Question from Tatyana: Father, bless! Please tell me, I was in the service in the village (I went for the first time, I wanted to see the Temple). During the anointing […]
Question from Tatyana:
Father, bless! Please tell me, I was in the service in the village (I went for the first time, I wanted to see the Temple). During the anointing, the priest did not anoint his forehead with a cross, as they always do, but put a full stop. And when she wanted to kiss her hand, he removed it and said: “I won’t give it!” I then got confused and left. And now I think about it, and it seems that I was guilty of something. I can't figure out what. Maybe the priest thought that his lips were made up (I have a permanent)? Why didn't you anoint your forehead? Sorry for the ignorance. Save me, God!
Priest Dimitry Polkevich answers:
Hello Tatiana! The service of anointing with oil in the temple means the deep (abundant) mercy poured out by the Lord on those who are celebrating on a memorable day church holiday. The very anointing with consecrated oil in the service conveys grace to us through a sensual object - oil (oil).
It is usually customary to anoint crosswise, as a sign of the saving Cross of the Lord, but this gesture itself does not have a canonical prescription. Why the priest so anointed is not known. In the same way, kissing the hand is a pious custom, because the very anointing with oil is already a blessing. It seems to me that you should not worry too much about these insignificant occasions, so as not to lose the triumph and holiness of participation in the holy day of the holiday, because in different temples non-canonical features of the service may vary.
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One of the names of the Savior - Christ - translated from Greek means "anointed". Anointing a person with oil vegetable oil) in ancient times testified to his election to the service of God, to participation in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, Moses anointed Aaron and his sons with oil, whom God appointed to the priesthood (Ex. 40:15), Samuel anointed Saul to the kingdom (1 Sam. 10: 1), Elijah - Elisha to serve as a prophet (1 Sam. 19:15 ).
After Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the New Testament Church, anointing with oil became the property of all its members. Today it is performed in front of the baptismal font and during all-night vigils.
The baptismal anointing of the forehead, chest, ears, hands, and feet has several meanings. Firstly, it marks the union with Christ, like the union of a wild branch with a fruitful olive tree, and secondly, it speaks of dying for sin, for earlier the dead were anointed with oil; thirdly, it gives strength for the further fight against sin in the likeness of the ancient wrestlers, who smeared the body before the fight. With this action, the priest says: "The servant of God (name) will be anointed with the oil of joy, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen."
during the all-night vigil on the eve of the holiday, it happens over all those praying in the temple as a blessing, a parting word for further exploits. It is done with a prayerful invocation of the one to whom the service is performed.
From simple anointing with oil, it is necessary to distinguish the sacrament of Unction (unction) performed over the sick. Here the oil is consecrated with a special prayer, the body of the afflicted is anointed seven times.
And one more anointing in the Church has the power of a sacrament - the anointing with holy myrrh, a fragrant composition of many substances (oil, aloe, myrrh, rose oil, crushed marble, etc.). The abundance of components is a symbol of the diversity of Christian virtues. According to the Charter, the bishop must consecrate the chrism; in the Russian Church, this is done by the Patriarch himself. In the temple, the holy chrism is kept on the Throne of the altar.
Confirmation occurs immediately after baptism. On the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, chest, arms and legs of the newly enlightened priest puts a drop of peace, saying each time: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen." This sacrament is not repeated, like baptism. Only the divinely crowned kings were honored with it twice.
It is known that a layman has the right to baptize "for fear of death". But if the danger passes and the dying person remains alive, such baptism must be inapplicably supplemented with chrismation. Through the same sacrament, according to existing practice, representatives of some Old Believer and non-Orthodox confessions join the Church.
During unction, they anoint with oil. Oil - consecrated oil, usually olive with admixtures of incense. Oil has been considered a healing substance since ancient times. Ever since the Old Testament times, the oil has signified grace, joy, and revival. It is mentioned in Leviticus as a cleanser for lepers. Anointing with the oil of the sick was also used by the apostles, as we read in Mark the Evangelist: “... and they anointed many sick people and healed them” (Mark 6:13).
According to the custom of the East, when a person was proclaimed a monarch, the priest poured a goblet of oil on his head. Oil, olive oil, was considered a symbol of strength. The rite of "anointing" reminded that power is granted from God, whose Spirit will henceforth dwell on the Chosen One. Therefore, each ruler of Israel (and sometimes a prophet) was called the Anointed One, the Messiah, or in Greek - Christ. However, over time, this title began to be attributed only to the great King of the future.
Olive oil has extensive use in the Christian Church. So, they burn oil in front of the holy icons. Secondly, oil is used in the ceremony - the blessing of bread. Together with five loaves, with wine and wheat grains oil is also blessed, as a nourishing and healing substance in diseases. Believers are anointed with this oil at Vespers or Matins. Thirdly, oil is used to anoint the weak - in the Sacrament of Unction, by pronouncing the words: "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Fourthly, oil is consecrated by a special prayer and is used to anoint the one who approaches St. Baptism. Fifthly, oil is poured on the dead.”
As oil is a sign of God's blessing, so the green olive tree symbolizes the righteous, blessed by God (Ps 51.10; 127.3; cf. Sir 50.10), and the Wisdom of God, revealing in the Law the path of righteousness and blessedness (Sir 24.14,19-23). As for the two olive trees, the oil from which supported the light in the lamp with seven lamps (Zech 4.11-14), they meant two “sons of the oil”, two God’s Anointed Ones – the king and the high priest, who are called to enlighten the people and lead him on the path to salvation.
Unction is the inscription by the priest on the forehead of the faithful of the cross with consecrated oil, performed at the Sunday and festive matins after the reading of the Gospel, during the worship of the icon of the feast, laid in the middle of the temple on the lectern.
At the same time, the priest says: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and the believer answers: “Amen.”
There is also a tradition according to which, on the Lord's feasts, the priest says during anointing: "Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee," and on the feasts of the Mother of God: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us."
Sometimes oil is compared to something that, like oil, penetrates elusively (Prov. 5.3; Ps. 109.18; Proverbs 27.16); the main arr. they see in it a world that delights and delights with its smell - a wonderful symbol of love (Songs 1.2), friendship (Proverbs 27.9) and the happiness of brotherly unity (Ps 132.2). Oil is also a symbol of joy, because from it, as well as from joy, a person's face shines (Ps 103.15). Therefore, pouring Oil on someone's head means wishing him joy and happiness and showing him a sign of friendship and honor (Ps 22.5; 91.11; Lk 7.46; Mt 26.7).
The oil of royal anointing in the highest degree deserves the name "oil of joy" (Ps 44.8); it is an outward sign of the Election by God, accompanied by an outpouring of the Spirit that takes possession of the chosen one (1 Samuel 10.1-6; 16.13). This connection between the anointing and the Spirit is the source of the main symbolism of oil in the Christian sacraments, especially in the unction of the sick, mentioned already in the epistle of James (James 5.14; cf. Mk 6.13); priest Oil communicates to the Christian the manifold grace of the Holy Spirit, Who made Jesus the Anointed One in the absolute sense of the word and revealed Him to be the Son of God. (Heb. 1:9 applies Ps 44:8 to Christ to testify to His divinity.)
The Sacrament of the Unction, called in Greek "the oil of prayer", is described by St. James the Apostle: “Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). As the above passage makes clear, the sacrament of unction has a dual purpose: not only bodily healing, but also the forgiveness of sins. Both are interconnected, for a person is a unity of body and soul, and therefore there can be no sharp and strict distinction between bodily and spiritual sorrows.
Here we are not talking about the usual anointing with oil (oil), which was practiced by the Jews as an ordinary healing substance, but about a special church sacrament, as healing properties here they are attributed not to oil, but to the "prayer of faith" performed by the presbyters.
Question:
Hello! Please tell me what is the meaning of the anointing with oil performed by a priest during a polyeleic service or all-night vigil after reading the gospel? There is information on the Internet that this is one type of blessing. One parishioner in our church explained that this is the seal of the Holy Spirit, without which a person cannot understand the Gospel. What is it really? And is anointing with oil a sacrament or is it one of the rites? And another question related to this topic. Church shops sell fragrant oil from lamps different icons. I think this oil is in the same category as holy water and prosphora. But holy water (if I have the correct information) we take in the morning, on an empty stomach, after morning prayers and after a special prayer for the acceptance of prosphora and holy water. But how to use this oil and what is it for? P.S. Thank you for always being so interesting and competently answering all questions!
Answers the question: Archpriest Dimitri Shushpanov
Priest's response:
In Orthodoxy, in the broad sense of the word, any sacraments, including anointing with oil, can be called the Sacrament, because through them the saving power of God - grace, is called for the sanctification of both man and inanimate matter. The difference between the rite and the Sacraments is that the rite is a shell, or outer, visible side Sacraments. It is expressed in a certain sequence of sacred actions and prayers. The anointing with oil at Matins after Vespers is called "polyeleus", or "many mercy", "many oil". Cross-shaped anointing on the foreheads of believers consecrated oil signifies the outpouring of the grace of God upon them. As you write, it is also one of the types of blessing, imprinting a Christian with the "seal of the Living God" (Rev. 7, 2-4). And it carries not only a symbolic load, but also really conveys the gift of grace for the sanctification of the soul and body. Historically, this tradition originates from the prophet Moses, who, at the command of God, anointed his brother Aaron and his sons with consecrated oil, as priests, to serve at the tabernacle (Ex. 28 ch.). In the New Testament time, the Savior sent disciples to cities and villages to preach the gospel. They, "many sick people were anointed with oil, and healed" (Mark 6, 13). Confirmation differs from anointing with oil in the Communicated Gifts of the Holy Spirit: in Confirmation God gives unique, inherent only to this Sacrament, grace-filled forces for a Christian to grow in spiritual life and achieve Christian perfection, which consists in victory over sin. The chrism for the performance of this Sacrament can only be consecrated by a bishop, and the oil can be consecrated by priests. Unction can be done as often as you like, but Chrismation can be done once in a lifetime: at the moment of Baptism. The custom is to collect oil from the lamps hanging in front of miraculous icons, or the relics of saints - ancient, and aims to inform a person of Divine blessing, sanctification of the soul and body, healing from ailments. Oil, with a prayer, is anointed with diseased parts of the body, or taken orally.
- Vladyka, what is the Church? Why are Christians called to church life?
The Church, according to the definition of Holy Scripture, is the Body of Christ. It is Christ Himself who remained on earth along with His disciples and their followers. This is a gathering of people who believe in Christ and fulfill the gospel commandments.
The temple itself is not just a place where we turn to God with requests, thank Him for the blessings in our lives. This is the place where the Eucharist is celebrated - the main sacrament Christian Church and where we get the opportunity to unite with Christ in the sacrament of Holy Communion. This is why the Church exists.
If a person accepts Christ as God, if His commandments become the rule of life for him, then he cannot fail to hear the words of the Savior: I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it(Mt. 1 , 18); where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst(Mt. 18 , 20). In these words - firstly, the promise of the creation of the Church and its existence until the end of time, and secondly, an indication that believers need to gather together for the sake of communion with Christ.
Today, a person does not really like to be surrounded by his own kind, it is hard for him. We are surrounded by other people literally everywhere - in transport, at work - and we feel like the smallest inhabitants of a huge anthill. Therefore, it becomes natural for a person to desire at least some time to be alone or only with the closest. A Christian has to overcome this feeling, realizing that unity in the Church, unity in God is a completely special, blessed state.
How should one behave in the temple? Many people who are just starting to lead the church life are shy, afraid to do something wrong... How can you find out about this?
Today there are many good books. There is such a wonderful thing as the Internet. There is a textbook of the Law of God by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky, which was published in millions of copies. It tells very well what a temple is, what its structure is, what the content of the service consists of and how to behave on it. Of course, in the Church, as in any other place, there are certain rules. They are connected both with certain general cultural moments and with what is happening in the temple.
So what is going on in the temple?
Worship is the service of God. Services can be different, the main ones are the all-night vigil and the Liturgy. There are special services of Great Lent, Holy Week, Easter period. A Christian needs to know what happens during worship. AT last years Numerous manuals for the study of worship have been published. Texts of the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy with commentary is in almost all churches. They can and should be purchased, and not just in order to read once, but in order to stand with them in the service and follow what is read and sung. For those who want to get to know the service more seriously, there are books and textbooks on liturgy, liturgical books - Menaion, Octoechos, Triodion. They are widely available on the Internet. Most temples have Sunday schools for adults, where the content of the service and the Church Slavonic language are studied. Therefore, the most important thing is the desire of the parishioner himself to learn something new, to understand the life of the Church.
When a person is just starting to go to services, he pays attention mainly to the external: for some reason they opened the Royal Doors, then they closed it, then they came out and shook something, they carried something out ... For a start, this is forgivable, but then you still need more thorough get to know the service. We must try to be not just a spectator who reaches out on tiptoe from the back rows in order to see or hear something, but to become a full-fledged participant in worship.
-Vladyka, at what moments of the service should one be especially attentive?
This is very good question, to which I answer with my favorite reasoning - to none, because one must be attentive from beginning to end. It is too bad that in some books certain moments of worship are indicated at which you need to be especially concentrated. If a person knows about this, he is really very collected and attentive. It happens that during the reading of the Gospel or during Cherubic song a fly will fly by - you can hear it. But as soon as this moment is over, everyone relaxes and begins to behave in a completely different way, more freely. Or at the all-night vigil: everyone is attentive, praying, crossing themselves, bowing. But the singing of the canon begins - and the whole church begins to move, everyone moves from place to place, greet each other, ask each other about business and health. If there are benches in the temple, people sit down, and on these benches a friendly conversation begins in full voice, people discuss important matters ... At this moment I often stop the service and turn to the parishioners. I explain that with the beginning of the anointing, the service did not end, that the canon is read - the central part of Matins, which tells about the events of the day being celebrated, and gives thanks to God for these events. For a while, my appeals are enough, and then everything repeats. Nevertheless, I continue to do this and try to be demanding of the clergy, I ask why they do not do this. Where priests teach the people, this does not happen. But, unfortunately, often the priests, apparently, are not up to it, and people are left to their own devices. This is a very acute problem in our church life.
We must behave in the service carefully and reverently at all times. And again, it is much easier to keep your attention when you are familiar with the service, when you understand its meaning. If today something is suddenly incomprehensible or inaudible (for example, a person came to a service in a large temple, where there are a lot of people, and he has to stand at the entrance or in a corner), there is such a rule: pray the Jesus Prayer or other short prayers . If for some reason you need to leave the service, cross yourself and silently, quietly leave the church.
By the way, observing the behavior of our parishioners is for me the most weighty argument in the discussion that sometimes takes place: do Orthodox churches need benches? Here the Catholics have it - it's convenient. There are Orthodox Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians. And I think with horror what will begin in our churches if we put benches: it will turn out to be just a big mound where everyone and everything is discussed ... In fact, in worship, especially when the charter is fulfilled more or less completely, there are moments when it is necessary to sit, especially during Vespers and Matins. Therefore, benches in the temple are appropriate. But, unfortunately, the manner of perceiving the temple during the service as a club of interests is present in our lives, and it is very difficult to overcome it.
It often happens that during the all-night vigil people come "to the anointing", and then many leave. It is not right? What is the significance of this anointing with oil at the evening service?
Anointing with holy oil is visible character communion with the grace of God. We are very fond of this rank. According to the charter, anointing with oil from the lamp near the festive icon or with oil consecrated on the lithium takes place at the end of the service, at the 1st hour. Here in Russia, especially at festive vigils, there are many people, and if we begin to anoint them with oil at the 1st hour, this will lengthen the service by another forty minutes. Therefore, in our tradition, the anointing is moved to the beginning of the singing of the canon, but this affects the service in the most negative way. Plus, in the minds of our people there is a certain spontaneous desire to take something from the temple. Not to bring, but to receive. Unfortunately, the consumer attitude to everything dominates in our time in human society, including church society.
All this leads to the fact that the anointing has become the "climax" of the evening worship, which it is not in its meaning. And indeed - sometimes up to half of the parishioners come "to the anointing" and then go home with a sense of accomplishment. It is not right. The anointing with oil has no special mysterious meaning.
It is necessary to come to the Vespers in order to glorify God and prepare for tomorrow's Liturgy, especially if a person is going to take communion. During the Divine Liturgy, the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed, the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Savior, and the communion of the faithful. That is why the Liturgy is the consummation and pinnacle of the daily cycle of worship.
-Do I have to kneel duringCherubic, Grace of the world?
There are different customs and traditions. But according to the charter - no, it is not necessary. You can bow to the ground during We sing to you when the sacrament is performed, at the exclamation "Holy to the saints" and during the removal of the Gifts for the Communion of the laity. According to the charter, it is not supposed to make prostrations in the temple at Christmas time (between Christmas and Epiphany) and on Holy Pentecost (from Easter to Trinity).
- Vladyka, how should the laity behave after “Holy to the Holies”?
Exactly the same as throughout the entire Liturgy. For me, this is the second sore point after the canon in the morning. On Easter week in one of our churches, I had to stop the service, interrupt the singing of the choir and turn to the people, because the same thing begins: walking, noise, talking. For some reason, at this moment, everyone suddenly goes to kiss the festive icon and begin to communicate. I always try to explain that after the Holy of Holies, very important sacred rites take place - the breaking up of the Lamb and Communion, first of the clergy, then of the people. It's strange that when it sings Cherubic, in general, simply accompanying the transfer of the Gifts from the altar to the throne, everyone stands rooted to the spot, praying with fear and trembling, and when the sacred ceremony with the Holy Gifts is performed, a noise is heard in the temple. Often, when “Holy to the Holies” is said and the veil closes, I have to send a senior subdeacon to calm the people, but this leaves people bewildered. And again, this happens where priests do not teach their parishioners. I repeat - unfortunately, this is our big problem.
Usually parishioners in the temple know each other, rejoice at meeting each other. This is good. But at the same time, we also know the words of St. Ambrose of Optina: “Sorrows are sent for conversations in the temple.” What is the right way for people to communicate in the temple?
This very true remark of St. Ambrose suggests that the problem is not new. Of course, the temple can and should be a place where believers meet and communicate with each other - but not during liturgical time. Of course, you can say hello to someone, ask how things are going, inquire about the health of children or relatives - but this must be done before the reading of the hours or after the service. Well-maintained temples usually provide people with the opportunity to socialize, especially on holidays. At many of our churches there are parks, squares, meetings and tea parties are arranged. The priest needs to take care of this, try to transfer this very good social activity of the parishioners to the non-liturgical time.
Vladyka, you often quote Blessed Augustine: "If God is in the first place, then everything else will be in its place" ...
This is a very accurate expression of the very essence of man's relationship with God. Indeed, it is impossible to be a true Christian if only a small part of our life is given to God. God must be in the first place, and then everything else will naturally line up in the right order.
Newspaper " Orthodox faith» № 10 (534)
Metropolitan of Saratov and Volsky LonginInterviewed
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