Photo source: Yandex
The prayer for accepting holy water and prosphora is very short, but dates back to antiquity, the first centuries of Christianity. Even then it was customary to bring bread to the priests, on which the great Sacrament of the Eucharist was performed. The remainder was shared by the faithful at love suppers - agapas, which took place at the end of the service, eating them with prayer. Along with the prosphora, they also took water.
What you need to know about holy water
This is what they call it:
- consecrated with a special rite; it is called the water blessing prayer; it is denoted by the Church Slavonic word “Agiasma”; the name is borrowed from the Greek language, where it generally means a shrine;
Interesting fact
The Greeks call this not only water, but also myrrh, emanating from miraculous images, the relics of the saints of God. In Russia, Agiasma means water.
- Springs consecrated in memory of saints of God and miraculous icons are also called saints.
Great
It is called so by the name of the rite (Great Consecration), performed only for two days - January 18 and 19, that is, on the eve and on the day of the Epiphany.
Holy Baptism of the Lord on Solovki, photo: Vyacheslav Umnyagin
Historical explanations for why consecration occurs twice vary:
- according to one of them, in the ancient Church the services of the holiday began the day before and ended at midnight, when after the liturgy the strict fasting of Epiphany Eve was resolved; therefore, the first consecration began on January 18 after the celebration of the liturgy, and the second followed after midnight;
- other church historians point out that the Sacrament of Baptism was performed on the eve of the holiday, so that for new Christians the water was blessed the day before; after that, already on January 19, she was blessed for the sake of all the faithful.
- according to the third explanation, the custom of the blessing of water originated in Jerusalem, the blessing of water took place first in the temple, and on January 19 everyone went out to the Jordan;
- but Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) believes that the consecration on January 18 occurs for the sake of believers, while on the very day of the celebration nature is consecrated: that is why, according to ancient tradition, religious processions were held on this day on the river, or even on the sea.
Every year on January 19, a miracle occurs in the Jordan: when the Cross is immersed in it, it changes direction for several minutes. Here is the story of one of the pilgrims, who saw with her own eyes that the words of the chant about how the river “returns its streams of its waters, the Lord is baptized in vain” are not an allegory, but reality:
“Here the priests throw wreaths of green leaves and flowers tied on ribbons into the river in front of them. And now they are pulling them back from the left side. Apparently, they are carried away by the current. Yes, but the Jordan flows from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea, that is, from left to right, when viewed from our shore... This means that the current should carry the wreaths to the right and the priests should pull them out from the right... But now they again throw the wreaths in front of them, and pull them out on the left... I am fascinated by this action, which is repeated many times - apparently, for such people of little faith as I..."
In any case, two consecrations are an ancient church tradition. It is known that Russian Patriarch Nikon once tried to violate it by prohibiting the blessing of water on January 18, even under pain of excommunication of the clergy. But the Local Council of 1666-1667 lifted this ban, commanding:
“to create according to the ancient custom of St. Eastern Church and according to the tradition of the saints and God-bearing fathers, on the eve of the holiday, the consecration of water in churches and after Matins - on the river, as all church statutes command.”
It is important to note: the idea that the Great Agiasma is only consecrated on January 19 is a superstition. This is the name given to a shrine consecrated not only on the holiday itself, but also on the eve.
Water Blessing Prayer Service
Small
It is consecrated on other days of the year. Most often these are weekly (or as needed) water prayer services, as well as:
- throne celebrations;
- Friday of Holy Week (after Easter);
- the beginning of the Assumption Lent, when on August 14 the Destruction of the Trees of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated.
The sanctifying, healing properties of Agiasma - be it Great or Small - are no different. However, the Epiphany Agiasma is still considered a special shrine: for example, to some extent it replaces Communion if penance is imposed on a Christian, or there are other obstacles to the Sacrament.
Holy springs
Blessed springs also have water, which the Church calls “holy.” However, although you can and should plunge into it and drink with prayer, you cannot, for example, consecrate your home with it.
Shamordino. Descent to the source
If we are talking about the acceptance of the Great Agiasma by penitents who have been excommunicated from Communion, then strict fasting and intense prayer are necessary. However, now, due to human weakness, priests rarely impose such penances.
Most often, Agiasma is drunk in the morning, on an empty stomach. Prosphora is used with it with appropriate prayer. If a believer drinks only water, the prayer is still read the same. Some pious Christians have the custom of marking a vessel containing food or drink with a cross. There is no need to do this in relation to Agiasma: she has already been consecrated.
In addition to actually drinking Agiasma, you can use it:
- wash your face (small amount, gently rubbing over your face);
- It is best to anoint sore spots in a cross shape.
The shrine must also be stored correctly, and here we are not only talking about the fact that it is better to keep it in a closed vessel, near the icons. You should also not “store” it for future use, although this is possible. Water is not meant for storage, but for consumption.
Archpriest Andrei Dudchenko in his sermon on January 18, 2014 says:
“Water is consecrated not in order to be stored in the pantry for years (although with many years of storage it, as a rule, does not spoil: I had to meet completely fresh holy Epiphany water that had stood on the shelf for sixteen years!), but in order to be used, so that it could represent remission of sins, deliverance, salvation, sanctification of soul and body.”
There are also some restrictions on water consumption for women during their monthly cleansing days. There is no categorical prohibition here, but pious Christian women try to refrain from touching the shrine, except in cases of serious illness, when the shrine is needed “for fear of a mortal.”
In addition, it is categorically not blessed:
- add the shrine to food, drink (for example, tea), wash the floors with it;
- pronounce various kinds of “conspiracies” during its adoption;
- give Agiasma to animals.
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- Epiphany troparion;
- Psalm 90 (“Living in the help of the Most High...”)
- prayer to the Cross “May God rise again...”
When touching a shrine that is part of the Kingdom of Heaven, one must remain reverent, remembering the words of St. Theophan the Recluse :
it has power “only for those who are worthy of this grace through prayers of repentance, repentance, humility, service to people, works of mercy and the manifestation of other Christian virtues... it does not act automatically, and is useless for the wicked and imaginary Christians deprived of these virtues.”
Natalia Sazonova
The meaning of the holiday Epiphany
The essence of the holiday is that on this day Jesus Christ wished to be baptized by John the Baptist, thereby the Son of God became an example for his followers. Since he had taken upon himself the sins of all mankind, through this ceremony and renunciation of them he decided to atone for them.
The Lord himself appeared sinless and did not need purification, but sought, through his own Baptism, to sanctify the water and reveal God to everyone who observed this action. During the sacrament, the Holy Trinity appeared, that is, God showed himself in three persons.
At the moment of the Baptism of Jesus, from heaven, simultaneously with the appearance of flashes of lightning, the voice of the Lord was heard, who said:
“This is my beloved son, and in him I am well pleased.”
At that moment, the Holy Spirit in the form of a snow-white dove sat down on the shoulder of Jesus Christ. This fact was noted by numerous witnesses and it became an incentive for everyone who wanted to be baptized and thus unite with the church.
Why do you need to pray?
Swimming in an ice hole or washing in a bathhouse in itself will not cleanse anyone of sins, nor will it bring success in business, happiness and well-being. It is mandatory to read special and strong prayers before these procedures.
Prayer alone before Epiphany bathing will not be enough. In order to receive what you strive for with all your heart, you should pray regularly, and you also need to confess and receive communion of the Holy Mysteries. But that's not all!
In order for the Lord to give you what you ask for, you must eliminate sins in the future by taking the path of correction and self-improvement. This, of course, will require tremendous effort from you, but you are a person created in the image and likeness of the Lord God, which means you are capable of more than you think. If everything is done correctly, then you will fully experience grace on the day of the Baptism of the Lord.
How to read prayers correctly at home?
There are many nuances that you should definitely adhere to when reading prayers. All of them will help you get the maximum benefit from this important process. Every little thing matters - the choice of prayer, the time of reading it, the state of your soul at the moment of pronouncing these most important words, and much more.
On the eve of Baptism, be sure to adhere to the following rules:
Fast on Epiphany Eve
, avoid alcohol and smoking;
Visit the temple for confession and communion
;
Read prayers every day
; this does not require a special occasion.
Strong prayers for Epiphany for marriage and love
On the eve of the winter holidays, young girls tell fortunes about love and suitors, ask for a successful marriage, this is the custom, and this time is called “Christmas time”. A series of one holidays gives way to others. This is a strong time, and you can ask the Mother of God for the gift of a couple.
If you pray with a pure heart, then your requests and prayers will definitely be heard above. Moreover, you need to read it not only on holidays, but also on weekdays. My sister read this prayer, a year later she got married, so I know that this is a strong prayer, sincere intention is important.
