Canon - Greek. κανών, literally - a straight pole, any measure that determines the forward direction, spirit level, ruler. In ancient Greece, this word was used to refer to a set of basic provisions or rules in a specialty that had an axiomatic or dogmatic character.
For the ancient Greek lawyers, κανών meant the same as for the Roman lawyers regula juris - a short position, a thesis extracted from the current law and representing a scheme for solving one or another particular legal issue.
Ecclesiastical canon- these are the rules in the field of dogmatics of a single church, cult actions, the organization of the church itself, erected into law.
Christian churches tend to follow book taxonomy Old Testament III century BC, Greek translation of the Holy Scriptures "Septuagint".
Typically for books of the Old Testament christian tradition simply adopted a Jewish collection of books that were regarded as authoritative sources for public use. But since the Jewish canon was not officially established, many books used with reference to Judaism did not achieve holiness status.
By general definition the canon is a collection of dogmatic statements.
Biblical canon- a set of selected books, which are considered indisputable teachings, in the creation of which God himself participated.
The canon of the New Testament developed between the first and fourth centuries. At the beginning of the Christian church, he remained open to new writings. Many of them were widely circulated and read in Western and eastern parts Churches. Over time, various Christian communities have come to recognize some of them as authoritative.
In the days of Christianity, the name "canon", even in the era of the Apostles (Gal. 6, 16; Phil. 3, 16), was adopted by those church rules which originated from Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles, or were established by the Church later, or were established, although by the state, in relation to the ecclesiastical competence based on divine commandments. Having the form of positive definitions and bearing an external church sanction, these rules were called canons, in contrast to those decrees about the church, which, proceeding from the state power, are protected by its approval and are implemented by its power.
The canons are more powerful than laws, since the laws were issued only by the Greco-Roman emperors, and the canons - by the holy fathers of the church, with the approval of the emperors, as a result of which the canons have the authority of both powers - church and state. In a broad sense, canons are called all the decrees of the church, both related to doctrine and concerning the structure of the church, its institutions, discipline and religious life church society.
Types of canons
After the church began to expound its creed in general church symbols, the word canon acquired a more special meaning - the decrees of the Ecumenical Council relating to the structure of the church, its administration, institutions, discipline and life.
The definitions of the ecumenical councils of the 6th and 7th centuries. church canons are recognized as "irrevocable", "invincible" and "unshakable"; but these definitions are, by the very essence of the matter, subject to limitations and exceptions.
Scientists canonists distinguish between canons that are in effect and that have ceased to be in effect.
The canons that are invariably in force include general canons concerning the objects of faith, as well as the essential foundations of the general church structure and discipline. The church canon, conditioned by the circumstances of the time, suspends the operation of the more ancient canon, in which they do not agree with one another, and in turn may be subject to cancellation upon expiration of the circumstances that caused it. Sometimes the later canon is not considered to be a cancelation of the older one, relating to the same subject, but only as an explanation of it. Oral tradition acquires the character of a canon only after it has been formalized in a council decree.
The canons of ecumenical councils correct and revoke the decrees of local councils. Other canons are recognized as having lost their force due to the changed order of church life, as well as in the presence of state laws that disagree with them. From the decrees of councils, the name of the canons was established according to the rules of the Ecumenical councils, the rules of nine local councils, the apostles and the rules extracted from the creations of the thirteen church fathers.
The "ecclesiastical canon" of the church is considered by the majority of canonists to be completed in the 10th century, with the publication of the nomokanon of Photius.
All canons of the Orthodox Church 762.
The first code of church canons, which was in use since the time of Emperor Constantine the Great, was a collection of rules for the Council of Nicaea, supplemented by the rules of local councils
The codification of the state laws of the Greco-Roman Empire under Justinian caused similar work on the part of the Church in relation to both her own canons and in relation to state laws on church issues. This is where the so-called nomocanons originated. Applicable canons
Currently, the code of the church canons in force in the Greek church is Pidalion (πηδάλιον - steering wheel on a ship), compiled in Greek. scientists in 1793-1800 Added to the text of the canons: interpretations of Zonara, Aristinus and Balsamon; The interpretations of these three interpreters in the Orthodox Greek and Russian churches have always enjoyed authority. And this is not only for the sake of their inner dignity, but also as a result of their approval by the higher ecclesiastical authority. In addition to the works of the interpreters, the rules of John the Postnik, Nicephorus and Nicholas of the Patriarchs are attached to the Pidalion's text. Constantinople and several articles related to the field of marriage law and the formalities of church office work.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which at its very beginning accepted, along with the doctrine, the church law of Byzantium in the form of the Nomokanon (which received the name of the Book's Helm in Russia), does not have a complete code of church laws and regulations in force today. There is only complete collection, v chronological order, the canons of the ancient ecumenical church under the title of a book of rules published on behalf of the Holy Synod.
In the years 1873-1878. The Moscow Society of Lovers of Spiritual Enlightenment has published a scientific publication of these rules - their Greek original and Slavic translation in parallel with the interpretations of Zonara, Aristin and Valsamon.
The chronological "Collection of decrees under the authority of the Holy Synod" was started by the Synodal Archival Commission (from 1869 to 1894, seven volumes were published, covering the period from 1721 to 1733 inclusive) The need for church canons
Any organized society presupposes some principles of its organization, which all its members must obey. The canons are the rules by which members of the Church should serve God and organize their lives so as to constantly maintain this state of service, this life in God.
Like any rules, the canons are designed not to complicate the life of a Christian, but, on the contrary, to help him navigate the complex reality of the Church and in life in general. If there were no canons, then church life would be a complete chaos, and in general the very existence of the Church as a single organization on earth would be impossible. At the same time, it is very important to emphasize that, in strict contrast to the dogmas, which are unchanging, as God himself is unchanging, and cannot have any alternatives, all canons were adopted in accordance with the human factor, since they are focused on a person - a being is weak and inclined to change.
Moreover, the Church itself is primary in relation to its canons and therefore it is quite possible that the Church edits its own canons, which is completely impossible in relation to dogmas. We can say that if the dogmas tell us about what actually exists, then the canons tell us how convenient it is for the Church to exist in the proposed circumstances of the earthly, fallen world.
Bibliography
Alexander A. Sokolovski
The Bishops' Council accepts documents on juvenile justice, electronic identity cards and other problems, about which nothing is written in the canons that were created one and a half thousand years ago, in Ancient rome and Byzantium. Nevertheless, the bishops are guided by them. So why don't the canons become obsolete?
Ecumenical councils are most often associated with the dogmas that were adopted at them, for example, with the Niceo-Constantinople Creed (First and Second Ecumenical Councils), or with the protection of icon veneration (Seventh Ecumenical Council). But at the Councils they accepted not only doctrinal truths, but also canons - the rules of the Church. Not all of them are in effect today, but not one has been canceled.
History of sin
The word "canon" is translated from Greek as "straight line" or "rule". Unlike dogmas, canons relate to the practical side of church life: issues of church-administrative structure, church discipline, or Christian morality. Canon is a guideline for correct, normal Christian life man and the Church as a whole. For example, the “moral” canons formulate the lower limit of Christian behavior and, as a rule, express some kind of prohibition: “no cleric is allowed to maintain a tavern (that is, a tavern or a hotel)” (9th rule of the Sixth Ecumenical (Trull) Council ).
In a sense, the canons tell us about the history of sin in the Church, because they were all created to limit sin. The canons were approved in a specific historical period in order to solve the problems that were urgent at that time. And, judging by the number of canons, there were many problems: we have 189 Ecumenical rules and about 320 Local councils. Many of them are repeated from cathedral to cathedral, this suggests that the problem they were called to solve was not solved, and the Church had to repeat and confirm its decision. So, against the sin of simony (the acquisition of the holy dignity for money) fought both at the Fourth Ecumenical Council, and at the Sixth (Trull), and at the Seventh. And with usury among the clergy - at Laodicea, Carthage and at the First, Sixth, Seventh Ecumenical Councils.
Canons prohibiting TV?
Despite the legalization of Christianity in Byzantine Empire, and then raising it to the rank of a privileged religion, the customs in Byzantium among people still for a long time remained pagan. For example, theatrical tragedies ("shameful games") were passionate scenes of murder, revenge, jealousy, fornication, and the performances of buffoons would strongly remind us of frivolous modern films and American comedies. Horse racing ("horse lists") was a cruel spectacle with many accidents (chariots often turned over), and, as Bishop Nikodim (Milash), a Serbian canonist and historian (1845-1915) writes, "aroused in the audience brutal and bloodthirsty instincts ". Refusal to visit these places should have become the norm of Christian life, but not all Christians understood this.
Theater, horse racing, circus were the subject of many angry sermons by bishops of the 4th-5th centuries, for example, St. John Chrysostom. In the 4th century, the fathers who participated in the local Laodicean and Carthaginian councils banned the attendance of these events, and in the 7th century, several rules against theater and horse racing were adopted at the Trull Cathedral at once. According to the 24th canon of this cathedral, priests and other members of the clergy, as well as monks, were not allowed to attend the races and the theater. If the priest is called to wedding feast and theatrical performances will begin there, he will have to retire. Rule 51 prohibits all Christians from attending comedy performances, "animal spectacles" and "dancing in disgrace" (dancing on stage). "Animal spectacles" consisted in the fact that " big cities fed various animals - lions and bears; at a certain time they took them out to some square and directed them to bulls, sometimes to people, prisoners or convicts, and this served as amusement for the spectators, "- as Vladyka Nikodim writes. And dances were forbidden because of their obscenity, especially if women participate in them, arousing passions and lust in the audience. The 62nd and 65th canons of Trulla Cathedral also condemn participation in pagan festivities, which were accompanied by dances and theatrical processions.
Although many of the realities that led to the emergence of some canons no longer exist, these rules can be attributed to other, similar problems of our time. So, hippodromes, ballet and theater in Christian culture, indeed, have changed a lot compared to what they were in the pagan world, and no one gives bulls or people to be torn to pieces by lions, but the rules of Trull Cathedral may well be relevant and retain the status of a landmark when it comes to vulgar cinema, TV programs, performances, literature, concerts, shows, etc.
In connection with the events that took place between the Church and the world in the past year, the position of the Ancient Church in semi-pagan Byzantium does not even seem outdated. The Church in the IV-VII centuries was supposed to remain alien to the world, not to dissolve in it, and the bishops who made decisions at the Ecumenical and Local Councils fought not only for the purity of the evangelical life of their flock, but also for good name Christians in the Empire. So, in order not to cause complaints, clerics are forbidden even to visit the inn (9th Trull., 24th Laod.), Give money in growth (17th I Vsell., 10th Trull.), Walk in indecent and immodest clothes (27th Trull., 16th VII Vsell.), live in the same house with women who are not their relatives (5th Trull., 3rd I Vsel.), and also wash in a bath with their wives (77th Trull.) According to the 5th rule of the Trull Cathedral, the wife of a cleric cannot be an actress ("disgraceful"). Women (including pilgrims) should not sleep in monasteries, and men - in women (47th Trul.). Monasteries should not be "double", i.e. two monasteries - female and male - are nearby, and a nun should not eat or converse with a monk in private (20th VII Vse.). All Christians are prohibited gambling(50th Trull.) Or dancing at the wedding (53rd Laod.).
Canons poorly understood
There are perhaps a couple of canons most frequently quoted by modern Orthodox Christians. The first in popularity is the 19th rule of Trull Cathedral. It is quoted when someone is seen trying to meditate on the Scriptures on their own, especially in Bible study groups where this meditation and reasoning is practiced. However, this canon is quoted incorrectly, or rather, what is quoted is not at all the 19th rule. They say that the holy fathers categorically forbid to interpret Holy Scripture according to their own understanding and it is impossible to interpret Holy Scripture in any other way, but only in the way they themselves did it. But the 19th rule says something different. It is addressed not to the laity who read and meditate on the Word of God, but to the bishops who prepare sermons for the teaching of the people. This rule for preachers speaks of the responsibility of the preacher: they should compose sermons, relying on the homilies of the holy fathers, do it in the same spirit, so as not to be mistaken, because they are talking about the doctrine. But this rule does not apply to scripture reading groups also because in all such groups there is a rule that participants do not preach or teach other participants. Here is the full text of the rule in Church Slavonic: “The primates of the churches must, all the days, especially on Sundays, teach the whole clergy and people the words of piety, choosing from the Divine Scripture the understanding and reasoning of truth, and without breaking the already set limits and tradition of the God-bearing father: and if the word of Scripture is investigated, then they do not explain it otherwise, except as the luminaries and teachers of the church stated in their writings, and they are more satisfied with this than composing their own words, so that, with a lack of skill in this, they do not deviate from what is appropriate. For, through the teachings of the aforementioned father, people, receiving knowledge about the good and worthy of election, and about the unhelpful and worthy of disgust, correct their lives for the better, and do not suffer from the ailment of ignorance, but listening to the teaching, induce themselves to move away from evil, and, by fear threatening punishments, make their own salvation. "
Another rule became especially famous in connection with the scandalous incident in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This is the 75th rule of the same Trull Cathedral. The accusers of the punk group Pussi Riot believe that this very canon was violated by its members. Strictly speaking, this rule is "highly specialized" and is addressed to church singers who, during their singing at the service, made unnatural sounds or unbridled screams ("outrageous screams"), imitating the performances of the singers in the theater. The rule prohibits them from doing this. Full text of the rule: “We wish that those who come to church for singing do not use outrageous screams, do not force an unnatural scream out of themselves, and do not introduce anything incongruous and unusual for the church: but with great attention and tenderness we bring psalm songs to God, who divines the hidden things. For the sacred word taught the sons of Israel to be reverent (Lev. 15:31). "
There are other, less popular canons, a careful reading of which will help us to sort out some church misunderstandings. For example, the words of the Apostle Paul that are often quoted in relation to women (girls) engaged in any educational activity in the church: “let the wife be silent in the church” (cf. 1 Cor. 14:34) are specified in the 70th rule of Trull Cathedral : “It is not permissible for wives to speak verb during the Divine Liturgy, but according to the word of the Apostle Paul, let them be silent. They did not command them to speak, but obey, as the law speaks. If they want to learn how to do it, let them ask in the house of their husbands (1 Cor. 14: 34-35) "... The rule tells us that women are prohibited from preaching during Divine Liturgy, as well as laymen-men (see. 64th canon of Trulla Cathedral). Everything else: missionary work, teaching, conducting catechesis, leading Scripture study groups - a woman can, if she has sufficient knowledge and acts with the blessing of the hierarchy.
There is another canon concerning women and destroying the opinion that, as if at some cathedral, women were forbidden to wear trousers. In this case, "trousers" are, of course, an anachronism, but, in fact, in the 13th rule of the Gangres Cathedral it is said that women are not allowed to dress in men's clothes: "If a certain wife, for the sake of imaginary asceticism, will use the garment, and instead of the usual female clothes, she will put on a man's: let it be under an oath."... We are talking about the custom of heretics, followers of the teachings of Eustathius, who rejected marriage as a sin, preached extreme asceticism, but at the same time fell into fornication, and, moreover, did not distinguish between men and women. For the sake of asceticism, the Eustathian men wore coarse clothes, and women also imitated them. The rule speaks out against the spread of this custom among the Orthodox. Now there is hardly a lady who wears trousers "for the sake of imaginary selfless devotion", in addition, trousers have long ceased to be only men's clothing.
Forgotten canons
There are also rules that are not observed in the modern Orthodox Church for a number of reasons, including historical ones, but the observance of which would only improve the life of Christians.
The first two canons are of the 46th Laodicean Cathedral and the 78th of Trulli (the same), which prescribes the obligatory catechesis of those preparing for baptism: "Those who are baptized must study the faith, and on the fifth day of the week give an answer to the bishop or elders."(46th Laod.). The following - the 76th rule of Trulla Cathedral would have saved us from numerous reproaches from the Protestants: “No one should, inside the sacred fences, supply a tavern or supply various food, or produce other purchases, while maintaining reverence for the churches. For our Savior and God, teaching us by his life in the flesh, commanded us not to do things to His Father’s house with a purchase. He also scattered pennyaz to the people of the forage, and drove out those who built the holy temple in a secular place (John 2: 15-16). Therefore, if anyone is convicted of this crime, let him be excommunicated "... As you can see, this rule prohibits any trade in temples or on temple grounds.
Two more useful rules- on the conduct of Great Lent and Bright Week. "It is not proper to marry or celebrate birthdays at the age of four."(52nd Laod.). AND: “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God to the new week, throughout the week, the faithful must constantly exercise in the holy churches, in psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the holy mysteries. For in this way we will be resurrected with Christ, and we will ascend. For this, by no means on these days, let there be no horse groaning, or any other folk spectacle "(66th Trull.) The last rule prescribes frequent attendance at divine services Bright week and frequent Communion.
The 80th rule of the Trulla Council says that one must not withdraw from church communion for more than three resurrections in a row, by which a person excommunicates himself from the Church. Moreover, the rule prescribes only to attend services on Sundays, leaving the question of participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist at the discretion of everyone: “If anyone, a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or someone from those numbered among the clergy, or a layman, having no urgent need or obstacle, which would have been removed from his church for a long time, but staying in the city, on three Sundays in the course of three weeks, he will not come to the church meeting: then the cleric will be expelled from the clergy, and the layman will be removed from communion. "
Article from the encyclopedia "Tree": site
Canon(Greek κανών, literally - a straight pole - any measure that determines the forward direction: spirit level, ruler, square).
In ancient Greece, composers, grammars, philosophers, physicians used this word for a set of basic provisions or rules in their specialty that were axiomatic or dogmatic in nature (what later, in the era of scholasticism, was called summa, for example, summa philosophiae). For the ancient Greek lawyers, κανών meant the same as for the Roman lawyers regula juris - a short position, a thesis extracted from the current law and representing a scheme for solving one or another particular legal issue.
In our time, the word canon has several meanings.
- Church rule or set of rules (see below).
- The Sacred or Biblical Canon is the composition of those sacred books of the Old ("Old Testament Canon") and New ("New Testament Canon") Testaments, which are recognized by the church as divinely inspired and serve as the primary sources and norms of faith.
- A list or catalog of clergy and clergymen of a known diocese, compiled for the needs of the diocesan administration. The persons included in this list were called canons.
- For one of the genres of church hymnography, see Canon (chant).
During Christianity, the name " canon"first of all, even in the era of the apostles (Galatians VI, 16; Philip. III, 16), it was adopted by those church rules that originated from Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles, or were established by the Church later, or, finally, were established although and the state, but in relation to the ecclesiastical competence based on divine commandments. The last in the legal Greco-Roman literature to learn the name of the law - νόμος, common with all laws of the state.
According to the Byzantine canonists (Valsamon, Vlastar, etc.), as well as some of the latest scholars, canons have greater force than laws, since the epistle was published only by the Greco-Roman emperors, and the canons - by the holy fathers of the church, with the approval of the emperors, as a result of which the authority of both powers - ecclesiastical and state - belongs to the canons.
In a broad sense canons all the decrees of the church are named, both related to the doctrine, and concerning the structure of the church, its institutions, discipline and religious life of the church society, and sometimes the creations of individual church fathers (for example, Κανών έκκλησιαστικός of Clement of Alexandria).
After the church began to expound its doctrine in church-wide symbols, the word canon received a more special meaning - the decree of the ecumenical council, relating to the structure of the church, its management, institutions, discipline and life. In this sense, the word canon is finally legitimized by the 1 and 2 rules of the Trull Cathedral. Therefore, in the collections of church canons, although there are symbols and dogmas, only to the extent that they are included in the definitions of councils.
Then they usually distinguish general canons(καθολικοί, γενικοι κανόνες) and private or local(τοπικοί, ίδικοί κανόνες), and some canonists, in addition, - personal canons(προςοπικοί). Most scholars, with Balsamon at the head, do not recognize as canons for the canons of decrees concerning individuals by virtue of the principle "jura non in singulas personas, sed generaliter constituntur".
The codification of the state laws of the Greco-Roman Empire under Justinian caused similar work on the part of the Church in relation to both her own canons and in relation to state laws on church issues. This is where the so-called nomocanons originated. Currently, the code of the church canons in force in the Greek church is Pidalion (πηδάλιον - steering wheel on a ship), compiled in Greek. scientists in 1793-1800 based mainly on the syntagma patr. Photius. Attached to the text of the canons:
- interpretations of Zonara, Aristinus (who in the 12th century compiled "an interpretation of the synopsis of K.") and Balsamon;
- rules of John the Faster, Nicephorus and Nicholas Patr. Constantinople and
- several articles related to the field of marriage law and the formalities of church office work.
The same meaning is also
Orthodox literary works contain an inexhaustible source that allows one to communicate with God. The canon is considered one of the types of church verbal art.
The difference between the canon and the akathist
Prayer is an invisible thread between people and God; it is a spiritual conversation with the Almighty. It is important for our body like water, air, food. Whether it is gratitude, joy or sorrow through prayer, the Lord will hear us. When she comes from the heart, with pure thoughts, zeal, the Lord hears prayer and responds to our requests.
Canon and Akathist can be called one of the types of conversations with the Lord, Holy Mother of God and saints.
What is the canon in the church and how does it differ from the akathist?
The word "canon" has two meanings:
- Accepted by the Church and taken as the basis of the Orthodox teaching of the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, collected together. The Greek word, acquired from the Semitic languages and originally meaning a stick or ruler for measurement, and then appeared and figurative meaning- "rule", "norm" or "list".
- The genre of the church hymn, chanting: a work that is not simple in structure, aimed at the glorification of saints and church holidays... It is a part of morning, evening and all-night services.
The canon is divided into songs, each of which separately contains an irmos and a troparion. In Byzantium and modern Greece, the irmos and troparia of the canon are metrically similar, which allows the entire canon to be sung; during the Slavic translation, a single syllable in the metric was violated, so the troparia are read, and the irmos are singing.
Only the Easter canon is an exception to the rule - it is sung in its entirety.
Read about canons:
The melody of the piece obeys one of eight voices. The canon appeared as a genre in the middle of the 7th century. The first canons were written by St. John Damascene and St. Andrey of Crete.
Akathist - translated from Greek means "non-sedating song", a liturgical chant of a special laudatory character, which is aimed at glorifying Christ, the Mother of God and the saints. It begins with the main kontakion and 24 following stanzas (12 ikos and 12 kontakions).
At the same time, the ikos end with the same refrain as the first kontakion, and all the rest - with the "Hallelujah" refrain.
Reading the canon
What unites canon and akathist
A certain rule serves as a unification of these two genres of chants. The construction of works is carried out according to a fixed scheme.
The canon includes nine songs that begin with irmos and end with katavasia. Usually there are 8 songs in it. The second is performed in the Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete. The akathist consists of 25 stanzas, in which kontakion and ikos alternate.
The kontakions are not verbose, the ikos are extensive. They are built in pairs. The stanzas are read once. There is no song in front of them. The thirteenth kontakion is a prayer direct message to the saint himself and is read three times. Then the first ikos is read again, followed by the first kontakion.
The difference between canon and akathist
The holy fathers mainly practiced in drawing up the canons.
Akathist could come from the pen of a simple layman. Having read such works, the higher clergy took them into account and set the stage for further recognition and dissemination in church practice.
Read about akathists:
After the third and sixth canons of the canon, a small litany is pronounced by the priest. Then the sedalena, ikos and kontakion are read or sung.
Important! According to the rules, simultaneous reading of several canons is possible. And reading several akathists at the same time is impossible, and the stanzas of these works are not shared by the intense prayer of all those present.
Canons are read at prayer services. Reading them is also blessed at home. Akathists do not include morning, evening, and all-night services in the cycle. They order akathists for prayer services, and also read at home. The canons are clearly defined by the charter of the church. The parishioner chooses the Akathist himself, and the priest reads him at the prayer service.
The canons are performed throughout the year.
It is inappropriate to read Akathists during Great Lent, because the solemn and joyful mood the work cannot convey the quiet and calm mood of the days of Lenten. Each canon song tells about some biblical event. There may not be a direct link, but the secondary presence of this or that topic is necessarily felt. Akathist is considered easy to understand. Its vocabulary is easy to understand, the syntax is simple, and the text is separate. The words of the akathist come from the depths of the heart, his text is the best that a common person wants to tell God.
Akathist is a song of thanksgiving, a song of praise, a kind of ode, therefore better reading for him when they want to thank the Lord or a saint for help.
How to read the canon
During home reading canon take the traditional beginning and end of prayers. And if these works are read together with the morning or evening rule, then no additional prayers need to be read.
Important: It is necessary to read so that the ears hear what is spoken by the lips, so that the contents of the canon fall on the heart, with the feeling of the presence of the living God. Read with attention, focusing with the mind on what is being read and so that the heart listens to thoughts directed to the Lord.
The most readable canons at home are:
- Canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ.
- A canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.
- Canon to the Guardian Angel.
These three Canons are read when preparing a person for the Sacrament of Communion. Sometimes these three canons are combined into one for simplicity and ease of perception.
Saint Andrew of Crete. Fresco of the Church of St. Nicholas. Athos monastery Stavronikita, 1546
All of us in life are weak and sick, or our relatives need our attention and help in recovery, then we read the Canon for the sick.
The greatest and most significant canon is the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. It is complete, contains all nine songs, and each includes up to thirty troparia. This is truly a colossal masterpiece.
The whole repentant meaning of the work is an appeal not only to God, but also to the one who is praying. A person is so immersed in his experiences while reading the canon, as if he directs his gaze inside his soul, speaks to himself, with his conscience, replays the events of his life and grieves over the mistakes that he made.
The Cretan masterpiece is not just a call and call to repentance. This is an opportunity to return a person to God and receive His love.
To enhance this feeling, the author uses a popular technique. He takes as a basis the Holy Scriptures: examples of both great sins and great spiritual exploits. Shows that everything is in the hands of a person and according to his conscience: how you can fall to the very bottom, and ascend to the top; how sin can take a soul captive and how together with the Lord it can be overcome.
Andrey of Crete also pays attention to symbols: at the same time they are poetic and accurate in relation to the problems raised.
The Great Canon is a song of songs of living, true repentance. The salvation of the soul is not a mechanical and memorized fulfillment of the commandments, not the habitual creation of good deeds, but a return to the Heavenly Father and the feeling of that very grace-filled love that was lost by our ancestors.
Important! In the first and last week of Great Lent, it is read Penitential Canon... In the first week, he instructs and directs to repentance, and in the last week of Great Lent, he asks about how the soul worked and left sin. Has repentance become an effective change in life, which entailed a change in behavior, thinking, attitude?
But the modern rhythm of life, especially in big cities, does not always allow a working person to attend God-pleasing services with the singing of the Canon of Andrew of Crete. Fortunately, finding this amazing text isn't hard.
At least once in a lifetime, it is desirable for everyone to read this creation thoughtfully, which can truly turn a person's consciousness, give the opportunity to feel that the Lord is always near, that there is no distance between Him and a person. After all, love, faith, hope are not measured by any standards.
This is the grace that God gives us every minute.
Watch a video about the three Orthodox canons
Councils and Fathers of the Church, concerning the church system and rules. It should be distinguished from dogmatic regulations (Oros).
Main Canonical Corps Orthodox Church contained in a collection bearing the title Rule book(full title: The book of rules of the holy apostles, the holy councils of the ecumenical and local, and the holy fathers); was published by the Holy Synod in a Russian translation, somewhat stylized as Church Slavonic.
Notes (edit)
see also
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what the "Church Canon" is in other dictionaries:
- (Greek kanon norm, rule) In aesthetics, a category that means a system of internal creative rules and norms that dominate art in some historical period or in some artistic direction and anchoring the main structural ... ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies
Canon- (from the Greek kanon norm, rule), a set of provisions that are mandatory: 1) the biblical canon is a set of Bible books recognized by the church as divinely inspired and used in worship as Holy Scripture; 2) church ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (from the Greek kanon the norm is the rule), a set of provisions that have a dogmatic character: 1) the biblical canon is a set of Bible books recognized by the church as inspired by the church, used in worship as Scripture... Canon of the Orthodox ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary
CANON (from the Greek kanon norm, rule), a set of provisions that have a dogmatic character: 1) the biblical canon is a set of Bible books recognized by the church as "inspired", used in worship as "Holy Scripture." Canon ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (from the Greek kanon norm, rule), a set of provisions that have a dogmatic character: 1) the biblical canon is a set of Bible books recognized by the church as "inspired", used in worship as "Holy Scripture." Canon ... ... Political science. Dictionary.
Not to be confused with the term "eve". Canon (Greek κανών) is an unchanging (conservative) traditional, not subject to revision, a set of laws, norms and rules in various spheres of human activity and life. Researchers deduce ... ... Wikipedia
A; m. [Greek. kanōn rule, prescription] 1. Rule, immutable position of any l. directions, teachings. The canons of classicism. The canons of the academic school of painting. 2. Established and institutionalized by the highest church hierarchy rule or dogma. ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Canon- (from the Greek kanon norm, rule), a set of provisions that have a dogmatic character: 1) the biblical canon is a set of Bible books recognized by the church as divinely inspired, used in worship as Holy Scripture. Canon of the Orthodox ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy
- (Greek kanwn, literally a straight pole is any measure that determines the forward direction: spirit level, ruler, square). I. In ancient greece composers, grammars, philosophers, doctors called this word a set of basic provisions or rules for ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Canon (from the Greek. Kanon - norm, rule), a set of provisions that are dogmatic in nature. 1) Biblical K. ≈ a set of Bible books recognized by the church as "inspired" (as opposed to the apocryphal) and used in worship as ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Books
- Life of Archpriest Avvakum, Archpriest Avvakum. Habakkuk is an exceptionally temperamental, lively writer, he is witty, often harsh and harsh, never shy in expressions, denouncing someone's unrighteous deeds. Life is unique in genre, ...