Great Litany. What is a litany? Is it possible to pray without submitting a note? On one's own

What is this “Special (extraordinary) litany”? When is this prayer service ordered and what does it serve? Thank you. Irina.

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers:

Hello Irina!

First, let’s define the meanings of the words “litany” and “prayer service.”

Litany (from the Greek “zeal”, “extension”) is a series of prayer requests pronounced by a deacon or priest on behalf of all those praying during the service. The litany begins with a call to prayer, followed by various petitions and ends with an exclamation glorifying God (pronounced by the priest). After each petition, depending on its content, the choir sings “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” or “To you, Lord.”
According to the content and number of petitions in Russian church practice, they distinguish between great, small, special and supplicant.

The august litany (from the Slavic “subgubiti” - “strengthen, double”) - begins with the words “rtzem vse with all our soul, and from all our thoughts rtzem” (“rtzem” means “let us speak”). The name of this litany indicates intense prayer (that’s why it is called “the litany of diligent prayer”). Contains mainly petitions about persons: the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, the country (rulers and troops), about deceased Christians (primarily the creators of the temple), as well as about all those who perform divine services in it and perform various obediences, and also about upcoming ones. To each petition pronounced by a deacon or priest, the choir responds with three times “Lord, have mercy.”

A prayer service is one of the types of private worship. It is short and has a pleading or grateful character. Those praying ask the Lord, the Mother of God or a saint to send mercy or thank them for receiving benefits.
There are public and private prayer services. The first are performed, as a rule, on temple holidays, on the New Year, before the start of the school year, during natural disasters, epidemics, etc. Private prayers are performed at the request of individuals: for example, for the blessing of a house, for the consecration and blessing of food, about the sending of spiritual and physical health. In different churches there are certain days for performing such prayers.

Thus, the special litany is not a prayer service, but can be included in the sequence of the prayer service. In some parishes there is a tradition of inserting petitions for the sick, for those traveling, etc., as part of the special litany.

Sincerely, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

Prayer is a conversation between a person and the Lord, a thread that connects the believer with God. In some ways, prayer is akin to visiting a psychotherapist’s office, because a person shares in it the most painful, hidden, deeply personal. It is not without reason that after visiting a temple and saying a prayer in front of the images, people feel a surge of spiritual strength, peace, and confidence in the future.

There are many variants of prayers in Orthodoxy, but each of them is said for a specific reason. Many of them are, as they say, “by hearsay.” For example, it is rare that a person has not heard of prayer “for health.” But what exactly this prayer service is is not clear to everyone.

About prayer

An individual prayer to the Lord, said during a church service, is a special litany. It is one of the traditional prayers that make up the liturgy. In the part of the service in which individual petitions are read, more than one or even two such prayers may be said. Accordingly, these petitions affect the duration of church service.

The special litany at the liturgy is pronounced not only for health. This prayer can touch on almost any aspect of life that is important to the believer. You can order a reading before the service in any Orthodox parish - church, monastery, chapel, cathedral.

How does the litany differ from other prayers? The opinion of the priests

The main difference is obvious even to a person far from Orthodox culture. It is contained in the title, you just need to read it carefully - “a special litany,” that is, personal, individual and special, special, thematic. In such a prayer, the believer turns to the Lord purely, that is, for a specific, specific reason, in connection with a need that has arisen.

According to the priests, an important difference from other prayers is one more nuance. Petitions at the special litany are read by church ministers in an order corresponding to the needs of the believers. That is, the more terrible a person’s problem, the more desperate he is, the sooner his petition will be read. Also, the time devoted to reading depends on the complexity of the problem with which a person turns to the Lord.

For what reasons is such a prayer read?

Of course, there is absolutely no need to find yourself in a difficult life situation or wait for something terrible to happen in order to come to church and order such a prayer.

As a rule, a special litany is read in accordance with the following topics:

• health;
• admonition;
• family preservation;
• instructing children;
• gift of a child;
• help in life;
• protection;
• redemption;
• deliverance.

Prayer can also be ordered in connection with other needs. Each such prayer is a person’s request addressed to God about what is important to the believer. Of course, there are no restrictions on the reason for the request.

Church ministers today are concerned about the attitude that the special litany for health evokes among some parishioners. Many new believers sincerely believe that this is a kind of financial offering. Having submitted a note and paid the required amount, people believe that their own participation in prayer ends there. Not everyone can even remember what exactly they asked for in the submitted petition.

The clergy complain about the misunderstanding by newly converted parishioners of the very essence of the prayer. Like any other prayer, it cannot be effective without the direct participation of the believer. Special petitions at the special litany will be completely useless for people who are not trying to improve themselves spiritually and make efforts to solve life’s problems.

Modern people, according to the opinions of many clergy, are losing spirituality or are not at all familiar with this concept. Coming to the temple, as if to a supermarket, and buying a place in the liturgy, and sometimes additional petitions at the special litany, you should not expect that life circumstances will change. Prayer, even if ordered, will not be effective if there is no faith in a person’s soul. In prayer, a person trusts in the Lord, and does not acquire a miracle from him.

Is it possible to pray without submitting a note? On one's own?

Questions about whether a special litany, the notes for which were purchased in a church shop, can be read or even sung independently, outside the church, are often asked to priests. As a rule, this question concerns churchgoers who understand the details and intricacies of divine services.

Such reading or singing of the litany is not prohibited. Especially in situations where a person is not able to come to church. For example, if we are talking about a disabled person who is unable to move, or about a cancer patient who cannot get out of bed. However, in such very difficult circumstances, loved ones of someone who needs prayer should talk to a priest. If necessary, clergy never refuse to visit believers and pray with them.

How long should the litany be read?

The effectiveness of prayer depends on the strength with which a believer places his trust in it. It is impossible to say how long it takes to read this prayer. In one case, a single reading is enough, while in another it takes months.

As a rule, litanies for twelve liturgies are ordered. Many believers claim that petitions at the special litany for Peter and Fevronia are heard much earlier than the twelfth service. However, the duration of reading varies from person to person. If any questions arise when submitting a note with the petition, you should ask them to the clergyman.

In some situations, if the problem in the life of a believer is very serious, priests advise long reading. Sometimes thirty liturgies are required, forty, or even more. For example, if a person asking the Lord is concerned about delivering a loved one from an addiction - alcoholism, card games, drug addiction, then, of course, a significant number of readings will be required.

A very important point is to understand that the effectiveness of the prayer does not depend on the number of its repetitions, but on the strength with which the believer trusts in the litany. Repetitions only strengthen the faith of the person praying, strengthen this person spiritually, and give firmness to his intentions.

Do I need to take any action?

After a special litany has been ordered, many people feel confused and wonder what they should do now. Maybe something needs to be done or is it necessary to be present at the reading, to make some kind of vow? These disturbing questions come to people filled with anxiety.

Concern, as a rule, arises not because of doubts in the power of the Lord, but because of the lack of information about what to do when ordering a prayer service.

The Lord Himself does not require any action from man. God needs only boundless, unconditional and absolute faith. But the person himself really needs everyday actions that strengthen his spirit and give strength to his faith.

What to do after ordering a litany?

It is important for a believer to feel his participation in prayer, to express zeal, to join in the reading spiritually. If you do nothing, then anxiety begins to consume your soul, followed by doubts.

Church leaders often advise parishioners to do the following:

• cleanse and consecrate your own home;
• reflect on everyday actions, emotions and compliance with their commandments;
• remember the departed by placing a candle in front of the icon;
• confess;
• visit the temple.

These are quite simple actions that can fill a person’s heart with confidence, peace and tranquility.

Where is the best place to order a prayer reading?

But if a person does not go to church, does not pray and, in principle, does not consider himself a deeply religious person, then the choice of place becomes important. In this case, the temple must be “prayed.” The spiritual energy of the very room in which believers for centuries have asked the Lord for something and praised him will give strength to prayer.

The best option for choosing a place is a kind of “insight”. As people say, the legs brought it. This means that a person unconsciously, wandering through the streets in thought, suddenly notices that he has approached the entrance to the temple. Such accidents cannot be ignored. Such a situation can be called in different ways - a sign from above, an accident, a coincidence, or something else. But no matter how a person calls the fact that he finds himself in front of the entrance to a church, he should not pass by this temple. It is there that you need to order the litany.

Of course, the temple does not always “find” the person who needs to visit it. Usually, the believer himself has to decide on the church, if he wants to order a prayer service or if this action is necessary.

Although the location is not particularly important, one should not forget that most of the temples in our country have completely lost their special aura. Churches have been desecrated for decades. And the need to order a litany, as a rule, arises in very difficult life circumstances. How many people would trust the treatment of their illness to an ill doctor in a hospital lacking equipment? Probably no one. This example is also true for a church building. Special, intense prayer should be ordered in a temple that has spiritual energy, and not in one that is being restored after desecration.

During Divine services, we often hear a series of prayer requests, pronounced protractedly, slowly, proclaimed by a deacon or priest on behalf of all those praying. After each petition the choir sings: "Lord have mercy!" or “Give it, Lord”. These are the so-called litanies, from the Greek dialect ectenos -"diligently".

The litanies are divided into several types:

• Great Litany
• The Great Litany
• Litany of Petition
• Small Litany
• Litany for the Dead or Funeral

Great Litany

The Great Litany consists of 10 petitions or sections.

1. Let us pray to the Lord in peace.

   This means we will call upon our prayer meeting the peace of God, or the blessing of God, and under the shadow of the face of God, addressed to us with peace and love, we will begin to pray for our needs. In the same way, let us pray in peace, having forgiven mutual offenses (Matt. 5:23-24).

2. Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and the salvation of our souls.

   “Peace from above” is the peace of earth with heaven, the reconciliation of man with God, or receiving forgiveness of sins from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit of forgiveness of sins or reconciliation with God is the salvation of our souls, which we also pray for in the second petition of the Great Litany.

3. Let us pray to the Lord for the peace of the whole world, the prosperity of God’s holy churches and the unity of all.

   In the third petition we pray not only for a harmonious and friendly life between people on earth, not only for peace in the entire universe, but also for a wider and deeper peace, this is: peace and harmony (harmony) in the whole world, in the fullness of all God's creations (heaven and earth, seas and “everything in them,” angels and people, living and dead). Second subject of the petition; welfare, i.e. peace and well-being of God's holy churches or individual Orthodox societies. The fruit and consequence of the prosperity and well-being of Orthodox societies on earth will be extensive moral unity: agreement, unanimous proclamation of the glory of God from all the elements of the world, from all animate beings, there will be such a penetration of “everything” with the highest religious content, when God will be “perfectly in everything” (1 Cor. 15:28).

4. For this holy temple, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

   Reverence and fear of God are expressed in a prayerful mood, in putting aside worldly cares, in cleansing the heart from enmity and envy. On the outer side, reverence is expressed in bodily cleanliness, in decent clothing and in abstaining from talking and looking around. To pray for the Holy Temple means to ask God so that He never departs from the temple with His grace; but he preserved it from desecration by enemies of the faith, from fires, earthquakes, and robbers, so that the temple did not lack funds to maintain it in a flourishing state. The temple is called holy by the holiness of the sacred actions performed in it and by the gracious presence of God in it, from the time of consecration. But the grace that abides in the temple is not available to everyone, but only to those who enter it with faith, reverence and fear of God.

5. For this city, (or for this village), every city, country, and by faith living in them, let us pray to the Lord.

   We pray not only for our city, but for every other city and country, and for their inhabitants (because according to Christian brotherly love, we must pray not only for ourselves, but also for all people).

6. Let us pray to the Lord for the goodness of the air, for the abundance of earthly fruits and times of peace.

   In this petition, we ask the Lord to give us our daily bread, that is, everything necessary for our earthly life. We ask for favorable weather for the growth of grain, as well as peacetime.

7. Let us pray to the Lord for those floating, traveling, sick, suffering, captives, and for their salvation.

   In this petition, the Holy Church invites us to pray not only for those present, but also for those absent: those on the road (sailing, traveling), the sick, the ailing (that is, sick and physically weak) and the suffering (that is, experiencing suffering) and for those who are in captivity.

8. Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger and need.

   In this petition we ask the Lord to deliver us from all sorrow, anger and need, that is, from grief, disaster and unbearable oppression.

9. Intercede, save, have mercy, and preserve us, O God, with Your grace.

   In this petition, we pray to the Lord to protect us, preserve us and have mercy through His mercy and grace.

10. Let us commemorate ourselves, and each other, and our whole life to Christ our God.

    We constantly call upon the Mother of God in litanies because She serves as our Intercessor and Intercessor before the Lord. After turning to the Mother of God for help, the Holy Church advises us to entrust ourselves, each other and our whole life to the Lord.

The Great Litany is otherwise called “peaceful”(because it often asks people for peace).

The Great Litany

The second litany is called “pure”, that is, intensified, because for every petition pronounced by the deacon, the singers respond with triple “Lord have mercy”.

The special litany consists of the following petitions:

1. We say everything with all our hearts, and we say everything with all our thoughts.

   Let us say to the Lord with all our souls and with all our thoughts: (then it will be explained exactly what we will say).

2. Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, we pray to You, hear and have mercy.
3. Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray to You, hear and have mercy.

   Have mercy on us, Lord, according to Your great goodness. We pray to You, hear and have mercy.

4. We also pray for all the Christ-loving army.

   We also pray for all the soldiers, as defenders of the Faith and the Fatherland.

5. We also pray for our brothers, priests, priests, and all our brotherhood in Christ.

   We also pray for our brothers in service and in Christ.

6. We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable most holy Orthodox Patriarchs, and the pious kings, and the pious queens, and the creators of this holy temple, and for all the Orthodox fathers and brethren who lie before us, who lie here and everywhere.

   We also pray for St. Orthodox Patriarchs, about the faithful Orthodox kings and queens; - about the always memorable creators of the Holy Temple; about all our deceased parents and brothers buried here and in other places.

7. We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and forgiveness of sins of the servants of God to the brethren of this Holy Temple.

   In this petition, we ask the Lord for bodily and spiritual benefits to the parishioners of the church where the service is being performed.

8. We also pray for those who are fruitful and virtuous in this holy and all-honorable temple, for those who work, sing and stand before us, expecting great and rich mercy from You.

   We also pray for people: “fruit-bearing” (i.e., those who bring material and monetary donations for the liturgical needs in the temple: wine, oil, incense, candles) and “virtuous” (i.e., those who make decorations in the temple or donate to maintain the splendor in the temple), as well as about those doing some work in the temple, for example, reading, singing, and about all the people in the temple.

Litany of Petition

Litany of Petition consists of a series of petitions ending with the words “we ask the Lord,” to which the singers respond with the words: “Lord grant”.

The litany of petition is read as follows:

1. Let us fulfill our (evening or morning) prayer to the Lord.

   Let us complete (or supplement) our prayer to the Lord.

2. Day (or evening) perfection of everything, holy, peaceful and sinless, we ask the Lord.

   Let us ask the Lord to help us spend this day (or evening) expediently, holy, peacefully and sinlessly.

3. Angela is a peaceful, faithful mentor, guardian of our souls and bodies, we ask the Lord.

   Let us ask the Lord for the Holy Angel, who is the faithful mentor and guardian of our soul and body.

4. We ask the Lord for forgiveness and forgiveness of our sins and transgressions. Let us ask the Lord for forgiveness and forgiveness of our sins (heavy) and sins (light).
5. We ask the Lord for kindness and benefit to our souls and for peace.

   Let us ask the Lord for everything that is useful and good for our souls, for peace for all people and the whole world.

6. End the rest of your life in peace and repentance, we ask the Lord.

   Let us ask the Lord that we may live the remaining time of our lives in peace and a calm conscience.

7. The Christian death of our belly, painless, shameless, peaceful, and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ, we ask.

   Let us ask the Lord that our death be Christian, that is, with confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries, painless, shameless and peaceful, that is, that before our death we make peace with our loved ones. Let us ask for a kind and fearless answer at the Last Judgment.

8. Our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, having remembered with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other and our entire life to Christ our God.

   Slavic word belly means life.

Small Litany

The Small Litany represents abbreviation of the great litany and concludes only with the following petitions:

1. Again and again (again and again) let us pray to the Lord in peace.
2. Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
3. Having remembered our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and our whole life to Christ our God.

Sometimes these petitions of great, special, small and petitionary litanies are joined by others, compiled for a special occasion, for example, on the occasion of burial or commemoration of the dead, on the occasion of the consecration of water, the beginning of teaching, the onset of the New Year.

Funeral Litany

a) Great:

• Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
• Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and for the salvation of our souls.
• Let us pray to the Lord for the remission of sins, in the blessed memory of those who have passed away.
• For the ever-memorable servants of God (names are pronounced), peace, silence, blessed memory of them, let us pray to the Lord.
• Let us pray to the Lord to forgive them every sin, voluntary or involuntary.
• Let us pray to the Lord for those uncondemned to appear at the terrible throne of the Lord of glory.
• Let us pray to the Lord for those who cry and are sick, and who hope for Christ’s consolation.
• Let us pray to the Lord to free them from all illness and sorrow and sighing, and to indwell them where the light of God’s face shines.
• Oh, that the Lord our God will restore their souls to a place of light, to a place of greenery, to a place of peace, where all the righteous abide, let us pray to the Lord.
• Let us pray to the Lord for their reckoning in the bosoms of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
• Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger and need.
• Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
• Having asked for the mercy of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the remission of sins for ourselves, we will hand over each other and our whole life to Christ our God.

b) Small And c) Triple funeral litany consist of three petitions, in which the thoughts of the great litany are repeated.

Exclamations, while the deacon on the solea pronounces the litany, the priest in the altar reads to himself (that is, secretly) prayers (there are especially many such prayers as part of the liturgy), and the end of them is pronounced loudly. These ends of prayers, pronounced by the priest, are called "whoops". They usually express the reason why we, when praying to the Lord, can hope for the fulfillment of our prayers, and why we have the boldness to turn to the Lord with petitions and thanksgivings. According to immediate impression, all exclamations of the priest are divided into initial, liturgical and litany. In order to clearly distinguish between the two, you need to carefully understand the exclamations of the litanies.

The most common are the following exclamations:

• After the Great Litany: For (i.e. because) all glory, honor and worship is due to You, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
• After the special litany: For You are a merciful and loving God, and we send up glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
• After the petitionary litanies: As God is good and a lover of mankind, we send up glory to You, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
• After the small litany: For Thine is the power, and Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

  For You are the God of mercy and generosity and love for mankind, and we send up glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

  For blessed be Thy Name and glorified Thy kingdom, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

  For You are our God, and we send up glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

  For You are the King of the world and the Savior of our souls, and we send up glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

However, in addition to the above, there are several more exclamations that contain the same thoughts as the eight exclamations noted. For example, for the all-night vigil and prayer service The following exclamations are also uttered:

• Hear us, O God of our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and those who are in the sea far away: and be merciful, be merciful, O Master, for our sins and have mercy on us. For You are merciful and lover of mankind, and we send up glory to You, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
• Hear us, God our Savior, You, in Whom they hope in all the ends of the earth and in the distant sea, and being merciful, be merciful to our sins and have mercy on us, because You are a merciful God who loves mankind and we send up Glory to You...
• By the mercy, and generosity, and love for mankind of Thy Only Begotten Son, with whom art Thou blessed, with Thy most holy, good, and life-giving spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

  By the mercy, generosity and love for mankind of Your Only Begotten Son, with whom You are blessed (God the Father) with Your Most Holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit.

• For you are holy, our God, and you rest among the saints, and we send up glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

  Because You are Holy, our God, and you dwell in the saints (by Your grace) and we send up glory to You.

Funeral cry: For You are the resurrection and the life and rest of your fallen servants (name of the rivers), Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, with Your beginningless Father, and Your all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Prepared by Alexander A. Sokolovsky

Complete collection and description: deep prayer, what is it for the spiritual life of a believer.

ORTHODOX ST. TIKHON'S WOMEN'S MONASTERY

TVER AND KASHIN DIOCESE OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE OF THE ROC

THE MONASTERY INVITES PILGRIMMS, REGISTERS, TRAVELERS

REQUIREMENTS, PRAYERS, REMUNERAL SERVICES

Commemoration at the proskomedia for health and repose (with the removal of a piece):

for 40 days – 100 rubles

for 6 months – 150 rubles

for 12 months – 300 rubles

for 40 days – 100 rubles

for 6 months – 150 rubles

for 12 months – 300 rubles

Donations are accepted for a brick for health and repose.

There is nothing higher than almsgiving!

By donating to the restoration of the monastery, you light unquenchable candles in heaven for yourself and your family. A donation for a brick is an eternal remembrance for the special litany in the rank of builders. By donating to people, we hope for their gratitude; by sacrificing to the Lord, we trust in his mercy towards us and those for whom the sacrifice is made.

For problems that are chronic in nature, the most effective prayer is during the liturgy, during which the priest not only prays for the health of the one for whom this demand is offered, but also specifically (purely) asks the Lord for a solution to this specific problem.

The following special prayers are possible:

– About admonition and guidance on the righteous path

– About spiritual and physical health

– About help in arranging a marriage

– About the gift of a child

– About help in learning

– On resolving the housing issue

– About assistance in performing military duties

– About protection from demonic attacks

– On forgiveness of the sin of infanticide

– About recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling and smoking

The time during which a special prayer is performed is determined depending on the complexity of the problems that need to be solved, determining the complexity of solving the problem, and the person himself, its long-standing nature, decides on the number of special prayers required for him. Usually, for positive changes, it is recommended to perform intense prayers during 12-40 liturgies. But sometimes (in difficult spiritual situations) intense prayers are performed for six months or even a year.

It is important that the person ordering the special prayer himself joins in the prayer act. After all, without your own work on yourself, on your soul, salvation is not possible.

From time immemorial there have been rules of spiritual life, the neglect of which leads to spiritual death. We recommend that ordered prayers be accompanied by the following actions on your part:

1 First, it is necessary to comprehend the commandments, which are the spiritual rules of our life, and begin to live according to the commandments.

2 Bless the house (apartment) in which you live.

3 Pray for the departed. Order the commemoration of all deceased relatives. By begging for the departed, we help their living relatives.

4 It is necessary to comprehend your life, your actions, thoughts, words and come to deep repentance. After this, it is necessary to confess and receive communion. Repentance, confession and communion are the path to spiritual, and often physical healing!

5 It is necessary to help and do alms and goodness to the people around you who so need your love! There is nothing higher than charity in the eyes of God. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. The simplest, but also the most effective alms to God is for his temple: for a brick.

It is necessary to pray for a solution to your problem not only to the priest performing the prayer at the liturgy, but also to you, at home. Your prayer is communication with God. Be sincere in this communication, be humble, be grateful, be full of love! And just as it is impossible to constantly turn to a father, although loving, only with requests, so it is necessary to turn to God not only with requests, but also with gratitude! Thank the Lord for what you have! And the Lord, as a loving father to whom you turn with your request, will give it to you if it is healing for your spiritual life (or the lives of those for whom you pray).

Very often, the cause of the sins and problems of the living are the unresolved sins of deceased relatives up to the 3rd or 4th generation. Therefore, it is advisable to simultaneously order the magpie and the Psalter about them for 40 days. It is also very useful to order memorial services for the deceased.

A simple funeral service costs 80 rubles

A customized funeral service according to the ancient Christian tradition with an offering of wheat (flour), wine (Cahors) and oil (oil) as a sacrifice on the eve - 450 rubles (the price includes all offerings).

Money indicating the names, purpose of the demand and its quantity can be sent by postal order to the address: 172840, Russia, Tver region, Toropets city, st. Eremenko, house 7, St. Tikhon's Convent. To the abbess of the monastery, nun Ioanna (Kalashnikova).

Or you can send it by bank transfer, after writing by email or calling.

In 2008, on the territory of the monastery, under a century-old oak tree, on a historical stone removed by an excavator from under the foundation of the restored temple, a memorial plaque was installed in memory of the 90th anniversary of the murder of the royal family (the consecration of the plaque by Bishop Victor), stating that a monument to all New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.

What is the “Subba Litany”?

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers:

First, let’s define the meanings of the words “litany” and “prayer service.”

Litany (from the Greek “zeal”, “extension”) is a series of prayer requests pronounced by a deacon or priest on behalf of all those praying during the service. The litany begins with a call to prayer, followed by various petitions and ends with an exclamation glorifying God (pronounced by the priest). After each petition, depending on its content, the choir sings “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” or “To you, Lord.”

The august litany (from the Slavic “subgubiti” - “strengthen, double”) - begins with the words “rtzem vse with all our soul, and from all our thoughts rtzem” (“rtzem” means “let us speak”). The name of this litany indicates intense prayer (that’s why it is called “the litany of diligent prayer”). Contains mainly petitions about persons: the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, the country (rulers and troops), about deceased Christians (primarily the creators of the temple), as well as about all those who perform divine services in it and perform various obediences, and also about upcoming ones. To each petition pronounced by a deacon or priest, the choir responds with three times “Lord, have mercy.”

A prayer service is one of the types of private worship. It is short and has a pleading or grateful character. Those praying ask the Lord, the Mother of God or a saint to send mercy or thank them for receiving benefits.

There are public and private prayer services. The first are performed, as a rule, on temple holidays, on the New Year, before the start of the school year, during natural disasters, epidemics, etc. Private prayers are performed at the request of individuals: for example, for the blessing of a house, for the consecration and blessing of food, about the sending of spiritual and physical health. In different churches there are certain days for performing such prayers.

Thus, the special litany is not a prayer service, but can be included in the sequence of the prayer service. In some parishes there is a tradition of inserting petitions for the sick, for those traveling, etc., as part of the special litany.

Sincerely, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

A special prayer service

Prayer service- this is a small separate divine service, usually performed in the middle of the church by a priest, during which believers ask the Lord, the Mother of God or the Saints for God’s mercy or thank the Lord. The prayer service can be accompanied by the rite of minor consecration of water, an akathist, and a canon.

The prayer service can be served both on a general basis and on an individual basis. The rites of prayer services are varied in purpose; in other words, prayer services can be thematically oriented or general.

The general prayer service does not specify the topic, it mentions various petitions, it is universal.

And thematically oriented prayers can be, for example: for the sick, for love and the eradication of all anger, for the new year, before the start of any business, for any petition, and so on. Thus, prayers are sung only for the living and for their needs.

If a canon or akathist is attached to the prayer service, then the prayer service is filled and decorated with the deep meaning of glorifying the one to whom the canon or akathist is dedicated. The one who listens attentively is imbued with this deep meaning.

Worshipers can order a prayer service both during the service and for prayer in absentia. Only names are submitted for the prayer service about health.

I would recommend, of course, to be present at prayer services, and then prayer will have more meaning, and the power of prayer will increase and approach pure prayer. All names submitted will be read publicly. You can also ask the priest to serve an individual prayer service upon request.

Always be with us!

Website of the Orthodox priest Priest Nikolai Osipov

Place of service: Temple of “Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia”

Temple address: 443010, Samara, st. Chapaevskaya, 136

What is prayer?

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It is submitted with a request to make prayers for a person’s physical and mental health, for his well-being. All living baptized people for whom you wish health, salvation and prosperity are recorded here.

It is submitted with a request to perform prayers for the repose of the souls of deceased people. Church commemoration makes it easier for the soul to go through ordeals after leaving the body.

ο entering the name of a living person in the note “about repose” no one

Who can you submit notes about?

ο anyone can be mentioned in a note (not just a relative

or an acquaintance), provided that the Church Rules allow

submit a note about him.

Who should you not submit notes about?

The Church does not commemorate the following people:

o those not baptized in the Orthodox faith (atheists, heterodox, non-Orthodox);

ο deceased, numbered to the saints :

For example: Blessed Matrona, Blessed Ksenia.

The reason is simple: being at the Throne of God it is they

o convinced atheists and atheists, even if they have been baptized

You should not submit notes about them.

Commemoration of suicides in the Temple is possible only if the following conditions are met:

ο if there is an official medical report,

indicating that a person committed suicide in a state of

insanity, in a state of insanity;

ο and if available bishop's blessing for their funeral and church

To receive it you need to contact your bishop

diocese. Only the diocesan bishop can give permission

for funeral services for suicides;

ο a funeral service without such a blessing will be unauthorized

Possible commemoration of suicides at home:

ο The Optina elders allowed commemoration of suicides only at will

close relatives and only a short prayer, which, approximately,

should look like this: “Lord, if You can, have mercy on Your servant

What should you do if you submitted a note about a person who, according to Church rules, cannot be commemorated in the Temple?

ο if this happens, you must tell the priest about it

Filling out the note is a spiritual component of this process:

ο when writing down the names of the living and the dead, remember them in the process of writing

with a sincere desire for their good, from a pure heart, trying

remembering the person whose name you are entering is already

prayer for him.

The order of writing names in memorial notes:

ο desirable – legible handwriting. Best of all - printed

ο the name is written in full, incl. and children's names, without abbreviation

and diminutive forms;

ο the name of the person commemorated is written in genitive case: about health,

about the repose of “who?”;

ο all names must be given in church writing, i.e. just like the name

mentioned in the Saints:

If the name of the person about whom the note is submitted is not in the calendar

(not an Orthodox name; a name invented during the Soviet period),

then (better at home in advance), before submitting the note, you

it is necessary to find out whether this person was baptized in

Orthodoxy and what name was given to him at baptism.

This name should be mentioned in the note you submit;

If you find out the name given at baptism, it does not seem

possible, but you know for sure that the person was baptized

into Orthodoxy, then you can indicate his non-Orthodox name

(secular) and next to it, in brackets, indicate for the priest

information that the person being remembered was baptized

If you do not know the person's full Christian name and

not sure if he was baptized, refrain from entering his name

in a note until the facts are clarified. In the meantime, remember him

in their private prayers.

ο if you want to remember more people (more than ten),

please submit multiple entries if possible. Not good

long notes the priest has the opportunity to read

The sequence of listing the people remembered in the note:

ο the names of the clergy are entered first, indicating their rank:

Patriarch...., Metropolitan...., Archbishop....,

bishop ...., protopresbyter ...., archimandrite ....,

archpriest - abbot ...., hieromonk ...., priest ....,

archdeacon...., protodeacon...., hierodeacon....,

deacon ...., subdeacon ...., monk (nun) ....,

novice (novice) ....; reader....;

instructs you, takes care of the salvation of your soul, prays to the Lord for you;

ο then children's names are listed:

Baby (baby)…. – a child under 7 years of age;

The youth (youth)…. – a child from 7 to 14 years old;

ο now the names of all other adult laity are entered:

first male names and then female ones:

Names of your family members, loved ones and relatives;

The names of your benefactors;

ill-wishers, offenders, envious people and enemies;

ο according to pious tradition, after the list of names they usually write the phrase

“All Orthodox Christians”, which says what you want

salvation to all, without exception, Orthodox Christians, names

which you may have forgotten or not known.

During what period of service is it best to submit notes?

ο so that the priest has time to remove the particles in remembrance of the living

and the deceased, notes should be submitted before the start of Divinity vein

Additional information that do not do it indicate in notes:

ο not specified:

Last names and patronymics,

Ranks and titles,

The degree of your relationship;

ο “old woman”/ “elder” is not written, but a specific title is indicated

the clergyman you remember;

ο as a complement to the name you can write (in clear

Pregnant (not idle) - (not idle).

ο in notes “On repose” they do not write:

Killed, etc. - such records have no meaning for the soul

Additional information that you you can indicate in notes:

ο in the notes “On Repose” they add:

newly deceased- deceased within 40 days after

ever-memorable(worthy of everlasting remembrance) -

a deceased person who has a memorable date on this day:

And the birthday of the deceased.

Deadlines for notes on commemoration in our Temple?

In our Temple you can submit a note:

o about a one-time commemoration;

ο about commemoration for a period: month, six months, year.

Is it possible to submit health notes for an unborn child?

It is forbidden. The unborn child has not yet received Holy Baptism, and only the names of baptized Orthodox Christians are written in the notes.

What is the further fate of the notes after the priest reads them?

In the evening, all notes read during the day are burned.

Notes are submitted for commemoration:

For those traveling or seriously ill

When they want to pray for success

doing a good deed.

Only about the newly deceased and only on

On Sundays, on holidays,

forefeasts and afterfeasts on the day

memory of a saint or holiday when

served as polyeleos or doxology

service, commemoration of the dead “on a special day”

Brief description of the commemoration at the proskomedia:

bread and wine for the Sacrament of Communion;

ο commemoration according to ordinary notes takes place in the Altar, without reading

ο first of the five liturgical prosphoras, after special prayers,

the priest takes out the particles and places them in a certain

order on the paten (a round dish on a stand, symbolizing

the manger in which the Savior was born):

"Agnichnaya" the particle serves for Communion;

“Virgin Mother of God”, is taken out in honor of the Mother of God and placed

on the left side of the Lamb;

“Nine-day” particles are taken out in honor of the saints:

Martyrs and Saints,

And that saint whose name

They are placed on the right side of the Lamb, three in a row;

From the 4th prosphora they take out particles about the living - about the Patriarch,

bishops, presbyters and deacons;

From the 5th prosphora they take out particles about the deceased -

Patriarchs, temple creators, bishops, priests.

ο then in Altar memorial notes are read believers and, after

reading each name, the clergyman takes out a particle from

prosphora (not liturgical, but served by believers), saying:

“Remember, Lord, (indicate written name)“. These particles

are also placed on the paten. This is the first commemoration of those

whose names are written on the briefs filed;

ο the particles lying in this order on the paten symbolize the whole

The Church of Christ, gathered around the Lamb;

ο it should be remembered that particles removed during reading

memorial notes, don't serve to cleanse sins those who are

submitted notes. They, after the end of the Sacrament of Communion, will

brought into the chalice (along with the rest of the particles taken out of the 4

liturgical prosphoras). Being near the Body of the Lord (“lamb”

particles), they will all be saturated with Divine blood, filled

shrines and spiritual gifts - sending them down to the one about whose names

prayers were offered. That is, believers whose names are written in

notes, will receive grace, sanctification and remission of sins from

the cleansing sacrifice offered on the Throne.

oh so during the commemoration of the living and the dead in the Church,

at the liturgy, the blood of Christ cleanses the sins that

the people we remember do and have done.

Prosphora served at the proskomedia:

ο each prosphora is two-part, as a sign of the two natures of Christ: divine

and human; the priest takes out particles from one prosphora

both for health and for peace;

ο thus, you can easily order only one prosphora;

ο the opinion that for proskomedia it is necessary to order two prosphoras:

about health and peace - this is a pious custom;

ο the opinion that the more prosphora you order, the better - it is erroneous, because

the number of prosphoras ordered does not affect the quality of the commemoration.

ο the litany is not a prayer in itself, it is a call to those praying in

in the temple to pray about this or that case, deed, person;

oh so – when ordering a commemoration “on a special occasion”, you ask the community members

pray for this or that person in need;

ο on the note you must write:

Indicate the occasion for which you are asking for the prayers of the community:

newly deceased, seriously ill,

Brief description of the commemoration at the special litany:

ο names from registered notes are pronounced at prayer shortly after reading

ο a special (intensified) litany begins:

A general call to God, a threefold “Lord, have mercy!” Deacon

calls: “Rtsem (that is, let’s say, let’s pray, talk)

Breathe with all your soul and with all your thoughts!”

In two petitions, believers strenuously ask the Lord to hear

their prayer and have mercy on them: “Lord, Almighty, God

our father, pray (that is, pray to You), hear and

Everyone in the church asks for the Patriarch, for the bishop, for

clergy (parable of the church) and about everything “in Christ

our brethren”, about the authorities and the army...;

The Church prays for mercy (so that the Lord will have mercy on

us), about life, peace, health, salvation, visitation (that is,

so that the Lord would visit and not leave with his mercies),

forgiveness, forgiveness of sins of the servants of God, holy brethren

In his last petition, the deacon calls for prayer for

bearing fruit and doing good (about the benefactors of this

Temple), those who labor (for the temple), those who sing and those who are coming

people expecting great and rich mercies from God;

ο during litanies the deacon pronounces the names of those indicated in the order

Then the priest says a prayer before the Throne, calling loudly

ο on certain days the special litany is followed by a special litany about

the dead, in which they pray for all the deceased, asking the Lord to forgive them

all sins, voluntary and involuntary, put them to rest in the villages

righteous and, recognizing that there is no person who has not sinned

their lives, they beg the Lord to grant the departed the Kingdom of Heaven,

where all the righteous find peace.

ο Prayer service is a fervent prayer for the living in various everyday situations

New Year, before the children start school, when

natural disasters, epidemics, etc.

ordered by you. At the same time, do not forget to say in

Church shop, which one:

Or water-blessed- small things are done

blessing of water, after which it

ο Prayers can be performed before or after the Liturgy, as well as after

Ordered note about health with Prayer service:

ο in addition to removing the particle from the prosphora of the deacon publicly is reading

the names of those commemorated in the litanies;

ο then these names are repeated by the priest before the throne;

ο after the end of the liturgy, a prayer is offered for them at the prayer service, special

A worship service in which:

They ask the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints to send mercy;

Or they thank God for the benefits already received -

ο Sometimes a person ordering a prayer service does not wait for it to be completed and

leaves the temple, leaving only a note. The Lord accepts all

sacrifice, but it is much more effective to pray with the priest,

rather than leave him to plead with God for us. .

Features of filling out a note for a prayer service:

ο first I point out, to whom a prayer is offered:

To the Savior (thanksgiving, for the sick, for those traveling

Mother of God (her various icons);

ο then it is written whether it is about health or repose;

ο and now the names of those for whom the prayer service will be offered are listed

ο this is a funeral service;

o it is performed only on those who have been baptized;

ο The Orthodox Church does not offer prayers for the dead, deliberately

those who rejected God, who fell away from Orthodoxy into schisms, heresies and sects,

excommunicated from the Church, as well as suicides.

Ordered note of repose with Panikhida:

ο in addition to removing particles from the prosphora with naming names

The deacon publicly pronounces their names at the litanies,

Then the names are repeated before the Altar by the priest,

And then the deceased are remembered at a memorial service, which takes place

Prayer is the very thread that connects a person with the Lord. It is not God who needs prayer; even without human requests, he knows what and who needs it. Prayer is necessary for the person himself; it gives him peace and confidence. It is prayer that gives strength and strengthens faith. This is the meaning of the phrase that what will be given to those who ask.

There are quite a lot of prayers, and each of them has its own place and time. This does not at all mean that you need to memorize any texts and pronounce them in front of a certain image at a specific hour. This means that for each life event or situation in the church there are its own types of prayers, for example, for health or for repose.

What kind of prayer is this?

Many have heard that there is a special prayer for health. Not everyone understands what it is, when and why it is needed. Meanwhile, deep prayer is a traditional type of component of the liturgy. It is pronounced at the personal request of the believer and can concern not only health, but also other life aspects or problems.

Prayer is ordered from clergy in any church, monastery or other parish. It will be read by the serving priest within the part of the liturgy specially designated for the needs of the parishioners.

How is it different from other prayer services?

The main difference is clear from the name, if you think about it, prayer is intense. This means that a person asks the gentlemen for something purely, that is, on purpose. As a rule, such prayers are dedicated to asking God for help in resolving a specific problem in the life of a person or his loved ones.

Another difference between this prayer service is that it is read by the clergyman in accordance with the need of the believer. This means that the more terrible and serious the problem, the more time in the service will be allocated for reading prayer.

What kind of prayer is this?

In order to order a special prayer, it is not at all necessary to wait for the moment at which a tragedy occurs in life. It is enough just to feel the inner need for such prayer.

As a rule, a special prayer is read in connection with the needs of the following:

• admonishing children or loved ones, instructing them on the righteous path;
• assistance in family matters and in preserving marriage;
• the granting of heirs and the birth of strong children;
• ability to learn, disclosure of talents;
• protection from evil intrigues and slander;
• healing from harmful passions.

Nowadays, women most often order a special prayer asking for peace of mind and forgiveness for the sin of infanticide. We are talking about abortion, because not every woman is able to mentally and emotionally endure this event.

Accordingly, such a prayer is a deep petition to the Lord about what is important to a person. There are no restrictions on the reason for it.

Many clergy are puzzled by the attitude of their flock to custom prayer services. What worries priests is that, having ordered the reading of a prayer, many people consider their participation completed. That is, they do not consider it necessary to work on their own soul, to pray on their own, or even to do anything to correct the life situation for which the prayer was ordered.

This is a general trend that clergy everywhere are worried about. People lose spirituality and come to churches as if they were going to shops. This attitude is not only wrong, but also harmful. A prayer that the person who ordered it does not care about and does not trust in will not bring any benefit.

How long should you read such prayers?

The Lord hears only requests filled with sincere faith and spoken with hope; pure prayer is no exception.

Based on practice, clergy recommend reading during at least twelve liturgies. But sometimes you need to read a prayer for thirty or forty services. Its effectiveness depends on the spirituality of the person asking and, of course, on the sincerity of this person’s faith. Of course, there is also a dependence on the complexity of the life situation.

For example, if a prayer is ordered for deliverance from drug captivity of a loved one, then not twelve services will be required, but much more. Although the Lord is omnipotent, demonic temptations are also not weak, and the soul of a drug addict is in the devil’s captivity and often does not consider it necessary to leave him.

It is important to understand that it is not its effectiveness in the literal sense that depends on the timing of the prayer, but the spiritual strengthening of the person praying and the firmness of intentions. That is, this is a kind of self-hypnosis, as psychologists call such actions. Of course, the stronger a person’s faith and the firmer his conviction, the faster and easier he will get the desired result. After all, as they say, to those who ask, it is given.

Does anything need to be done?

The Lord Himself does not need any actions from man; God only needs faith. But the person himself often needs to do something, undertake something in his daily life.

It is easier for people to mentally join the ordered prayer act if they do:

• consecration of your home;
• comprehend the commandments and their daily actions;
• they remember the dead in church;
• ask for the health of loved ones in the temple;
• attend services;
• repent of sins - both involuntary and intentional.

Deliberate sin is the scourge of the soul of modern man. The point is that, knowing that an action is bad and goes against God’s commandments, a person commits it anyway. And then, as people say, “the cats are scratching at his soul.”

Often it is precisely such actions that lead to the need for custom prayer, specific or otherwise.

Where can I order such a prayer?

The place does not matter, so that in a difficult life situation, prayer can help. Whether it will be a monastery or a temple next to the house is not so important. The main thing is faith and conviction in your actions, as well as sincerity in your intentions. If a person orders prayer services, but at the same time continues to lead a sinful life, then such duplicity will not lead to anything good.

However, given that in our country most of the monasteries and temples were closed and, in principle, desecrated, the question of location matters. Before ordering a prayer service, you need to go to the temple and stay in it for some time, stand and listen to yourself. If this church is not particularly cozy mentally, you want to leave it, or even irritation sets in, then there is no need to order prayers in this church, regardless of which clergy work in it.

The temple, which has preserved the centuries-old energy, is felt immediately and unmistakably. In such a church, peace and tranquility comes to the soul, and when leaving the church, a person seems to glow from within. He smiles and is open to everything good and bright. It is in such a temple that you need to order prayer services.

What is the difference from a litany?

A special litany is a large general prayer. It is correct to call the litany not a prayer, but a section of the liturgy, which consists of petitions to the Lord from the parishioners of the temple.

Literally, “litany” is translated from Greek as “long prayer.” But it is not prayer, but an integral element of the content of the service, its integral part, section.

The litany consists of prayers and, depending on their types, as well as the general nature of the service, can take various forms. Prayer is devoid of this; it is subordinated to one thought and goal.

Is it possible to pray purely without an order?

Many religious people are confused by completely commercial advertisements that you can transfer payment for prayer and order it in a monastery or church that a person has never been to. These are indeed a little strange proposals on the part of temples, since they go against the basic tenets related to custom prayers. Nevertheless, similar proposals can be found in various sources of information.

Of course, there will be no benefit from such a prayer service. If it is not possible to personally come to the temple, then, understanding what a special prayer means and in what cases it is read, you can ask the Lord on your own.

The text of the prayer could be like this:

“Lord Almighty, have mercy on me, your servant (proper name). Send me wisdom and humility, teach me what to do, do not leave your great one without help. Lord judge me with (listing or brief description of a life situation, the essence of the request). Show me the right path, enlighten me and instruct me. Grant, Lord, health and patience. Help the sick and strengthen the healthy. Give bread to the hungry and fill the well-fed with compassion. Do not leave your children in difficult times and me, your servant (proper name), among others. There is nothing greater than my faith, nothing greater than my humility, but there is much grief and suffering in the world. In the midst of great concerns for the suffering, strengthen my spirit and grant me to wait for the glorious moment, the sight of help, amen.”