Lenten Triodion: historical development of composition. Lenten Triodion

Lenten Triodion (from Greek. triodion- three-song) - a liturgical book containing prayers for the days leading up to the Holy Lent, for Lent itself, and also for Holy Week. It covers the first half of the liturgical circle, starting from the week of the tax collector and the Pharisee and ending with Holy Saturday. The Lenten Triodion is a rich source on the history of worship, as well as Byzantine liturgical hymnography and hagiography.

The quantitative volume of this cycle, its liturgical-theological significance and place in church calendar We didn’t decide right away.

If we talk about the internal content and structure of the Lenten Triodion, then it distinguishes three groups of memories. Firstly, this is Holy Week, which follows the fast of Lent with the three preparatory weeks preceding it. Secondly, the Lenten Triodion included the commemoration of the Sunday days of Pentecost, which are now removed from liturgical practice: they are spoken of only in the contents of self-consents and in individual Sunday canons. In accordance with them, for example, in the second week the parable of the prodigal son is remembered, in the third - about the publican and the Pharisee, etc. And, finally, a special layer is made up of a group of menain memories - transferred to a movable liturgical circle from a stationary one.

The oldest of these structural and content elements is not the three preparatory weeks, as one might assume, but the Easter fast, that is, the fast during Holy Week. Undoubtedly, it was established by the apostles according to the commandment of Christ - to fast on the day “when the Bridegroom is taken away from them” (Matthew 9: 15). Its duration was different in different places. Uniformity was probably hampered primarily by the fact that not all Christians celebrated Easter at the same time. In the same way, the full cycle of commemorations of Holy Week was not immediately established in all Churches. Apparently, this was done first in Jerusalem.

It is fundamentally important that it was the expansion of the Easter fast that gave rise to the Fast of Lent. True, the existence of the 69th Apostolic Canon prompts us to attribute the origin of this fast to the apostolic era: “If anyone does not fast on the Holy Pentecost before Easter, or on Wednesday, or on the heels, in addition to the obstacle from bodily weakness, let him be cast out, and if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated.” But this evidence is not reliable, for “the apostolic rules, together with the collection of apostolic decrees, the conclusion of which they constitute, were formed only in the second half of the 4th century,” while the time of formation of Pentecost must be counted from the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th centuries. The place of its establishment should most likely be sought in Syria, but in Rome and Alexandria it was an alien phenomenon.

The earliest “indisputable evidence of the 40-day fast preceding Easter (including Holy Week), according to most researchers, should be considered the 2nd festive (Easter) letter (330) of St. Athanasius the Great,” where Pentecost is seen as an ascetic preparation for the Easter holiday .

A very controversial question for historical liturgics about the methods of calculating Pentecost requires clarification. In the 4th century there were at least two of them in the East. One of them, the Palestinian one, is indicated in the work of Eusebius “On Easter”, in the Easter messages of St. Athanasius, as well as in the catechumens of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. It is considered more ancient. Another method, the Antiochian one, arose later. Mentions of it can be found in the apostolic decrees and in the works of St. John Chrysostom. In essence, both of these calculations agree with each other; the difference was initially only in the quantitative interpretation of the Easter fast.

According to Eusebius, Lent - with the inclusion of Holy Week - lasts six weeks. But it follows from this that it consists of 42 days, and not 40. The last figure is obtained if Friday and Saturday of Holy Week are excluded from the Easter fast. Saint Athanasius does not make such truncations. And in this regard, it is not entirely clear according to which system - Palestinian or local - he calculates the Pentecost, since in Alexandria back in the first half of the 3rd century, under Saint Dionysius, the Easter fast actually lasted a whole week.

As part of the Antiochian calculation, the pre-Easter fast included a full week, and special six weeks were assigned for Lent.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the following fact: initially, both methods of calculation certainly led to the fact that there were less than 40 fast days in Lent, since Sundays were exempt from fasting. According to the instructions of St. Athanasius the Great, in Alexandria, in addition, Saturdays were also subtracted from this number of fasting days, with the exception of the Saturday of Holy Week. Thus, it turns out that there were only 31 days of fasting together with the Easter fast. All this leads us to assume that the number 40 was taken from the examples of historically attested 40-day fasts. As is known, they are repeatedly pointed out Holy Bible: these are the prophets Moses and Elijah and, of course, Jesus Christ Himself.

The desire to bring Lent into strict compliance with its name, that is, to actually have exactly 40 days of fasting, over time caused the emergence of new ways of calculating it. To facilitate further reasoning, it is worth repeating once again: the Palestinian method did not give the desired figure, because even if you do not separate the Easter fast from Pentecost and recognize Saturdays as fast, it still total number There will be only 36 fast days.

The Antiochian calculus seems more satisfactory. But, again, it is necessary to fulfill the condition of the merging of Easter Lent and Lent. True, in this case the number of fasting days - excluding Sundays - will be 42. If we consider the fast of Lent separately, as was customary in the 4th century, the number of days will be reduced to 36.

It should also be taken into account that in the second half of the 4th century in the East the custom was established, in addition to Sunday, to also honor Saturday. It becomes a day of liturgical meetings; fasting is prohibited on Saturday. Lenten Saturdays, in addition to the Saturday of Holy Week, are also exempt from fasting, as a result of which the number of fasting days in Lent is reduced even more.

The new methods of calculation that have emerged are intended to correct these shortcomings. Rome preserved the ancient Palestinian Pentecost the longest. An amendment was made only in the 7th century: then the beginning of fasting was moved to Wednesday of the seventh week before Easter, that is, four more days were added to the previously existing 36 days of fasting, so that the result was exactly 40 days.

The first attempts to correct the calculation of the Pentecostal period appeared where it, strictly speaking, originated - in Syria. Here eight weeks are observed before Easter. At the same time, in Syria they did not fast on Sundays and Saturdays, with the exception of Holy Saturday, which involves the Easter vigil. In other words, if eight Sundays and seven Saturdays are subtracted from eight weeks, 41 days of fasting remain, which are called holidays here.

This method of calculation was quite widespread in the East. At the beginning of the 4th century it existed as a firm custom in the Antiochian Church. However, despite its antiquity, it did not establish itself among the Orthodox inhabitants of the East. Thus, in Jerusalem, where it existed at the end of the 4th century, in the 6th century Patriarch Peter, in his Easter message, calculates the Pentecost already according to the Antiochian method.

However, the practice of eight weeks of fasting existed in the East for a long time - almost until the 9th century. In the 7th century it became extremely widespread due to the following circumstance. According to the Alexandrian chronicle of Patriarch Eutyches, after the end of Heraclius Persian War(629) The inhabitants of Jerusalem turned to him with a request to execute the Jews of Jerusalem because the latter had committed a lot of violence against Christians during the war and had relations with the Persians. The ruler hesitated for a long time in fulfilling their request and agreed to this only when the subjects promised that they would take all the blame upon themselves and that they would fast for another week before Lent, since until now they had observed it halfway, abstaining from meat and eating cheese and eggs. After the death of Heraclius, the promise was forgotten, and the inhabitants of Syria returned to their previous custom. Only the Copts continued to observe strict fasting during cheese week, calling it the fast of Heraclius. It is possible, however, that they developed an eight-week fast much earlier - following the example of the Syrian Monophysites.

In addition to the addition of the eighth week, another attempt was made in the East to correct the calculation of fasting - by attributing to it the first three days of Holy Week. Such a system still exists among the Nestorians: they call the above days last days post.

Most likely, the Greeks quickly forgot what kind of order was established under Heraclius. But the tradition that during his reign they made some addition to the Pentecostal Church was still preserved. This can explain the presence already in the 8th century in the Greek Church of the tradition of semi-lenten preparatory, that is, cheese week. In other words, a compromise was found between the eight-week fast, which was practiced earlier, and the seven-week fast. The introduction of cheese week can also be considered as a form of protest of the Orthodox against the Monophysites.

Be that as it may, but the specified insert has great importance for the formation of the Lenten Triodion in general and its local editions in particular. Thus, in Palestine the number of days of preparation for Lent was limited to Cheese Week. In Constantinople, on the contrary, over time their number increased by another two weeks. In the Constantinople evangelists of the 9th-10th centuries, the week of the Prodigal Son, preceding the Meat Festival, is usually already celebrated. Consequently, here it is considered a week preparatory to fasting. The reason for the change in its liturgical status was probably the content of the Gospels of this week: their tendency to mark last weeks before Lent with special readings. The Gospel of Luke is assigned to this part of the year. In the previous weeks, conception occurs sequentially: 66 (26th week), 71, 76, 85, 91, 93, 94; on the last two Sundays - the publican and the Pharisee, as well as the prodigal son - the order returns back: 89 and 79. For the meat-eating and cheese weeks, conceptions are no longer taken from the Evangelist Luke, but from Matthew (106 and 17).

As for the initial preparatory week of the tax collector and the Pharisee, it was counted among the days of preparation much later than the week of the prodigal son. Moreover, in the 12th century, the first week already firmly occupied its current place. The main reason for its accession was, according to I.A. Karabinov, not so much the content of its evangelical conception, but its ideological and polemical basis. We are talking about denouncing the Armenians who are spending this week in a strict fast, which they call “arachawork”, which means “first”. A similar fast is observed by all Eastern heterodox Christians under the name of the Fast of the Ninevites. As you can see, the method of criticism of the Armenian custom chosen by the Greeks was the same as in relation to the eight-week Monophysite Pentecost: it consisted in the fundamental exemption of the publican and Pharisee on Wednesday and Friday from fasting during the week.

Menaion memorials in the Lenten Triodion

Let us now consider those memories of Pentecost that were transferred to it from the stationary - monthly - circle.

The transfer of memories probably began to be practiced already from the first days of the existence of Pentecost and therefore has an obvious explanation: if a certain memory fell on any weekday day of Lent, then, according to ancient custom, it was impossible to celebrate it. Saint Athanasius (Sakharov) wrote: “In general, the memories of the weeks of Great Lent are menaine memories and as such cannot have an organic connection with the rest of the Lenten service.” This prohibition, in turn, affected the distribution of menain memorials in the triodion on Saturdays and weeks. An exception, it must be said, very later, made according to the definition of the Trullo Council, was made only for the Annunciation: a full liturgy was assigned to it - regardless of the day of the week.

The custom of transferring the memory of saints to Saturdays and weeks during Pentecost existed in all Eastern Churches. Of the ones now recorded, the oldest is probably the memory of the Amasian martyr Theodore Tyrone, who suffered under Maximian and Maximinus. In ancient times he enjoyed great veneration in the East. The reason for the establishment of the holiday is indicated by the famous miracle of 362, when Saint Theodore, appearing in a dream to the Bishop of Constantinople, warned him against Christians consuming foodstuffs that, by order of Julian, were secretly defiled with sacrificial blood.

The veneration of the Holy Cross during the third week of Lent has a similar origin.

In the fifth week of the Lenten Triodi there are two commemorations that have not been transferred. The first of them, being little supported by prayers, is almost invisible. On Wednesday, at the sixth hour, the troparion of prophecy is given: “Through the illnesses of the saints, those who suffered for You.” This is the memory or 42 Amorite martyrs (March 6. - Here and below, the days of memory are indicated according to the Julian calendar. - Ed.), or 40 Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9). The second of these memories is designated by the clearly known canon of St. Andrew of Crete, but it is not easy to say what kind of memory it is. We must immediately exclude the celebration of the reverend himself, since it occurs on the 4th of July. One should assume here the memory of St. Mary of Egypt, which was laid on April 1, but this is hardly probable. For the most accurate definition, one must turn to the Sinai Triodion of the 11th century. It contains a self-vocal sedalen for this day, which can be considered a troparion (tone 6): “God’s rebuke is moving towards us, where will we run, who will we beg? We are caught up in our misfortunes. Look upon us, O Blessed One, before Whom the mountains were terrified and trembled, the sea saw and ran, and all creation was shaken. The angelic face begs You to save the world that You have created, Holy, Holy, Trisagion Lord, save us.” It is clear that the story is about some kind of earthquake. In the months after March 9, there are two memories of the coward: March 17 and April 5. I.A. Karabinov is inclined to believe that the above troparion refers to the first memory. This circumstance is also important: in this case it is the earthquake that is remembered, and not some other event. The troparion of prophecy for the fourth of the fifth week, which describes a serious disaster, helps to substantiate this thesis: “Thou gracious, long-suffering, O Lord Almighty, send down Thy mercy upon Thy people.” . Even more conclusive is the parimage from Genesis of the indicated day. Its content is Abraham's conversation with God about the upcoming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the Lord promises him not to destroy these cities if there are at least ten righteous people in them. Such an allusion is too transparent and refers to Constantinople. On Monday of the sixth week, the troparion of the prophecy also clearly states: “This is God’s terrible day, which we do not hope to reach in the evening, and you have kindly vouchsafed us to see this, O Trisagion, glory to You.

There is much disagreement about the origin and subject of the Saturday Akathist holiday of the fifth week, which, like the memory of St. Mary of Egypt, was finally established only after the 11th century.

Even more new from the point of view of the final liturgical fixation is the celebration of St. John Climacus (in the fourth week): it appears from the 14th century. Both festivals are undoubtedly transferred from the monthly calendar, where the first is set on April 1, and the second on March 30. It is noteworthy that “the services of Saints John Climacus and Mary of Egypt... were not even included in the Slavic pre-Nikon Triodions - it was recommended to turn to the Menaions for them.”

The last, most recent, memory - of St. Gregory Palamas in the second week of Lent - according to the testimony of the Greek Triodei, was blessed by Patriarch Philotheus at the Council of 1376.

A few words need to be said about two special triode memories - meat and cheese Saturdays. In the first, “the memory of all those who have fallen from time immemorial” is created, and in the second, “the memory of all the venerable and God-bearing fathers who shone forth in ascetic labor.” The memory of Cheese Saturday apparently appeared somewhat earlier than Meat Saturday. The transformation of the latter was greatly facilitated by the reading of the Gospel of the Meat Week about the Last Judgment, indicated for this Sunday by the charter of the Great Church of Constantinople. The comparatively late origin of both of these memories is proven by the liturgical monuments of other Churches. Thus, in the Armenian Church there are no such services at all.

In the modern Lenten Triodion, two main compositional and content layers are clearly distinguished: the Easter fast (Holy Week), which follows the fast of Lent with the three preparatory weeks preceding it, as well as a fairly extensive group of menaic memories transferred to a moving circle from a stationary one. Historically, the liturgical book under consideration also included commemorations of the Sunday days of Pentecost, the remnants of which are considered to be self-concords and some Sunday canons.

The most ancient of the compositional and semantic components is, of course, the Easter fast, the transformation of which towards expansion marked the beginning of the Lent of Lent. Over the course of several centuries, the latter was associated with a different number system, which means it included an unequal number of days.

There is no doubt about the fact of the late inclusion of three preparatory weeks in the Lenten Triodion. At the same time, the very last in the liturgical book under consideration was the week about the publican and the Pharisee.

On the contrary, the transfer of memories from a fixed circle to a mobile one should be attributed almost to the moment of the establishment of Pentecost. It was associated with the impossibility of everyday celebrations during Lent. It was this restriction that led to the distribution of the Menaion memorials on Saturdays and the weeks of Pentecost.

The formation of Lenten parimia

The main genre and content components of the Lenten Triodion, with the help of which the external and internal composition of Easter Lent, Lent, as well as the preparatory weeks are realized, are parimia and chants. True, the first ones are included in the liturgical book under consideration only from the 12th century; until that time, they were usually placed in special vaults, that is, parimiyniks - collections of parimiys on all year round.

In addition to the variable parts of the service, the Triodi contains a third element of a completely different kind, associated with purely disciplinary and functional tasks. We are talking about articles from the church charter, which have been introduced into constant use since the 11th-12th centuries.

A comparative analysis of handwritten parimiys cannot give any answer to the question of where and when the system of triode parimias was developed, since even the most ancient of them usually contain the current selection of readings in question.

It is quite obvious that the oldest parts of the named system are considered to be the parimia of Holy Week, and in particular, Great Heel and Saturday. The liturgical parimations of the latter, in fact, relate to the Easter service, or, more precisely, are the transition from Easter on the Cross to Sunday. They belong to the ancient Christian vigil, which took place on the night from Saturday to Sunday in memory of the Resurrection of Christ. The parimia under consideration are clearly divided into three groups: some of them are ordinary, others talk about the Easter holiday, and others address the baptism of the catechumens that took place at the Easter vigil. In this regard, let us compare the words of Archpriest Alexander Schmemann: “The hymns of the Triodion were composed for the most part after the actual disappearance of the “catechumens” (baptized as adults and requiring preparation for baptism). Therefore, they mainly speak and emphasize not baptism, but repentance.”

Ordinary readings are, undoubtedly, the first (Gen. 1: 1-13) and partly the second (Is. 60: 1-16) parimia. In ancient times, liturgical readings were necessarily taken from both Testaments - Old and New. According to the custom that passed into Christianity from Jewry, the first were based on the law and the prophets. In modern worship, a rudiment of this order is all the triode parimia of vespers. The first parimia of Holy Saturday from Genesis is also ranked among the ordinary readings from the law. The second parimia from Isa. 60:1-16 is somewhat related to the baptism of catechumens.

Turning to the parimations of the Good Friday hours, one must first of all point out their undoubted Jerusalem origin, as, indeed, the entire service. In Constantinople, instead of it, the usual Lenten observance of the third and sixth hours was supposed, with parimia from Zech. 11:10-13. It seems that the selection of parimations in the named watches goes back to ancient times.

The same statement will be true for the choice of the parimia of the first hour of Holy Thursday (Jer. 11: 18-12, 15) and Matins of Holy Saturday (Jer. 37: 1-14). The meaning of these prophecies is extremely transparent: the first is about the suffering of Christ and the malice of the Jews against Him, and the second is about His resurrection.

The remaining parimia of Holy Week are in close connection with the parimia of Lent. From the outside, this relationship is manifested in the order of the prokeimnas they carry. The latter are extracted from the psalms in the continuous sequence in which they are located in the Psalter: at the parimia of the sixth hour of Monday of the first week there is a prokeimenon from the first psalm, and at the last parimia of Great Wednesday there is a prokeimenon from the 137th psalm. Of course, such logic was adopted after the entire parimia system of Lent and the first half of Holy Week had already been determined.

The reasons why the books of Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs and Job were designated for fasting reading do not cause serious disagreement among liturgists. The Exodus was taken for Holy Week due to the fact that the person of Moses, the event of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the establishment of the Old Testament holiday of Easter are prototypes of Christ, His perfect salvation and the New Testament Easter.

The choice of the book of Genesis can be justified in many ways. First of all, this is the most suitable of the books of law for continuous reading during such an extensive liturgical cycle as Lent. The content of Genesis is concentrated primarily around historical events of universal significance, while in other sources there is a clear predominance of legislative elements that were intended exclusively for Old Testament Jews. In addition, the subjects of the Fall, the flood, and others are most consistent with the repentant character of Lent. At the same time, the personalities of the patriarchs and the events of their lives provide a lot of edifying material in a clear, concise, narrative form. In addition, the subject-plot component refers not only to the past tense, but also contains prototypes of New Testament persons and events. In other words, historical didacticism merges with symbolic one. Such a symbiosis becomes even more significant and significant if we consider that the edification is done in the days leading up to Easter - a holiday in memory of the most important events of human salvation.

Kontakion of Saint Roman the Sweet Singer

Another extremely extensive and diverse layer of the Triodion is represented by chants, the number of which exceeds 500. They differ greatly from each other in genesis, form, volume, name, and language. I.A. Karabinov, in the course of studying a huge number of handwritten and printed Triodion, established that the first dated chant in the Triodion dates back to the 5th, and the last - to the 14th centuries. This means that the formation of its genre uniqueness falls on the Byzantine stage of Greek church poetry (not a single work was included in its composition from the first - ancient Christian - period). Despite this diversity, all triode chants have one common origin: they originate from the refrains with which the first Christians accompanied the performance of biblical psalms and songs.

The very nature of the sources of Byzantine hymnography greatly contributed to the fact that its works developed a form of tonic verse, based primarily on semantic parallelism and logical stress.

All this was quite consistent with the ancient Christian way of singing psalms and songs. It is usually called antiphonal, since it consists of alternating verse-by-verse performance of chants by two choirs. The choruses used in this case are called antiphons. Another no less ancient name is translated as “poem”. The third term - ipakoi - was also distinguished by a certain instability. From about the 5th century, troparia appeared, which are understood as short hymns in the proper sense, and not just choruses. But, probably, this name came to them from the latter, for even in later monuments one can find similar prayers, consisting of one verse of a psalm. Thus, the name “troparion” began to be used primarily for hymns connected to Psalm 117 (“God is the Lord”) and biblical songs.

The oldest hymns of the Lenten Triodion are some of the troparions of prophecies, which, although they were not compiled specifically for the Lenten service, began to be used in it from the 8th century.

The name “ipakoi” was retained by separate hymns set at matins after psalms 134-135 (the so-called polyeleos), 118 (blameless) and the third biblical song.

But for a long time the listed hymnographic terms were used mixedly. Moreover, in modern liturgical books one can find many examples when some kind of chant is called a troparion in one case, and sedal in another. Thus, the troparion of Thomas’s week “To the sealed tomb” serves as the second sedal of the Sunday service of the seventh tone in Octoechos; The troparion to the apostles Peter and Paul (June 29) “The Apostles of the First See” is seated on Wednesday (tone 4).

In other words, all types of works of Byzantine church poetry are ultimately genetically reduced to the ancient refrains with which Christians accompanied the singing of biblical psalms and songs. The only exception to this is the ancient kontakion. Chants of this kind are a long series of stanzas united by an acrostic poem. That is, the poetic form of the kontakion can be qualified as a strophic poem (from 18 to 40 stanzas) of asymmetrical size, fastened by interstrophic isosyllaby (equisyllaby, dividing a verse into rhythmic units equal in number of syllables) and homotonia as the same number of intonation segments in each verse .

This external unity corresponds to the internal coherence of the content. In contrast to the canons, where each troparion stands separately, in kontakia the plot develops sequentially, starting from the first acrostic stanza and ending with the last, so that dividing them into segments is required not so much by semantic logic, but by practical necessity - convenience for singers. The disunity of the troparia in the canons is explained by the fact that they, like all other Byzantine chants in general, are only choruses to biblical chants. Kontakia were originally sung completely independently after the sixth song of the canon; their stanzas followed one after another without inserting any intermediate verses. In its form, the kontakion is a series of sedals, somewhat more extensive compared to the introductory one, with consistently developing content. Consequently, to explain the emergence of this form of Byzantine liturgical poetry, it is necessary to find the reason that, instead of one sedalna, it required a series of stanzas.

To solve this problem, we need to focus on the location of the kontakion in the rite of Matins. It is sung according to the sixth canon of the canon and precedes the main reading of Matins: it is after it that either the synaxarion or the life of the celebrated saint is given. In most cases, the kontakion is also a legend about the celebrated memory - only it is presented in poetic form. All this evokes indispensable associations with lives, legends, and homilies. Thus, it can be assumed that the original purpose of the kontakion was either to serve as a poetic parallel to the reading that follows it, or to complement the latter, or even completely replace it. It is absolutely clear that such a vast content could not be placed within the narrow framework of one sedal, but required a certain set of such stanzas.

The first kontakary hymn-writer, whose personality and works are better clarified and to whom most of the triode kontakia belong, is Saint Roman the Sweet Singer. The following kontakia and ikos are attributed to him: for the weeks - the prodigal son (the author's attribution of which, however, is doubtful), meat-free, veneration of the cross and vai, for Saturdays - Saints Theodore and Lazarus, as well as on Thursday of the fifth week and on Holy Monday and Fridays.

Researchers (theologians, philologists, etc.) are unanimous in the opinion that this hymnographer was not the creator of the kontakion, but he brought its form and content to perfection and went down in history as a brilliant author of works written within the same genre.

To more fully understand the creative phenomenon of Roman Sladkopevets, you need to pay attention to an important personal factor - its origin. The monk was a native of Syria. His creative activity began when he was a deacon of the Church of the Resurrection in the city of Berita (modern Beirut). It is not surprising that in a bilingual culture, Roman turns to non-Greek sources, although he himself wrote exclusively in Greek. The language of his kontakia, despite the classical education of the author, is of a mixed nature: it contains ancient and Central Greek forms side by side. But in general it uses what is called Koine, a common dialect accessible to the masses. The Reverend's style contains equal parts rhetorical and colloquial elements, which corresponds to the teaching objectives of his poetry. The flourishing of hymnography, associated with the name of Saint Romanus, was ultimately determined by the need of the Greek church audience for precisely such poetic forms of religious didactics.

The Syrian sources of his work eloquently speak about this. In the homeland of Saint Romanos, as early as the 2nd century, there was a custom of pronouncing poetic homilies, written in verse using simple meters. The real influence - both direct and indirect - on the formation of his kontakion was exerted by Syriac liturgical poetry, represented by three genres: mimra (researchers also use other transliterations - “speech”), midrash (“teaching”) and sugita (“song”). Mimra is a poetic homily that was recited at matins after the reading of the Gospel. That is, this is a poetic paraphrase of the reading just listened to. Midrash qualifies as a multi-stanza poetic work with an acrostic and refrain. Finally, sugita is a work of a descriptive nature, in which the drama of the development of action was created through the introduction of monologues and dialogues. Moreover, the kontakion cannot be identified with any of the listed works. As N.D. rightly notes. Uspensky, “from the memra Roman Sladkopevets borrowed the very principle of connecting the poem with the Gospel, from the madrasha - the multi-stanza form, refrain and acrostic, and from the sogita - the techniques of dramaturgy.”

Saint Roman made many creative changes to the composition of the kontakion. It must be viewed through the prism of the most significant formal elements for this genre: the strophic distribution of the text and the functional load of the chorus. Roman Sladkopevets, of course, was not their inventor, but he masterfully synthesizes Syrian sources. As a result, the kontakion results in a stable strophic structure, united by a chorus. The inevitable contradiction between the narrative nature of the plot and the certain isolation of each stanza, always crowned by a chorus, is resolved at a semantic level that unites the entire work. That is, the main method of interpretation for Saint Roman is parallelism - compositional and semantic, internal and external, since “kontakia consist of stanzas identical in rhythmic pattern, they contain alliteration and an unchanging refrain.”

The architectonics of the kondakar poem are modeled on a song and, at first glance, quite traditional. But Saint Roman managed to combine a purely external structure with a functional idea-forming component. The division of the text gives rise to interstrophic and intrastrophic connections of various natures: these are both contrasts between verses and integration relations. The repetition of the refrain plays the same role at the level of stanzas as the element of repetition in rhyme: at the same time, the opposition and opposition of stanzas occurs with their mutual projection, which forms a complex semantic and thematic whole. The logical composition of the work is built in the kontakion not in spite of the stanza, but with its help. The introduction is usually contained in one or more of the first ikos, and the conclusion is concentrated in one or more of the last ikos. The main part, naturally, is arranged post-strophically, which is very successful for dramatic development. A special technique of Saint Roman, which unmistakably defines his authorship, is dialogue (external or internal). Replicas are also arranged trophically. Thus, a principle is used that has been known since ancient times, but immediately preceded the Holy Roman in the Syrian midrash and sugita. In the described case, the refrain is addressed to one or another performer. Post-strophic dialogue is the simplest, but most systematic case of the functioning of poetic parts. However, Roman has few kontakia with a purely dialogical structure; mostly the dialogue is placed in a complex narrative context. Another case, also quite common in the work of the monk, is associated with non-compliance with dialogue or reducing it to a minimum. Here the main load is borne by the refrain, which in the kontakion is structurally connected with the ikos, and from the point of view of meaning, holds the entire poem together.

Roman’s proimion stands apart (small stanza at the very beginning of the poem). It most likely developed from the chorus itself in cases where the latter was too short for the people to catch up with it, and was therefore repeated after each ikos. The proimion may not even be related to the plot of the kontakion, but it gives the topic special illumination, usually in an extremely elastic and compressed form.

All of the above does not make it possible to agree with the opinion that the kontakion “was not an organized, consistent collection of songs on a specific topic.”

So, for the formation of the Lenten Triodion, the most important is the following individual authorial innovation of Roman the Sweet Singer: to the exclusively prayerful hymnography cultivated earlier, he, however, based on the experience of his predecessors, who assigned the kontakion a very specific liturgical place, adds a preaching component. In this syncretic context, a complex genre is being developed that combines the narrative nature of the homily with purely poetic means of both expressiveness and organization of the text and has the religious education of Christians as its primary goal.

Many of the works of Saint Roman were not originally intended by him for Lent, but began to be used by the Church in these days later.

The famous liturgist A.A. Dmitrievsky once wrote that contemporary Christians had almost completely lost their correct understanding of Great Lent. Alexey Afanasyevich found the reason very interesting: people’s ignorance of the texts of the main liturgical book of the Holy Pentecost - the Lenten Triodion. This opinion was expressed at the beginning of the 20th century. It seems that the words of the Orthodox scientist are quite applicable to our time. Alas, even today few church people are well acquainted with the unique patristic creation that forms the basis of Lenten worship. But indeed, the Triodion, open on any page, breaks many stereotypes about the meaning of fasting and instills a completely different experience of fasting in comparison with what we sometimes have.

When familiarizing yourself with the verses of the Triodion, what first surprises you is some kind of unearthly, flighty joy flowing from all the chants. The texts seem to be repentant, but there is quite an Easter rejoicing visible in them! For example, here is the stichera of Monday of the first week of Lent: “We will begin all-honorable abstinence with light, shining with rays of the holy commandments of Christ our God, love with brilliance, prayer with brilliance, purity with purification, goodness with strength; for let us bring light before the holy and three-day resurrection, illuminating incorruption to the world.” A whole stream of dazzling light is poured on us: “light”, “shining with rays”, “brightness”, “brilliance”, “luminiferous”, “illuminating”. The general intonation of the stichera is festive. I immediately remember the words of the Savior, read by the Church before the beginning of Lent, on Forgiveness Sunday: When you fast, do not be sad, like the hypocrites, for they take on gloomy faces in order to appear to people as fasting. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward. And you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face (Matt. 6:16-17). The Triodion, confirming the teaching of the Lord, also tells us that for a Christian, fasting is a spiritual holiday.

The main liturgical book of Great Lent is thoroughly imbued with biblical associations and meanings. In this respect, these texts can be called a great school of exegesis. For example, this is how St. Petersburg is interpreted in the canon. Andrew of Crete, the bigamy of Patriarch Jacob: “I understand that I am two wives, but action and reason are in sight, Leah is an act of slaughter, like one with many children; Rachel's mind is like a lot of work; for apart from labor, neither the deed nor the sight of the soul will be corrected.” It turns out that the patriarch's two wives are important symbols.

“Leah symbolizes that part of the human soul that gives its strength to earthly, sensual life. ...Labor, action (Leah) is something in which a person apparently manifests himself on the outside. And the fruits of the work of these hands are so innumerable that the monk compares them with Leah, as if she had many children - after all, indeed, she gave birth to Jacob more than all the children, while Rachel - only two (Joseph and Benjamin), but at least the closest and most comforting. But Leah, as the book of Genesis specifically points out to us, is “weak in the eyes”: work in itself, not animated by any higher aspiration, turns into a tedious task of obtaining food, and a person who works like this is not much different from those animals that the Lord created before him, without, however, breathing into them the “breath of life” from His Spirit (cf. Gen. 1:20–25, 2:7).”

Every page of Scripture is relevant to the person trying to live a spiritual life

Or, for example, the hand of Moses, which turned white from leprosy and was then healed by the Lord (cf. Ex. 4:6-7). The Triodion explains that this sign relates to our Christian life: “May the hand of Moses assure us, O soul, how God can whiten and cleanse the life of a leper, and do not despair of yourself, even if you are a leper.” How many of us would have guessed that the leprosy on Moses' hand indicates our sins? Here and in a number of other cases, Lenten texts prove that every page of Holy Scripture is relevant for every person trying to lead a spiritual life.

And it happens that this or that stichera is entirely woven from passages of the Bible, and the lover of the Book of Life listens with pleasure to these lines, born of the great love of the holy fathers for Scripture. For example: “It is an acceptable time, the day of salvation, let us bring to God the gifts of virtues, in which we have put aside the works of darkness, brethren, let us put on the weapons of light, as Paul cries out.”

By the way, one more thing about the Bible. Triodion shows an excellent example of the interest of the holy fathers not only in the New, but also in the Old Testament. Most of biblical semantic allusions of the Great Canon are taken from the Old Testament books. Charter biblical readings of the Triodion - Genesis, Isaiah, Proverbs. A rare stichera does not refer us to certain names or events of Old Testament history. How sad it is that Christians of the first millennium knew and loved the Old Testament books, reading them in a Christian way, but a modern Orthodox person sometimes does not understand why he should read Moses or Isaiah. One sometimes even hears from teachers of seminaries and academies that the Old Testament is a shadow of the New, and therefore reading it is not at all necessary for a Christian. However, the Lenten Triodion smashes such theses to smithereens.

All books of the Bible are interconnected, and among them there are no superfluous ones

The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are one book with internal integrity. All books of the Bible are interconnected, and none of them are superfluous. We will never understand the New Testament without the Old, and the Old without the New. The amazing interweaving of the meanings of the Old Testament and New Testament books, revealed in Triodion, shows a true Christian attitude towards biblical books. In the Bible everything is one: one explains the other, the first is fulfilled in the second, and the second and first are contained in something third. Some link has fallen out - and perception is already impaired.

Perhaps the most precious meaning of the Triodion is that it conveys the bitter truth about man - one that no one except the Church will tell us. In describing the spiritual state of the sinner, the Triodion is radical to the extreme: “There was no sin in life, no deed, no malice, even though I, the Savior, have not sinned in mind, and in word, and in will, and in sentence, and in thought, and in deed, having sinned, as and no one else ever." It turns out that I am guilty of all sins? Yes exactly. In my heart I carry the imprints of all the sins of the world - as potential, as possibility. If I have not sinned in something in deed, then I have sinned in word; if not in word, then in thought; and if not by thought, then by the secret wishes of the heart. If in fact I did not sin in one way or another, it is only because God saved me from such a situation in which I would not have withstood the temptation and fell. The texts of the Holy Pentecost remind us of the depth of our infection with sin in order to evoke in us a corresponding depth of repentance.

The texts of the Holy Pentecost remind us of the depth of our infection with sin

But along with severe denunciations, the Triodion always gives a warm light of hope, constantly reminding us of the approaching Easter: “Having put off the filthy garments of intemperance, let us put on the bright robe of abstinence, and we will achieve the rebellion of the former, bright Savior.”

I don’t know how similar the ills of church society at the beginning of the 20th century and the 21st century are, but Dmitrievsky’s concern about the poor knowledge of the Triodion by Orthodox people can be shared even now. Yes, ignorance of this book greatly impoverishes us and in many ways deprives our Christianity of the joy of repentance, the beauty of theology, and biblical breadth.

Well, Lent has just begun, and the Holy Triodion has still turned a few pages. It’s just time to pick up this unique patristic creation and test yourself for the Orthodoxy of your understanding of the meaning of Pentecost. I am sure that every person who loves God will feel the joy of acquiring new knowledge in Christ. Perhaps getting acquainted with the Triodion will even open Great Lent to someone from a completely different side. In addition, everyone, without exception, will feel how superficial fish we are in the ocean of knowledge of God that is revealed in liturgical texts. Let us follow the Triodion on our Lenten journey, and its stichera and troparia will certainly lead us to new depths of repentance and reveal hitherto unprecedented spiritual treasures.

Handbook of an Orthodox person. Part 4. Orthodox fasts and holidays Ponomarev Vyacheslav

Lenten Triodion

Lenten Triodion

Preparatory weeks and weeks for Lent

1. Week (without the preceding week) publican and pharisee.

2. Week about the prodigal son and the week preceding it.

3. Saturday meat-eating, parent(that is, the Saturday before the Meat Week (Sunday), Maslenitsa) and the week preceding it.

4. Week about the Last Judgment(meat-based).

5. Week cheese (Maslenitsa).

7. Week raw. Memories of Adam's exile. Forgiveness Sunday.

Great Lent (Holy Lent)

1. 1st week of Lent. Triumph of Orthodoxy.

2. Week 2 of Lent. Memory Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica.

3. Week 3 of Lent. Cross veneration.

4. Week 4 of Lent. Reverend John Climacus.

5. Week 5 of Lent. Reverend Mary of Egypt.

6. Lazarus Saturday. The Resurrection of Righteous Lazarus(Saturday of the 6th week of Lent).

7. Week 6 of Lent. Palm Sunday. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

8. Holy Week:

a) Maundy Thursday. Remembering the Last Supper;

b) Good Friday. Remembrance of the Holy Saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

c) Holy Saturday. The Descent of Christ into Hell.

From the book Notes of a Priest: Features of the Life of the Russian Clergy author Sysoeva Julia

Lenten meal. Fasting and breaking the fast What is the fasting table and what are fasting and breaking the fast? As already mentioned, only food of plant origin is allowed during fasting. Many Orthodox housewives take this prohibition very seriously and, having come

From the book Great Lent author Shmeman Archpriest Alexander

4. TRIODION Great Lent has its own special liturgical book: The Lenten Triodion. This book includes all the hymns (stichera and canons), biblical readings for each day of Lent, starting with the Resurrection of the Publican and the Pharisee and ending with the evening Holy and Great Saturday. Chants of the Triodion

From the book The Inner Kingdom author Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia

Lenten Spring The true nature of repentance will become clearer if we consider three characteristic expressions of repentance in the life of the Church: first, very briefly, the liturgical expression of repentance during the period of Lent; then, in more detail, its sacramental expression in

From the book Days of Worship of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church by the author

Triode. To the Creator of the things above and below, the Trisagion hymn from the angels: Trisedos, also receive from men. The synaxarion for the triodion begins with these verses. Triodion, or triodion, in Greek means three-song. This is the name of the book containing the rite of worship in continuation of 18

From the book Handbook of an Orthodox Person. Part 4. Orthodox fasts and holidays author Ponomarev Vyacheslav

Lenten Triodion Preparatory weeks and weeks for Great Lent1. The week (without the preceding week) of the tax collector and the Pharisee.2. The Week of the Prodigal Son and the week preceding it.3. Meat Saturday, parental (that is, the Saturday before the Week (Sunday)

From the book Christ - Conqueror of Hell author Alfeev Hilarion

Triodion colored 1. Bright Resurrection of Christ - Easter.2. Bright Week.3. Week 2 of Easter (Ayatipascha). Recollection of the assurance of the Apostle Thomas.4. Radonitsa, day of special remembrance of the dead (Tuesday of the 2nd week of Easter).5. 3rd Sunday of Easter, Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women.6. A week

From the book Orthodox Lent. Lenten recipes author Prokopenko Iolanta

The Lenten Triodion Let's move on to the Lenten Triodion (Greek: Triodion), containing liturgical texts of the period from the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee to Holy Saturday inclusive. Thematically, the Lenten Triodion is divided into two unequal parts: the first contains Lenten services, the leitmotif

From the book Monastic Kitchen author Stepasheva Irina

The Triodion of Colors The Paschal Midnight Office, celebrated right before the start of Easter Matins, begins the Triodion of Colors (Greek: Pentikostarion), which embraces the period from Easter to the 1st week after Pentecost. The Colored Triodion contains much less original material than the Octoechos and

From the author's book

Russian Lenten Stew For 4 servings of “Russian Lenten Stew” you will need: Potatoes - 550 g, Cabbage - 350 g, Onions - 100 g, Carrots - 100 g, Pearl barley - 90 g, Salt, Fresh dill. Rinse the cereal and boil until half cooked. Add finely

From the author's book

Lenten botvinya Sort out the sorrel, simmer, adding a little water. Same with spinach separately. Rub sorrel and spinach through a sieve, cool the puree, dilute with kvass, add sugar, lemon zest, refrigerate. Pour the botvinya into plates, adding slices to taste

THE WEEK ABOUT THE COLLECTOR AND THE PHARISEE

ON SATURDAY AT GREAT VESPERS

After the opening psalm, we read the entire first kathisma. On Lord cried: we sing stichera on 10: three Sunday Octoechos, 4 eastern ones and two self-consonant ones from the Triodion, repeating the first twice:

Voice 1

Let us not pray like a Pharisee, brothers: / for he who exalts himself will be humiliated. / Let us humble ourselves before God, / like a tax collector during the days of fasting, crying out: / “Be merciful, O God, to us sinners!” (2)

The Pharisee, overcome by vanity, / and the publican, bowed to repentance, / approached You, the One Master: / but one, having boasted, was deprived of benefits, / the other, without many words, was awarded gifts. / In those groanings, strengthen me, O Christ God, / as a Lover of mankind.

Glory, voice 8: Almighty, Lord, / I know how much tears can bear: / for they raised Hezekiah from the gates of death, / they delivered a sinner from long-term sins, / they justified the publican more than the Pharisee; / and I ask: / “Having counted me among them, have mercy on me!”

And now, Theotokos: a dogmatist of the ordinary voice.

At the Litiya of the temple stichera

Glory, voice 3: Having understood the difference between the tax collector and the Pharisee, my soul, / hate the first’s arrogant voice, / but be jealous of the second’s prayer with good contrition and cry out: / “God, have pity on me, a sinner, and have mercy on me!”*

And now, the Theotokos Sunday in the same voice

Stichera on the verse of Octoechos

Glory, voice 5: With my eyes, burdened with my iniquities, / I cannot look up and see the heights of heaven; / but accept me as a repentant publican, O Savior, / and have mercy on me.

And now, Mother of God, voice 5: Temple and door, palace and throne of the King, - / You, venerable Virgin; / through You, my Redeemer, Christ the Lord, / appeared to those sleeping in darkness, like the Sun of righteousness, / wanting to enlighten those whom He created / with His hand in His image. / Therefore, O All-Glorified One, / who acquired maternal boldness towards Him, / constantly intercede / for the salvation of our souls.

AT MORNING

After the Six Psalms God the Lord: in the voice of the Octoechos, we sing the Sunday troparion twice, and the Theotokos once. Then the usual verse of the Psalter. Sedalny Oktoeha. After the “Immaculate” troparia: Angelic host: Ipakoi. Grave and Prokeimenon voices. Every breath: Sunday Gospel ordinary. Resurrection of Christ: Psalm 50.

Glory, voice 8: The gates of repentance / open to me, Giver of life, / for since dawn my spirit has been striving / to Thy holy temple, / bearing the entire desecrated bodily temple. / But You, as a compassionate one, cleanse him / with Your merciful mercy.

And now, Mother of God: On the path of salvation / guide me, Mother of God / for I have stained my soul with shameful sins / and frivolously wasted my whole life. / But through Your prayers / deliver me from all uncleanness.

Also, voice 6: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy / and according to the multitude of Your mercies, blot out my iniquity.

Reflecting on the many grave sins I have committed, / I, unfortunate one, tremble before the terrible day of judgment. / But, hoping for the mercy of Your mercy, / like David I cry to You: / “Have mercy on me, O God, / according to Your great mercy!”

The first canon is Sunday at 4, the second is Cross and Sunday at 2 and the third is the Theotokos at 2, and the Triodion at 6: the creation of George. Acrostic poem named after him in the Mother of God.

Canon, creation of George, tone 6 Song 1

Irmos: How did Israel travel overland?

By means of parables, leading everyone / to the correction of life, / Christ exalts the publican for his humility, / showing the Pharisee also with the exaltation of the humble one.

Out of humility, seeing elevating honor, / from exaltation, a heavy fall, / be jealous of the virtues of the tax collector, / and hate the wickedness of the Pharisees.

From recklessness all good becomes vain, / from humility all evil is destroyed; / Let us love him, faithful ones, / sincerely abhorring the behavior of the vain.

Wanting to see His disciples humble, / the King convinced everyone and taught them to be jealous / of the publican’s groaning and his humility.

Glory: Like a publican I groan, / and with incessant sobs, Lord, / now I come to Your mercy: / have pity on me, / who now lead my life in humility!

And now, Mother of God: Mind, will, hope, / body, soul and spirit, Lady, / I entrust to You: / from evil enemies, and temptations, and future punishment, / deliver and save me.

Confusion: I will open my mouth:

Song 3

From dirt and passions / the humble rises, / but from the heights of virtues falls miserably / everyone with a proud heart: / we flee from his character, from vice!

Vanity makes vain the wealth of righteousness, / but humility scatters the multitude of passions; / us, who imitate him, / become fellow publicans, O Savior.

Like the publican, we too, striking ourselves on the chest, / will cry out in contrition: / “Be merciful, O God, to us sinners!” / – in order to receive remission for this.

Let us approach with zeal, faithful ones, / achieving meekness, living with humility, / in groaning of the heart and weeping with prayer, / so that we may find forgiveness from God.

Glory: Let us reject, faithful ones, the arrogant boasting, / and the immeasurable recklessness, / and the vile arrogance, / and the most vile before God / obscene heartlessness of the Pharisee.

And now, Mother of God: Confident in You, my only refuge, / may I not be deprived of good hope, / but may I receive help from You, Pure One, / getting rid of all harm and disasters.

Sedalny, voice 4

Humility elevated / the publican defiled by evil deeds, / sad and “Have mercy!” to the Creator who called; / the exaltation brought down, depriving the righteousness / of the pathetic Pharisee who had exalted himself. / So let us be jealous of good deeds, / moving away from evil ones.

Glory: Humility once exalted / the publican, who cried out with tears: “Have mercy!” / and justified him. / Let us imitate him / all who have fallen into the depths of evil, / let us cry out to the Savior from the depths of our hearts: / “We have sinned, only Lover of Mankind, have mercy!”

And now, Mother of God: Accept quickly, Lady, our prayers / and bring them to Your Son and God, Lady All-Immaculate. / Resolve the disasters of those who resort to You, / crush the intrigues and overthrow the insolence of the godless, / who arm themselves against Your servants.

Song 4

The excellent way of exaltation is humility, / showed the Word, / humbled even to the image of a slave: / imitating this, everyone is exalted, humbled.

The righteous Pharisee ascended and fell; / the publican, burdened with many vices / humbled himself, but was exalted, / receiving justification beyond hope.

To those who bring poverty, / despite the abundance of virtues, / recklessness appeared; / and humility, on the contrary, is the acquisition of justification, / despite extreme poverty. / Let's buy it!

You have predicted, O Lord, / that you resist the highly intelligent in every possible way, / but give your grace to the humble, O Savior; / now to us who have humbled ourselves, / send down Thy grace.

Triodion, Triodion(ancient Greek Τριῴδιον, from ancient Greek τρία three and ᾠδή, ᾠδά song) - a liturgical book of the Orthodox Church, containing three-song canons (trisongs), which is where the name comes from.

The triodion covers a circle of moving holidays of the year, the dates of which depend on the day of celebration of Easter: from the preparatory weeks for Lent (that is, from the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee) to the first Sunday after the Feast of the Holy Trinity (that is, until the Sunday of All Saints). The first two preparatory weeks of the Triodion are used only in the Sunday service for the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee and for the Week of the Prodigal Son, and starting from the service on Saturday before the Week of the Last Judgment - daily.

Initially, the Triodion existed as a single collection, and then was divided into two parts - the Lenten Triodion and the Colored Triodion.

The Lenten Triodion (from the Greek triodion - three songs) is a liturgical book containing prayers for the days leading up to the Holy Lent, for Lent itself, as well as for Holy Week. It covers the first half of the liturgical circle, starting from the week of the publican and the Pharisee and ending with Holy Saturday.

This section of the site contains information about the readings of Great Lent, liturgical and cell (home) regulations, and the texts of canons and prayers read during this period. On our website you can download and listen to the chants of the Lenten Triodion.

About Lent

The brightest, most beautiful, instructive and touching time in the Orthodox calendar is the period of Lent and Easter. Why and how should one fast, how often should one visit church and receive communion during Lent, what are the features of worship during this period?

The reader can find some answers to these and other questions about Lent below. This material compiled on the basis of several publications devoted to different aspects of our lives during Lent.

I. THE MEANING OF FAST

Lent is the most important and oldest of the multi-day fasts; it is a time of preparation for the main thing Orthodox holiday- To the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Most people no longer doubt the beneficial effects of fasting on a person’s soul and body. Even secular doctors recommend fasting (albeit as a diet), noting the beneficial effects on the body of temporarily avoiding animal proteins and fats. However, the point of fasting is not at all to lose weight or heal physically. Saint Theophan the Recluse calls fasting “a course of saving healing of souls, a bathhouse for washing everything that is dilapidated, nondescript, and dirty.”

But will our soul be cleansed if we do not eat, say, meat cutlet or a salad with sour cream on Wednesday or Friday? Or maybe we will immediately go to the Kingdom of Heaven just because we don’t eat meat at all? Hardly. Then it would have been too simple and easy to achieve that for which the Savior accepted a terrible death on Golgotha. No, fasting is, first of all, a spiritual exercise, it is an opportunity to be crucified with Christ, and in this sense, it is our small sacrifice to God.

It is important to hear in the post a call that requires our response and effort. For the sake of our child and people close to us, we could go hungry if we had a choice about who to give the last piece to. And for the sake of this love they are ready to make any sacrifice. Fasting is the same proof of our faith and love for God, commanded by Him Himself. So do we, true Christians, love God? Do we remember that He is at the head of our lives, or, becoming fussy, do we forget this?

And if we do not forget, then what is this small sacrifice to our Savior - fasting? A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit (Ps. 50:19). The essence of fasting is not to give up certain types of food or entertainment, or even daily affairs (as Catholics, Jews, and pagans understand sacrifice), but to give up that which completely absorbs us and removes us from God. In this sense, the Monk Isaiah the Hermit says: “Mental fasting consists in the rejection of cares.” Fasting is a time of serving God through prayer and repentance.

Fasting refines the soul for repentance. When passions are pacified, the spiritual mind is enlightened. A person begins to see his shortcomings better, he has a thirst to clear his conscience and repent before God. According to St. Basil the Great, fasting is done as if with wings raising prayer to God. Saint John Chrysostom writes that “prayers are performed with attention, especially during fasting, because then the soul is lighter, not burdened by anything and not suppressed by the disastrous burden of pleasures.” For such repentant prayer, fasting is the most grace-filled time.

“By abstaining from passions during fasting, as far as we have the strength, we will have a useful bodily fast,” teaches the Monk John Cassian. “The toil of the flesh, combined with contrition of the spirit, will constitute a pleasant sacrifice to God and a worthy abode of holiness.” And indeed, “can one call fasting only the observance of some rules about not eating fast days? - St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) poses a rhetorical question, “will fasting be fasting if, apart from some changes in the composition of food, we do not think about repentance, abstinence, or cleansing of the heart through intense prayer?”

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, as an example to us, fasted for forty days in the desert, from where he returned in the strength of spirit (Luke 4:14), having overcome all the temptations of the enemy. “Fasting is a weapon prepared by God,” writes St. Isaac the Syrian. - If the Lawgiver Himself fasted, then how could anyone who was obligated to keep the law not fast?.. Before fasting, the human race did not know victory and the devil had never experienced defeat... Our Lord was the leader and firstborn of this victory... And how soon the devil sees this weapon on one of the people, this enemy and tormentor immediately comes into fear, thinking and remembering his defeat in the desert by the Savior, and his strength is crushed.”

Fasting is established for everyone: both monks and laity. It is not a duty or punishment. It should be understood as a life-saving remedy, a kind of treatment and medicine for every human soul. “Fasting does not push away either women, or old people, or young men, or even small children,” says St. John Chrysostom, “but it opens the door to everyone, it accepts everyone, in order to save everyone.”

“You see what fasting does,” writes St. Athanasius the Great: “it heals illnesses, drives away demons, removes evil thoughts and makes the heart pure.”

“By eating extensively, you become a carnal man, not having a spirit, or soulless flesh; and by fasting, you attract the Holy Spirit to yourself and become spiritual,” writes the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes that “the body tamed by fasting gives the human spirit freedom, strength, sobriety, purity, and subtlety.”

But with the wrong attitude towards fasting, without understanding its true meaning, it can, on the contrary, become harmful. As a result of unwise passage of fasting days (especially multi-day ones), irritability, anger, impatience, or vanity, conceit, and pride often appear. But the meaning of fasting lies precisely in the eradication of these sinful qualities.

“Bodily fasting alone cannot be sufficient for the perfection of the heart and the purity of the body unless spiritual fasting is combined with it,” says St. John Cassian. - For the soul also has its harmful food. Weighed down by it, the soul falls into voluptuousness even without an excess of bodily food. Backbiting is harmful food for the soul, and a pleasant one at that. Anger is also her food, although it is not at all light, for she often feeds her with unpleasant and poisonous food. Vanity is its food, which delights the soul for a while, then devastates it, deprives it of all virtue, leaves it fruitless, so that it not only destroys merits, but also incurs great punishment.”

Purpose of the post- eradication of harmful manifestations of the soul and acquisition of virtues, which is facilitated by prayer and frequent attendance at church services (according to St. Isaac the Syrian - “vigilance in the service of God”). Saint Ignatius also notes in this regard: “Just as in a field carefully cultivated with agricultural tools, but not sown with useful seeds, tares grow with special force, so in the heart of a fasting person, if he, being satisfied with one physical feat, does not protect his mind with a spiritual feat, then eat through prayer, the weeds of conceit and arrogance grow thick and strong.”

“Many Christians... consider it a sin to eat something modest on a fast day, even due to bodily weakness, and without a twinge of conscience they despise and condemn their neighbors, for example, acquaintances, offend or deceive, weigh, measure, indulge in carnal uncleanness,” writes the righteous saint John of Kronstadt. - Oh, hypocrisy, hypocrisy! Oh, misunderstanding of the spirit of Christ, the spirit of the Christian faith! Isn’t it inner purity, meekness and humility that the Lord our God demands from us first of all?” The feat of fasting is imputed to nothing by the Lord if we, as St. Basil the Great puts it, “do not eat meat, but eat our brother,” that is, we do not keep the Lord’s commandments about love, mercy, selfless service to our neighbors, in a word, everything that is asked from us on the day of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).

“Whoever limits fasting to one abstinence from food greatly dishonors him,” instructs St. John Chrysostom. - Not only the lips should fast, - no, let the eye, and hearing, and hands, and our whole body fast... Fasting is removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury. ..Are you fasting? Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget those in prison, have pity on the tormented, comfort the mourning and crying; be merciful, meek, kind, quiet, long-suffering, compassionate, unforgiving, reverent and sedate, pious, so that God will accept your fasting and grant you the fruits of repentance in abundance.”

The meaning of the post- in improving love for God and neighbors, because it is on love that every virtue is based. The Monk John Cassian the Roman says that we “do not rely on fasting alone, but, preserving it, we want to achieve through it purity of heart and apostolic love.” Nothing is fasting, nothing is asceticism in the absence of love, because it is written: God is love (1 John 4:8).

They say that when Saint Tikhon was living in retirement in the Zadonsk Monastery, one Friday in the sixth week of Great Lent he visited the monastery schema-monk Mitrofan. At that time the schema-monk had a guest, whom the saint also loved for his pious life. It happened that on this day a fisherman he knew brought Father Mitrofan a live heather for Palm Sunday. Since the guest did not expect to stay at the monastery until Sunday, the schema-monk ordered to immediately prepare fish soup and cold soup from the heather. The saint found Father Mitrofan and his guest eating these dishes. The schema-monk, frightened by such an unexpected visit and considering himself guilty of breaking his fast, fell at the feet of Saint Tikhon and begged him for forgiveness. But the saint, knowing the strict life of both friends, said to them: “Sit down, I know you. Love is higher than fasting." At the same time, he sat down at the table and began to eat fish soup.

It is told about Saint Spyridon, the Wonderworker of Trimifunts, that during Great Lent, which the saint kept very strictly, a certain traveler came to see him. Seeing that the wanderer was very tired, Saint Spyridon ordered his daughter to bring him food. She replied that there was no bread or flour in the house, since on the eve of strict fasting they had not stocked up on food. Then the saint prayed, asked for forgiveness and ordered his daughter to fry the salted pork left over from the Meat Week. After it was made, Saint Spyridon, seating the wanderer with him, began to eat the meat and treat his guest to it. The wanderer began to refuse, citing the fact that he was a Christian. Then the saint said: “All the less must we refuse, for the Word of God has spoken: to the pure all things are pure (Tim. 1:15).”

In addition, the Apostle Paul said: if one of the unbelievers calls you and you want to go, then eat everything that is offered to you without any examination, for peace of conscience (1 Cor. 10:27) - for the sake of the person who welcomed you cordially. But these are special cases. The main thing is that there is no guile in this; Otherwise, this is how you can spend the entire fast: under the pretext of love for your neighbor, visiting friends or hosting them and eating non-fasting.

The other extreme is excessive fasting, which Christians who are unprepared for such a feat dare to undertake. Speaking about this, Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', writes: “Irrational people are jealous of the fasting and labors of saints with the wrong understanding and intention and think that they are passing through virtue. The devil, guarding them as his prey, plunges into them the seed of a joyful opinion about himself, from which the inner Pharisee is born and nurtured and betrays such people to complete pride.”

The danger of such fasting, according to the Venerable Abba Dorotheos, is as follows: “Whoever fasts out of vanity or believing that he is doing virtue fasts unreasonably and therefore begins to reproach his brother afterwards, considering himself to be someone significant. But whoever fasts wisely does not think that he is doing a good deed wisely, and does not want to be praised as a faster.” The Savior Himself ordered to perform virtues in secret and to hide fasting from others (Matthew 6:16-18).

Excessive fasting may also result in irritability and anger instead of a feeling of love, which also indicates that it was not carried out correctly. Everyone has their own measure of fasting: monks have one, laypeople may have another. For pregnant and lactating women, for the elderly and sick, as well as for children, with the blessing of the confessor, fasting can be significantly weakened. “One should be considered a suicide who does not change the strict rules of abstinence even when it is necessary to strengthen weakened strength by taking food,” says St. John Cassian the Roman.

“The law of fasting is this,” teaches St. Theophan the Recluse, “to remain in God with mind and heart with renunciation from everything, cutting off all pleasure for oneself, not only in the physical, but also in the spiritual, doing everything for the glory of God and the good of others, willingly and with love, the labors and deprivations of fasting, in food, sleep, rest, in the consolations of mutual communication - all in a modest measure, so that it does not catch the eye and does not deprive one of the strength to fulfill the prayer rules.”

So, while we fast physically, we also fast spiritually. Let us combine external fasting with internal fasting, guided by humility. Having cleansed the body with abstinence, let us cleanse the soul with repentant prayer in order to acquire virtues and love for our neighbors. This will be true fasting, pleasing to God, and therefore saving for us.

II. ABOUT NUTRITION DURING LENT

From the point of view of cooking, fasts are divided into 4 degrees established by the Church Charter:
∙ “dry eating” - that is, bread, fresh, dried and pickled vegetables and fruits;
∙ “boiling without oil” - boiled vegetables, without vegetable oil;
∙ “permission for wine and oil” - wine is drunk in moderation to strengthen the strength of those fasting;
∙ “fish permit.”

General rule: during Lent you cannot eat meat, fish, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, wine, or more than once a day.

On Saturdays and Sundays you can eat vegetable oil, wine, and two meals a day (except Saturday during Holy Week).

During Lent, fish can only be eaten on the Feast of the Annunciation (April 7) and on Palm Sunday (The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem).

On Lazarus Saturday (the eve of Palm Resurrection) you are allowed to eat fish caviar.

The first week (week) of Lent and the last - Holy Week - are the most strict times. For example, in the first two days of the first week of Lenten, the Church Charter prescribes complete abstinence from food. During Holy Week, dry eating is prescribed (food is not boiled or fried), and on Friday and Saturday - complete abstinence from food.

It is impossible to establish a single fast for monks, clergy and laity with various exceptions for the elderly, the sick, children, etc. Therefore in Orthodox Church The rules of fasting indicate only the most strict standards, which all believers should strive to observe, if possible. There is no formal division in the rules for monks, clergy and laity. But you need to approach fasting wisely. We cannot take on what we cannot do. Those inexperienced in fasting should begin it gradually and wisely. Lay people often make their fast easier (this should be done with the blessing of the priest). Sick people and children can fast lightly, for example, only in the first week of Lent and in Holy Week.

The prayers say: “Fast with a pleasant fast.” This means that you need to adhere to a fast that will be spiritually pleasant. You need to measure your strength and not fast too diligently or, on the contrary, completely laxly. In the first case, following rules that are beyond our power can cause harm to both body and soul; in the second case, we will not achieve the necessary physical and spiritual tension. Each of us should determine our bodily and spiritual capabilities and impose upon ourselves all possible bodily abstinence, paying main attention to the cleansing of our soul.

III. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF SPIRITUAL PRAYER LIFE, ATTENDING SERVICES AND COMMUNION IN GREAT LENT

For each person, the time of Great Lent is individually divided into many of his special small feats, small efforts. But nevertheless, we can highlight some common areas for our spiritual, ascetic and moral efforts during Lent. These should be efforts to organize our spiritual and prayer life, efforts to cut off certain external entertainments and concerns. And, finally, these should be efforts aimed at making our relationships with our neighbors deeper and more meaningful. In the end, filled with love and sacrifice on our part.

The organization of our spiritual and prayer life during Lent is different in that it presupposes (both in the church charter and in our cell rule) a greater measure of our responsibility. If at other times we indulge ourselves, indulge ourselves, say that we are tired, that we work a lot or that we have household chores, we shorten the prayer rule, we do not go to the all-night vigil on Sunday, If we leave the service early - everyone will develop this kind of self-pity - then Great Lent should begin by stopping all these indulgences stemming from self-pity.

Anyone who already has the skill of reading the entire morning and evening prayers should try to do this every day, at least throughout Lent. It would be good for everyone to add the prayer of St. at home too. Ephraim the Syrian: “Lord and Master of my Life.” It is read many times in church on weekdays during Great Lent, but it would be natural for it to become part of the home prayer rule. For those who already have a large measure of churchliness and somehow wish for an even greater measure of involvement in the Lenten system of prayer, we can also recommend reading at home at least some parts from the daily sequences of the Lenten Triodion. For each day of Great Lent in the Lenten Triodion there are canons, three songs, two songs, four songs, which are consistent with the meaning and content of each week of Great Lent and, most importantly, dispose us to repentance.

For those who have such an opportunity and prayerful zeal, it is good to read at home in their free time - together with morning or evening prayers or separately from them - the canons from the Lenten Triodion or other canons and prayers. For example, if you were unable to attend the morning service, it is good to read the stichera that are sung at Vespers or Matins on the corresponding day of Lent.

During Lent, it is very important to attend not only Saturday and Sunday services, but also necessarily weekday services, because the peculiarities of the liturgical structure of Great Lent are learned only at weekday services. On Saturday the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served, the same as at other times of the church year. On Sunday, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated, but from the point of view of (at least the choir) sound it differs almost only in one hymn: instead of “It is worthy to eat”, “He rejoices in You” is sung. There are almost no other visible differences for parishioners. These differences are obvious primarily to the priest and those in the altar. But during the everyday service, the entire structure of the Lenten service is revealed to us. Multiple repetitions of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian “Lord and Master of my life”, the touching singing of the troparia of the hour - the first, third, sixth and ninth hours with bows to the ground. Finally, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts itself, together with its most touching chants, crushing even the most stony heart: “May my prayer be corrected, as incense before You,” “Now the Heavenly Powers” ​​at the entrance of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts - without having prayed at such services, without partaking of With him, we will not understand what spiritual wealth is revealed to us in Lenten services.

Therefore, everyone should try at least several times during Lent to move away from their life circumstances - work, study, everyday worries - and get out to everyday Lenten services.

Fasting is a time of prayer and repentance, when each of us must ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins (by fasting and confession) and worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

During Great Lent, people confess and receive communion at least once, but one should try to speak and receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ three times: in the first week of Lent, in the fourth and on Holy Thursday - on Maundy Thursday.

IV. HOLIDAYS, WEEKS AND FEATURES OF DURING SERVICES IN GREAT LENT

Lent includes Lent (the first forty days) and Holy Week (more precisely, 6 days before Easter). Between them is Lazarus Saturday (Palm Saturday) and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). Thus, Lent lasts seven weeks (or rather 48 days).

The last Sunday before Lent is called Forgiven or “Cheese Empty” (on this day the consumption of cheese, butter and eggs ends). During the liturgy, the Gospel is read with a part from the Sermon on the Mount, which talks about forgiveness of offenses to our neighbors, without which we cannot receive forgiveness of sins from the Heavenly Father, about fasting, and about collecting heavenly treasures. In accordance with this Gospel reading, Christians have the pious custom of asking each other on this day for forgiveness of sins, known and unknown grievances. This is one of the most important preparatory steps on the path to Lent.

The first week of Lent, together with the last, is distinguished by its severity and the duration of the services.

Holy Pentecost, which reminds us of the forty days spent by Jesus Christ in the desert, begins on Monday, called Clean Monday. Not counting Palm Sunday, there are 5 Sunday days in the entire Lent, each of which is dedicated to a special memory. Each of the seven weeks is called in order of occurrence: first, second, etc. week of Great Lent. The service is distinguished by the fact that, during the entire continuation of the Holy Pentecost, there is no liturgy on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (unless there is a holiday on these days). In the morning, Matins, hours with some intercalary parts, and Vespers are performed. In the evening, instead of Vespers, Great Compline is celebrated. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, on the first five Sundays of Great Lent - the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which is also celebrated on Maundy Thursday and on Great Saturday of Holy Week. On Saturdays during the Holy Pentecost period the usual Liturgy of John Chrysostom is celebrated.

The first four days of Great Lent (Monday-Thursday) in the evening in Orthodox churches the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read - an inspired work poured out from the depths of the contrite heart of the holy man. Orthodox people always try not to miss these services, which have an amazing impact on the soul.

On the First Friday of the Great Fast, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, ordained on this day according to the rules, ends in an unusual way. The canon of St. is read. to the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, after which Kolivo is brought to the middle of the temple - a mixture of boiled wheat and honey, which the priest blesses with the reading of a special prayer, and then Kolivo is distributed to the believers.

On the first Sunday of Lent The so-called “Triumph of Orthodoxy” is celebrated, established under Queen Theodora in 842 about the victory of the Orthodox at the Seventh Ecumenical Council. During this holiday, temple icons are displayed in the middle of the temple in a semicircle on lecterns (high tables for icons). At the end of the liturgy, the clergy sing a prayer service in the middle of the church in front of the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, praying to the Lord for the confirmation of Orthodox Christians in the faith and the conversion of all those who have departed from the Church to the path of truth. The deacon then loudly reads the Creed and pronounces an anathema, that is, he announces the separation from the Church of all who dare to distort the truths of the Orthodox faith, and “eternal memory” to all deceased defenders of the Orthodox faith, and “for many years” to those living.

On the second Sunday of Lent The Russian Orthodox Church remembers one of the great theologians - St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonites, who lived in the 14th century. In accordance with the Orthodox faith, he taught that for the feat of fasting and prayer, the Lord illuminates believers with His gracious light, as the Lord shone on Tabor. For the reason that St. Gregory revealed the teaching about the power of fasting and prayer and it was established to commemorate him on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

On the third Sunday of Lent During the All-Night Vigil, after the Great Doxology, the Holy Cross is brought out and offered for veneration by the faithful. When venerating the Cross, the Church sings: We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy resurrection. This song is also sung at the liturgy instead of the Trisagion. In the middle of Lent, the Church exposes the Cross to believers in order to, with a reminder of the suffering and death of the Lord, inspire and strengthen those who fast to continue the feat of fasting. The Holy Cross remains for veneration during the week until Friday, when, after hours, before the Liturgy, it is brought back to the altar. Therefore, the third Sunday and fourth week of Great Lent are called the Worship of the Cross.

Wednesday of the fourth, Week of the Cross is called the “mid-week” of the Holy Pentecost (in common parlance “middle of the cross”).

On the fourth Sunday I remember St. John Climacus, who wrote an essay in which he showed the ladder or order of good deeds that lead us to the Throne of God.

On Thursday in the fifth week the so-called “standing of St. Mary of Egypt” is performed (or St. Mary’s standing is the popular name for Matins, performed on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent, at which the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read, the same one that is read on the first four days of Great Lent, and life of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. The service on this day lasts 5-7 hours.). The life of St. Mary of Egypt, formerly a great sinner, should serve as an example of true repentance for everyone and convince everyone of the ineffable mercy of God.

Annunciation falls most often during Lent. This is one of the most significant and soul-stirring holidays for a Christian, dedicated to the message brought to the Virgin Mary by Archangel Gabriel, that she will soon become the Mother of the Savior of Humanity. On this day, fasting is lightened, it is allowed to eat fish and vegetable oil. Annunciation Day sometimes coincides with Easter.

On Saturday in the fifth week"Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos" is performed. A solemn akathist to the Mother of God is read. This service was established in Greece in gratitude to the Mother of God for Her repeated deliverance of Constantinople from enemies. In our country, the akathist “Praise to the Mother of God” is performed to strengthen believers in the hope of the Heavenly Intercessor.

On the fifth Sunday of Great Lent the venerable Mary of Egypt is followed. The Church provides, in the person of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, an example of true repentance and, for the encouragement of those who labor spiritually, shows in her an example of God's ineffable mercy towards repentant sinners.

Sixth week is dedicated to preparing those who fast for a worthy meeting of the Lord with the branches of virtues and for the remembrance of the passion of the Lord.

Lazarev Saturday falls on the 6th week of Lent; between Lent and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The service on Lazarus Saturday is distinguished by its extraordinary depth and significance; it remembers the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus Christ. At Matins on this day, the Sunday “troparions for the Immaculates” are sung: “Blessed art thou, Lord, teach me by Thy justification,” and at the liturgy, instead of “Holy God”, “Those who were baptized into Christ were baptized, they put on Christ.” Alleluia."

On the sixth Sunday of Lent The great twelfth holiday is celebrated - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This holiday is otherwise called Palm Sunday, Vaiya and Flower Week. At the All-Night Vigil, after reading the Gospel, “The Resurrection of Christ” is not sung..., but the 50th Psalm is read directly and consecrated with prayer and sprinkling of St. water, budding branches of willow (vaia) or other plants. Blessed branches are distributed to the worshipers, with whom, with lighted candles, believers stand until the end of the service, signifying the victory of life over death (Resurrection). From Vespers on Palm Sunday, the dismissal begins with the words: “The Lord comes to our free passion for the sake of salvation, Christ our true God,” etc.

Holy Week

This week is dedicated to remembering the suffering, death on the cross and burial of Jesus Christ. Christians should spend this entire week in fasting and prayer. This period is mourning and therefore the clothes in church are black. Due to the greatness of the events remembered, all days of Holy Week are called Great. The last three days are especially touching with memories, prayers and chants.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week are dedicated to remembering the last conversations of the Lord Jesus Christ with the people and disciples. Features of the service of the first three days Holy Week are as follows: at Matins, after the sixth psalm and “Alleluia,” the troparion is sung: “Behold the Bridegroom is coming at midnight,” and after the canon the song is sung: “I see Your palace.” My Savior." All these three days the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, with the reading of the Gospel. The Gospel is also read at Matins.

On Great Wednesday of Holy Week, the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot is remembered.

On Maundy Thursday in the evening during the all-night vigil (which is the matins of Good Friday), twelve parts of the Gospel about the suffering of Jesus Christ are read.

On Good Friday, during Vespers (which is served at 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon), the shroud is taken out of the altar and placed in the middle of the temple, i.e. a sacred image of the Savior lying in the tomb; in this way it is performed in remembrance of the taking down of the body of Christ from the cross and His burial.

On Great Saturday at Matins, with the funeral bells ringing and with the singing of “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” the shroud is carried around the temple in memory of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, when His body was in the tomb, and His victory over hell and death.