What time does it start evening service in the church

Evening service - explanation

All-night vigil, or all-night vigil, is the name of such a service that is performed in the evening on the eve of especially revered holidays. It consists of combining Vespers with Matins and the first hour, and both Vespers and Matins are celebrated more solemnly and with greater illumination of the temple than on other days.

This service is called all-night vigil because in ancient times it began late in the evening and continued all night until dawn.

Then, out of condescension for the infirmities of the believers, they began to start this service a little earlier and make cuts in reading and singing, and therefore it now ends not so late. The former name of its all-night vigil has been preserved.

Below the cut is an explanation of the course of Vespers, Matins, and the first hour.

Vespers

Vespers in its composition recalls and depicts the times of the Old Testament: the creation of the world, the fall of the first people, their expulsion from paradise, their repentance and prayer for salvation, then, people’s hope, according to God’s promise, in the Savior and, finally, the fulfillment of this promise.

Vespers, during the all-night vigil, begins with the opening of the royal doors. The priest and deacon silently incense the altar and the entire altar, and clouds of incense smoke fill the depths of the altar. This silent censing marks the beginning of the creation of the world. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The earth was formless and empty. And the Spirit of God hovered over the primeval matter of the earth, breathing life-giving power into it. But the creative word of God had not yet been heard.

But now, the priest, standing before the throne, with the first exclamation glorifies the Creator and Creator of the world - the Most Holy Trinity: “Glory to the Holy and Consubstantial, and Life-giving, and indivisible Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.” Then he calls on the believers three times: “Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Him.” For “all things came into being through Him (that is, to exist, to live), and without Him nothing came into being that was made” (John 1:3).

In response to this call, the choir solemnly sings the 103rd Psalm about the creation of the world, glorifying the wisdom of God: “Bless my soul the Lord! Blessed are you, Lord! Lord, my God, you have been magnified in evil (i.e., greatly) ... you have created all things with wisdom. Wonderful are Your works, O Lord! Glory to You, Lord, who created everything!

During this singing, the priest leaves the altar, walks among the people and censes the entire church and those praying, and the deacon precedes him with a candle in his hand.

This sacred rite reminds those praying not only of the creation of the world, but also of the initial, blissful, paradise life of the first people, when God Himself walked among people in paradise. The open royal doors signify that the doors of heaven were then open to all people.

But people, seduced by the devil, violated the will of God and sinned. to his the fall from grace people lost their blissful heavenly life. They were expelled from paradise - and the doors of heaven were closed to them. As a sign of this, after censing is performed in the temple and at the end of the singing of the psalm, the royal doors are closed.

The deacon leaves the altar and stands in front of the closed royal doors, like Adam once before the closed gates of heaven, and proclaims great litany:

Let us pray to the Lord in peace
Let us pray to the Lord for heavenly peace and the salvation of our souls... Let us pray to the Lord, making peace with all our neighbors, not having anger or enmity towards anyone.
Let us pray that the Lord will send us “from above” - heavenly peace and save our souls...

After the great litany and the exclamation of the priest, selected verses from the first three psalms are sung:

Blessed is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked will perish... Blessed is the man who does not take counsel with the wicked.
For the Lord knows the life of the righteous, and the life of the wicked will perish...

Then the deacon exclaims small litany: « Packs and packs(more and more) Let us pray to the Lord in peace...

After the small litany, the choir cries out in verses from psalms:

Lord, I called to You, hear me...
May my prayer be corrected like incense before You...
Hear me Lord... God! I appeal to You: hear me...
Let my prayer be directed like incense towards You...
Hear me, Lord!..

While singing these verses, the deacon censes the church.

This moment of worship, starting from the closing of the royal doors, in the petitions of the great litany and in the singing of psalms, depicts the plight to which the human race was subjected after the fall of the ancestors, when along with sinfulness all kinds of needs, illnesses and suffering appeared. We cry to God: “Lord, have mercy!” We ask for peace and salvation of our souls. We lament that we listened to the wicked advice of the devil. We ask God for forgiveness of sins and deliverance from troubles, and we place all our hope in the mercy of God. Deacon's censing at this time means those sacrifices that were made in Old Testament, as well as our prayers offered to God.

They join in singing the Old Testament verses: “The Lord cried:” stichera, i.e. New Testament hymns, in honor of the holiday.

The last stichera is called theotokos or dogmatist, since this stichera is sung in honor Mother of God and it sets forth the dogma (the main teaching of the faith) about the incarnation of the Son of God from the Virgin Mary. On the twelfth holidays, instead of the Mother of God dogmatics, a special stichera is sung in honor of the holiday.

When singing the Mother of God (dogmatics), the royal doors open and evening entrance: a candle bearer comes out of the altar through the northern doors, followed by a deacon with a censer, and then a priest. The priest stands on the ambo facing the royal doors, blesses the entrance in a cross shape, and, after the deacon pronounces the words: “wisdom forgive me!”(means: listen to the wisdom of the Lord, stand straight, stay awake), he enters, together with the deacon, through the royal doors into the altar and stands in the high place.

At this time, the choir sings a song to the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ: “Quiet light, holy glory of the Immortal Father, Heavenly, Holy, Blessed, Jesus Christ! Coming to the west of the sun, having seen the light evening, we sing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, God. You are worthy at all times to be a holy voice. Son of God, give life, so the world glorifies You. (The quiet light of the holy glory, the Immortal Father in heaven, Jesus Christ! Having reached the sunset of the sun, having seen the evening light, we glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit of God. You, the Son of God, the giver of life, are worthy to be sung at all times by the voices of the saints. Therefore the world glorifies You).

In this song-hymn, the Son of God is called a quiet light from the Heavenly Father, for He came to earth not in full Divine glory, but as a quiet light of this glory. This hymn says that only through the voices of the saints (and not our sinful lips) can a song worthy of Him be offered to Him and due glorification be performed.

The evening entrance reminds believers of how the Old Testament righteous, according to the promises of God, types and prophecies, expected the coming of the Savior of the world and how He appeared in the world for the salvation of the human race.

The censer with incense at the evening entrance means that our prayers, at the intercession of the Lord Savior, ascend like incense to God, and also signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit in the temple.

The cruciform blessing of the entrance means that through the cross of the Lord the doors of heaven are again opened to us.

After the song: “Quiet light...” is sung prokeimenon, i.e. a short verse from the Holy Scriptures. At Sunday Vespers it is sung: “The Lord reigns, clothed in beauty”, and on other days other verses are sung.

At the end of the singing of the prokeimna, on major holidays they read proverbs. Proverbs are selected passages of Holy Scripture that contain prophecies or indicate prototypes related to celebrated events, or teach instructions that seem to come from the person of those holy saints whose memory we commemorate.

After the prokemna and paremia, the deacon pronounces strictly(i.e. enhanced litany: “Let’s say, let’s say, let’s talk, start praying) with all our hearts and with all our thoughts, with all our hearts...”

Then the prayer is read: “Grant, Lord, that this evening we may be preserved without sin...”

After this prayer, the deacon pronounces a petitionary litany: “Let us fulfill (let us bring to completeness, offer in its entirety) our evening prayer to the Lord (Lord)…”

On major holidays, after a special and petitionary litany, lithium And blessing of the loaves.

Lithium, a Greek word, means general prayer. Litiya is performed in the western part of the temple, near the western entrance doors. This is a prayer in ancient church was performed in the narthex, with the purpose of giving the catechumens and penitents standing here the opportunity to take part in common prayer on the occasion of a big holiday.

Following lithium happens blessing and consecration of the five loaves, wheat, wine and oil, also in memory of the ancient custom of distributing food to worshipers, who sometimes came from afar, so that they could refresh themselves during a long service. The five loaves are blessed in remembrance of the Savior's feeding of the five thousand with five loaves. Sanctified oil (olive oil) the priest then, during Matins, after kissing the festive icon, anoints the worshippers.

After the litia, and if it is not performed, then after the litany of petition, “stichera on verse” are sung. This is the name given to special poems written in memory of a remembered event.

Vespers ends with the reading of the prayer of St. Simeon the God-Receiver: “Now dost thou let thy servant go, O Master, according to thy word in peace: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all men, a light for the revelation of tongues, and the glory of thy people Israel,” then by reading the trisagion and the Lord’s Prayer : “Our Father...”, singing the Angelic greeting to the Mother of God: “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” or the troparion of the holiday and, finally, singing the prayer three times righteous Job: “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever,” with the final blessing of the priest: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you through His grace and love for mankind - always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”

End of Vespers - prayer of St. Simeon the God-Receiver and the Angelic greeting to the Theotokos (Theotokos, Virgin, Rejoice) - indicate the fulfillment of God’s promise about the Savior.

Immediately after the end of Vespers, at the All-Night Vigil, the Matins reading six psalms.

Matins

The second part of the all-night vigil - Matins reminds us of the times of the New Testament: the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world for our salvation, and His glorious Resurrection.

The beginning of Matins directly points us to the Nativity of Christ. It begins with a doxology of the angels who appeared to the Bethlehem shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Then it reads six psalms, that is, six selected psalms of King David (3, 37, 62, 87, 102 and 142), which depict the sinful state of people, full of troubles and misfortunes, and fervently express the only hope people expect for God’s mercy. Worshipers listen to the Six Psalms with special concentrated reverence.

After the Six Psalms, the deacon says great litany.

Then a short song with verses is sung loudly and joyfully about the appearance of Jesus Christ in the world to people: “God is the Lord and has appeared to us, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” i.e. God is Lord, and has appeared to us, and is worthy of glorification, going to the glory of the Lord.

After this it is sung troparion, i.e. a song in honor of a holiday or celebrated saint, and are read kathismas, i.e. separate parts of the Psalter, consisting of several consecutive psalms. The reading of kathismas, as well as the reading of the Six Psalms, calls us to think about our disastrous sinful state and place all hope in the mercy and help of God. Kathisma means sitting, since one can sit while reading kathisma.

At the end of the kathismas, the deacon says small litany, and then it is done polyeleos. Polyeleos is a Greek word that means “much mercy” or “much illumination.”

The polyeleos is the most solemn part of the all-night vigil and expresses the glorification of God’s mercy shown to us in the coming of the Son of God to earth and His accomplishment of the work of our salvation from the power of the devil and death.

Polyeleos begins with the solemn singing of verses of praise:

Praise the name of the Lord, praise the servants of the Lord. Hallelujah!

Blessed be the Lord of Zion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

Confess to the Lord that He is good, for His mercy endures forever. Hallelujah!

that is, glorify the Lord, because He is good, because His mercy (towards people) endures forever.

When these verses are chanted, all the lamps in the temple are lit, the royal doors are opened, and the priest, preceded by a deacon with a candle, leaves the altar and burns incense throughout the entire temple, as a sign of reverence for God and His saints.

After singing these verses, special Sunday troparia are sung on Sundays; that is, joyful songs in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, which tell how angels appeared to the myrrh-bearers who came to the tomb of the Savior and told them about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On other great holidays, instead of Sunday troparions, it is sung before the icon of the holiday grandeur, i.e. a short verse of praise in honor of a holiday or saint. (We magnify you, Father Nicholas, and honor your holy memory, for you pray for us, Christ our God)

After the Sunday troparions, or after the magnification, the deacon recites the small litany, then the prokeimenon, and the priest reads the Gospel.

At the Sunday service, the Gospel is read about the Resurrection of Christ and about the appearances of the risen Christ to His disciples, and on other holidays the Gospel is read, relating to the celebrated event or to the glorification of the saint.

After reading the Gospel, in the Sunday service a solemn song is sung in honor of the risen Lord: “ Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We worship Your Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Your holy resurrection: for You are our God; isn't it(except) We don't know any other way for you Your name we call it. Come, all faithful, let us worship the Holy One Christ's resurrection. Xie(Here) for joy has come to the whole world through the cross, always blessing the Lord, we sing His resurrection: having endured crucifixion, destroy death by death«

The Gospel is brought to the middle of the temple, and the believers venerate it. On other holidays, believers venerate the holiday icon. The priest anoints them with blessed oil and distributes consecrated bread.

After singing: “The Resurrection of Christ: a few more short prayers are sung. Then the deacon reads the prayer: “Save, O God, Thy people”... and after the priest’s exclamation: “By grace and bounty”... the canon begins to be sung.

Canon At Matins, a meeting of songs composed according to a certain rule is called. “Canon” is a Greek word that means “rule.”

The canon is divided into nine parts (songs). The first verse of each song that is sung is called irmos, which means connection. These irmos seem to bind the entire composition of the canon into one whole. The remaining verses of each part (song) are mostly read and called troparia. The second hymn of the canon, as a penitential hymn, is performed only in Lent.

Particular efforts were made in composing these songs: St. John of Damascus, Cosmas of Mayum, Andrew of Crete (great penitential canon) and many others. At the same time, they were invariably guided by certain chants and prayers of sacred persons, namely: the prophet Moses (for 1 and 2 irmos), the prophetess Anna, the mother of Samuel (for the 3rd irmos), the prophet Habakkuk (for 4 irmos), the prophet Isaiah (for 5 Irmos), the prophet Jonah (for the 6th Irmos), the three youths (for the 7th and 8th Irmos) and the priest Zechariah, father of John the Baptist (for the 9th Irmos).

Before the ninth Irmos, the deacon exclaims: “Let us exalt the Mother of God and the Mother of Light in song!” and burns incense at the temple.

At this time, the choir sings the song of the Theotokos: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior... Each verse is joined by the chorus: “The most honorable cherub and the most glorious without comparison seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.”

At the end of the song of the Mother of God, the choir continues singing the canon (9th song).

The following can be said about the general content of the canon. Irmoses remind believers of Old Testament times and events from the history of our salvation and gradually bring our thoughts closer to the event of the Nativity of Christ. The troparia of the canon are dedicated to New Testament events and represent a series of poems or chants in honor of the Lord and the Mother of God, as well as in honor of the event being celebrated, or the saint glorified on this day.

After the canon, psalms of praise are sung - stichera on praisetech- in which all God’s creations are called to glorify the Lord: “Let every breath praise the Lord...”

After the singing of psalms of praise there follows a great doxology. The royal doors open during the singing of the last stichera (on the Resurrection of the Theotokos) and the priest proclaims: “Glory to Thee, who showed us the light!” (In ancient times, this exclamation preceded the appearance of the solar dawn).

The choir sings a great doxology, which begins with the words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we bow down, we praise Thee, we thank Thee, great for the sake of Thy glory...”

In the "great doxology" we thank God for the light of day and for the gift spiritual Light, i.e. Christ the Savior, who enlightened people with His teaching - the light of truth.

The “Great Doxology” ends with the singing of the Trisagion: “Holy God...” and the troparion of the holiday.

After this, the deacon recites two litanies in a row: strictly And pleading.

Matins at the All-Night Vigil ends release- the priest, turning to those praying, says: “Christ our true God (and in Sunday service: Risen from the dead, Christ our true God...), through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the glorious Apostle saints... and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, for good and a lover of humanity."

In conclusion, the choir sings a prayer that the Lord will preserve for many years the Orthodox Bishopric, the ruling bishop and all Orthodox Christians.

Immediately after this, the last part of the all-night vigil begins - first hour.

The service of the first hour consists of reading psalms and prayers, in which we ask God to “hear our voice in the morning” and correct the works of our hands throughout the day. The service of the 1st hour ends with a victorious song in honor of the Mother of God: “ To the chosen victorious Voivode, for having been delivered from the evil ones, let us sing thanksgiving to Thy servants, the Mother of God. But as you have an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call You: Rejoice, unbrided Bride." In this song we call the Mother of God “the victorious leader against evil.” Then the priest pronounces the dismissal of the 1st hour. This ends the all-night vigil.

"The Law of God", Rev. Seraphim Slobodsky.

During the service, you need to carefully monitor its progress, cross yourself and bow along with everyone present in the church. Before lighting a candle or approaching an icon, you should also cross yourself. When entering and leaving the church they also bow and cross themselves. Church service does not tolerate fuss. Unnecessarily, they do not leave it during the service; women come with their heads covered and modestly dressed, if possible, without makeup; on menstruation days it is strictly forbidden to go to the temple, this is a great sin.

Conducting services in accordance with church regulations

There is a church charter, according to which daily services are held in monasteries and must be held in the church. How long does the church service last? First comes the morning service, then Divine Liturgy. Evening service takes place around 6-7 pm.

A specific time of day is not mandatory, but the service, by its purpose and content, is tied to a specific time of day, so the church adheres to holding services during the hours allotted to it. The duration of the service is also not limited by any canons. There is a centuries-old custom of conducting a service, which averages from 1.5 to 2-3 hours.

Services in the church are divided into daily, weekly, and annual services. Daily services last for 24 hours and then are repeated, thus closing in a circle. The same thing happens with the seventh and annual circles. The services do not have a specific ritual; only the daily daily services remain unchanged; this is the basis of worship.

How is a church service held?

Daily services are held daily. During the days of fasting, Great Lent and others, not only service to God is performed, but also a service is held in the church with confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Jesus Christ. Large parishes where people gather for services large number believers can perform two liturgies a day. Rural parishioners attend services on Sundays and holidays.

How are church services held? It must be said that services are not performed one at a time. For example, a service dedicated to Birth or Baptism (that is, an event that occurs once a year) is not separated into a separate service, but is combined with the services of the daily circle. The daily circle includes weekly and annual services. They are combined into one service, in which prayers, readings and chants are heard that are associated with the days of the year and week.

There are 9 types of church services in the church: In the morning - 9th hour, evening service, Compline, then midnight office. Matins, and then by the hour: first, third and sixth. In the evening, after the sixth hour - Divine Liturgy. The first hour joins the morning prayer, but is a special service. All services that should be held in the temple are usually seven.

All prayers, with the exception of the Lord's Prayer, were invented by people

The history of Christianity knows only one prayer, transmitted directly by Jesus Christ: “Our Father.” Then the apostolic instructions gave recommendations for reading daily prayers. In the morning, at three o'clock, at six, at nine and in the evening. In the morning - in gratitude to the Lord, on the third because Christ received the sentence. The sixth hour is the hour of crucifixion and the ninth is the hour of sorrow. Evening prayer- thanks to God. Just as in ancient times the apostles glorified Jesus Christ and the most significant events associated with his life and death, so today the tradition of worship in the temple is preserved.

Each of the listed services should be performed daily and independently in the church. But, lenient to the conditions worldly life, the church holds morning and evening services twice a day, that is, public churches do not strictly adhere to the rules. In monasteries, services are held in accordance with the church charter, as expected, seven times a day.

Jesus, in his instructions to the apostles, says that prayer must be sincere. Whatever the prayers written by others, a person always has the opportunity to turn to God directly, in his heart, and He will definitely hear a sincere prayer coming from the heart.

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 headdress, 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 doing ritual actions. During it, 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 the 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 performs 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 everywhere at approximately same time, although hours may vary slightly between parishes.

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, the evening service in the evening.

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 most often begins. church service.

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.

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 every 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.

Note: Christian holidays are divided into 2 types: movable and immovable twelve holidays. To the non-transitional 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: main holiday Christian.

  What time does the church service start? Features of Orthodox services

• 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.

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 you should visit religious institutions in modest attire; women should avoid revealing clothes and bright makeup.

Video

What time does morning prayer start in church?

In the book accessible language spiritual meaning is revealed Orthodox worship, initial concepts are given about how the temple is structured, how to perform sign of the cross, which means a priestly blessing, which is symbolized by a candle, prosphora, antidor, artos. The book will help people taking their first steps in the temple feel like they are in the house of the Heavenly Father

First steps in the temple

About the need to visit the temple of God

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth for our salvation, founded the Church, where he is invisibly present to this day, giving us everything we need for eternal life, where “the Heavenly Powers serve invisibly,” as it is said in the Orthodox chant. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20), He said to His disciples, the apostles, and to all of us who believe in Him. Therefore, those who rarely visit the temple of God lose a lot. Parents who do not care about their children attending church sin even more. Remember the words of the Savior: “Let the little children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14).

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verse 4), the Savior tells us. Spiritual food is just as necessary for the human soul as bodily food is for maintaining bodily strength. And where will a Christian hear the word of God, if not in church, where the Lord Himself invisibly instructs those gathered in His name? Whose doctrine is preached in the church? The teaching of the prophets and apostles, who spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the teaching of the Savior Himself, Who is true Wisdom, true Life, true path, the true Light that enlightens every person coming into the world.

Church - Heaven on earth; The worship performed in it is an angelic work. According to the teachings of the Church, when visiting the temple of God, Christians receive a blessing that contributes to success in all their good endeavors. “When you hear the ringing of a church bell calling everyone to prayer, and your conscience tells you: let’s go to the house of the Lord, then, if you can, put everything aside and hurry to the Church of God,” advises St. Theophan the Recluse. “Know that the Guardian Angel your call to the shelter of the house of God; it is he, the inhabitant of heaven, who reminds you of earthly Heaven, in order to sanctify your soul there with the grace of Christ, in order to sweeten your heart with heavenly consolation, and - who knows - maybe he is calling you there for another reason? to take you away from temptation, which you cannot avoid if you stay at home, or to shelter you under the canopy of the temple of God from great danger...”

What does a Christian learn in church? Heavenly wisdom, which was brought to earth by the Son of God - Jesus Christ! Here he learns the details of the Savior’s life, becomes acquainted with the lives and teachings of the saints of God, and takes part in church prayer. And the congregational prayer of believers is great power!

The prayer of one righteous person can do a lot - there are many examples of this in history, but the fervent prayer of those gathered in the house of God brings even greater fruit. When the apostles were awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit according to the promise of Christ, they remained together with the Mother of God in the Upper Room of Zion in unanimous prayer. Gathering in the temple of God, we expect the Holy Spirit to descend on us. This is what happens... unless we put up obstacles ourselves.

For example, a lack of openness of heart prevents parishioners from uniting in temple prayer. In our time, this often happens because believers do not behave in the temple of God in the way required by the holiness and greatness of the place. How is the temple structured and how should one behave in it?

About the structure of the temple

Temple of God in its own way appearance different from other buildings. Very often the temple of God has the shape of a cross at its base, for by the Cross the Savior delivered us from the power of the devil. Often it is arranged in the form of a ship, symbolizing that the Church, like a ship, like Noah’s Ark, leads us across the sea of ​​life to a quiet haven in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes at the base there is a circle - a sign of eternity or an octagonal star, symbolizing that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.

The temple building is usually topped with a dome representing the sky. The dome is crowned by a head on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ. Often, not one, but several chapters are placed on the temple: two chapters mean two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ, three chapters - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four Evangelists, seven chapters - the seven sacraments and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine ranks of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, sometimes they build and more chapters

Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple, a bell tower or belfry is built, that is, a tower on which bells hang, used to call believers to prayer and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the temple.

According to its internal structure, an Orthodox church is divided into three parts: the altar, the middle church and the vestibule. The altar symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. All the believers stand in the middle part. In the first centuries of Christianity, the catechumens stood in the narthex, who were just preparing for the sacrament of Baptism. Nowadays, people who have sinned grievously are sometimes sent to stand in the vestibule for correction.

First steps in the Orthodox Church: twelve facts you need to know.

Also in the narthex you can buy candles, submit notes for remembrance, order a prayer service and memorial service, etc. In front of the entrance to the narthex there is an elevated area called the porch.

Christian churches are built with the altar facing east - in the direction where the sun rises: the Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the invisible Divine light shone for us, we call the “Sun of Truth”, who came “from the heights of the East”.

Each temple is dedicated to God, bearing a name in memory of one or another sacred event or saint of God. If there are several altars in it, then each of them is consecrated in memory special holiday or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called chapels.

Home » Liturgical life » How a liturgical service is composed

HOW A SERVICE IS COMPOSED

Every time we come to the service, we hear prayers sung by the choir, read by readers and proclaimed by the priest. Have we ever wondered where they get these prayers from? And what you need to know to make them sound right moment? What kind of books does the choir director open for the choir in the choir?

The divine services of the Orthodox Church are performed according to liturgical books. The church charter does not allow the performance of divine services in memory, without books (Service Book, “Teaching News”). The Apostle Paul writes about church prayer: “In the church... let everything happen in order and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

Each service has its own name, its own rank (order), time and symbolism.

To compose each of the church services, you need to know well the Charter of worship, compiled over two millennia by the fathers of the church. During this time, many books were written containing texts for church services, for example, Octoechos, Menaion, Book of Hours, Service Book and others. The director or regent must be able to find in all these books the prayers assigned for each specific moment of each service.

The difficulty is that texts for the same service are contained not in one, but in several books at once. For example, the texts of the prayers for the rite of Vespers and the rite of Matins (together making up the all-night vigil on Saturday evening) must be searched immediately in the Octoechos, and in the Menaion, and in the Book of Hours, and in other books.

The reason is that in the Church, several holidays are simultaneously remembered every day, depending on several different calendars.

One calendar, as we are accustomed to, follows by months and dates, from year to year. According to this calendar, all the days of remembrance of saints and almost all the twelve holidays (Christmas, Annunciation and others) are celebrated. The texts of these holidays are printed in the book of Menaion. In total there are 12 volumes in the Menaion, according to the number of months.

The second calendar calculates the distance of days from Easter, which every year, as is known, falls on different days. And every year it turns out that after Easter, all the other holidays of this calendar are shifted. That is, Ascension, Trinity, the days of Great Lent and Holy Week, and some other holidays fall on different numbers. The texts of these holidays are found in the Lenten Triodion (on Lent), in the Colored Triodion (on Easter days) and in Octoechos.

Special mention needs to be made about the book of Octoechos. The title of the book comes from the Greek word Ὀκτώηχος, that is, “eight-voice.” The Octoechos is divided into 8 chapters, each chapter containing services for the entire week. (A week is a church week, where the first day is Sunday and the last day is Saturday.) All days in the week have their own dedication. Sunday is called in memory of the Resurrection of Christ. On Monday the angelic forces are remembered, on Tuesday - St. John the Baptist, on Wednesday - Holy Mother of God, on Thursday - the apostles and St. Nicholas, on Friday and Wednesday - the suffering of Christ on the cross, on Saturday - all the saints and departed Orthodox Christians. During one week all hymns are sung in the 1st tone, in the next week in the 2nd, then in the 3rd, etc. When all 8 voices are sung, start again from the 1st voice. This order is followed throughout the year. The hymns of Octoechos also belong to the Easter calendar system, since the counting of the voices begins each time anew from Easter.

It is possible to combine the holidays of both calendars thanks to the special, anciently established order of performing services in the temple. Every day, every day, the church appoints at the same set time, special rites that are repeated day after day. They are called, in order: Vespers, Matins and Hours, and some others. When we come to church, we participate in these services. All of them consist of their own, constant and unchanging prayers from the Book of Hours. Their words are probably familiar to everyone, for example, “Quiet Light,” “Vouchsafe, O Lord,” “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

There is no way to do without the Book of Hours at any service. But this book alone will not be enough. After all, during the service you still need to pray to the saint whose memory is on this day, and honor the event scheduled in the Easter calendar.

Morning prayer in church

Therefore, at certain, specially appointed moments of all daily services, the texts of the holidays are necessarily added to the original daily texts. The added prayers make up about half of the service.

So, to compose a service, you need to take prayers from the Book of Hours and add to them certain rules texts from Octoechos and Menaion. All of them are intended for singing and reading by the choir (the so-called choir of church singers and readers).

The main thing in the Church and in church services is conciliarity, joint prayer. Therefore, the divine service can be performed in its entirety by the participation of the people and the priest. He leads the service and says the prayers assigned to him, some out loud and some silently (the so-called secret prayers). All of them are printed separately in the book Service Book.

The main church service - the Divine Liturgy - is separated from the rest of the daily services and is not counted among them. But the method of compiling this service is similar - to the constant, unchanging chants that form the basis of the Liturgy (they are printed in the book of Irmologii), prayers dedicated to the holidays of this day are added from the Octoechos and Menaion.

The material was prepared by the regent of our temple Olga Belyakova

On our website you can order a commemoration in the temple for 40 days - forty-one for health and repose.
The commemoration begins within 3 days from the moment the order is confirmed.

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Schedule Services for the 2nd week of Lent 2019

Monday Venerable Simeon the New Theologian	9-00 Matins. Watch. Fine: priest Nikolai	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery: priest Nikolai
Tuesday Martyr Africanus, Publius and Terentius	9-00 Matins. Watch. Fine: priest Eugene 12-00 Unction at the Russian school: priest Nikolai 17-00 Vespers: priest Eugene	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery: 12 -00 Memorial service: priest Valery
Wednesday Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God	9-00 Matins. Fine. Vespers. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts: priest Valery, protodeacon Victor, assisting: priest Evgeniy 14-00 Catechesis 17-00 Vespers. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts: priest Eugene, deacon Alexander, assisting: priest Valery	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery: priest Valery 12-20 Prayer service for students in the church of St. Stephen: priest Vasily
Thursday Martyr Agapius and with him the seven martyrs.	9-00 Matins. Watch. Fine: Archpriest Sergius 14-00 Catechesis 17-00 Vespers. Matins (polyeleos): Archpriest Sergius	Kotlyakovskoe Cemetery: Archpriest Sergius
Friday Saint Serapion, Archbishop of Novgorod	9-00 Hours. Fine. Vespers. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts: priest Sergius, deacon Alexander, assisting priest Vasily 17-00 Vespers. Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Memorial service: priest Vasily, protodeacon Victor, Helping: Archpriest Alexander, Priest Sergius	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery: Archpriest Sergius
Saturday Venerable Alexy, man of God. Remembrance of the dead.	9-00 Liturgy: priest Sergius, protodeacon Victor, helping: archpriest Alexander, priest Vasily, priest Valery 14-00 Catechesis 14-00 Prayer service Uaru: Priest Roman 16-00 Prayer service for family well-being: priest Nikolai 17-00 All-night vigil: aspiring priest Roman	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery CSO: 16-00 All-night vigil: priest Eugene
Sunday 3rd week of Lent, Cross veneration. Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem.	7 -00 Liturgy: Archpriest Alexander , Deacon Alexander, helping: priest Sergius, priest Nikolai, priest Roman 10-00 Liturgy: Archpriest Oleg, Priest Vasily, (prayer service),Priest Evgeniy, Protodeacon Victor 17-00 Vespers: Priest Nicholas	Kotlyakovskoe cemetery: 10-00 Liturgy: Archpriest Sergius CSO: 9-00 Liturgy: priest Valery

Services in the temple are held daily.

Start evening service daily - 17.00

Weekdays:
in the morning the beginning of the service is 09.00

Saturday:
Divine Liturgy - 09.00

Sundays and holidays:
early Divine Liturgy - 07.00
late Divine Liturgy - 10.00

Sunday evening- Vespers with an akathist to the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Source" at 17.00 (other akathists are possible at this service depending on holidays).

Before any Baptism, by decree of the Patriarch, 2 mandatory catechetical conversations are held for parents and godparents. Conversations take place in the Church of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring” on Wednesday 14:00, Thursday 14:00, Saturday 14:00.

The Sacrament of Baptism is performed daily.
Weekdays - 11.00
Sundays - 10.00 and 12.00

Saturdays A prayer service is served in front of the icon of St. Martyr Huar at 14.00.

Lent and Nativity
The Sacrament of Anointing (Unction) is performed, the service is conducted by eight priests.