With the revival of spirituality and faith in society, everythingmore questions arise in the newly converted Christian about the proper prayer, the order of worship. Visiting the church on Sundays and holidays, the parishioner pays attention to the priest's reading of prayers, reflects on the meaning and content. Often, being near the Temple on holidays, you can hear from the conversing newly converted parishioners: "Today the priest read some lithium. Lithium - what is it? "

The Legacy of the Holy Land

The Holy Land, according to which Jesus walked, laidthe beginning of many traditions of the Orthodox Church. Jerusalem has brought to the modern Christian a sufficient number of opportunities for the salvation of the soul, since that is the place in the world where Christ was crucified, laid in a coffin ... It was from this place that the tradition of believers began to march. Initially, it was walking in Jerusalem to the same places where events that took place more than 2000 years ago radically changed the worldview of mankind and left a mark on new generations. Since the holy places were, as a rule, sincere believing Christians, they accompanied their procession with prayer singing, which was later called "lithium". There were two reasons for the commission of such lithium: in the course of disasters, epidemics or wars, the processions of believers were made, the second reason - large religious holidays, during which holy places are visited and worshipers worship them.

The modern performance of the procession - lithium

In modern Orthodoxy is also presentlithium. What this is, it becomes clear to the Orthodox already from the translation of this word from the Greek - "intensified prayer". Lithia is always a procession, as a rule, an "outflow" from the Temple. In modern traditions of the Orthodox Church, lithium is as follows: at the time of its commission, the priests "proceed" from the altar, moving away from it as far as possible. In the churches of Jerusalem went out of general, but in modern execution it is not easy to do, and therefore they are limited to simply withdrawing from the altar. According to the time of lithium, it is only at the great vespers. The content of this prayer is an earnest prayer, unchangeable texts, therefore it is pronounced by the priest.

The differences of lithium, pronounced in different temples

Sometimes believers who are not parishioners of the samea particular temple, pay attention to the fact that in the texts of lithium different words are heard. This is because the first poem on lithium is the sticheron of the temple itself, therefore, in the church of Uspenskoye, the first will be the sticheron taken from the service of the Assumption, in the Pokrovsky temple - from the service of the Intercession. Depending on which church the believer visited, this is the first verse he will hear. Particular attention is paid to lithium petitions, pronounced on the part of the service called "lithium." What it is, it becomes clear to an Orthodox man in the repeated repeated proclamations "Lord, have mercy." The priest performs the third chapter of the liturgy with a prayer of devotion, after which a return to the temple takes place.

Place of intensified prayer in the adoption of Orthodoxy

Reinforced prayer - lithium, performed on the greatvespers, has an extraordinary power. All-night vigil, accompanying the holding of the rank of lithium, implies the refusal of rest, the indefatigable wakefulness for the sake of prayer. Any repudiation of their needs and desires in the name of the Lord brings the believer closer to God, therefore, lithium petitions have a special meaning in the content of the festive divine service. The strength of the prayer of the parishioners at this moment reaches unprecedented strength, people are united by a single idea, in one spirit, for it is truly said: "Where two or three are in my name, there I am among them ...". The collective request for pardon involves asking not so much for personal needs as for the world. During the Easter festive litany, the blessing of bread is held, the usual Sunday All-night vigil does not imply this.

Independent prayer-lithium layman

Lithium can not be heard by an Orthodox ChristianOnly in the church, the Church also means pronouncing the rank of the lithium of the house and the cemetery. Lithium is read by the faithful themselves for the deceased relatives. After the departure of the soul after death, she especially needs the prayers of a Christian. The church says that instead of commemorating the deceased with alcoholic beverages, it is necessary to read prayers, including the rank of lithium. At the request of the living, the deceased person will be easier to go through the ordeal, the prayers of relatives will facilitate the stay of the soul in the next world. Lithium, performed by a layman, is read at home and in the cemetery, is a simplified, shorter version of the existing Orthodox reading in the church during the service. It is believed that the deceased person can no longer help himself, because he is unable to do good deeds and pray, he can only desire our prayers for his salvation. Living relatives can help the soul propitiate the Lord through their prayers. An uncomplicated text of "home" lithium is available for reading, but it still makes such lithium "enhanced prayer". Lithium in the cemetery, like the lithium of the house, is read from the trebnik, and all texts for this rank are in the Orthodox prayer-book.

A powerful weapon of a believing Christian

The most effective weapon in the fight against the forces of evil isA believing Christian is a prayer. The holy elders said that when an Orthodox person reads a prayer.you "sly" runs away from him a few meters and is afraid to approach. Helping deceased ancestors also in the power of prayer, an effective weapon for the soul is lithium. What is this for the living and the dead, it is clear from the importance that lithium attaches to the festive divine services and prayers for the deceased ancestors: "... his soul will be established in good things, and his memory in kind and kind." Elder Nikolai Serbsky consoled the relatives of deceased people by the fact that prayer is communication with the Lord, and prayer for the dead is also communication with the deceased, asking for them that brings us closer to dear people. Therefore, lithium, performed for the dead, has a special meaning, and not only Christian, but also psychological overtones.