Orthodox and church holidays and fasts
Today is an Orthodox church holiday: * Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised (memory of the miracle by which Orthodoxy was established, 451). * Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, in holy baptism Helena (969) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Tomorrow:
* Martyrs Proclus and Hilary (c. 98-117).
* St. Michael Malein (962) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Holidays are expected: 07/26/2021
- * Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel.
* St. Stephen Savvait (794) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... 07.27.2021
- * Apostle Aquila of the 70 (I) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...
07.28.2021
- * Martyrs of Kirik and Julitta, his mother (c. 305). *** Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in holy baptism Vasily, Baptist of Rus' (1015) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...
All Orthodox and church holidays and fasts...
Orthodox Saints of God
The holy saints of God show special love and mercy to those who honor their holy memory.
It seems to many that the saints are far from us. But they are far from those who have withdrawn themselves, and very close to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The holy saints in their earthly life turned to God for help in healing their ailments, sorrows and deliverance from temptations, asking God that even after death He would honor them with the gift of helping people in various cases of life.
The saints have reached the Heavenly Kingdom and there they see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; but by the Holy Spirit they also see the suffering of people on earth. Many holy saints of God received special grace from God, and He deigned them to be intercessors before Him for deliverance from our sorrows and bodily ailments, in which they themselves were tempted.
The saints rejoice at our repentance and mourn when people leave God and become like foolish cattle. They feel sorry that people live on earth, not knowing that if they loved each other, then there would be freedom from sin on earth: and where there is no sin, there is joy and gladness from the Holy Spirit, so that, wherever you look, everything sweet, and the soul wonders why it feels so good, and praises God. The saints hear our prayers and have the power from God to help us. The entire Christian race knows about this. We must remember: in order for a prayer to be heard, one should pray to the holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God, in words coming from the heart.
In our prayers we turn to the Lord God, to His Most Pure Mother - our Intercessor and Helper, to the holy Angels and holy people - the saints of God, because for their sake the Lord God is more likely to hear us sinners, our prayers. The Saints have different names: prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, saints, unmercenaries, blessed, righteous, confessors. more>>
The Lord says: “When you light a candle, you do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house. So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16). Saints are bright stars that show us the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us treasure the closeness of the holy saints of God to God and turn to them for help, remembering that they love us and care about our salvation. It is good to pray to the holy saints of God on those days when the Church celebrates their memory.
«Holy Saints of God, pray to God for us!»
Saints: life, memory, suffering...
When to read an akathist for a single deceased
Even during the birth of Christianity, believers began the custom of praying for deceased loved ones and relatives. For the first time such an appeal to the Lord is mentioned in the liturgy of Jesus’ brother, the Apostle James. Priests attach great importance to such prayer for the dead.
Prayer for the repose of the soul of a loved one is the little that relatives can do. Neither a magnificent funeral nor a wake can cleanse the soul and give it peace. The reading of the akathist shows love for a departed loved one, the desire to save his soul and grant eternal peace in the heavenly abodes. The church fathers believed that the fate of the deceased also depended on the fervent prayers of the living.
The prayer for one who died is so called because it is offered for one specific person. However, it is needed not only by the deceased; it brings peace and consolation to loved ones and relatives and reconciles them with the death of a loved one.
Since the ordeal of the soul ends only on the 40th day after death, it is important to read the akathist about the same deceased all this time.
Orthodox prayers and icons of the Mother of God and saints
The word “icon” comes from the Greek language and means “image”, “image”. The image of the icon is consecrated with holy water and special prayers, through this consecration the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to the icon, and the icon is already revered by us as holy. According to the Orthodox dogma of icon veneration, approved by the VII Ecumenical Council, “the honor given to an icon relates to its prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the hypostasis of the person depicted on it.” The Council especially emphasizes that we give veneration to icons, and not the worship that is due to God alone. “The icon mysteriously contains within itself the presence of the one whom it depicts, and this presence is the closer, more grace-filled and stronger, the more the icon corresponds to the church canon.”
All Icons of the Mother of God and Saints
Following (canon) for a person who died at the same time
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Lord, have mercy (12 times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).
Psalm 90
Living in the help of the Most High, he will dwell in the shelter of the heavenly God. The Lord says: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words, His splash will overshadow you, and trusting under His wing, His truth will bypass you with a weapon.
Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak and demon of the midday. Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes and see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope; You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone; tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him, I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him and glorify him, I will fill him with long days and show him My salvation.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to you, O God (three times).
Lord have mercy (three times)
Troparion, tone 8
With the depth of wisdom, humanely build everything and give it to everyone that is useful. O Lord, the only Creator, give rest to the soul of Your servant, for place your trust in You, Creator and Maker and our God.
Glory, even now: Theotokos: To you and the wall, and the refuge of the imams, and the prayer book favorable to God, Whom you gave birth to, O Blessed Mother of God, salvation for the faithful.
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. You alone have sinned and committed evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and overcome, never judge You. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins.
Behold, Thou hast loved the truth, Thou hast revealed to me Thy unknown and secret wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
As if you had wanted sacrifices, you would have given burnt offerings, but you would not have been pleased. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering, then they will lay the bullock on Your altar.
Canon, tone 8
Song 1
Irmos: Having passed through water like dry land, and having escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israeli cried out: Let us drink to our Deliverer and our God.
Chorus: Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
I opened my mouth, O Savior, grant me the word to pray, O Merciful One, for Thy departed servant, named, may He rest his soul, O Master.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Having been dead in the flesh, O Savior, and laid in the tomb with the dead, the soul of Your servant rests in a green place, like the Merciful.
Glory: Hear my prayerful voice, O God of the Trinhypostasis, and teach the soul of the reposed in the depths of Abrahamlikh, the Deliverer.
And now: You, Most Pure Mother of God, Whom you conceived without the temptation of a man, pray to Your Son to grant peace to Your departed servant, named.
Song 3
Irmos: O Supreme Creator of the heavenly circle, O Lord, and the Creator of the Church, Thou strengthenest me in Thy love, the desires of the land, the faithful affirmation, the One who loves mankind.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
In a place of greenery, in a place of peace, where the faces of the saints rejoice, the soul of Your departed servant rests, O Christ, the Only Merciful.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Where the faces of the saints are, place there, O Master, who served You with all my heart and lifted Your yoke upon His frame, as the One Lord of life and death.
Glory: Heavenly Father Almighty, and the Only Begotten Son, and the Holy Soul of Origin, despise the sin of the dead, and in the Church the firstborn dwell it, glorify Thee with all those who have pleased Thee.
And now: As the Holy Mother of the Most Holy God, the Lady of all, Mary the Mother of God, with all the saints, pray for the soul of Your servant, named, in the heavenly villages.
Lord have mercy (Thrice)
Sedalen, voice 5th
Rest, our Savior, with the righteous of Thy servant, and this one is lodged in Thy courts, as it is written, despising, as good, his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and all things known and not known, Lover of mankind.
Glory, even now, to the Mother of God: You who shone forth from the Virgin to the world, O Christ God, who showed the sons of light by You, have mercy on us.
Song 4
Irmos: I heard, O Lord, Thy mystery, I understood Thy works and glorified Thy Divinity.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
He who descended into the underworld, O Christ, hast raised up all that has died, and has departed from us, O Savior, who is generous.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
There is no one without sin, except You are One, Master, for this sake forgive the one who has been removed and forgive him his sins, and place him in paradise.
Glory: Hear, Holy Trinity, the voices of the prayer offered to You in the church for the deceased, and illuminate with Your Divine light the soul darkened by vain devotions.
And now: Thou hast given birth, O Most Pure One, without a male seed, to a perfect God and to a perfect Man, who takes away our sins, a Virgin. Pray to this, Lady, to grant Your departed servant peace.
Song 5
Irmos: Enlighten us with Your commandments, O Lord, and with Your high arm grant us Your peace, O Lover of Mankind.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Having the power of life and death, rest has been left from us, O Christ God, for Thou art the Savior of all, peace and life.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Place your hope in Thee, the Savior, who has departed from us; You, Lord, have mercy on him, for God is abundantly merciful.
Glory: Enlighten us, O Trisagion, glorified Master, who pray to You, receive heavenly peace, and bring into peaceful villages the soul that has departed from the temporary in the hope of endless life.
And now: Shuyago standing, Most Pure One, beseech Thy Son, O Virgin Lady, to deliver the departed One, as the Savior and God of our Mother.
Song 6
Irmos: I will pour out a prayer to the Lord, and to Him I will proclaim my sorrows, for my soul is filled with evil and my belly is approaching hell, and I pray like Jonah: from aphids, O God, lift me up.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
You have overthrown hell, O Master, and you have resurrected those who have died from time immemorial: and now you have taken him away from us into the bosom of Abraham, You, God, have abode, having forgiven all sins, for You are Merciful.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
The commandment that you gave to me, O God, transgressed and were mortal, but You, God, who descended into the grave and resurrected souls from all eternity, do not raise me up, O Master, to torment, but to rest, the departed one cries out to You with us, O Most Merciful.
Glory: We pray to You, the beginningless Father and Son and Holy Soul, embittered by the malice of the soul-evil world and towards You, the Creator, do not reject the soul that has passed into the depths of hell, my Savior God.
And now: From heaven, Christ our God, like rain on the fleece, the Most Pure One, descended on Thee, drinking the whole world and drying up all the godless streams, flooding the whole earth with His mind, Ever-Virgin; Pray to him to give peace to your departed servant, name.
Lord, have mercy (Thrice). Glory to this day.
Kontakion, tone 8
With the saints, rest, O Christ, the soul of Your servant, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life.
Ikos
Thou art the only Immortal One, Who created and created man; In the earth we were created from the earth and we will go to the other earth, as you commanded, Who created me and gave me: for you are the earth and you went back to the earth, and maybe all men will go, creating a funeral sob creating a song: alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Song 7
Irmos: The youths who came from Judea, in Babylon, sometimes, by the faith of the Trinity, asked the fire of the fire, singing: God of the fathers, blessed art thou.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Master Christ God, whenever you want to judge the world, have mercy on the soul of your servant, whom you received from us, crying: our father, God, blessed are you.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
In the food of heaven, where the righteous souls rejoice, those who have served You, consider with them, O Christ, the soul of Your servant, who sang: Our father, God, blessed art thou.
Glory: You saved the three youths of Judah into the fires, sung into the Three Persons, deliver the eternal fire of the departed, who sang to You truly: our father, God, blessed art thou.
And now: Who gave birth to the Lord Christ, who gave birth to all God, delivered the power of the dark prince of the air, O Virgin, who reposed her soul in faith and sang: Our father, God, blessed art thou.
Song 8
Irmos: By the Sevenfold, the Chaldean tormentor furiously kindled the cave of the pious, and having seen this better power, they were saved, crying out to the Creator and Savior: bless the youths, sing to the priests, exalt the people to all ages.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Having finished the course and come running to You, Lord, the departed one now cries out, forgive my sins, O Christ God, and do not judge me, when you want to judge everyone, for I truly cry to You: all the works of the Lord, sing to the Lord and exalt Him forever.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
He bore, O Master, Thy yoke on his frame, and Thy burden was light, even if not always, but in the place of Thy saints indwelled his soul, who sang to Thee, Christ the Savior: bless the youths, sing to the priests, people exalt Him forever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord.
Beginningless Holy Trinity, God the Father and the Son and the Holy Soul, in the person of the saints rank the soul of Your departed servant and deliver eternal fire, so that He may praise You, singing forever: bless the youths, sing to the priests, people exalt Him forever.
And now: Thee, Virgin, the prophecies of the face prophesied, for the clairvoyant eyes of Thee saw: for the rod is called Thee, or the eastern door, or the uncut mountain of man. We confess You truly as the Mother of God, who gave birth to the God of all things, and pray to Him for the repose of the departed One forever and ever.
Song 9
Irmos: The heavens were horrified at this, and the ends of the earth were amazed, for God had appeared as a carnal man, and Your womb was more spacious than the heavens. Thus Thea, the Mother of God, the Angels and the people of the ranks are magnified.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
Jesus, my God, Savior, Adamle, you took away crime and tasted death, and freed people from it, O Merciful One. In the same way we pray to Thee, the Most Merciful: for the rest of the Lord, for He is good, in the courts of Thy saints, for He alone is all-good and merciful.
Rest, O Lord, to the soul of Your departed servant.
There is no one, O Merciful One, who has not sinned among men, except You alone, Jesus Christ, take away the sins of the whole world. Moreover, having cleansed Thy servant from sins, establish in Thy holy courts, for Thou art the life of peace, light, and joy of all who have pleased You.
Glory: All human nature marveled at how this only-begotten Son of the beginningless Father received flesh from the Virgin through the action of the Holy Spirit, and suffered like a man, so that the dead could be brought to life. Thus, now departed from us, we diligently pray to Thee, in the land of the living, as Good, dwell.
And now: We call You the Bride, Most Pure, the Invisible Father, and the Mother of the Son, incarnated from You by the Holy Spirit, and we offer Your prayer service for Your departed servant, named: For You, the helper of the Imam, earthly, and singing with love, we magnify You.
It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, ever-blessed and most immaculate and Mother of our God. 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 (bow).
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4
With the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, give rest to the soul of Your servant, O Savior, preserving him in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.
In Thy chamber, O Lord, where all Thy saints rest, give rest also to the soul of Thy servant, for Thou art the only lover of mankind.
Glory: Thou art God, Who descended into hell and loosed the chains of the bound, and give rest to the soul of Thy servant.
And now: One pure and immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray for his soul to be saved.
Lord, have mercy (40 times).
Prayer in the Christian life. What is prayer? About prayer
Prayer is the most important part of the spiritual life of every believer. Through prayer, a person turns to God, asks him and asks for forgiveness from him. In other words, prayer is nothing more than a person’s way of talking with God. About prayer...
The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer, said Saint Philaret of Moscow, “is a conversation between the soul and God.” And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful to sometimes stop and listen to the Lord’s answer to our prayer.
Prayer does not require a specific time, place, circumstance or form. It can be verbose - long, and laconic - short. The prayer can be said at any time of the day or night, and anywhere. A person can pray under all circumstances of his life: when he is sick or healthy, when he is happy or sad, when he succeeds or fails, when he is in the company of his enemies or in the circle of his friends, when he is abandoned by everyone, or when he in the midst of your beloved family. But God’s temple serves as a special place of prayer. On Sundays, as well as on weekdays, if time permits, we should go to church to pray, where our brothers and sisters in Christ - Christians - gather to pray together, all together. This kind of prayer is called church prayer.
Every Orthodox Christian must pray daily, morning and evening, before and after eating food, before starting and at the end of any task (for example: before teaching and after teaching, etc.).
In the morning we pray to thank God for preserving us last night, to ask for His Fatherly blessing and help for the day that has begun.
In the evening, before going to bed, we also thank the Lord for a successful day and ask him to keep us during the night.
Before and after meals we pray to thank God for His gifts and ask Him to bless and sanctify the food.
In order for the work to be done successfully and safely, we must also, first of all, ask God for blessings and help for the upcoming work, and upon completion, thank God.
Unfortunately, many people forget about the necessity and importance of prayer, and resort to it only in cases of feeling hopeless. However, even in these cases, as practice shows, God does not forget about the person and gives him his love and support. But not a single prayer will bring anything good to a person if he simply reads it without thinking about what is said. Therefore, it is extremely important, when turning to the Creator in prayer, to truly feel every word.
God is the best of interlocutors; he will always hear a person and help him. You should not be embarrassed to talk to God even about the most secret things that are in your soul. The main thing is to do it with true faith in God.
“True prayer does not consist in words and saying them, but true prayer consists “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). When we pray to God, we must stand before Him not only in body, but also in spirit; and say prayer not only with your lips, but also with your mind and heart; and not only bow our heads and knees, but also our hearts before Him; and raise our intelligent eyes to Him with humility. For all prayer must come from the heart; and what the tongue says, the mind and heart must say.” Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
And no matter what happens during the day, everything happens according to the will of God; all, without exception, are circumstances in which the Lord wished to place you, so that you could be His presence, His love, His compassion. His creative mind, His courage... And, besides, whenever you encounter this or that situation, you are the one whom God put there to carry out the ministry of a Christian, to be a part of the Body of Christ and the action of God. If you do this, you will easily see that sometimes you will have to turn to God and say: “Lord, enlighten my mind, strengthen and direct my will, give me a fiery heart, help me!” At other times you will be able to say, “Oh my God, thank you!”
In the Christian catechism, that is, in the instruction on the Christian faith, it is said about prayer this way: “Prayer is the offering of the mind and heart to God and is a person’s reverent word to God.” Prayer has extraordinary power. “Prayer not only defeats the laws of nature, not only is it an insurmountable shield against visible and invisible enemies, but it even holds back the hand of the Almighty God Himself, raised to defeat sinners,” writes Saint Demetrius of Rostov.
In the New Testament, prayer is a living connection between the children of God and their infinitely good Father, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the unity of the entire Holy Trinity with the entire spirit.” Thus, prayer life is a constant and natural presence in the presence of the Trisagion of God and in communion with Him. Such vital communion is always possible because through baptism our being has become one with Christ. Prayer is Christian because it is communion with Christ and grows in the Church, which is His Body. Its dimensions are the dimensions of Christ's love.
“Prayer is not telling God our needs. Prayer is the condition under which Divine power can contact our spirit and act in us. God is omniscient and knows us better than we know ourselves.” Archimandrite Rafail (Karelin) (XX century).
Canons about the dead in eight voices
Font
- Canons of Octoechos
- Canons about the same deceased
- Commemoration of the unbaptized and unrepentant
- Prayer for the separation of the soul from the body and for the newly deceased
- About the sin of killing children in the womb
Reading the funeral canons when commemorating the dead
Taking care of the salvation of the souls of the departed, praying for them to the Lord God, so that He will forgive them their sins, voluntary and involuntary, is the sacred duty of every believer in Christ. For the departed, the Psalter, canons, memorial services are usually read, and in the modern tradition of the Orthodox Church, akathists are also read.
This section of the Orthodox prayer book includes the texts of the canons about the departed, taken from the Octoechos and the Followed Psalter and adapted for reading in home prayer.
Canons about the dead are included in most funeral services; they are very diverse in content and mood, depending on their purpose.
The canons about the dead in 8 tones are placed in the Saturday service of the Octoechos (one of the main liturgical books) as the second canons at Matins. According to the Charter, they are supposed to be sung on Friday evening (since the liturgical circle - the day begins in the evening). These same canons can be included in the requiem service; they can also be read in home prayer for the departed.
The canons about the departed Octoechos were written by the Monk Theophan the Confessor, Inscribed, Bishop of Nicaea.
His name is indicated in the acrostic canon of the 5th tone (and in the Slavic Octoechos he is, in addition, indicated separately in the 3rd, 6th and 7th voices), however, other canons about the deceased of the Octoechos undoubtedly belong to the Monk Theophanes.
The canons are placed in numerical order, which is indicated in acrostics: “By faith I offer the first song to the dead,” “To the dead I weave the second song,” etc. All of them are inextricably linked and form a single whole.
Venerable Theophan the Inscribed, Bishop of Nicaea, Confessor
The Monk Theophan the Confessor was born in Jerusalem into a Christian family. Together with his older brother Theodore, he studied at the Lavra of St. Sava, where both brothers accepted monasticism and the rank of presbyter. The brothers Theodore and Theophanes became famous as champions of icon veneration.
Holy Fathers on Prayer
“Prayer is a great weapon, an unfailing treasure, wealth that never runs out, a serene haven, a foundation of peace; prayer is the root, source and mother of countless blessings and is more powerful than royal power.” St. John Chrysostom.
“Prayer in its rank is higher than alms.” St. Isaac the Syrian.
“Prayer is the emergence in our hearts of one after another reverent feelings towards God.” St. Feofan, the Recluse of Vyshensky.
“During prayer, let our speech and supplication be combined with decorum, calmness and modesty. Let us think about the fact that we stand before the face of God and that we must please the eyes of God both by the position of the body and the sound of the voice.” Sschmch. Cyprian of Carthage.
“You must abstain from marital affairs in order to engage in prayer; to abstain from worries about wealth, from the desire for earthly glory, from the enjoyment of pleasures, from envy and every evil deed against our neighbor, so that when our soul is in silence and not disturbed by any passion, in it, as in a mirror, God’s purity and uncloudedness will be insight." St. Basil the Great.
“When starting a prayer, leave yourself, your wife, your children, part with the earth, pass through heaven, leave every creature visible and invisible, and begin by praising Him who created everything, and when you praise Him, do not wander your mind here and there, do not talk about fabulous things. pagan, but choose words from the Holy Scriptures.” St. Basil the Great.
“Every place and every time is convenient for us to pray.” St. John Chrysostom.
Orthodox prayers to the holy saints. Holy saints of God.
Orthodox prayers for those in need for various needs and infirmities.
What a Christian Should Remember
There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is advisable to know by heart.
1. The Lord's Prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). 2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). 3. The main gospel commandments (Matt. 5, 3-12; Matt. 5, 21-48; Matt. 6, 1; Matt. 6, 3; Matt. 6, 6; Matt. 6, 14-21; Matt. 6, 24-25; Matthew 7, 1-5; Matthew 23, 8-12; John 13, 34). 4.Symbol of Faith. 5. Morning prayers and evening prayers according to a short prayer book. 6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.
The sacraments must not be mixed with rituals. A ritual is any outward sign of reverence that expresses our faith. A sacrament is a sacred act during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the believers. There are seven such sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Blessing of Anointing (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination) ...
