On October 23, an evening in memory of Metropolitan Anthony will take place at the Pokrovskie Vorota cultural center, and the main topic of discussion will be the possibility of a conversation, a genuine dialogue between a believer and an unbeliever. The evening will be attended by people who knew Vladyka personally, well-known journalists (Alexander Arkhangelsky, Ksenia Luchenko), Archpriest Pavel Velikanov and Archpriest Alexy Uminsky. The evening will feature two books by Metropolitan Anthony, which were published this fall “God: Yes or No? A Conversation of a Believer with an Unbeliever ”and“ Awakening to a New Life. Conversations on the Gospel of Mark. "
We present to your attention an introduction and a fragment of a conversation on the Gospel of Mark by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (published in an abridged form).
Introduction
I want to give some practical advice... After all, it is very important, when getting down to business, to know as best as possible how to accomplish this business. First, I will show you how to read the Gospel, if possible, alone, on your own, and then I will try to indicate the way to discuss and study the Gospel in a group.
The first requirement for real benefit from consistent reading of the Gospel is, of course, honesty; that is, it is necessary to start with the same honesty, conscientiousness with which a person begins to study any science: without prejudice, trying to understand what is being discussed, what is said here, and only then respond to the fact that has been heard or read. Therefore, it is necessary to start reading the Gospel with the only desire - to reveal the truth, to understand what is said there. And secondly, to treat this occupation as seriously and conscientiously as one should treat any scientific endeavor.
We must be prepared for the fact that some places will turn out to be alien to us, some will touch us somehow painfully, and only a few will reach us deeply. But, reading the Gospel, pondering what we have heard, no matter how we react to it, we gradually plow our souls to a new understanding. There is a place in the Gospel where it is said that when a sower throws a seed on the ground, then one falls on the road, the other falls into the roadside bushes, some - on stone soil, and, finally, some - on good soil that can bear fruit. Each of us is at every moment either one or the other, or a stone road, or such a soil that can accept the Gospel. And so if today nothing came of the reading, if everything passed by, if there was absent-mindedness, if there was an inability to read deeply - read it tomorrow, read it the day after tomorrow: at some point it suddenly turns out that in fact the seed fell on good soil , but has fallen into such a depth that does not yet allow you to notice how a blade of grass sprouts. Only after some time will you see that what seemed alien and incomprehensible to you suddenly begins to sprout; the meadow turns green, the harvest begins to rise. This is the first thing.
Second: you need to delve into the meaning of the Gospel, that is, make sure that when you read it, you understand what is said. If something is not clear, if, for example, words are foreign, outdated, you have to think for yourself, or look in a dictionary, or ask someone, just to establish the exact meaning of these words, because how deeply you understand the word, depends on whether it reaches you deeply or is perceived superficially.
Now I want to move on to reading the gospel together. And the first question: is it necessary to read together? Why do we need to read together what relates to me so personally? God speaks to me personally ... Yes, but He speaks personally and to all others who believe in Him and who read the Gospel or hear it. The gospel is good news not only for me and for me, but for everyone. Each of us can perceive the same Gospel text, the same words - with equal inspiration, but with more or less deep understanding. And therefore one must read the Gospel alone, one must ponder, get used to it, as Saint Theophan the Recluse said, feel into it, one must begin to live according to it; but at the same time we must remember that the Gospel is given to all of us and that each of us, listening attentively, pondering, reading, living the Gospel, can understand it with a new and new depth. Therefore, it is very important that, wherever possible, people gather in small groups, read the Gospel together and share their experiences of understanding it.
I have already said that you must first read this or that passage yourself and think it over and feel it; but at the same time it is necessary to share this experience - not in order to enrich your mind, but because when you share what is most precious, most sacred, most life-giving to you, you are doing a work of love; and the entire Gospel speaks from beginning to end about love, about how God loves us and how we should love one another and Him. Therefore, it is necessary to gather in small groups of four, five, six, eight people, having previously read a certain passage, pray together, be silent, as if to be silent in your own silence or in that silence that is a joint silence; to be silent long enough for the silence to penetrate us deeply, and then read this passage - quietly, attentively, without drama, soberly, knowing that we will never be able to pronounce the words of Christ as He pronounced them - and therefore read with restraint, reverently. After that, be silent for a while, waiting for someone to say something. We must give everyone time to respond. The one who is leading this meeting should be ready, if no one immediately responds, to raise a question. Namely - not to give answers to those questions that, it seems to him, originated in the souls of other people, but to raise a question that originated in his soul.
So I read this passage, I am perplexed: how can it be that Christ commands us and at the same time says that we must be ready to leave the most dear people in order to follow Him? .. There are many such places that will cause bewilderment ... And then wait: maybe someone who has experience, or who thought it through, or read something on this topic, will be able to respond and say: “You know, I may not understand everything, but this is how I understand this a passage, this is how it was explained to me, this is how this or that spiritual writer explains it. " And so it is possible to read the Gospel together, helping each other to understand what they have read, but also ultimately supporting each other's determination and readiness not only to understand with the mind, not only to respond with the heart, but with all our will to be strengthened in the determination to live according to the Gospel - according to the fact that it became clear to everyone personally and together.
Now, if we begin to read the Gospel in this way, together, then, as the Scriptures say, a brother strengthened by a brother - like Mount Zion, will not move forever. The support of like-minded people, the support of friends, the support of people who are on the same path to the Kingdom of God with you can be of great help, and you shouldn't give it up. This means that you need to read the Gospel alone, and lovingly share your understanding with others, and draw strength from this communication to live.
Fragment from the interpretation of Metropolitan Anthony on the Gospel of Mark
Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John restrained Him and said: I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? But Jesus answered and said to him: Leave it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then John allows Him. And, being baptized, Jesus immediately came out of the water - and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God, who descended like a dove and descended on Him. And behold, a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3: 13-17).
I want to say something about the baptism of Jesus Christ.
People came to John to be baptized, confessing their sins. They came to John, shocked by his preaching, that there is truth on earth, that there is heavenly truth, that there is judgment on earth, judgment of conscience, and in eternity - the judgment of God; and that he who does not reconcile himself to his conscience on earth will stand unrequited before the judgment of God. John the Baptist spoke of repentance in this very sense: turn to God, turn away from everything that captivates you, that makes you slaves to your passions, your fears, your greed. Turn away from everything that is unworthy of you and what your conscience tells you about: no, this is too little, you are too big a being, too deep, too significant, in order to simply indulge in these passions, these fears ... But can you say something like this about Christ?
We know that Christ was the Son of God, not only in some figurative sense of the word, but in the very literally this word. He was God who put on humanity, incarnate. All the fullness of the Godhead, as the apostle says, dwells in Him bodily; and can one imagine that a human being, permeated by the Divine, like iron is permeated by fire, can simultaneously be sinful, that is, cold, gloomy? Of course not; and therefore we affirm, we believe, we know by experience that our Lord Jesus Christ was sinless as a man, but as God he was perfect in everything. Why was He baptized? What's the point of this? The Gospel does not explain this, and we have the right to ask ourselves questions, and we have the right to be perplexed, we have the right to think deeply about what this means.
Here is an explanation I was given by an elderly Protestant pastor in southern France. I was young then and put this question to him; and he answered me: “You know, it seems to me that when people came to John, confessed their sins, their unrighteousness, all their mental and physical uncleanness, they washed it symbolically in the waters of the Jordan River. And its waters, which at first were as pure as any water, gradually became polluted waters (as, you know, in Russian fairy tales it is said that there are dead waters, waters that have lost their vitality, which only death can transmit). These waters, saturated with human impurity, untruth, human sin, human atheism, gradually became dead waters, capable only of killing. And Christ sank into these waters, because He wanted not only to become a perfect man, but wanted, like a perfect man, to bear on Himself all the horror, the whole weight of human sin.
He plunged into these dead waters and these waters passed on to Him the death, the mortality that belonged to those people who had sinned. These waters carried death in themselves as the dues of sin, that is, the wages of sin (Rom. 6: 23). This is the moment when Christ partakes - not of our sin, but of all the consequences of this sin, including death itself, which, in some respect, has nothing to do with Him, because, as Saint Maximus the Confessor says, there can be no the human being, which is permeated with the Divine, was mortal. Indeed, the church song that we hear on Holy Week, says: Oh Light, how do You extinguish? Oh Eternal Life, how do You die? .. Yes, He - immortal life He is light, and He is extinguished by our darkness, and He dies by our death. That is why He says to John the Baptist: leave, do not hinder Me from sinking into these waters, we need to fulfill all righteousness - that is, everything that is just, everything that must be done to save the world, must be fulfilled by us now.
But why then does He come to the waters of baptism for thirty years, and not earlier or not later? Here again you can think about what this could mean.
When God Became Human in the Womb Mother of God, was a one-sided act of the wisdom and love of God. The physicality, soulfulness, humanity of the born Christ were, as it were, taken by God without them being able to resist. The Mother of God agreed to this: "Behold, I am the Servant of the Lord, let it be for Me according to your word." And the Child was born, who was in the full sense of the human being, that is, autocratic, with the right to choose between good and evil, with the right to choose between God and His adversary. And throughout his life - childhood, youth, older years - He matured in His full surrender to God. In His humanity, as a man, He took upon Himself all that God had placed on Him through the faith of the Mother of God, through Her surrender of Himself and Him. And Christ came to be baptized at this moment, so that and as a man to take upon Himself everything that God, the Son of God, took upon Himself, when in the Eternal Council He made a decision to create man, and - when this man falls - to bear all the consequences of His primary act of creation and that terrible gift of freedom that was given to man. In the Slavic text Old Testament, Isaiah's prophecy about Christ says that from the Virgin will be born a Child Who, before he can distinguish good from evil, will choose good, because He is perfect in His humanity.
And this Man Jesus Christ, growing to the fullness of His humanity, completely takes upon Himself what God placed on Him, what the faith of the Most Pure Virgin Mary placed on Him. Immersed in these dead Jordanian waters, He, like pure flax immersed in a dyehouse, enters white and comes out, as the same Isaiah says, in a bloody garment, in the garment of death, which He must bear on Himself.
This is what the baptism of the Lord tells us: we must understand what kind of feat is contained in it, what kind of love for us. And the question is posed before us - not for the first time, but again and again, persistently: how do we answer this?
The well-known Serbian scholar of canon law, Bishop Nikodim (Milash), wrote in his interpretation of Canon 19 of the VI Ecumenical Council the following: “St. Scripture is the word of God, revealing to people the will of God ... "And St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said:" ... Read the Gospel with extreme reverence and attention. In it, do not consider anything unimportant, unworthy of consideration. Every iota of it emits a ray of life. The neglect of life is death. " One author wrote about the Small Entrance at the Liturgy: “The Gospel is here a symbol of Christ. The Lord appeared in the world bodily, personally. He goes out to preach, to His earthly ministry and is here among us. A terrible and majestic action is taking place - among us, apparently tangibly - God. From this spectacle, the holy angels of heaven freeze in awe. And you, man, taste this great mystery and bow your head before her. " Based on the foregoing, you need to understand that the Holy Gospel - main book humanity, which contains life for people. It contains divine truths that lead us to salvation. And it itself is the source of life - a word filled with truly the power and wisdom of the Lord. The gospel is the voice of Christ himself. In a symbolic and spiritual sense, when we read the Gospel, the Savior speaks to us. We seem to be transported in time to the flourishing Galilean plains and become eyewitnesses of the incarnate God of the Word. And He speaks not only universally and timelessly, in general, but also specifically to each of us. The gospel is not just a book. This is life for us, it is a spring of living water and a source of life. It is both the Law of God, given to mankind for salvation, and the Mystery of this salvation being accomplished. When reading the Gospel, the human soul unites with God and is resurrected in Him. It is no coincidence that the word "evangelios" is translated from Greek as "good news." This means that by the grace of the Holy Spirit a new message-truth was revealed in the world: to save mankind, God came to Earth, and “God became Man so that man could become God,” as St. Athanasius of Alexandria said in the 4th century. The Lord was reconciled with man, He healed him again and opened the way for him to the Kingdom of Heaven. And reading or listening to the Gospel, we get up on this heavenly vertical road and walk along it to paradise. That's what the gospel is. Therefore, it is very important to read New Testament EVERYDAY. On the advice of the holy fathers, we need to include the reading of the Holy Gospel and the "Apostle" in our cell (home) prayer rule. Usually the following sequence is recommended: two chapters of the "Apostle" (some read one chapter) and one chapter of the Gospel per day. In my opinion, based on personal experience, I want to say that it is more convenient to read Holy Bible in order, that is, from the first chapters to the last, and then return. Then a person will form a holistic picture of the gospel story, a feeling and understanding of its continuity, cause-and-effect relationships.
It is also necessary that reading the Gospel should not be like reading fictional literature such as "foot by foot, sitting more comfortably in an armchair." Still, it should be a prayer at home liturgical act. Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy in his book "The Law of God" recommends reading the Holy Scriptures while standing, crossing himself once before reading and three after. There are special prayers said before and after the reading of the New Testament. BEFORE ... “Shine in our hearts, O Lord, Thy humanity, incorruptible light, and open our eyes in thought, in Thy Gospel sermons understanding, put fear into us and Thy blessed commandments, and all fleshly lusts are better, we will go through spiritual life, all the same to your delight, both wise and effective. Thou art the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we glorify Thee, with Thy Originless Father and All-Holy, and Good, and Thy Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen. " Divine Liturgy before reading the Holy Gospel. It is also placed after the 11th kathisma of the Psalter. Prayer of St. John Chrysostom: “Lord Jesus Christ, open my ears of the heart to hear Thy word, and understand and do Thy will, as I am a stranger on earth: do not hide from me Thy commandments, but open my eyes, so that I understand miracles from Thy law; tell me the obscurity and your secret wisdom. I trust in You, my God, that I enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind, not only written of honor, but also create, so that I will not read the holy lives and words in my sin, but in renewal, and enlightenment, and in holy things, and in salvation of the soul, and the inheritance of eternal life. As Thou art enlightening those lying in darkness, and from Thee is every good gift and every gift is perfect. Amen". Prayer of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), read before and after reading the Holy Scripture: “Save, Lord, and have mercy on Your servants (names) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which is about the salvation of Your servant. The thorns of all their sins have fallen, Lord, and may your grace dwell in them, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Regarding the latter, I will add that it is also read with the addition of a chapter from the Holy Gospel in ANY GRIEVANCE OR DISPUTE From my own experience, I was convinced that it helps a lot. And the merciful Lord delivers from all situations and troubles. Some fathers recommend reading this prayer with an evangelical chapter every day.
The Gospel is the main sacred book for all Christians, as it is the living word of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is in the Gospel that the earthly life and ministry of the Savior, His sermons and instructions to people, miracles, passions, redemptive death for all mankind and the subsequent miraculous Resurrection from the dead are described. There are four Gospels in total, written by the apostles of Christ - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. All together, as a whole, they are part of the second major part of Holy Scripture (Bible) -.
Traditionally, the Gospel is read in temples during divine services, as well as during the performance of the sacraments. However, the temple is not the only place where this book can and should be read; it is also vitally important for Christians to refer to it in their private, home religious life... In this regard, especially among new believers, the question often arises - how to read the Holy Gospel at home correctly?
How to read correctly?
In answering this question, several defining moments can be distinguished, which are indicated by both the holy ascetics of God and well-known modern priests.
At first, reading the Gospel at home should be serious and conscientious with a certain preparation and attitude. It is important to understand that the holy book is in the hands, the very Revelation of God, and therefore every word in it must be treated with the utmost care.
Second moment, especially in the answer to the question - how to properly read the Gospel at home to a beginner? - this, of course, is faith in what you read. In fact, this book was read and is being read not only by Christians and even not always believers in general. At the same time, everyone who reads the Gospel is looking for something important in it specifically for himself. However, Christians should read the Word of God with full faith in what it says, otherwise, according to the words of the Apostle Paul: “ and our preaching is in vain, in vain is our faith ..."(1 Cor. 15:14). This also applies to the description of miracles, and other various events from the life of Christ, and especially His glorious Resurrection from the dead. And, of course, it is important to support such reading by referring to the interpretations of the holy fathers. This will make it easier to understand many of the gospel episodes.
One more important point - the reading of the Gospel should be regular, systematic. Of course, it is good to turn to the Word of God in any need, difficult or happy events in life, but Christians are called to refer to him constantly. That is why one should try to open the Holy Gospel as often as possible, preferably daily.
How to read the gospel correctly every day?
Answering the question - how to read the Gospel correctly every day at home? - it is worth noting that such reading should be logically structured. Even if you read a little bit, these small parts should logically begin and end. One of the most common types of reading the Gospel is this is from the first (from Matthew) to the fourth (from John), at least one chapter a day. Or there may be another option, for example, one chapter in the morning, in the afternoon (if possible) and at night. After completing the reading of the entire Gospel, one must return to its beginning again - thus, a person's integral perception of what he has read is formed and consolidated.
In addition, there are specific patristic advice on reading this holy book. So, according to the saints, believers need to include the reading of the Gospel and other books of the New Testament in their home prayer rule. For example, two chapters from Acts and one chapter of the Gospel per day. But in general, as noted above, different variations are possible here, based on the capabilities and internal needs of each individual person.
Another frequently asked question is how to read the gospel in Great post at home? In this case, in addition to the main recommendations, several more points can be noted. First, during Great Lent, the reading of the Word of God must be strengthened, that is, read more than usual. Secondly, you can pay more attention to the description last days the earthly life of Christ - His sermons, judgments over Him, passions, death on the cross, Resurrection. This reading is especially appropriate on Holy Week.
It also matters how orthodox person reads the Holy Gospel at home - standing or sitting... In this case, again, there is different tips... Of course, ideally one should read the holy book while standing. For example, Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy in his book "The Law of God" recommended reading the Word of God standing, crossing himself once before and three times after reading. However, even if a person reads the Gospel while sitting, which in general is not forbidden, then it must be done with reverence (without throwing his legs over his feet, etc.), seriously and consciously, without being distracted by extraneous topics. In general, on this topic, one can cite the well-known words of St. Philaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow: “ It is better to think about God while sitting than standing - about your legs.».
Prayer before reading the Gospel at home
“Shine in our hearts, O Lord, Thy humanity, an incorruptible light, and open our minds, in Thy Gospel sermons, an understanding, put fear in us and Thy blessed commandments, and all fleshly lust will be better, we will pass through spiritual life, all, even for pleasing Yours is both wise and active. Thou art the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we glorify Thee, with Thy Originless Father and All-Holy, and Good, and Thy Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".
Prayer after reading the Gospel at home (it can also be addressed before reading)
“Save, Lord, and have mercy on Thy servants (names) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which are about the salvation of Thy servant. The thorns of all their sins have fallen, Lord, and may your grace dwell in them, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
The well-known Serbian scholar of canon law, Bishop Nikodim (Milash), wrote in his interpretation of Canon 19 of the VI Ecumenical Council the following: “St. Scripture is the word of God, revealing to people the will of God ... ”And Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said:
“… Read the Gospel with extreme reverence and attention. In it, do not consider anything unimportant, unworthy of consideration. Every iota of it emits a ray of life. The neglect of life is death. "
One author wrote about the Small Entrance at the Liturgy: “The Gospel is here a symbol of Christ. The Lord appeared in the world bodily, personally. He goes out to preach, to His earthly ministry and is here among us. A terrible and majestic action is taking place - among us, apparently tangibly - God. From this spectacle, the holy angels of heaven freeze in awe. And you, man, taste this great mystery and bow your head before it. "
Based on the foregoing, you need to understand that the Holy Gospel is the main book of mankind, which contains life for people. It contains divine truths that lead us to salvation. And it itself is the source of life - a word filled with truly the power and wisdom of the Lord.
The gospel is the voice of Christ himself. In a symbolic and spiritual sense, when we read the Gospel, the Savior speaks to us. We seem to be transported in time to the flourishing Galilean plains and become eyewitnesses of the incarnate God of the Word. And He speaks not only universally and timelessly, in general, but also specifically to each of us. The gospel is not just a book. This is life for us, it is a spring of living water and a source of life. It is both the Law of God, given to mankind for salvation, and the Mystery of this salvation being accomplished. When reading the Gospel, the human soul unites with God and is resurrected in Him.
It is no coincidence that the word "evangelios" is translated from Greek as "good news." This means that by the grace of the Holy Spirit a new message-truth was revealed in the world: to save mankind, God came to Earth, and “God became Man so that man could become God,” as St. Athanasius of Alexandria said in the 4th century. The Lord was reconciled with man, He healed him again and opened the way for him to the Kingdom of Heaven.
And reading or listening to the Gospel, we get up on this heavenly vertical road and walk along it to paradise. That's what the gospel is.
Therefore, it is very important to read the New Testament every day. On the advice of the holy fathers, we need to include the reading of the Holy Gospel and the "Apostle" (the Acts of the Holy Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostles and the fourteen Epistles of the Holy Chief Apostle Paul) into our cell (home) prayer rule. Usually the following sequence is recommended: two chapters of the "Apostle" (some read one chapter) and one chapter of the Gospel per day.
In my opinion, based on personal experience, I would like to say that it is more convenient to read the Holy Scriptures in order, that is, from the first chapters to the last, and then return. Then a person will form a holistic picture of the gospel story, a feeling and understanding of its continuity, cause-and-effect relationships.
It is also necessary that reading the Gospel should not be like reading fictional literature such as "foot by foot, sitting more comfortably in an armchair." Still, it should be a prayer at home liturgical act.
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy in his book "The Law of God" recommends reading the Holy Scriptures while standing, crossing himself once before reading and three after.
There are special prayers said before and after the reading of the New Testament.
“Shine in our hearts, O Lord, Thy humanity, an incorruptible light, and open our minds, in Thy Gospel sermons, an understanding, put fear in us and Thy blessed commandments, and all fleshly lust will be better, we will pass through spiritual life, all, even for pleasing Yours is both wise and effective. Thou art the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we glorify Thee, with Thy Originless Father and All-Holy, and Good, and Thy Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen". It is secretly read by a priest during the Divine Liturgy before the reading of the Holy Gospel. It is also placed after the 11th kathisma of the Psalter.
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom: “Lord Jesus Christ, open my ears of the heart to hear Thy word, and understand and do Thy will, as I am a stranger on earth: do not hide from me Thy commandments, but open my eyes, so that I understand miracles from Thy law; tell me the obscurity and your secret wisdom. I trust in You, my God, that I enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind, not only written of honor, but also create, so that I will not read the holy lives and words in my sin, but in renewal, and enlightenment, and in holy things, and in salvation of the soul, and the inheritance of eternal life. As Thou art enlightening those lying in darkness, and from Thee is every good gift and every gift is perfect. Amen".
Prayer of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), read before and after reading the Holy Scripture: “Save, Lord, and have mercy on Your servants (names) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which is about the salvation of Your servant. The thorns of all their sins have fallen, Lord, and may your grace dwell in them, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Regarding the latter, I will add that it is also read with the addition of a chapter from the Holy Gospel in some kind of sorrow or trouble. From my own experience, I was convinced that it helps a lot. And the merciful Lord delivers from all situations and troubles. Some fathers recommend reading this prayer with an evangelical chapter every day.
These are "Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew" by St. John Chrysostom; interpretation of the Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria on the Gospel; "Interpretation of the Gospel" by B. I. Gladkov, highly appreciated by the saints righteous John Kronstadt; the works of Archbishop Averky (Taushev), Metropolitan Benjamin (Pushkar), the Explanatory Bible of the Old and New Testaments by Alexander Lopukhin, and other works.
Let us fall, brothers and sisters, with hearts "hungry and thirsty for righteousness" to the pure life-giving spring of Holy Scripture. Without it, the soul is doomed to decay and spiritual death. With him, she blooms like a flower of paradise, filled with verbal life-giving moisture, worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
About the phenomenon we encounter while reading the Gospel
The first question is why the Bible is so hard to read. Any magazine or newspaper, as a rule, is "swallowed" in one breath. But as far as the Gospel and soulful books are concerned, this is more difficult. Either hands do not reach, then I do not feel like it at all. Can we talk about some special laziness that "attacks" a person exactly when he has to do something for the soul?
In this case, we are talking about a phenomenon that really confirms the existence of another world - the world of angels and demons - a very subtle, mysterious world. Indeed, when we have either a laptop or a fascinating novel in our hands, for some reason we do not want to sleep, and we are able to listen to what we have written until late. But as soon as we get into the hands of some kind of spiritual book - I mean not spiritual fiction, which has appeared in abundance in our time, but serious ascetic theological literature and, especially, Holy Scripture - for some reason we immediately tend to sleep. Thoughts are not held in our cranium, they begin to fly in various directions, and reading becomes very, very difficult. All this shows that someone in the world of dark spirits really does not like what we are doing. That there is someone who so clearly opposes us in reading, which edifies us, brings us closer to God.
It is important to know that even if we do not fully remember everything that we read - due to a weakness of memory or for some other reason - it is still necessary to read. This question was revealed in the book "Fatherland" by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, which contains the sayings of the Egyptian monks of the 4th-5th centuries. A certain disciple came to the elder and said: “What to do, no matter how much I read the Holy Scripture, other books, nothing remains in my head, I remember nothing. Is it worth reading in this case, maybe not? " To which he was told: how dirty laundry placed in a stream, even without washing, is cleansed, because running water washes away all the dirt from it, so reading divine books from our heads washes away dirt, dirt and enlightens our thoughts with the Gospel light.
Is it obligatory to read the interpretation of the Gospel? Do I need to make extracts from the text while reading? After all, this way we read less, but it is remembered. Or is it better to try to read more without being distracted by note-taking?
It all depends on the degree of organization of the person. There are people who need to systematize everything, somehow fix it, break it down into points - this way they will perceive better. It is really useful for them to take notes and make some extracts.
There are those who do not differ in such a system, I think they are the majority. Such people need to regularly and constantly read the Holy Scriptures and, preferably, with interpretation. It is clear that the first few times it needs to be read completely without distraction. But the further we read, the more we will see the need to understand him better. With our minds at some stages, we still cannot comprehend many things, so it is worth turning to the 20-century experience of the Church.
- In general, all people who are at the beginning of their spiritual path, who are only coming to church, are advised to read the book of Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky "The Law of God." Perhaps the title suggests that the book is intended for children in some initial educational institution, but in fact it is quite serious. This is a brilliant example of how it is possible to collect and formulate very succinctly and clearly the basic concepts of faith, the Church, and Orthodoxy in one small book. In particular, there is also a section on Holy Scripture, on the history of the Church, so that a person can get a systematic idea of what the Church is and what place it occupies in our life.
As for the interpretation of Holy Scripture, there are quite a few wonderful publications. The classic is the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom. But for a beginner, it may seem somewhat complicated and not entirely clear. If a person is just going to start studying Holy Scripture, then it is best to use the interpretation of Archbishop Averky (Taushev). It will surely be clear and understandable to everyone.
On the dress code for women: should the head be covered?
We know that during prayer, whether at home or in church, a woman must cover her head. Reading the Holy Scriptures is not a prayer, therefore, it is quite permissible to read it with your head uncovered.
Is it necessary to have a skirt when reading, or is it possible in home clothes - in sweatpants, for example?
The main thing is that it was clothes, and not, say, underwear. But this applies to the situation when a person prays himself. When it comes to a Christian family, especially when there are children, then you need to try to dress in something that is more consistent with prayer. A woman should have a skirt and a kerchief, a man should also be in more or less decent clothes - to emphasize the importance of the moment the family stands before God. This is especially important for the upbringing of children - by this we show that prayer is not done on the go, but is the most important common cause.
- During the days of natural cleansing for women, they should not kiss icons, approach the blessing and the cross. But what about the Gospel? It is believed that it is also impossible to attach to it. Accordingly - and read?
The instructions regarding the purity of women, first of all, relate to the sacraments - confession, communion, unction, and others. On certain days, a woman cannot participate in them. All other restrictions are already a tradition of this or that locality, of this or that parish. That is, there is no clear prescription in the Church what cannot be done during this period.
Traditionally, it is believed that in addition to not participating in the sacraments, a woman should also refrain from eating prosphora and holy water, not apply to icons, and theoretically, a blessing is not taken from a priest.
But again, you need to understand that besides the theoretical, there is also a practical side of life: if you eat the prosphora or venerate the icon - it's entirely up to us, then bumping nose to nose with the priest, explain to the priest why you are hiding your hands behind your back, would be inappropriate.
Again, being in this state does not exclude contact with certain sacred objects. After all, the greatest shrine is the cross of Christ, which we wear on our bodies, we do not take off during this period, it remains on us. AND sign of the cross impose on ourselves. It is the same with the prayer book and the home gospel: you can and even need not to interrupt your established prayer rule and, accordingly, do not stop reading the Holy Scriptures.
- It is desirable, but not necessary.
About Prayer and Reading the Gospel on the Road
- Continuing the theme of reverent attitude to the Holy Scriptures - is it possible to read it in public transport? A lot of time modern man spends on the road and combines this time with reading prayers and sacred books. Is this acceptable?
The prayer rule should be read at home, in a calm atmosphere, when nothing distracts from the interview with God. An exception can only be force majeure situations, when a person either stayed late at work until late, or there was some kind of failure in the current schedule, and the person knows for sure that he will come home and, for objective reasons, will no longer be able to read all the prayers. In this case, it is allowed to read in transport. But this should not become a habit and become a permanent practice. You should always listen to your conscience and assess how real and justified the need to pray on the road is.
As for the Gospel, spiritual literature, then, you can and should read in transport. After all, through the eyes, most of the information enters a person, so it is better to let them be busy with the perception of the word of God than scatter to the people around them, to advertisements and to other things that do not bear any fruit and even harmful things.
About Protestant editions of Scripture and the dangers of certain translations
- Is it possible to use editions of the New Testament, which are distributed free of charge by representatives of Protestant confessions? Or to acquire the Gospel in churches of other denominations?
- In Protestant publications you should always look at whose translation it is. If it appears that it was reprinted from the synodal edition (it was published before the revolution with the blessing of the Holy Governing Synod - the body that ruled at that time church life), then you can read it safely.
If there is no such indication or it is said that this is a translation of some society, or a new translation, or an adapted one, or something else, then, of course, it is better to abstain. Often, many denominations, translating the Holy Scriptures anew, adapt it to their own beliefs. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses significantly distorted the Gospel with their pseudo-translation for the reason that they do not recognize the deity of Jesus Christ. All the places where it is said about the deity of the Savior, they remade for themselves. Such publications should not be used and at the first opportunity they need to be disposed of - just like any shrine that has fallen into disrepair. Usually the shrine is burned, and the ashes are either buried in an unprotected place, that is, where they do not go, or swept into running water- into the river, for example.
- Many believers doubt whether they can use the editions of the Gospel published by the World Bible Society, and only trust what is sold in church shops and stores. How do you think?
The Bible Society may also publish adapted translations. They probably do not have the distortions that are present in various translations Protestant denominations, but it is better to use the traditional synodal translation.
In addition, you still need to understand that acquiring Holy Scripture precisely in Orthodox church, you are thus doing your bit for the temple. Although books may be somewhat more expensive than in the Bible Society or among Protestants.
- Should the purchased editions of the Bible or the New Testament be sanctified?
The Holy Scripture itself is already a shrine, so there is no need to sanctify it. Secondly, there is no rite of consecration of the Holy Scriptures.
- The same Bible Society publishes many children's books - adapted New Testament stories, for example. There are publications where all the heroes of the Gospel events are depicted, one might say, cartoon characters. Are there any prejudices on the part of the Church towards the portrayal of Christ and the saints in this form?
Now in Russia, a huge number of children's books with wonderful illustrations are published, which are made in the spirit of Orthodox Church... There are even wonderful children's books with canon icons. And all this was done brightly and efficiently. Thus, from childhood, a child learns to perceive Christ, the Mother of God in the image that the Orthodox Church has preserved for us.
You need to understand that in what image we first meet a character, that character will often remain in our minds. Stirlitz - the main character books by Julian Semenov - appears exclusively in the image of the actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov. Alexander Nevsky - in the form of actor Nikolai Cherkasov, who played him in the film of the same name.
Likewise, the baby: if for the first time he comes into contact with Christ, with the Mother of God, with the apostles in some comics, there is a high probability that this primitivized image will be imprinted in his child's head.
Is there a difference in what language to read the Gospel and pray
- Are there any prescriptions for what language the Bible should be in? Many believe that the Gospel, the Psalter should be read only in Church Slavonic - as is done in churches during divine services. But since we are all already divorced from tradition, when Church Slavonic was studied in primary schools, then we do not understand everything we read correctly and do not fully comprehend the meaning of the words. In this case, would it be logical and natural to read in the language we speak?
- Due to the fact that the Holy Scripture is not some kind of easy reading, it is better to read it in translation - in Russian, Ukrainian or any other language - that is understandable to a person.
The same applies to the Psalms - if a person wants to carefully read the psalms, and not just drum with his tongue, pronouncing beautiful Church Slavonic phrases. You can read it alternately: for example, once all the psalms are in Church Slavonic, the next time in Russian. Ideally, reading the Psalter should be part of the daily prayer rule... At least a little, but you need to read it, because the psalms are used in the circle of the divine services of the Orthodox Church. And being at the service, if we read the Psalter in translation, we will be able to understand those allusions and references to it that sound at the service in the temple.
In addition, there is a commandment: Sing to God reasonably. This means that the psalms - and these are, in essence, spiritual songs, you need to understand, sing rationally. As Elder Paisius of Athos said - if we do not understand what we are praying about, then how can we come to an agreement with God?
But one should pray for Church Slavonic... Still prayers colloquial speech are deprived of that sublimity that is present in the text not just in another language, but in CHURCH-Slavic.
Why the Same Gospel Passages Are Read in Churches
- During each Divine Liturgy, the Gospel is read in the church, and, as a rule, on certain Sundays we hear the same passages prescribed by the charter. Why are only certain episodes chosen for reading in the temple?
- We cannot say that only individual episodes have been selected. During the calendar year, the Gospel is read in full at daily church services.
Where did the tradition of reading the Gospel at services come from? We know that 100% literacy of the population became possible only thanks to (at least in our country) the efforts of Lenin's grandfather. Before the revolution, and even more so even in more ancient times, not all people were literate. And those who knew how to read did not have the opportunity to have the Holy Scriptures, since books were rare. We know how expensive lists and handwritten books were - they were literally worth their weight in gold. When such a book was sold, they often put some jewelry on the opposite side of the scale. Therefore, rarely did anyone have the text of Holy Scripture.
At the time when, in fact, the divine service of the Christian Church was being formed, all Christians were almost daily present at the common prayer, they gathered every day for the Eucharist in the church. And during these meetings, some part of the Gospel was read. And since people regularly attended services, lived in the spirit of Holy Scripture, they knew it, because during the year it was read all completely.
And now, if we open the liturgical calendar, then there are Gospel passages for each day. And on Sundays, the Church has established the reading of the most edifying passages.
If a person wants to live in Christ, then for him any opportunity to hear the Holy Scriptures is always joyful and gratifying for his soul. Moreover, you need to understand that gospel readings have an annual circle. Hardly anyone can remember what was read a year ago. Every time, even if a person reads the Gospel at home, that little passage that is read on Sunday is a small discovery for him, a reminder of the most significant parables and the most significant events in the life of Christ.
- Orthodox Christians quite often hear reproaches from non-church people that we have the same thing every day - the same prayers, similar services, one book for daily reading - the Gospel. If you try to answer this reproach, then why is this daily repetition necessary?
- If we literally follow the Holy Scriptures, then the Lord Jesus Christ left us only one prayer - "Our Father." But if we read only one of her, then surely there would be even more reproaches.
That is, most of us have a consumer attitude towards prayer, although the Lord said: "Seek the Kingdom of God first, the rest will be added to you." And the morning and evening prayers are precisely aimed at making a person learn to pray. This can be called a kind of spiritual gymnastics. When we do gymnastics in the morning and in the evening, we repeat basically monotonous movements. For what? In order for these movements to become a habit, so that we acquire some physical qualities, skills that we need for life.
In the same way, morning and evening prayers are gymnastics for our prayer consciousness. So that we get used to praying, knowing what to ask for: for the sublime, for the heavenly, for humility, for purity, for those things that lead to the Kingdom of God. Please note that in the morning and evening prayers ah, which were compiled by the saints, only that which brings us closer to the Kingdom of God. In this direction, you need to get used to praying.
Of course, if a person leads a spiritual life, if he has a confessor who knows his spiritual and heartfelt disposition, and this person gets tired of reading morning and evening prayers, then the confessor can bless him to read, for example, the Psalter. But this cannot be a general practice, but only with the blessing of a priest who knows the person who has turned to him.
In this regard, you can also remember the preparation for the sacrament. Those who receive Communion comparatively rarely read and grumble with great difficulty about the canon for Holy Communion that has developed in the Church, which consists of three canons and succession. This approach is practiced: if a person does not partake of Communion at every Sunday Liturgy, then the rule for Communion can be "extended" for a week: read penitential canon, on the next - the canon to the Mother of God, then - to the Guardian Angel and so on, so that before the communion itself we leave only prayers for Holy Communion. Thus, a person will have additional prayer work for several days, a certain prayer mood will be created, and before the communion itself there will no longer be such fatigue from reading a large number of prayers.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the things that we talked about are still secondary and far from the most important in life. Orthodox Christian... If a person strives to live according to the Gospel, if he loves God, loves his neighbor, then all external actions will be performed with natural reverence, he will not need to drive himself into an artificial framework.
The most important thing is to remember and fulfill the words of the Lord. Christ said: "I am the way and the truth and the life." And Holy Scripture is a book that sets out this path. Therefore, when reading the Gospel, you need to think not about when to cross yourself or where to sit at the moment, but how to fulfill it in your life.