays it is special, as well as in honor of the celebration of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. It is also called Palm Sunday (since Jesus was greeted with green branches of a date palm, our prototype is the green willow, as one of the first trees awakening from winter sleep).

The festive liturgy begins around 7 a.m., in some churches it is repeated at 10-11 a.m., much depends on the daily routine of a particular parish. It is best to check the time with the priest, write it down, and always be guided by this, but there should not be large discrepancies. But the All-Night Vigil service the day before begins at 5-6 pm and continues until 5-6 am. The willow, which is traditionally carried by parishioners, may be blessed after the evening service on Saturday, but more often it is done at the end of the Sunday morning liturgy (depending on the parish).

What time do church services start on Easter?

Easter is the most significant holiday in Christianity, glorifying the resurrection of Christ. On the eve of Saturday, at about 20.00 in the evening (pre-Easter evening service), the priest begins the service by reading the Acts of the Holy Apostles. At approximately 23.00-00.00, the bells ring, calling the parishioners, and he proceeds to the night service (midnight office or all-night vigil). At approximately 12 o'clock at night, the priest makes the first religious procession around the temple. At the end of the service, the pasques begin to be blessed. At 7-8 am there is a morning service, and at about 15.00 - an evening service. In the church service in honor of Easter, no reading is used, all services are only sung, bows are cancelled.

Church service means serving God through reading prayers, hymns, sermons, and sacred rites, according to the charter of the church. They are held for spiritual connection with God and expression of one’s faith. Liturgies in honor of holidays are held at approximately the same times everywhere, although the hours may vary slightly in different parishes.

The most detailed description: morning prayer time in the temple is for our readers and subscribers.

Information site about icons, prayers, Orthodox traditions.

What time does the church service start?

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, we ask you to subscribe to our VKontakte group Prayers for every day. Also add to the YouTube channel Prayers and Icons. "God bless you!".

What is worship

The main task of the church is to revive the church life of the country and increase the spirituality of the population. It is for carrying out such work that churches were created in which church services are held. Every day in churches and cathedrals they conduct:

Believers often ask the question: what time does church service begin? Each parish can set its own time for this event. But in most cases, the following time frames can be taken as a basis:

  • Vespers - from 9 pm, Vespers and Compline,
  • morning - from midnight, matins and 1st hour,
  • daytime - from the 3rd, 6th hour and Divine Liturgy.

From this it follows that 9 services are performed per day.

Types of services

All services, as already mentioned, are divided into 3 types. Much of their implementation is borrowed from Old Testament times.

What is evening service

What time does the evening service in church start? The beginning of the day is considered not midnight, but 6 pm. Therefore, the first service is evening. The main theme of this service is memories of the events of the Sacred History of the Old Testament: the creation of the world by the Lord, the original sin of our ancestors, the ministry of the prophets and the legislation of Moses. Christians also thank the Lord for the day they have lived.

After Vespers, it is customary to hold Compline. Often these are public prayers for the coming sleep. They recall the descent of Christ into hell and the rescue of the righteous from the power of the devil.

At midnight they serve the Midnight Office. During this service, they are reminded of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment.

What is called morning

After the evening service, the morning service takes place. The longest service is called the morning service. It is usually held before sunrise. During the ceremony, it is customary to remember the events of Christ’s earthly life. Also read a large number of both repentance and thanksgiving prayers.

It is advisable to check with the church you are visiting about what time the morning service in the church begins. The start time may differ, but not significantly.

Around 7 o'clock in the morning a service is held, which is called the 1st hour. This is a short service. During which they talk about Christ's presence at the court of the high priest.

The 3rd hour is spent around 9 o'clock. During its implementation, they remember the events that took place in the Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles, and the Savior was sentenced to death by the praetorian Pilate.

At noon the 6th hour is served. This is the time when they talk about the crucifixion of Jesus.

At three o'clock in the afternoon the 9th hour is spent. This period falls on the remembrance of Christ's death on the cross.

How is a church service held?

The main service of the day is the Divine Liturgy. During it, they remember not only worldly life Christ, but also offer to unite with him during the Sacrament of Communion. In terms of time, it must be done between the 6th and 9th hour before noon. It is also called mass.

The Sunday service in the church is mainly held once and is called the Eucharistic. The morning ceremony is held before her. There is no pause between them, one follows the other.

There are certain changes that have occurred in church life. The main adjustments took place in the Charter. Compline in parish churches is held only during Lent, and the Midnight Office is held only once a year before Easter. Very rarely, a service is also held, which is called the 9th hour. The other 6 services are combined into two groups of three.

In the evening, they spend one after another, first the evening, then the morning and the 1st hour. On the eve of holidays and Sundays, all these services are combined into one and served together, which is called the all-night vigil. In parish churches such services last from 2 to 4 hours, and in monasteries – 3-6 hours.

In the morning, the 3rd, 6th hours and the Divine Liturgy take place alternately. If there are a large number of parishioners in the church, then two liturgies may be held: early and late. Both last about an hour.

On those days when liturgy is prohibited, an image is served. This is the name for a service that includes several chants. But they are not considered to be independent services.

According to church rules, divine services also include:

  • reading akathists in the temple,
  • carrying out all rituals and sacraments,
  • reading morning and evening prayers,
  • specifying the rules of preparation for Holy Communion.

In addition to holding morning or evening services, as well as hours, special services can be held according to the needs of believers. They are called requirements. This could be: Baptism, Unction, Wedding, Funeral service.

Typically, services are held in churches and only by clergy. Believers take part in them only by reading prayers and singing.

Whether to go to church for services or not is an individual decision for everyone. Many people say that it is better to go to church on weekdays. Fewer people and the priest will be able to devote more time to the parishioners. But for services on Saturday in church, Sunday or a holiday, the number of people increases and does not provide such an opportunity for privacy.

Answers on questions

In everything related to prayer and pious life, the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints can serve as an example for us. The Gospel says that Christ prayed in solitude for several hours and even throughout the whole night. The Apostle Paul called for prayer without ceasing, that is, all the time. Are there any restrictions on the duration of prayer?

Where can you pray to God?

You can pray to God almost everywhere:

At home they read home prayers (morning, evening, before or after eating food). With the blessing of the priest, morning prayers can be read on the way to work. In the office, you can pray before and after the work day.

During services in the temple, believers together perform public (otherwise known as church) prayer.

To pray in church alone, you need to come outside the service, purchase and light candles. It is not necessary to light them: the ministers will light them before the start of the service. Then you need to venerate the icon of the day or holiday - it lies on the lectern (a special inclined table) in the middle of the temple - as well as to the shrines that may be in the temple: revered icons, relics of saints. After this, you can find a place to read silently (whisper) any prayer that you know by heart, or pray in your own words.

How many times a day should Orthodox Christians pray?

Prayer is time dedicated to God. There should be such a time every day.

  • in the morning,
  • In the evening,
  • before and after meals,
  • before starting and after completing something (for example, work or study)
  • in order to first ask God for blessings, and in the end to thank Him.

In addition, it is important to attend the Liturgy in church weekly to perform church prayer and receive Holy Communion. If necessary, in case of special needs or life circumstances, you can pray privately (at home in front of icons or in church between services) to the saints or heavenly powers, so that they will intercede for the person praying before the Lord.

Time for reading Orthodox prayers in church and at home

In ancient monasteries, nine long services were performed per day, and between them the monks alone read psalms or said the Jesus Prayer. Night was considered a particularly fertile time for solitary prayer.

Modern lay people perform morning rituals at home in the morning. prayer rule, in the evening, upon returning home - evening rule. If a person is weak or has little time, then instead of the morning and evening rules, he can read during the day short rule Venerable Seraphim of Sarov.

It is advisable to discuss the duration of morning and evening prayers with the priest to whom the parishioner regularly confesses.

On Saturday evenings and on the eve of church holidays, one should attend the all-night vigil in the church, and on Sunday mornings and holidays - the Liturgy.

During Lent They go to church to pray more often: in the first four days they try not to miss evening services- Great Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is celebrated on them. You should also try to attend as many services as possible during Holy Week, which precedes Easter. During Bright Week, the Liturgy is celebrated daily., and believers strive to visit it in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ not only on Sunday, but also on weekdays.

Morning prayer time

Morning prayers are read at home, immediately upon waking. Having woken up, you need to stand in front of the icons and begin to read prayers by heart or according to the prayer book.

Evening prayer time

Evening prayers are read at home at the end of the day or before bed. The evening rule is not recommended to be postponed until later, because the later, the stronger the fatigue and the more difficult it is to concentrate.

Just before going to sleep, already lying in bed, they say: “In Your hands, Lord my God, I commend my spirit, You save me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life.”

Prayer all day long

The Orthodox Church does not set strict times for prayers. We must strive to pray constantly. This, first of all, means constantly remembering God and from time to time, if possible, turning to Him during the day with short prayers (for example, the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” or a short thanksgiving prayer“Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!”).

Continuous Prayer

You can read short prayers continuously throughout the day, repeating the same prayer many times in a row and counting the number of repetitions using the rosary. This is how the Jesus Prayer is usually read. However, for such a prayer you must take the priest's blessing, And the number of repetitions is strictly regulated.

There are many restrictions on continuous prayer; it cannot be read uncontrolled.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina ordered his spiritual children to read the Jesus Prayer only out loud, because reading to oneself can cause strong emotional sensations and lead to falling into delusion. Prelest means self-deception, even to the point of mental insanity.

How long should prayer be?

Duration prayers are not regulated by rules.

  • What is most important is the focus on prayer, not the duration or number of prayers.
  • You need to pray slowly, thinking about every word.
  • The number of prayers should correspond to the time we can devote to them.

The Lord said, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13), therefore, if you lack time or are very tired, it is permissible to shorten the prayer rule in order to read it with concentration.

Tel.: +7 495 668 11 90. Rublev LLC © 2014-2017 Rublev

Log in

What time does the liturgy and other services in the church begin?

Liturgy is the main Church service. What time does the liturgy begin and how long does it last? Why is sometimes the liturgy held in the evening or at night? Let's talk.

What time does the liturgy begin and on what days is it served?

In different churches, the Liturgy takes place with different regularity and begins at different time. Below is the main thing you need to know about the time and duration of the Liturgy in Orthodox churches.

Liturgy takes place in every church

The Divine Liturgy is the central service, since during it the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament take place (or rather, the Liturgy itself accompanies these Sacraments). All other services in one way or another precede the Liturgy - although they can take place the night before or even earlier.

Liturgy takes place at least every Sunday

The regularity of services depends on the temple: the place where it is located and the number of parishioners. In other words, it takes place in the temple as often as is actually necessary.

For example, in monasteries, services are held every day: since the meaning of the monastery for its monastic inhabitants is serving God and the Liturgy for them is not a duty, but life.

In some non-monastic churches, Liturgies may also be served daily.

In rural and small city churches, the Liturgy, as a rule, is served at least once a week (on Sunday) and on major Church holidays.

Liturgy is served in the morning

When does the Liturgy begin? The starting time may also vary from temple to temple. But, as a rule, the service begins no earlier than seven in the morning and no later than ten.

For example, at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow, the Liturgy schedule is as follows:

  • weekdays and Saturday - Liturgy begins at 8 am;
  • Sunday and big days Church holidays There are two liturgies: an early one at 7 am and a late one at 9 am.

In any case, the in-person schedule of services can always be found on the temple website or on its territory.

Trinity Church. Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow

During Lent, Liturgies are not served every day.

The difference in the schedule of Lenten services can only be seen in the examples of churches where services are held daily. On Saturday and Sunday, Liturgies are served as always, but on weekdays - only on Wednesday and Friday (the so-called Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts). Moreover, in most churches, weekday Lenten Liturgies take place in the afternoon.

And sometimes Liturgies are served at night

Night liturgies take place on the most important Christian holidays - Easter and Christmas. There are other exceptions. For example, at the same Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, the night Liturgy takes place on the day of the celebration of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “It Is Worthy to Eat” - in the temple there is this revered icon of the Mother of God, which was brought from Athos.

Icon Mother of God“It is worthy to eat” at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra

How long does the liturgy last in church?

The duration of the liturgy may vary depending on the day or church. This does not mean that the composition of the divine service changes radically. For example, on especially solemn days, part of the prayers, which are sometimes read by the reader, is this time sung by the choir.

In addition, how long the liturgy lasts can be influenced by such seemingly insignificant factors as the speed with which the priest and deacon serve: one leads the services faster, the other slower, one reads the Gospels this way, the other more measuredly. And so on.

But if we speak in general outline, then in days Big holidays The liturgy lasts longer than usual - sometimes up to two hours.

On Easter night or Christmas Liturgy lasts no longer than usual, but the night service itself turns out to be many hours long - since the Liturgy is preceded by a long All-Night Vigil.

Night service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, photo: patriarchia.ru

What time does morning service start in church?

On the one hand, the answer to this question is most often the same as to the question: “What time does the Liturgy begin,” since in almost all non-monastic churches the only morning service is the Liturgy.

Another thing is that in some churches (where there is only one priest), confession sometimes takes place not during the service, but before it, and therefore those who want to confess or take communion come earlier.

But in monasteries, morning services begin much earlier, since a full daily cycle of services is held there.

For example, before the liturgy in monasteries, the Hours are necessarily read (this is a small service that includes the reading of certain prayers and individual psalms), and on most days a midnight office is also served, which can begin at 6 a.m. or earlier.

In addition, the charter of some monasteries also stipulates, for example, the daily morning reading of akathists, and a prayer rule, which will also take place in the temple. Therefore, in some monasteries, morning services, in fact, stretch for several hours, and the Liturgy, as expected, crowns this cycle.

This does not mean that the laity receiving communion need to be present at all monastic services - they are intended primarily for the inhabitants of the monastery (monks, novices and laborers). The main morning service for the laity is the Liturgy.

What time does the evening service start in church?

As in the case of morning services, the specific start time of the evening service is determined by the charter of the temple or monastery (they can always be found either on the website or on the doors of the temple). As a rule, evening worship begins between 16:00 and 18:00.

The service itself, depending on the day or the foundations of a particular temple, lasts from one and a half hours to three. In monasteries, on special days, evening services can last much longer.

Evening worship is obligatory for those who intend to receive communion the next morning. This is due to the fact that the Church has adopted a daily cycle of services, which begins in the evening, and the morning Liturgy crowns it.

Popular Topics

Most popular

Follow us on Facebook!

Text archive

Our publics

Read and watch us wherever it is convenient for you!

Tip 1: What time does the first morning service in church start?

  • What time does the first morning service in church start?
  • How to observe Easter rituals
  • How to behave in a cathedral in 2017

Tradition of early Christian worship

What time do morning services begin in modern churches?

Tip 2: What time does the first morning service start?

Daily cycle of worship

All Orthodox worship is divided into certain services from the daily circle, departing at set times. Over hundreds of years of the formation and development of Orthodox worship, a charter was developed that determined the order and features of each service.

In Orthodoxy, the liturgical day begins in the evening of the day before the celebrated event. Therefore, Sunday services in the church begin on Saturday evening. Most often, Saturday evening is marked by the departure of Sunday's Great Vespers, Matins and the first hour.

At Sunday Vespers, among other standard hymns, the choir performs certain stichera dedicated to the risen Lord. In some churches, at the end of Sunday Great Vespers, a lithium is performed with the blessing of bread, wheat, oil (oil) and wine.

At Sunday morning a special troparion is sung in one of eight voices (tunes); the polyeleos is performed - a special chant “Praise the name of the Lord”, after which the choir sings the Sunday troparions “Cathedral of Angels”. Also at Sunday matins, special canons are read: the Sunday canon, the Holy Cross and the Mother of God (sometimes, depending on the order in which the Sunday service is connected with the memory of the venerated saint, the canons may change). At the end of Matins the choir sings a great doxology.

The Saturday evening service ends with the first hour, after which the priest performs the sacrament of confession for those who wish to receive Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ at the liturgy on Sunday.

On Sunday itself, the service in the Orthodox church begins in the morning. Usually at half past eight. First, the sequences of the third and sixth hours are read, and then follows the main service of Sunday - the Divine Liturgy. The liturgy itself usually begins at nine in the morning. Most often, in Orthodox churches on Sunday, a liturgy is celebrated, compiled by the great Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. This rite is standard, except that the choir performs special Sunday troparia depending on the current voice (there are only eight of them).

Usually on Sundays in churches at the end of the liturgy, a prayer service is held, during which the priest specifically prays for the needs of believers: for health, for healing in illnesses, blessings on travel, etc.

After the end of the prayer service, a memorial service in memory of the deceased and a funeral service can be held in the church. Thus, the Church on Sunday does not forget to pray especially not only for the health of living people, but also for deceased relatives.

This article contains: morning prayer in church begins - information taken from all corners of the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

Church prayer is the common prayer of all parishioners

The spiritual life of a Christian is not limited to individual prayer at home. In order not only to be called a Christian, but also to be one in practice, it is necessary to regularly participate in common, that is, church prayer. By uniting in common prayer, Christians form the Church, and only in the Church is salvation given to us.

The meaning and meaning of church prayer

Jesus Christ said: “Where there are two or three in My name, there I am among them.” In the temple, not just a few people stand before God, but the entire Church in its spiritual unity. Christ is constantly present in the life of the Church, and the sign of His presence is the church sacraments, which only a priest can perform. Participation in the sacraments is the most important part of the spiritual life of a Christian.

Joint common prayer of people in the temple

In the temple, during services, believers perform a common prayer. In joint prayer, everyone prays for everyone and everyone for everyone: when one is distracted, others continue to pray, and the prayer does not weaken. Therefore, joint prayer is more important (and stronger) than private prayer.

The service is performed by a priest, assisted by a deacon. In the temple, the words of prayers are spoken or sung by readers and singers on behalf of all those gathered. The rest of the worshipers should listen carefully to what is read and sung. To better understand the words, you can follow the service with the text in your hands. You can sing along with the choir, as long as the singing does not disturb other worshipers.

Divine services of the daily cycle, except for the Liturgy, can be performed by believers without a priest, the so-called lay rite. For this you do not need a temple, but a chapel is enough.

Liturgical prayers

There is a huge variety of liturgical prayers - troparia, kontakions, stichera. Some of them are read only by priests during services: prayers of light, the Eucharistic prayer, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, prayers for performing sacraments and requirements. Such prayers are called priestly or priestly, and they are contained in liturgical books (Octoiche, Menaea, Triodion, Book of Hours).

Some prayers are sung by the parishioners gathered at the service together with the priests and the church choir, and the laity need to know them by heart:

  • The Symbol of Faith (“I Believe...”), the prayer “Our Father...” and the sacramental verse “Receive the Body of Christ, taste the immeasurable source” - at the Divine Liturgy;
  • the song “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...” - at the Sunday all-night vigil;
  • cry “Truly he is risen!” in response to the priest’s exclamation “Christ is Risen!” - at the Easter service.

Prayer of those going to the temple

Believers sanctify their every action with prayer. Moreover, such an important matter as the path to the temple cannot be done without it. What prayers do they read when they go to church? There is a special prayer for those going to the temple, and it must be said silently or in a quiet whisper along the way. If you don’t remember it by heart, you can recite the “Our Father” or the Jesus Prayer.

When entering the church, you need to cross yourself three times and bow from the waist.

Worship in the Orthodox Church: charter, meaning and order

Since in everyday life a person is constantly distracted by vain thoughts and worries, completely it is necessary to participate in church services. Only there is it possible to escape from everyday life and devote your thoughts to God. This is the main meaning of worship.

Orthodox worship consists of chants, prayers, reading passages from Holy Scripture and sacred rites, the order (order) of which is established by the Church.

The book in which the rules of Orthodox worship are written is called the Typikon.

The order and regulations of church services were formed a long time ago. It is taught in seminaries to future priests, deacons, readers and choir directors. However, any believer must have at least general idea about the liturgical regulations in order to understand what is happening at the service.

Each moment in time is simultaneously part of the day, part of the week and part of the year. According to the same principle, the services of the modern Orthodox Church are divided into three “circles”:

  • Daily circle: each hour of the day corresponds to some event from the life of Jesus Christ
  • Sedmic, or weekly circle: every day of the week is dedicated to memories of an event in Sacred History
  • Annual circle: every day of the year is associated with memories of some event from the life of Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints.

The liturgical day begins in the evening, so the evening service (vespers) is considered the first service of the next day. During the day, Matins, 1st, 3rd, 6th (and sometimes 9th) hours and the Divine Liturgy are also served. On the evening before holidays and Sundays, Vespers, Matins and the 1st hour are combined into one solemn service - the all-night vigil.

Liturgy and the Sacrament of the Eucharist

The most important public service of the day is the Liturgy. Only at the Liturgy is the main sacrament of the Orthodox Church celebrated - the Eucharist, or Communion. During the Eucharist, through the action of the grace of the Holy Spirit, bread and wine are invisibly transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Believers, eating them, receive communion, that is, unite with the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Three stages can be distinguished in following the Liturgy:

  • proskomedia: the priest prepares the Holy Gifts - bread and wine - for consecration;
  • Liturgy of the Catechumens: Psalms are sung, the Holy Scriptures are read, living and deceased relatives and friends of those praying are remembered through notes;
  • Liturgy of the Faithful: The Holy Gifts are consecrated, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated, the faithful receive communion (first the clergy, then the parishioners).

The importance of the Eucharist in the Orthodox Church is very great. By participating in this sacrament, believers actually, and not symbolically, become bearers of the divine Nature.

Eucharistic prayer

The key moment of the liturgy is the reading of the Eucharistic prayer (anaphora) over the Holy Gifts at the proskomedia.

IN modern Church The anaphora is read by the priest secretly, in the altar, and only a few exclamations are heard by those praying in the temple.

The Eucharistic prayer begins with the words “Let us become good!”, and at this moment the lights in the church are turned on, and at the end of the prayer the lights are turned off.

Ceremony in the temple

Chopping – symbolic fumigation with aromatic smoke using a censer(vessel with burning coals) at certain moments of the service.

During the small incense, the priest or deacon is on the pulpit and censes the altar, icons and the gathered people. People bow in response to censing.

During full censing, the clergy walk around the entire temple with the censer. Worshipers should move away from the walls closer to the middle of the temple to free up space. As the clergy with the censer walk past you, turn slightly and bow. However, there is no need to turn your back to the altar.

When the sign of the cross, prostration and bow to the ground are performed

During prayers in the temple, you need to be baptized and bow in accordance with the Church Charter:

Sign of the cross without bowing:

  • at the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures (Apostle, Gospel, Old Testament)
  • at the dismissal at the end of the service, when the priest proclaims “Christ our true God. »
  • at the evening service at the beginning of the Six Psalms on the words “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men” (three times) and in the middle, on the word “Alleluia” (three times)
  • at the Liturgy during the singing of the Creed

Sign of the cross with bow from the waist (three times):

  • when entering and leaving the temple
  • when reading “Come, let us worship. »
  • while reading "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah"
  • when reading “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal. »
  • with the exclamation of the priest “Glory to Thee, Christ God, our hope, glory to Thee. »
  • on the words “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever”
  • in the words “Grant, Lord, that this day (evening) we may be preserved without sin”
  • at the litia after the first two petitions of the litany

Sign of the Cross with a bow from the waist (one time):

  • on the words “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”
  • at litia during the litany after all petitions except the first two
  • during litanies at other services on the words “Lord, have mercy”, “Give, Lord”, “To you, Lord”
  • during any prayer, when the words “let’s bow down,” “let’s fall down,” and “let’s pray” are heard
  • at the Liturgy on the words “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “What is Yours from Yours is brought to You”
  • after “The most honest cherub. " before "Bless the name of the Lord, father. "(low bow from the waist)
  • at matins after reading the Gospel
  • at Vespers and Matins after the end of each stichera
  • at Matins on the canon on each chorus and the words “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “and now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen”
  • at a prayer service with an akathist at the beginning of each kontakion and ikos

At Liturgy on Sunday and during the period from Easter to Pentecost, when they are not celebrated prostrations, the sign of the cross is made with a bow from the waist:

  • after the chant “We sing to you”
  • after “It’s worthy to eat”
  • with the cry of “Holy to Holies”
  • with the exclamation “And grant us, O Master, without condemnation. "before singing the Lord's Prayer
  • when the priest brings out the Holy Gifts with the words “Draw near with the fear of God and faith”
  • then on the words “Always, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen”

Half bow without the sign of the cross:

Earthly Great Bow

For prostration kneel down and touch the floor with your hands and head.

Prostrations are made:

  • during fasting at the entrance to the temple and before leaving it (three times)
  • during fasting at Matins during the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos at the end of the chorus “The most honorable cherub. »
  • During Great Lent, during the reading of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian (in each phrase)
  • During Great Lent, at Great Compline, at each reading of the verse “Most Holy Lady Theotokos, pray for us sinners”
  • During Great Lent, at Vespers, while singing “O Theotokos, Virgin, Rejoice. " (three times)
  • at the Liturgy on a weekday (not on a holiday): after the hymn “We sing to You,” after “It is worthy to eat,” with the exclamation “Holy to Holies,” with the exclamation “And grant us, O Master, without condemnation. " before singing "Our Father", when the priest brings out the Holy Gifts with the words "Come with the fear of God and faith", then with the words "Always, now and ever and forever and ever, Amen"

On Sundays and from Easter to Pentecost, bows to the ground are replaced by bows.

How to pray in front of an icon in church

You need to come to the temple some time before the start of the service to venerate the icon of the day or miraculous icons.

The icon of the day is an image of a saint or an event in Sacred history, the memory of which is celebrated on this day. The icon of the day lies in the middle of the temple on a lectern (a small inclined table). If there is no holiday on this day and no saint is remembered, then the icon of the day is the icon of the saint or holiday in whose honor the temple is consecrated.

In front of the icon you need to cross yourself twice with a bow from the waist.

Wherein say a prayer to yourself:

  • at the icon of Christ - the Jesus prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner”
  • before the face of the Mother of God - “Most Holy Theotokos, save us”
  • at the image of the saint - “Holy servant of God (or: holy servant of God) (Name), pray to God for us"

After this you need to touch your lips to a specific place of the icon:

  • Christ's blessing hand, feet or hem of clothing are kissed
  • the Virgin Mary and the saints - a hand or clothing
  • on the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands or the head of John the Baptist - hair

Church Slavonic language - meaning and role

Divine services in the Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian Orthodox churches are conducted in Church Slavonic. Only passages from the Holy Scriptures can be read in Russian. The Church Slavonic language is not always easy to understand by ear, so you can take a printout of the text with translation with you to services.

People often ask: is it possible to pray in Russian and why don’t they translate the service into Russian?

You can pray in Russian, in Russian, as in any national language, there is nothing bad or unworthy of prayer. However, currently full translation services in Russian is impossible: the norms and stylistics of the modern Russian literary language are constantly changing, the language very quickly becomes outdated. In addition, the Russian language simply does not have many words that are used in prayer poetry.

Tel.: +7 495 668 11 90. Rublev LLC © 2014-2017 Rublev

Log in

Orthodox icons and prayers

Information site about icons, prayers, Orthodox traditions.

What time does the church service start?

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, we ask you to subscribe to our VKontakte group Prayers for every day. Also visit our page on Odnoklassniki and subscribe to her Prayers for every day Odnoklassniki. "God bless you!".

What is worship

The main task of the church is to revive the church life of the country and increase the spirituality of the population. It is for carrying out such work that churches were created in which church services are held. Every day in churches and cathedrals they conduct:

Believers often ask the question: what time does church service begin? Each parish can set its own time for this event. But in most cases, the following time frames can be taken as a basis:

  • Vespers - from 9 pm, Vespers and Compline,
  • morning - from midnight, matins and 1st hour,
  • daytime - from the 3rd, 6th hour and Divine Liturgy.

From this it follows that 9 services are performed per day.

Types of services

All services, as already mentioned, are divided into 3 types. Much of their implementation is borrowed from Old Testament times.

What is evening service

What time does the evening service in church start? The beginning of the day is considered not midnight, but 6 pm. Therefore, the first service is evening. The main theme of this service is memories of the events of the Sacred History of the Old Testament: the creation of the world by the Lord, the original sin of our ancestors, the ministry of the prophets and the legislation of Moses. Christians also thank the Lord for the day they have lived.

After Vespers, it is customary to hold Compline. Often these are public prayers for the coming sleep. They recall the descent of Christ into hell and the rescue of the righteous from the power of the devil.

At midnight they serve the Midnight Office. During this service, they are reminded of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment.

What is called morning

After the evening service, the morning service takes place. The longest service is called the morning service. It is usually held before sunrise. During the ceremony, it is customary to remember the events of Christ’s earthly life. A large number of both repentance and thanksgiving prayers are also read.

It is advisable to check with the church you are visiting about what time the morning service in the church begins. The start time may differ, but not significantly.

Around 7 o'clock in the morning a service is held, which is called the 1st hour. This is a short service. During which they talk about Christ's presence at the court of the high priest.

The 3rd hour is spent around 9 o'clock. During its implementation, they remember the events that took place in the Upper Room of Zion, where the Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles, and the Savior was sentenced to death by the praetorian Pilate.

At noon the 6th hour is served. This is the time when they talk about the crucifixion of Jesus.

At three o'clock in the afternoon the 9th hour is spent. This period falls on the remembrance of Christ's death on the cross.

How is a church service held?

The main service of the day is the Divine Liturgy. During it, they remember not only the worldly life of Christ, but also offer to unite with him during the passage of the Sacrament of Communion. In terms of time, it must be done between the 6th and 9th hour before noon. It is also called mass.

The Sunday service in the church is mainly held once and is called the Eucharistic. The morning ceremony is held before her. There is no pause between them, one follows the other.

There are certain changes that have occurred in church life. The main adjustments took place in the Charter. Compline in parish churches is held only during Lent, and the Midnight Office is held only once a year before Easter. Very rarely, a service is also held, which is called the 9th hour. The other 6 services are combined into two groups of three.

In the evening, they spend one after another, first the evening, then the morning and the 1st hour. On the eve of holidays and Sundays, all these services are combined into one and served together, which is called the all-night vigil. In parish churches such services last from 2 to 4 hours, and in monasteries – 3-6 hours.

In the morning, the 3rd, 6th hours and the Divine Liturgy take place alternately. If there are a large number of parishioners in the church, then two liturgies may be held: early and late. Both last about an hour.

On those days when liturgy is prohibited, an image is served. This is the name for a service that includes several chants. But they are not considered to be independent services.

According to church rules, divine services also include:

  • reading akathists in the temple,
  • carrying out all rituals and sacraments,
  • reading morning and evening prayers,
  • specifying the rules of preparation for Holy Communion.

In addition to holding morning or evening services, as well as hours, special services can be held according to the needs of believers. They are called requirements. This could be: Baptism, Unction, Wedding, Funeral service.

Typically, services are held in churches and only by clergy. Believers take part in them only by reading prayers and singing.

Whether to go to church for services or not is an individual decision for everyone. Many people say that it is better to go to church on weekdays. Fewer people and the priest will be able to devote more time to the parishioners. But for services on Saturday in church, Sunday or a holiday, the number of people increases and does not provide such an opportunity for privacy.

Tip 1: What time does the first morning service in church start?

  • What time does the first morning service in church start?
  • How to observe Easter rituals
  • How to behave in a cathedral in 2017

Tradition of early Christian worship

What time do morning services begin in modern churches?

Tip 2: What time does the first morning service start?

Daily cycle of worship

All Orthodox worship is divided into certain services from the daily circle, departing at set times. Over hundreds of years of the formation and development of Orthodox worship, a charter was developed that determined the order and features of each service.

In Orthodoxy, the liturgical day begins in the evening of the day before the celebrated event. Therefore, Sunday services in the church begin on Saturday evening. Most often, Saturday evening is marked by the departure of Sunday's Great Vespers, Matins and the first hour.

At Sunday Vespers, among other standard hymns, the choir performs certain stichera dedicated to the risen Lord. In some churches, at the end of Sunday Great Vespers, a lithium is performed with the blessing of bread, wheat, oil (oil) and wine.

At Sunday morning a special troparion is sung in one of eight voices (tunes); the polyeleos is performed - a special chant “Praise the name of the Lord”, after which the choir sings the Sunday troparions “Cathedral of Angels”. Also at Sunday matins, special canons are read: the Sunday canon, the Holy Cross and the Mother of God (sometimes, depending on the order in which the Sunday service is connected with the memory of the venerated saint, the canons may change). At the end of Matins the choir sings a great doxology.

The Saturday evening service ends with the first hour, after which the priest performs the sacrament of confession for those who wish to receive Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ at the liturgy on Sunday.

On Sunday itself, the service in the Orthodox church begins in the morning. Usually at half past eight. First, the sequences of the third and sixth hours are read, and then follows the main service of Sunday - the Divine Liturgy. The liturgy itself usually begins at nine in the morning. Most often, in Orthodox churches on Sunday, a liturgy is celebrated, compiled by the great Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. This rite is standard, except that the choir performs special Sunday troparia depending on the current voice (there are only eight of them).

Usually on Sundays in churches at the end of the liturgy, a prayer service is held, during which the priest specifically prays for the needs of believers: for health, for healing in illnesses, blessings on travel, etc.

After the end of the prayer service, a memorial service in memory of the deceased and a funeral service can be held in the church. Thus, the Church on Sunday does not forget to pray especially not only for the health of living people, but also for deceased relatives.

Religious services are held in all Orthodox churches, cathedrals and temples. What time such events begin will be discussed in this article.

Church services are divided into several types: morning, evening, all-night vigil, holiday, etc. It goes without saying that the morning service (liturgy) is held in the morning, and the evening service in the evening.

Today, thousands of lay people go to church to walk under the cloak where Christ's body was covered with a crucifix. On Good Friday, Holy Mass is not celebrated, but King's Hours are fulfilled. In the evening, in the temple, the sufferings of Christ, his death and his funeral are remembered and experienced.

What time does the evening and night service in the church begin and end?

It is believed that on this day Jesus suffered countless reproaches, sorrows and great suffering. This is the day they crucified him, sacrificed him for the sins of all mankind. At that time it happened solar eclipse and earthquake. People say that on Good Friday even the chicken did not sing and did not nest. On this day no one does any work.

Each temple, cathedral and church sets its own hours for the start of services. To obtain accurate data, we recommend that you find out the schedule of a specific religious institution. Below we will look at the time periods within which one or another church service most often begins.

  1. Morning services are divided into early and late. The first ones start no earlier than 6:00 and no later than 8:00. Late ones can start between 9 and 11 am.
  2. Evening services start at 16:00-18:00.
  3. All-night services start the same way as the evening ones.
  4. Holiday services have their own schedule, so you need to find out about their start in the temple/cathedral/church.

Church services for Christian holidays in 2017

Church services held on Christian holidays require special consideration. We will list a few events below.

What time does the festive service in the church begin and end: schedule

On Good Friday, believers go to church, stand under the table three times for health, go out and kiss the crucifix. The morning service reads 12 passages from the Gospel that tell about the passion of Jesus Christ. During worship, believers hold incandescent lamps in their hands, symbolizing the glory of the Savior during his suffering and the spiritual awakening of Christians.

What time does the festive service in church on Palm Sunday begin and end?

On this day of Holy Week, fasting is especially strict - do not eat or drink. On Good Friday, when the Savior died on the cross, Holy Mass was not celebrated during the day. The death of the death of Christ in the evening service of the temple - the temple of Christ, dedicated to the funeral of the Savior, is exported. Before the service begins, in the center of the temple stands the “tomb” of Christ, decorated with flowers, and a throne placed on the throne. This is a piece of fabric embroidered with the image of the Savior in the grave. The chants are dedicated to the suffering and death of Christ.

  1. The Christmas service takes place from 6 to 7 January every year. In most religious institutions it begins on January 6 at 17:00, an all-night vigil is held at midnight, and the morning Christmas service begins at 9:00.
  2. The Epiphany service (January 19, 2017) is held on January 18 at 23:00. Some churches hold services at 5-6 p.m. The all-night vigil is most often combined with the morning service, although in some establishments a separate liguria in honor of the holiday begins at 9:00.
  3. The service dedicated to the Presentation of the Lord (February 15, 2017) begins at 7-8 am. The second (evening) service is held at 16-17:00.
  4. On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7, 2017), 3 services are held: all-night vigil on April 6 (from 23:00), liguria (at 7:00-9:00), and supper (at 16-18:00).
  5. The service for Easter (April 16, 2017) begins on April 15 at 23:00, goes into matins (1-2 a.m.), then into Liguria (7:00-9:00).
  6. On the day of the Holy Trinity (June 4, 2017) the service is as follows: Liguria begins at 7-9 am, and usually lasts longer than usual. After it, the Great Supper is served (in each temple and church differently).

The service time for each holiday is based on average indicators. The exact schedule must be found in the church itself.

One of the chants that is usually sung at the Good Friday service is called “The Cry of the Mother of God.” This prayer is read in memory of the suffering of the Virgin Mary, who stood on the belt of her son and called him, uttering sad words. During the worship of the altar, the canvas is covered with the body of Christ after his removal from the cross. His treasure is made among white flowers. After the cloak of evening worship has come out, he is surrounded by the temple and symbolically performs the funeral of Christ. At the end of the service, the priest takes the cloak throne and places it in the "grave" in the center of the temple.

On a note: Christian holidays are divided into 2 types: movable and immovable twelve holidays. Permanent Christian holidays include:

  • Christmas (January 7);
  • Epiphany (January 19);
  • Presentation of the Lord (February 15);
  • Annunciation (April 7);
  • Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19);
  • Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 28);
  • Nativity of the Virgin Mary (September 21);
  • Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27);
  • Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary (December 4).

Moving church holidays:

  • Palm Sunday: celebrated a week before Easter. In 2017 it is celebrated on April 9, in 2018 – on April 1.
  • Easter: the main holiday of Christians. In 2017 it is celebrated on April 16, in 2018 – on April 8.
  • Ascension of the Lord: celebrated 40 days after Easter. In 2017 it is celebrated on May 25, in 2018 – on May 17.
  • Pentecost (Holy Trinity Day)– held on the 50th day after Easter. In 2017 it is celebrated on June 4, in 2018 on May 27.

The duration of all church services differs from each other. This depends on the type of service, the speed of its performance (both by the priest and the choir), the number of confessors and communicants, the presence and duration of the sermon, etc. For example, the morning service lasts approximately 1.5-2 hours, the evening service – 2-2.5 hours.

What kind of a mess is this?

Worship of the cloak continues for two days, until late Saturday evening, when it is returned to the altar - a few minutes before the Easter procession of the cross. Last year we entered the “school” of masters. In Holy Mass it is necessary that the minister be able to help the priest at the altar to know the important parts of the liturgy and the things used in it. They must also be able to think and react in a timely manner. It is good that the priest can rely on the minister at Holy Mass, because he knows that he can calmly handle his ministry.

If you are late for work, no one will judge you. If you do not want to confess and receive communion, the duration of the event will be somewhat shorter. Remember that religious institutions should be attended in modest attire; women should avoid revealing clothes and bright makeup.

For clarity, we have divided the ministry's service into 9 classes. Gradually you will learn how to properly manage liturgical speech, and you can be an example and model for others and lesser ones. This is a good example for all the people in the church. The image is next to it. You can find older issues of the magazines in the Archive. And on the other hand, “A Little Help for Ministers”, which you will find below.

– Learned by groups specific color clergy vestments. Each of the seven colors of liturgical vestments corresponds to the spiritual significance of the event in honor of which the service is being performed. There are no developed dogmatic institutions in this area, but the Church has an unwritten tradition that assigns a certain symbolism to the various colors used in worship.

- No. Since the Liturgy is not served on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself.

9.23. Does Communion happen in Holy Saturday, for Easter?

– On Holy Saturday and Easter, the Liturgy is served, therefore, there is Communion of the faithful.

9.24. Until what hour does the Easter service last?

– In different churches the end time of the Easter service is different, but most often it happens from 3 to 6 o’clock in the morning.

9.25. Why aren’t the Royal Doors open throughout the entire service on Easter Week during the Liturgy?

– Some priests are awarded the right to serve the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open.

9.26. On what days does the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great take place?

– The Liturgy of Basil the Great is celebrated only 10 times a year: on the eve of the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany of the Lord (or on the days of these holidays if they fall on Sunday or Monday), January 1/14 - on the day of remembrance of St. Basil the Great, on five Sundays Lent (Palm Sunday is excluded), Maundy Thursday and Great Saturday of Holy Week. The Liturgy of Basil the Great differs from the Liturgy of John Chrysostom in some prayers, their longer duration and longer choir singing, which is why it is served a little longer.

9.27. Why don’t they translate the service into Russian to make it more understandable?

Slavic language- this is a grace-filled, spiritual language that the holy church people Cyril and Methodius created specifically for worship. People have become unaccustomed to the Church Slavonic language, and some simply do not want to understand it. But if you go to Church regularly, and not just occasionally, then the grace of God will touch the heart, and all the words of this pure, spirit-bearing language will become understandable. The Church Slavonic language, due to its imagery, precision in the expression of thought, artistic brightness and beauty, is much more suitable for communication with God than the modern crippled spoken Russian language.

But main reason The incomprehensibility lies not in the Church Slavonic language, it is very close to Russian - in order to fully perceive it, you need to learn only a few dozen words. The fact is that even if the entire service were translated into Russian, people would still not understand anything about it. The fact that people do not perceive the service is a language problem to the least extent; in the first place is ignorance of the Bible. Most of the chants are highly poetic renditions of biblical stories; Without knowing the source, it is impossible to understand them, no matter what language they are sung in. Therefore, whoever wants to understand Orthodox worship should, first of all, begin by reading and studying the Holy Scriptures, and it is quite accessible in Russian.

9.28. Why do the lights and candles sometimes go out in the church during services?

– At Matins, during the reading of the Six Psalms, candles in churches are extinguished, except for a few. The Six Psalms is the cry of a repentant sinner before Christ the Savior who came to earth. The lack of illumination, on the one hand, helps to think about what is being read, on the other hand, it reminds us of the gloom of the sinful state depicted by the psalms, and of the fact that external light does not suit a sinner. By arranging this reading in this way, the Church wants to incite believers to deepen themselves so that, having entered into themselves, they enter into a conversation with the merciful Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner (Ezek. 33:11), about the most necessary matter - the salvation of the soul through bringing it into line with Him. , Savior, relationships broken by sin. The reading of the first half of the Six Psalms expresses the sorrow of a soul that has moved away from God and is seeking Him. Reading the second half of the Six Psalms reveals the state of a repentant soul reconciled with God.

9.29. What psalms are included in the Six Psalms and why these particular ones?

– The first part of Matins opens with a system of psalms known as six psalms. The sixth psalm includes: Psalm 3 “Lord, who has multiplied all this,” Psalm 37 “Lord, let me not be angry,” Psalm 62 “O God, my God, I come to You in the morning,” Psalm 87 “O Lord God of my salvation,” Psalm 102 “Bless my soul the Lord,” Psalm 142 “Lord, hear my prayer.” The psalms were chosen, probably not without intention, from different places in the Psalter evenly; this is how they represent it all. The psalms were chosen to be of the same content and tone that prevails in the Psalter; namely, they all depict the persecution of the righteous by enemies and his firm hope in God, only growing from the increase of persecution and in the end reaching jubilant peace in God (Psalm 103). All these psalms are inscribed with the name of David, excluding 87, which is the “sons of Korah,” and were sung by him, of course, during persecution by Saul (maybe Psalm 62) or Absalom (Psalms 3; 142), reflecting the spiritual growth of the singer in these disasters. Of the many psalms of similar content, these are chosen here because in some places they refer to night and morning (Ps. 3:6: “I slept and fell asleep, I arose”; Ps. 37:7: “I walked lamenting all day long”) ", v. 14: "I have taught the flattering all day long"; ps. 62:1: "I will pray to You in the morning", v. 7: "I have commemorated You on my bed, in the morning I have learned from You"; ps. 87:2: " I cried out to You in the days and in the night,” v. 10: “All day long I lifted up my hands to You,” v. 13, 14: “Thy wonders will be known in the dark... and I have cried out to You, O Lord, and morning prayer mine will precede Thee"; Ps. 102:15: "His days are like a field flower"; Ps. 142:8: "I hear that in the morning show Thy mercy to me"). Psalms of repentance alternate with thanksgiving.

Six Psalms listen in mp3 format

9.30. What is "polyeleos"?

- Polyeleos is the name given to the most solemn part of Matins - a divine service that takes place in the morning or evening; Polyeleos is served only at festive matins. This is determined by the liturgical regulations. On the eve of Sunday or a holiday, Matins is part of the all-night vigil and is served in the evening.

Polyeleos begins after reading the kathisma (Psalter) with the singing of verses of praise from the psalms: 134 - “Praise the name of the Lord” and 135 - “Confess the Lord” and ends with the reading of the Gospel. In ancient times, when the first words of this hymn “Praise the name of the Lord” were heard after the kathismas, numerous lamps (unction lamps) were lit in the temple. Therefore, this part of the all-night vigil is called “many oils” or, in Greek, polyeleos (“poly” - many, “oil” - oil). The Royal Doors open, and the priest, preceded by a deacon holding a lighted candle, burns incense to the altar and the entire altar, iconostasis, choir, worshipers and the entire temple. The open Royal Doors symbolize the open Holy Sepulcher, from where the kingdom of eternal life shines. After reading the Gospel, everyone present at the service approaches the icon of the holiday and venerates it. In memory of the fraternal meal of ancient Christians, which was accompanied by anointing with fragrant oil, the priest draws the sign of the cross on the forehead of everyone approaching the icon. This custom is called anointing. Anointing with oil serves as an external sign of participation in the grace and spiritual joy of the holiday, participation in the Church. Anointing with consecrated oil on polyeleos is not a sacrament; it is a rite that only symbolizes the invocation of God's mercy and blessing.

9.31. What is "lithium"?

– Litiya translated from Greek means fervent prayer. The current charter recognizes four types of litia, which, according to the degree of solemnity, can be arranged in the following order: a) “lithia outside the monastery,” scheduled for some twelfth holidays and on Bright Week before the Liturgy; b) lithium at Great Vespers, connected with the vigil; c) litia at the end of the festive and Sunday matins; d) lithium for the repose after weekday Vespers and Matins. In terms of the content of the prayers and the rite, these types of litia are very different from each other, but what they have in common is the departure from the temple. In the first type (of those listed), this outflow is complete, and in the others it is incomplete. But here and here it is performed in order to express the prayer not only in words, but also in movement, to change its place to revive prayerful attention; The further purpose of the lithium is to express - by removing from the temple - our unworthiness to pray in it: we pray, standing before the gates of the holy temple, as if before the gates of heaven, like Adam, the publican, the prodigal son. Hence the somewhat repentant and mournful nature of lithium prayers. Finally, in litia the Church proceeds from her blessed environment into external world or in the vestibule, as a part of the temple in contact with this world, open to everyone not accepted into the Church or excluded from it, for the purpose of a prayer mission in this world. Hence the national and universal character (for the whole world) of lithium prayers.

9.32. What is the Procession of the Cross and when does it happen?

– A procession of the cross is a solemn procession of clergy and lay believers with icons, banners and other shrines. Religious processions are held on the annual dates established for them. special days: on the Holy Resurrection of Christ - Easter Procession; on the feast of Epiphany for the great consecration of water in memory of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, as well as in honor of shrines and great church or state events. There are also extraordinary religious processions established by the Church on especially important occasions.

9.33. Where did the Processions of the Cross come from?

– Just like holy icons, religious processions got their origins from the Old Testament. The ancient righteous often performed solemn and popular processions with singing, trumpeting and rejoicing. Stories about this are set out in the sacred books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Numbers, the books of Kings, Psalms and others.

The first prototypes of the religious processions were: the journey of the sons of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; the procession of all Israel following the ark of God, from which the miraculous division of the Jordan River occurred (Joshua 3:14-17); the solemn seven-fold circumambulation of the ark around the walls of Jericho, during which the miraculous fall of the impregnable walls of Jericho took place from the voice of the sacred trumpets and the proclamations of the entire people (Joshua 6:5-19); as well as the solemn nationwide transfer of the ark of the Lord by kings David and Solomon (2 Kings 6:1-18; 3 Kings 8:1-21).


9.34. What does the Easter Procession mean?

– The Holy Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with special solemnity. The Easter service begins on Holy Saturday, late in the evening. At Matins, after the Midnight Office, the Easter Procession of the Cross takes place - worshipers, led by the clergy, leave the temple to make a solemn procession around the temple. Like the myrrh-bearing women who met the risen Christ the Savior outside Jerusalem, Christians meet the news of the coming of the Holy Resurrection of Christ outside the walls of the temple - they seem to be marching towards the risen Savior.

The Easter procession takes place with candles, banners, censers and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ under the continuous ringing of bells. Before entering the temple, the solemn Easter procession stops at the door and enters the temple only after the jubilant message has been sounded three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs!” The procession of the cross enters the temple, just as the myrrh-bearing women came to Jerusalem with joyful news to the disciples of Christ about the risen Lord.

9.35. How many times does the Easter Procession happen?

– The first Easter religious procession takes place on Easter night. Then, during the week (Bright Week), every day after the end of the Liturgy, the Easter Procession of the Cross is held, and before the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the same Processions of the Cross are held every Sunday.

9.36. What does the Procession with the Shroud on Holy Week mean?

– This mournful and deplorable procession of the Cross takes place in remembrance of the burial of Jesus Christ, when His secret disciples Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by the Mother of God and the myrrh-bearing women, carried in their arms the deceased Jesus Christ on the cross. They walked from Mount Golgotha ​​to Joseph's vineyard, where there was a burial cave in which, according to Jewish custom, they laid the body of Christ. In remembrance of this sacred event - the burial of Jesus Christ - a Procession of the Cross is held with the Shroud, which represents the body of the deceased Jesus Christ, as it was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.

The Apostle says to the believers: "Remember my bonds"(Col. 4:18). If the Apostle commands Christians to remember his sufferings in chains, then how much more strongly should they remember the sufferings of Christ. During the suffering and death on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, modern Christians did not live and did not share sorrow with the apostles, therefore in the days of Holy Week they remember their sorrows and lamentations about the Redeemer.

Anyone called a Christian who celebrates the sorrowful moments of the Savior’s suffering and death cannot help but be a participant in the heavenly joy of His Resurrection, for, in the words of the Apostle: “We are joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”(Rom.8:17).

9.37. On what emergency occasions are religious processions held?

– Extraordinary processions of the Cross are carried out with the permission of the diocesan church authorities on occasions that are especially vital for the parish, the diocese or the entire Orthodox people - during an invasion of foreigners, during the attack of a destructive disease, during famine, drought or other disasters.

9.38. What do the banners with which religious processions take place mean?

– The first prototype of banners was after global flood. God, appearing to Noah during his sacrifice, showed a rainbow in the clouds and called it "a sign of an everlasting covenant" between God and people (Gen.9:13-16). Just as a rainbow in the sky reminds people of God’s covenant, so on banners the image of the Savior serves as a constant reminder of the deliverance of the human race at the Last Judgment from the spiritual fiery flood.

The second prototype of the banners was during Israel's exit from Egypt during the passage through the Red Sea. Then the Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and covered all the army of Pharaoh with darkness from this cloud, and destroyed it in the sea, but saved Israel. So on the banners the image of the Savior is visible as a cloud that appeared from heaven to defeat the enemy - the spiritual Pharaoh - the devil with all his army. The Lord always wins and drives away the power of the enemy.

The third type of banners was the same cloud that covered the tabernacle and overshadowed Israel during the journey to the Promised Land. All Israel looked at the sacred cloud cover and with spiritual eyes understood in it the presence of God Himself.

Another prototype of the banner is the copper serpent, which was erected by Moses at the command of God in the desert. When looking at him, the Jews received healing from God, since the copper serpent represented the Cross of Christ (John 3:14,15). So, while carrying banners during the procession of the Cross, believers raise their bodily eyes to the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the saints; with spiritual eyes they ascend to their prototypes existing in heaven and receive spiritual and physical healing from the sinful remorse of spiritual serpents - demons who tempt all people.

A practical guide to parish counseling. St. Petersburg 2009.



What else to read