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Hello! Help me please! I rarely go to church, but at home I often pray to myself. I noticed such a thing - every time I go to church, I pray to God that everything in my personal life will return to normal, after a couple of days my boyfriend and I swear very strongly. After that, we don’t communicate for a long time, and it’s hard for me at heart. That is exactly what happened the other day. On January 15, I went to church, lit candles, prayed, asked for calm and peace in our relationship, and the next day we had a fight. Can't understand why? Maybe I just connected it together, but as such there is no connection? But the Lord sends people to us in life for a reason, and if he gives us some trials in life, he knows that we can handle it! We are already going to part, I no longer have the strength to endure everything that he tells me and what is happening. Help advice!
Maria
Maria I don't know your life. You say that you are friends with a young man, but how exactly are you friends with him? It's just that now young people "in the order of things" extramarital cohabitation, and this grave sin. And there can be a lot of reasons for a quarrel, try to look into yourself. Maybe you don't need to be friends with him. Rely on the will of God, pray, and the Lord will manage everything.
Hieromonk Viktorin (Aseev)
Hello. Tell me, please, how to proceed. We know at work that I attend services, read Orthodox literature, etc. Many consider it their duty to bring me something from holy places, since I have no means of traveling. One employee, while vacationing in Egypt, visited Jerusalem on a tour and brought me a bunch of candles, 33 pieces, as a "gift". Where she bought them, in a temple or a souvenir tent, she does not remember whether they were consecrated or not, she does not know. What should I do with them - can I light them, read a prayer in front of them, or leave them as a souvenir from the holy land? They bring icons - calendars, illuminated oil. I am embarrassed to refuse, because people of good intentions, I several times started a conversation that an excessive desire to visit holy places and buy everything you can afford will not bring any benefit, but so far only one has heard me. How to refuse without offending, and what to do with oil, icons? Sorry for this question, but I'm worried about this.
Nataliya
I think that the things donated to you can be used as a shrine - one way or another, they were brought from the Holy City: you can anoint yourself with oil, and light candles in front of the icons in prayer. But if you are embarrassed by these gifts, you can politely refuse, saying that you already have everything, and in abundance.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello. Tell me, is it possible to submit notes for magpie, parastas about the deceased, who was unbaptized, unbelieving?
No, unfortunately you can't. You can put candles in the temple and pray yourself, personally, and also do good deeds for him.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Tell me, please, what prayers to read with frequent illnesses and how to use holy water, and is it possible to light church candles at home? The fact is that I often get sick, it hurts in one place, then it goes away, it starts to hurt in another, and so it’s a vicious circle. A friend suggested that I go to my grandmother, but I know that this is a sin and I don’t want to turn to them for help. Please advise what I can do myself. Thank you!
Love
Hello Love! Sickness, if endured without a murmur, leads us to salvation - this is a visitation of God. But we still need to pray for healing. You really can't go to the "grandmothers". We need to resort more often to our Mother Church and her saving Sacraments: confession, communion, unction. You can order prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of her icon "Healer" and to the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, at home you can read an akathist to them. During home prayer, you can light church candles, a candle is a symbol of prayer. Holy water is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach with prayer. And, of course, the help of doctors should not be neglected.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello, father! Tell me how to do it right. It was advised to read the Psalter about repose for 40 days, since then there will be the Last Judgment and it is decided where the soul of the deceased will go, to heaven or hell. Do I need to read it after, put candles for the dead, order services? If yes, then why, if everything was already decided on the 40th day? Understand, father. Thank you.
Ludmila
Hello Ludmila.
On the fortieth day, there is a private determination of the fate of the soul until the General Resurrection and doomsday. Therefore, we do not leave a special prayer for the dear deceased even after the forties.
But if it’s hard for you to read a kathisma every day, you can read a prayer from the Follow-up on the separation of the soul from the body, which is in most prayer books.
It is also good to put candles during prayer in the temple and order funeral services- memorial service or lithium.
Help God.
Priest Sergiy Osipov
Good evening! I want to ask for advice on my problem. My husband and I got married in Cuba, we live in Russia. When they arrived home, they discovered that one of the wedding candles had broken. What to do? Does it need to be glued? How to be in such a situation? I'm very worried... Give me some advice, please!
Hello Olga! It's OK. Leave the candles as they are and store them in the holy corner next to the icons. There are many such "near church" superstitions. However, the church treats them strictly negatively. A Christian should only fear God.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! I read that at family quarrels and a difficult situation in the family, you need to light wedding candles. Can you please tell me if this is possible? If so, how is it right? Thanks for the answer!
Ludmila
Hello Ludmila.
Indeed, there is such a long-standing custom - with difficulties in family life the spouses stand together for prayer in front of the wedding icons (but you can pray in front of any other icon) with lit wedding candles in their hands. With all their hearts, in their own words, they pray to the Lord to grant peace to their family.
Help God.
Priest Sergiy Osipov
Priest Sergiy Osipov
Hello father! Our relatives brought Holy water, oil, and candles from Israel. In such a box, similar to a souvenir, it is clear that they are sold to all tourists. What to do with it? Is it possible to use?
Oleg
Of course, Oleg, you can and should use it as consecrated: you can drink or sprinkle water with it, anoint yourself with oil, and pray with candles.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Tell me, is it possible for a woman during her period to touch church candles and ask for blessings from the priest?
Sofia
Hello Sofia! In impurity, you can not touch the shrines, participate in the Sacraments. It is not forbidden to take a blessing and put candles. A candle is a symbol of your prayer, and you can always pray.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello. We are going to Israel. Please tell me what must visit Orthodox person? And is it necessary to buy icons, crosses, candles there? Are Christians really not allowed to leave notes in the Wailing Wall? Thank you.
Irina
Irina, first of all, you should visit the Church of the Resurrection of Christ on Golgotha, then you can visit the Garden of Gethsemane, the site of the Ascension of the Savior and, of course, Bethlehem. And it’s not safe for Orthodox Christians to approach the Wailing Wall: you can come across insults and provocations from Orthodox Jews.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello! Help me please. I found out not so long ago that my husband cheated on me (he admitted himself), he says that he is confused, but at the same time he continues to walk, openly talks about it, does not feel guilty at all. We started dating back in the 10th grade, waited for him for 4 years from a military school, got married in the 4th year. We got married. Lived for 3 years. They gave birth to a daughter and here on you, as if a black cat ran between us. He doesn't even realize what a sin he's committed, and I don't know what to do. I always thought that I would not forgive betrayal, but now I understand that I cannot live without him, I love him very much. I read that in case of discord in the family, you can light one of the wedding candles. But I was horrified to find that both candles were broken in the same place. I heard it's very bad for relationships. I'm in a panic, I don't know what to do. Please help, I don't know how to live.
Irina
Hello Irina! Of course, you have a good reason for the dissolution of a married marriage, but there is also the possibility of forgiveness. Pray to God with all your heart and ask for help and admonishment of your spouse. Because it is very difficult to pass this test. With prayer, patience, love, try to get the husband to make a final decision. And you yourself seek consolation in prayer and church sacraments. Broken candles do not need to pay attention: this is superstition. May God give you strength.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Fathers, God save you, thank you all for your answers! Please answer my question why they say that candles cannot be blown out, they must be extinguished with your hands, and they give an example that they do not blow out in the church, but cover them with special iron caps. And I thought, it’s just that there are a lot of candles in the church and it’s somehow inconvenient to blow on each one, easier by hand stew. Is it superstition? Thanks to.
Hello Natalia! Candles can be blown out. All this is superstition and "grandmother's theology."
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello, father! I think my question worries many women. AT different sources different answers. And the question is this: what can and cannot be done by a woman during the days of impurity: 1. When visiting the temple, stand not in the vestibule, but in the central part. 2. Take a blessing from the priest 3. In the morning, eat holy water with prosphora. 4. Put candles in the temple and at home 5. Attend Sunday school. 6. Kiss at home icons and pectoral cross. 7. Read the Bible (after all, it is also a shrine). 8. After the service in the temple, take prosphora. 9. And if you still can’t visit the temple, then you can work on that day?
Hope
Hello Hope.
From what you have listed, points 2, 5 and 7 are allowed. It is desirable to stand in the porch, but you can approach confession without venerating the Cross and the Gospel. As for work, the observance of Sundays and public holidays at any time happens according to the will of man.
God bless.
Priest Sergiy Osipov
Hello! Yesterday they buried my grandfather, he was not baptized, so they buried him without anything Orthodox, they only lit church candles. Not baptized can not order absentee funeral service, Magpie and pray for them in the Church, as far as I know? I read that you can pray at home to the holy martyr Huar. It's right? And is there any hope that Grandpa will be all right in Heaven?
Anna
Anna, yes, you can’t submit notes in church for an unbaptized person, you can’t perform a funeral service, but you can light candles. You can also pray to the martyr Ouar at home, but not in the way it is sometimes thought now that prayer to him is a kind of funeral service for the unbaptized, but in simplicity of heart ask him to intercede before God for the soul of your grandfather.
In addition, you can submit a note to Athos through the Moscow courtyard of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery - on Athos, the monks pray for the unbaptized during worship.
As for afterlife Your grandfather, then this is not a matter of our meager understanding, but of God's mercy.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Good afternoon! On May 26, 2012, our grandmother died, and since then my sister has been constantly dreaming. If earlier she dreamed of a normal one, as if alive - she said that she liked the funeral and that we did everything correctly and beautifully, then she began to dream of a terrible one and persistently called her sister behind her. The sister in the church only put candles for her repose. What to do? Help advice! They say it's very bad when the dead call, but my sister is very dear to me and I don't want something to happen to her.
Tatiana
Tatyana, don't believe so quickly what they "say", nothing will happen to your sister. Although there is one positive grain in these dreams - they make you think about death, about the finiteness of your being, about how exactly we live, and these are very useful reflections.
And pray for your grandmother, as you prayed: submit notes to the church, order memorial services, light candles, give alms in her memory, and may God rest her soul.
hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Tell me, please, here, my friends and I laugh very often when it comes to death, or someone feels bad (especially after the words - “you can’t laugh at this!” - we, as one, begin to laugh). There are four of us (last year there was a funeral at a classmate, the three of us laughed when everyone’s candles went out because of the wind. This year we went on a trip to churches, in the Rostov church we laughed again. I also very often I swear and I'm worried that this has become a habit. Tell me, maybe it's demons that have settled in us? We asked our parents, they said it's demons playing with us.
Elena
Well, "besikami" is very easy to explain everything in the world. Laughter itself is not as simple as it seems. We laugh when there is some kind of contradiction, and sometimes we laugh to overcome fear. It is no coincidence that there is "black humor" when we make fun of death - what we fear the most. I think that in your case, the reason for laughter is fear - you laugh at what you are afraid of deep down (death, pain, other world). Think about what in these phenomena scares you so much? But as for abuse, then you need to work on yourself and restrain yourself, in general you need to choose words, because "for every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for from your words you will be justified, and from your words you will be condemned "(Matthew 12:36-37).
Deacon Elijah Kokin
Hello dear father! When I have the opportunity, I always try to go to the temple. Today, when I came, there was no service yet, so I put candles, venerated the icons, and prayed. The temple has icons that are painted on the wall. At that moment, when I kissed one of these, my mother told me that there was no blessing to kiss wall icons. Father, have I sinned? Save the Lord!
Kseniya
No, Xenia, they did not sin. These rules apply to this particular temple and are obviously dictated by some purely practical reasons, for example, maybe the murals may suffer if applied to them.
hegumen Nikon Golovko
Can an Orthodox Christian put a note in the Wailing Wall? Doesn't this contradict the canons of the Orthodox Church?
Yuri
The dean of the Krasnogorsk church district answers: There are no specific canons about the Wailing Wall. But, as you know, the Jews write their desires on pieces of paper and insert the leaves into the cracks between the stones of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem in the hope that these desires will come true. So, on the part of the Jews who believe in God, this is a form of prayer, a prayer ritual. Orthodox Christians should not participate in the prayer rituals of non-Christians, including Jews. There are already canonical norms in this regard in the Apostolic Canons:
"ten. If anyone prays with someone who has been excommunicated from church fellowship, even if it is in the house, let him be excommunicated.
65. If anyone from the clergy, or a layman, enters a Jewish or heretical synagogue to pray: let him be expelled from the holy order, and excommunicated from the communion of the church.”
It can, of course, be said that among the Jews who insert notes into the Wailing Wall, there are those who do not believe in God. But in this case, the expectation of anything from inserting a piece of paper between stones is a primitive superstition. Therefore, in no case Orthodox Christian you shouldn't do it.
The Orthodox have true temples of God, in which Divine Liturgy; at home, in the family, which is the home church, we offer family prayers; each of us has our own heart altar, which is available anytime and anywhere. Therefore, for Orthodox Christians there is no need to participate in the rituals of the Gentiles.
The rector of the temple of the icon answers Mother of God"Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Klin Archpriest Boris Balashov : Let's think first: for what purpose will an Orthodox Christian put a note in the Wailing Wall? Many of our tourists like to leave autographs in the places they have visited. It is not so important for them whether they sign on the wall of an ancient temple or on beautiful and almost impregnable rocks. Of course, this number will not work in Israel. But then you can, at least, a note: “Vasya was here!” - stick it into the slot of some ancient monument. To shove a note with some kind of request into the surviving part of the wall of the ancient Jerusalem temple ... And to whom is this request addressed?
The temple was built and dedicated to the One True God Who gave His commandments through the prophet Moses and made a covenant with the people of Israel. This God, who gave His Revelation at Sinai, was born and became a man two thousand years ago on the fertile land of Palestine. This God-man Jesus Christ was betrayed by the majority of the Jewish society who did not believe in Him, the representatives of these people obtained from Pilate by means of intrigues the death sentence to the most painful execution by crucifixion. In the Temple in Jerusalem there was a special presence of God, of which the Holy of Holies reminded. Jesus Christ came to this temple and proclaimed His gospel teaching. Addressing His native people of Israel, whose symbol was the city of Jerusalem, Jesus Christ sadly said: Jerusalem, Jerusalem that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! How many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left to you empty(Matthew 23:37-38). The people betrayed their God, God left the temple dedicated to Him. The Jerusalem temple after that remained only a magnificent architectural structure. For the true God, it became unnecessary, since it no longer fulfilled its purpose: it ceased to be a meeting place for God and people. Therefore, this temple was destroyed in 70 during the Jewish War by the Romans. From the temple there was only one wall, called the Wailing Wall by the Jews - lamentation for the destroyed temple and the capital, for the death of the ancient Israeli state, for the scattering of the Jewish people around the world.
So to whom does an Orthodox Christian want to turn with his note at the Wailing Wall? To God? But after all, He Himself said that He had left from there: “Your house is left empty.” But if God does not show His presence there and He no longer meets people there, then it may turn out that such a request will turn out to be addressed to a completely different person who feels free where God does not show His love to people. But this will be a completely different conversation, which I do not advise you to enter into in any case. If a person is a Christian, then, of course, he will seek a meeting with God and pray to Him where God is honored and loved, and not where they do not want to know Him and resist His will.
The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the will of God; clear predictions about this are contained in the Gospel. At the Wailing Wall, those people gather for prayer who consider the destruction of the Jerusalem temple a catastrophe, and not the betrayal of their God and Messiah-Christ. They weep that in the temple, Jerusalem, and the people of Israel, the will of God was fulfilled for the apostasy from their Lord. In fact, this is the persecution of Christ against those who themselves decided to become His enemies, which has been going on for two millennia. And the Savior is still waiting for their repentance and return under the protection of God.
Therefore, if we are friends of God, then we will seek meetings with Him and places of prayer to Him where the Savior is pleased to communicate with us and listen to us, and not in those places where He is deliberately opposed.
Is it possible to hunt animals in fasting?
Elena
Responsible Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky : The Church has not set limits on the time of hunting, so the question is better to expand: is it possible to hunt animals?
Neither the Old Testament Church nor the Lord Jesus Christ forbade the eating of meat. Since during his earthly life Christ was an orthodox Jew, he himself ate it, at least for Easter.
It is clear that if you eat meat, then you have to slaughter livestock or kill wild animals while hunting. There is no moral difference here. But moral significance is the mood with which a person hunts, for what. For the sake of vanity, to show off the number of downed ducks to friends? For the sake of a keen sense of danger and pride in your fearlessness when hunting a bear or a lion? Or for the perverted joy of contemplating the sufferings of a living creature before death? But, perhaps, a man hunts to earn a living for himself and his family, or, risking his life, he shoots a man-eating tiger?
Every person has a conscience, and let every hunter himself, in his conscience, judge for what purpose he hunts. And if the goal is evil, then let him refrain from evil deeds. And if the deed is good, then let him do it, thanking God. And if to good deed If evil is mixed in, then let him do his work, and repent of the mixed evil.
Responsible Archpriest Boris Balashov: If we consider hunting as leisure and entertainment, then it should be said that one should move away from entertainment during fasting in order to prepare for the true and greatest joy - the meeting of the Bright Christ's Resurrection or any other holiday. After all, hunting takes place not only as leisure, but, this is the most important thing for many, in friendly communication with comrades of interest. And it is clear that excitement and sports passions in the process of hunting can inflame very strongly. Of course, such entertainment cannot be combined with fasting. Indeed, for a Christian, fasting is not a time for a diet for weight loss or health promotion, but a time for spiritual purification and moral growth.
If hunting is a profession or an occupation necessary for subsistence, then it is not entertainment or an interesting pastime. This is just such work, and there is no reason to talk about its immorality or danger to the spiritual life of a person.
There is an old temple in our village dating back to the 18th century. We recently started restoring it with the whole village, but we do not have a permanent priest. Occasionally a priest from the district center comes. Tell me, what is needed in order for a permanent father to come to us?
Elena
Responsible Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky : First, you should find out which diocese your church belongs to. This can be told to you by a priest who comes from the regional center, or by one of the local secular leaders. Having learned where the center of your diocese is located, you need to go there and state everything in writing and orally to the one who conducts the reception in the Diocesan Administration. He will teach you how to act.
If you live in the Moscow region, then your temple belongs to the Moscow diocese. But it is not necessary to go to Moscow for a conversation. It is enough to contact the local dean (usually he serves in the regional center), and the dean will do everything possible to organize church life in your village. Either an independent parish will be created at your church, or the church will be assigned to an already existing parish. In any case, regular services will be organized.
By the way, you write that you have already begun to restore the temple. Do not hurry. If the temple is registered in government bodies as an object cultural heritage, then, restoring it, it is necessary to comply with the legislation on the protection of monuments. So the sooner you contact the Reverend, the better.
Tell me how to overcome the desire to enter a monastery. It seems to me that this is just a desire to get away from problems that are growing with a terrifying progression.
Olga
Responsible Archpriest Boris Balashov : First you need to understand whether your desire to go to the monastery is justified by God's call, or this idea has become stronger in you because you cannot cope with the problems and difficulties that have fallen on you. I suggest starting with the simplest. Try to go to work in some convent during your vacation. If you like it, do this several times. But remember the words of St. Basil the Great: even a man goes into the wilderness with his passions.
One spirit-bearing elder was talking to a young man who told him that he was not sure whether he should marry a certain girl. The elder answered simply: “If you are not sure, do not marry.” Choosing whether to marry a person or get married, or choose a monastic way of life, is possible only when there is firm confidence in the chosen path. Monasticism is not an escape from life's difficulties, but quite the opposite: a conscious choice of a path where the difficulties will be much greater and even, perhaps, will increase exorbitantly. After all, every Christian conducts in his life "spiritual warfare", that is, a constant struggle not only with life's difficulties, but also with his own inappropriate and sinful thoughts, feelings and memories. And the fight with yourself is the most difficult fight.
If a football player plays in the yard or school team, he can train and get tired from training. However, a completely different level of preparation and fatigue from overload awaits him if he is in the national team, and he has to play in the world championship. The greater the goal in life is set, the more effort is required to achieve it.
Before talking or thinking about monasticism, one must learn to be a good parishioner and a diligent Christian. This requires sincere prayer, thoughtful and daily reading. Holy Scripture, regular Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ with serious preparation and, of course, increased attention to the fulfillment of the will of God in one's life. If we are overwhelmed by life's problems and difficulties, we must great tension their efforts to perform their Christian personal service to God, to intensify their prayers to the Lord and Mother of God. Prayer is also greatly helped by the good deeds we do, especially if they are done in secret.
Let's think, who needs a lifeguard? - The one who drowns. And who needs a Savior? - To those who are drowning in the sea of their sins, passions, problems and want to win spiritually, but they simply do not have the strength to cope with this “tsunami”. So it is necessary then to shout loudly in your soul: “Lord, save me, without You I am drowning!” Do not be discouraged by difficulties and troubles, everyone has them, but all this can be overcome only when a person firmly grasps God, feels His love and tries to respond to it. Moreover, I will tell you one strange thing: most of all seek not God's help, but Himself. If your love for Christ grows, no difficulties will crush you.
Thus, the solution of all the most difficult problems begins with the restoration of spiritual order in your own heart! God help!
My grandmother was a Catholic, but she was married to an Orthodox Orthodox holidays, went to the Orthodox Church with her family, the children profess Orthodoxy, and when she died, an Orthodox priest buried her. Tell me, can I file notes for the repose of her soul in Orthodox church?
Irina
Responsible Archpriest Boris Balashov : As far as can be understood from the question, your grandmother was baptized in Catholicism, but all her adulthood went to the Orthodox Church and lived church life. Since a person went to the Orthodox Church for many years and regularly participated in divine services, and therefore in the Holy Sacraments, then the only possible conclusion in this situation should be drawn: your grandmother converted to Orthodoxy as an adult and became Orthodox. Therefore, no questions about the possibility of her church commemoration can arise. The man lived in the Orthodox Church, introduced his children to her life, otpet Orthodox priest. So how can one not pray in an Orthodox church for such a completely Orthodox person?
Whose children are the earthly brothers of our Lord Jesus Christ? According to Jehovah's Witnesses, these are the common children of Joseph and the Virgin Mary. Please explain, whose children are Jacob, Joses, Simon and Judas?
Maria
Responsible Archpriest Boris Balashov : For the assertion of Jehovists and other sectarians that Joseph and the Virgin Mary had children in common, there is no basis either in the Holy Scriptures, or in the Holy Tradition, or in the history of the Church. If Holy Mother of God had their own children, besides Jesus Christ, why would the Savior entrust the care of His Mother after Cross Death To his beloved disciple, the apostle John the Theologian (see John 19:26–27)? historical memory The Church has always kept and protected the faith in the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God - in the fact that She was a Virgin before the birth of Christ, in the Nativity and after the birth of the Savior. The word "ever" means "always", Ever-Virgin - always the Virgin.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the following words are given by the inhabitants of Nazareth about Jesus Christ: Is he not the carpenters' son? Is not His Mother called Mary, and His brothers James and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? and His sisters are not all among us? where did he get all this?(Matthew 13:55-56). In another case it is also mentioned: And someone said to Him: Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with You.(Matthew 12:47). The brothers of Jesus Christ mentioned here could be the children of Mary Cleopova, cousin Mother of the Lord, or children of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage. It was customary for Jews to call brothers not only relatives, but also cousins, second cousins, and relatives in general.
The Holy Apostle James, brother of the Lord (see Gal. 1:19), was the eldest son of Joseph the Betrothed by his first wife. According to Tradition, he was especially close to Jesus Christ, despite big difference aged. The Holy Apostle Judas Jacoblev was also the son of Joseph. In his message, he calls himself: Judas, servant of Jesus Christ, brother of James… (Jude 1:1)
The problem of disbelief in the virgin life of the Most Holy Theotokos arose during the period of the Reformation, along with the emergence of Protestantism, which, as a protest against the abuses of Catholicism, rejected in principle the authority of the Holy Tradition of the Church. Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians because they reject the most important truths of the Christian faith, namely the belief in the Divinity of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion on the Cross, His bodily Resurrection, the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, immortality human soul, the resurrection of the dead, the Church and all the Church Sacraments, the Ever-Virginity of the Most Holy Theotokos and much more. For this reason, the statements of such "witnesses" can in no way correspond to the truth and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My grandmother was a witch. She hated my mother and me, she caused damage. My grandmother died when I was 6 years old. All my life I have been haunted by failures, no matter what business I take on. A year and a half ago I gave birth to a son, the boy grows restless, sleeps very badly at night, groans in his sleep, can get up and crawl with eyes closed, start crying until vomiting, does not recognize me, pushes me away. They went to confession with him and took communion, they carried their son to take communion. Maybe the Lord is punishing me and my family for the sins of my grandmother? What prayers do we need to read so that the Lord forgives me and does not leave me in difficult times?
Tatiana
Responsible Archpriest Boris Balashov: I will try to answer your letter not punctually on each question, but by summarizing the problems you have raised. I will not deny the fact that some people can be executors of the will dark forces. But who can they effectively act on? Of course, on those who live “separately” from God, that is, perhaps they do not deny the existence of God and the reality of the Person of Jesus Christ, but do not have a living connection of faith with Him. If a person does not read and delve into the Gospel words, does not open his soul to his Savior in sincere prayer, does not try to fulfill the commandments of Christ, and does not unite with the Lord in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, then he is not protected from the action of hostile spiritual forces. Like a child who has run far away from mom or dad, he cannot receive protection from them if he is attacked by a bully or an angry dog. living faith, prayer, knowledge and reading of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament are strong weapon and a strong shield against all the wiles of the evil one.
The Holy Apostle Paul writes about this: Because our scolding [i.e. war. - Prot. B.B.] not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places. For this, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day and, having overcome everything, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet shod in readiness to preach the gospel of peace; above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God(Eph. 6:12-17).
Belief in the power of sorcerers and in the ability to send damage makes people spiritually defenseless and, I would say, attracts all kinds of spiritual dirty tricks. Similar to angry dog feels those who are afraid of her, and in the first place attacks them. Superstition, that is, belief in the power of evil forces, sorcerers, corruption, magic, omens, etc., harmful to a person, makes the saving Christian faith powerless and excommunicates a person from the grace-filled life of the Holy Orthodox Church. Moreover, all kinds of superstition are a mortal sin and a violation of the second commandment: You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth; don't worship them and don't serve them(Ex. 20:4–5). The recognition of the power of the dark forces is already a form of worship to them, which makes a person dependent on them.
During the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism, either the person being baptized himself, or on his behalf, the godparents renounce the devil and spit on him with contempt. Here is the only correct attitude of a Christian to all the actions of the evil spirit: “I don’t see you point-blank and I don’t even want to notice your actions! I have a God who loves me, and in whose love I trust with all my heart!”
When a person is afraid of the wiles of the devil, he thereby opens the way for them! When is there serious problems, including with children, first of all start with own heart. With God's help, put things in order in your soul, strengthening your living connection with Christ, deeply and seriously making your repentance and sanctifying yourself with the Sacraments of the Holy Church. You went to confession and communion. But after all, this should not be a one-time occurrence, but systematic, at least once a month at least. If you eat once a week, then you won’t drag your legs. However, not only the body needs food and strengthening, but also more soul, and you do not give her spiritual food.
Does the Lord punish you, and even for the sins of your grandmother? No, of course, the Lord does not punish people for the sins of others. You yourself are punishing yourself with your indifference to Him and to the salvation of both your own soul and the souls of your loved ones. No one in the world loves you as much as God, Who is waiting for you to respond to His sacrificial love, which you don’t even want to notice yet!
What prayers to read? - Christian prayers from the prayer book, and also pray in your own words, which will come with attention and repentance from the depths of your mind and heart. To whom to pray? - God and pray! But don't limit your Christian life just by reading prayers. Delve daily into the Gospel, strengthen the faith and begin to live it. Then the world will begin to change both inside you and around you. Pray daily for your children and give communion to your little one as often as possible. But when you go to church with a child, read the Gospel at home the day before and pray more attentively. The child is small and is sanctified according to your faith. At home each evening, briefly and attentively pray with the children in front of your home icon. You can, for example, read or sing "Our Father" or "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice." Take the baby in your arms, put the other next to you. After the prayer, cross the children and let them drink the baptismal holy water. The sincere prayer of the mother keeps and protects the children. God is waiting for your return to Him!
Now many can afford a trip to Jerusalem. This is amazing. However…
Quite often they ask: is it possible to lay notes in the Wailing Wall? Let's think first: for what purpose will an Orthodox Christian do this?
Vasily Vereshchagin.
Solomon's Wall (Wailing Wall). 1884-1885.
Many of our tourists like to leave autographs in the places they have visited. It is not so important for them whether they sign on the wall of an ancient temple or on beautiful and almost impregnable rocks. Of course, this number will not work in Israel. But then you can, at least, a note: "Vasya was here!" - stick it into the slot of some ancient monument.
To shove a note with some kind of request into the surviving part of the wall of the ancient Jerusalem temple ... And to whom is this request addressed?
The temple was built and dedicated to the One True God, Who gave His commandments through the prophet Moses and concluded a covenant with the people of Israel.
This God, who gave His Revelation at Sinai, was born and became a man two thousand years ago on the fertile land of Palestine. This God-Man Jesus Christ, who did not believe in Him, was betrayed by the majority of Jewish society, condemned on a false slander of execution. Representatives of these people obtained from Pilate, through intrigues, a death sentence for the most painful execution by crucifixion.
In the Temple in Jerusalem there was a special presence of God, of which the Holy of Holies reminded. Jesus Christ came to the temple and proclaimed His gospel teaching. Addressing His native people of Israel, whose symbol was the city of Jerusalem, Jesus Christ sadly said: Jerusalem, Jerusalem that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! How many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left to you empty(Matthew 23:37-38; see Luke 13:35).
The people betrayed their God, God left the temple dedicated to Him. The Jerusalem temple after that remained only a magnificent architectural structure. For the true God, it became unnecessary, since it no longer fulfilled its purpose: it ceased to be a meeting place for God and people. Therefore, this temple was destroyed in 70 during the Jewish War by the Romans. Only one wall remained from the temple, called by the Jews the Wailing Wall - lamenting about the destroyed temple and the capital, about the death of the ancient Israeli state, about the scattering of the Jewish people around the world.
So to whom does an Orthodox Christian want to turn with his note at the Wailing Wall? To God? But He Himself said that He left from there: "Your house is left empty." But if God does not show His presence there, and He no longer meets people there, then it may turn out that such a request will turn out to be addressed to a completely different person who feels free where God does not show His love to people. But this will be a completely different conversation, which I do not advise you to enter into in any case.
If a person is a Christian, then, of course, he will seek a meeting with God and pray to Him where God is honored and loved, and not where they do not want to know Him and resist His will.
The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the will of God, clear predictions about this are contained in the Gospel. At the Wailing Wall, those people gather for prayer who consider the destruction of the Jerusalem temple a catastrophe, and not the betrayal of their God and Messiah-Christ. They weep that in the temple, Jerusalem, and the people of Israel, the will of God was fulfilled for the apostasy from their Lord. In fact, this is the persecution of Christ against those who themselves decided to become His enemies, which has been going on for two millennia. And the Savior is still waiting for their repentance and return under the protection of God.
Therefore, if we are friends of God, then we will seek meetings with Him and places of prayer to Him where the Savior is pleased to communicate with us and listen to us, and not in those places where He is deliberately opposed.
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I recently traveled 37,000 miles on a prayer pilgrimage around the world. I met with the Pope, talked with monks, danced with rabbis, walked on coals and renewed my prayer life. I researched prayer traditions in a Jewish-Christian family of believers, including weird uncles and crazy cousins like the church. North Korea and Westboro Baptist Church. And one of the first places I visited on my pilgrimage was Jerusalem, the place where Jesus spent his last days on the ground.
One of the most famous places of pilgrimage in Jerusalem is the Wailing Wall - a huge stone surface, next to which prayer almost never stops. A visit to Jerusalem would not be complete without visiting this wall, however, there are many myths and common misconceptions about this sacred site. Let's take a look at seven of them:
1. "Wailing Wall" is not a real name.
"Wailing Wall" is just a nickname to describe the sounds you can hear when you get close. Don't worry, it's just the sounds of prayer. The real name of this place is Western Wall.
2. It's not a wall in the way you think.
Many people think that the Western Wall is one side of a fort or fortress. In reality, these are just the remains of a retaining wall under the Temple Mount.
3. The wall is much larger than what can be seen today.
Believe it or not, this huge piece of wall that we can walk up to is one-eighth of the original wall. The wall was approximately 540 meters long. The entire wall was very massive!
4. It was not built by Jews.
This particular wall is a retaining wall Second Temple- was built by Herod the Great in 19 BC. Herod was extremely cruel man who killed rabbis and members own family and he was also an extremely productive and passionate builder.
It is said that more than a thousand workers were involved in the construction of the Western Wall. Unfortunately, the wall was destroyed a few decades later. And now the jews are praying for restoration Third Temple.
5. There is a heated debate over this piece of real estate.
If you think the Western Wall is a place of peace and happiness, think again. The three main religions of the world - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - have been fighting for this place for more than a thousand years. Jerusalem has been attacked more than fifty times.
What are the random chances that 540 meters of land on planet Earth is an actual battlefield where the three world religions are fighting for literally every stone?
6. They don't mix here.
If you are planning to visit the wall with your boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse or children, think again. Men and women are separated from each other by a wooden fence almost 40 meters long.
Good news? When a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah is celebrated, it is allowed to gather along the wall, stand on chairs and watch what is happening on the other side.
7. This place of prayer is not just for Jews.
The Western Wall has a wonderful tradition: write your prayer on a piece of paper and stick it in the gap between the stones of the wall. Regularly, a special person collects all the prayers and buries them on the Mount of Olives, in a cemetery that is already 2000 years old. According to this tradition, each prayer written in this way becomes an "eternal prayer". This is a very beautiful tradition, and even Pope John Paul II put his prayer in the crack of this wall.
I also put my prayer, written on a small piece of paper, into the Western Wall. I wrote one of the most strong prayers, consisting of one word: Shalom. AT English language no proper translation in Russian and other languages also - approx. per.), but the meaning of this word can be conveyed as peace, completeness, completeness, wholeness, unity.
Shalom is very much needed in the Middle East.
Is it not reprehensible for an Orthodox Christian to approach the remains of the temple complex in Jerusalem, called the Wailing Wall, touch them, pray nearby, leave notes in the crevices ..?
I see no obstacles in showing tourist interest in the Wailing Wall, as well as in the ancient temples of Rome, mosques, or Catholic basilicas, unless they are a temptation in faith.
As for religious veneration, a number of key points should be highlighted here.
Firstly, for Christians, the wall on the western slope of the Temple Mount is not a wailing wall at all, because nothing was lost with the destruction of the Temple. Our temple is the Body of Christ, destroyed two thousand years ago and erected in three days (John 2:19), an immortal organism, of which we become members through Baptism and in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
At the same time, this wall serves as a reminder of the Temple built and dedicated to the One True God. This begs the question: if we honor Old Testament, and even use his texts in liturgical services, then should we not honor his visible attributes?
To Confess the Old Testament in Jewish Way Means to Deny the Continuation biblical history in Christ, to confess the Old Testament Scripture in a Christian way means to see in Christ its fulfillment. This should be our attitude towards the Temple, as well as other biblical artifacts, such as the Mamre oak, and even more so, the earth, objects and structures directly related to the earthly life of the Savior, which, among others, include the Temple, about him but Christ said: “My house” (Matt. 21:13). But even then it ceased to be a house of prayer, but a den of thieves, as the Lord himself testified.
What now? Now, I believe, it is permissible for us, and perhaps it is necessary to venerate the wall left by God's conduct as a place of the once special grace of God, but we cannot see in the destroyed Temple a temple, that is, a place dedicated to God and intended for worship. And not only because it is destroyed and defiled, for Orthodox churches were subjected to defilement, but because: “Behold, your house is left to you empty” (Matt. 23:38).
What is the difference between the destroyed, desecrated Orthodox Church during the years of hard times and the destroyed Temple of Jerusalem? The same as between a sleeping person and a corpse. And although the body of even a dead person is still a temple of God, and therefore it is revered, but only with the fact that the spirit will return to it and revive the body.
The Grace of God that left the Temple is not gas or electromagnetic waves… The Temple lives by prayer, for “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Therefore, the destroyed Orthodox churches, in which the liturgical life ceased, seemed to fall asleep, but did not break away from the source of life in people who retained the faith and in their mission: to be a place of worship of the True and One God. Liturgical life in the Jerusalem Temple, even if it were possible today, is only as if the pagan temple was consecrated, which was everywhere in the first centuries, and gave life to that which had no life, for the Jews, those who did not accept Christ, did not not only did they not enter the bosom of the New Testament, but they also renounced the faith of the times of Herod and Solomon, Abraham and Moses.
What is this Temple “destined” for now, if it is restored? In order for the Antichrist to sit in him and all the nations to worship him (2 Thess. 2:4), (Rev. 13:8).
However, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One should not rush to the Temple Mount in order to pray, but one should not refuse to pray, no matter where one is. Let it be as God puts on the soul, and if the remains of the Wall reminded a person of Christ and prompted him to pray, I don’t see anything unworthy in that prayer. At the same time, putting petitions into the Wall is a Jewish custom, and partly adjacent to pagan and magical ideas, which should be avoided.
A.N. Mironov. 2014