A Guide to Studying the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church

Worship is an important part of any religion. During worship, people should feel that they are communicating with God during the service. And divine services must be unified so that any priest can conduct the service, and so that the laity can freely come to any church. It is also necessary to bring church life to a single denominator. The Church must be united and all its members must live by the same rules.

“And we came to the Greek land, and led us to where they serve their God, and we did not know whether we were in heaven or on earth: for there is no such sight and such beauty on earth, and we do not know how to tell about it, “We only know that God is with the people there, and their service is better than in all other countries.”

The Tale of Bygone Years

For this purpose, they began to create liturgical charters, or, in Greek, typikons.

Typikon refers to both the liturgical charter in general and a specific book with a specific charter

The origins of Christian liturgical regulations are in Judaism

The first Christian communities were part of the Jewish religion. The law that Christ came to fulfill was given by God to the Jews. Therefore, early Christian services were almost identical to Jewish services.

The first Christians fully observed Jewish traditions.

Jewish worship was divided into temple and synagogue. During the service, the psalms were first read, then a prayer that glorified the greatness of God. Then they read the Law and the Prophets. The service ended with a blessing.

The Eucharist - communion with bread and wine - has become the main sacrament of the Christian religion

Christ himself began to preach in synagogues. Everywhere He speaks about the fulfillment of the Law and denounces those who violate it.

But at the same time He announced the New Testament. He gave the Lord's Prayer, which should be read, and gave the most important thing - the sacrament of the Eucharist - a rite during which a Christian eats the Body and Blood of Christ and thus unites with God.

Judaism and Christianity finally diverged in the 2nd century.

In apostolic times, the duality of worship, the combination of the Old and New Testaments, is clearly manifested. However, there were no uniform rules for performing divine services.

Decent and decorous

People who go to church more or less regularly know that any service in the Church is always performed according to its own rules. These rules are called by the military word “charter”. Today, Protodeacon Mikhail Belikov, a teacher of liturgics at the Saratov Orthodox Theological Seminary, tells us more about the liturgical regulations. This material is the first in a new section, where we will talk about various aspects of Orthodox worship.

— Father Mikhail, please tell me what the liturgical regulations are?
How to explain this to a person who still has little understanding of church life? — Before answering your question, we need to define what worship is. We must remember that everything connected with worship is based on Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The source, or rather, the “founder” of worship is the Lord God Himself. A clear example is the worship of the Old Testament Church, which was directly revealed by the Lord to the prophet Moses - right down to the size of the temple and its arrangement.

New Testament worship adopted much from the Old Testament, since the New Testament is rooted in the Old. But at the same time, New Testament worship would not have been possible without Jesus Christ, who at the Last Supper established the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Other Sacraments also have their basis in the Savior’s direct instructions about prayer and much more. The apostles, perceiving this, in accordance with the then needs of the Church and the circumstances of the implementation of the gospel preaching, developed divine services, guided by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the covenants of the Lord Christ. And their successors, the holy fathers of subsequent centuries, also developed worship under the influence of Divine grace, which always operates in the Church.

So, divine services in the Orthodox Church are performed according to the rules - we do not know of non-statutory services. We are strengthened by the words of the Apostle Paul, who in his letter to the Corinthians, speaking about the internal structure of church life, said: everything should be decent and orderly (1 Cor. 14:40 ), that is, according to the established order once and for all. Guided by this principle, the Church has developed a coherent system of liturgical regulations. Of course, in the first three centuries of Christianity there were no written statutes, everything was passed on from mouth to mouth and different Local Churches had their own customs. However, the development of the liturgical charter still proceeded in a single direction, differing in minor local features, but on the whole they adhered to the main thing.

Thus, the liturgical charter is a set of instructions that determine the structure, order of Orthodox worship, and the combination of services on different days of the year.

— Are these instructions contained somewhere? Where can you see them?

— The liturgical order and charter are contained in a book called the Typikon. This word comes from the Greek concept “sample, type, norm.” The Russian Orthodox Church is guided by the Slavic Typikon, which was formed from the Jerusalem liturgical features, primarily on the basis of the statute of the Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified and the statute of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem. We developed it in the form in which we have it now approximately by the 17th century.

The Typikon reflects the most diverse aspects of worship at different periods of the year or on a holiday, and combinations of several holidays are regulated.

—Who is responsible for ensuring that worship services comply with the regulations?

— Each clergyman is responsible for his degree of participation in the divine service - before the ordination we take an oath in which we promise to perform it strictly according to the charter. In general, the ruling bishop as the chief clergyman takes care of the regulation of worship, its decency and order.

—Who has the right to change the liturgical regulations?

— The Church has the right to make changes to the charter in its entirety. For the Russian Orthodox Church, such changes are adopted by the Council. But, of course, here you need to keep in mind that “changing the liturgical charter” does not mean breaking everything. If the traditions, spirit, and meaning of the service are respected, in principle there cannot be any fundamental changes in the charter, but clarifications are possible, yes. For example, the catechumen before Epiphany has now resumed - this is immediately reflected in the divine service, which reacts very quickly to changes in church life. The so-called Baptismal Liturgy, modeled on the Liturgy of Holy Saturday, came into use. Here are the changes in the charter: this service now has features related to the Sacrament of Baptism.

Minor changes that are necessary in a particular diocese can be made by the ruling bishop himself. Even at the parish level, changes to the charter are possible. For example, if according to the rules it is required to perform a polyeleos service on this day, with a certain degree of solemnity, then the rector of the temple has the right to make the service even more solemn and perform an all-night vigil. Of course, in changes you need to know when to stop and be guided by the instructions of the hierarchy - in no case should there be self-will. There is no need to deviate towards rigoristic, excessive implementation of all statutory requirements without exception - but a frivolous attitude towards the statute, reduction to unimaginable limits is excluded. There should be no extremes here.

— Father Mikhail, how not to confuse the charter with dogmas and canons?

— Dogma is a doctrinal truth formulated for the general church consciousness, which has such properties as revelation from God, immutability and binding for all members of the Church. The canon or canonical rules are part of the Holy Tradition, a set of laws, also binding on all members of the Orthodox Church, according to which it lives. The liturgical charter relates specifically to worship.

But here's what's interesting. Divine services are closely connected with both dogmas and canons. The dogma of the Church is expressed not only in the decrees of the Councils and not only through catechesis, but also through worship. And the canons determine in the liturgical charter its very regulations, that is, the order, rank, all possible conditions for the performance of divine services (when, where, in what case and who can serve, etc.), its deanery (the nature of reading, singing, etc. is determined). P.). In other words, the connection between the charter and canons and dogmas is very close.

— How can an ordinary person independently understand the liturgical regulations? And in general, is this necessary?

— Knowledge of the liturgical rules, in my opinion, is necessary for any Christian, because all worship, which is based on the Eucharist, is the foundation of Christian life.

Worship expresses our faith. Just as we express our feelings and movements of the soul through the movements of the body, so the teaching of the Church is expressed outwardly through worship. There is not a single religion that does not express its inner content through worship. This is real communication with God, which takes place according to certain rules that need to be understood. If we know the rules, then the sacred rites that we see in the temple, the prayers that we hear there, are an open book for us, and not a secret sealed with seven seals. If a person knows the history, structure and symbolism of the service, then he feels in the church as in his own home, or rather, as in the Heavenly Fatherland. “In a temple worth Your glory, we stand in heaven” - being in the temple, we should feel as if we were in heaven, as if on the eve of the Heavenly Kingdom, which here, in the Church, has already descended to earth.

I remember the words of one bishop: “If someone comes to divine services in the morning and evening throughout the entire church year, then we can safely assume that this person has attended a course at a theological academy.” So it is the duty of a Christian to know the divine service.

Where and how to find out is another question. Of course, knowledge of the liturgical charter is given only through practical means. Theory here has a very important, but still auxiliary role. If a person goes to church for a year or two, listens carefully, watches the ritual, and then checks his impressions from books, then the service becomes understandable, familiar and vital for him.

Today we have many manuals and textbooks for studying the charter. Here are the brightest, most famous: “The Divine Service Rules” by Vasily Rozanov, “A Manual for the Study of the Rules of the Orthodox Church” by Archpriest Konstantin Nikolsky, “The Rules of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church” by priest K. Subbotin, “The Liturgical Rules and Hymnography” by E. Nikulina. We can also recommend the book by Alexei Sergeevich Kashkin, a teacher at our seminary, “The Charter of Orthodox Worship.”

Today, you can easily study the charter - both with the help of books and the Internet. There are no problems with information on this issue. And a person who says that he wants to study worship, but no one teaches him, is simply lazy.

Photo by priest Makariy Tagaev

Newspaper “Orthodox Faith” No. 22 (498)
Interviewed by Natalya Volkova https://www.eparhia-saratov.ru/pages/2013-12-18-00-02-08-blagopristoyno

In the VI century. The Jerusalem Charter appears - the main church charter of the Orthodox Church

By the 6th century different types of worship services begin to gradually come to a common denominator. Gradually, more or less similar rules for conducting rituals and services are developed.

In the ancient monastery of St. Savva the Sanctified, they adopted a charter that is used by all modern Orthodox churches

In 524, in the Lavra of Sava the Sanctified, the monks adopted a charter, which then spread throughout the Christian East. The charter for the monastery was written by Savva the Sanctified himself.

The Lavra of Saint Sava the Consecrated is located next to Jerusalem, so the charter received the name Jerusalem.

The charter was quite strict, because Savva wrote it for the monks. The original version of the charter has not survived.

Shah Khosrow devastated Palestine during the war with Byzantium. The first edition of the Jerusalem Charter perished in the fire of war

Great Lent and Preparatory Weeks.

Basic liturgical instructions of the Charter of the Orthodox Church for the period of singing the Lenten Triodion.

This section of the site provides brief instructions on the charter regarding the services of Great Lent and their features. According to pious tradition, Christians, imitating the features of the statutory services of Lent, use these instructions for cell readings. So, for example, on weekdays, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is added to the morning and evening rules, the Canon of Penitence is read, echoing the Church, which strengthens the reading of the Psalter and Gospel on these days, and they delve deeper into the study of the Holy Scriptures.

Here are basic instructions on reading the Gospel and Psalms

The order of reading the Gospel during the Holy Pentecost The order of reading the Psalms during Lent

Week about the publican and the Pharisee.

• Beginning of the Lenten Triodion. On Sundays (before the Week of Vai), the service is performed according to the Octoechos and Triodion, and the Menaion is omitted (except for the days of remembrance of saints who have a vigil or polyeleos).
• The Sunday service of Octoechos is celebrated together with the service of the Triodion. The service to the ordinary saints is moved to Compline.
• According to the 50th Psalm: Triodion, tone 8: “Glory” - “Open the doors of repentance for me...”, “And now” - Theotokos, the same voice: “For the paths of salvation...”. Tone 6: “Have mercy on me, O God...” and the stichera of the Triodion, the same voice: “Many things have been done...” (sung up to and including the 5th Sunday of Great Lent).

Week of the Prodigal Son.

• Polyeleos - the 136th Psalm is added to the two Polyeleos psalms: “On the rivers of Babylon...” and is sung on the next two Sundays, before the start of Lent.

Ecumenical parental (meat-free) Saturday.

• The funeral service of Meat Saturday is being celebrated.
• Such a service also happens on Saturday before Trinity. If there is a temple holiday on this day, then the temple service is sung, and the Saturday funeral service is performed only in special cemetery churches - “tombs”, or on the previous Saturday (see Typikon, chapter 49, “On Meat Saturday ...”, 1 ‑e “see”).
• In the Lenten Triodion it is said: “After the dismissal of Vespers, we perform a requiem mass for the dead in the vestibule, and sing the canon of the ordinary voice to the dead.” The regulations for the funeral service are the same as during the singing of the Octoechos

Meat week, about the Last Judgment.

• The statutory service of this day has the same features as the service of the previous Sunday - the singing of the 136th psalm on the polyeleos and the repentant stichera according to the 50th psalm “Open to repentance...”
• From Monday until Easter, meat is not eaten.
• On Wednesday and Friday of the coming week, the Liturgy is not celebrated.
• On Wednesday and Friday, worship with bows and prayer of Ephraim the Syrian

It's a damp week. Forgiveness Sunday.

• Conspiracies for Great Lent.
• At the Liturgy, two Lambs are prepared: for Wednesday and Friday.
• In the evening of this day the first Lenten service is celebrated. At the end of Vespers, with the Great Prokeimn, the rite of forgiveness is performed.
• The altar cross, icons of the Savior and the Mother of God are brought out onto the solea and placed on lecterns. The abbot bows to the ground before them and kisses them. Then he addresses those present with a teaching about the Christian conduct of fasting and asks for forgiveness of sins from the clergy and the people, saying: “Bless me, holy fathers and brothers, and forgive me, a sinner, for the sins I have sinned on this day and all the days of my life with a word, deed, thought and all my feelings." Having said this, he bows to the people. Everyone bows down to him and says: “God will forgive you, Holy Father. Forgive us, sinners, and bless us.” To this, the serving priest (as a rule, the rector, and in monasteries - the vicar) replies: “With His grace, may God forgive and have mercy on all of us.” Then the abbot takes the altar cross. All clergy, in order of seniority, kiss the icons on the lectern, approach the rector, kiss the Cross and kiss the rector and each other on the shoulders (shoulders), mutually asking for forgiveness. The laity follow them, venerate the Cross, kiss the icons, which are usually held by the clergy, and ask forgiveness from the clergy and from each other. During the rite of forgiveness, it is customary to sing: “Open the doors of repentance ...”, “On the rivers of Babylon ...”, etc.
• “At Vespers there is consolation for the brethren at the meal” (Typikon, Chapter 49, “During the Week of Cheese Evenings”).
• After Vespers on the Week of Cheese and the other Weeks of Lent, it is necessary to perform Little Compline with a canon and bows.
• Throughout Great Lent, all services are performed according to the Lenten Triodion and Menea. From the Octoechos on weekdays only the Trinity, luminaries and sedals of the current voice are taken (see in the appendices to the Lenten Triodion). Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom does not celebrate Pentecost on the weekdays, except Saturdays and the Feast of the Annunciation.

From the 9th to the 11th centuries. the main liturgical charter was the Studite

The Jerusalem Rule was quite strict and not entirely suitable for the laity. In the 8th century Theodore the Studite, abbot of the Studite monastery in Constantinople, wrote a charter for it.

The Studite monastery was founded in the 5th century, so the Studite monastery is considered older than the Jerusalem one.

The Studio Rules differed from the Jerusalem Rules in their greater simplicity and liberality. There are no all-night vigils, monks are allowed to choose their own abbot, and one can leave monasticism without hindrance. The rules of fasting were also not as strict as in the Jerusalem Charter.

The Studite monastery has existed since the 5th century, but the charter that has come down to us was written by Theodore the Studite in the 8th century.

The complete original of the Studite Charter, recorded in the Studite Synaxar, has not survived. The oldest list is Hypotiposis, and the most complete edition of the Studite Charter has come down to us as part of the Typikon of Patriarch Alexei Studite.

The synaxarion is a book with liturgical instructions for the year, an integral part of the typikon.

The capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204 marked the final end to the dominance of the Studite Rite.

In Georgia, before the transition to the Jerusalem Charter, they used the studio Typikon of George Mtatsmindeli

Part I. Orthodox worship and its main attributes

At the beginning of each beginning there is an asterisk (if there are two beginnings on one page, then at the beginning of the second there are two asterisks), which plays the role of a link and correlates with the interlinear. At the bottom of the page, the day of reading of this concept is indicated interlinearly, and here is an introductory phrase with which to begin reading the concept. The phrases most often used in the Gospels are “At the time it was...” and “The Lord spoke...”.

Thus, when reading the Gospel during the service, one should, firstly, use the appendices to determine the Gospel and the number of the conception that is assigned for reading on that day. Then, having opened the desired beginning, you should immediately make sure, based on the interlinear translation, that it is really intended to be read on a given day. Next, you need to completely take the introductory phrase from the interlinear translation and then read from the very words that appear after the asterisk (that is, the words that appear before the asterisk in the main text of the Gospel are omitted in this case). The reading ends not where the next beginning begins, but only in the place indicated by the words “end...” (for example, “the end of the Epiphany” or “the end of the Sabbath”)83. If, in the middle of reading one beginning, the beginning of another reading is encountered, then in this case it is necessary to follow the main text, not paying attention to the interlinear text.

Some Gospel readings have a break in the text, or transgression

, when a certain passage in the middle of a given beginning is omitted.
In this case, it is necessary, having reached o, to skip the next passage, find the note “honor...” and immediately continue reading from this point. As an illustration, we present the most famous and frequently used reading with the “crime” - the 4th conception from Luke
(Luke 1:39–49, 56), which is read at matins on all the feasts of the Mother of God:

In those days, Miriam arose and went to the mountains with diligence, to the city of Judah. And Zechariah went into the house and kissed Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard Mary kissing, the baby leaped in her womb: and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And you cried with a great voice and said: Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb. And where do I get this from, so that the Mother of my Lord may come to me? Behold, as if the voice of Thy kiss came into my ear, the baby leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed is She who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to Her by the Lord. And Mariam said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in God My Savior: for I have looked upon the humility of My Servant: behold, from now on all my kindred will bless Me. For the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name.

Transgress the Mother of God.

And His mercy endures throughout all generations of those who fear Him. Create power with Your arm: squander the proud thoughts of their hearts. Destroy the mighty from their thrones and lift up the humble. Fill those who hunger with good things; and those who are rich, let go of their vanity. , this passage is omitted forever.

.

Honor the Mother of God:

So Miriam remained with her for three months and returned to her home.

The end of the Mother of God.

In this case, immediately after the sentence “For the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name,” it reads “Mariam abide with her for three months and return to her home,” and the intervening passage is omitted.

Due to the fact that many readings have “crimes,” it is necessary in advance (preferably before the service) to look through the entire beginning and note where and with what introductory phrase it begins, which passage is skipped (in the case of a “crime”) and where the beginning ends. In some cases, reading with a “crime” ends not in the present beginning, but several beginnings or chapters later. A typical example here is the Gospel for the feasts of the Mother of God at the liturgy - from Luke the 54th began:

During this time, Jesus came into the whole place: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister, called Mary, who even sat at the foot of Jesus and heard His word. Martha, speaking of much service, began to say: Lord, are you not delusional, because my sister has left me alone to serve? Thank you so much, let me help you. Jesus answered and said to her: Marfo, Marfo, worry and say about the multitude: There is only one thing that is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, and it will not be taken away from her.

Transgress to the Mother of God, at the beginning of 58

Subsequent verses 11, 1–26 are omitted, 11, 27 is read immediately

]

Honor the Mother of God:

When this was said, a certain woman raised a voice from the people, saying to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breast that Thou hast pissed. He said: Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

The end of the Mother of God.

Some conceptions have several “crimes”; a typical example is the Gospel reading at the liturgy on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, conceived from John in the 60s,

which has three “crimes” (like the Gospel for the Nativity of John the Baptist at the liturgy, from Luke the 1st):

In. 19, 7–35

] During this time, the bishops and elders made a council against Jesus, as if they would kill Him, and brought Him to Pilate, saying: Take Him, take Him, crucify Him. Pilate said to them: Capture Him and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him. The Jews answered him: We are imams of the law, and according to our law we must die, because we have created for ourselves the Son of God. When Pilate heard this word, he was even more afraid. And the praetor came back and said Jesus: Where are you from? Jesus will not give him an answer. Pilate said to Him: “Are you not speaking to me?” Don’t you think that the imam has the power to crucify you and the imam has the power to let you go? Jesus answered: Have no power over Me except it be given from above:

Cross the Cross.

Skipping verses 19, 11b–12

]

Honor the Cross

Pilate, having heard this word, brought Jesus out and sat down at the court, in place we say Liphostroton, in Hebrew Gabbath. It’s almost five o’clock to Pasce, and it’s almost six o’clock. And the verb of the Jews: Behold, your King. They cried out: take him, take him, crucify him. Pilate said to them: Shall I crucify your king? The bishop answered: not the imams of the king, only of Caesar. Then he handed Him over to them, so that He might be crucified. Let us eat Jesus and know. And carrying His cross, he went out to the so-called Place of Skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha, where he crucified Him, and with Him two others, here and here, in the midst of Jesus. Pilate wrote and laid the title on the cross. It is written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. There is a lot of this title from the Jews, because the place of the city was near where Jesus was crucified: and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman.

Cross the Cross.

Skipping verses 19, 21–24

]

Honor the Cross:

Standing at the cross of Jesus were His Mother and His sister, Mary of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus, seeing the Mother and the disciple standing, whom He loved, said to His Mother: Woman, behold, Thy son. Then the verb to the disciple: behold, your Mother. And from that hour the disciple was drunk in his own home. Therefore, Jesus knows that everything has already been accomplished,

Cross the Cross.

Skip verses 19, 28b–30a

]

Honor the Cross:

and bow your head, surrender your spirit. But the Jews, who have no heels, may not leave their bodies on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath day is great, praying to Pilate that their legs may be broken and lifted up. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and the other who was crucified with Him. She came to Jesus, as if she had already seen Him dead, without breaking His legs: but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a copy, and from it came blood and water. And he who has seen bears witness, and his testimony is true.

The end of the Cross.

Finally, it should be noted that twice a year - at the liturgy on Maundy Thursday and at Vespers on Good Friday - a composite Gospel reading is read, the scheme of which in both cases is identical: the text of the Gospel of Matthew is taken as a basis, into which passages are inserted in certain places from other Gospels. As an illustration, let us take the Gospel at Vespers of Good Friday, especially since one feature of its content allows us to notice even by ear the composite nature of this reading. So, according to the appendix, at Vespers of Good Friday the 110th of Matthew is read,

which consists of five parts: Matt. 27:1–38; OK. 23:39–43; Mf. 27:39–54; In. 19:31–37; Mf. 27:55–61:

Mf. 27:1–38

] During this time, all the bishops and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, as if to kill Him. And they tied Him up and handed Him over to the hegemon of Pontius Pilate. Then Judas, seeing that he had betrayed Him, having condemned Him, repented and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the bishop and the elder, saying: You have sinned by betraying innocent blood. They decided: what we have, you will see. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the church, departed, and hanged himself. The bishop accepted the pieces of silver, deciding: it is unworthy to put them in a corvan, since there is a price for blood. The council created, buying with them the village of the poor, for a strange burial. The same village was called Selo Krove to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, who said, was fulfilled: and thirty pieces of silver came, the price of the precious one, which was valued from the children of Israel: And I gave money to the poor people in the village, as the Lord had told me. Jesus stood before the hegemon, and the hegemon asked Him, saying: Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him: You speak. And when Nan said to the bishop and elders, you answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him: Do you not hear how many people testify against You? And he did not answer him in a single word, as if he were greatly amazed at the hegemon. On every holiday, it is customary for the hegemon to release one bond to the people whom he wants. The name is then deliberately associated with the verb Barabbas. And to those gathered together, Pilate said to them: Whom do you want will I release to you? Is it Barabbas, or Jesus the verb Christ? You know that you betrayed Him out of envy. And when he sat at the judgment, his wife sent him to him, saying: It is nothing to you and to the Righteous One: for you have suffered much today in a dream for His sake. The bishop and elders told the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. Having answered, the hegemon said to them: Whom do you want from both of us will I release to you? They decided: Barabbas. Pilate said to them: What shall I do to Jesus, the spoken Christ? All I said to him was: let him be crucified. The hegemon said: have you done some evil? They cried out too much, saying: let him drink away. Seeing Pilate, as if he succeeds in nothing, but more than rumor happens, taking water, washing his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this Righteous One, you will see. And all the people answered and decided: His blood be on us and on our children. Then release Barabbas to them, beat Jesus and hand him over to them so that they may kill Him. Then the warriors of the hegemon received Jesus at the trial, having gathered Nan the whole multitude of warriors. And he took Him off and clothed Him with a scarlet robe. And he plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and a reed on His right hand: and bowing down on one knee before Him, I cursed Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And Nan spat, took the cane, and beat him on His head. And when she mocked Him, she took off the scarlet robe from Him, and clothed Him in His garments: and led Him to be crucified. Outgoing, he found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: and therefore he decided to bear His cross. And having come to the place called Golgotha, which is the verb place of Kranie, He gave Him drink mixed with gall: and He tasted without wanting to drink. Crucifying Him, dividing His garments, casting lots: And sitting, I guarded Him. And placing His indictment on the top of His head, it was written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two thieves crucified with Him: one on the right hand, and one on the left.

Pass the Heel of the Great Evening, to Lutsa, conceived 111:

Honor the Heel of the Great Evening:

OK. 23, 39–43

] One of the accused evildoers blasphemed Him, saying: If You are the Christ, save Yourself and ours. The other answered and rebuked him, saying: Do you not fear God, for you are condemned to the same thing? And we, then, have accepted the truth, which is worthy of our deeds: This one has not done a single evil. And Jesus said: remember me, Lord, when you come to the Kingdom of Si. And Jesus said to him: Amen, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.

Pass the Heel of the Great Evening, in Matthew:

And again here honor:

Mf. 27, 39–54

] Those who pass by blaspheme Him, nodding their heads, and saying: Destroy the church, and build in three days, save yourself: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, the bishop, quarreling with the scribes, and the elders, and the Pharisees, said: He saved others, but cannot save himself? If there is a King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we believe in Him. I trust in God, that He may deliver Him now, if He wills: for I say, for I am the Son of God. Likewise, the thief who was crucified with Him was reproached by Him. From the sixth hour darkness came over the whole earth until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying: Either, Or! lima sabachthani? There is also: My God, My God! where have you left Me? And when Netsy stood there, he heard the verb, saying, “For this One speaketh Elijah.” And the abiye flowed from them, and received the lip, having fulfilled the task, and stuck it on the reed, soldering Him. The rest said: leave, so that we may see if Elijah comes to save Him. Jesus then cried out with a great voice and gave up the ghost. And behold, the curtain of the church was torn in two, from the highest to the lowest: and the earth shook, and the stone was disintegrated. And the tombs were opened: and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose: And coming out of the tomb, after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and those with him who were watching Jesus, seeing the coward and being, were greatly afraid, saying: Truly this is the Son of God.

Pass the Heel of the Great Evening, in John, conception 61:

Here you honor the Heel of the Great Evening:

In. 19, 31–37

] But the Jews, who had no heels, may not leave their bodies on the cross on the Sabbath: for that Sabbath day is great, praying to Pilate, that their legs may be broken and taken away. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and the other who was crucified with Him. But she came to Jesus, as if she had seen Him already dead, without breaking His legs: But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a copy: and from it came forth blood and water. And he who has seen bears witness, and his testimony is true: and this is the message that it speaks the truth, that you may have faith. For this to happen, that the Scripture might be fulfilled: a bone shall not be broken by Him. And again another Scripture says: they will look at Nan, who has perverted his blood.

And the Great Heel returned to Matthew 113:

And honor again here:

Mf. 27, 55–61

] But she and many women saw from afar, even walking after Jesus from Galilee, serving Him. In them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Jacob, and the mother of Josiah, and the mother of the son of Zebedee. And when I was later, a rich man came from Arimathea, whose name was Joseph: the same one also learned from Jesus. This one approached Pilate, asking for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered the body to be given. And Joseph received the body, wrapped in a clean shroud. And he laid it in his new tomb, which he had carved in stone: and having laid a great stone over the door of the tomb, he departed. One Mary Magdalene, and another Mary, sitting straight from the tomb.

The end of Heel the Great, evening.

Now let us pay attention to one small contradiction that arises when combining passages from different Gospels. The first passage of the Gospel of Matthew ends with the message of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus along with two thieves. Then a passage from the Gospel of Luke is inserted, which speaks of the conversion of the prudent thief. After this, the text of the Gospel of Matthew continues, where the following phrase is found: “The thief who was crucified with Him was also reproached by Him” (Matthew 27:44). It says that both thieves reviled Jesus. Interpreters explain this verse as follows: first, both thieves slandered Jesus, then one of them repented and turned to the Lord with a prayer recorded in the Gospel of Luke84. However, the problem is that in the composite liturgical reading for Good Friday, the message that both thieves reviled Jesus comes after

a story about the repentance of a prudent robber (and not before him). Obviously, such a contradiction arose due to the overlap of passages from two different Gospels and was not noticed by the editors of the liturgical Gospel. How to solve this problem? We can recommend that clergy, when reading the Gospel at Vespers on Good Friday, simply skip the verse of Matthew. 27:44; in this way the problem will be eliminated and this liturgical reading will become a single text, devoid of internal contradictions. To skip verse Matt. 27:44~there are not only exegetical reasons, but also canonical grounds, since precisely such a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the Holy Synod on November 19/December 2, 1918, chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon85. Unfortunately, in the editions of the liturgical Gospel published in the 20th century, this definition of the Holy Synod was not reflected.

Parallel to the regulations for monks, there were regulations for laity

Liturgical practice in monasteries differed from liturgical practice in parish churches. Neither parish priests nor parishioners could carry out the strict monastic rules.

The history of secular statutes is poorly known. Only the Constantinople Charter of the Great Church has reached us.

The secular charter known to us was drawn up at the main church of the Byzantine Empire - Hagia Sophia. Therefore, the charter was called the Charter of the Great Church

There is no disciplinary part in the charter, and divine services are particularly solemn; singing in them prevailed over reading.

The basis of the service was synapti - common prayers of the clergy and laity.

The charter of the Great Church disappeared along with Byzantium, other secular charters were replaced by the Jerusalem one.

Protopsalt Constantine tried to create a new secular charter in 1838. He created the Typikon of the Great Church of Christ. He took the same Jerusalem Charter as a basis.

Protopsalt is the main singer.

In 1888, protopsalt George Violakis revised the typicon of Constantine. The new typikon was called the Violakis Typikon and is now used in Bulgaria and, partly, in Greece.

Believers should attend worship services regularly

“If anyone, a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or one of those numbered among the clergy, or a layman, does not have any urgent need or obstacle, by which he would be removed from his church for a long time, but is in the city, on three Sundays over the course of three weeks, does not come to the church meeting: then the cleric will be expelled from the clergy, and the layman will be removed from communion” (80th Ave. of the 6th Ecumenical Council)

This is how Balsamon explains the reason for this punishment:

“... for from this one of two things is revealed - either that he does not take any care in fulfilling the divine commands to pray to God and sing songs, or he is not faithful. For why, within twenty days, did he not want to be in church with Christians and have fellowship with the faithful people of God?” (interpretation of Balsamon at 80th Ave. of the 6th Ecumenical Council)

“On weeks and on holidays, command not to do anything, but to come to church, as befits a Christian: whoever does this during the week and on holidays, let him be excommunicated.” (Article 162 of the Nomocanon at the Great Trebnik).

The full rules of worship were recorded in writing in the 11th century. Nikon Montenegrin

By the 11th century. there were 2 branches of statutes: Studite, based on the statute of Theodore the Studite, and Jerusalem, based on the statute of Savva the Sanctified. Nikon Chernogorets took charge of editing and drawing up a unified charter. He found out that there are different editions of the same typikons, with various disagreements among themselves. At the same time, the existing disagreements did not have any serious significance.

Order of 12 Psalms

an echo of the ancient monastery charters

There were two significant differences: all-night vigils on Sundays and holidays and the singing of the Great Doxology at Matins.

In fact, almost everything was ready in order to bring together everything available in the Christian church. After researching all the typikons available to Nikon Montenegrin, he took the Jerusalem one as a basis. There were several reasons:

1. The Jerusalem Rule contained references to Holy Scripture. This gave the statute more authority. There are no such references in the Studio Charter.
2. The lists with the text of the Jerusalem Rule were older than the lists with the text of the Studite Rule.
3. The Jerusalem Rule is stricter than the Studite Rule.

From the 12th century The Jerusalem Charter begins to gradually supplant the Studite Charter. In the 12th century The Jerusalem Charter was adopted in Greece and Georgia in the 14th century. - in Serbia and Bulgaria, in the 15th century. - in Rus'.

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Every time an Orthodox Christian goes to church, he must enter it as into the house of God, with fear and reverence, leaving behind the doors of the church everything worldly, trying as much as possible to silence the violent thoughts of his heart. Church tradition prescribes when entering the church to read the verses of the 5th Psalm: “I will go into Your house, I will bow to Your holy temple, in Your passion...” Before entering the temple, you should make 3 bows with the prayer: “God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me."

Upon entering the temple, you should bow 3 times with the same prayer, and then bow to the right and left to the people who entered first, with the words: “Forgive and bless, fathers and brothers.”

Having stood in your place, you should begin your prayer as follows: bow three times with the words: “God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me (bow). Creating me. Lord, have mercy on me (bow). Without the number of sinners. Lord, forgive me (bow).” Then pray to the Cross of the Lord: “We bow to Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection” and perform worship. Then you should pray to the Most Holy Theotokos: “It is worthy to eat...” and worship her: “Glory, even now. Lord have mercy (three times). Bless”, “Our fathers through the prayers of the saints. Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen" and bow again.

Standing in your place, you should not turn around, look around, make noise, cough, talk with neighbors, and generally distract the attention of the Orthodox from the service either by word, deed or movement, but you should remain with the fear of God in silence and silence, paying all attention to service of God, reading and church singing.

According to the ancient rule, men should stand on the right side of the temple, and women on the left.

All worship during divine services must be done in accordance with the Church Charter, without deviating from it and without adding anything of oneself to it.

Here is how the Typikon speaks about this: “It was not because the holy fathers conceived of holy veneration and prayer, and gave the Church a charter: but having the mind in holy veneration and prayer, we will bear fruit with right thoughts. Moreover, if anyone wants to keep the traditions of the saints and in the holy church, orderly prayer and prostrations: if you are the primate, let him not neglect these things; Whether it is a cleric or a citizen, let him heed: when a great bow is written, let him do it slowly, after saying the holy prayer, with the fear of God. And where a simple bow is written, then let him simply bow, and not in conjunction with prayer, but first the prayer, and bow after the prayer. And not like none, not submitting to the holy fathers of tradition, below the knowledge of the art of holy bows, below the holy prayer they mean to pray well, but having bowed with a single hunched position, bowing a little, crossing themselves, nods with their head, and with that kind of rank fills the faithful from the father of bows: below He prays to God with mental and soulful prayer, but whenever he hunches over, he makes his vain bows, and so he hurries to say the prayer of St. Ephraim, as if in amazement. In the same way, he hurries to bow all prayers, and from those imaginary dishonest bows, and from his insane prayer, he rises up, like a fool, lower than he knows what he has done, lower they look at the primate of the church, but in another way he anticipates, they are restless, like a cane shaken by the wind , despite the best, they want to learn below: but as soon as someone has formed his character, that is how he is affirmed to be. It’s scary, both rivers, but not ignorant of the father’s affirmation they have to fall under the prohibitions, even as is read on the Orthodox Sunday of Holy Lent, the Council of the Holy Seventh Ecumenical Council: everything, except for church tradition, and teachings, and images of saints and ever-memorable father, renewed or therefore done , anathema.

We are also talking about the one prayer that is holy to all, which lies in the sacrament of the church, from which the priest recites the doxology, saying: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace.” In peace, let us pray to the Lord, and let us ask what kind of prayer to say, as it should be, not knowing, and let us not be verbose, teaches us about prayer, and first of all, the morality, as it is appropriate to pray in the world. What then, according to the doxology of Abiy, commanded and asked? Below, confessing first, below, giving thanks to God: but what do they ask? - Yes, there will be pardons. This petition is of people who have been condemned and have sinned, who have not a single answer, or who judge righteous guilt, emit this voice, and cry out: “Lord, have mercy,” not because of our righteousness, but because of Your love for mankind: and so on. The presbyter also says: “Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and for the salvation of our souls.” The priest will pray together with the people, and say: O people, let us pray to the Lord, that He may give us His peace and save our souls. And the people answer: “Lord have mercy.” Therefore, other understandings. When the deacon says: “With all our prayers...”, this verb brings nothing else to the understanding, but precisely the very thing that everyone should pray together, not just the clergy alone, but also everyone who is found in the church. The deacon also says: “And with all my soul, and with all our thoughts.” But what did we clean? - nothing else, except the same general prayer: “Lord have mercy.” About this holy prayer, Saint Chrysostom writes to the Corinthians, in the 18th Moral Teaching: “For for those who act in common repentance, there are prayers both from the priest and from the people: and they all say the same prayer, filled with mercy, which is “Lord have mercy.” "

For this reason, it is written in the Service Books: people say this, or it is written in their place. In the holy Eastern Church, things are not done differently, but they are written as they are. Where it is written, “people say,” then all together, the little ones are found in the church, saying: either “Lord, have mercy,” or “Lord, grant,” or “And with your spirit,” or “Our Father.” Even if this is not happening among us, it is still appropriate to create. For, as above, when the deacon says: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace,” or “With our prayers, all of us,” then it is appropriate for everyone to answer: “Lord, have mercy.” If it were to answer to a single clergy, they would not write: people say. Likewise, the holy sacred Chrysostom in the same moral teaching says again: “During the most terrible mysteries, the priest greets the people: “Peace be with you,” and the people also greet the priest, saying: “And your spirit.” There is nothing else except this: even thanksgiving is common, below that he himself thanks, but also all people. The first thing they receive is a voice: even those who agree that this happens worthily and righteously, then the thanksgiving begins. And why do you wonder if there is nowhere where people speak with a priest, where even with the Cherubim themselves and with the highest powers they send out common sacred songs? This whole thing was said, so that everyone, even those who begin, will be sober in this teaching: let us know that we are all one body, just as we have differences from each other, just as we share our souls. And we do not cast everything on the priests, but we ourselves also grieve for the common body, for the Church as a whole. This greater affirmation teaches us and you the greatest virtues: even if we pass through this, we will receive the mercy of God here, and in the future the Kingdom of Heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord. For to Him be glory, together with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, forever, Amen” (Typikon, chapter 49).

At every service:

you should make the following signs of the cross without bowing, signs of the cross with bows from the waist, and signs of the cross with bows to the ground[2]:

- at the initial exclamation of each service - 3 bows from the waist;

- on every Trisagion; “Come, let us worship...”; “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God,” - 3 bows;

exceptions: a) in the first part of Matins, before the Six Psalms, only the signs of the cross without bows are performed; b) on Alleluia (three times), during kathismas on Sundays and holidays, bows are left;

- on “Our Father...” (at the beginning) - bow;

- at the end of “It is worthy to eat...” (or Zadostoynik) - bow;

- when singing, reading troparions, kontakions, stichera, when the words express worship, one must bow;

- at each petition after all litanies - a bow;

- at each priestly exclamation - a bow.

[2] Here we will indicate the Rules for all seasons, with the exception of Lent.

During the all-night vigil:

- at the beginning of the six psalms, with the triple “Glory to God in the highest” - 3 signs of the cross (without bowing!);

- in the middle of the six psalms, with three times “Alleluia” - 3 signs of the cross (without bowing!);

- during the polyeleos, during the first and last magnification (which are sung by the clergy in the middle of the temple) - after bowing to the ground;

- to “Glory to Thee, Lord...” before reading the Gospel and after reading - by bowing;

- before kissing the Holy Gospel or St. icons - 2 bows;

- after kissing - 1 bow;

- at the canon, with all choruses of all nine songs - bow;

- at “My soul magnifies the Lord”, at the end of each “Most Honest” - a bow;

- on “Glory to You, who showed us the light” before the great doxology - bow;

- After the great doxology on the Trisagion - 3 bows.

During the liturgy:

- after all litanies at all petitions - by bow;

exception: on petitions intended for the prayer of the catechumens, such as: “Pray, catechumen, O Lord” and “Catechumenate, bow your heads to the Lord,” you should not bow;

- at all priestly exclamations - by bow;

- after the small entrance, while singing “Come, let us bow” - bow;

- at the exclamation “For Thou art Holy, our God” - the sign of the cross without bowing;

- to “Lord, save the pious” - bow;

- to the deacon’s exclamation “And forever and ever” - bow without the sign of the cross;

- on the Trisagion - 3 bows;

- to “Glory to Thee, Lord...” before reading the Gospel and after it - by bowing;

- at the great entrance, when the priest proclaims “You and all Orthodox Christians” - bow without the sign of the cross;

- at the end of the Cherubic Song, while singing “Alleluia” - 3 bows;

- at the beginning of the Creed - the sign of the cross without bowing;

- at the end of the Creed, at “...the tea of ​​the resurrection of the dead...” - bow;

- at the “Grace of the World”, at each exclamation of the deacon or priest - a bow from the waist;

- at the exclamation “We thank the Lord”, when singing “It is worthy and righteous to worship...” - bow to the ground;

- at the Lord’s words: “Take, eat...” and “Drink from it all...” - with a deep bow from the waist;

- after the consecration of the Holy Gifts (that is, before singing “It is Worthy to Eat” or the Zadostoynik) - bow to the ground;

- after “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik - bow;

- on the “Our Father”, at the beginning - a bow to the ground;

- on “Our Father” at the end (with the words “...deliver us from evil”) - bow;

- at the exclamation “Holy to Holies” - 3 bows or prostration;

- at the first appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation “With the fear of God...” - bow to the ground;

- after reading the prayer for Communion “Lord, I believe and confess...”, all communicants, before approaching the Holy Chalice, bow to the ground, and those who do not partake bow to the ground;

- at the second appearance of the Holy Gifts, at the exclamation “Always, now and ever...” all those who did not receive communion bowed to the ground, and those who received communion bowed from the waist;

- When reading the prayer behind the pulpit, stand with your head bowed.

In addition to these bows, there are also the following:

- when shouting “Peace to all” or “Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...”, when the priest blesses the people, bow your head, without the sign of the cross;

- when leaving without the Cross - bow your head, without the sign of the cross;

- when reading the Gospel - stand with your head bowed;

- when censing - respond to the censer with a bow, without the sign of the cross;

- when shouting “Bow your heads to the Lord”

- bow your head;

- when leaving with the Cross - bow with the sign of the cross;

- when overshadowing those praying with the Cross, Gospel, icon or Chalice - bow with the sign of the cross;

- when overshadowing those praying with candles or hands - bow without the sign of the cross.

When leaving the temple, the same prayers are read as when entering, and 3 bows are also performed with the usual prayer.

When an Orthodox Christian wishes to receive the blessing of a priest (or bishop), he approaches the priest (bishop), bows his head, folds his hands palms up, right to left, and says: “Bless, Holy Father (Vladyka).” And then, having received the blessing, he kisses the right hand of the one who blessed. You should not be baptized when receiving a blessing.

You cannot ask for a blessing from the priest performing incense, because... at this time he performs a sacred rite, and it is impossible to interrupt the sacred rite without a particularly important reason. During the service you cannot venerate icons; this must be done either before or after the service.

During the divine service, you cannot occupy the places intended for sacred rites - the sole, the pulpit, the space between the pulpit and the lectern with the festive icon and, during the litia and polyeleos, the space from the lectern with the festive icon to the church vestibule, because may interfere with the performance of a statutory service.

On the days of the Holy Pentecost:

When pronouncing the prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: Lord and Master of my belly, 16 bows are required, of which 4 are earthly (great) and 12 are bowed at the waist. The church charter commands to read this prayer with tenderness and fear of God, standing upright and raising the mind and heart to God. Having completed the first part of the prayer - Lord and Master of my belly - it is necessary to make a great bow. Then, standing upright, still turning your thoughts and feelings to God, you should say the second part of the prayer - the Spirit of Chastity - and, having finished it, again make a great bow. After saying the third part of the prayer - to Her, Lord the King - the third bow to the ground is due. Then 12 bows are made from the waist (“out of slight fatigue”) with the words: God, cleanse me (me), a sinner. Having made small bows, they read the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian again, but not dividing it into parts, but the whole thing, and at the end of it they bow to the ground (the fourth). This holy prayer is said at all weekly Lenten services, that is, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays.

At Vespers, one bow to the ground is required after hymns to the Virgin Mary, Rejoice; Baptist of Christ; Pray for us, holy apostles.

At Great Compline one should listen carefully to the reading of church prayers. After the Creed, while singing the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, pray for us sinners and other prayer verses, at the end of each verse a prostration is required, and during polyeleos celebrations - a bow.

About bows when reading the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete, the Rule says: “For each troparion we perform three throwings, saying the real refrain: Having mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.”

On the Lord of strength, be with us and other verses rely on one bow from the waist.

When the priest pronounces the great dismissal - the prayer of the Master, the Most Merciful, it is necessary to bow to the ground, with heartfelt tenderness asking the Lord for forgiveness of sins.

After the troparions of the hours with their verses (1st hour: Hear my voice in the morning; 3rd hour: Lord, Who is Your Most Holy Spirit; 6th hour: Like the sixth day and hour; 9th hour: Like the ninth hour) three prostrations are required; on the troparion to Your Most Pure Image - one bow to the ground; at all hours at the end of the Theotokos (at the 1st hour: What shall we call Thee, O Blessed One; at the 3rd hour: Mother of God, you are the vine of the wall; at the 6th hour: For not the imams of boldness; at the 9th hour: For those of us who were born, three small bows are made.

In the rite of representation, during the singing of the Blessed One: In Thy Kingdom, remember us, Lord, after each verse with the chorus one is supposed to make a small bow, and during the last three times of singing Remember Us, three bows to the ground are supposed; according to the prayer Loosen, leave, although there is no indication in the Charter, it is an ancient custom to bow at all times (from the waist or to the ground - depending on the day).

At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at Vespers, during the reading of the third antiphon of the 18th kathisma, when the Holy Gifts are transferred from the throne to the altar, as well as when a priest appears with a candle and a censer in the open royal doors, pronouncing before the reading of the second parimia: The Light of Christ enlightens everyone ! you are supposed to prostrate yourself to the ground. While singing: May my prayer be corrected, the prayer of all the people is performed with kneeling; the singers and the reader kneel alternately after performing the prescribed verse; At the end of singing all the verses of the prayer, three bows to the ground are made (according to custom) with the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. During the great entrance, when transferring the Presanctified Gifts from the altar to the throne, the people and singers should prostrate themselves to the ground out of reverence for the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. At the end of the singing, Now the Heavenly Powers bow three times to the ground, according to custom, also with the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. The priest should listen to the prayer behind the pulpit with attention, applying its meaning to the heart, and at the end of it, make a bow from the waist.

During Holy Week, bowing to the ground stops on Great Wednesday. The Charter says this: “On Bless the Name of the Lord: there are three bows, and the bows to the ground that occur in the church are completely abolished; in cells even before Great Friday they take place. The veneration of the Holy Shroud on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, like the Holy Cross, is accompanied by three prostrations to the ground.”

Prostrations are not accepted:

On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the days of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance before the holiday, until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.

From the book Orthodox Worship. Practical guide for clergy and laity. - Satis, 2000.

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The typicon consists of two sections

The typicon is divided into 2 sections of 60 chapters. The first section is divided into 3 parts:

1. Chapters 1-46. This part contains general instructions about divine services and sacred rites.
2. Chapters 47-51. It contains instructions about the signs of the holidays and the order of performing divine services for the Menaea of ​​the month. The 48th chapter - Monthly - is the largest in the entire Typikon.
3. Chapters from 52 to the end. It contains additions to the remaining chapters, as well as some changing prayers and chants and information about their use in services.

The second section is divided into:

1. Temple Chapters, 1-58. Here is how to perform worship on temple holidays.
2. Choruses for 9 Songs of the Holy Scriptures – chapter 59.
3. Easter and Lunar - table with phases of the Moon - chapter 60.

A Guide to Studying the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church

Liturgical books

The books necessary for performing divine services can be divided into sacred liturgical and church liturgical books. The first include books borrowed from the Bible, namely: the Gospel, the Apostle and the Psalter.

The second includes books compiled on the basis of Holy Scripture and sacred tradition by the fathers and teachers of the church:
Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos, Monthly Menaion, General Menaion, Festive Menaion, Lenten Triodion, Colored Triodion, Typikon
(or Charter),
Irmologion, Breviary, Book prayer chants.
9. Liturgical books. Gospel and Apostle

used during Divine services, have the peculiarity that, in addition to the usual division into chapters and verses, they are also divided into special sections called
conceptions.
At the end of both books there is a month book and an index of when which concept should be read; at the same time, the Apostle also gives prokemenyas, which need to be sung before the reading of the apostolic conceptions, and on the great feasts of the Lord - and festive antiphons; at the very end of the Apostle the daily antiphons are placed.

Psalter

for use during Divine services it is divided into
20
sections called
kathismas,
and each kathisma is divided into three parts, called
glories
since these parts end with a doxology:
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...;
in the Charter of Glory they are also called
antiphons
(hence: 1st antiphon of kathisma means 1st glory or part of kathisma). The division of the Psalter into kathismas and glories is ancient and was made for the convenience of listeners, whose attention was naturally tired from continuous reading or singing.

The Psalter is so rich in internal content, so diverse that it contains almost everything that is contained in other books; it is so wonderfully adapted to all states of those praying that everyone listening or reading the psalms will find in them an expression of their own feelings. And therefore St. the fathers, who organized the rite of public worship, introduced psalms into all church services. At evening and morning services, the entire Psalter is read once every week, and during Lent - twice every week.

Since after the reading of the kathisma at Matins, a stichera called “sedal” is read or sung, and after the sedal in ancient times, as now on Athos and in other eastern monasteries, a teaching from St. fathers, during the reading of which, as well as the sedalna, the brethren were allowed to sit in the temple - that well-known section of psalms, after the reading of which they were allowed to sit in the temple, was called “kathisma” (“kathisma” in Greek - sitting).

In the liturgical Psalter, in different places, there are various additions. So, for example, at the beginning of the Psalter there is a statute about when and what kathismas need to be versed throughout the year; at the end of the Psalter (after the 20th kathisma) there are magnifications and selected psalms,

sung after polyeleos on the feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God and special saints.

In addition to the simple Psalter, there is also the Followed Psalter

(or with Follower), usually used during Divine services. Here, to the simple (small) Psalter, various sequences from church services are added. These applications are as follows:

1) Book of Hours,

containing the Midnight Office, Matins, Hours, Fine Rite, Vespers and Compline.

2) Monthsword

with troparia and kontakia of the Monthly Menaion.

3) Troparion and Kontakion Triodeus

Lenten and Colored, starting from the week of the publican and the Pharisee to the week of All Saints. For the 1st day of Easter, the entire sequence is contained here.

4) Troparion and kontakion of Octoechos

Sunday and afternoon:

Sunday:

a) release notes with the Theotokos, ipakoi and kontakia - 8 voices;
b) Sunday ones, sung according to the “Immaculate Ones” all summer long (i.e., the Council of Angels was surprised)
and c) other troparia, sung according to the “Immaculate Ones” on Saturday (i.e.,
You have found the source of life);
daytime:

a) The Theotokos of Dismissal (called “Theotokos from the Lesser”) in 8 voices, sung throughout the summer at Vespers after troparions and at Matins; b) the troparions of dismissal for the entire week are the same for all voices.

5) Troparions and Kontakia from the General Menaion

- saints of all faces.

6) Decree on the release of personal troparia and kontakia,

that is, indications of which troparia and kontakia are sung at services and when.

7) All those prayers,

which should be read
before Communion.
In addition, in the Followed Psalter, between the selected psalms and magnifications, another 17th kathisma with “praises” is placed, which are sung on Holy Saturday at Matins.

10. Church liturgical books.

The unchangeable parts of the Divine Service related to the circle of daily Divine Services are contained in
the Service Book
and
the Book of Hours.
The missal is a guide for the priest and deacon, and the Book of Hours is for readers and singers.

A special type of Service Book intended for the bishop is called the Bishop's Official.

In it, in the presentation of the liturgy, those features are indicated that occur only during its episcopal service. At the end of the Official, the rites of initiation into the degree of priesthood, church positions and the rite of consecration of antimensions are set out.

The variable parts of the Divine Service laid down for each day of the week are contained in the Octoechos

or
Osmog asnik.
This book is so called because the chants contained in it are adapted to various 8 tunes (voices) and, according to the number of these tunes, are divided into 8 sections or voices. Each voice of the Octoechos contains 7 sections, according to the number of days of the week (i.e., each voice is sung for a whole week - a week). After 8 weeks (weeks), when the chants of all 8 voices are sung, the services of Octoechos are repeated again. The singing of all 8 voices over the course of 8 weeks is called a pillar in the Church Rules. Six such pillars are sung a year.

The beginning of the ordinary (i.e., in the order of one voice after another) singing of the hymns of the Octoechos is supposed to be on the Sunday of All Saints (8th voice), 1st after Pentecost; the pillar begins from the 2nd week (Sunday) after Pentecost - from the 1st tone.

The Octoechos are not sung: starting from Great Lent - on weekdays (except Saturdays, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks) [3] and starting from the week of Vay - on Sundays until the week of All Saints. The singing of the Octoechos is still left: a) on the twelve feasts of the Lord, which occur on both weekdays and Sundays; b) on the twelve feasts of the Theotokos and on the forefeasts of all twelve feasts in general, occurring on weekdays, but not on Sundays.

Variable chants for the moving days of Great Lent and for the 3 weeks of preparation for it are contained in a book called the Lenten Triodion.

And the services of Easter and the weeks following it until the Sunday of All Saints (ending with Sunday) are contained in a book called
the Colored Triodion.
The word "Triod" means "three songs". These books are so called because they contain incomplete, mostly three-canon canons. Three songs consist of: 1, 8 and 9 songs for Monday, 2, 8 and 9 songs for Tuesday; from 3, 8 and 9 - for Wednesday, from 4, 8 and 9 - for Thursday, from 5, 8 and 9 - for Friday; four songs - from 6, 7, 8 and 9 - for Saturday; Two Canticle - from the 8th and 9th cantos, it is sung only on Holy Tuesday at Matins.

Variable hymns of the annual cycle, composed in honor of St. events and persons, celebrated once a year, are contained in a book called the Menaea Menaea.

This book is divided into 12 parts, according to the number of months; each part - a month - is printed as a separate book; Church services are located here by day of the month.

At the end of each book the Mother of God is printed,

which are sung:

after the stichera:

1) Theotokos Sunday (otherwise - dogmatists, Theotokos 1st), sung after the stichera on the
Lord, I called
on the feasts of the saints who have the doxology, the polyeleos, the vigil; and the Sunday of the Theotokos, sung after the stichera on the “verse” on the feasts of the saints, the possessed polyeleos, vigil; 2) The 8 voices of the Theotokos are sung when there is “Glory” to the saint (that is, when there is a stichera for “Glory” in the Menea) “And now” “according to this voice.” They are sung on those days on which there is no saint with doxology, polyeleos, and vigil;

after the troparia: 1)

the Mother of God's dismissal Sunday 8 voices, sung on the feasts of saints who have praise, polyeleos, vigil;
2) Theotokos of dismissal (the so-called “Theotokos from the least” - in its brevity) “according to the troparia of the saints, sung all summer at vespers and at matins to God the Lord
and at the end of matins” - on those days on which there is no holiday with doxology, polyeleos, vigil.

Minea General

there is a book containing services common to a whole group of saints (for example, prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs, etc.). This book will be needed when there is no separate service for any saint in the Menaion of the Month.

Festive Menaion

contains services extracted from the Monthly Menaion for the feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God and saints, especially revered by the Orthodox Church.

The combination of unchangeable parts with changeable parts in the Divine Service, i.e. the connection of the Book of Hours and the Service Book with the Octoechos, Menaions and Triodions, is carried out according to special rules. These rules are set out in a special book called Typikon

or
Charter.
According to its content, the Typikon is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 (chapters 1-47) contains mainly general instructions on the order of church services on different days of the week. The 2nd part (chapters 48-51) contains private instructions regarding the performance of Divine Services for each day of the year (chapter 48 - Months, chapter 49 - days of singing of the Lenten Triodion, chapter 50 - days of singing of the Colored Triodion Triodi, chapter 51 - a note about Peter's fast). The 3rd part (chapters 52-60) is, as it were, an addition to the first 2 parts of the Typikon. It contains: a) a decree on troparions and kontakia, as they are sung in the continuation of the annual and weekly circles, and b) various hymns that are sung at church services, namely: troparia, Theotokos, hypakoi, kontakia, exapostilaria, luminaries, trinities, Prokeemnes, alleluia, sacraments, choruses on the 9th song.

At the end of the Typikon there are: a) “Temple Chapters”,

b) Indiction,

c)
Sighted Easter
and d)
Lunar.
In "Temple Chapters"

indicates how the service should be performed on certain temple holidays.

Indiction

called the period of time in which the circle of Easter movement is completed; it consists of 532 years; only after they have passed does Easter begin to follow again in the same order. Indiction is presented in a table consisting of 9 columns.[4]

The 2nd column shows the years from the Nativity of Christ, and the last column shows the key letters that serve to find in a ready-made calculation when Easter will occur in a certain year (as well as other holidays). This is a ready-made calculation and is given in the Sighted Paschal.

Having noticed in the Indiction the key letter against the desired year and having found the same letter in the Sighted Easter, we will find in the latter an exact indication of the month and date of Easter and other holidays this year.
In Lunar,
consisting of 19 lunar circles, for each of them a ready-made indication is given when the new moon (“birth”) and full moon (“damage”) will occur in each month of the solar year; and on which circle of the moon a certain year falls is shown in the Indiction, in the 6th column.

Irmology,

or Irmologion, mainly contains chants selected from various canons, called irmos, from which it received its name. It also contains other prayer books intended for singing (and not for reading) during Divine services. These are:

1) prayers sung at liturgies: St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil the Great and the Presanctified Gifts; 2) various Theotokos in 8 voices, sung after the stichera; 3) sedate antiphons for 8 voices; 4) songs are ternary in 8 voices; 5) prophetic songs (i.e., Old Testament hymns, on the model of which the irmos of the canon were compiled); 6) Sunday morning prokeimny; 7) Sunday troparia, sung for the “immaculate” (i.e., the Council of Angels...)

and troparia sung for the “immaculate” on Saturday (i.e.,
the Holy Faces have been found...);
magnification with selected psalms; 9) choruses sung to the 9th song of the canon on holidays, etc.

Prayers and chants of private worship are contained in the Trebnik

and
the Book of Prayer Songs.

In Russia, worship is conducted according to the Jerusalem Rule

Rus' was baptized during the reign of the Studio Charter. Therefore, the Studite Charter became the first liturgical charter in Rus'. Theodosius of Pechersk approved it in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, from where it spread to all Russian monasteries.

The beauty of rituals and worship greatly influenced Prince Vladimir’s choice of faith

The Jerusalem Charter appeared in Rus' in the second half of the 14th century, after it was translated into Church Slavonic. In the 15th century it supplanted the Studite Rule and became the basis of Russian Orthodox worship.

In Rus', the Jerusalem Charter was called “The Eye of the Church,” according to a translation of 1401.

In Russia, the Jerusalem Charter was published in printed form in 1610. In 1695, a new edition of the typikon was published, which is used in the Russian Church for worship to this day.

For divine services in the Russian Orthodox Church they use the Typikon of 1695 with minor editions

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Treasure of fellow believers: regulations on home prayer

Until the revolution in Russia, there was a tradition of performing divine services in the “secular rite” everywhere. The laity, in the absence of a priest in the church or at home, performed part or all of the daily cycle of church services with the whole family. Where did this good tradition go, how to revive it and what benefits does it bring for the entire body of the Church, we’ll talk today.

“On the seventh day we praise Thee”

The daily cycle of Orthodox worship is divided into the following parts:

1. vespers,
2. Compline (among co-religionists it is called “Pevechernitsa”),
3. midnight office,
4. matins,
5. first hour,
6. hours (third, sixth, ninth hour)
7. obednitsa (figurative).

In ancient times, for example in Byzantium, all parts of the church service were performed separately from one another. With the spread of Christianity, especially in large cities, worship became larger and came to us in the familiar form of conciliar prayer in the evening (when the liturgical circle begins) and in the morning.

In earlier times, the population of the territories was less dense, and transport links were more difficult and time-consuming. One priest could minister to vast territories, and his departure could last for months. The parishioners of the church left without a shepherd had no right to stop church prayer and continued to perform divine services without a priest. Naturally, the Sacraments became inaccessible to the laity, but the choir continued to sing and read, and the priestly exclamations were replaced by special ones, pronounced by the so-called “elder” of the laity.

Rus', which adopted the faith from Byzantium, also adopted its customs. People sought to bring home worship closer to the church service, so morning and evening prayers at home were, as a rule, part of the daily circle, and in special cases the service was performed entirely by the head of the family and his household. For example, in the morning they usually prayed, reading the Midnight Office, and in the evening - the Night Office. For this, only the Book of Hours or the Psalter with instructions . Ancient books were more versatile than modern ones: they had many inserts necessary for performing divine services independently. It was not possible to obtain a complete collection of all church books due to both the high cost and small print runs.

In ancient times, the beauty of church services was taken seriously and thoroughly. Entire generations were brought up on church books. Lingering Znamenny chants in one voice were forever imprinted in the minds of children and formed a life rhythm of unhurriedness and bright regularity. Man sought, despite pressing needs, to devote time to prayer, to enjoy the word of God and to improve in it.

It is not surprising that they tried to bring prayer at home closer to that of the temple. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Sol. 5:17) was understood by the Russian people not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. What is the use of prayer if it is done clumsily, without immersion and creating a special atmosphere in which you can truly turn away from the noise of the world and hear God?

The family and home were a small Church not only in the spiritual, but also in the physical sense. Wealthy citizens or skilled carpenters could afford to build chapels and house churches in the yard or even in the house. This was done not for the sake of beauty or proud competition with neighbors, but for prayer itself. Believers tried to penetrate deeper into the meaning of the texts and better understand the symbolism of the service.

The prayer began with Vespers , because evening was placed in the first position in the Book of Genesis: “and there was evening, and there was morning” (Gen. 1:5). The beginning of human history was joyful, but it was quickly darkened by the Fall.

The Monk Cassian the Roman describes Compline as a service performed “after evening” or after dinner. Initially, it was a prayer “for the coming sleep” for monks. It is not surprising that it became a kind of analogue of evening prayers among the laity at a later time. At Compline, the rite of forgiveness has been preserved to this day, with a kneeling request to God to forgive those praying for all the sins committed during the day.

At the Midnight Office we remember the inevitability of the Second Coming of Christ. This service, being performed first after sleep, became an unspoken morning prayer rule in Rus'. In the parish practice of Edinoverie communities, it is usually performed as the first service of morning worship.

The events of Matins are dedicated to the appearance of Christ into the world and His Resurrection. Today, in parishes, Matins is more often served in the evening. In ancient times, they could also pray for it at home in the early morning, while for the Midnight Office they woke up at midnight.

The 1st hour is dedicated to the memory of the Trial of Pilate and the high priests over the Lord, the 3rd - to the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, the 6th - to the crucifixion and suffering of Christ on the cross, the 9th - to death on the cross.

Instead of the Liturgy, the secular rite was usually served as a liturgy and a prayer service dedicated to the holiday of the day. It should be noted that in this way the laity made a full circle more often, of course, in cathedral churches and chapels, in the absence of a clergyman. This was a rarity for the house, but did not eliminate this opportunity. In any case, Christians tried to live in a liturgical circle, because church service in Rus' was the best school of theology. Hence their duration, which made it possible to immerse people in attentive listening to the words of sacred texts.

Today it seems almost impossible to us to perform divine services independently at home. Work, family, a million worries... But it’s worth at least trying, and if you don’t beg for the entire daily cycle, then at least parts of it. Below we will talk about replacing the daily circle with Jesus prayers and the Psalter, as well as why a modern layman needs this practice. But first things first.

"Prepare yourself"

If worship is a holiday, and a non-worldly one at that, it means that it requires special preparation.

Fellow believers have preserved the good custom of having special prayer clothes, which are intended not for physical, but for spiritual labor. This is quite logical for traditional cultures and dates back to ancient times. True, today this tradition is leaving our parishes, but still men try to wear caftans and shirts with belts, and women pin scarves under a pin and put on beautiful Russian sundresses. This is not “cosplay” and “show-off,” as they say now, but one of the ways to psychologically prepare yourself for prayer. After all, we wear a formal suit to work, and a sports suit to training. In addition, during cathedral prayer our appearance helps create the necessary atmosphere. By thinking about the people around us, we minimize the reason for temptation.

“Prayer clothing” emphasizes that prayer is a special matter and puts you in a prayerful mood

In a home environment, this is, of course, easier. But if possible, starting a tradition of “prayer clothes” will be useful, including for children. This contributes to the formation of a sense of sacredness and the fact that prayer is a special matter.

It’s great if you can pray by candles or lamps. If vision does not allow, of course, you can use electricity. Candles and lamps are not the rule, but another way to get into the mood for prayer.

And finally, an important condition is to perform seven bows . It is also called the arrival and departure bows; it precedes the divine service (home or church) and follows at its conclusion:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner (bow from the waist).

Create me, O Lord, and have mercy on me (bow from the waist).

Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner (bow from the waist).

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, the real Mother of God (bow always to the ground).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (waist bow).

And now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen (bow from the waist).

Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy; Lord, bless (bow from the waist).”

And we end with a small aside:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, and my holy Guardian Angel, and for the sake of all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen (bow to the ground, without the sign of the cross).”

Already tuned in?

Began - universal prayer book

It began with a universal prayer, it was often performed before leaving home for the temple and upon returning from it, and simply before leaving the house. It happens that they replace morning and evening prayers in general when there is no time or when one is very tired. The beginning could precede and complete any task. The famous expression “to make a beginning” was born precisely from here. In other words, a person performed this obligatory prayer and thus began the matter by turning to God.

Now is the time to move on to the main part of the prayer. It is not possible to post even one of the daily texts here. Let me just say that they are all in the public domain and are very inexpensive in printed form. Evening services usually take 4 hours, morning services - 2, if performed as expected at home. Naturally, Compline and the Midnight Office take 30–40 minutes; approximately the same time is spent on the morning and evening prayers available in modern practice for the laity, so taking them into service will not be difficult.

My colleagues have already written that on major church holidays or if it is impossible to go to church, the service can be forced to be performed at home. In this way, you will, as it were, join the congregational prayer of both your church and all Orthodox parishes, since you will actually be performing the same service. There is an undoubted spiritual benefit in this.

Bows and Psalms

We have already discussed methods for replacing the daily cycle. Previously, this was done by monks in monasteries and laymen in the absence of the necessary liturgical books. But in our parish practice we have tried to perform conciliar prayer in a similar way. In any case, such knowledge will only be beneficial for private, family prayer.

So, the practice of replacing the daily cycle of worship with the Jesus Prayer with and without bows has very ancient roots. The monks who labored in isolation from civilization prayed with the help of ropes (ancient rosaries). By the way, this custom has survived to this day - for example, in Athonite monasteries, sometimes monks pray for certain parts of the daily cycle with the help of Jesus prayers in private or in congregation.

The rule of prayer on the ladder without bowing:

• For Vespers: 600.
• For Great Compline: 700.
• For Little Compline: 400.
• For the midnight office: 600.
• For Matins: 1500.
• For hours: 1000; hourly: 1500.

And with bows:

• For Vespers: 300 bows.
• For Great Compline: 300 bows.
• For Little Compline: 200 bows.
• For the Midnight Office: 300 bows.
• For Matins: 700 bows.
• For the 1st hour: 150 bows.
• For the 3rd, 6th, 9th hours: 500 bows; per hourly hour: 750 bows.

Bowing gives the spirit and body special vigor

Before performing these prayers, it is also necessary to “start” and also read prayers before each part of the service and after it. Instructions on how to perform such a service can be found in the “Charter on Home Prayer,” which is widespread among the Old Believers.

If you decide to pray according to the Psalter, then the instructions are as follows:

• For Vespers: 2 kathismas.
• For Great Compline: 2 kathismas.
• For Little Compline: 1 kathisma.
• For the Midnight Office: 2 kathismas.
• For Matins: 5 kathismas.
• For the 1st hour: 1 kathisma.
• During the 3rd, 6th, 9th hours: 3 kathismas.

Bowing, as you know, gives the spirit and body special vigor, and if you try to complete the entire circle with the help of a ladder, it will take you about 2 hours in the evening, and a little more than one in the morning. Prayer according to the Psalter is close in reading time to the performance of the secular rite according to the books.

A Church without prayer is not a Church

The article does not allow us to consider in more detail all the subtleties of performing home worship and requires special books. Fortunately, today all information can be found on the Internet or purchased in printed form. In general terms, I told you how to pray daily and how you can replace it with the Jesus Prayer and the Psalter, which are no less beneficial for the soul.

It must be said that such practice expands one’s spiritual horizons. It was already noted above that worship in Rus' was the best school of theology. Not books or words of the preacher (although where would we be without them!), but precisely the service. It included a body of texts that were read and sung, benefiting the soul, connecting with God, and opening new horizons of contemplation. Independent prayer during a church service gives an understanding of many, sometimes very subtle aspects of spiritual life that can escape a layperson during a church service.

First, you will be able to become more familiar with temple worship. The entire symbolism of the service will be better revealed to you in practice, passed through yourself, that is, read independently. Secondly, the very practice of secular services, not even at home, but among groups of believers and even in a parish with a priest, teaches the laity responsibility, strengthens church identity, changes their attitude towards the service, and encourages them to be more active in parish activities. The author’s opinion is this: the practical immersion of the laity in the service, that is, their frequent practice of worship at home or in the parish, strengthens the Church.

The frequent practice of holding divine services at home strengthens the Church

Unfortunately, recently we are increasingly faced with such a sad phenomenon as the leveling of prayer in the church environment. The interpretation of the words “faith without works is dead” is striking, where prayer, that is, the first work of faith, for some reason is not considered work. The text of the prayers in the temple seems to be ignored, and this living word of communication with God, the word of God, addressed through a reader or singer to a person’s heart, is reduced almost to a spell that just sounds, and what and how is not important.

Prayer is not a spell. This is both the voice of God, through the noise of the sea of ​​life, bringing to us the most important meanings of existence, and our own words to the Lord, repentant, grateful or laudatory. We pass every word of the text of the prayer through our own heart. This is one of the most important steps to regaining the lost connection with God. After all, if the Church stops praying, it ceases to be the Church.