Forgiveness Sunday according to the Orthodox calendar. To whom can you not apologize on Forgiveness Sunday? Forgiveness Sunday: poems

Forgiveness Sunday is the last day before the onset of Lent in Orthodoxy.

On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from all relatives and friends, and also to sincerely forgive them for their offensive actions and evil words.

When is Forgiveness Sunday in 2020?

Each year, Forgiveness Sunday falls on a different day. This is due to the fact that the day of Easter, from which the date of the beginning of Lent and Maslenitsa is calculated, is determined according to the lunar calendar.

On the last day of Maslenitsa week, acquaintances meeting on the street have long said to each other: “Forgive me,” and in response they heard: “God will forgive you.” It was considered important to go on a visit on this day, visit relatives and reconcile with them.

For the same purpose, on Forgiveness Sunday they went to the cemetery, left pancakes on the graves, prayed and worshiped their deceased relatives.

How Forgiveness Sunday appeared

The tradition of asking for forgiveness before religious fasting appeared among Palestinian monks in the 5th–6th centuries.

The monks spent almost the entire forty-day period of fasting alone outside the city or monastery. They dispersed to deserted places and spent all their days in prayer. Back to top Holy Week some never returned, dying in the desert.

Realizing that next time they might not meet at all, on the eve of parting the monk people asked each other for forgiveness. Hence the name of this day - Forgiveness Sunday.

The meaning of Forgiveness Sunday

On this day in church they read the lines of the Gospel of Matthew: “If you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15).

In churches it is also obligatory to serve Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness. The rector and all the priests of the temple leave the altar and ask for forgiveness from the parishioners. They, in turn, approach the clergy and ask for their forgiveness. And then - with each other. Usually the dialogue on Forgiveness Sunday looks like this:

- I'm sorry!

- God will forgive you, and I forgive you.

By forgiving loved ones, a person does what is pleasing to God. By asking for forgiveness, we are trying to simplify our relationships with people and with God, admit our guilt and forgive our neighbor. This is where the purification of the soul begins, this is where it begins Lent.

It is believed that harboring a grudge against someone or not forgiving someone on Forgiveness Sunday is a great sin.

Every sin, every mistake, every mistake makes us guilty first of all before God, and secondly - before our neighbor. When answering “God will forgive,” you need to realize that everyone is in the same position before the Supreme Judge, and petty insults and misunderstandings against this background in themselves do not mean so much.

It is important to note that on this day they ask for forgiveness not only for pain, rudeness, and so on. The word “forgive” does not only mean forgiveness of an offense. It often happens that there is no resentment between people for something specific, but for some reason the relationship is strained, difficult, and complex.

Here it is appropriate to remember that the words “forgive” and “simply” have the same root for a reason. “Forgive me” is said when they want the relationship to become simple again and not become complicated. By asking for forgiveness and forgiving, loved ones remove accumulated difficulties in relationships.

Who should I ask for forgiveness from?

Woman in church during Sunday service

Of course, the obvious answer to this question is: on Forgiveness Sunday, you need to ask for forgiveness first of all from those whom you really offended. Perhaps you were aware of your guilt before, but did not admit it out loud.

In addition, it would not be superfluous to ask for forgiveness from all relatives, friends and acquaintances. Even if you think everything is fine between you, you never know for sure. After all, sometimes we don’t notice how we accidentally hurt someone with a word or deed.

However, church tradition says that you need to ask for forgiveness from everyone in general, and also forgive everyone, even if this was not asked. Forgive colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances who often cause you small, insignificant insults - we cannot leave them unanswered and they are the ones that destroy spiritual life.

If someone asks you for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday, but has not offended you in any way, still answer him traditionally. With this action, you will let him know in advance that no offense will make you enemies.

How to ask for forgiveness and forgive correctly

Girl in church during a religious procession

It is advisable to admit your guilt and release it to someone else in person or at least over the phone. If you are not sure that they are ready to accept your forgiveness, write the person a message by mail or SMS. However, even if you cannot communicate in any way, light a candle and ask for forgiveness near the icon. The main thing is to sincerely realize that you are wrong.

Talk to your loved ones with a good heart, even if they joke around to hide the awkwardness.

If everything is clear with the first point, then the biggest difficulties sometimes arise with the second. The most common exclamation on Forgiveness Sunday is, albeit not out loud, but silently, “Why forgive him/her?”

In this case, it is important to separate the image of the offender from his actions. The person who has annoyed you can be anything - good, evil, stupid, weak, and so on. His actions must be condemned, but he himself must be pitied for the fact that he may never have learned to love and do good.

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting or justifying. The pain caused by the offender, of course, will not go away automatically. But negative emotions towards him - a thirst for revenge, a wish for death, curses - will begin to gradually disappear and fade away, provided that you, of course, work on yourself.

Forgiving someone does not mean immediately treating them well. When we forgive, we do not necessarily have to behave towards him in any special way. The main thing is to drive away negative thoughts from yourself when communicating with him.

Why do you need to forgive and ask for forgiveness before Lent?

Forgiveness Sunday, or Raw Week, is the fourth and last of four Sundays, the period of preparation for Lent in Orthodoxy. This is the last day when believers are allowed to eat fast food: eggs and dairy products.

The period of Lent is not only a time of cleansing the body by giving up the usual food and entertainment, but first of all a time of cleansing the soul. This is a time of repentance and correction.

You cannot enter into fasting with resentment and anger in your heart. This bitterness inside will not allow the believer to endure fasting in peace. This is exactly what Forgiveness Sunday is for - to take the first step towards cleansing.

Relationships with neighbors are the surest indicator of relationships with God and at the same time - a school for these relationships.

Having been freed on Forgiveness Sunday from the heavy burden of anger and pain, the believer is reconciled with himself and loved ones, and also repents before God.

Why is it so hard to forgive

Despite the complexity of the act, each of us can admit our guilt and release it to our neighbor.

Usually the act of forgiveness is confused with the ability to quickly forget the pain caused. However, to forgive means no longer wishing retribution on the offender, no longer feeling rage and anger towards him. It means: “I do not hold any grudge against the person who caused me this pain, I do not wish him retribution, but I accept him as he is.”

Most often, we carry deep-rooted grievances within ourselves. An unpleasant incident occurred several months, or even years ago, and we are all “chewing” what happened. Any unforgiven offense is always the “product” of the offended person himself - he gave free rein to negative thoughts, allowed the pain to bloom violently, ignited small coal a whole flame from a mixture of one’s own humiliation and moral superiority over the offender.

Getting on the path of resentment is easy and to some extent even pleasant (feeling sorry for yourself, dreaming of justice and cherishing plans for revenge), but getting off it, freeing yourself from the trap of bad thoughts, and taking responsibility for your life is sometimes incredibly difficult.

An offended person buries himself alive in the shell of his own claims to others. No one will be able to reach him and free him until he himself wants to come out. Because you can break this shell only from the inside, by sincerely forgiving your offenders. And let the offenders not need forgiveness at all. But we ourselves urgently need it.

In the language of Christian asceticism, such a shell force is called passion - a certain property of human nature that was initially good, but turned out to be disfigured by sin and turned into dangerous disease. As you know, there are only eight main sinful passions: gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, sadness, despondency, vanity, pride. All these passions-diseases lurk inside us, coming out at the slightest provocation.

How to learn to forgive

You should not be under the misconception that forgiving is easy and pleasant. This is a lot of hard mental work, overcoming oneself. So how can you learn to forgive?

First, admit that it is time for you to get rid of bitterness and pain, otherwise this mixture of emotions will sooner or later begin to seriously ruin your life, if it has not already started. It is useless to eat yourself from the inside; it is better to let go of the grudge and move on with your life.

Secondly, look at the situation from the other side. Separate the bad deed of the offender from himself. Any person can be pitied, even the most terrible criminal and tyrant. Condemn his actions and feel sorry for him. Most likely, he had an unhappy childhood, he is hardened and can only cause pain. Have pity on him and thank God that he did not let you go down the same way.

Third, realize that forgiveness will not come to you instantly. Start praying and gradually release the accumulated pain from your heart. Find the source of the offense and work through it. Each time it will become easier and easier for you.

Fourth, look at the offender as a weapon of God. He taught you a painful lesson to make you realize something in life. Thank God and this person for the difficult lesson and “pass it with an A” - let it go and forgive.

Hieromartyr Arseny (Zhadanovsky), killed by the Bolsheviks in 1937, wrote: “At first glance, it will seem to you that forgiveness will humiliate, disgrace you and elevate your enemy. But this is not so in reality. You have not reconciled and, apparently, have placed yourself highly "And look, you placed an oppressive, heavy stone in your heart, gave food for mental suffering. And vice versa: you forgave and, as it were, humiliated yourself, but at the same time lightened your heart, brought joy and consolation into it."

Forgiveness Sunday: 7 stages of forgiveness

1. Don't make yourself an enemy
If you are offended, control yourself, do not get emotional.

To avoid increasing tension with someone, try to avoid conflict and resolve the issue peacefully if possible.

2. Don't get personal
If a collision does occur, during a quarrel or conflict, separate the person from his actions.

Learn to resist not the person, but his wrong actions. Condemn the sin, but not the sinner.

3. Surrender the offender to God.
After a quarrel, resentment always remains in the soul. In this case, do not let the thirst for revenge flare up in your soul.

Place the offender in God's hands. If he is worthy of punishment, let God punish him and admonish him.

That is why on Forgiveness Sunday they say: “God will forgive.” This means that in eternal life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, we wished this person to be forgiven by God.

4. Leave the offender in peace
There is nothing wrong with stopping communication with an acquaintance who offended you. If the relationship is not going well or the person continues to behave incorrectly, forgive him and calmly reduce contacts to nothing.

This will be better than increasing misunderstanding and hostility.

5. Forget about your enemy
To get rid of anger and gnawing resentment, stop thinking about the offender. Forget him and erase him from your life.

If anger and bad memories come up, calm down, read a prayer and switch your thoughts to something else.

6. Pray for your enemies

If you can’t sincerely forgive, start praying for this person.

Wish him peace and happiness, even through “I don’t want and won’t.”

7: Avoid Evil, Do Good
This step is very difficult, but effective. Everyone can do something good for a close friend. But is everyone capable of doing a kind deed towards the enemy?

Try to heal his heart with a kind deed. Perhaps you will push him towards correction and reconciliation.

On this day, they ask for forgiveness from each other, and also arrange a farewell to Maslenitsa, certainly burning a Maslenitsa effigy.

When is Forgiveness Sunday 2019

The date of Maslenitsa 2019, and, therefore, the date of Forgiveness Sunday, depends on the date. After all, Maslenitsa week passes exactly the day before.

Forgiveness Sunday 2019 fell on March 10th. And Forgiveness Sunday 2020 will be celebrated on March 1.

Forgiveness Sunday: what kind of holiday

What to say on Forgiveness Sunday

On Forgiveness Sunday they ask forgive, but not sorry. After all, when a person asks to “sorry,” he means that the offense was not his fault, it just happened that way: for example, he accidentally pushed someone in the crowd. Asking for forgiveness is, first of all, an admission of one’s guilt (even if accidental), a deeper repentance.

In response to “Forgive me,” an Orthodox person must answer sincerely, from the bottom of his heart: “God will forgive and I forgive.” Thus, he testifies that just as the Lord forgives the offense caused, so a person does not hold a grudge.

Forgiveness Sunday: poems

I sincerely apologize

For all the grievances that sometimes

In everyday life I applied,

Having no evil in my soul.

I sincerely apologize

For all the intentional evil,

For everything that hurt your heart

And it brought grief.

May our souls not suffer

Under the weight of petty grievances.

Forgive me as I forgive

And may the Lord forgive us all.

On the day of forgiveness, on Sunday,

They ask for souls to be cleansed.

I ask you to forgive me

And don’t accumulate resentment.

Congratulations to everyone,

I sincerely forgive everyone.

Let's celebrate this day with love,

Let it be clean and bright.

Pancakes are being baked. There is a cheerful child.

During Maslenitsa there is breaking of fast everywhere!

Today in Rus', as they say,

Forgiveness Holy Sunday!

And here, in the spring-rainbow fire,

Cheerful as a morning cloud,

Instead of an angel, she fluttered towards me

My independent granddaughter.

He laughs contagiously and loudly,

Capable of circumnavigating the entire earth,

Still quite a green girl

And almost completely grown up.

Slightly twirling like a bright moth,

She sat down on the sofa and said:

– Today is Forgiveness Day. So, in it

Perhaps the best beginnings have intertwined.

And so, in the name of this day,

If I'm guilty of something, I admit it

Please forgive me. –

And let's kiss the drunken heart,

Solemnly:

- And I forgive you!

- Since ancient times in the world they have said,

That he who is like the souls of the righteous,

He is capable of people around him

Forgive literally all sins in a row. –

And, excitedly jumping up from his seat,

She exclaimed: “I’ll ask you.”

Not for the sake of some test,

But just for the soul. So please!

Are you ready to forgive your enemies?

“It depends on what kind...” I said carefully.

- No, it’s simply impossible with you!

Let's say it differently:

Well, could you forgive, for example, a lie?

- Lie? – I said, “this is very bad.”

But if the liar repents, well

And he won’t lie again - I’ll probably forgive you.

- Well, what about love? Someone fell in love

Then it’s over! And there is no feeling left...

Would you forgive?

- Perhaps I would forgive,

If only she would sincerely confess to me.

- Well, now... Let's not talk,

Who in the world is evil, and who is kinder at heart.

The question before you is this:

Could you forgive betrayal? –

What answer should I give now?

The question was asked to me clearly and firmly.

How easy it is for those who can forgive everything!

And I am silent... I have nothing to say...

No, I won’t be among the righteous, obviously!

Eduard Asadov (1995)

Forgiveness Sunday - what kind of day is it? Which spiritual meaning the custom of asking everyone for forgiveness?

What do Orthodox believers forgive each other on this day? Are we guilty before every person in the world? Why then do those who seem to have never offended us ask us for forgiveness? Forgiveness Sunday is the last Sunday before Lent. This custom came from ancient times, when ascetics left cities and monasteries for the desert during Lent, not even knowing whether they would return back for Easter. Setting out on this difficult and dangerous journey to pray in solitude, they said goodbye and tried to reconcile with each other. Each of them knew that perhaps the path they were taking, leaving the world, could be their last. Therefore, it was important for them to say goodbye and forgive each other’s offenses.

In memory of this, Orthodox people also ask each other for forgiveness. But you can ask for forgiveness not only from fellow believers. We can make peace with everyone we have offended, so that the evil will leave our hearts. We all bear guilt before God; the burden of original sin lies on us. By asking forgiveness from our neighbor and forgiving him, we try to reconcile ourselves with God, who, by His mercy, forgives us our sins. We ask the Lord to forgive us and hope that He will hear our prayers. Let us be all-forgiving and merciful, lenient towards the misdeeds of our neighbors, because we also have our own sins, for which we ask God for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday.

The coming Lent is a time of repentance. Repentance is a time of correction, cleansing of the soul. If you harbor a grudge against your neighbor, it is impossible to enter in peace during Lent. Therefore, on Forgiveness Sunday we should not only ask for forgiveness from those we have offended, but also forgive those who have offended us. Even if no one asked us for forgiveness that day.

We will talk about this in our article.

Who should you ask for forgiveness on this day - from everyone or only from those whom you have probably offended? And how to forgive from the heart, how to find out whether you have forgiven in reality or only in words? What to do if you don’t have the strength to forgive?

We asked Priest Maxim Pervozvansky to explain the meaning of Forgiveness Sunday and the essence of forgiveness.

Like before death...

— Father Maxim, where did this custom come from - asking everyone for forgiveness on the last day before Lent?

- This is not some kind of creation at all. folklore, this is the oldest church tradition. Christ Himself laid the foundation for it with His words in the Gospel of Matthew: “If you forgive people their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses.”(Matt. 6:14-15). This is the unchanged Gospel reading on the last Sunday before Lent.

Later, the rite of forgiveness appeared in the Church. In Egypt or Palestine, monks went alone into the desert during Lent and, of course, were not sure that it would not become their last refuge. Therefore, they reconciled with each other, asking for forgiveness for everything, as before death.

- We don’t go into any desert... Why do we continue to observe this tradition and Forgiveness Sunday still falls on the eve of Lent?

— Because it is categorically not recommended to enter Lent in a non-peaceful state. This is a time of cleansing, spiritual renewal before Easter; accordingly, you need to try to begin your cleansing, free yourself from the burden of guilt before your neighbors, i.e. really reconcile with everyone, forgive everyone from the heart.

Forgive, not excuse

- What does it mean to forgive? What should we mean by this concept?

— There are two different words: “sorry” and “excuse me.” These are almost synonyms in modern Russian, but initially these are very different words in meaning.

Have you noticed that it is often much easier to say “sorry” than “forgive”? “Sorry” means take me out out of guilt, make me innocent, in other words, let’s assume that I’m not guilty before you. So a child who climbed onto the table for candy and broke a vase can say: “Mom, I broke your favorite vase here, excuse me.” Thus, he wants to justify himself: “It’s not my fault, it just happened.”

What is “sorry”? This means: I am guilty, I admit my guilt, but let me go, accept me as I am, I will try to improve.

Therefore, we ask God not to forgive, but to forgive, which means to accept. Accept the guilty, the sinner, whatever - but accept.

- It’s the same with people: do we ask them to accept us as we are?

— Yes, and in this sense, forgiveness can qualitatively change our relationships. It is no coincidence that the word “forgive” has a certain connection - both phonetic and semantic - with the word “simply”. Please note that when relationships between people begin to deteriorate, they say that they become more complicated, i.e. lose their simplicity and clarity: we cannot Just look into each other's eyes, Just smile at each other Just talk. And when one of us says the word “sorry,” it means the following: “I’m guilty, I’ll try to improve, make amends; let’s eliminate these difficulties, let’s make sure that we can look each other in the eye again.”

By asking for forgiveness, we try to simplify our relationships with people and with God by admitting our guilt and relinquishing the guilt of our neighbor. This is where our cleansing begins, this is where Great Lent begins.

Why ask for forgiveness?

— Father, is it necessary on Forgiveness Sunday to ask for forgiveness from everyone you know even the slightest bit - according to the principle “maybe I offended him in some way, but I don’t remember”? Or only those who were definitely hurt?

- Firstly, we ask for forgiveness from those against whom we have sinned, whom we have upset, with whom we have omissions, difficulties and problems in relationships.

Secondly, we must ask forgiveness from all people in general - like our brothers and sisters - for the fact that we are bad Christians. After all, we are all members of the one Body of Christ. Whether one member is sick or the whole body is sick is one of the key thoughts of Scripture. Adam and Eve sinned - all humanity suffers. I sinned - my brother is suffering.

In addition, we need to ask people for forgiveness for not truly loving them. We are called to love every person, but instead we “talk a little” with him because we are not interested in him. We are only interested own person and those people who are this moment we need. This is a sin against people - on Forgiveness Sunday it is useful to feel this.

This definition does not mean that you need to fall at the feet of everyone. But you need to try to feel this moment - the lack of love in yourself - and sincerely repent.

How to forgive?

- But what if a person feels that he is not able to forgive? And Forgiveness Sunday came - it seems that we should forgive...

- Anyone can forgive. When people say “I can’t forgive,” they often mean that they are unable to forget the pain they have caused. But to forgive does not mean to forget the pain. Forgiveness does not imply its automatic and immediate disappearance. It means something else: “I do not hold any grudge against the person who caused me this pain, I do not wish him retribution, but I accept him as he is.” The pain may not become less, but a person will be able to look directly into the eyes of his offender if he himself is ready to look him in the eyes and sincerely ask for forgiveness for the offense caused to him.

- But what if the offender doesn’t even think of admitting his guilt and going to peace?

“Then, of course, it’s hard to reconcile.” But the Lord calls us to forgive even our enemies and Himself sets an example for us in this. Such forgiveness seems like something fantastic, impossible, but in God, in Christ it is possible.

When learning to forgive, we also need to remember this point: often people who cause us pain do so with the permission of the Lord. Not in the sense that they are not to blame, but in the sense that this offense will benefit us.

For example, if we ask God for such a quality as humility, it would be wrong to expect that it will suddenly fall on us from heaven. Rather, we need to wait for God to send a person who will offend us, hurt us, maybe even unfairly. Having endured such an insult, having found the strength to forgive - maybe only the 3rd, 10th, 20th time - we will slowly learn humility.

So you need to understand that nothing happens by chance and God creates everything for our benefit.

- Father Maxim, how can I determine whether I have truly forgiven or not? You can forgive in words, although this is also not easy, while in reality the resentment may remain...

“The fact is that forgiveness is not a one-time process. It happens that we seem to have forgiven and forgotten everything, but after some time, indignation and anger at our offender flares up in us again.

What's the matter? But the fact is that unforgiveness is a passion. And passion, once settled in us, can over time take deep roots in the soul and, moreover, is capable of hiding, for the time being without showing “signs of life.” This happens especially often when the offense inflicted was truly extremely painful and serious.

And who benefits from this wound bleeding again and again? Of course, the evil one! He tirelessly, with all his might, tries to lead a person astray, and if we have some kind of “sore spot” - something that makes us lose our balance, get annoyed, get angry - he will definitely put pressure on him. There is a resentment - this “horn” will remind it, refresh in our memory unpleasant actions or words spoken to us.

This scar takes a long time to heal - it takes time, but you also need to make an effort to make it heal.

We need to remind ourselves that with God everything is possible. Christ, experiencing torment on the cross that we are afraid to even imagine, forgave His tormentors and will give us the strength to forgive our offenders.

IN explanatory dictionary S.I. Ozhegova the word “apologize” has two meanings: 1. ask for forgiveness. 2. bring something in your defense ( outdated).

Interviewed by Valeria Posashko

The last preparatory week (the last day before) is called Cheesecake week. This day ends the eating of milk, cheese and eggs. On this day, during the service, the fall of Adam and Eve is remembered: the first people were expelled from Paradise because they transgressed and violated the commandment of God. We should remember our sins, because preparation for the great holiday begins with repentance, fasting and prayer.

Forgiveness Sunday. Divine service and the “rite of forgiveness”

Forgiveness Sunday before Great Lent is a day of mutual repentance and pacification of all the misunderstandings and disagreements that have happened between us, when we say to each other: “ Sorry!", so that with a pure heart and joyful soul we can begin the upcoming feat. The Gospel reading for this day indicates that true fasting should begin with mutual forgiveness of grievances and insults:

If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins (Matthew 6:14-15)

This is the basis for the custom of Orthodox Christians on the last Sunday before Lent to ask each other for forgiveness, which is why this very day is usually called forgiven resurrection. It has long been customary on this day to ask for forgiveness, make peace and forgive the insults inflicted, in order to begin the spiritual exploits of Great Lent with a pure soul, before the priest one’s sins and receive communion. For what is fasting, kneeling and other bodily labors with which we humble our carnal passions and lusts? This is only our weapon in spiritual warfare, the path to internal self-improvement and the acquisition of gospel virtues.

The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Cor. 5:22-23).

But just as fruits cannot grow on their own, without roots and trees feeding them, so spiritual fruit is the result of many years of abstinence and cutting off carnal lusts in order to purify the heart and soul and make them worthy to receive God’s grace.

Usually in Old Believer churches on Forgiveness Sunday a service is performed - vespers and vespers. After this is done rite of mutual forgiveness, when parishioners bow to the ground to the rector, asking for forgiveness and blessings for Lent. Believers also bow to each other with the words:

Forgive me for Christ's sake!

- “God will forgive, and you forgive me for Christ’s sake!”

This custom is ancient. Thus, the Frenchman Margeret, who was in Rus' in military service at the beginning of the 17th century, in his essay “The State of the Russian State and the Grand Duchy of Moscow” he writes:

On Maslenitsa, Russians visit each other, kiss, say goodbye, make peace if they have offended each other in word or deed, meeting even on the street - even if they have never seen each other before - they kiss, saying: “Please forgive me,” the other replies: “ God will forgive you, and you forgive me.”

It is known that the “rite of forgiveness” of the great princes and kings of Moscow included visits to Moscow monasteries; sometimes the sovereign went to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, saying goodbye to the brethren and asking for blessings. All this was done on, and on Sunday the rite of forgiveness was performed in the Assumption Cathedral. The Tsar asked for forgiveness and blessings from the Patriarch and said goodbye to his courtiers. It was also customary to give freedom to prisoners on this day.

The entire period of Pentecost (the time from Monday of the first week of Lent to Friday of the sixth week inclusive) is the anticipation of the day of Easter and preparation for it. This is how it is said in the stichera, which is sung on the evening of Forgiveness Sunday:

PThe new season of light begins, we strive to move ourselves forward, cleanse our soul and3 body. post1msz ћkozhe in dєkh, s11tse i3 t vсskіz passions, feeding on virtuesz d¦a. In the future we will remain in love2, so that we will all be able to see this all-honorable article of God, and3 this Easter, let us rejoice.

Poetic and full of deep meaning, the Church Slavonic text of this stichera strengthens those praying and teaches them that fasting is a joyful time. This prayer can be translated into Russian with the following words:

We will begin the time of fasting brightly and joyfully, encouraging ourselves to spiritual deeds, and cleanse our soul and body. Let us fast not only from food (abstaining from food), but also from passions, feeding on the virtues of the Spirit. With love, let us improve in virtues so that we all may be worthy to see the Passion of Christ and meet Holy Easter in spiritual joy.

Soulful teaching on Forgiveness Sunday

Love and forgiveness of mutual offenses are the main commandments in Christianity, without the fulfillment of which none of our good deeds can be acceptable before God.

So, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go, first make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5 , 24-25).

The Reverend Fathers call the Fast of the Holy Pentecost spiritual tithe, which we sacrifice to God, devoting this time to strict abstinence and prayer.

While we live on earth, our soul and body are inseparable from each other. If we are Christians, we must devote both to the service of God. There are commandments for the soul, and there are also ones for the body. Following the example of the holy fathers and desiring eternal salvation, we cannot neglect or transgress the slightest of them. The “Ancient Patericon” tells about one young monk who walked through the city to the inn and, in response to the admonitions of an experienced hermit elder, who happened to be in the same place, said that God does not require anything except purity of heart. The elder exclaimed in grief:

I have lived in the desert for fifty years and have not acquired purity of heart, but you want to acquire it in an inn!

Soon, that careless and arrogant monk fell into grave sin, because we cannot overcome our passions and lusts if we do not move away from the cause that gives rise to them.

“Great is the feat and labor at the beginning of those who approach God in silence and silence; and then - unspeakable joy. Just as those who want to light a fire first endure smoke and shed tears, and in no other way achieve the desired goal; so those who want to kindle the Divine fire in themselves must kindle it with tears and labors, with silence and silence” (Miterikon).

When we begin to weed our field in the summer, at first the work, as they say, “scares the eyes,” but little by little, step by step, with difficulty and bows, we pull out the harmful thorns that can choke and destroy all our good fruits. So, with God’s help, having overcome the first difficulties, we begin to notice that it becomes easier. We easily and joyfully turn back when we see our noble plantings perked up, cleansed. It is easy and joyful for us to collect the fruits at the end of long-term painstaking work. So it is with Lenten time: at the beginning it seems painful and inconvenient, but gradually, day after day, freeing our soul from sinful thorns, we noticeably already notice some relief in the feat. A special joy is the bright Easter day, which we greet with a feeling of fulfilled duty for the sake of the good labors and efforts endured.

The Holy Fathers call reasonable and moderate fasting the basis and affirmation for all virtues. On Forgiveness Sunday, we remember Adam’s expulsion of sweets from Paradise, which was a consequence of intemperance and a violation of the commandment to fast, which was also established for the primordial man. Therefore, just as we have lost incorruptibility and purity through intemperance from forbidden foods, in the same way we find them again, oppressing our bodily needs in order to strengthen and approve the soul for prayer and contemplation of God.

“Do not be deceived, you cannot free yourself from the mental Pharaoh, nor see the heavenly Passover, if you do not always eat bitter potion and unleavened bread. Bitter potion is the compulsion and patience of fasting, and unleavened bread is unpuffed wisdom. May this word of the psalmist be united with your breath:<бесы>cold, I clothed myself in sackcloth and humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer in the depths<души моей>will return (Ps. 34:13).

Fasting is the violence of nature, the rejection of everything that pleases the taste, the extinguishing of bodily inflammation, the destruction of evil thoughts, liberation from bad dreams, the purity of prayer, the luminary of the soul, guarding the mind, the destruction of heartfelt insensibility, the door of tenderness, humble sighing, joyful contrition, restraint of verbosity, the cause of silence, the guardian of obedience, the relief of sleep, the health of the body, the culprit of dispassion, the resolution of sins, the gates of Paradise and heavenly pleasure” (“Ladder”, word 14).

We see the path and example here primarily from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He fasted for forty days in the desert, leaving us an image so that without a doubt we would imitate Him and walk in His footsteps. And the greats God's saints and the prophets who were awarded special high revelations and grace - Moses, Elijah, Daniel - also underwent a forty-day fast. Never and nowhere do the holy fathers praise those who work for their own belly. For the heart of a glutton is a receptacle for all impurity and bad desires, and the heart of a humble fasting ascetic is an abode for God’s grace, if, of course, we maintain kindness, prudence and other virtues, without which all our deeds cannot be salutary and pleasing to God.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

Our true spiritual treasure is to be partakers of the eternal Easter joy that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. Physical fasting also presupposes spiritual fasting, i.e. to be especially careful about your inner man, behind the movements of the heart and soul. The holy fathers compare the fasting and silent person, who harbors in his heart malice and condemnation of his neighbors, to a poisonous adder hiding in its hole. If we say “forgive” but do not forgive ourselves, if only for the sake of appearance out of ostentatious vanity we bow to the brother who insulted us, and, having gone to the side, are again darkened with anger, then in vain we watch and fast, for the devil himself never eats and never does not sleep, but this does not cease to be the devil. The heart of an angry and angry person is the home and refuge of crafty demons. Nothing exposes us to God's grace more than resentment and condemnation, hatred and slander. Here you can see the road to the very depths of the underworld and the treasury of eternal torment.

“Quick and strict judges of the sins of their neighbors suffer from this passion because they do not have perfect and constant memory and concern for their sins. For if a person saw exactly his evil deeds, without the veil of self-love, then he would no longer worry about anything else related to earthly life, thinking that he would not have enough time to mourn himself, even if he were a hundred years old. lived for years and at least saw a whole Jordan of tears flowing from his eyes. I observed the cry of true repentance and did not find in it a trace of slander or condemnation” (“The Ladder”, word 10).

Just as wasps and flies attack sweets, so the evil spirit rushes against every virtue in order to mix something harmful into it and reverse the saving endeavor. Lenten abstinence was established for us by the holy fathers so that with a lightened soul we would acquire love and humility, meekness and mercy towards our neighbors. Evil spirits, on the contrary, try to puff up the heart of the fasting person with vanity and conceit and teach him to despise his weakest brothers. A proud person is always prone to harsh and harsh denunciations; the one who speaks to a brother out of love will talk about the matter as if talking about his own weakness, and, without a doubt, will achieve best result. For it is known that a cruel and insulting word can confuse a good person and move him to anger, while a good word spoken with meekness is really powerful in correcting evil in any person and instructing him to virtue.

He who eats, do not disparage the one who does not eat; and whoever does not eat, do not condemn the one who eats: because God has accepted him. Who are you, judging someone else's slave? Before his Lord he stands or falls; and he will be raised up, for the Lord is able to raise him up (Rom. 14:3,4).

Whether we fast, vigil, make many bows and otherwise humble our body, we must always remember that this is not an “end in itself,” but only a means to achieving the true goal: peace and purification of the soul. That even supernatural bodily asceticism will not bring us any benefit if we do not at the same time preserve our first commandment about love for God and neighbor. When we live in a large family, we love all our household members, we tolerate and resign ourselves to their infirmities, we endure the troubles and annoyances that they cause us, we always think about how to support and comfort them. But we should have similar and even greater love not only for our close relatives, but also for all the people around us. True love is recognized precisely in the forgiveness of slander and insults, when, having suffered humiliation from a neighbor, our hearts ache not for ourselves, but for our offender, and sincerely want to help him and reassure him.

The creation of Adam and Eve. The first people stand before the Lord. Expulsion from Paradise. Lament for the Lost Paradise. Fragment of the northern door of the iconostasis. Central Rus'. First half of the 18th century.

“Forgive” is a word of love and consolation when, having reconciled with a brother, we hope for forgiveness of our own sins. For all our righteousness is like the sackcloth of an unclean woman before God. And if we can still count on leniency, for the sake of our natural weakness, with weak progress in bodily virtues, then the hidden hatred in the heart has no reasonable justification for itself. And it destroys all our labors and exploits, forever separating us from God’s grace, for “The Holy Spirit does not live where there is anger” (Nikon Chernogorets).

In the prologue from the Lives of the Saints (February 9th) there is one very touching story about the holy martyr Nikephoros (c. 257), who suffered during times of severe pagan persecution.

In the city of Antioch there lived two friends - the priest Sapricius and the layman Nicephorus, who loved each other in the Lord. But the devil was jealous of their unfeigned love and sowed enmity between them. And this enmity flared up so much that even if they met on the street, they fled to different sides, blinded by demonic malice. And so both of them - Sapriky and Nicephorus, forgetting about the law of Christ, rushed to eternal destruction.
But over time, the layman Nicephorus repented of his anger towards Priest Sapricius and began to ask him for forgiveness. Three times he sent his friends and neighbors to him, considering himself a sinner and unworthy to approach the priest he had insulted, and three times Sapriky refused reconciliation. Finally Nikifor made up his mind and fell at the feet of his former friend with the words:
- Forgive me, father, for the sake of the Lord, forgive me!
But Sapriky again did not want to reconcile with the humble Nicephorus, for Satan took possession of his heart.
At that time there was a terrible persecution of Christians, and Sapricius was brought to trial. The ruler demanded that he make sacrifices to idols, but Sapriky courageously replied:
- O ruler! We are Christians. Our King is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One, True God, Creator of the earth and sea. Your gods are demons. May they perish! Your gods are the creations of human hands!
He was tortured for a long time and cruelly, but Sapriky, even in suffering, said to the boss:
- You have power over my body, but not over my soul. My Lord Jesus Christ, who created my soul, He alone has power over it.
Seeing the inflexibility of Sapricius, he was condemned to death. But when the executioner was already leading him to the place of execution, Nikifor, hearing about this, ran and fell prostrate before Saprikiy, crying out with tears:
- O martyr of Christ! Sorry, forgive me! I have sinned before you!
But Sapriky, blinded by malice, again renounced reconciliation.
Blessed Nikephoros begged him for a long time, but in vain. And then the power of God and grace retreated from the mad priest, and Sapriky suddenly lost heart and renounced the Lord Jesus Christ.
- “Oh, my beloved brother,” exclaimed Nikephoros, “don’t do this!” Do not lose the heavenly crown that you have woven through many sufferings! The Heavenly Lord is already preparing to appear to you and reward you with eternal joy for temporary suffering and death.
But having hated his neighbor and been abandoned by God for this, Sapriky continued to renounce. Then, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, Nicephorus turned to the pagans and said:
- I'm a Christian! I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and will not sacrifice to idols. I will accept the execution instead of Sapricius.
Then, by order of the ruler, the apostate was released, and Nikifor’s head was cut off. With rejoicing, his pure soul flew to the Lord and, with all the holy martyrs, appeared before the throne of God, to Him be power and glory, honor and worship forever. Amen.

If possible, be at peace with all people (Rom. 12:18).

If we do not dare to touch a shrine with unclean hands or come to the Divine service in unclean clothes, especially in uncleanness of heart, i.e. in unrepentant enmity and hatred against our brother, we cannot make a spiritual sacrifice for God, lest, instead of forgiveness of sins, we incur even greater anger and condemnation. Tears and repentance are a bath for the soul. Love and forgiveness are the path of reconciliation with God, the beginning and end of the path of salvation and improvement. Internal and external abstinence from sinful passions and lusts elevate a person to the former state from which ancient Adam fell due to negligence. But which, by the grace of God, is revealed to us again, if only we vigilantly and diligently follow all the wise commandments of the Lord, leading us to eternal salvation.

“Having opened the feat of virtue, enter into those who want to suffer, having girded yourself with the good feat of fasting. Those who suffer lawfully also get married lawfully. And having taken up all the weapons of the cross, we will resist the enemy, holding faith like an indestructible wall, and prayer like armor. And send alms. Instead of a sword, fasting, which cuts off all anger from the heart. Do this, the true one will receive the crown from King Christ of all on the Day of Judgment.” ( Lenten Triodion ).

Forgiveness Sunday in folk traditions

This is how the 19th century writer and ethnographer describes the folk traditions of “Forgiveness” Sunday. S.V. Maksimov.

The last day of Maslenitsa is called “forgiven”, and the peasants dedicate it to the ritual. At about 4 in the afternoon, in the village bell tower, the sad, Lenten bell for Vespers is heard and, hearing it, the peasants who have been out for a walk fervently cross themselves and try to shake off the cheerful Maslenitsa mood: little by little the crowded streets empty, the festive talk and noise subsides, fights, games stop, skating. In a word, the wide, drunken Maslenitsa comes to an abrupt stop and is replaced by Lent. The approach of fasting also affects the spiritual mood of the peasants, awakening in them the thought of repentance and complete reconciliation with their neighbors. As soon as the church bells stop ringing and vespers ends, relatives and neighbors begin to walk around the huts, asking each other for forgiveness. Low, right down to the ground, the peasants bow to each other and say: “Forgive me, for Christ’s sake, for what I have sinned against you.” “Forgive me too,” the same request is heard in response.

However, this beautiful custom, full of Christian humility, began to gradually die out. According to our correspondents, in some central provinces it almost no longer exists, but in the forest provinces of the north, where customs are generally stable and strong, “farewell” is observed very strictly and there is even a special ritual for it. The newcomer asks for forgiveness, kneels down near the door and, turning to the owners, says: “Forgive me and your entire family for what I have been rude to you this year.” The owners and everyone in the hut answer: “God will forgive you and we will be right there.” After this, those who came to say goodbye stand up and the owners, having kissed them, offer them a treat. And after an hour, the hosts themselves go to say goodbye, and the whole ceremony, including the refreshments, is done first.

So, moving from hut to hut, they walk until it’s light, and, walking along the street, both men and women consider it their duty to shout at the top of their lungs: “Madame Maslenitsa, stretch!” or: “Wet-lipped Maslenitsa, stretch!”

As for the village youth, they either do not adhere to the custom of saying goodbye at all, or their farewell takes on a playful character. Here's what our Oryol correspondent reports on this matter: guys and girls stand in a row and one of the guys comes up to the one on the right side and says to him: “Forgive me, dear Ivan (or dear Daria), what I sinned against you.” He (or she) answers: “God will forgive you and I will forgive you right away.” After this they kiss each other three times. So the whole row of those saying goodbye goes through and stands to the side, the second one goes after the first to say goodbye, etc. When saying goodbye, of course, there are jokes.

Farewell in the family circle has some special features. This is how it happens in the Saratov province. The whole family sits down for dinner (and scrambled eggs are always served as the last dish), and after dinner everyone prays earnestly and then the youngest begins to bow to everyone in turn and, having received forgiveness, moves to the side. Behind him, in order of seniority, the next oldest member of the family begins to bow (but does not bow to the youngest and does not ask for his forgiveness), etc. The last to bow is the hostess, and asks for forgiveness only from her husband, while the head of the family bows to no one.

Although the custom of asking forgiveness from relatives and neighbors, as just said, is noticeably falling out of use, the custom of saying goodbye to the dead is extremely firmly held. At least our correspondents unanimously testify that this kind of farewell has been preserved everywhere. The custom of going to the cemetery on the last day of Maslenitsa is maintained mainly by women. At four o'clock in the afternoon they, in groups of 10-12 people, go with pancakes to the dead and try not to say anything along the way. At the cemetery, each one looks for her own grave, kneels down and bows three times, and with tears in her eyes, whispers: “Forgive me (name), forget everything that I was rude to you and harmed you.” After praying, the women put pancakes on the grave (and sometimes vodka) and go home as silently as they came. In this case it is considered good sign If on the third day there are no pancakes or vodka left at the grave: this means that the deceased has a good life in the next world and that he does not remember evil and is not angry with the person who brought the treat.

Traditionally, seeing off Maslenitsa coincides with no less important event- Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, be sure to communicate with your loved ones and ask them for forgiveness.

Sometimes each of us does things for which we need to apologize. We cannot always forgive our offender, but it is even more difficult to ask for forgiveness for our own mistakes. Forgiveness Sunday is a special holiday. On this day you will have the opportunity to say words of repentance in front of your loved ones. However, do not forget that your apology must be sincere.

Every year, Forgiveness Sunday is celebrated on the last day of Maslenitsa week. Immediately after this, the long period of Lent will begin.

The meaning of Forgiveness Sunday

On Forgiveness Sunday, it is customary not only to apologize to other people, but also to forgive offenders. This is the main meaning of the holiday. Priests recommend asking for forgiveness only from those whom you have truly offended by word or action.

However, if you visit church on this day, you will notice how people line up in a chain and ask each other for forgiveness. This ancient church tradition originated on Mount Athos and eventually came to our country. It is believed that Forgiveness Sunday is intended not only for repentance towards those who are offended by you, but also for cleansing the soul. On this day, it is customary not only to apologize and forgive other people, but also to engage in godly deeds. Entering into conflicts, complaining about other people and spreading rumors is strictly prohibited.

If a person apologizes to you on this day, be sure to say in response: "God will forgive and I forgive". In this way, you make it clear that resentment is not a reason to become enemies. By learning to forgive people, you can change your life for the better.

What you must do on Forgiveness Sunday

Visit a church. Forgiveness Sunday is an important day for Orthodox believers. It is necessary to visit the temple and attend a service, during which the priest and other parishioners will ask each other for forgiveness.

Apologize to your loved ones. First of all, ask your family for forgiveness. It is not necessary to list all the grievances, once again reminding of them. Just say: "I'm sorry". During repentance, your words must come from the soul, otherwise they will have no meaning.

Forgive your offenders. Some grievances are difficult to forget, but refusing to forgive a person is a terrible sin. Try to forgive your offenders and let go of negative memories from your thoughts. One day you will realize that small conflicts are not worth ruining relationships.

Spend time with your family. In addition to Forgiveness Sunday, it is customary to celebrate Maslenitsa on this day. The ancient holiday is famous for its entertainment and mass festivities. However, in the evening, be sure to spend time with your family. Say at least a couple of kind words to your loved ones and ask for forgiveness again.

Ask forgiveness from deceased relatives. Not only living, but also deceased relatives should hear your apology. Visit the graves of the deceased and ask for their forgiveness. Be sure to forgive the dead for their offenses in order to calm them down and remove the burden from your soul.

Repent before the Lord. Every person commits sinful acts, and only God can forgive you for them. It doesn’t matter whether you consciously committed a sin or not, on Forgiveness Sunday, be sure to visit the temple and say a prayer for forgiveness. Before doing this, you must fully realize your mistakes and repent, otherwise your apology will be false.

Prepare for the beginning of Lent. At this time, every believer begins preparations for Lent, which begins the very next day. After asking for forgiveness from your loved ones, do not forget to forgive the grievances and let go of negative thoughts. Starting next week you will be able to start life with clean slate, and it’s better to leave unpleasant memories in the past.

Lent is a serious test for Orthodox believers. During this period, you will have to change your diet by eliminating prohibited foods. However, physical fasting without spiritual cleansing makes no sense. To cleanse not only the body, but also the soul, it is recommended to start every morning with strong prayer. We wish you strong faith and prosperity, and don't forget to press the buttons and

13.02.2018 07:59

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