When to read the gospel. What prayer to say before reading the holy gospel

Hegumen Paisios (Savosin) answers

Reading the gospel

Why do we often hear that it is very important to read every day. And the gospel? So you have to read both? Do I need to pray before and after reading?

Yes, of course, the Gospel really needs to be read every day, at least a few lines. After all, this is the word of God to us. Every conversation involves reciprocity. We turn to God with requests, gratitude. And He turns to them, answers. And each time, despite the fact that we may have read His Gospel many times, the answer will be somewhat different. The Lord is always new.

Regarding prayer before and after the reading... Here, for example, at the Liturgy there is a "special" secret prayer read by the priest before the reading of the Gospel, but at the All-Night Vigil there is none. Just “and let us be vouchsafed to hear the Holy Gospel...”, etc. However, these are also prayers, albeit short ones.

Attention and reverence - this is our "main pass" to the words of the Gospel. But prayer before reading is also useful, as soon as we need to arouse ourselves to this attention. It can consist of several words (even simply: “Lord, bless”, “Lord, enlighten”, etc.) or in several sentences - there is no general rule.

There are various examples of these prayers from the holy fathers. For example, prp. Ephraim the Syrian: “Pray first to God, saying: “Lord, open the ears and eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy words and do Thy will” (Ps. 119:18). “I hope, my God, that You will enlighten my heart” - always pray to God so that your mind will be enlightened and reveal to you the power of His words. Many, relying on their own understanding, fell into error and, “professing to be wise, became foolish” (Rom. 1:22). Or prp. Isaac the Syrian: “Do not approach the words of the sacraments contained in Divine Scripture without prayer and asking for help from God, but say: “Give me, Lord, to receive the feeling of the power contained in them.” Consider prayer as the key to the true meaning of what is said in the Divine Scriptures.

There is also the prayer of St. John Chrysostom and others.

Here are the words of Rev. Parthenius of the Kiev-Pechersk: “Reading the Psalter tames passions, and reading the Gospel burns the thorns of our sins: for the word of God is burning fire. Once, for forty days, I read the Gospel about the salvation of one soul who did good to me, and now I see in a dream a field covered with thorns. Suddenly, fire falls from heaven, thorns are burned, and the field remains clean. Perplexed about this vision, I hear a voice: the thorns that cover the field are the sins of the soul that has done good to you; the fire that scorched him is the Word of God, you have something for her.

The prayer is also known, as Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) writes, compiled by St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov): “Save, Lord, and have mercy on Thy servants (names) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which are about the salvation of Thy servant. The thorns of all their sins have fallen, Lord, and may Thy grace dwell in them, burning, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Concerning exactly forty days of reading, what can I say? This number is symbolic, i.e. meaningful. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ fasted in the wilderness for forty days. But, of course, it cannot be said that if someone prayed for someone not forty days, but less, then his prayer is “invalid”. Any attentive prayer is valid, a person prays one day or forty.

What does the words "Search the Scriptures" in the Gospel mean?

Saint Gregory the Theologian, speaking of the works of St. Basil the Great, according to the interpretation of Scripture, testifies: “I am convinced not to stop at one letter (of Scripture), and look not only at the surface, but stretch further, from one depth to enter a new depth, calling the abyss to the abyss and acquiring light with light, until I reach the highest meaning ".

But the apostle Peter says: “No prophecy in Scripture can be solved by oneself. For prophecy was never uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit. And St. Ignatius Brianchaninov explains that since we do not have the Holy Spirit in this fullness, we must turn to those who have or had it - to the holy fathers, to their writings that interpret the Holy Scriptures.

But it is also necessary to assimilate the word of Scripture with one's experience, and this contributes to a deepening in understanding. Because, as the same St. Ignatius, “there is a lot of deadness in every book,” and it comes to life when we assimilate it with experience. For example, it is written in the Gospel that “blessed are the poor in spirit”, “blessed are the meek”. And we will understand the power of these words when we try to fulfill it in practice.

Are there any peculiarities of reading the Gospel during fasting days?

We are talking, one must think, about personal, private reading of the Gospel. No, I do not think that it is required to read it in a special way during fasting days. Just as it is good to be consistent in the rule of prayer, so it is in the reading of Scripture. In the Alphabetical Patericon, one of the Egyptian venerable fathers says that he would like a prayer rule for a person better than a small one, but constantly fulfilled, than a large one and quickly abandoned. Similar instructions can be found in St. Ignatius, Rev. Seraphim, Rev. Optina elders. That is, we need to find our measure, how much we can read, and stick to this measure.

Yes, you can! There is a photograph: the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, sitting on the deck of a sailing ship, reads the Gospel. And here is another example - the ancient Egyptian reverend fathers, walking somewhere in the desert, on the go read by heart some books of the Holy Scriptures, at will. Just look, do not miss your stop.

In the Psalms there is a prayer of Ephraim the Syrian “Lord and Master of my life…” Do I need to read it outside of Great Lent at any time?

This prayer is made obligatory all-Temple and All-Church during the period of Great Lent. On other fasts and on other days of the year, it can be read by a Christian at will, if there is a desire.

For advice, they turn to the clergy or look for an answer in specialized literature. The material below will help you get the right answer and save you valuable time.

Starting reading, many notice an interesting feature. No matter how hard a person tries to study the text quickly, it does not work. Sometimes it just tends to sleep, which is not so easy to deal with. This causes certain inconveniences. How to explain this? Priests believe that this is an obstacle that demons create on the way to God for a novice Christian.

The test must be overcome, and then the power and beauty of the Gospel will be revealed to the stubborn reader in full. Those who have been churched almost never have such problems, since they are strong in spirit and their faith is unshakable. Any temptations and difficulties recede if you show perseverance and make certain strong-willed efforts.

It is necessary to approach the beginning of reading, discarding all negative thoughts, calming down internally, moving away from everyday petty affairs and fuss. Only after that the development of the holy pages will be successful.

The main rules for reading the Gospel

Certain norms have been established that the believer must observe when reading the gospel texts.

1. For the first time, you need to read it from cover to cover. When you later refer to the book, you can selectively refer to your favorite pages and passages.
2. Reading is done while standing.
3. Haste is excluded.
4. Nobody is forcing you to keep reading.
5. You can not be distracted by extraneous things: TV, music, conversations, etc.

These are generally accepted rules, but there are also interesting myths. About them below.

In addition to the question of reading

Some feel that if a woman undertakes to study the gospel, she should be dressed neutrally and have her head covered. Others argue that it is not necessary to observe this at home.

In any case, it will not work to memorize all Scripture for repeated reading, it is better to read than to try to reproduce from memory or replace it with prayer.

If something is not clear in the words, do not interrupt because of this. With each new reading, more and more secret and interesting things will open up before a person. Sometimes, in order to understand the whole meaning of what you read, it is worth looking at the interpreters. There are such books. It is necessary to use only those permitted by the church.

How to read the gospel daily

It's not a secret for anyone that often a person turns to God only in the difficulties and troubles that life sometimes presents. In fact, the reading of Scripture should be logically built. We must strive for the regularity of a certain system.

Starting to read the Gospel at home, one must treat every word with respect and with all care. To understand that in the hands is not just an ordinary book, but God's Revelation.

It is recommended to read chapter by chapter, i.e. it is better to read the whole chapter at a time, without interrupting and without leaving the work halfway. If time permits, it is better to start your day with a reading and end it with a follow-up part.

When you have finished reading the last page, you must start again. With each new reading of sacred phrases, a Christian receives new spiritual strength, something that was previously unknown opens up before him.

It is necessary to proceed from the inner need of the believer, but it is better to include the reading of the New Testament, including the Holy Scriptures, in home prayer reading. Better two parts from Acts and one Gospel.

With the onset of Lent, even more efforts must be made. It is especially important to pay attention to the story of the last earthly days of Christ. His torment, crucifixion, resurrection. It is more than appropriate to do this during Holy Week.

What position to read

The question of whether to read the Gospel standing or sitting is often asked to priests. Ideal, of course, when it is done standing up. For example, Slobodskoy advised to stand, and be sure to cross yourself once before starting. As soon as the reading process has come to an end, it is necessary to lay the cross three times again.

If a person, for various reasons, is sitting, sick or tired, then the posture should be decent, without crossed legs or thrown one over the other. The well-known phrase of St. Philaret that it is better to meditate on the Lord in a sitting position than standing on your feet perfectly illustrates the issue.

How to read the gospel at home with children

It is desirable to introduce the child to this wonderful thing as early as possible. However, you should not take some lightweight texts, and even more so use fabulous forms. This approach is wrong.

Reading adult Scripture is welcome, but if the baby can listen, it is better to purchase special Orthodox texts adapted for children. Now they can be purchased in some church shops.

From the very first days, it must be made clear that this is not just another entertainment, but a serious matter. No need to overload the child with large volumes. It is better to attach it in small portions.

Fortune telling today with the help of the Tarot "Card of the Day" layout!

For correct divination: focus on the subconscious and do not think about anything for at least 1-2 minutes.

When you're ready, draw a card:

Answering for Nachalo magazine these and many other questions frequently asked to clergy online, Bishop Jonah Obukhovsky, the abbot of the Kiev Trinity Ioninsky Monastery, notes: the main thing is to read the Gospel. Read every day and try to live by it.
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On the Phenomenon We Face While Reading the Gospel

Vladyka, the first question is why the Bible is so hard to read. Any magazine or newspaper, as a rule, is "swallowed" in one breath. But as far as the Gospel and soulful books are concerned, this is more difficult. That hands do not reach, it does not want to at all. Can we talk about some special laziness that "attacks" a person just when he has to do something for the soul?

It seems to me that in this case we are talking about a phenomenon that really confirms the existence of another world - the world of angels and demons - a very subtle, mysterious world.

Indeed, you have noted a very interesting point. When we have either a laptop or a fascinating novel in our hands, for some reason we do not want to sleep, and we are able to listen to what is written until late. But as soon as we fall into the hands of some kind of spiritual book - I mean not spiritual fiction, which has appeared in abundance in our time, but serious ascetic theological literature and, especially, Holy Scripture - we are immediately driven to sleep for some reason. Thoughts are not kept in our cranium, they begin to scatter in various directions, and reading becomes very, very difficult.

All of this shows that someone in the dark spirit world really doesn't like what we're doing. That there is someone who so clearly opposes us in reading, which edifies us, brings us closer to God.

I would like to make this point. Even if we do not completely remember everything that we read, due to a weakness of memory or for some other reason, all the same, it is necessary to read. This question was revealed in the book "The Fatherland" by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, which contains the sayings of Egyptian saints of the 4th-5th centuries. A certain disciple came to the elder and said: “What should I do, no matter how much I read the Holy Scriptures, other books, nothing remains in my head, I don’t remember anything. Is it worth reading in this case, maybe not necessary? To which he was told: just as dirty linen placed in a stream is cleaned even without washing, because running water washes all the dirt out of it, so reading divine books washes away dirt and rubbish from our head and enlightens our thoughts with the gospel light.

Regarding the reading of the Gospel, I would like to ask about purely practical aspects, based on the questions that are often asked to clergy on the Internet. For example, is it necessary to take extracts from the text while reading? After all, so we read less, but it is remembered. Or is it better to try to read more without being distracted by taking notes?

It seems to me that it all depends on the degree of organization of a person. There are people who need to systematize everything, somehow fix it, break it down into points - this way they will perceive it better. It is really useful for them to take notes and make some kind of extracts.

There are those who do not differ in such a system, I think they are the majority. Such people need to read the Holy Scriptures regularly and constantly, and preferably with interpretation. It is clear that the first few times it needs to be read in its entirety without distractions. But the further we read, the more we see the need to understand it better. With our minds, at some stages, we still cannot comprehend many things, therefore it is worth turning to the 20-century experience of the Church.

Which of the interpretation books would you recommend for reading? Preferably from those that are available for general consumption, written in a light style, style.

In general, to all people who are at the beginning of their spiritual path, who are just going to church, I highly recommend reading the book by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky "The Law of God." Perhaps the title suggests that the book is designed for children in some elementary educational institution, but in fact it is quite serious. In my opinion, this is a brilliant example of how it is possible to collect and formulate very concisely and clearly the basic concepts of faith, the Church, and Orthodoxy in one small book. In particular, there is also a section on the Holy Scriptures, on the history of the Church, so that a person can get a systematic idea of ​​what the Church is and what place it occupies in our lives. This book is a must-read for every churchgoer.

As for the interpretation of Holy Scripture, there are quite a lot of wonderful publications. The classic is the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom. But for a beginner, it may seem somewhat complicated and not entirely clear. In my opinion, if a person is just going to start studying the Holy Scriptures, then it is best to use the interpretation of Archbishop Averky (Taushev). It will surely be clear and understandable to everyone.

How to Read the Gospel at Home

- More practical questions about reading the Gospel at home. Do I have to read standing up or can I sit down?

According to custom, special reverence for the Holy Scriptures involves reading it while standing.

But, in my opinion, nothing should distract from the attention of the gospel words, it is necessary to immerse yourself in reading as much as possible. And standing still implies a certain instability. And in this case, anyone, especially a young person, will definitely have thoughts that it would be nice to sit down, or that he needs to run somewhere, or go and do something. Therefore, if in the temple we listen to the Holy Scripture “forgive me”, that is, standing straight, with our hands down, then at home, I think, it can be read and sitting in order to better understand and not be distracted by thoughts from attention to divine words.

- A question about the dress code for women: should the head be covered?

In my opinion, such questions are already from the category of “straining a mosquito”. It turns out that if a person finds himself in a situation where he cannot cover his head, then in this case, why don’t you read the Holy Scriptures? ..

We know that a woman during prayer, whether at home or in church, must necessarily cover her head. Reading Holy Scripture is not a prayer, so I think it is perfectly acceptable to read it with an uncovered head.

- Is it necessary to wear a skirt when reading, or is it possible to wear home clothes - in sweatpants, for example?

- My opinion is that it is not necessary to wear any special clothes for reading or prayer rules. If this is your favorite pajamas and slippers in the form of bears, then it is quite possible and so. The main thing is that it should be clothing, and not, say, underwear.

But this applies to the situation when a person prays himself. If we are talking about a Christian family, especially when there are children, then we should try to dress in what is more appropriate for prayer. A woman should wear a skirt and a scarf, a man should also be in more or less decent clothes - to emphasize the importance of the moment of the family standing before God. This is especially important for the upbringing of children - by this we show that prayer is not performed on the go, but is the most important common deed.

During the days of natural cleansing for women, they should not be applied to the icons, approach the blessing and the cross. And what about the Gospel? It is believed that it is also impossible to apply to it. Accordingly - and read?

This is a joke, of course. But, really, in my opinion, such prescriptions are complete nonsense. Instructions regarding the purity of women, first of all, relate to the sacraments - confession, communion, unction, and others. On certain days, a woman cannot participate in them. All other restrictions are already a tradition of this or that locality, this or that parish. That is, there is no clear prescription in the Church what cannot be done during this period.

Traditionally, it is believed that in addition to non-participation in the sacraments, a woman should also refrain from eating prosphora and holy water, not applying to icons, and theoretically a blessing from a priest is not taken.

But then again, you need to understand that in addition to the theoretical, there is also a practical side of life: if you eat a prosphora or kiss an icon, it is entirely in our will, then, having come face to face with the priest, explain to the priest why you hide your hands behind your back, I think it would be inappropriate.

Again, being in this state does not preclude contact with certain sacred objects. After all, the greatest shrine is the cross of Christ, which we wear on the body, but we do not remove it during this period, it remains on us. And we make the sign of the cross upon ourselves. It is the same with the prayer book and the home gospel: I think that it is possible and even necessary not to interrupt your established prayer rule and, accordingly, not to stop reading the Holy Scriptures.

Desirable, but not required.

On Prayer and Reading the Gospel on the Road

Continuing the theme of reverence for the Holy Scripture - is it possible to read it in transport? A modern person spends a lot of time on the road and combines this time with reading prayers and sacred books. Is this allowed?

It seems to me that the prayer rule should be read at home, in a calm atmosphere, when nothing distracts from the conversation with God. An exception can only be force majeure situations when a person either stayed late at work, or there was some kind of failure in the existing schedule, and the person knows for sure that he will come home and, due to objective reasons, will no longer be able to deduct all the prayers. In this case, it is allowed to read in transport. But this should not become a habit and become a permanent practice. You always need to listen to your conscience and evaluate how real and justified the need to pray on the road is.

As for the Gospel, spiritual literature, I think it is possible and necessary to read in transport. After all, most of the information enters a person through the eyes, so it’s better to let them be busy with the perception of the word of God than to be scattered on the surrounding people, on advertising and on others that do not bring any fruit and even harmful things.

On Protestant Editions of the Holy Scriptures and the Dangers of Certain Translations

Is it possible to use the editions of the New Testament, which are distributed free of charge by representatives of Protestant denominations? Or to acquire the Gospel in churches of other confessions?

In Protestant publications, you always need to look at whose translation it is. If it means that it was reprinted from the synodal edition (issued before the revolution with the blessing of the Most Holy Governing Synod - the body that controlled church life at that time), then you can safely read it.

If there is no such indication, or it is said that this is a translation of some society, or a new translation, or an adapted one, or something else, then, of course, it is better to abstain. Often, many denominations, retranslating the Holy Scriptures, adapt it to their creed. As, for example, the Jehovists significantly distorted the Gospel with their pseudo-translation for the reason that they do not recognize the deity of Jesus Christ. All the places where it is said about the deity of the Savior, they remade for themselves. Such publications should not be used and at the first opportunity they should be disposed of - just like any shrine that has fallen into disrepair. Usually, the shrine is burned, and the ashes are either buried in an impregnable place, that is, where they don’t go, or thrown into running water - into a river, for example.

Many believers doubt whether it is possible to use the gospel publications produced by the World Bible Society and trust only what is sold in church shops and shops. How do you think?

Holy Scripture, as I have already said, it is advisable to use only what is reprinted from the synodal translation, which was once made back in the 19th century in the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Bible Society may also publish adapted translations. They certainly do not have the distortions that are present in various translations of Protestant denominations, but it seems to me that it is better to use the traditional synodal translation.

In addition, you still need to understand that by acquiring Holy Scripture in an Orthodox church, you are thus contributing to the church. Although the books may be somewhat more expensive than in the Bible Society or Protestants.

- Is it necessary to consecrate purchased editions of the Bible or the New Testament?

It seems to me that, firstly, the Holy Scripture itself is already sacred, so there is no need to consecrate it. Secondly, there is no rite of consecration of Holy Scripture.

It should be said that earlier crosses and icons were brought to the temple not for consecration, but for blessing. In Greece, the tradition has been preserved that neither crosses nor icons are consecrated, but only blessed in the temple.

What does blessed mean? The priest, as a censor, looks at how this image corresponds to the canons of the Orthodox Church, and blesses or does not bless its use.

Actually, the rite of consecration itself - both the pectoral cross and icons - came to us from Catholic breviaries from the time of Peter Mohyla and is not entirely Orthodox in spirit.

The same Bible Society publishes many children's books - adapted New Testament stories, for example. There are such publications where all the heroes of the Gospel events are depicted, one might say, as cartoon characters. Is there any prejudice on the part of the Church towards the depiction of Christ and the saints in this form?

I am a big opponent of the profanation of everything sacred, including if this sacred in some inappropriate form is conveyed to children.

As for whether to use such publications, one could talk about this 10-15 years ago, when the Orthodox had no analogues. Now in Russia a huge number of children's books with wonderful illustrations are published, which are made in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. There are even wonderful children's books with canonical icons. And all this is done brightly and efficiently. Thus, from childhood, a child learns to perceive Christ, the Mother of God in the image that the Orthodox Church has preserved for us.

You need to understand that in what image we first get to know a character, he will often remain in our minds. Stirlitz, the protagonist of Yulian Semenov's book, appears exclusively in the image of the actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov. Alexander Nevsky - in the form of actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who played him in the film of the same name.

It’s the same with a baby: if for the first time he comes into contact with Christ, with the Mother of God, with the apostles on some comics, there is a high probability that this primitive image will be imprinted in his child’s head.

About whether there is a difference in which language to read the Gospel and pray

Are there any rules about what language the Bible should be in? Many believe that the Gospel, the Psalter should be read only in Church Slavonic - as is done in churches during worship. But since we are all already cut off from the tradition when Church Slavonic was studied in elementary schools, we do not understand everything that is read correctly and do not fully comprehend the meaning of the words. In this case, it would be logical and natural to read in the language we speak, what do you think?

Due to the fact that the Holy Scriptures are not some kind of easy reading matter, then, in my opinion, it is better to read it all the same in translation - in Russian, Ukrainian or any other language - one that is understandable to a person.

The same applies to the Psalms - if a person wants to carefully read the psalms, and not just drum his tongue, uttering beautiful Church Slavonic phrases. You can read alternately: for example, once all the psalms are in Church Slavonic, the next time - in Russian. Ideally, the reading of the Psalter should be part of the daily prayer rule. At least a little, but you need to read it, because the psalms are used in the circle of worship of the Orthodox Church. And being in the service, if we read the Psalter in translation, we will be able to understand those allusions and references to it that sound in the service in the temple.

In addition, there is a commandment: sing to God intelligently. This is to the fact that the psalms - and these are, in essence, spiritual songs, you need to understand, sing reasonably. As Elder Paisios of Athos said, if we do not understand what we are praying for, then how can we come to an agreement with God?

But praying, I am deeply convinced, should be in Church Slavonic. Still, prayers in colloquial speech are devoid of the sublimity that is present in the text not just in a different language, but in Church Slavonic.

And references to the fact that everything is not always clear when reading prayers, I consider completely untenable and even stupid. Now there are courses where people learn a foreign language in a month or two, so I think anyone can learn 20-30 incomprehensible Church Slavonic words from prayer sequences.

About why the same Gospel passages are read in churches

During each Divine Liturgy, the Gospel is read in the church, and, as a rule, on certain Sundays we hear the same passages prescribed by the charter. Why are only certain episodes chosen for reading in the temple?

It cannot be said that only individual episodes have been selected. During the calendar year, the gospel is read in full at daily services in the church.

Where did the tradition of reading the Gospel at services come from? We know that 100% literacy of the population became possible only thanks (at least in our country) to the efforts of grandfather Lenin. Before the revolution, and even more so, even in more ancient times, not all people were literate. And those who could read did not have the opportunity to have the Holy Scriptures, since books were rare. We know how expensive lists, handwritten books were - they were valued, in the literal sense of the word, worth their weight in gold. When such a book was sold, something of the jewels was often placed on the opposite side of the scale. Therefore, rarely anyone had the text of the Holy Scriptures.

At the time when, in fact, the divine service of the Christian Church was being formed, all Christians were present almost daily at a common prayer, daily gathered for the Eucharist in the temple. And during these meetings some part of the Gospel was read. And since people regularly attended services, lived in the spirit of Holy Scripture, they knew it, because during the year it was read in full.

And now, if we open the liturgical calendar, then there are Gospel passages for each day. And on Sundays the Church established the reading of the most edifying passages.

I think if a person wants to live in Christ, then for him any opportunity to hear the Holy Scriptures is always joyful and encouraging for his soul. Moreover, you need to understand that the gospel readings have a yearly cycle. I think hardly anyone can remember what was read a year ago. Every time, even if a person reads the Gospel at home, that little passage that is read on Sunday is a small discovery for him, a reminder of the most significant parables and the most significant events in the life of Christ.

Orthodox Christians quite often hear reproaches from non-church people that we have the same thing every day - the same prayers, services similar to each other, one book for daily reading - the Gospel. If you try to answer this reproach, then why is this daily repetition necessary?

It seems to me that such accusations are a kind of absurdity. If we follow the Holy Scriptures literally, then the Lord Jesus Christ left us only one prayer - "Our Father". But if we read only her alone, then surely there would be even more reproaches.

For me, the question has never been raised in this way, it is rather strange for me to hear it. If a person is embarrassed by monotony, then become a saint, achieve holiness, and then you will have the gift of prayer, and you will know what to pray for.

But if someone is embarrassed by daily morning and evening prayers, then we can offer: well, pray in your own words. What will the majority ask? - Lord, give me health. Lord, make it so that at work it was good. Lord, let my children grow up to be good people. And everything like that.

That is, most of us have a consumer attitude to prayer, although the Lord said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, everything else will be added to you.” And the morning and evening prayers are just aimed at making a person learn to pray. It can be called a kind of spiritual gymnastics. When we do gymnastics in the morning and in the evening, we repeat, in principle, monotonous movements. For what? In order for these movements to become a habit, so that we acquire some physical qualities, skills that we need for life.

In the same way, morning and evening prayers are gymnastics for our prayer consciousness. So that we get used to praying, know what to ask for: for the sublime, for the heavenly, for humility, for purity, for those things that lead to the Kingdom of God. Please note that in the morning and evening prayers that were composed by the saints, there is no “everyday life”, but only that which helps us to approach the Kingdom of God. In this direction, you need to get used to praying.

Of course, if a person leads a spiritual life, if he has a confessor who knows his spiritual and heart disposition, and this person gets tired of reading morning and evening prayers, then the confessor can bless him to read, for example, the Psalter. But this cannot be a general practice, but only with the blessing of a priest who knows the person who has turned to him.

In this regard, we can also recall the preparation for the sacrament. Those who partake of Communion relatively infrequently read and grumble with great difficulty against the rule established in the Church for Holy Communion, which consists of three canons and a follow-up. The following approach is practiced: if a person does not receive communion at every Sunday Liturgy, then in this case the rule for Communion can be “stretched” for a week: one day to read the canon of repentance, the next - the canon to the Mother of God, then to the Guardian Angel, and so on, so that before by communion itself, leave only prayers for Holy Communion. Thus, a person will have more prayer work for several days, a certain prayerful mood will be created, and before Communion itself there will no longer be such fatigue from reading a large number of prayers.

But I want to emphasize that everything should always be done only with the blessing of your confessor. You cannot apply in life all the advice that you have read or heard somewhere, even from the most authoritative people. This is very dangerous spiritually, because what is said for a particular person may not always be useful for others. Everyone’s dispensation is known by his confessor, so if there is a desire to change something in your prayer rule, then this should be done only after consulting with the confessor.

- And if there is no confessor?

- If there is no confessor, then the spiritual state of such a Christian leaves much to be desired. After all, it turns out that in the matter of salvation, he is guided only by his own vision of Scripture and Tradition, choosing solely at his own discretion what is saving for him and what is not.

Hence, by the way, a large number of micro-heresies (“heresy” means choice) in the lives of many overly freedom-loving parishioners or those parishes where the priest is limited to performing divine services, does not work with the flock, is not a real spiritual father for them.

At the end of our conversation, I would like to note that the things we talked about are still secondary and far from the most important in the life of an Orthodox Christian. If a person strives to live according to the Gospel, if he loves God, loves his neighbor, then he will perform all external actions with natural reverence, he will not need to drive himself into artificial frames.

The most important thing is to remember and fulfill the words of the Lord. Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." And the Holy Scripture is the book in which this path is laid out. Therefore, when reading the Gospel, you need to think not about when to cross yourself or where to sit at the moment, but how to fulfill it in your life.

Interviewed by Yulia Kominko

On the Phenomenon We Face While Reading the Gospel

The first question is why the Bible is so hard to read. Any magazine or newspaper, as a rule, is "swallowed" in one breath. But as far as the Gospel and soulful books are concerned, this is more difficult. That hands do not reach, it does not want to at all. Can we talk about some special laziness that "attacks" a person just when he has to do something for the soul?

In this case, we are talking about a phenomenon that really confirms the existence of another world - the world of angels and demons - a very subtle, mysterious world. Indeed, when we have either a laptop or a fascinating novel in our hands, for some reason we do not want to sleep, and we are able to listen to what is written until late. But as soon as we fall into the hands of some spiritual book - I mean not spiritual fiction, which has appeared in abundance in our time, but serious ascetic theological literature and, especially, Holy Scripture - we are immediately driven to sleep for some reason. Thoughts are not kept in our cranium, they begin to scatter in various directions, and reading becomes very, very difficult. All of this shows that someone in the dark spirit world really doesn't like what we're doing. That there is someone who so clearly opposes us in reading, which edifies us, brings us closer to God.

It is important to know that even if we do not completely remember everything that we read, due to memory weakness or for some other reason, it is still necessary to read. This question was revealed in the book "The Fatherland" by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, which contains the sayings of Egyptian saints of the 4th-5th centuries. A certain disciple came to the elder and said: “What should I do, no matter how much I read the Holy Scriptures, other books, nothing remains in my head, I don’t remember anything. Is it worth reading in this case, maybe not necessary? To which he was told: just as dirty linen placed in a stream is cleaned even without washing, because running water washes all the dirt out of it, so reading divine books washes away dirt and rubbish from our head and enlightens our thoughts with the gospel light.

Is it obligatory to read the interpretation of the Gospel? Do I need to take notes from the text while reading? After all, so we read less, but it is remembered. Or is it better to try to read more without being distracted by taking notes?

It all depends on the degree of organization of a person. There are people who need to systematize everything, somehow fix it, sort it out point by point - so they will perceive it better. It is really useful for them to take notes and make some kind of extracts.

There are those who do not differ in such a system, I think they are the majority. Such people need to read the Holy Scriptures regularly and constantly, and preferably with interpretation. It is clear that the first few times it needs to be read in its entirety without distractions. But the further we read, the more we see the need to understand it better. With our minds, at some stages, we still cannot comprehend many things, therefore it is worth turning to the 20-century experience of the Church.

– In general, all people who are at the beginning of their spiritual path, who are just going to church, are recommended to read the book by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky “The Law of God”. Perhaps the title suggests that the book is designed for children in some elementary educational institution, but in fact it is quite serious. This is a brilliant example of how it is possible to collect and formulate very concisely and clearly the basic concepts of faith, the Church, and Orthodoxy in one small book. In particular, there is also a section on the Holy Scriptures, on the history of the Church, so that a person can get a systematic idea of ​​what the Church is and what place it occupies in our lives.

As for the interpretation of Holy Scripture, there are quite a lot of wonderful publications. The classic is the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom. But for a beginner, it may seem somewhat complicated and not entirely clear. If a person is just about to start studying the Holy Scriptures, then it is best to use the interpretation of Archbishop Averky (Taushev). It will surely be clear and understandable to everyone.

About the dress code for women: should the head be covered?

We know that a woman during prayer - whether at home or in church - must necessarily cover her head. Reading the Holy Scriptures is not a prayer, therefore, it is quite acceptable to read it with an uncovered head.

Is it necessary to wear a skirt when reading, or is it possible to wear home clothes - in sweatpants, for example?

The main thing is that it should be clothing, and not, say, underwear. But this applies to the situation when a person prays himself. If we are talking about a Christian family, especially when there are children, then we should try to dress in what is more appropriate for prayer. A woman should be wearing a skirt and a scarf, a man should also be in more or less decent clothes - to emphasize the importance of the moment the family stands before God. This is especially important for the upbringing of children - by this we show that prayer is not performed on the go, but is the most important common deed.

- During the days of natural cleansing for women, they should not be applied to the icons, approach the blessing and the cross. And what about the Gospel? It is believed that it is also impossible to apply to it. Accordingly - and read?

Instructions regarding the purity of women, first of all, relate to the sacraments - confession, communion, unction and others. On certain days, a woman cannot participate in them. All other restrictions are already a tradition of this or that locality, this or that parish. That is, there is no clear prescription in the Church what cannot be done during this period.

Traditionally, it is believed that in addition to non-participation in the sacraments, a woman should also refrain from eating prosphora and holy water, not applying to icons, and theoretically a blessing from a priest is not taken.

But again, you need to understand that in addition to the theoretical, there is also a practical side of life: if you eat a prosphora or kiss an icon, it’s entirely up to us, then when you come face to face with the priest, explain to the priest why you hide your hands behind your back, would be inappropriate.

Again, being in this state does not preclude contact with certain sacred objects. After all, the greatest shrine - the cross of Christ, which we wear on the body, we do not remove during this period, it remains on us. And we make the sign of the cross upon ourselves. It is the same with the prayer book and the home gospel: you can and even should not interrupt your established prayer rule and, accordingly, do not stop reading the Holy Scriptures.

- Desirable, but not required.

On Prayer and Reading the Gospel on the Road

- In continuation of the theme of reverence for the Holy Scriptures - is it possible to read it in transport? A modern person spends a lot of time on the road and combines this time with reading prayers and sacred books. Is this allowed?

The prayer rule should be read at home, in a calm atmosphere, when nothing distracts from the conversation with God. An exception can only be force majeure situations when a person either stayed late at work, or there was some kind of failure in the existing schedule, and the person knows for sure that he will come home and, due to objective reasons, will no longer be able to deduct all the prayers. In this case, it is allowed to read in transport. But this should not become a habit and become a permanent practice. You always need to listen to your conscience and evaluate how real and justified the need to pray on the road is.

As for the Gospel, spiritual literature, it can and should be read in transport. After all, most of the information enters a person through the eyes, so it’s better to let them be busy with the perception of the word of God than to be scattered on the surrounding people, on advertising and on others that do not bring any fruit and even harmful things.

On Protestant Editions of the Holy Scriptures and the Dangers of Certain Translations

- Is it possible to use the editions of the New Testament, which are distributed free of charge by representatives of Protestant denominations? Or to acquire the Gospel in churches of other confessions?

- In Protestant publications, you always need to look at whose translation it is. If it means that it was reprinted from the synodal edition (issued before the revolution with the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod, the body that controlled church life at that time), then you can safely read it.

If there is no such indication, or it is said that this is a translation of some society, or a new translation, or an adapted one, or something else, then, of course, it is better to abstain. Often, many denominations, retranslating the Holy Scriptures, adapt it to their creed. As, for example, the Jehovists significantly distorted the Gospel with their pseudo-translation for the reason that they do not recognize the deity of Jesus Christ. All the places where it is said about the deity of the Savior, they remade for themselves. Such publications should not be used, and at the first opportunity they should be disposed of - just like any shrine that has fallen into disrepair. Usually, the shrine is burned, and the ashes are either buried in an impregnable place, that is, where they don’t go, or swept into running water - into a river, for example.

—Many believers doubt whether it is possible to use the gospel publications produced by the World Bible Society and trust only what is sold in church shops and shops. How do you think?

The Bible Society may also publish adapted translations. They certainly do not have the distortions that are present in various translations of Protestant denominations, but it is better to use the traditional synodal translation.

In addition, you still need to understand that by acquiring Holy Scripture in an Orthodox church, you are thus contributing to the church. Although the books may be somewhat more expensive than in the Bible Society or Protestants.

– Is it necessary to consecrate purchased editions of the Bible or the New Testament?

Holy Scripture itself is already sacred, so it does not need to be consecrated. Secondly, there is no rite of consecration of Holy Scripture.

- The same Bible Society publishes a lot of children's books - adapted New Testament stories, for example. There are such publications where all the heroes of the Gospel events are depicted, one might say, as cartoon characters. Is there any prejudice on the part of the Church towards the depiction of Christ and the saints in this form?

Now in Russia a huge number of children's books with wonderful illustrations are published, which are made in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. There are even wonderful children's books with canonical icons. And all this is done brightly and efficiently. Thus, from childhood, a child learns to perceive Christ, the Mother of God in the image that the Orthodox Church has preserved for us.

You need to understand that in what image we first get to know a character, he will often remain in our minds. Stirlitz - the protagonist of the book by Julian Semenov - appears exclusively in the image of the actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov. Alexander Nevsky - in the form of actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who played him in the film of the same name.

It’s the same with a baby: if for the first time he comes into contact with Christ, with the Mother of God, with the apostles on some comics, there is a high probability that this primitive image will be imprinted in his child’s head.

About whether there is a difference in which language to read the Gospel and pray

– Are there any rules about what language the Bible should be in? Many believe that the Gospel, the Psalter should be read only in Church Slavonic - as is done in churches during worship. But since we are all already cut off from the tradition when Church Slavonic was studied in elementary schools, we do not understand everything that is read correctly and do not fully comprehend the meaning of the words. In this case, would it be logical and natural to read in the language we speak?

- Due to the fact that the Holy Scriptures are not some kind of easy reading, it is better to read it all the same in translation - in Russian, Ukrainian or any other language - one that is understandable to a person.

The same applies to the Psalter - if a person wants to carefully read the psalms, and not just drum his tongue, uttering beautiful Church Slavonic phrases. You can read alternately: for example, once all the psalms are in Church Slavonic, the next time - in Russian. Ideally, the reading of the Psalter should be part of the daily prayer rule. At least a little, but you need to read it, because the psalms are used in the circle of worship of the Orthodox Church. And being in the service, if we read the Psalter in translation, we will be able to understand those allusions and references to it that sound in the service in the temple.

In addition, there is a commandment: sing to God intelligently. This is to the fact that the psalms - and these are, in essence, spiritual songs, you need to understand, sing reasonably. As Elder Paisios of Athos said - if we do not understand what we are praying for, then how can we come to an agreement with God?

But you should pray in Church Slavonic. Still, prayers in colloquial speech are devoid of the sublimity that is present in the text not just in a different language, but in Church Slavonic.

About why the same Gospel passages are read in churches

– During each Divine Liturgy in the church, the Gospel is read, and, as a rule, on certain Sundays we hear the same passages prescribed by the charter. Why are only certain episodes chosen for reading in the temple?

- It cannot be said that only individual episodes have been selected. During the calendar year, the gospel is read in full at daily services in the church.

Where did the tradition of reading the Gospel at services come from? We know that 100% literacy of the population became possible only thanks (at least in our country) to the efforts of grandfather Lenin. Before the revolution, and even more so, even in more ancient times, not all people were literate. And those who could read did not have the opportunity to have the Holy Scriptures, since books were rare. We know how expensive the lists, handwritten books were - they were valued, in the literal sense of the word, worth their weight in gold. When such a book was sold, something of the jewels was often placed on the opposite side of the scale. Therefore, rarely anyone had the text of the Holy Scriptures.

At the time when, in fact, the divine service of the Christian Church was being formed, all Christians were present almost daily at a common prayer, daily gathered for the Eucharist in the temple. And during these meetings some part of the Gospel was read. And since people regularly attended services, lived in the spirit of Holy Scripture, they knew it, because during the year it was read in full.

And now, if we open the liturgical calendar, then there are Gospel passages for each day. And on Sundays the Church established the reading of the most edifying passages.

If a person wants to live in Christ, then for him any opportunity to hear the Holy Scriptures is always joyful and encouraging for his soul. Moreover, you need to understand that the gospel readings have a yearly cycle. Hardly anyone can remember what was read a year ago. Every time, even if a person reads the Gospel at home, that little passage that is read on Sunday is a small discovery for him, a reminder of the most significant parables and the most significant events in the life of Christ.

– Orthodox Christians quite often hear reproaches from non-church people that we have the same thing every day - the same prayers, services similar to each other, one book for daily reading - the Gospel. If you try to answer this reproach, then why is this daily repetition necessary?

- If we follow the Holy Scripture literally, then the Lord Jesus Christ left us only one prayer - "Our Father". But if we read only her alone, then surely there would be even more reproaches.

That is, most of us have a consumer attitude to prayer, although the Lord said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, everything else will be added to you.” And the morning and evening prayers are just aimed at making a person learn to pray. It can be called a kind of spiritual gymnastics. When we do gymnastics in the morning and in the evening, we repeat, in principle, monotonous movements. For what? In order for these movements to become a habit, so that we acquire some physical qualities, skills that we need for life.

In the same way, morning and evening prayers are gymnastics for our prayer consciousness. So that we get used to praying, know what to ask for: for the sublime, for the heavenly, for humility, for purity, for those things that lead to the Kingdom of God. Please note that in the morning and evening prayers that were composed by the saints, only that which contributes to bringing us closer to the Kingdom of God. In this direction, you need to get used to praying.

Of course, if a person leads a spiritual life, if he has a confessor who knows his spiritual and heart disposition, and this person gets tired of reading morning and evening prayers, then the confessor can bless him to read, for example, the Psalter. But this cannot be a general practice, but only with the blessing of a priest who knows the person who has turned to him.

In this regard, we can also recall the preparation for the sacrament. Those who partake of Communion relatively infrequently read and grumble with great difficulty against the rule established in the Church for Holy Communion, which consists of three canons and a follow-up. The following approach is practiced: if a person does not receive communion at every Sunday Liturgy, then in this case the rule for Communion can be “stretched” for a week: one day to read the canon of repentance, the next - the canon to the Mother of God, then to the Guardian Angel, and so on, so that before by communion itself, leave only prayers for Holy Communion. Thus, a person will have more prayer work for several days, a certain prayerful mood will be created, and before Communion itself there will no longer be such fatigue from reading a large number of prayers.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the things we talked about are still secondary and far from the most important in the life of an Orthodox Christian. If a person strives to live according to the Gospel, if he loves God, loves his neighbor, then he will perform all external actions with natural reverence, he will not need to drive himself into artificial frames.

The most important thing is to remember and fulfill the words of the Lord. Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." And the Holy Scripture is the book in which this path is laid out. Therefore, when reading the Gospel, you need to think not about when to cross yourself or where to sit at the moment, but how to fulfill it in your life.

People who have recently joined the church do not know how to properly read the Gospel at home, and therefore ask such questions. Reading Scripture usually involves a number of difficulties. And they are worth considering in more detail.

Difficulties in Learning the Gospel

Some believers note that it is extremely difficult to read Scripture at first. And this is due not only to the unusual style of presentation, but also to the fact that many are steadily drawn to sleep when reading it.

Priests believe that this phenomenon is associated with manifestations of the subtle world, where there are not only angels, but also demons. It is the dark forces that do not like it when a person studies the Holy Scriptures. And they try their best to prevent such action.

Churched people have fewer difficulties with reading the Gospel, because they are stronger in spirit. And their faith is bigger and deeper than that of the newcomers. Therefore, all temptations and difficulties in mastering the Holy Book pass with time, if a person makes efforts to do so.

There are a number of rules relating to the reading of Scripture. They contain the following information:

• It is necessary to read while standing;
• The first reading should be from the beginning to the end of the book. Read on for your favorite passages. But this does not mean that you need to read continuously;
• While reading, you should not be distracted or rushed.

In addition to the general rules, in the modern world there are myths associated with the reading of the Gospel. Among them are such as:

• Those that say that a woman must have a certain form of clothing and a covered head for reading. At home, you can read without these formalities;
• Those where it is mentioned that if the information is not remembered, then just praying is enough. It is practically impossible to learn everything from the Gospel even in dozens of readings. Therefore, it is worth continuing to read even when the head does not put off the read at all. Just as a river purifies what is put into it by a person, and the person himself, by reading, is cleansed.

The longer the Holy Scripture is studied, the more new meanings a Christian discovers for himself in the end. It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how to read the Gospel at home correctly.

In what language should the Scriptures be studied?

Modern people do not know the Old Slavonic language, and it is not recommended to torture yourself by reading it. It is best to parse spiritual texts in the language that is native to a person.

How to involve children in reading the Gospel?

In Orthodoxy, there are many excellent books for children, where biblical stories are presented in an accessible form. You can buy one of them to read about it to children. But reading the "adult" Gospel is also welcome.

It is unacceptable to use modern versions stylized as fairy tales for reading. The child must understand the importance of the process, and not confuse it with child's play.

Due to the lack of church knowledge, the believer may not understand some passages of Scripture. Then it is necessary to resort to official interpretations permitted by the church or personal confessor.

Is it necessary to cover spiritual literature?

The priests give a negative answer to this question. In church practice there is no rite of consecration of literature. And the Gospel itself is already a holy book. And it does not need additional lighting.

So, how to read the Gospel at home? This must be done in a calm environment. You can read in solitude, or you can organize reading for the whole family. If difficulties arise, then before reading, you can pray to the Lord. Ask him for the gift of wisdom for the study of the Holy Scriptures. Thoughtfulness and diligence are the main aspects of comprehending one of the main books in Christianity. While reading, it is recommended to make notes in a separate notebook. There you can write down questions that arise, important thoughts and favorite quotes. This approach helps to systematize the acquired knowledge.