According to the Russian Orthodox tradition, God is in everyone’s soul, and in order to ask Him for something, it is not necessary to go to church, since the text of the prayer reaches God through the word. The order of service in the church is only the earthly embodiment of faith. You can come here, repent and receive a blessing.
It is very important for many people not only to feel the support of God in their souls, but also to see his embodiment in the icons that are in the temple. The church holds services according to certain canons. The duration and start time differ depending on the church holiday.
What time does the early and late morning service in church begin and end?
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.
Morning worship
It is the morning service that is given the greatest attention in the Orthodox Church. For the same reason, the morning liturgy is the longest. This service is dedicated to the life of God on earth, therefore this liturgy includes many prayers - thanksgiving, repentance.
However, the morning service includes several more. For example, the first one starts at 7 am and takes approximately one hour. This is the shortest service. It is dedicated to the moment when the Creator was at the court of the high priest.
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The 3rd hour of the service occurs at approximately 9 am. The main theme is the events in the Upper Room of Zion, the sending of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, the death sentence of Jesus by the praetorian Pilate.
At noon the sixth hour of Matins begins with a mention of the crucifixion of Christ. Finally, at 3 pm - the final service of Matins - 9th hour. It is dedicated directly to the death of Jesus Christ.
What time does the evening and night service in the church begin and end?
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.
Schedule of liturgies
For church monasteries there is no general rule for holding Divine Liturgies and matins, especially on weekdays. The temple opens early in the morning. The time of the ceremony is determined by the priest himself , depending on the wishes of the people visiting it.
On major Christian holidays, evening and morning liturgies are held. In addition, a prayer service is held on Sunday. The beginning of church services on Sundays, as a rule, occurs at 7-8 o'clock in the morning. In some churches Matins and Matins may be moved an hour later or an hour earlier. Therefore, you need to check with the ministers of the church you go to about Matins; they decide how long the liturgy lasts in the morning. Vespers at 19-20 hours. Night service also happens, but only on major holidays: Epiphany, Easter. In addition, a religious procession is held for the glory of God.
How long a church service lasts depends on the significance of the holiday.
On weekdays it can be held for a maximum of 2 hours, and Sunday services in the Orthodox Church can last up to three hours. A body icon with a chain “Matrona of Moscow” - a spiritual and beautiful gift for loved ones - buy for 1,490 rubles
. What time the evening service in the church begins also depends on the scale of the holiday. The earliest start can be at 16:00, the latest at 18:00. This service takes place over 2-4 hours. If church holidays are celebrated, then it is divided into daily, small and great. The all-night vigil is carried out using the all-night language.
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What time does Saturday church service begin and end?
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 service ends on Saturday before 18:00. The most important Saturday service is the full Divine Liturgy.
As a rule, Saturday services are dedicated to the venerable fathers and mothers, as well as to all the saints, to whom they turn with appropriate prayers. On the same day, the commemoration of all the dead takes place.
Check with the temple you are planning to visit for the exact schedule of services.
Why is worship in a temple necessary?
There are many places in the Bible that mention that a believer should attend Divine services. This is necessary not so much for God as for man himself. God needs nothing; He gives life and breath. The main purpose of the church is to fulfill the great plan of the Creator, that is, to fill everything around with the knowledge of the glory of God. And only if all believers unite, this plan can be realized. In return, Christians receive support, joy, and encouragement—both from God and from each other. Worship services bring people together, they are strengthened by faith in each other. Briefly, the goals of attending Divine services can be called:
- Communication. Moreover, this is a rather specific communication, when all the people present feel like brothers and sisters.
- Prayer, especially communal prayer, is very productive and has enormous power.
- Sermons read in the temple. This is an inexhaustible source of spiritual food for man.
- Singing prayers and psalms, again, is especially common. This is a kind of cleansing.
What time does the festive service in the church begin and end: schedule
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.
In addition, on the days of the twelfths and other major holidays, the Liturgy necessarily 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.
Behavior rules
When going to church in general and to Divine services in particular, you should remember that the temple is a special world with its own charter and rules. The norms of behavior there are quite strict, which can somewhat frighten people who have not previously visited this place or have done so very rarely.
- Before attending a service, it is better to refuse to eat, because every church sacrament is performed on an empty stomach.
- The most important thing even when simply visiting church, not to mention worship, is neatness in clothing. This concept should not be confused with high cost from a material point of view. All existing decorations should not attract outside attention. Accuracy and only this is important - this is a kind of tribute to the Lord. And this applies to both women and men. Clothes in light colors are most welcome, except, of course, for mournful events - in this case, only dark ones.
- It is advisable for men to avoid clothing that exposes their limbs - T-shirts and shorts; it is advisable for these parts to be covered. When visiting a temple, it is better for men to avoid bright colors, inscriptions, and holes in clothes. A man's head is always uncovered in church.
- Approximately the same rules apply to women. It is also important that the clothes are not too tight. The woman’s head, on the contrary, is covered - this is also considered a sign of respect for God.
- Before entering, a person must look at the cross located on the door and cross himself three times, accompanying this action with bows. In the vestibule, which is located behind the doors of the temple, you need to do this procedure again, and then you can enter the temple itself.
- You can choose any place for yourself with only one rule: women stand on the left, men on the right. In addition, the main passage should not be blocked. If there are benches, then you need to understand that they are created for those who cannot withstand the service - the disabled, children, the elderly. You need to sit on the bench modestly, not spread out and take up as little space as possible. You cannot stand or sit with your back to the altar. Mobile devices are not allowed, so this must be taken care of in advance.
- There is no need to keep your hands in your pockets, cross them on your chest or behind your back in church. You can’t jostle, talk loudly - in general it’s better to maintain complete silence.
- It is better to come to the service in advance; this time will be spent lighting candles, venerating icons, and submitting notes.
- If there is a small child in the church and the parents cannot get proper behavior from him, then it would be better to remove him so as not to violate the sacrament and not create problems for other parishioners.
- You should not leave the temple before the service ends. It’s not too easy to endure it all, because the evening service in church can take up to 3 hours, but it’s worth being patient. If there are compelling reasons to leave the church before the end of the service, then this should be done as discreetly as possible. The priest will tell you how long this or that sacrament lasts if you ask him in advance.
- Sometimes there is nowhere to place the candle. In this case, you can simply put the candle next to it; it will definitely be placed as soon as there is room in the candlestick.
A lot of questions arise about whether women can attend church on menstrual days. There is no prohibition; it is only recommended, if possible, to refuse to participate in the sacraments, and simply come to pray and light candles.
Not everyone knows where they put which candles, and this is very important. There is no doubt that they are placed before the faces of saints for their health. For candles for the repose there is a memorial table, which is a candlestick with a crucifix. Many people want to submit notes - they are handed over to the ministers, who, in turn, will forward them to the priest.
When leaving the temple, they also cross themselves 3 times, standing facing the facade. All these same rules must be followed when visiting monasteries.
What time does the Christmas service in church begin and end?
Christmas service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
The pre-holiday service begins early in the morning on January 6th.
- 1st hour service. Time - from 7:00. Stichera are read about the fulfillment of the prophecy about the birth of the Messiah.
- 3rd hour service. Time - from 9:00. The stichera about the Incarnation are read.
- 6th hour service. Time - from 12:00. The stichera with the call to meet Christ are read, and the Gospel is read.
- 9 o'clock service. Time - from 15:00. Stichera are read. At the end they read figuratively.
Holiday service (January 6)
- Depending on the day on which Christmas Eve falls, one of the evening Liturgies is celebrated: St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom. Time: depending on the temple from 17:00.
- Celebration of the Great Vespers of the Nativity of Christ.
- Celebration of the All-Night Vigil of the Nativity of Christ. Time: depending on the temple - from 17:00 to 23:00.
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.
You can read about the folk traditions of celebrating Christmas here.
Church services on weekdays
Believers visit the temple not only on Saturday or Sunday, but also on weekdays. You can go to church when it is convenient for the believer. At the same time, a Christian parish should always be open. The daily cycle of services is divided into 9 different parts, and includes :
- The circle starts at 18:00.
- Compline is the reading of prayers in the evening.
- From 12:00 at night there is a midnight office.
- Matins is divided into the following: the first hour - from 7:00, the third hour - from 9:00, the sixth hour - from 12:00, the ninth hour from 15:00.
Liturgy held from 6:00, 9:00 and until 12:00 is not included in the daily circle of church services. Speaking of ideal worship, every temple should be open at this time, and all of the listed services should be held.
The specifics of their implementation depend solely on the chief priest of the church. In villages, early and late readings of prayers occur only in large churches.
What time does the service in the church on Epiphany Eve begin and end?
Services on Epiphany Eve are very similar to Christmas services.
The date of Epiphany Eve is January 18.
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.
You can read about the properties of Epiphany water by following the link.
Types of services
Regardless of who holds it and in what place, all services are divided into daily, annual and weekly. Full services are held in monasteries, and it is the monks who follow all the canons of the church. The monks fully comply with the rules of church services, but in small churches they are held depending on the schedule created by the ministers.
Each day of the week is celebrated in the church and dedicated to certain moments:
- Sunday is Little Easter, on this day the resurrection of Christ is remembered.
- You can pray to the angels on Monday.
- John the Baptist hears prayers on Tuesday.
- On Wednesday they remember the betrayal of Judas and the memory of the Cross.
- Thursday is considered an apostolic day and is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
- On Friday, services are held dedicated to prayer for the suffering of Christ.
- Saturday is dedicated to the Mother of God.
Therefore, if you do not have the opportunity to go to church regularly, then you can read prayers every day, depending on who they will be intended for.
What time does the festive service in the church for the Annunciation begin and end?
Congratulations on the Annunciation
The Annunciation is celebrated on April 7. However, believers should attend the evening service on 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 time of services depends on the internal regulations of the temple.
What time does the festive service in church on Palm Sunday begin and end?
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 the 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 services depends on the internal regulations of the temple.
Holy Thursday services, April 21
Remembrance of the Last Supper and the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ.
In the morning Vespers is served with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and reserve Gifts are being prepared for the communion of the sick. At its end, during the bishop's service, the rite of washing the feet is performed.
In the evening, Matins is served with the reading of 12 passages from the Gospels dedicated to the Passion (suffering) of the Lord. There is an old Russian custom of bringing home burning candles from this service.
What time does the festive service in church on Easter begin and end?
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.
In the evening of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, an evening service is celebrated. However, Easter cakes are no longer blessed.
Beautiful Easter greetings can be found at the link.
Evening service
This service includes the 9th hour, Compline and Vespers. The 9th hour is, as already mentioned, the mortal torment of Christ and His death. Therefore, at this time it is very important to pray; this was mentioned in the Apostolic Decrees. It is not without reason that the 9th hour can be added to both mass and vespers. As a rule, it is performed before Vespers, but it is customary to carry it out with the services of the previous day.
Compline is an evening service performed after the evening meal. It is not always performed, but only during the days of Lent, at Christmas and Epiphany. On other days, they get by with Small Compline, including the “Our Father,” psalms, the Great Doxology, and the canon (but not always).
The evening service in the church can be all-day (held on weekdays), small (performed before all-night vigils) and great (one that takes place on holidays or on Sunday). Great Vespers is the most extensive, it includes many prayers, psalms, poems and other things. Small Vespers is a shortened version of the daily Vespers. It is this, together with Great Vespers, Matins and the first hour, that is called the All-Night Vigil.
What time does the festive service in the church on Radonitsa begin and end?
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.
Be sure to check the time of services directly with the temple you want to visit!
More information about Radonitsa here.
What time does the festive service in the church for Trinity begin and end?
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 dead.
The evening of Parents' Saturday is 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 at the link.
The Orthodox calendar 2022 will help you not to miss significant services.
