The Lenten Triodion is a book of prayers for Lent.

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 on the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee and on the Week of prodigal son, and starting from the service on Saturday before the Sunday of 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 is 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, a 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 the rules about not eating meat on fasting 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, 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 (as in 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 Lent we should start by stopping all these allowances stemming from self-pity.

Anyone who already has the skill of reading entire morning and evening prayers, he 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, 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 declares the separation from the Church of all who dare to distort the truths 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” (or Mary’s standing - popular name Matins, performed on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent, at which the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the same one that is read in the first four days of Great Lent, and the 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 called differently Palm Sunday, Week Vaiy and Tsvetonosnoy. 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. The features of the service of the first three days of Holy Week are as follows: at Matins, after the Six Psalms and Alleluia, the troparion is sung: “Behold the Bridegroom is coming at midnight,” and after the canon the song is sung: “I see Thy 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.

About the three main motives of the Lenten Triodion and the meaning of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Kritsky is told to the portal “Orthodox Life” by the regent of the academic choir of Kyiv theological schools, candidate of theological sciences Archimandrite Leonty (Tupkalo).

Fasting is not an end in itself, but one of the means to achieve the goal - Easter

With the beginning of the Lenten Triodion, with All-night vigil On the eve of the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, we began our movement towards Easter. Is it so?

Yes, indeed, the Holy Church, wanting to show believers what the essence and true meaning of Christian fasting is, long before the beginning of Great Lent itself, calls with the liturgical texts of the Triodion to enter a time favorable for the soul - “spiritual spring”. The content of the services very figuratively shows the essence of fasting.

Fasting is not an end in itself, but one of the means to achieve the goal - Easter, passing by sin. Fasting leads to a meeting with Christ, Who is the true Easter - “Easter Christ is great and all-honorable.”

The Venerable Theodore the Studite, the author of the stichera on “The Lord cried out...” of the Week of the Raw Fatty, says this: “We will begin the Lenten time brightly, cleanse the soul, cleanse the flesh, fast from all passions, enjoy the virtues and be worthy to see the all-honorable passion of Christ God and Holy Pascha "

The three main motives of all the chants included in the Lenten Triodion: repentance, prayer and fasting

The Lenten Triodion includes chants from various hymns, about 20. The most remarkable of them have come to us from the 8th and 9th centuries: Andrew of Crete, Cosmas of Mayum, John of Damascus, Joseph, Theodore and Simeon the Studites, Emperor Leo the Wise, Theophan the Inscribed, etc. .

What unites them all, why were their songs included in the Lenten Triodion? And why does Lent begin with the canon of St. Andrew of Crete?

Three main and main motives make up the content of all the hymns included in the Lenten Triodion: repentance, prayer and fasting. All of them are beautifully compiled by the holy Studite brothers and other Christian ascetics. These fathers experienced the invaluable benefits of virtues through their own experience and told us about this benefit through worship.

High poetic creativity, with which the famous brothers Joseph, Theodore, and Simeon were endowed by nature, gave rise to a number of works of deep thought and sublime feelings. It is not at all surprising that the Church compares these creations to an angelic song. Almost at the very beginning of the Lenten Triodion we read the following verses: “To the Creator of those above and below, the Trisagion hymn from the angels: Receive the Trisong from men also.”

Lenten Triodion

The main idea of ​​the canon of St. Andrei Kritsky - a call to repentance for sins and repentance

The Holy Church especially honors the Cretan archpastor - St. Andrew. On days of special repentance, such as Great Lent, the Church assigns a central place to the Great Canon in its liturgical rites. Its church reading is performed: on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Lent in parts and in full at Matins on Thursday of the fifth week of Lent.

The Synaxarion for Thursday of the fifth week gives a remarkable description of the canon: “Along with many other works useful for salvation, St. Andrei also composed this Great Canon, which is immensely touching, for he composed these pleasant songs, having found and collected various stories from the Old and New Testaments - that is, from Adam even to the Ascension of Christ and the preaching of the Apostles. By this he teaches every soul to try as best he can to imitate everything good described in the story, but to avoid everything evil and always resort to God through repentance, tears, confession and other deeds that are truly pleasing to Him.”

“Where will I begin to cry about my accursed life and deeds? Will I make a beginning, O Christ, for this present mourning? But, as the Merciful One, grant me forgiveness of sins,” he cries Reverend Andrew to a sinful soul. From his lips one sometimes hears accusations, threats, warnings, instructions to a sinful soul and consolation, which sometimes turns into tenderness from the contemplation of a repentant soul. The main idea of ​​the canon is a call to repentance of sins and instructions on effective means of repentance.

The Great Penitential Canon in the Academic Church is read by the rector of KDAiS, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary

The texts of the Lenten Triodion depict the fruits of humility, patience and love that are born in the virtues of fasting and prayer

- What does “Triodion” mean? What's the most important thing about it? What is its culmination?

The Lenten Triodion received its name mainly because its most important texts—the morning and evening canons—are weekdays for the entire Great Lent consist of only three (hence the name “Triodion”) songs. Moreover, the last two songs - the eighth and ninth - always invariably retain their places in the canon, and the first song changes every day in this order: on Monday - the first, on Tuesday - the second, on Wednesday - the third, on Thursday - the fourth, on Friday - the fifth and on Saturday - the sixth and seventh.

The liturgical texts of the Triodion focus on the fact that only through fasting, repentance and prayer are all the forces of the spiritual-physical nature of man detached from the boundaries of passions and enter into the closest unity with God. First of all, prayer for the human mind, especially repentant prayer, gives true knowledge, serves as real enlightenment for it, “repentant honey, which gives away thoughts and delights thoughts.” With the help of prayer, the Christian’s mind is gradually adored and becomes involved in divine properties.

The texts of the Lenten Triodion also depict the spiritual fruits that are born in the soul of the ascetic through improvement in the virtues of fasting and prayer. The most common focus is on the fruits of humility, patience and love. These qualities are born under the influence of prayer, not individually, but in a harmonious combination.

According to the Triodion, a Christian, laboring in ascetic prayer, does not deserve or “earn” deification, which is the gift of God, but prepares, as far as possible, to accept this gift with dignity. God, by His grace, takes the initiative in the living process of mutual dialogue leading to unity.

This event touches the innermost and inaccessible depths of the soul. Without openness, without a person’s prayer life, such a meeting is impossible. The liturgical texts of the Triodion emphasize that deification is not something metaphorical, but a real transformation and glorification of all human nature.

***

Note:

1. “Synaxarion (Greek Συναξάριον) - collection; from Greek συνάγω - collecting, and Greek. σύναξις - meeting; first a meeting of believers on a holiday, later - a collection of information, a brief biography, an interpretation of the holidays " // See V. I. Dal. Dictionary living Great Russian language. T. 4. St. Petersburg: Publishing house. T-va M. O. Wolf, 1909. P. 158. The Synaxarii of the Lenten Triodion, compiled in the 14th century by the church writer Nicephorus Xanthopoulos, reveal to the reader the logic, order, and content of the celebrations established by the Church in the pre-Easter and Easter periods / See Synaxarii of Lenten and Colored Triodeum. M.: Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities, 2009. pp. 5-12.

The famous liturgist A.A. Dmitrievsky once wrote that contemporary Christians had almost completely lost correct understanding 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 the biblical semantic allusions in 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

Holy Bible 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 warm light 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.

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, lost his 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.