What you need to know when you go to a makeup artist. How to go to church for the first time, how to behave in an Orthodox church, What you need when you go
The very first thing - it's cold at night! Moreover, in almost any region and at almost any time. Even if the thermometer shows +20-25 at night, that means during the day it was over 35-40. Such a difference is perceived by the body, especially an unprepared one, as cold. And all that is recommended is to take warm clothes suitable for the night temperature. For example, a jacket, a light down jacket, and a hat.
Second - sleeping bag, No blankets or other amateur activities. If you want comfort, buy a sleeping bag. For the mid-season, a sleeping bag +10-0 is suitable.
Third, never sleep in jeans or jackets! We go to bed in a sleeping bag or thermal underwear, or in a tracksuit. If it's hot, just wear shorts.
Fourth - pillow, it is not needed at all. You take the jacket, turn it inside out, and wrap your backpack, pants, and extra things in it. The pillow is ready.
Fifth - shoes. Trekking boots or sneakers are recommended. And keep in mind that dew falls in the morning (this is from 4 o’clock, if you will). You can take light rubber boots, but only when parking; I don’t recommend walking long distances in them.
Sixth - rug, tourist foam or inflatable - it’s not so important, the main thing is that it is!
How to go to bed. We put our shoes under the tent, rather than storing them in the tent itself. We put it under the floor of the tent, just close enough to cover it so it doesn’t get damp. We change into sleeping clothes, lie down in the sleeping bag, make ourselves a pillow, tighten the ropes on the hood of the sleeping bag. Goodbye!
And one more note, the tent! You can have a hammock, but you must put a rug in it and cover it with a waterproof cloth, because there is dew in the morning!
My off-season kit. A sleeping bag for +10 (bought at Decathlon), and an inflatable mat from there. A set of thermal underwear made of merino wool. A very light down jacket, I sometimes sleep in it if it’s cold (bought at Sportsmaster). Keen trekking shoes, these are not at all budgetary, of course, trekking from the same Decathlon or Sportsmaster is enough. Membrane windbreaker with fleece, can be replaced with an ordinary jacket. Windblock cap, can be replaced with any sports cap. A tent for the same three people. You can also wear woolen socks to sleep in, depending on the weather.
Oh yes! Flashlight! Or better yet, two - a headlamp and a handheld one, a spare set of batteries for both flashlights!
I forgot one thing! Never wear the things you sleep in on the route - these are yours" dry kit", and especially don’t cover yourself with a sleeping bag near the fire, it will get damp! And everything will be dry and comfortable.
Separately, you can talk about things on the route; pants, shoes and a jacket play an important role here. But this is if you plan to walk 20-30 km a day. Me as an amateur water trips, I always have a “wet” set, these are either special “dru-shorts” or a neoprene suit, a special waterman’s jacket (a very light waterproof windbreaker, all seams must be taped (!), worn over a T-shirt or neoprene T-shirt). A waterproof hat or bandana (for broken cases - a Panama hat), neoprene gloves, booties or neoprene slippers. On walking route- army trousers (NATO soldiers) made of membrane fabric, shoes already described, storm jacket, always with a hood. Hat or bandana. I recommend a bandana (grandmother’s cotton scarf in parrots is also normal), it protects better from ticks. If you go to a region with midges, wear a mosquito net.
Faktrum publishes an article in which tattoo artists will tell you everything you need to know about the preparation and process of applying a tattoo.
If you want to take a friend with you, please, but you don’t have to take ALL your friends.
Applying a tattoo is a process that requires concentration from the artist, and the crowd of your noisy “support group” risks driving him crazy. You don't need the support of all your friends, believe me.
Getting a tattoo is a long process.
Often people show up at the salon without an appointment, hoping to get their back or entire arm tattooed in just a couple of hours. Applying such a voluminous tattoo will require several sessions, so take the process seriously. For example, to apply a “sleeve”, it will take approximately 4 sessions of 6 hours each.
Think about whether you can endure that much pain. Because it hurts, yes.
About pain
Sensitivity to pain is an individual thing. Some people have a higher pain threshold, some have a lower one, but everyone hurts. However, the vast majority of people are able to endure this pain. Some even smile and joke.
The pain also depends on the location of the tattoo. The chest, neck, sacrum, inner thighs, ribs are very painful places.
Back, shoulders, forearms, calves, thighs - tolerable. But on the palms and feet the tattoo does not last, since the skin renews itself too quickly.
You should not move while getting a tattoo.
If your pain threshold does not allow you to remain calm and still during the procedure, then tattoos are not for you, since by doing so you are compromising the entire aesthetics of your permanent body art.
As one tattoo artist said: “There can be no mistake on my part, but if this happens through the fault of the client, then, of course, they will blame me for everything.”
Be prepared to spend
High-quality large tattoos are not cheap. Almost all tattoo parlors set a minimum price for a tattoo, which often surprises those people who planned to spend no more than a thousand rubles on extremely painstaking and time-consuming work.
However, a small tattoo is very rarely good. Do you want a high-quality drawing, with clear, clearly visible contours? This means you need an area no smaller than your shoulder.
Decide at least approximately what exactly you want
Before you go to a tattoo parlor, you should at least know approximately what you want. Discuss your ideas with the artist, and he will help you finally decide on the choice of design and place for the tattoo. Don’t ask your friends to help you choose - it’s not for them to wear this tattoo always and everywhere.
Do what you want
Among the artists, there are occasionally those who can try to dissuade you from a stupid tattoo, but there are very few of them. You are the master of your body, and only you can decide how it should look. The job of a tattoo artist is to fulfill any desire of the client, no matter how strange it may be.
So the responsibility for your choice lies solely with you. However, freedom of choice too.
Eat and shower before going to the tattoo parlor
Food will keep you strong and reduce your sensitivity to pain. As for the shower, you simply can’t imagine how many adults neglect basic hygiene rules, knowing that they will have to spend several hours indoors.
Don't take children with you
You will be busy, and the children will have no choice but to run around and touch everything, causing inconvenience to the tattoo parlor workers.
"Think carefully before you get a tattoo of someone's name."
99% of people who got a tattoo with someone's name later regretted it. Fact. However, it's up to you to decide. The owner is a gentleman.
And a few more points:
- A tattoo needs to be renewed approximately every 3-5 years, because over time the skin stretches and the colors fade.
- Hair will grow at the tattoo site.
- A tattoo is very effective at hiding scars.
- Moles are not tattooed, but integrated into the design.
- Before getting a tattoo, you should not drink alcohol for at least two days, so that the capillaries are not dilated and do not bleed.
- You can remove the tattoo if you want. For this, a laser procedure is used, which is expensive and painful, but quite effective.
Everyone has their own fashion and hobbies, and therefore sometimes it’s very nice to find like-minded people, appreciate their stamp collection or skill in a certain game. Here are collected various videos that are dedicated to one or another hobby. It doesn’t matter whether you like chess, tennis, or collecting wild, untamed animals under your roof - here you will be able to find good video- content you like.
Nowadays, one hobby is very popular both online and in reality, accessible for the most part only to women - make-up on camera. It will seem to ordinary viewers that in these videos the girls are simply putting on makeup and making a big deal out of a mountain. But in reality, these beauties are showing off their artistic skills, which they have developed over the years. In such videos you can find tips, life hacks, and also highlight many useful points that you missed in your life. Curvy models and their stylists will tell you what eye shadow to choose and what dress to choose to match your hairstyle. For many women, this has become a kind of hobby to which they devote almost their entire lives.
In addition to make-up, many girls simply adore shopping, and therefore often upload their trips to the local store to YouTube. shopping mall, where they shop for clothes and begin to examine and try them on. Such girls often collect a whole collection of different outfits at home, and some could even open their own store and sell clothes for several years - they have so many purchased outfits. And their entire vast collection falls into the camera lens. To be honest, I don’t understand why many girls watch this, but there are clients for such content and it’s a little strange.
However, not only girls love fashion and style and are distinguished by their hobbies; men also have many different hobbies that can amaze to the core. Some people collect napkins from stores, some like to play sports simulators (which is wild in itself), but there are also those who spend their days pestering women and collecting their kisses. At the same time, they prefer to record their adventures on a video camera, and then put the videos on public display and make themselves great machos.
In any case, in our world there are so many different hobbies, activities, affairs, and all of them can captivate a person with a certain mindset for some time, and maybe even for the rest of his life. There are so many of them that there is simply no point in listing them further. On this page you can find hundreds of different videos, and they can be about anything. After all, how many people there are, so many hobbies. Each person can invent a specific time killer for himself. Sometimes you may even be surprised by what the human brain is capable of when it's bored, but don't be surprised if your own hobbies are strange to someone.
Look at people doing their favorite thing, laugh at the stupidity of what is happening, or emphasize for yourself certain things that you can find applications in your life. Here, for the most part, entertainment, information and stylish video content is collected.
Questions and answers frequently asked by new Christians.
35 short frequently asked questions for new Christians about the temple, candles, notes, etc.
1. How should a person prepare to visit the temple?
You need to prepare for the morning visit as follows:
Getting out of bed, thank the Lord, who gave you the opportunity to spend the night in peace and extended your days for repentance. Wash yourself, stand in front of the icon, light a lamp (from a candle) so that it evokes a spirit of prayer in you, put your thoughts in order, forgive everyone, and only then begin to read the prayer rule (morning prayers from the Prayer Book). Then subtract one chapter from the Gospel, one from the Apostle and one kathisma from the Psalter, or one psalm if you are short on time. At the same time, we must remember that it is better to read one prayer with sincere contrition of heart than the whole rule with the thought of how to finish it all as quickly as possible. Beginners can use an abbreviated prayer book, gradually adding one prayer at a time.
Before leaving, say:
I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I unite with you, Christ Jesus our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Cross yourself and calmly go to the temple, without fear of what the person will do to you.
Walking down the street, cross the road in front of you, saying to yourself:
Lord, bless my ways and keep me from all evil.
On the way to the temple, read a prayer to yourself:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
2. How should a person who decides to go to church be dressed?
Women should not come to church in trousers, short skirts, with bright makeup on their faces, and lipstick is unacceptable. The head should be covered with a headscarf or scarf. Men must remove their hats before entering the church.
3. Is it possible to eat before visiting the temple in the morning?
According to the regulations, this is not possible; this is done on an empty stomach. Departures are possible due to weakness, with self-reproach.
4. Is it possible to enter the temple with bags?
If there is a need, it is possible. Only when the believer approaches Communion should the bag be put aside, since during Communion the hands are folded crosswise on the chest.
5. How many bows should one make before entering the temple and how to behave in the temple?
Before entering the temple, having previously crossed yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and pray for the first bow:
God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
To the second bow:
God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.
To the third:
Without number of sins, Lord, forgive me.
Then do the same, entering the doors of the temple, bow to both sides, saying to yourself:
Forgive me, brothers and sisters, stand reverently in one place, without pushing anyone, and listen to the words of the prayer.
If a person comes to church for the first time, then he needs to look around, notice what more experienced believers are doing, where their gaze is directed, in what places of worship and how they make the sign of the cross and bow.
During a service, it is unacceptable to behave as if in a theater or museum, that is, with your head raised, looking at icons and clergy.
During prayer, you must stand reverently, with a feeling of repentance, slightly lowering your shoulders and head, as those who have done wrong stand before the king.
If you do not understand the words of the prayer, then say the Jesus Prayer to yourself with contrition of heart:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Try to make the sign of the cross and bows with everyone at the same time. Remember that the Church is the earthly Heaven. When praying to your Creator, do not think of anything earthly, but only sigh and pray for your sins.
6. How long do you need to be on duty?
The service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God. Would it be pleasant for the owner of the house to whom the guests came if they left before the end of the holiday?
7. Is it possible to sit at the service if you don’t have the strength to stand?
To this question, Saint Philaret of Moscow answered: “It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing.” However, you must stand while reading the Gospel.
8. What is important in bowing and praying?
Remember that it is not a matter of words and bows, but of raising your mind and heart to God. You can say all the prayers and make all the indicated bows, but not remember God at all. And, therefore, without praying, fulfill the prayer rule. Such prayer is a sin before God.
9. How to kiss icons correctly?
Lobyzaya St. the icon of the Savior, one should kiss the feet, the Mother of God and the saints - the hand, and the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and the head of John the Baptist - on the hairline.
10. What does the candle placed in front of the image symbolize?
A candle, like prosphora, is a bloodless sacrifice. The candle fire symbolizes eternity. In ancient times, in the Old Testament Church, a person coming to God offered him the internal fat and wool of a slaughtered (killed) animal, which were placed on the altar of burnt offering. Now, when we come to the temple, we sacrifice not an animal, but a symbolically replacing it with a candle (preferably a wax one).
11. Does it matter what size candles you place in front of the image?
Everything depends not on the size of the candle, but on the sincerity of your heart and your capabilities. Of course, if a wealthy person puts out cheap candles, then this indicates his stinginess. But if a person is poor, and his heart burns with love for God and compassion for his neighbor, then his reverent standing and fervent prayer are more pleasing to God than the most expensive candle, lit with a cold heart.
12. Who should light candles and how many?
First of all, a candle is lit for a holiday or a revered temple icon, then for the relics of a saint, if there are any in the temple, and only then for health or repose.
For the dead, candles are placed on the eve of the Crucifixion, mentally saying:
Remember, Lord, Your deceased servant (name) and forgive his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven.
For health or any need, candles are usually lit for the Savior, the Mother of God, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, as well as those saints to whom the Lord has given special grace to heal illnesses and provide help in various needs.
Having placed a candle in front of the saint of God you have chosen, mentally say:
Holy Servant of God (name), pray to God for me, a sinner (oh)(or the name for whom you are asking).
Then you need to come up and venerate the icon.
We must remember: in order for prayers to achieve success, one must pray to the holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God, with words coming from the heart.
If you light a candle to the image of All Saints, turn your mind to the entire host of saints and the entire Heavenly army and pray:
All saints, pray to God for us.
All the saints always pray to God for us. He alone has mercy on everyone, and is always lenient towards the requests of His saints.
13. What prayers should be said before the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and the Life-Giving Cross?
Before the image of the Savior, pray to yourself:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, or without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy on me.
Before the icon of the Mother of God, say briefly:
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Before the image of the Life-giving Cross of Christ, say the following prayer:
We worship Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.
And after that, bow to the Honorable Cross. And if you stand before the image of Christ our Savior or the Mother of God, or the saints of God with humility and warm faith, then you will receive what you ask for.
For where the image is, there is the original grace.
14. Why is it customary to light candles for the repose at the Crucifixion?
The cross with the Crucifixion stands on the eve, that is, on the table for remembering the dead. Christ took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, original sin - Adam's sin - and through His death, through the Blood that was shed innocently on the cross (since Christ had no sin), reconciled the world with God the Father. Besides this, Christ is the bridge between being and non-being. On the eve, in addition to burning candles, you can also see food. This is a very long Christian tradition. In ancient times there were so-called agapies - meals of love, when Christians who came to the service, after its end, all together consumed what they brought with them.
15. For what purpose and what products can be put on the eve?
Usually on the eve they put bread, cookies, sugar, everything that does not contradict fasting (since it can also be a fast day). You can also donate lamp oil and Cahors on the eve, which will then be used for the communion of believers. All this is brought and left for the same purpose for which a candle is placed on the eve - to remember one’s deceased relatives, acquaintances, friends, and not yet glorified ascetics of piety.
A note of remembrance is also submitted for the same purpose.
It should be firmly remembered that the offering must come from a pure heart and a sincere desire to make a sacrifice to God for the repose of the soul of the person being remembered and must be obtained from one’s labor, and not stolen or acquired by deception or other deceit.
16. What is the most important memorial for the dead?
The most important thing is the commemoration of the dead at the proskomedia, for the particles taken from the prosphora are immersed in the Blood of Christ and cleansed by this great sacrifice.
17. How to submit a note of remembrance at the Proskomedia? Is it possible to remember the sick at the proskomedia?
Before the service begins, you need to go to the candle counter, take a piece of paper and write as follows:
About repose
Andrey
Maria
Nicholas
Custom
The note prepared in this way will be submitted to the Proskomedia.
About health
B. Andrey
ml. Nicholas
Nina
Custom
In the same way, a note about health, including those who are sick, is submitted.
The note can be submitted in the evening, indicating the date on which the commemoration is expected.
Don’t forget to draw an eight-pointed cross at the top of the note, and at the bottom it is advisable to write: “and all Orthodox Christians.” If you want to remember a clergyman, then his name is put first.
18. What should I do if, while standing at a prayer service or other service, I did not hear the name that was submitted for commemoration?
It happens that clergy are reproached: they say that not all the notes were read or not all the candles were lit. And they don’t know that they can’t do this. Judge not lest ye be judged. You came, you brought it - that’s it, your duty is done. And what the priest does is what will be asked of him!
19. Why is the commemoration of the dead performed?
The whole point is that the dead cannot pray for themselves. Someone else living today must do this for them. Thus, the souls of people who repented before death, but did not have time to bear the fruits of repentance, can receive liberation only through intercession for them before the Lord from living relatives or friends and through the prayers of the Church.
The Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church agree to recognize the possibility for sinners of liberation from torment and the beneficial significance in this regard of prayers and alms, especially church prayers, and mainly bloodless sacrifice, that is, commemoration at the Liturgy (proskomedia).
“When all the people and the Holy Council,” asks St. John Chrysostom, - they stand with their hands stretched out to heaven and when a terrible sacrifice is presented, how can we not appease God by praying for them (the dead)? But this is only about those who died in the faith” (St. John Chrysostom. Conversation on the last to Phil. 3, 4).
20. Is it possible to include the name of a suicide or an unbaptized person in a memorial note?
It is impossible, since persons deprived of a Christian burial are usually deprived of church prayers.
21. How should you behave when censing?
When censing, you need to bow your head, as if you were receiving the Spirit of Life, and say the Jesus Prayer. At the same time, you cannot turn your back to the altar - this is the mistake of many parishioners. You just need to turn around a little.
22. What moment is considered the end of the morning service?
The end, or completion, of the morning service is the exit of the priest with the Cross. This moment is called release. During the holiday, believers approach the Cross, kiss it and the priestly hand holding the Cross as its foot. Having walked away, you need to bow to the priest. Let's pray to the cross:
I believe, Lord, and worship Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, as on It you brought salvation in the midst of the Earth.
23. What do you need to know about the use of prosphora and holy water?
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, when you come home, prepare a meal of prosphora and holy water on a clean tablecloth.
Before eating your meal, say a prayer:
Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my mental and physical strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities, according to Your infinite mercy through the prayers of the Most Pure One Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen.
The prosphora is taken over a plate or a clean sheet of paper so that the holy crumbs do not fall on the floor and are not trampled on, for the prosphora is the holy bread of Heaven. And we must accept it with the fear of God and humility.
24. How are the feasts of the Lord and His saints celebrated?
The feasts of the Lord and His saints are celebrated spiritually, with a pure soul and an undefiled conscience, mandatory visit churches. If desired, believers order thanksgiving prayers in honor of the Holiday, bring flowers to the icon of the Holiday, distribute alms, confess and receive communion.
25. How to order a memorial and thanksgiving prayer service?
A prayer service is ordered by submitting a note formatted accordingly. The rules for registering a custom prayer service are posted at the candle counter.
In different churches there are certain days when prayer services are held, including holy water services.
At a water blessing service you can bless a cross, an icon, and candles. At the end of the water-blessing prayer service, believers with reverence and prayer take holy water and take it daily on an empty stomach.
26. What is the sacrament of repentance and how to prepare for confession?
The Lord Jesus Christ said, addressing His disciples: Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.(Matt. 18:18). And in another place the Savior, blowing, said to the apostles: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they will remain (John 20:22-23).
The apostles, fulfilling the will of the Lord, transferred this power to their successors - the shepherds of the Church of Christ, and to this day everyone who believes Orthodoxy and confesses their sins sincerely before an Orthodox priest can receive permission, forgiveness, and complete remission of them through his prayer.
This is the essence of the sacrament of repentance.
A person who is accustomed to maintaining the purity of his heart and the neatness of his soul cannot live without repentance. He waits and longs for another confession, just as a parched earth awaits life-giving moisture.
Imagine for a moment a person who has been washing off bodily dirt all his life! So the soul requires washing, and what would happen if there were no sacrament of repentance, this healing and cleansing “second baptism”. Accumulated sins and transgressions that have not been removed from the conscience (not only large ones, but also many small ones) weigh on it so much that a person begins to feel some kind of unusual fear, it begins to seem to him that something bad is about to happen to him; then suddenly he falls into some kind of nervous breakdown, irritation, feels general anxiety, has no inner firmness, and ceases to control himself. Often he himself does not understand the reason for everything that happens, but it is that a person has unconfessed sins on his conscience. By the grace of God, these sorrowful sensations remind us of them, so that we, puzzled by such a plight of our souls, come to the consciousness of the need to purge all the poison from it, that is, turn to St. the sacrament of repentance and thereby get rid of all those torments that await after the Last Judgment of God for every sinner who has not cleansed himself here in this life.
Almost the entire sacrament of repentance is performed this way: first, the priest prays with everyone who wants to confess. Then he makes a brief reminder of the most common sins, talks about the meaning of confession, the responsibility of the confessor and the fact that he stands before the Lord Himself, and the priest is only a witness to his mysterious conversation with God, and that the deliberate concealment of any sins aggravates the guilt penitent.
Then those who are confessing, one by one, approach the lectern on which the Holy Gospel and the Cross lie, bow to the Cross and the Gospel, stand in front of the lectern, bowing their heads or on their knees (the latter is not necessary), and begin to confess. It is useful to draw up a rough plan for yourself - what sins to confess, so as not to forget later in confession; but you will have to not just read from a piece of paper about your ulcers, but with a feeling of guilt and repentance, open them before God, take them out of your soul, like some nasty snakes, and get rid of them with a feeling of disgust. (Compare this list of sins with those lists that evil spirits will keep during ordeals, and note: the more thoroughly you expose yourself, the fewer pages will be found in those demonic writings.) At the same time, of course, each extraction of such abomination and bringing it to light the light will be accompanied by some feeling of shame, but you know firmly: the Lord Himself and His servant - the priest who confesses you, no matter how disgusting your inner sinful world is, only rejoice when you decisively renounce it; There is only joy in the priest’s soul for the one who has repented. Any priest, after a sincere confession, becomes even more disposed towards the person confessing, and begins to treat him much closer and more caringly.
27. Does repentance erase the memory of previously committed sins?
The answer to this question is given in the essay on the Gospel theme - “The Prodigal Son”.
“...He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him.
The son said to him: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” And the father said to his servants: “Bring the best robe and dress him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and slaughter it: let us eat and be merry!” (Luke 15:20-23.)
The feast ends in the house of a good, merciful father. The sounds of rejoicing fade away and the invited guests disperse. Yesterday's prodigal son emerges from the hall of the banquet, still full of the sweet feeling of his father's love and forgiveness.
Behind the doors he meets his older brother standing outside. In his gaze there is condemnation, almost indignation.
The younger brother's heart sank; the joy disappeared, the sounds of the feast died down, the recent, difficult past arose before our eyes...
What can he say to his brother in justification?
Isn't his indignation justified? Did he deserve this feast, these new clothes, this golden ring, these kisses and his father’s forgiveness? After all, just recently, quite recently...
And the head of the younger brother bows low before the stern, condemning gaze of the elder: the still very fresh wounds of the soul ached and ached...
With eyes begging for mercy, the prodigal son throws himself on his knees in front of his elder brother.
“Brother... Forgive me... I didn’t organize this feast... And I didn’t ask my father for these new clothes, and shoes, and this ring... I didn’t even call myself a son anymore, I only asked to accept me to become a mercenary... Your condemnation of me is fair, and there is no excuse for me. But listen to me and maybe you will understand the mercy of our father...
What does this new clothing cover now?
Look, here are the traces of these terrible (mental) wounds. You see: there was no healthy place on my body; there were continuous ulcers, spots, festering wounds (Is. 1:6).
They are now closed and “softened by the oil” of the father’s mercy, but they still painfully hurt when touched and, it seems to me, will always hurt...
They will constantly remind me of that fateful day when, with a callous soul, full of conceit and proud self-confidence, I broke with my father, demanding my share of the estate, and went to that terrible country of unbelief and sin...
How happy you are, brother, that you have no memories of her, that you do not know the stench and decay, the evil and sin that reign there. You have not experienced spiritual hunger and have not known the taste of those horns that in that country must be stolen from pigs.
Here you have retained your strength and health. But I no longer have them... I only brought the remains of them back to my father’s house. And this is breaking my heart now.
Who did I work for? Who did I serve? But all my strength could be devoted to serving my father...
You see this precious ring on my sinful, already weak hand. But what I wouldn’t give for these hands to have no traces of the dirty work they did in the land of sin, for the knowledge that they always worked only for their father...
Ah, brother! You always live in the light and will never know the bitterness of darkness. You don't know the things that are happening there. You have not met closely with those with whom you have to deal there; you have not touched the dirt that those living there cannot avoid.
You don’t know, brother, the bitterness of regrets: what was the strength of my youth spent on? What are the days of my youth dedicated to? Who will return them to me? Oh, if life could start over again!
Don’t envy, brother, this new garment of your father’s mercy; without it, the torment of memories and fruitless regrets would be unbearable...
And should you envy me? After all, you are rich in wealth, which you may not notice, and happy with happiness, which you may not feel. You don’t know what irretrievable loss is, the consciousness of wasted wealth and ruined talents. Oh, if only it were possible to return all this and bring it to my father again!
But property and talents are given only once in a lifetime, and you can’t get your strength back, and time has gone irrevocably...
Do not be surprised, brother, at the father’s mercy, his condescension towards the prodigal son, his desire to cover the pitiful rags of a sinful soul with new clothes, his hugs and kisses that revive a soul devastated by sin.
Now the feast is over. Tomorrow I will start work again and will work in my father’s house next to you. You, as the eldest and blameless, will dominate and guide me. Subordinate work befits me. That's what I need. These disgraced hands deserve no other.
These new clothes, these shoes and this ring will also be removed before the time: it will be indecent for me to do menial work in them.
During the day we will work together, then you can relax and have fun with your friends with a calm heart and a clear conscience. And I?..
Where can I go from my memories, from regrets about wasted wealth, ruined youth, lost strength, scattered talents, soiled clothes, about yesterday’s insult and rejection of my father, from thoughts about opportunities that have gone into eternity and forever lost?..”
28. What does Communion of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ mean?
If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you (John 6:53).
He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him(John 6:56).
With these words, the Lord pointed out the absolute necessity for all Christians to participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The sacrament itself was established by the Lord at the Last Supper.
“...Jesus took the bread and blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying:
Take, eat, this is My Body. And he took the cup and, giving thanks, gave it to them and said: Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."(Matthew 26:26-28).
As the Holy Church teaches, a Christian, receiving St. Communion is mysteriously united with Christ, for in every particle of the fragmented Lamb the Whole Christ is contained.
The significance of the sacrament of the Eucharist is immeasurable, the comprehension of which surpasses our minds.
It kindles Christ's love in us, lifts the heart to God, gives rise to virtues in it, restrains the attack of dark forces on us, gives strength against temptations, revives the soul and body, heals them, gives them strength, returns virtues - restores that purity of the soul in us , which the first-born Adam had before the Fall.
In his reflections on the Divine Liturgy, Bishop. Seraphim Zvezdinsky there is a description of the vision of one ascetic elder, which clearly characterizes the meaning for a Christian of the Communion of the Holy Mysteries. The ascetic saw “...a fiery sea, the waves of which rose and seethed, presenting a terrible sight. On the opposite bank there was a beautiful garden. From there the singing of birds could be heard, the fragrance of flowers spread.
The ascetic hears a voice: “ Cross this sea" But there was no way to go. He stood for a long time wondering how to cross, and heard the voice again: “ Take the two wings that the Divine Eucharist gave: one wing is the Divine Flesh of Christ, the second wing is His Life-giving Blood. Without them, no matter how great the feat, it is impossible to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven».
As Fr. writes. Valentin Sventsitsky: “The Eucharist is the basis of that real unity that is expected in the general Resurrection, for both in the transubstantiation of the Gifts and in our Communion is the guarantee of our salvation and Resurrection, not only spiritual, but also physical.”
Elder Parthenius of Kiev once, in a reverent feeling of fiery love for the Lord, repeated the prayer for a long time: “Lord Jesus, live in me and let me live in You,” and heard a quiet, sweet voice: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him.
So, if repentance cleanses us from the defilement of our soul, then the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord will fill us with grace and block the return into our soul of the evil spirit expelled by repentance.
But we should firmly remember that, no matter how necessary the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is for us, we should not approach it without first purifying ourselves through confession.
The Apostle Paul writes: “Whoever eats this Bread or drinks this Cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
Let man test himself and thus let him eat from the Bread this and drinks from the Chalice this.
For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying” (1 Cor. 11:27-30).
29. How many times a year should you take communion?
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov commanded the Diveyevo sisters:
“It is unacceptable to confess and take communion on all fasts and, in addition, twelve and major holidays: the more often, the better - without tormenting yourself with the thought that you are unworthy, and you should not miss the opportunity to use the grace bestowed by communion of the Holy Mysteries as often as possible.
The grace bestowed by communion is so great that no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person may be, but only in the humble consciousness of his great sinfulness will he approach the Lord, who redeems us all, even if covered from head to toe with the sores of sins, then he will be cleansed by the grace of Christ, become more and more bright, will be completely enlightened and saved.”
It is very good to take communion both on your name day and on your birthdays, and for spouses on their wedding day.
30. What is unction?
No matter how carefully we try to remember and write down our sins, it may happen that a significant part of them will not be told in confession, some will be forgotten, and some will simply not be realized and not noticed due to our spiritual blindness.
In this case, the Church comes to the aid of the penitent with the sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, or, as it is often called, “unction.” This sacrament is based on the instructions of the Apostle James, the head of the first Jerusalem Church:
“Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).
Thus, in the sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, we are forgiven of sins that were not said in confession due to ignorance or forgetfulness. And since illness is a consequence of our sinful state, liberation from sin often leads to healing of the body.
Currently, during Great Lent, all Christians who are zealous for salvation take part in three sacraments at once: confession, Blessing of Anointing and Communion of the Holy Mysteries.
To those Christians who, for whatever reason, were unable to take part in the Sacrament of Anointing, the Optina elders Barsanuphius and John give the following advice:
“What kind of lender can you find more faithful than God, who knows even what did not happen?
So, lay the account of the sins you have forgotten on Him and tell Him:
“Master, since it is a sin to forget one’s sins, I have sinned in everything against You, the One Knower of the Heart. You forgive me for everything according to Your love for mankind, for it is there that the splendor of Your glory is manifested, when You do not repay sinners for their sins, for You are glorified forever. Amen".
31. How often should you visit the temple?
The duties of a Christian include visiting church on Saturdays and Sundays and always on holidays.
The establishment and observance of holidays is necessary for our salvation; they teach us the true Christian faith, arouse and nourish in us, in our hearts, love, reverence and obedience to God. But they also go to church to perform religious services, rituals, and simply to pray, when time and opportunity permit.
32. What does visiting a temple mean for a believer?
Every visit to church is a holiday for a Christian, if the person is truly a believer. According to the teachings of the Church, when visiting the temple of God, a special blessing and success occurs in all the good endeavors of a Christian. Therefore, you should make sure that at this moment there is peace in your soul and order in your clothes. After all, we don't just go to church. Having humbled ourselves, our soul and heart, we come to Christ. It is to Christ, who gives us the benefit that we must earn by our behavior and inner disposition.
33. What services are performed daily in the Church?
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity - Father and Son and Holy Spirit - Holy Orthodox Christian church daily performs evening, morning and afternoon services in the temples of God, following the example of the holy Psalmist, who testifies of himself: “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry, and He (the Lord) will hear my voice” (Ps. 54: 17-18 ). Each of these three services is composed, in turn, of three parts: evening service - it consists of the Ninth Hour, Vespers and Compline; morning - from the Midnight Office, Matins and the First Hour; daytime - from the Third Hour, the Sixth Hour and the Divine Liturgy. Thus, from the evening, morning and daytime services of the Church, nine services are formed: the Ninth Hour, Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Matins, the First Hour, the Third Hour, the Sixth Hour and the Divine Liturgy, just as, according to the teachings of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, from three ranks of Angels form nine faces, praising the Lord day and night.
34. What is fasting?
Fasting is not only some changes in the composition of food, that is, refusal of fast food, but, mainly, repentance, bodily and spiritual abstinence, purification of the heart through intense prayer.
Venerable Barsanuphius the Great says:
“Physical fasting means nothing without the spiritual fasting of the inner man, which consists of protecting oneself from passions. This fast is pleasing to God and will compensate for your lack of physical fasting (if you are weak in body).”
St. says the same thing. John Chrysostom:
“Whoever limits his fast to abstinence from food greatly dishonors him. It’s not just the mouth that should fast - no, let the eye, and hearing, and hands, and feet, and our whole body fast.”
As Fr. writes. Alexander Elchaninov: “In the dormitories there is a fundamental misunderstanding of fasting. What is important is not fasting in itself as not eating this and that or as depriving oneself of something in the form of punishment - fasting is only a proven way to achieve the desired results - through exhaustion of the body to reach the refinement of spiritual mystical abilities, darkened by the flesh, and thus facilitate your approach to God.
Fasting is not hunger. A diabetic, a fakir, a yogi, a prisoner, and just a beggar are starving. Nowhere in the services of Great Lent is there any talk about fasting in isolation in our usual sense, that is, as not eating meat, etc. Everywhere there is one call: “We fast, brothers, physically, we fast and spiritually.” Consequently, fasting only has a religious meaning when it is combined with spiritual exercises. Fasting is equal to refinement. A normal zoologically healthy person is inaccessible to influences external forces. Fasting undermines a person’s physical well-being, and then he becomes more accessible to the influences of another world, and his spiritual filling begins.”
According to Bishop Herman, “fasting is pure abstinence in order to restore the lost balance between body and spirit, in order to return to our spirit its dominance over the body and its passions.”
35. What prayers are performed before and after eating food?
Prayers before eating food:
Our Father, Who is in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for She gave birth to the Savior of our souls.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Bless.
Prayers after eating food:
We thank You, Christ our God, for filling us with Your earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as in the midst of Your disciples you came, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
It is worthy to eat as to truly bless Thee, Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
36. Why is the death of the body necessary?
As Metropolitan Anthony Blum writes: “In a world that human sin has made monstrous, death is the only way out.
If our world of sin were fixed as unchanging and eternal, it would be hell. Death is the only thing that allows the earth, along with suffering, to escape from this hell.”
Bishop Arkady Lubyansky says: “For many, death is a means of salvation from spiritual death. For example, children who die at an early age do not know sin.
Death reduces the amount of total evil on earth. What would life be like if there were always murderers - Cains, traitors to the Lord - Judas, human beasts - Nero and others?
Therefore, the death of the body is not “ridiculous,” as people of the world say about it, but is necessary and expedient. - Collection of some Orthodox literature.
There you can also find a lot of Orthodox literature, videos, and audiobooks.
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However, for many, a significant obstacle to visiting church is a simple lack of knowledge of the rules of behavior in the temple.
Basic rules if you come to church for the first time
A woman is supposed to wear a long skirt or dress when visiting a temple. Trousers are considered unacceptable. It is also not recommended to wear a tracksuit or shorts.
It is believed that all parishioners should wear long sleeves, regardless of the season.
You need to enter the church calmly, silently, with reverence. According to the rules, a man must remove his headdress, and a woman, on the contrary, must wear a headscarf. Usually those women who go to church for the first time take their headscarf. For the rest, you can use a “duty scarf”. And if it’s not there, then you can quietly ask the church workers. They usually have several scarves for the congregation for these occasions.
What prayers you need to know when going to church
Prayer of a person going to church
We rejoiced because they said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord. But by the multitude of Thy mercy, O Lord, I will enter into Thy house, I will bow to Thy holy temple in Thy passion. Lord, guide me in Thy righteousness; for the sake of my enemy, straighten my path before Thee; that without stumbling I will glorify the One Divinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
First time in church, how to behave
If you do not know these prayers by heart, you can copy them onto a piece of paper and read them from a sheet of paper, or use the modern option - download the prayers to your phone.
So, when you enter the church, make three prostrations. On holidays, three bows are performed from the waist. After which you can bow to the parishioners to the right and left. For some this will not be an easy task. Since a feeling of awkwardness or even shame will be a hindrance for some. If this is a problem for you, then you can limit yourself to the usual bow and crossing yourself three times. Try not to think about how you will look from the outside. Just bow and cross yourself three times.
Since ancient times, it was believed that the left side of the church was reserved for women during worship, and the right side, respectively, for men. Although this rule is rarely observed now, if you remember, and even more so know, you can use it.
During the service, you need to be baptized and bow your head when the priest makes the sign of the cross, the Gospel, an image or the holy cup. During the overshadowing with candles, the sign of the cross and censer, you only need to bow your head.
If there is no service, then you can go up to any icon you like, cross yourself twice, kiss the bottom of the image and cross yourself a third time.
During worship, you should not turn your head, look around, look at those praying, ask them about anything, chew gum, keep your hands in your pockets, shake hands with friends, or talk on the phone. If this is absolutely necessary, then it is better to leave the temple and make a call.
During menstruation, it is better for women to refuse to visit the temple, as it is believed that by doing so the woman desecrates the shrine.
Photography or video recording is not permitted in the church. But if there is an urgent need for this, then it is better to coordinate this issue with the priest in advance.
It is better to purchase candles before the service begins. There is a specially designated place in the temple for this.
The candle can be placed with either hand. Candles cannot be placed near icons during services.
Candles for health can be placed with any icons. And candles for the repose are only for a special canon. It is usually located at the beginning of the temple and has a square shape.
If you are placing a candle for the first time, then do the following: go to the canon and select an empty place where you will place it. Light yours from a neighboring candle and, having slightly warmed up the lower part of your candle from the neighboring one, place the candle on the canon.
Sometimes parishioners do the following: they buy the most expensive and thick candles and place them on the canon without lighting them. In this way, it’s as if I’m donating candles. If you wish, you can follow their example.
If you want to light a candle for some saint or pray to him, you should cross yourself twice, bow at the waist, light the candle, cross yourself again and bow.
Finally, you can take holy water. Holy water is usually found in a special container in the temple. If you don't see her, go to the church workers and ask. Usually the parishioners themselves pour the water.
First time at a church service, what to do
If you are going to church for the first time or are still thinking about it, you can do this. Dress as described above, take a scarf for women and a container for holy water (optional). Go to the church.
Buy several candles in the church and place them on the canon. Don't leave right away. Stay a while at the service if it is going on. If you don’t know when to cross yourself or bow, then you can “spy” from knowledgeable parishioners. They usually stand in the front rows and sing along during the service. You shouldn’t make a pious face or open your mouth as if you were also saying a prayer. Stand silently, listening to the words of the prayer. Try to feel God within you, feel the divine energy. If you don't feel anything, that's normal. Perhaps in the future everything will change. Stay in the service as long as you think necessary.
You may make donations after the service. For this purpose, the temple has special boxes with a cutout at the top. Usually they are located along the wall of the temple. When you drop money, try to do it in such a way as not to attract the attention of parishioners. Everyone donates to the temple as much as they see fit.
Also, if you wish, you can buy the icon you like. Remember that an expensive icon is no different from its cheap counterpart. Buy the icon to which your heart lies. Some recommend buying a Bible or Gospel. Before you do this, consider whether you will read it.
Also, if you wish, you can buy a cross or some kind of church decoration. If you took a water container, use it before leaving the temple. This concludes your first visit to church. When you leave the temple, cross yourself, bow and walk with God.
And finally, remember that a true Christian is characterized by his faith, and not by the frequency of church attendance, monetary donations or talk about spirituality.