Master, how does the blessing “work”? If, for example, a doctor prescribes eating meat, and the priest blesses strict fast, who to listen to?

As you said, "works" according to the word Holy Scripture: “According to your faith, be it done to you.” A person believes that through a priest or bishop he will receive a direct answer from the Lord, and is ready to fulfill this word exactly.

Let's remember why we need fasting in the first place. Fasts were established by the Church for the benefit of man, in order to sanctify him, to protect him from the influence of evil spirits, because “this kind does not come from anything” - only through prayer and fasting.

We can say that this is also our church obedience. The Holy Fathers determined exactly this number of fasts and fast days to help save the soul, and if we trust them, trust the Church, then we will fulfill all the decrees. If we accept that fasting is a blessing of the Church, it will be easy for us to observe it. Many church people They say that they look forward to fasting, and when it ends, they feel a certain sorrow: you don’t want to be separated from it, you’re so used to it, it’s so easy for you.

To someone who carefully reads the Gospel, at some point it may seem that Jesus Christ neglected fasting, because he did not fast like others, and led a lifestyle different from those around him: he visited the houses of sinners and tax collectors, and was in public all the time. , in the spotlight. And when the Pharisees reproached Him, the Lord answered: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth” (Matthew 15:11). But we must remember that Christ’s ministry on earth was short - a little more three years, so He concentrated on what was most important. When he left His disciples and ascended to heaven, then all the fasts and regulations returned, and the apostles began to observe them, as predicted: “Can the sons of the bridal chamber grieve while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15).

The highest goal of fasting is, as I have already said, the sanctification of man, reconciliation with God, and abiding in His love. But without physical exercise it is impossible to achieve such spiritual heights. This is what fasting is for: it disciplines, teaches self-restraint, self-sacrifice.

When a person is sick, the illness itself becomes a kind of limitation for him, puts him in such conditions when he is constrained by something, sometimes he cannot even get out of bed, live a full life, and must resign himself. An illness deprives us of worldly joys and brings us into a state of peace, when we delve deeper into ourselves, look for the spiritual roots of the disease, and think about our lives. This, in fact, is what fasting leads to. So we can say that whoever is sick is already fasting.

Who to listen to: a doctor or a priest. If a person trusts the Church, puts all his hope in God, that God will direct the mind of this priest, instruct him to give the blessing correctly, he goes and asks. And every priest, probably, when they ask for a blessing, approaches this very seriously, because they are ready to trust you completely, and you, as a clergyman, must take responsibility for what the person should do next.

When I give a blessing, first of all I find out how the person lives, what his schedule is, how much free time he has for prayer, so that the blessing is not an overwhelming burden.

Any priest, if he wants to help, will try to delve into a person’s life and select such prayer rule and such a measure of abstinence in food that will help you recover both physically and spiritually. And if a person accepts the blessing of his confessor with faith, then everything works out for him.

But there is no need to recklessly trust what the priest says. It is necessary to look at whether blessing is taught in the church tradition, how commensurate it is with the strengths of the person himself, his life schedule, physical, moral, and spiritual strength.

I don’t bless 10 akathists

- How do you yourself determine when to give a blessing and when not?

A person who seeks blessing must understand that by doing so he voluntarily surrenders himself to obedience to his confessor.

So they come for a blessing to read 10 akathists a day. I don't bless. Because a person can have such a good desire, and it seems to him that he will master it. But you always need to start small. Read one at first, then perhaps more, and so on.

Or they ask for a blessing not to eat meat. If a person is a church member and understands what step he is taking, and he has the opportunity for this, then such a blessing is given. It will help the believer to follow this path, since temptations will come further, and he cannot do without God’s help.

Do you give a blessing if you know that it will be difficult for a person to hear and accept your word? Or will you regret it?

This will be to some extent penance, medicine for the soul. Every clergyman must take care of the health of his parishioners, his spiritual children, and sometimes he has to give blessings that, at first glance, people may not like.

For example, someone asks for exemption from fasting. He complains that he doesn’t have enough strength, but the priest sees that this is due to cowardice, and at this moment the person just needs to be supported. The confessor does not give a blessing and thereby strengthens faith. And then the person is surprised how he managed to endure everything, and rejoices at how wisely the priest acted with him, that he did not give him a reason to relax.

We are all weak and looking for relief. Everyone justifies himself even before his own conscience. But this is lulling yourself, but you need to look soberly, cheer up, and then even what at first seemed impossible, with a blessing, becomes real. In this case, blessing is like prayerful strengthening of a person in business, in his ministry, in his life.

What can't you bless?

Isn’t going to a priest “for a blessing” an attempt to shift responsibility for your life and actions onto another person?

Yes, to some extent the responsibility falls on the confessor, but personally I try to adhere to the position that any blessing must be accepted with consent. If a person is not ready to trust, it is better to hold off and not give blessings. And if I see that people are ready, they have everything for this, but there is no determination, in this case the word of the shepherd becomes like an impetus for them, and then they happily follow this path. It happens that it is difficult for a person to take the first step, and when, having trusted his confessor, he takes this step, he reaches a qualitatively different level, a higher one.

Such a blessing, for example, is sometimes needed by students who have graduated from seminary, got married, but do not dare to take holy orders.

- Have you ever given such a blessing that would completely change people’s lives?

People themselves must decide how to change their lives. A priest can only be an advisor.

Literally this year she contacted me married couple for a blessing for adoption. They thought of taking only one child, but it turned out that there were four more of his siblings in the orphanage, and the youngest one had AIDS. And these parents were very worried whether they would be able to bear such a cross. They consulted with the priest, then came to me. This was before the beginning of Lent. And we decided with them this: all Lent Let us pray intensely about this, so that the Lord will reveal His will, and during this time we will strengthen in faith, decide on our intentions, and then it will be clear.

When Easter arrived, the couple came up to me and said that... they were ready. And then I gave them the bishop’s blessing.

There was such a case. One businessman was hesitating whether to take another child from an orphanage into his family. And also, after prayer, having properly thought it over and consulted, he received such a blessing.

In a situation of a decisive choice, the priest cannot make it for his spiritual children. You let a step-child into your family and you will try to surround him with love and care so that he feels like family - this cannot be blessed. A person must be ready.

There are people who are afraid and want to shift difficult life choices onto the shoulders of a priest. When they come to me with such questions, I try to explain that in our lives we must make decisions ourselves.

How do you feel about the fact that the confessor does not bless, for example, getting married? Or, on the contrary, does it recommend specific young men and women to start a family? Do priests really have some kind of spiritual gift, or maybe this is an everyday skill - to see who is suitable for whom, and what path awaits whom?

If we talk about church tradition, the Orthodox Church knows elders who had the gift of insight, from their own spiritual experience they saw who could suit each other in temperament, character, and compatibility. But at present this gift is present only in individuals.

Maybe the priest knows the hidden spiritual life young man and the girls, sees their mood, that they sympathize with each other, but do not have determination. Then he can try to offer them to start a family. But this is subject to the only condition - that people lead a church lifestyle, the word of the confessor is authoritative for them, and in the future they will also be able to consult with him.

But there is also a very harmful practice, I would say, harmful to the soul, when a priest takes upon himself the right to decide the fate of people: he blesses some to get married, others to go to a monastery, and to others he says that there is no need to give birth to children, since the last times have come. Who can know this? What are we, prophets? The prophets - “until John” (Matthew 11:13), and then everything, prophecy stopped, and now a person every day must trust in the mercy and will of God.

We cannot stop fulfilling our direct responsibilities. If there is a family, let children be born in it. If a young man wants to serve God in a monastery, there is no need to block his access and bless him to get married just because the priest decided so. You can advise to wait, test yourself, live in a monastery as a novice, but deciding the destinies of people is categorically unacceptable.

Learn to think for yourself

On what issues can you seek a blessing: only on very important ones or on all? Do they ask you, for example, whether to buy or sell piglets, or whether to embroider on Sunday? What is your answer?

Yes, there are such questions. But only at first glance they seem unworthy of attention, but in fact, this is a person’s life, and for him it is very important.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina could talk with a woman for hours about turkey poults. When they asked him: “Father, there are so many people here waiting for you to talk about serious spiritual issues,” he answered: “You see, her turkey poults are her whole life, we are talking about her life, about what worries her.”

So a person worries, worries: will he be able to make a deal - sell an apartment or even the same piglets. And for greater confidence in God’s help, he comes up for a blessing.

But it is desirable that a Christian should have some skill and not run around for advice on small everyday issues, but decide for himself. There must be an inner core, a feeling that tells a person whether his actions and words are consistent with the Orthodox church tradition, one hundred And whether he himself is on the solid rock of the Gospel commandments or has deviated to the side.

So it is with us. Sometimes they ask if they can go to the dacha for the holidays. I try to delve into every question, but to instruct people so that later they themselves can consider whether their intentions contradict the commandments of God, the church charter, and if not, then they can act, and it is not necessary to secure the blessing of a priest every time. You can’t just feed your baby milk; he needs to grow and eat solid food.

What should a person do if he has received a blessing with which, let’s say, he does not agree, and understands that he cannot do this. Is it possible to “cancel” a blessing?

Advice for the future: with any question about a blessing, approach only the priest whom you know well and trust.

It’s a different matter if the priest imposed his blessing or somehow forces you to fulfill it. In this case, you can contact the bishop.

But still, in order not to fall into such situations, you need to cultivate trust in the priest and responsibility for your life. If the questions are really complex, weigh everything carefully and make a decision, and then just ask the priest for advice. When the situation is difficult, people’s opinions can shed light on the problem, including the priest’s invaluable spiritual experience.

Conducted the conversation Yulia Kominko

The church is a kind of house that contains many traditions and laws. Receiving a blessing also has its own. So, how to ask for a blessing from the priest, what rules need to be followed, and in what cases is it better to postpone your request to a more favorable day?

The concept of “blessing” contains two components: “good” and “word”. “Good” in this context carries within itself the principle of God. God alone has the highest goodness, that is, purity. “Word” means God’s action, because all believers know that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” From this we can conclude that the very term “blessing” means God’s grace, help, approval to the person who asks to bless him.

Blessings should only be asked if a person already has what he is asking to be blessed for. For example, if you want to get approval for your desire to start a family, then you should already have an agreement on marriage, only then go for a blessing. If you want to be blessed to buy an apartment, then first look for a new home, and only then ask for a blessing on it. The same applies to work, entering a university for any specialty, moving to another city, and so on.

Don't be alarmed if a church minister asks if what you are asking for a blessing on will be bad for you. For example, in the case of marriage, the priest will find out whether your fiancé (or bride) is an unbeliever or whether he (she) belongs to a different faith.

Basic Rules

• When blessing, the clergyman must fold his fingers so that they form the letters Ic and Xc, which means Jesus Christ. This position of the hand means that Jesus Christ himself will bless us through the priest.
• If, while in the temple, you hear words of general blessing, you must bow.
• A person who wants to be blessed must fold his hands in a special way: a cross, the right hand on top of the left, palms facing up.
• After receiving the blessing, a person kisses the priest’s hand, thereby symbolically kissing the hand of Christ himself.

If there is not one priest standing in front of you, but several, which of them should you ask to bless you? First of all, you should pay attention to their rank. Accordingly, the blessing must be received from the one whose rank is higher than the rest.

Is it possible to ask for a blessing outside of church? Even when the priest is not in clerical robes and is outside the church, you can ask him for a blessing. But this does not mean at all that you should approach an unfamiliar clergyman on the street with such a request.

It is not advisable to come up for a blessing when the priest is conducting a service, giving communion, that is, at an inopportune hour. Even if we ignore it, disturbing a person who is busy with something is simply impolite.

There is no need to approach the priest several times a day and ask to bless you. You should only go for a blessing in a good mood, when there are no other problems or thoughts in your head. You should only tune in to receive blessings from the Lord, because your attitude towards what is happening is the most important thing.

There are also times when it is necessary to remove the blessing. If you asked the priest to bless you to sell your apartment, but circumstances soon changed and you changed your mind, then you need to come to the priest and notify him about this, ask him to remove the blessing from you. For blessing is a gift from God that should be treasured.

Having taken note simple rules how to ask for a blessing from the priest, you will be blessed for any matter!

In the life of every believer there are days when he attends church and comes to spiritual cleansing. Orthodox people Quite often they have conversations with God through their thoughts or through the priest. It is the priest who is the guide to God and to the truth for every believer. But have you ever thought about whether you need ask the priest for a blessing for this or that requirement.

Imagine for a moment, if the priest is a guide to God, and you want to ask God for approval to do a special thing, then accordingly you need to turn to the priest so that he gives you this approval - God’s grace on behalf of the priest. Then, of course, you will think about the question of how and under what circumstances this should be done. This article will be useful for everyone Orthodox and believers who came early or too late to this issue.

What is a blessing and how to ask for a blessing from the priest

- these are the actions of the priest aimed at wishing goodness to the person who came to him asking for a blessing. In other words, this is a special prayer, the words of which depend on the person’s conversion. And this is also considered the approval of God, of any matter in the person of the priest.

Many church parishioners , meeting a priest on his way, want to ask for his blessing. But often they do it wrong. Of course, there are no mandatory canons on how to ask for a blessing from a priest, but still, in order to answer the question of how to receive a blessing from a priest, you need to know certain rules. First of all, all those asking should know that they need to ask for something that really exists. For example, you cannot ask for God’s grace for marriage if you do not yet have a bride or groom. Consider an example of obtaining approval from a priest for marriage:

1. Before you get approval, you need to get a groom (bride), agree on everything, and then come to the priest and ask for guidance so that everything will be fine in this matter.
2. You will be asked whether your chosen one belongs to a different faith and whether this is done by consent of both.
3. After this, he will approve and say: “God bless.”

The ritual itself also occurs in a certain way. In order to receive a blessing, you need to go to the priest, put right hand to the left, with the palms facing the sky. Then say: “Bless, father!” Then the sign of the cross will follow.

The priest performs this ritual with his hand, folding his fingers so that they depict IC XC - Jesus Christ. Thus, the Lord himself blesses us, through the priest. Afterwards, you must kiss the priest’s hand, this will mean that we are, as it were, kissing the invisible hand of God.

When to ask for a blessing from the priest

Previously, none the believer did not travel far and did not perform any important deeds without the blessing of the clergyman. It was believed that it was prayer and God's grace that protected a person from troubles and sins. Now they don't take it so seriously. So, when should you take a blessing from a priest? IN Lately Believers seek blessings:

• On the road.
• To do well in exams.
• To do the work.
• For the correct upbringing of children.
• To make some kind of purchase and so on.

If you are going or just planning to go on a long journey, then it is best to get parting words from the priest. All this is done for so that the road is calm, without incident and brought only joy.

When preparing to take exams or do work, you can take approval so that everything you plan will work out and nothing will interfere with you on your way.

In order not to doubt the correctness of your methods of raising children, a priest will also help you. He will advise, show and bless. Afterwards there will only be a small chance that you might do something wrong.

God's grace can and should be asked for with or without reason. For those who are regular visitors to the temple, instead of saying “Hello” and “Goodbye”, the priest blesses you. By the way, it is also forbidden to greet the priest with a handshake; only certain individuals have the right to do this.

In order for your purchase to benefit you and not cause any problems with it, you also turn to the church. There are no restrictions on what specific issues and deeds to ask for God's grace. It is important to remember that there is no need to be baptized before or after the ceremony.

A priest has the right to bless while not only in the Temple and the sacred cassock, but also while outside the church in civilian clothes, but only in specific cases. Ask and you will be heard, and your words and actions will be blessed. Don't forget about responsibility. As they say: “Trust in God, but don’t make a mistake yourself.”

Is it necessary to receive a blessing for fasting?

Fasting in Orthodoxy is a time of abstinence. If possible, permission or blessing for fasting must be taken. But if for some reason you do not have the opportunity to go to church and do this, then you, of course, can fast on your own. The blessing for Lent, for example, is the day Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, all Orthodox Christians gather in church and ask forgiveness both from each other and from the priesthood for voluntary and involuntary offenses. Fasting is our sacrifice to God. And the Great One carries the meaning of Jesus’ forty-day fast in the desert.

Although church posts It is not necessary for all believers to keep it, but it is important to ask for a blessing in order to refuse fasting for one reason or another, for example, due to illness.

How to correctly ask for a blessing from the priest for childbirth or surgery

To make you feel calmer during childbirth or during an emergency operation, contact your priest. Order a prayer service before childbirth, let the priest bless you and your child for an easy birth. There is no set time to take a blessing for a future birth or surgery. You can contact the church with these at any time, either a week or several days in advance.

Don’t forget that you also need to take communion. Of course, the priesthood will ask you about when your event will take place and other details. Don’t be afraid that you won’t be blessed, the priest will find time for you, listen and help you figure out your plans. You will not be left without God's grace. The blessing ceremony itself will follow the same pattern as in the example described above with the blessing for marriage. However, basically, all blessings are given in this way.

priest Andrey Dudchenko

Piety is like a vertical, directed from earth to heaven (man-God), church etiquette is a horizontal line (man-man). At the same time, you cannot rise to heaven without loving a person, and you cannot love a person without loving God: If we love each other, then God abides in us (), and he who does not love his brother, whom he sees, how can he love God, Whom sees? ().

Thus, all rules are determined by spiritual foundations church etiquette, which should regulate relations between believers striving for God.

There is an opinion that “there is no point in being mannered,” since God looks at the heart. The latter, of course, is true, but virtue itself is offensive if it is combined with repulsive manners. Of course, horrifying intentions can be hidden behind brilliant treatment, which is due to the symbolic nature of our behavior, when, say, a gesture can reveal our true state or desire, but it can also hide. So, Pontius Pilate in one modern novel, washing his hands of the trial of Christ, gives the following interpretation to his gesture: “Let at least the gesture be elegant and the symbol impeccable, if the act is dishonorable.” Such abilities of people, with the help of ambiguous gestures and good manners, to hide a bad heart cannot serve as an excuse in the absence of church “good form.” “Bad form” in church can become a stumbling block for a person with little church on his path to God. Let us remember the groans and complaints of converts who come to churches and are sometimes met with simply barbaric attitude towards themselves by those who consider themselves churchgoers. How much rudeness, primitive mentoring, hostility and unforgiveness can be found in other communities! How many people - especially among the youth and intelligentsia - have lost their parishes because of this! And someday they, these departed people, will come to the temple again? And what answer will those who served as such a temptation on the way to the temple give?!

God-fearing and ecclesiastical well-mannered person, if he sees anything indecent in the behavior of another, he only corrects his brother or sister with love and respect.

An incident from the life of the monk is indicative in this regard:

“This elder retained one habit from his worldly life, namely, sometimes, when sitting down, he crossed his legs, which might not seem entirely decent. Some of the brothers saw this, but none of them dared to reprimand him, because everyone respected him very much. But only one elder, Abba Pimen, said to the brethren:

“Go to Abba Arseny, and I will sit with him as he sometimes sits; then you reprimand me that I don’t sit well. I will ask you for forgiveness; At the same time, we will correct the elder too.”

They went and did so. The Monk Arseny, realizing that it was indecent for a monk to sit like that, gave up his habit” (Lives of the Saints. Month of May. Eighth Day).

Politeness, as a component of etiquette, for a spiritual person can become a means of attracting the grace of God. Usually, politeness is understood not only as the art of showing by external signs the inner respect that we have for a person, but also the art of being friendly with people for whom we have no disposition. What is this - hypocrisy, hypocrisy? For a spiritual person who knows the innermost dialectic of external and internal, politeness can become a means on the path of acquiring and developing humility.

There is a well-known expression of one ascetic: do the external, and for the external the Lord will also give the internal, for the external belongs to man, and the internal belongs to God. When external signs virtue, virtue itself gradually increases in us. Here is how the bishop wisely wrote about this: 1 “Whoever anticipates the greetings of others with his own greeting, expresses helpfulness and respect towards everyone, prefers everyone everywhere to himself, silently endures various griefs and strains himself in every possible way mentally and practically and in self-abasement for the sake of Christ, at first he experiences a lot difficult and difficult moments for personal pride.

But for the uncomplaining and patient fulfillment of God’s commandment about humility, the grace of the Holy Spirit is poured on him from above, softens his heart for sincere love for God and for people, and his bitter experiences are replaced by sweet ones.

Thus, acts of love without corresponding feelings of love are ultimately rewarded by an outpouring of heavenly love in the heart. He who humbles himself begins to feel in the faces around him relatives in Christ and is disposed towards them with goodwill.”

The order of meals in the parish often copies the monastic one: if it is an everyday table, then the appointed reader, standing behind the lectern, after the blessing of the priest, for the edification of those gathered, loudly reads the life or instruction, which is listened to with attention. If this is a festive meal, where birthday people are congratulated, then spiritual wishes and toasts are heard; Those who wish to pronounce them would do well to think in advance what to say.

At the table, moderation is observed in everything: in eating and drinking, in conversations, jokes, and the duration of the feast. If gifts are presented to the birthday boy, these are most often icons, a book, church utensils, sweets, and flowers. At the end of the feast, the hero of the occasion thanks all those gathered, who then sing to him “Many Years.” Praising and thanking (among believers it is customary to pronounce the full, not truncated formula of thanksgiving: not “thank you,” but “God save” or “God save”) the organizers of the dinner, all those who worked in the kitchen, also observe the measure, for “ The Kingdom of God is not food and drink, but joy in the Holy Spirit.”

About the behavior of parishioners who bear church obedience.

The behavior of parishioners carrying out church obedience (selling candles, icons, cleaning the temple, guarding the territory, singing in the choir, serving at the altar) is a special topic. It is known what importance the Church attaches to obedience. Doing everything in the Name of God, overcoming your old man, is a very difficult task. It is further complicated by the fact that “getting used to the shrine” quickly appears, a feeling of being the owner (mistress) of the church, when the parish begins to seem like one’s own fiefdom, and hence - disdain for all “outsiders”, “coming”. Meanwhile, the holy fathers nowhere say that obedience is higher than love. And if God is Love, how can you become like Him without showing love yourself?

Brothers and sisters who bear obedience in churches should be examples of meekness, humility, gentleness, and patience. And the most basic: culture: for example, being able to answer phone calls. Anyone who has had to call churches knows what level of culture they are talking about - sometimes you don’t want to call anymore.

On the other hand, people going to church need to know that the Church is a special world with its own rules. Therefore, you cannot go to church dressed provocatively: women should not wear trousers, short skirts, no headdress, or lipstick; men should not come in shorts or T-shirts, and they should not smell of tobacco. These are issues not only of piety, but also of etiquette, because violating norms of behavior can cause a fair negative reaction (even if only in the soul) from others.

To everyone who, for some reason, had unpleasant moments of communication at the parish - advice, you come to God, to Him, bring your heart, and overcome temptation with prayer and love.

In the monastery

Known for love Orthodox people to the monasteries. They are now in Russian Orthodox Church about 500. And in each of them, in addition to the inhabitants, there are workers, pilgrims who come to strengthen themselves in faith, piety, and to work for the glory of God on the restoration or improvement of the monastery.

The monastery has stricter discipline than the parish. And although the mistakes of newcomers are usually forgiven and covered with love, it is advisable to go to the monastery already knowing the rudiments of the monastic rules.

Spiritual and administrative structure of the monastery.

The monastery is headed by the sacred archimandrite - the ruling bishop or (if the monastery is stauropegial) the Patriarch himself.

However, the monastery is directly controlled by the governor (this can be an archimandrite, abbot, or hieromonk). In ancient times he was called the builder, or abbot. The convent is governed by the abbess.

Due to the need for clearly organized monastic life (and monasticism is spiritual path, so verified and polished by centuries of practice that it can be called academic) in the monastery everyone bears a certain obedience.

The first assistant and deputy governor is the dean. He is in charge of all worship services and the fulfillment of statutory requirements. It is to him that people usually refer regarding the accommodation of pilgrims coming to the monastery.

An important place in the monastery belongs to the confessor, who spiritually cares for the brethren. Moreover, this does not have to be an old man (both in the sense of age and in the sense of spiritual gifts).

From among the experienced brethren the following are selected: treasurer (responsible for storing and distributing donations with the blessing of the governor), sacristan (responsible for the splendor of the temple, vestments, utensils, storage of liturgical books), housekeeper (responsible for the economic life of the monastery, in charge of the obediences of workers who come to the monastery), cellarer (responsible for storing and preparing food), hotel (responsible for the accommodation and accommodation of monastery guests) and others.

In women's monasteries, these obediences are carried out by the nuns of the monastery, with the exception of the confessor, who is appointed by the bishop from among the experienced and usually elderly monks.

Appeal to the monks.

In order to correctly address the monk (nun) of the monastery, you need to know that in the monasteries there are novices (novices), cassock monks (nuns), robed monks (nuns), schemamonks (schemanuns). IN monastery Some monks have holy orders (serve as deacons and priests).

Conversion in monasteries is as follows.

In a monastery.

You can contact the governor indicating his position (“Father Viceroy, bless”) or using a name (“Father Nikon, bless”), possible and simple "father"(rarely used). In a formal setting: "Your Reverence"(if the governor is an archimandrite or abbot) or "Your Reverence"(if hieromonk). In the third person they say: “father governor”, ​​“father Gabriel”. The dean is addressed: indicating the position (“father dean”), with name added (“Father Pavel”), “father”. In the third person: “father dean” (“turn to father dean”) or “father... (name)". The confessor is addressed using the name (“Father John”) or simply “father.” In the third person: “what the confessor will advise”, “what Father John will say.”

If the housekeeper, sacristan, treasurer, cellarer have priestly rank, you can contact them "father" and ask for blessings. If they are not ordained, but have been tonsured, they say “father housekeeper”, “father treasurer”.

One can say to a hieromonk, abbot, or archimandrite: "father…(Name)", "father".

A tonsured monk is addressed to: "father", to the novice - "Brother"(if the novice is in old age - “father”). When addressing schema-monks, if rank is used, the prefix “schema” is added - for example: “I ask for your prayers, Father Schema-Archimandrite.”

In a nunnery.

The abbess, unlike the nuns, wears gold pectoral cross and has the right to bless. Therefore, they ask for her blessing, addressing her in this way: "mother abbess"; or using the name: "Mother of Varvara", "Mother of Nicholas" or simply " mother". (IN convent the word "mother" refers only to the abbess. Therefore, if they say. “That’s what mother thinks,” meaning the abbess.)

In an address to the nuns they say: “mother Eulampia”, “mother Seraphim”, but in a specific situation you can simply "mother". The novices are addressed: "sister"(in case of advanced age of the novice, conversion is possible "mother"). There is no spiritual justification for the practice of some parishes, where parishioners who work in the kitchen, in the sewing workshop, etc., are called mothers. In the world, it is customary to call only the wife of a priest (priest) a mother.

About monastic rules.

The monastery is a special world. And it takes time to learn the rules of monastic life.

Since this material is intended for lay people, we will indicate only the most necessary things that must be observed in the monastery during pilgrimage.

• When you come to the monastery as a pilgrim or worker, remember that in the monastery they ask for a blessing for everything and strictly fulfill it.
• You cannot leave the monastery without a blessing.
• They leave all their sinful habits and addictions (wine, tobacco, foul language, etc.) outside the monastery.
• Conversations lead only about the spiritual, they do not remember about worldly life, they do not teach each other, but they know only two words - “forgive” and “bless”.
• Without grumbling, they are content with food, clothing, sleeping conditions, and eat food only at a common meal.
• They do not go to other people’s cells, except when they are sent by the abbot. At the entrance to the cell they say aloud a prayer: “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us” (in the convent: “Through the prayers of our holy mothers...”). They do not enter the cell until they hear from behind the door: “Amen.”
• They avoid free speech, laughter, and jokes.
• When working on obediences, they try to spare the weak person who works nearby, covering with love the errors in his work. When meeting each other, they greet each other with bows and the words: “Save yourself, brother (sister)”; and the other responds to this: “Save, Lord.” Unlike the world, they don’t take each other’s hands.
• When sitting down at the table in the refectory, they observe the order of precedence. The prayer said by the person serving the food is answered “Amen”, the table is silent and listens to the reading.
• They are not late for divine services, unless they are busy with obedience.
• Insults encountered during general obediences are endured humbly, thereby gaining experience in spiritual life and love for the brethren.

How to behave at a reception with a bishop

A bishop is an angel of the Church; without a bishop, the Church loses its fullness and very essence. Therefore, a church person always treats bishops with special respect.

When addressing the bishop, he is called “Vladyko” (“Vladyko, bless”).“Vladyko” is the vocative case of the Church Slavonic language, in the nominative case - Vladyka; For example: “Vladyka Bartholomew blessed you...”

Eastern (coming from Byzantium) solemnity and eloquence in addressing the bishop at first even confuses the heart of a person of little church, who can see here a (in fact non-existent) derogation of his own human dignity.

In official address, other expressions are used.

Addressing the bishop: Your Eminence; Your Eminence Vladyka. In the third person: “His Eminence ordained him a deacon...”

Addressing the Archbishop and Metropolitan: Your Eminence; Your Eminence Vladyka. If you want to enter into a conversation with a bishop unfamiliar to you and you do not know what hierarchical level he is at, pay attention to the bishop’s headdress: in the modern Russian Orthodox Church, an archbishop, unlike a bishop, wears a small four-pointed cap on his hood or skufiya cross made of transparent faceted stones; in addition, the metropolitan, unlike the bishop and archbishop, has a hood white. In general distinctive feature bishop - wearing it over sacred clothes round panagia with the image of the Savior or Mother of God. IN third person: “With the blessing of His Eminence, we inform you...”

Addressing the Patriarch: Your Holiness; Holy Master. In the third person: “His Holiness visited... the diocese.”

A blessing is taken from the bishop in the same way as from a priest: the palms are folded crosswise one on top of the other (the right one is at the top) and they approach the bishop for the blessing.

A telephone conversation with the bishop begins with the words: “Bless, Master” or “Bless, Your Eminence (Eminence).”

The letter can begin with the words: "Bless the Master" or “Your Eminence (High Eminence), bless.”

When formally contacting a bishop in writing, the following form is used.

In the upper right corner of the sheet write, observing the line:

His Eminence

His Eminence(Name),

Bishop(name of the diocese),

Petition.

When contacting to the archbishop or metropolitan:

His Eminence

Your Eminence(Name),

to the archbishop(to the Metropolitan),

(name of the diocese),

Petition.

When addressing the Patriarch:

His Holiness

His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all

Rus Alexiy

Petition.

They usually end a petition or letter with these words: “I ask for the prayers of Your Eminence...”

The priests, who are essentially under church obedience, write: “Humble novice of Your Eminence...”

At the bottom of the sheet they put the date according to the old and new styles, indicating the saint whose memory the Church honors on this day. For example: July 5/18, 1999 A.D. (Christmas Day). St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Arriving at an appointment with the bishop at the diocesan administration, they approach the secretary or head of the chancellery, introduce themselves and tell them why they are asking for an appointment.

When entering the bishop's office, they say a prayer. “Through the prayers of our holy Master, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us,” They cross themselves onto the icon in the red corner, approach the bishop and ask for his blessing. At the same time, there is no need to kneel or prostrate out of excessive reverence or fear (unless, of course, you have come confessing to some sin).

There are usually many priests in the diocesan administration, but it is not necessary to take a blessing from each of them. In addition, there is a clear rule: in the presence of the bishop, they do not take blessings from the priests, but only greet them with a slight bow of the head.

If a bishop leaves his office for the reception, he is approached for blessing in order: first the priests (according to seniority), then the laity (men, then women).

The bishop's conversation is not interrupted by anyone asking for a blessing, but they wait until the end of the conversation. They think about their appeal to the bishop in advance and present it briefly, without unnecessary gestures or facial expressions.

At the end of the conversation, they again ask for the bishop’s blessing and, having crossed themselves at the icon in the red corner, they sedately leave.

In days of trouble

Finally, a few notes about the time when all festivities are abandoned. This is a time of mourning, that is, an outward expression of feelings of sadness for the deceased.

There are deep mourning and ordinary mourning.

Deep mourning is worn only for father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, brother, sister. Mourning for father and mother lasts one year. According to grandparents - six months. For the husband - two years, for the wife - one year. For children – one year. For brother and sister - four months. According to uncle, aunt and cousin - three months. If a widow, contrary to decency, enters into a new marriage before the end of mourning for her first husband, then she should not invite any of the guests to the wedding. These periods can be shortened or increased if, before death, those remaining in this earthly vale received a special blessing from the dying person, for pre-death benevolence and blessing (especially parental) are treated with respect and reverence.

Generally in Orthodox families They do not make any important decisions without the blessing of parents or elders. Children with early years They even learn to ask for the blessings of their father and mother for everyday things: “Mommy, I’m going to bed, bless me.” And the mother, having crossed the child, says: “A guardian angel for your sleep.” A child goes to school, on a hike, to a village (to a city) - along all the paths he is protected by his parent’s blessing.

If possible, parents add to their blessing (at the marriage of their children or before their death) visible signs, gifts, blessings: crosses, icons, holy relics, the Bible, which, forming a household shrine, are passed on from generation to generation.

The inexhaustible bottomless sea church life. It is clear that this small book contains only some outlines of church etiquette.

Hegumen Aristarchus (Lokhapov)

Orthodox view of church blessing

Every Christian asks for a blessing from a priest or bishop on important events In my life. Believers also ask for blessings when meeting a clergyman. In addition, blessing in one form or another is present in church service. Now, unfortunately, in the minds of many believers there is a misunderstanding of blessing as permission or even a command to perform any action...

Most priests today, when asking for a blessing, will overshadow a person sign of the cross and, most likely, will not utter any words or say something like: “God bless.” Although it would be necessary to say: “God is blessed” or something similar. Among the Greeks, when giving a blessing, the priest says: “O Kyrios,” i.e. "Lord." This is a shortened version of the answer: “Blessed be the Lord.”

To see how blessing is understood in Church Tradition, which is expressed, among other things, in liturgical tradition, let us turn to our divine service.

At the end of Vespers and Matins, the choir sings, addressing the primate: “Bless.” Following this, the serving priest utters the exclamation: “Blessed is Christ our God...” (by the way, here the priest calls God with the sacred Old Testament name “Yahweh” - “He” - “Who is.” The same name is written on the icons of Christ).

A teacher at the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute, M. Zheltov, speaks about this (I quote below his lecture notes from the Internet): “You see how great the boldness is in the Christian religion: in Old Testament the high priest uttered only this word once a year, and in the New Testament every priest at the end of the service pronounces this exclamation: “Blessed are you!..” For us, the word “bless” is often associated with a request to the priest: “Father, bless!” And the priest blesses.

In fact, if we look at patristic interpretations and the Bible itself, the main meaning of the word “bless” is “to bless God.” And the choir sings: “Bless!”, and the priest says: “Blessed is the Lord,” and blesses the Lord. And this is observed here ancient tradition: Don’t bless us, the choir sings here, but “bless” means “God.”

And the priest blesses: “Blessed is Christ our God,” thereby confessing Christ as God. A blessing in the biblical sense of the word is the blessing of God. This understanding persisted for quite a long time. Let us recall an example from the life of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. When Zosima meets her, they argue for a long time about who should bless whom. Finally, the Venerable Mary gives in and says: “God bless,” i.e. blesses God.

By blessing God, a person enters into a special spiritual relationship with Him, and this blessing passes to him. This is the biblical model. Following God's blessing, God Himself blesses man.

When a priest or bishop is asked to give a blessing to someone, it is most often understood as follows: the clergyman blesses the person, and this means that God blesses him. In fact, God blesses man through the fact that man himself first blesses God. This is exactly the model used in the Bible.

Thus, when a priest is asked for a blessing, he must, making the sign of the cross on the one asking, bless GOD, and the Lord Himself will give the blessing to the one asking him. Or he won’t give it - God is free in His decision. And He has the right not to give a blessing to the one whom the priest blesses.

Now let's imagine the following situation. I asked for a blessing for something and received it. Does this mean that I must definitely do what I have in mind? No, that doesn't mean it. I asked for God's blessing - which means I asked God to intervene in my situation. And if this deed is for good, God will arrange everything so that the deed is accomplished. If it is not for good, the Lord will somehow show it to me. In any case, I should not be guided by the principle of doing what I have been blessed at any cost.

One day asked a question: “Does blessing have anything to do with prayer? In the Russian Church it is quite canonized: for every deed you must ask for a blessing... What is the connection: what is God’s and what is not? There is always this very difficult moment: maybe God doesn’t like this... I have such selfishness that I often just forget about it, I just do it and that’s it. But this can also be mechanical: he asked for a blessing and went, and you answer, since you blessed. I have experience; I, if I want, will do it anyway, even if they didn’t allow me, and I paid for it to the extent that they promised me. There is a moment in this: inviting trouble upon yourself...”

Vladyka Anthony responded to this: “When we are little children, we ask dad or mom: can I play, can I do this or that?.. When we become a little older, we understand that now we have no time for playing, now we need to do something else, and then We no longer ask: Dad, let me, Mom, let me, but we know that now is the time, I will do this with God’s blessing, if this is not a bad thing in itself. And things are mostly average in the sense that maybe it’s not bad, and maybe it’s not particularly good, there’s nothing special about it, I can do it.

And if you turn everything into a situation where you have to ask for a blessing for every thing, then firstly, there is no one, and secondly, it’s even worse when there is someone who has enough ingenuity or intelligence or experience or he will stop and say: no, it is absolutely necessary this way and not another. You must somehow be able to make a choice like an adult, sometimes after thinking, sometimes after consulting, and somehow internally saying: God bless, I will do it as best I can!”

Then the conversation with Bishop Anthony continued: “Can I amuse you a little? I came to Russia with this blessing, I wanted to buy a car, I came to the priest: I need you to bless me to buy a car... He says: In general, you know, I’m somehow more involved in spiritual matters, but about the car I need to consult with someone who deals with cars, who understands something about them... Since then I have divided more or less, but sometimes I get confused.

Thank God, he turned out to be a reasonable person! You can always say: Lord, in my opinion this is not a bad thing - bless! If it is not according to You, put some kind of barrier to prevent this from happening...

You need to pray and you will feel it!

I think such absolute rules are risky. Now you are in such and such a mood and your soul is open, and you feel: yes, yes!.. And at another moment you have withered and you do not have such a living feeling that God is blessing you or not. I think then you have to think: is this a good thing, right? Or even “average” in the sense that there is nothing particularly good or bad in it, just some everyday thing. Pray for him and let God do something that you yourself cannot do.

We can’t do everything and we can’t ask for everything: Lord, instruct me!.. - and God has already laid the answer on your soul. Sometimes it happens like this - I’m not thinking about children now, but about adults: a person needs something, and you cannot help him. There is a very remarkable place in one letter where he says: sometimes it happens that a person has a need or pain, he needs something and no one can help him, because God knows that he is not mature enough to accept it. help. He may accept it mechanically: “Oh, I’m freed,” and then he will return to the same problem again, because he has not gotten over it in himself. So it is not necessarily possible to always solve every problem. This is not a consolation for, say, a priest who cannot find any answers to any questions, but it means that sometimes you feel that no, I could formally say something, but this is not the answer to this person and the wrong answer.”

priest Andrey Dudchenko

We often talk about blessing without thinking about the meaning of this word. When seeing a person off on a long journey, we give him parting words: “The Lord bless you,” and introduce the chosen one to the parents: “We have decided to get married, bless us.” For a Christian, the word “blessing” has a special meaning - it is approval, help and guidance from the Lord himself. Why do Christians ask for blessings? Is it possible to get married without the blessing of your parents? Whom can we ask for blessing?

The concept of “blessing” has several definitions. This is what is commonly called, first of all, the action of the Lord sending His grace to a person or an entire nation. But the following can also be considered a blessing:

• the call of a shepherd, an appeal with a request to send down Divine grace;
• the confessor's permission to do this or that act;
• parental approval.

If we carefully read the word “blessing”, we will see that it is made up of the parts “good” and “word”. A word that bestows goodness and goodness on those who ask for it. A believer always craves approval from God and in moments of doubt can turn to his confessor for advice and a request for blessing. Sometimes we bless each other, say “God bless you,” wishing the best for a person, calling on God to help someone in a good deed, or begging for help to survive a difficult trial.
This call for help testifies to true faith, because a person will not ask for protection from someone he does not trust.

Forms of blessing

• the shepherd blesses his flock, making the sign of the cross;
• when greeting a priest, we usually ask for a blessing;
• praise of God (eg Ps. 102);
• prayer for the health and prosperity of another person;
• approval of the parents of the bride and groom for the wedding;
• permission from the hierarchy for this or that action.

Blessing from the priest

Priests regularly receive requests for blessings and happily respond to them. It is only important to remember that receiving a blessing from a confessor does not mean abdicating responsibility. In addition, the priest cannot make decisions for the person himself. It is correct and good to ask for blessings, if you come to the temple, ask for blessings with a firm intention:

• Reconcile with your loved one;
• Do a good deed;
• Help someone;
• Coping with bad tendencies.

But in the temple you are unlikely to be given blessings for sinful acts. There is an episode in the film “The Island” where a young girl asks for a blessing from a monk, without telling her what exactly she needs to be blessed for. The insightful monk sternly interrupts her as she asks for a blessing for an abortion.

If we talk about reconciliation, then God can bless a person, but not act for him. To reconcile with a loved one, you need to sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness, or find the strength to forgive the offender yourself.

The blessing is received with a special feeling of awe and reverence, because through the priest Christ himself blesses us. It is not without reason that for blessing the hands are folded in a special way: the fingers depict the letters IC XC, that is, Jesus Christ.

To ask for a blessing, you need to cross your hands: put your right hand on left palms up, saying the words: “Bless, father... (name) (or Vladyka - to the bishop).” Having received the blessing, we must kiss the priest’s hand, just as we kiss the invisible hand of Christ the Savior Himself. Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “It is not man who blesses, but God with his hand and mouth.” And the priest himself blesses with the words “God bless!”

Blessing of parents

Parents traditionally bless the newlyweds before the Sacrament of Wedding, overshadowing them with an icon. The blessing in this case, of course, is given not by the parents themselves, but by the Lord.