During the service, you need to carefully monitor its progress, cross yourself and bow along with everyone present in the church. Before lighting a candle or approaching an icon, you should also cross yourself. When entering and leaving the church they also bow and cross themselves. Church service does not tolerate fuss. Unnecessarily, they do not leave it during the service; women come with their heads covered and modestly dressed, if possible, without makeup; on menstruation days it is strictly forbidden to go to church, this is a great sin.
Conducting services in accordance with church regulations
There is a church charter, according to which daily services are held in monasteries and must be held in the church. How long does the church service last? First comes the morning service, then the Divine Liturgy. Evening service takes place around 6-7 pm.
A specific time of day is not mandatory, but the service, by its purpose and content, is tied to a specific time of day, so the church adheres to holding services during the hours allotted to it. The duration of the service is also not limited by any canons. There is a centuries-old custom of conducting a service, which averages from 1.5 to 2-3 hours.
Services in the church are divided into daily, weekly, and annual services. Daily services last for 24 hours and then are repeated, thus closing in a circle. The same thing happens with the seventh and annual circles. The services do not have a specific ritual; only the daily daily services remain unchanged; this is the basis of worship.
How is a church service held?
Daily services are held daily. During the days of fasting, Great Lent and others, not only service to God is performed, but also a service is held in the church with confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Jesus Christ. Large parishes, where he is going to services a large number of believers can perform two liturgies a day. Rural parishioners go to services on Sundays and holidays.
How are church services held? It must be said that services are not performed one at a time. For example, a service dedicated to Birth or Baptism (that is, an event that occurs once a year) is not separated into a separate service, but is combined with the services of the daily circle. The daily cycle includes weekly and annual services. They are combined into one service, in which prayers, readings and chants are heard that are associated with the days of the year and week.
There are 9 types of church services in the church: In the morning - 9th hour, evening service, Compline, then midnight office. Matins, and then by the hour: first, third and sixth. In the evening, after the sixth hour - Divine Liturgy. The first hour joins the morning prayer, but is a special service. All services that should be held in the temple are usually seven.
All prayers, with the exception of the Lord's Prayer, were invented by people
The history of Christianity knows only one prayer, transmitted directly by Jesus Christ: “Our Father.” Then the apostolic instructions gave recommendations for reading daily prayers. In the morning, at three o'clock, at six, at nine and in the evening. In the morning - in gratitude to the Lord, on the third because Christ received the sentence. The sixth hour is the hour of crucifixion and the ninth is the hour of sorrow. Evening prayer- thanks to God. Just as in ancient times the apostles glorified Jesus Christ and the most significant events associated with his life and death, so today the tradition of worship in the temple is preserved.
Each of the listed services should be performed daily and independently in the church. But, lenient to the conditions worldly life, the church holds morning and evening services twice a day, that is, public churches do not strictly adhere to the rules. In monasteries, services are held in accordance with the church charter, as expected, seven times a day.
Jesus, in his instructions to the apostles, says that prayer must be sincere. Whatever the prayers written by others, a person always has the opportunity to turn to God directly, in his heart, and He will definitely hear a sincere prayer coming from the heart.
Schedule of public services in churches.
Important: each temple creates its own schedule of public services! There is no general schedule for all temples!
Two liturgies, early and late, are served on major Christian holidays and Sundays in churches with large parishes.
The early service is held at 6-7 a.m., the late service at 9-10 a.m. In some churches, the time is shifted to 7-8 a.m. for early services and 10-11 a.m. for late ones.
The duration of public worship is 1.5-2 hours. In some cases, the duration of the morning liturgy can be 3 hours.
Evening public worship is served no earlier than 16:00 and no later than 18:00. Each temple has its own schedule.
The duration of the service is 2-4 hours and depends on the significance of the upcoming holiday. According to the Rule, Vespers can be daily, small and great.
Every day is performed on weekdays, unless a holiday with a polyeleos or vigil falls on them.
Malaya is part of the All-Night Vigil. The Great Service is served on major holidays and can be performed separately or combined with Matins.
The world is changing, and these changes affect, among other things, the Church Charter. Night or all-night vigils rarely last from three to six hours (for monasteries). In ordinary churches, the duration of the night service is 2-4 hours.
The night service begins at 17:00-18:00 depending on the parish Charter.
The daily cycle of church services consists of nine different services. This includes:
Ideally, in every operating temple, these services should be held daily, however, in practice, the daily cycle is performed only in large temples, cathedrals or monasteries. In small parishes it is impossible to ensure constant worship in such a rhythm. Therefore, each parish determines its own pace, coordinating it with its real capabilities.
It follows from this that you need to find out the exact schedule of services in the temple you are going to visit.
Approximate times for morning and evening services are given at the beginning of the article.
Having carefully read the previous part of the article, you most likely noticed the fact that the beginning of the liturgical day corresponds not to 00:00 (as is customary in secular life), but to 18:00 (the previous calendar day).
What does it mean?
This means that the first Saturday service begins on Friday after 18:00, and the last one ends on Saturday before 18:00. The most important Saturday service is the full Divine Liturgy.
Typically, Sabbath services are dedicated to Reverend Fathers and mothers, as well as all the saints to whom they turn with appropriate prayers. On the same day, the commemoration of all the dead takes place.
The first Sunday service begins on Saturday after 18:00, and the last service ends on Sunday before 18:00. Sunday services are filled with the theme of the Resurrection of the Lord. That is why Sunday services, especially the Divine Liturgy, are the most significant in the weekly cycle of services.
Check with the temple you are planning to visit for the exact schedule of services.
You can find approximate times for morning and evening services at the beginning of the article.
Each temple draws up its own schedule of public services, including holiday ones. There is no general schedule for all temples!
As a rule, the Charter prescribes the so-called “all-night vigil” to be served on holidays - a particularly solemn service, which in modern interpretation has retained the division into Vespers and Matins.
Moreover, in the days of the twelfths and others big holidays Liturgy always takes place, during which believers receive communion.
At the same time, each holiday service has accompanying texts and rituals unique to it, which cannot but affect the duration of the service.
Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior There is no strict sequence in conducting the festive service. In large churches and monasteries, Christmas services (evening, the most solemn part) last 6-8 hours, in small ones - 1.5-2 hours.
Find out about the exact time of the service at the temple you are going to visit.
ABOUT folk traditions Christmas celebrations can be read.
Services on Epiphany Eve are very similar to Christmas services.
On this day, the hours are read in the morning, and in the evening the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated. After the Liturgy, as a rule, the first blessing of water occurs.
Depending on the day on which Epiphany falls, the order of services may differ.
On January 19, morning and evening services are held with the obligatory subsequent blessing of water.
The exact time of the services will be told to you directly in the temple.
Meeting completes the Christmas circle Orthodox holidays. The date of celebration is February 15.
After the solemn morning liturgy, the rite of consecration of water and candles is performed.
Be sure to check the time of the liturgy in the church.
Congratulations on the Annunciation The Annunciation is celebrated on April 7. However, believers should visit evening service April 6. In some churches, all-night vigils are held from April 6 to 7.
On April 7, early and/or late liturgies are served with mandatory confession and communion for the laity.
The date of Palm Sunday celebration depends on the date of Easter celebration and is determined according to the lunisolar calendar.
Festive services begin with an evening service and subsequent all-night vigils on Lazarus Saturday. Lazarus Saturday is the day before Palm Sunday. During the evening service, palm branches are necessarily blessed.
On Palm Sunday, early and/or late liturgies are performed, followed by the consecration of the willow tree.
The time of worship depends on internal charter temple.
Everything depends on the internal regulations of the temple. Be sure to check the time of services!
As a rule, holiday services begin on Saturday with an evening service (16:00-18:00). In some churches, after the evening service, a blessing of Easter cakes is held.
Then all-night vigils begin with a mandatory religious procession at 24:00.
After vigils and matins, the Divine Liturgy is served, followed by the blessing of Easter cakes. As a rule, the blessing occurs at the first rays of the sun.
Evening in Svetloye Christ's Resurrection The evening service is also corrected. However, Easter cakes are no longer blessed.
Beautiful Easter greetings can be found.
The meaning of the holiday Radonitsa Radonitsa is a special holiday that connects the past and the future. On this day it is customary to remember deceased relatives and friends.
Radonitsa is celebrated on the ninth day after Easter Sunday.
The evening before, an evening service is held, and in the morning there is an early and/or late liturgy. A full memorial service is served either after the evening service or after the morning services - it all depends on the internal rules of the temple.
In addition, the charters of many churches require that Easter funeral services be held in city cemeteries.
More information about Radonitsa.
The date of the celebration of Trinity or Pentecost depends on the date of Bright Resurrection.
Important: on the eve of the holiday of Trinity, Trinity Parents' Saturday is always held, the peculiarity of which is a special funeral service. This is a special Funeral Liturgy, after which you can and should visit the cemetery and remember the deceased.
Evening Parents' Saturday marked by a festive All-Night Vigil.
On Sunday, early and/or late holiday liturgies are celebrated. In many temples, bouquets of twigs and medicinal herbs are blessed.
Be sure to check the time of services directly with the temple you want to visit!
Tips on how to talk to children about the Trinity.
Goda will help you not to miss significant services.
And communion is the reception (with proper preparation) of the holy gifts. Communion is like a fresh new shirt - you can’t put it on a dirty body. Communion is given as a reward for intensive reading of prayers.
If you decide to visit the temple on Sunday “in full”, then you should prepare in advance. The Sunday morning “strongest” service in the church is called Liturgy (when they receive communion, that is, the priest gives “the blood and body of Christ” = a piece of bread in wine). We can talk a lot about the benefits of communion, but here we will talk about how to prepare for it:
— You must fast at least Friday and Saturday: do not eat animal food, do not sin: do not drink alcohol, do not engage in “marital intimacy,” try not to swear, do not offend or be offended.
- on Saturday, read 3 canons at night (it will take about 40 minutes) (the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel) + another 35 minutes “Following to Holy Communion.”
- in the evening you should also read prayers for the coming sleep (about 20 minutes)
- after midnight, do not eat, drink or smoke, that is, go to bed before 00-00.
We arrive at church around 7-20 (but better check the schedule).
Until then you need to:
- be strictly on an empty stomach, incl. no smoking. You can only brush your teeth, and then try not to swallow anything.
– read the morning rule (min 15-20)
—we write notes for health and peace (simple ones are possible)
— we come up and kiss the central icon.
— light candles whoever we want (I usually put 3 candles: on the main candlestick, for the saint at will and for the repose).
— We take our place in line for confession. It usually starts at 7:30 (again, check the schedule of services in your church). Let's confess.
— we take a place: men on the right side of the temple, women on the left.
— The liturgy lasts about 2 hours. All this time we listen to prayers, think “about life, what we did wrong where” and all the time we repeat “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
Liturgy takeaway
When everyone began to read the “Creed”, it means that soon there will be communion itself.
— When everyone began to read the “Our Father,” it means that communion will be held very soon.
— When the priest brings out 2 large bowls for the first time, we simply bow our heads.
- When the priest brings out small cup (it contains the sacrament) - then we bow, kneeling down.
— They can carry alms trays around the church. Donate as much money as you like there.
- Participle: First, small children receive communion, then men, then women. Only those who have prepared correctly have the right to receive communion. Don't anger God.
— When approaching communion, we cross our arms over our chests (right at the top). We approach the bowl as close as possible. We do not cross ourselves, so as not to touch the thicket. We say the name, open our mouth, eat Communion from a spoon, let ourselves be wiped, kiss the cup and let's go eat and drink.
— On a special table we take a small cup of water and a piece of prosphora. They eat and drink so that the pieces of Communion get completely inside and do not accidentally fly out with saliva or something else. It’s better to drink it first and then eat the prosphora.
— We wait until the end of the service to kiss the cross. The priest can say “Participants, listen to the words of the prayer of thanksgiving” - then let’s go listen to the prayer. If this does not happen, then at home we read “Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion.”
— we no longer kneel anywhere: neither in front of icons, nor during the rest of the service
— we wait for the end of the service and kiss the priest’s cross.
— read prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion
- you can go home. Immediately after communion, do not immediately smoke or drink alcohol (at least eat normally first). Do not desecrate the Sacrament.
Worship services are an integral part of church life. Orthodox churches are erected for their sake.
The services that take place in the Church are not just a religious act and ritual, but spiritual life itself: especially the Sacrament of the Liturgy. The services are varied, but despite all the diversity they are subject to a fairly clear system.
What services are held in the Church? We tell you the most important things you need to know.
Divine service in the Church of the Three Saints in Paris. Photo: patriarchia.ru
The liturgical life of the Church consists of three cycles:
Actually, the most important thing you need to know about the services is that, with all their diversity, the main thing is the Liturgy. It is for her sake that the entire daily cycle exists, and all the services that take place in the temple are “preparatory” for it. (“Preparatory” does not mean secondary, but means that they prepare a Christian for the main thing that can be in his spiritual life - Communion.)
Externally, the services differ from each other in a more or less solemn appearance. For example, the entire priestly rank that is in the temple or monastery, as well as the choir, takes part in the Liturgy. And in the service of the “hours” (essentially, the reading of prayers and certain psalms) there is only a reader and a priest, who at this moment is hidden in the altar.
Daily cycle of services in Orthodox Church consists of nine services. Now they are conventionally divided into evening and morning (they take place in churches in the morning or evening, uniting as if into a single evening or morning service), but initially, once upon a time, they were evenly distributed throughout the whole day and night.
At the same time, according to Church tradition, the beginning of the day is considered to be 6 o’clock in the evening. That is why those who are preparing for Communion need to attend the evening services the day before - so that the entire church day will be illuminated by the upcoming Sacrament.
The sacrament of the Liturgy and communion are the center of the entire liturgical circle in the Church. Photo: patriarchia.ru
Today, the liturgical cycle has acquired the following form. (In its full form, it takes place, as a rule, only in monastery churches.)
In “parish” churches the circle is usually reduced to the following services:
In the evening: Vespers, Matins
In the morning: Hours and Divine Liturgy
Ideally, Liturgy in any church should take place every day - since worship is not a ritual, but the Breath of the temple. However, in parishes where there is only one priest or not many parishioners, services are held less frequently. At a minimum: on Sundays and...
Requirements are an integral part of church life. These are services that do not have a clear schedule and are served according to need. In particular:
Read this and other posts in our group at
Attending a church service is one of the most important events for every Christian. It is aimed at introducing an adult or a child into the life of the temple, which implies communication with God, the study of religious dogmas, the search for unity with God and eternal salvation.
The church is not just a place for prayer, it is believed that Christ dwells there. Everyone who comes to the temple must adhere to special rules of behavior (women cover their heads with a headscarf, men take off their hats, before entering, after leaving the threshold of the temple, you need to make the sign of the cross, etc.) and it is advisable to know the work schedule of the church. This will make it possible to avoid awkward situations and waste of time.
Almost all churches have the same daily routine. At 7-8 o'clock in the morning the priest begins the morning service, it lasts several hours. At the end of it, the clergyman conducts various sacraments at the request of the laity - weddings, baptisms, prayer services, memorial services, etc. The evening service begins at approximately 17.00, it ends at least 2 hours later. After this comes the hour of confessions and conversations with parishioners. But sometimes, if the priest went to church services (communion, unction of the sick, funeral with a trip to the cemetery), it may not be carried out.
Divine services can be daily (they are held for believers according to a special schedule - morning, afternoon, evening, midnight office, liturgy, etc.) or festive, organized in honor of religious holidays. Church service does not mean passive listening prayers, but active participation through thinking, turning to God and performing ritual actions. During the ceremony, prayers, psalms from the Bible are read, and church songs are sung. 
Divine services are needed to bring a person closer to God, to grow in grace, as the priests say. They are carried out according to a special schedule, and on religious holidays it is special, as well as in honor of the celebration of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. It is also called Palm Sunday (as Jesus was greeted with green branches date palm, our prototype is the green willow, as one of the first trees to awaken from winter sleep).
The festive liturgy begins around 7 a.m., in some churches it is repeated at 10-11 a.m., much depends on the daily routine of a particular parish. It is best to check the time with the priest, write it down, and always be guided by this, but there should not be large discrepancies. But the All-Night Vigil service the day before begins at 5-6 pm and continues until 5-6 am. The willow, which is traditionally carried by parishioners, may be blessed after the evening service on Saturday, but more often it is done at the end of the Sunday morning liturgy (depending on the parish).
Easter is the most significant holiday in Christianity, glorifying the resurrection of Christ. On the eve of Saturday, at about 20.00 in the evening (pre-Easter evening service), the priest begins the service by reading the Acts of the Holy Apostles. At approximately 23.00-00.00 the bells ring, calling the parishioners, and he proceeds to the night service (midnight office or all-night vigil). At approximately 12 o'clock at night the priest performs the first procession around the temple. At the end of the service, the pasques begin to be blessed. At 7-8 am there is a morning service, and at about 15.00 - an evening service. In the church service in honor of Easter, no reading is used, all services are only singing, bows are cancelled. 
Church service means serving God through reading prayers, hymns, sermons, and sacred rites, according to the charter of the church. They are held for spiritual connection with God and expression of one’s faith. Liturgies in honor of holidays are held at approximately the same times everywhere, although the hours may vary slightly in different parishes.
