About reading the Bible in Church and at home.
Reading the Holy Scriptures is a necessary part of Orthodox worship. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom,” says St. Apostle Paul (Col. 3:16). The Bible consists of the books of the Old and New Testaments. During the church year, all the books of the New Testament are read in church, except the Apocalypse, as well as many books of the Old Testament, in whole or in part. Just as in the times of the apostles, when, according to the book of Acts, the word of Christian preaching was often combined with the daily reading of the Holy Scriptures (Acts 17:11), so now the word of God is heard in church services every day .
There is a pious tradition of Orthodox Christians to be edified daily by the words of Holy Scripture, reading the Gospel and the Apostle chapter by chapter. Also, many, having calendars with indications of church readings, follow them and read passages of Scripture texts according to the day.
The Monk Nikon of Optina said this about reading the Bible : Constant spiritual singing and reading Scripture is the food of the soul, this is its decoration, this is its protection. On the contrary, not listening to Scripture is hunger and destruction for the soul. If you don’t understand something, then accept it by simple faith; for God Himself said it.
We present to your attention a section of the site that contains the texts of the readings of the Holy Scripture according to the statutes of the Orthodox Church during the period of singing the Lenten Triodion (it includes the preparatory Weeks, starting with the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, the period of Great Lent - Holy Pentecost and Holy Week). This includes excerpts from the Apostle and the Gospel, as well as Parimia - excerpts from Old Testament prophecies about the Savior and His Feat on the Cross.
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Priest Yaroslav Kozdrin, confessor of the Holy Protection Gymnasium:
“I set a goal for myself to thoughtfully re-read the liturgical texts of the services of Great Lent. If you read carefully, a lot of things are revealed that you are unable to retain your attention and memory during the service. A liturgical text is, in the highest sense, a work of art both in its purpose and in its imagery.
From what I would like to re-read in the post are the works of Ivan Shmelev “Pilgrim”, “Summer of the Lord”, “Sun of the Dead”, his diaries. When I have free time, I read modern Orthodox fiction - the stories of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), Olesya Nikolaeva, priest Yaroslav Shipov, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev.
Features of reading the Gospel, the Apostle and Parimias during Lent.
The liturgical charter during Lent regulates a special order of readings . So, on all Sundays and Saturdays of fasting and preparatory weeks, the Church reads the texts of the New Testament, this includes the acts and epistles of the holy apostles and the Holy Gospel. On the weekdays of Great Lent, when the full Liturgy is not served, excerpts from the Old Testament are read at the services of the Sixth Hour and Vespers. The books read on Holy Pentecost included Genesis, the book of the prophet Isaiah, and the book of Proverbs of Solomon. Every day, except Saturdays and Sundays, excerpts from these three books are read at services so that the books are fully read by the end of Lent.
The Gospels during the period of Great Lent are read in a special order, so that all four Gospels are read from the second to the sixth weeks of Lent, or in the first three days of Holy Week. These readings have a different order, depending on parish practice, and are not specified in the general rules of Lenten worship. They should be considered separately.
A slightly different order is also provided for Holy Week. The main features here are readings of Old Testament texts with passages from the Gospels describing the Passion of the Lord. For example, in the evening on Maundy Thursday the reading of the 12 Gospels of the Passion of Christ stands out, and on Holy Saturday the 16 Parimias reminding us of the entire history of the world before the coming of the Savior, from his creation, to the prophecies about the Messiah.
In this section, the readings of the day are given for convenience in Russian letters, with accents; the text itself is Church Slavonic, the one that is read in churches, and not the Synodal translation. This allows you to delve deeper into the atmosphere of worship and, together with the Church, go through the entire Lenten cycle of readings, especially in these hectic times, when most people have practically no opportunity to get to the weekly services in church.
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Oksana Vladimirovna Garkavenko, candidate of philological sciences, SPDS teacher, director of Sunday school and head of the library of the temple in the name of the holy royal passion-bearers:
— In the library of our church during Lent, the works of the holy fathers are in particular demand: Saints Ignatius Brianchaninov, Theophan the Recluse, and Saint John of Kronstadt; parishioners especially often ask for “The Ladder” by St. John Climacus.
For myself, I have planned to read the Philokalia, in general, to read more patristic literature. Saint John Chrysostom is especially dear to me. I think that he is very in tune with modern man. The saint’s creations answer vital questions and help to gather oneself internally. Such books also remind us of the need to be collected and focused at all times, not only during Lent.
Archpriest Nikolai Stelletsky. "Moral Orthodox Theology". Volume 2
The second volume of the famous Orthodox theologian examines issues of individual, personal morality necessary for every believer. The study is devoted to the external manifestations of moral mood, the private responsibilities of the individual both in relation to God and his neighbors, and in relation to himself.
Professor and archpriest, Nikolai Semyonovich Stelletsky, was an extremely educated man. He was born into a priest's family, graduated from the Kharkov seminary, the Kyiv Theological Academy, received a candidate's degree in theology, and served as a priest for many years. His activities extended to the positions of teacher of law in gymnasiums and censor of the spiritual magazine “South-Western School”. Having come a long way to the rank of Master of Theology, professor and head of the department of theology at Kharkov University, he worked hard, preaching his knowledge to the flock.
The unique research of Archpriest Nicholas, killed by security officers in 1919, can now be read by all Christian believers. The new edition is intended for a wide range of readers interested in issues of faith, moral and spiritual life.
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Stelletsky N. “Moral Orthodox theology.” In 3 volumes. Volume 1
The volume is devoted to the inner essence of morality in general and the general principles of Christian morality. It was first published in 1914-1917, in the Kharkov book publishing house. The famous Orthodox theologian and archpriest Nikolai Stelletsky, professor at the Imperial Kharkov University, left behind a large number of works. His three-volume study is considered the most comprehensive work devoted to moral theology.
The biography of Father Nikolai, thanks to revolutionary events, was tragic. In 1919, he was taken hostage by Kharkov security officers and transported to the small town of Sumy, Oryol province, where he was brutally killed, becoming one of the first victims of the atheistic policies of the new revolutionary government. However, the works of the remarkable theologian have been preserved and now everyone interested in religious studies, ethics and philosophy of Orthodoxy has the opportunity to include them in the number of books, choosing for themselves what they can read during Lent.
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"Easter poems of Russian writers"
Lent is preparation for the main Orthodox holiday of the Resurrection of Christ. In the poems of Russian poets, the Easter theme often sounds, and these poems are a real poetic revelation. The collection presents the best poetic interpretations of the main Christian holiday - Easter.
Ivan Bunin
Christ is risen! Again, with the dawn, the shadow of the long night is thinning, Again a new day has lit up above the earth for a new life.
The thickets of the forest are still turning black; Still in its damp shadow, lakes stand like mirrors And breathe the freshness of the night;
Fogs are still floating in the blue valleys... But look: The fiery rays of dawn are already burning on the mountain ice floes!
They still shine in the heights, unattainable, like a dream, Where the voices of the earth fall silent and beauty is immaculate.
But, approaching every hour From behind the scarlet peaks, They will sparkle, flaring up, And into the darkness of the forests and into the depths of the valleys;
They will rise in the desired beauty and announce from the heights of heaven that the promised day has come, that God has truly risen!
1896
Vladimir Shumeiko, “Psalms. Experience of poetic transcription"
The author of this poetic transcription explained that the idea of his book is “To try to make the experience of my personal poetic reading of the Psalms” and to share this experience with readers. The arrangement of one of the biblical books by Vladimir Shumeiko is intended for people who are familiar with the canonical biblical text. The dialogue between the reader and the author will be interesting and useful for deepening your own understanding of the sacred text.
The author of the book is Vladimir Filippovich Shumeiko, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation of the first convocation, Russian political and statesman.
An example of one of the transcriptions:
Song of Ascent, Psalm 133
Bless the Lord now, Servants of the Lord, who stand in the Lord's temple and in the courts of our God. At night raise your hands to the holy things. Bless the Lord. The Lord will bless you in Zion, Who created both the Heavens and the Earth.
Abba Dorotheus, “Soulful Teachings”
Reverend Abba Dorotheos is a Christian saint, whose “Soulful Teachings” are devoted to issues of spiritual life. He speaks simply and wisely about the most important things - the benefits of virtue, the harm of temptation and pride, God's Grace, conscience and much more. In the book, each reader will see himself, searching and questioning. This book provides answers to many pressing questions of every person. Abba Dorotheos, addressing all of us, gives useful instructions and advice.
Quotes:
“Don’t wish for everything to be done the way you want; but wish it to be as it will be, and thus you will be at peace with everyone.”
“Do not punish severely for minor offenses, as if you yourself were completely righteous, and do not reprove often, for this is painful and the habit of reproach leads to insensibility and negligence.”
“And what God’s Providence is in is completely good and serves the benefit of the soul, for everything that God does with us, He does for our benefit, loving and having mercy on us.”
Troitsky S.V. "Christian Philosophy on Marriage"
The sacrament of marriage is not only a philosophical, but also a practical issue of our earthly life. Therefore, during Lent, the spiritual teachings of the famous canonist of the 20th century, Sergei Viktorovich Troitsky, dedicated to understanding one of the important sacraments, will prove interesting and useful for many parishioners. Anyone who is already married or is just preparing for it should know how difficult the path is to choose.
Throughout its existence, humanity, developing science and technology, has comprehended many secrets of nature and space. But the simplest things that accompany our lives remain covered in a veil of secrecy. What is the importance of sex life, why marriage between a man and a woman is important for human society, where do the disagreements on the issue of marriage between science and religion come from. According to the author, every person is forced to decide this question, regardless of his desires and preferences. Whether he can achieve success and happiness, or whether he will doom himself to an unhappy existence, depends on the most decisive person. But he must remember that he is given earthly life only once and it will no longer be possible to fix what is broken.
The book will arouse the interest of any reader, regardless of his education and social status.
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