Christianity, like any other religion, has its own rules and traditions. Most of them came to us from antiquity and modernized, adapting to modern society and the fast pace of life. The rules help a modern person not to stray from the true path and cleanse the soul from the sinful temptations of worldly life. One of the most powerful cleansing prayers that is recommended to be read to a believer every day is the “Mother of God Rule”.
Known as daily prayer rules, and those that are performed only on holidays and special occasions. The daily duties of any true believer include a series of prayers that he must read in the morning and evening. These include, in reading order:
These holy words are read by a person who has just woken up and got out of bed. It is necessary to say the morning prayer before the icons and before eating, but some deviation from the rules is allowed for especially busy and constantly in a hurry contemporaries.
After daytime worries, in the evening, a Christian must perform another ritual before eating and read another list of prayers, which is designed to cleanse his soul and thoughts from the dirt of the past day. These, in order of reading, are:
The daily appeal to God and the Mother of God is called the rule because it disciplines a person and sets him up for a certain time for personal communication with the Heavenly forces. Modern churchmen note that it is not necessary for working Christians to complete a full course of reading the holy words, doing it mechanically and “on the run”.
A ten-minute communion with God sincerely and from the heart is allowed. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the worshiper did not fully comply with the rule, but he was in no hurry and was fully tuned in to the right wave.
The daily obligatory appeals to the Higher powers include the church and communion with the Immaculate Virgin. This appeal to the Mother of all mothers also has certain rules and canons that must be followed.
The fact that the Theotokos rule, a strong appeal to the Mother of God, was given to people by the All-Holy One herself, is reported in many sources. Religious scholars and clergy note that the rule came to the laity as early as the 8th century AD and was an unshakable decree for daily execution. Every believing Christian had to turn to the Mother of God 150 times during the day and read not only the prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”, but every ten to remember one of the fifteen important life moments called “Members”.
- Seraphim of Sarov;
- Alexy Uminsky;
- Theophan the Recluse.
Hieromonk from the village of Diveevo, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, St. Seraphim of Sarov, instructing the parishioners who turned to him on the true path, knew a certain church rite, which people called "The Rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity."
In order to purify the soul and heart, the founder of the Seraphim-Diveevo Convent recommended that those who wish to walk along the trodden path around the holy monastery and read the appeal to the Virgin Mary “Virgin Mary, rejoice” 150 times in a row. The elder assured that these 23 simple words, spoken sincerely and from the heart, are able to perform a miracle, heal anyone and help in solving any life situation.
Realizing that it is not always easy for a person to read a holy appeal to the Mother of God from the hand, the Monk Seraphim said: the pronunciation of a prayer text can be reduced by 50 times for those who are just starting this righteous occupation or those who really have little time to fully read . Since turning to the saints every day is the true duty of any believer, Seraphim of Sarov compiled his simplified list of holy words that eternally busy contemporaries will be able to observe. The short rule of Seraphim of Sarov consists of such necessary morning prayers:
- "Our Father";
- Trinity;
- "Virgin Mother of God";
- "Symbol of faith".
The prayer of all the prayers of Christianity "Our Father" must be said 3 times, then 1 time to turn to the Holy Trinity. After that, an appeal to the Virgin Mary is read 3 times and the “Symbol of Faith” is read at the end 1 time. Having finished the morning communication with the Heavenly forces, a person can calmly proceed to breakfast and other planned activities.
Having a few free minutes, the monk recommended reading to himself as a keepsake or, if possible, aloud an appeal to the Lord, or simply repeating "Lord, have mercy." And the evening rule of the Mother of God of Seraphim of Sarov consists of three, the most important, in the opinion of the hieromonk, holy texts:
- "Our Father";
- "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
- "Symbol of faith".
All three appeals are recommended to be read after coming home before dinner, leaving all worldly affairs for a few minutes and secluded yourself in the communion of the soul with the Creator. “Our Father” and “Virgin Mother of God” the seraphim rule for the laity recommends reading 3 times, but the last holy text needs to be pronounced only once.
Alexey Uminsky and Theophan the Recluse
The importance of turning to the saints and to the Virgin Mary was repeatedly emphasized by other clergy.. For example, Archpriest Alexei Uminsky noted that prayer rules exist for that, in order to adhere to them and, if possible, pronounce them every day. Communication with the Mother of God enhances the effect of communication with God, since it is the Virgin Mary who always begs for the most necessary things for those who turn to her.
Saint Theophan the Recluse also advised believers and people in need of help to observe the rule of prayer, and especially the Theotokos. Regarding the haste and the lack of extra time, he always said that it is better to read one prayer slowly and thoughtfully than to quickly say the entire list quickly, when the mind of the prayer is far from understanding the holy words.
There is even a church legend. It says that a believing person, who often prayed and turned to the Mother of God, somehow dreamed of a heavenly court at which he was judged. He was so frightened by what was happening that he could not utter a word, but the Guardian Angel, who was always nearby, asked him to calm down and not be afraid of what was happening.
To sincere surprise, read in the eyes of the dreamer, the heavenly protector replied that the Virgin Mary, to whom he so often turned in life, would definitely intercede for him. Waking up, the believer believed even more strongly in the correctness of his actions, and began to revere the Mother of God even more sincerely and more often.
In the age of modern technology, an appeal to the Virgin Mary and other heavenly powers can always be listened to online. The main thing is to remember that communication with God must come from the heart, and the words are spoken sincerely, then the appeal will be heard faster.
Attention, only TODAY!
How many of us read the morning and evening prayer rule? In the mornings, there is not enough time: until you wake up, you will send home to study or work. Here you have to run to work yourself.
And in the evening you get so tired that you no longer have any strength. Just cross yourself and ask God for blessings for the coming dream.
This is all understandable: fatigue and human weakness take their toll. But God does not forget to wake us up in the morning. Why are we too lazy to thank him for this and for the day we lived?
But what about those who do not have enough time? Read Seraphim's rule for the laity.
What it is?
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov left It was intended for the sisters of the Diveevo Monastery. This was explained by the fact that novices and nuns have the opportunity to go to church much more often than ordinary lay people.
The nuns of the monastery have a lot to do all the time. And time is even more scarce than the people of the world. Nevertheless, Seraphim's rule for the laity somehow imperceptibly found itself outside the monastery. And now those people who do not have enough time for a long prayer resort to it.
No time or laziness?
The short rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity should be resorted to in case of emergency, and not because they are too lazy to read the morning and
The Holy Fathers spoke about the need to force yourself to pray. Spiritual life is made up of compulsion. Otherwise, if you allow yourself to be lazy, there will be no spirituality. Work is valuable before the Lord.
There is another side to prayer. There is a special joy in the state of prayer, for the sake of which one sometimes wants to give up everything. This joy is internal, and that is why people go to monasteries to pray there. If there were no spiritual joy in prayer, it would hardly be possible to endure the harsh monastic regulations.
About attention
It is the soul of prayer. And it depends on attention what kind of prayer will be. If a person is attentive in life, then even in prayer he will not be "scattered by the mind." What is he - an attentive person? The one who treats his life with attention. First of all - to the inside. Such a person will not neglect the rule of prayer because of laziness. If he really cannot subtract it because of time or illness, then he will carefully read the short Seraphim rule for the laity.
What is this rule?
Saint Seraphim left, as mentioned above, a prayer rule for the nuns of the Diveevo Monastery.
What is this Seraphim rule for the laity? What does it represent? Now it is generally accepted that you need to read the prayer "Our Father" three times, three times "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" and three times the "Symbol of Faith".
And here is what the elder himself bequeathed. After waking up, a person should stand in front of the icons. First, the Our Father is read three times, in honor of the Trinity. Then "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice," also three times. And once "Symbol of Faith".
After the reverent fulfillment of the short rule, the layman proceeds to his work.
If a person is busy with household chores or works physically, you need to read the Jesus Prayer "to yourself." About myself means in the mind.
It's time for lunch. Before him, man used to say the Jesus Prayer. Now, before sitting at the table, he will again perform the morning prayer rule. He will read "Our Father" and "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" three times each. Once - "Creed".
After dinner, a prayer should be made to the Theotokos "Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner (sinner)". And so on until the evening.
Before going to bed, the Christian reads the morning rule again. He goes to sleep, shielding himself with the sign of the cross.
Faith and family are inseparable: Seraphim's rule for the laity can be read by agreement. Like this? Each family member reads one or two prayers from the rule.
Completely, completely unable to fulfill it? Seraphim of Sarov recommended reading the rule everywhere: whether you are walking down the street, doing business, or lying in bed due to illness. As the monk said, this rule is the foundation of Christianity. And by reading it, one can reach the absolute perfection of the Christian.
How to pray at home? A few short tips for those who are just starting their Christian journey.
- Woke up? Washed up? We stand before the icons. Having overshadowed ourselves with the sign of the cross, we thank the Lord for the awakening in our own words. And we begin to read the morning prayer rule. Or Seraphim's rule for the laity, the text of which is on the video.
- A woman prays with her head covered, not only in church. At home there should be a handkerchief for prayer.
- Men do not cover their heads.
- If there are children in the family, then the girls should wear a headscarf. Boys, like dad, do not need a hat.
- After completing the rule, we ask God for blessings for the coming day and go to work (study).
- In the evening we thank the Lord for the day we have lived, we read the evening rule or Serafim's, we go to bed.
- It is advisable, while reading the evening rule, to read the prayer "Let God rise again" and overshadow all four corners of the room with a cross.
Conclusion
The purpose of the article is to help those people who have just begun their journey to God. Everything starts small. And prayer is no exception.
“My joy, I pray you, acquire a spirit of peace, and then thousands of souls will be saved around you” (Seraphim of Sarov)
Seraphim of Sarov was born in 1754 in the city of Kursk to the merchant Isidor Moshnin and Agafia. Lost his father early. In adolescence, he fell from the bell tower of the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh under construction, but remained unharmed.
In 1776 he made a pilgrimage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where Elder Dositheos blessed and showed him the place where he should accept obedience and tonsure. This place was named Sarov desert. Two years later, he became a novice with Elder Joseph at the Sarov Monastery in the Tambov province. In 1786 he took monastic vows and was ordained a hierodeacon, and seven years later he was ordained a hieromonk.
Having a penchant for solitude, he began to live in the forest in a cell, not far from the monastery. Already at that time, he showed various feats, and in particular: bodily (he wore the same clothes in winter and summer, he got his own food in the forest, slept very little, had strict abstinence in many ways, fasting), reading books (rereading the Gospel , patristic writings),
daily long prayer, pilgrimage.
Near the cell, Seraphim planted a vegetable garden and built a bee-house.
Seeing the deeds of the Monk Seraphim, the enemy of the human race armed himself against him and, wanting to force the saint to leave his silence, decided to frighten him, but the monk protected himself with prayer and the power of the Life-Giving Cross.
The devil brought "mental warfare" on the saint - a stubborn, prolonged temptation. To repel the onslaught of the enemy, the Monk Seraphim aggravated his labors, taking upon himself the feat of being a pillar. Every night he climbed a huge stone in the forest and prayed with outstretched hands, crying out: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” During the day, he prayed in his cell, also on a stone that he brought from the forest, leaving it only for a short rest and refreshing his body with meager food. Thus the monk prayed for 1000 days and nights.
The Life tells of a case where the monk fed a bear with bread from his own hands. One day robbers attacked him in the forest and in great anger broke his head with the butt of an axe. Having searched the cell of Seraphim for themselves, they did not find anything there. Later, these people were identified, but Father Seraphim forgave and begged the authorities not to punish them.
In 1807, Seraphim took upon himself the monastic labor of silence, trying not to meet or communicate with anyone. Three years later he returned to the monastery, but went into seclusion for fifteen years (1825).
The holy elder in solitude sometimes became so immersed in inner heartfelt prayer that he remained motionless for a long time, hearing nothing and not seeing anything around.
After the end of the shutter, he received many visitors from monastics and laity, having, as it is said in his life, the gift of clairvoyance and healing from diseases. It was visited by noble persons, including Emperor Alexander I.
He addressed everyone who came to him with the words “My joy!”, At any time of the year he greeted with the words “Christ is risen!”.
In 1831, Seraphim was granted a vision of the Mother of God surrounded by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and 12 virgins.
The Monk Seraphim of Sarov at the beginning of the 19th century predicted the execution of the royal family, revolution and war, millions of victims, but he said that great glory awaited Russia.
He said: "There will be a time in Russia when the angels will not have time to receive the souls of the dying."
Seraphim of Sarov died in 1833 in the Sarov Monastery in his cell during prayer. In 1903, the elder's grave was opened and he was canonized.
According to the prophecy of Seraphim of Sarov, a hundred years after the acquisition of his relics, Russia will begin to revive: "The Lord through suffering will lead her to great glory." But this will happen after the nationwide repentance.
Seraphim of Sarov wrote: “The Slavs are loved by God because they preserve true faith in the Lord to the end. And they will be rewarded with the great beneficence of God: there will be an omnipotent language on earth, and there will be no other kingdom more omnipotent than the Russian-Slavic one on earth.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov considered prayer to be as necessary for life as air. He asked and demanded from his spiritual children that they pray unceasingly, and commanded them to pray the rule, which remained in the memory of the church under the name "The Rules of Father Seraphim". Waking up from sleep and standing in a chosen place, everyone must protect himself with the sign of the cross and, standing in a chosen place, read that saving prayer that the Lord Himself conveyed to people, that is “Our Father” (three times), then “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” (three times), and finally, once the Creed.
Having completed this morning rule, let every Christian go about his business and, studying at home or while on the road, should read quietly to himself: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner".
If people surround, then, doing business, speak only with the mind: "Lord have mercy" and so on until lunchtime.
Before dinner do the morning routine.
After lunch, doing his job, everyone should read quietly: "Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner" that continue until the very night.
When it happens to spend time in solitude, you need to read: "Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner" while going to bed overnight, every Christian must repeat the morning rule, and after it, fall asleep with the sign of the cross.
At the same time, the monk spoke, pointing to the experience of St. fathers that if a Christian clings to this small rule as a saving anchor amidst the waves of worldly fuss, fulfilling it with humility, then he can achieve a high spiritual measure, for these prayers are the foundation of Christianity:
- First (Our Father)- as the word of the Lord Himself and set by Him as a model of all prayers
- Second (Holy Mother of God Virgin)- brought from heaven by the Archangel as a greeting to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord
- Last (Creed)- contains all articles of faith
He who has time, let him read the Gospel, the Apostle, other prayers, akathists, canons. If it is impossible for someone to fulfill this rule - a servant, a bonded person - then the wise old man advised to fulfill this rule both lying down, and when walking, and at work, remembering the words of Scripture: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Alexander A. Sokolovsky
Every person on Earth understands that in addition to the gross material world - with its laws and obligations, there is also a world of subtle matter, a spiritual one, which also has its own rules.
And one of these unspoken spiritual laws for any person is prayer. In the morning when you wake up - a prayer of gratitude. In the daytime, when you work, for joyful work. In the evening, when you fall asleep, thanksgiving for the day and good night.
And there is also a prayer before meals, for children, parents, friends, and so on.
But one of the most important, after "Our Father", is the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos. And it is necessary to pronounce it in a special way and a certain number of times in order for the action to become truly miraculous. So commanded the holy elder - Seraphim of Sarov. And before him, the Queen of Heaven gave people these rules.
The complete Theotokos rule of Seraphim of Sarov, daily prayers and the saint's asceticism - about everything in this article.
About the life of St. Seraphim
Many Orthodox Christians know or have heard of such an ascetic, a holy elder, who devoted his whole life to the service of God, Seraphim of Sarov.
He was originally from Kursk, and all his life he served at the Sarov monastery. He also provided assistance to the monasteries that were nearby.
His parents were honest and God-fearing people, especially his mother, who, having become a widow, alone raised Prokhor, who was barely 3 years old (the name of Seraphim at birth), and his brother.
From an early age, it was noted by spiritually developed people, including the boy's mother, that he was "Under the Veil of Heaven." When the boy fell from the bell tower of the temple, he remained safe and sound, during his illness he was healed by the holy icon of the Mother of God.
Throughout his life, visions came from time to time in which the Mother of God spoke to him, announced something important.
At the age of seventeen, Seraphim made a serious decision to serve God entirely and, having received a blessing from his mother, he went first to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and then to the Sarov monastery.
Serving God through Work and Prayer
He crossed the threshold of the temple, in which Seraphim of Sarov spent his entire conscious earthly life, on the feast of the "Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos."
At first, he was only appointed a novice under Father Pachomius, who knew Seraphim's parents and heard about his pure life, full of spiritual piety and devotion to God.
In addition to the prayers that are performed daily by all the servants of the temple - both novices, and monks, and the rector, the young man's duties included:
- vigils during services (morning, afternoon, evening, all-night);
- cell obedience;
- obedience in the bakery;
- obedience in prosphora;
- obedience in the carpentry;
- officiating duties, and so on.
Of course, he also had temptations: despondency, boredom, sadness. But Seraphim was distinguished by vivacity, fortitude and perseverance, but at the same time humility before the Lord.
And therefore, over time, everything fell into place, and he continued to go his own way in monastic life.
Help of the Virgin
Seraphim of Sarov's entire earthly journey was guarded and protected by the Veil of Heaven in the person of the Lady of Heaven and Earth - the Holy Mother of God.
Through dreams and visions, in the most difficult moments of life, She appeared together with the apostles and helped Seraphim to endure illnesses and sorrows, the temptations of darkness, pointed out how best to act.
Indeed, many of the eyewitnesses of Seraphim of Sarov and followers testified that at certain moments of his life he was seriously ill, but by some miracle he was healed, he was weak, but soon became unusually strong and strong. These are all true spiritual miracles.
And each of the people of the present time, who believes in the Divine power of prayer, is repeatedly convinced of its effective help.
Prayer to the Mother of God is also very healing and truly helps in difficult moments of life. It also fills the soul with heavenly light and joy.
Prayers and the Theotokos Rule
In the 8th century, people were given a prayer rule, which is also called the Theotokos. Fulfilling all the prescriptions, it helped people a lot and supported them in different periods of life: sorrows, disasters, illnesses.
But after a while, this set of rules was forgotten. And only Seraphim of Sarov reminded mankind of them. And he himself fulfilled them - adamantly and zealously.
He also recorded all the miracles that happened to people who followed the Theotokos rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Such a notebook was found in his cell.
How to read?
The Theotokos Rule of Seraphim of Sarov must be read, as it is said in the Prayer Book to the Queen of Heaven, 150 times a day. These are the words of the prayer “Virgin Mary, rejoice!”, but supplemented with images of events and special prayers.
And when the Monk Seraphim was in the Diveevo monastery (not far from the Sarov monastery), he blessed people to go around the temple around and say 150 times a prayer ("Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice") every day.
After all, Christ showed people by the example of his feat how powerful the prayer of His Mother is, and therefore for others it is a helper under various everyday circumstances.
Many other elders began to follow, like Seraphim of Sarov, the Theotokos rule (Zosima and others). They also began to pass this knowledge on to their students.
Parts of the Theotokos Rule
The Queen of Heaven went through 15 steps in her earthly life:
- Nativity of the Virgin;
- Introduction to the temple;
- Annunciation;
- Mary's meeting with Elizabeth;
- Nativity;
- Meeting of the Lord;
- flight with baby Jesus to Egypt;
- searching for a 12-year-old son in Jerusalem;
- the miracle at Cana of Galilee;
- the state of the Virgin at the Cross on which Jesus was crucified;
- Resurrection of Christ;
- Ascension;
- the descent of the Holy Spirit;
- Assumption of the Virgin;
- Glory to the Mother of God.
And each of these stages corresponds to its purpose of the prayer "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice!".
How to read prayers correctly?
The Theotokos rule of Seraphim of Sarov is divided into fifteen dozen. That is, it is necessary to consistently represent (remember) each of the 15 moments and pray about it 10 times.
The first ten is a prayer for children.
The second is a prayer for those who have moved away from the church, lost their way.
The third is a prayer of consolation for the mourners.
The fourth is about uniting the separated or those who have gone missing.
The fifth is about the rebirth of the soul to a new life.
The sixth is about the meeting of the soul with the Mother of God after earthly life.
The seventh is about protection from temptations and misfortunes.
The eighth is about the search for Christ in our lives and about the lack of attachment to earthly goods.
The ninth is about help in business, getting rid of need.
The tenth is about help in grief.
The eleventh is about the gift of prayer and the resurrection of the soul.
The twelfth is about the ascension of the soul and the pursuit of the spiritual.
The thirteenth is about purity of heart and renewal of the spirit.
The fourteenth is about the peaceful death of the earth.
The fifteenth is about the protection of all earthly beings by the Queen of Heaven.
Before you start reading the Rules of the Theotokos (Seraphim of Sarov), you need to cleanse yourself in your heart and thoughts and ask for blessings from your spiritual mentor.
A short daily prayer rule bequeathed by Seraphim of Sarov to all the laity. Father Seraphim himself called him "ruler". This prayer rule is also called: Seraphim's rule.
Brief prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov
Many, coming to Fr. Seraphim, they complained that they prayed little to God, even leaving the necessary daily prayers. Others said that they were doing it out of illiteracy, others out of lack of time. Father Seraphim bequeathed to such people the following rule of prayer:
"Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read
Lord's Prayer: Our Father - three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity,
Then a song to the Theotokos: Virgin Mary, rejoice - also three times,
And, finally, the Creed: I believe in one God - once.
Having made this rule, let every Christian go about his business, to which he was appointed or called.
While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him read quietly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner or a sinner; and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him say only this with his mind: Lord, have mercy, and continue until dinner.
Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule.
After dinner, doing his job, let every Christian also read quietly: Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner, and let this continue until sleep.
When it happens to him to spend time in solitude, then let him read: Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner or a sinner.
Going to bed, let every Christian again read the above morning rule, that is, our Father three times, the Mother of God three times and once the Creed. After that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.
“By adhering to this rule,” Father Seraphim said, “it is possible to achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers; the second is brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother Lord; the Symbol, in short, contains the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.
For those who, due to various circumstances, it is impossible to fulfill even this small rule, the Monk Seraphim advised to read it in any situation: both during classes, and on walks, and even in bed, presenting the basis for this the words of Holy Scripture: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Prayers for the rule
Lord's Prayer: Our FatherOur Father, Who art in heaven! |
Prayer: Mother of God Virgin, rejoiceVirgin Mary, rejoice |
Prayer: CreedI believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, | |