Forgiveness Sunday according to the Orthodox calendar. To whom you can 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, as well as to sincerely forgive them for hurtful deeds and evil words.

When is Forgiveness Sunday in 2020

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

On the last day of Shrovetide week, acquaintances, having met on the street, for a long time said to each other: "Forgive me," and in response they heard - "God will forgive you." It was considered important to definitely 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 dead relatives.

How did Forgiveness Sunday come about?

The tradition of asking for forgiveness before a religious fast 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. By the beginning of Holy Week, some never returned, dying in the desert.

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

Meaning of Forgiveness Sunday

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

Vespers with the Order of Forgiveness are also served in churches. The rector and all the priests of the temple come out of the altar and ask for forgiveness from the parishioners. Those, in turn, approach the clerics and ask for forgiveness from them. And then - 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. Asking for forgiveness, we are trying to simplify our relationship with people and with God, admit our guilt and let go of the guilt of our neighbor. This is where the cleansing of the soul begins, this is where Great Lent begins.

It is believed that holding a grudge against someone or not forgiving 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,” one must be aware that everyone is in the same position before the Supreme Judge, and petty insults and misunderstandings against this background do not mean so much in themselves.

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

Here it is appropriate to recall 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, not complicated. By asking for forgiveness and forgiving, loved ones remove the accumulated difficulties in relationships.

Who needs to ask for forgiveness

Woman in church during Sunday service

Of course, the obvious answer to this question will be: on Forgiveness Sunday, you need to ask for forgiveness first of all from those whom you really offended with something. You may have been aware of your guilt before but didn't admit it out loud.

In addition, it will not be superfluous to ask for forgiveness from all relatives, friends and acquaintances. Even if you think everything is fine between you, you can never know for sure. Indeed, sometimes we do not notice how by word or deed we accidentally hurt someone.

However, church tradition says that you need to ask for forgiveness from everyone in general, and also to forgive everyone, even if you didn’t ask for it. Forgive your colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances, who often cause you minor minor insults - it is them that we cannot leave unanswered and it is they who destroy the spiritual life.

If someone asks you for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday, but did not offend 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

Girl in the church during the procession

It is desirable to admit one's guilt and release it to another in person or at least by phone. If you are not sure that your forgiveness is ready to accept, write this 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 your wrong.

Talk to your loved ones with a good heart, even if they make jokes to hide their embarrassment.

If everything is clear with the first point, then sometimes the biggest difficulties arise with the second. The most common exclamation on Forgiveness Sunday is, if not out loud, but to oneself, "Why should I forgive him / her?".

In this case, it is important to separate the image of the offender from his actions. By itself, the person who has annoyed you can be anything - good, evil, stupid, weak, and so on. His actions must be condemned, but he himself should be regretted for the fact that he may not have learned to love and do good.

To forgive does not mean to forget or justify. The pain caused by the offender, of course, will not go away automatically. But negative emotions in relation to him - a thirst for revenge, a wish for death, curses - will gradually disappear and come to naught, provided that you will certainly work on yourself.

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

Why you need to forgive and ask for forgiveness before Lent

Forgiveness Sunday, or Cheese 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 Great 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 can not enter into fasting with resentment and anger in the heart. This bitterness inside will not allow the believer to endure the fast in peace. That is what Forgiveness Sunday is for - to take the first step towards purification.

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

Freed on Forgiveness Sunday from the heavy burden of anger and pain, the believer reconciles with himself and his 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 his guilt and release it to his 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 to the offender, not experiencing rage and anger towards him. It means: "I do not hold on to the evil that caused me this pain, I do not wish him retribution, but I accept him as he is."

More often than not, we carry deep-seated resentments within ourselves. An unpleasant incident occurred several months, or even years ago, and we all “chew” what happened. Any unforgiven resentment is always the "work" of the most offended person - he gave vent to negative thoughts, allowed the pain to bloom in a stormy color, ignited from little ember a whole flame from a mixture of his own humiliation and moral superiority over the offender.

Getting on the path of resentment is easy and to some extent even pleasant (pitying yourself, dreaming of justice and cherishing plans for revenge), but getting off it, freeing yourself from the trap of bad thoughts, 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 out to him and release him until he himself wants to go out. Because you can break this shell only from the inside, sincerely forgiving your offenders. And let the offenders absolutely do not need forgiveness. But we are in dire need of it.

In the language of Christian asceticism, such a power-shell is called passion - a certain property of human nature, which was originally 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 within us, crawling out at the slightest provocation.

How to learn to forgive

Don't be fooled into thinking that forgiveness is easy and pleasant. This is a big and hard mental work, overcoming oneself. So how do you learn to forgive?

First, recognize 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 spoil your life, if it has not already begun. It is useless to eat yourself from the inside, it is better to let go of resentment and live on.

Second, look at the situation from a different perspective. Separate the bad deed of the offender from himself. Any person can be pitied, even the most terrible criminal and tyrant. Judge his actions and pity 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 as well.

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 resentment, work through it. Each time you will be easier and easier on the soul.

Fourth, look at the offender as God's weapon. He gave you a painful lesson to make you aware of something in life. Thank God and this person for the hard lesson and "pass him a five" - let go and forgive.

Hieromartyr Arseny (Zhadanovsky), who was killed by the Bolsheviks in 1937, wrote: “At first glance, it will seem to you that forgiveness will humiliate, shame you and exalt your enemy. But it’s not so in reality. "But look, you put a heavy, oppressive stone in your heart, gave food for mental suffering. And vice versa: you forgave and, as it were, humiliated yourself, but on the other hand, you lightened your heart, brought joy and consolation to it."

Forgiveness Sunday: 7 stages of forgiveness

1. Make no enemy
If you were offended, control yourself, do not go into emotions.

In order not to increase tension with anyone, try to avoid conflict and, if possible, resolve the problem peacefully.

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 a person, but his wrong actions. Condemn the sin, but not the sinner.

3. Commit 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.

Put the offender into the hands of God. If he is worthy of punishment, may God punish him and enlighten him.

Therefore, on Forgiveness Sunday, they say: "God will forgive." This means that in eternal life, in the Kingdom of Heaven we wished this man to be forgiven by God.

4. Move away from the offender in peace
There is nothing wrong with stopping communicating with an acquaintance who has offended you. If the relationship doesn't work, or if the person continues to misbehave, forgive them and calmly cut them off.

This will be better than increasing misunderstandings and hostility.

5. Forget about your enemy
To get rid of anger and gnawing resentment, stop thinking about the offender. Forget it and delete it 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 sincere forgiveness doesn’t work out that way, start praying for that person.

Wish him peace and happiness, even if through "I do not want and I will not."

7: Turn away from evil, do good
This step is very difficult, but effective. Everyone can do good to a close friend. But is everyone capable of a good deed towards the enemy?

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

On this day, they ask for forgiveness from each other, and also arrange the farewell to Maslenitsa, without fail burning the 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 1st.

Forgiveness Sunday: what kind of holiday

What to say on Forgiveness Sunday

On Forgiveness Sunday they ask forgive, but not sorry. After all, according to the meaning, when a person asks to "excuse me", he means that the misconduct is not his fault, it just happened: for example, someone accidentally pushed in the crowd. To ask for forgiveness is, first of all, an admission of one's guilt (albeit 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 evil.

Forgiveness Sunday: Poems

I sincerely apologize

For all the insults that sometimes

In everyday life she applied,

Having no evil in his soul.

I sincerely apologize

For all 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 cleansing souls.

I ask you to forgive me

And do not accumulate resentment.

I heartily congratulate everyone,

I sincerely forgive everyone.

Let's meet this day with love

May it be pure and bright.

They bake pancakes. There is a cheerful child.

On Shrovetide - everywhere conversation!

Today in Rus', as they say,

Forgiveness Holy Sunday!

And here, in the spring-rainbow fire,

Cheerful as a morning cloud

Fluttered instead of an angel to me

My independent granddaughter.

Laughs contagiously and loudly,

Able to go around the whole earth,

Still a green girl

And almost completely grown up.

Slightly circling a bright moth,

She sat down on the sofa and said:

“Today is Forgiveness Day. So in it

Perhaps the best beginnings intertwined.

And so, in the name of this day,

Kohl was guilty of something, I admit,

Forgive me, please. -

And, let's kiss the drunken heart,

Solemnly:

- And I forgive you!

- Since ancient times in the world they say,

That he who is like the souls of the righteous,

He is capable of people around

Forgive literally all sins in a row. -

And jumping excitedly,

She exclaimed: - I'll ask you

Not for some test there,

But just for the soul. So please!

Are you ready to forgive your enemies?

“Depending on what…” I said cautiously.

- No, well, with you it's simply impossible!

Let's say it differently:

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

- Lie? I said it's very bad.

But if the liar repents, well,

And he won’t lie anymore - I’ll forgive, I guess.

- Well, what about love? Here's someone who loves

Then - the end! And the feeling is gone...

Would you forgive?

- I should probably forgive.

If only she would sincerely confess to me.

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

Who is meaner in the world, and who is kinder in soul.

The question is like this for you:

Could you forgive betrayal? -

What answer should I give now?

The question was asked to me clearly and solidly.

How easy it is for those who can forgive everything!

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

No, I can’t be among the righteous, you see!

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 to blame for every person in the world? Why, then, do those who seem to have not offended us ask for forgiveness? Forgiveness Sunday is the last Sunday on the eve of 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 by Easter. Going 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 that they make, 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 for forgiveness from each other. But you can ask for forgiveness not only from fellow believers. It is possible to make peace with everyone whom we offended, so that evil leaves our hearts. We all bear guilt before God, we bear the burden of original sin. Asking for forgiveness from our neighbor and forgiving him, we are trying to reconcile ourselves with God, who, by His mercy, forgives us our sins. We ask the Lord to forgive us and hope that He hears our prayers. Let us be all-forgiving and merciful, condescending to the misconduct of our neighbors, because we also have our own sins, for which we ask God for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday.

The coming Great Lent is a time of repentance. Repentance is a time of correction, purification of the soul. Having harbored a grudge against a neighbor, it is impossible to enter in peace during fasting. Therefore, on Forgiveness Sunday, one should not only ask for forgiveness from those whom we offended, but also forgive those who offended us. Even if on this day no one asked us for forgiveness.

We will talk about this in our article.

Whom to ask for forgiveness on this day - from everyone in a row or only from those whom you probably offended? And how to forgive from the heart, how to find out if you have forgiven in deeds or only in words? What to do if there is no strength to forgive?

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

As before death...

- Father Maxim, where did this custom come from - to ask forgiveness from everyone on the last day before Great Lent?

- It's not a product at all. folklore is an ancient church tradition. Christ Himself laid the foundation for it with His words, sounding in the Gospel of Matthew: “If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.”(Matthew 6:14-15). This is the unchanging Gospel reading on the last Sunday before Lent.

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

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

- Because it is categorically not recommended to enter Great Lent in a non-peaceful state. This is the time of purification, spiritual renewal before Easter; really reconcile with everyone, forgive everyone from the heart.

Forgive instead of sorry

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

- There are two different words: "I'm sorry" and "I'm sorry." These are almost synonyms in modern Russian, but initially these words are very different in meaning.

Haven't you noticed that it's often easier to say "sorry" than "sorry"? "I'm 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 sweets and broke a vase can say: "Mom, I broke your favorite vase right here, I'm sorry." Thus, he wants to justify himself: "It's not my fault, it happened."

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

Therefore, we ask God not to forgive, but to forgive, which means to accept. To accept the guilty, the sinful, 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 relationship. It is no coincidence that the word "forgive" has a certain connection - both phonetic and semantic - with the word "simply". Pay attention when relationships between people start 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 am guilty, I will try to correct myself, make amends; let's remove these difficulties, let's make it so that we can again look into each other's eyes.

By asking for forgiveness, we are trying to simplify our relationship with people and with God, admitting our guilt and letting go of the guilt to 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 whom 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 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 for forgiveness from all people in general - as 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 mankind is tormented. I have sinned - my brother is tormented.

In addition, we need to ask for forgiveness from people for the fact that we do not truly love them. We are called to love every person, and instead we “communicate a little” with him, because he is not interesting to us. We are only interested own person and the people we need right now. Here is a sin against people - on Forgiveness Sunday it is useful to feel it.

Such a definition does not mean that you need to fall at the feet of everyone. But you need to try this moment - the lack of love in yourself - to feel 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've been hurt. But forgiveness does not mean forgetting the pain. Forgiveness does not mean its automatic and instantaneous disappearance. It means something else: "I do not hold on to the evil that caused me this pain, I do not wish him retribution, but I accept him as he is." The pain may not become less, but on the other hand, a person will be able to look directly into the eyes of his offender, if he himself is ready to look into his eyes and sincerely ask for forgiveness for the offense caused to him.

- But if the offender does not think to admit his guilt and go to the world?

“Then, of course, it’s hard to put up with it. But the Lord calls us to forgive even our enemies, and He Himself gives us an example in this. Such forgiveness seems to be something fantastic, impossible, but in God, in Christ it is possible.

When learning to forgive, we must also remember this point: often people who hurt us do so by 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 by itself. 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 on 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? In words, you can forgive, although this is also not easy, while in reality, resentment may remain ...

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

What's the matter here? The thing is, unforgiveness is a passion. And the passion that once settled in us can, over time, take root firmly in the soul and, moreover, is able to hide, for the time being, without showing “signs of life”. This happens especially often when the offense inflicted was really extremely painful and serious.

And who benefits from having this wound bleed 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 balance, get annoyed, angry - he will definitely put pressure on him. There is an insult - this "horn" will remind her, refresh in our memory unpleasant deeds or words spoken to us.

This scar heals for a long time - it takes time, but you also need to make efforts yourself so that it heals.

We must remind ourselves that with God everything is possible. Christ, experiencing torments 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. Ozhegov, the word “apologise” has two meanings: 1. ask for forgiveness. 2. bring something in your defense ( obsolete).

Interviewed by Valeria Posashko

The last preparatory week (the last day before) is called Cheesefare 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, violated the commandment of God. We should remember our sins, because the preparation for the great holiday begins with repentance, fasting and prayer.

Forgiveness Sunday. Worship and the "rite of forgiveness"

Forgiveness Sunday before Great Lent - a day of mutual repentance and appeasement 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 a joyful soul, proceed to the upcoming feat. The gospel reading of this day indicates that true fasting should begin with the mutual forgiveness of insults and insults:

If you forgive people their sins, then 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 (Matthew 6:14-15)

This is the basis of the custom of Orthodox Christians on the last Sunday before fasting to ask for forgiveness from each other, which is why this very day is usually called by the people. forgiveness resurrection. It has long been customary on this day to ask for forgiveness, to put up and forgive the offenses inflicted, in order to proceed with a pure soul to the spiritual exploits of Great Lent, before the priest one's sins and take communion. For what is fasting, kneeling, and other bodily labors by which we subdue our carnal passions and lusts? This is only our weapon in spiritual warfare, the path to inner self-improvement and the acquisition of gospel virtues.

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

But just as fruits cannot grow on their own, without a root and a tree that feed them, so the spiritual fruit is the result of many years of feat of abstinence and cutting off carnal lusts in order to purify the heart and soul and make them worthy of receiving God's grace.

Usually in Old Believer churches on Forgiveness Sunday, a service is performed in the evening - Vespers and Companion. After that, it takes place rite of mutual forgiveness when the parishioners earthly bow to the rector, asking for forgiveness and blessings for Great Lent. Likewise, believers 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, writes in his essay “The State of the Russian State and the Grand Duchy of Moscow”:

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

It is known that the “rite of forgiveness” of the Grand Dukes and Tsars of Moscow included visiting Moscow monasteries, sometimes the sovereign also 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 king asked for forgiveness and blessings from the patriarch, said goodbye to his courtiers. It was also customary on this day to give freedom to prisoners.

The whole fortecost (the time from Monday of the first week of fasting to Friday of the sixth week inclusive) is the expectation of the day of Easter and preparation for it. Here is how it is said about this in the verse, which is sung on the evening of Forgiveness Sunday:

PThe 0st time is light, the beginning is 1m, in the advancement of the soul and the body. post1msz ћkozhe in the food, si1ce and 3 t vsskіz passions, nourishing virtues d¦a. in the future, let us remain in love2, but let us all2 see the all-honourable faith of hell bga, and 3 happy Easter, joyful.

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

Let us begin the time of fasting lightly, joyfully, prompting ourselves to spiritual exploits, and purify our soul and body. Let us fast not only from food (refraining from food), but also from passions, feeding on the virtues of the Spirit. With love, let us perfect ourselves in virtues so that we can all be vouchsafed to see the Passion of Christ and celebrate Holy Pascha with 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 pleasing before God.

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

The venerable fathers call the fast of the Holy Lent spiritual tithe which we offer as a sacrifice to God, devoting this time to pure abstinence and prayer.

While we live on earth, our soul and body are inseparable from each other. If we are Christians, we must dedicate both to the service of God. There are commandments for the soul, there are also for the body. Following the example of the Holy Fathers and desiring eternal salvation, we cannot neglect or transgress even the slightest of them. The Ancient Patericon tells of a young monk who walked through the city to the tavern and, in response to the admonitions of an experienced hermit elder, who happened to be in the same place, said that God requires nothing but purity of heart. The old man exclaimed in sorrow:

I have been living in the desert for fifty years, and have not acquired purity of heart, and you want to acquire it in a tavern!

Soon that negligent and arrogant monk fell into a grave sin, because we cannot overcome our passions and desires 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 kindle a fire first endure smoke and shed tears, and in no other way achieve the desired goal; so those who wish to kindle the Divine fire in themselves must kindle it with tears and labors, with stillness and silence” (Meterikon).

When we undertake to weed our field in the summer, at first the work, as they say, “frightens the eyes”, but slowly, step by step, with difficulty and bows, we pull out the harmful thorns that can drown out and destroy all our good fruits. So, with the help of God, having overcome the first difficulties, we begin to notice that it becomes easier later on. Easily and joyfully we 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 is fasting time: before the beginning it seems painful and uncomfortable, but gradually, day after day, freeing our soul from sinful thorns, we already notice some relief in the feat. A special joy is the bright Easter day, which we meet with a sense of accomplishment for the sake of the good labors and efforts endured.

Reasonable and moderate fasting is called by the holy fathers the basis and affirmation for all virtues. On Forgiveness Sunday, we remember Adam's expulsion from Paradise of sweetness, which was the result of intemperance and violation of the commandment of fasting, established for primitive man. Therefore, just as we lost incorruption and purity through intemperance from forbidden food, we are regaining them in an equal way, restricting our bodily needs in order to strengthen and affirm the soul for prayer and contemplation.

“Do not be deceived, you cannot free yourself from the mental pharaoh, nor see the Easter 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-up wisdom. May this word of the psalmist unite with your breath:<бесы>I am cold, put on sackcloth and humble my soul with fasting, and my prayer is in the bosom<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 kindling, the extermination of evil thoughts, the liberation from bad dreams, the purity of prayer, the luminary of the soul, the preservation of the mind, the extermination of insensitivity of the heart, the door of compunction, a humble sigh, joyful contrition, the retention of verbosity, the cause of silence, the guardian of obedience, the relief of sleep, the health of the body, the cause of dispassion, the resolution of sins, the gates of Paradise and heavenly pleasure ”(“ The Ladder ”, word 14).

Here we see the way and example first of all from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He fasted for forty days in the wilderness, leaving an image for us to imitate Him without a doubt and walk in His footsteps. And great God's saints and the prophets, who were honored with special high revelations and grace - Moses, Elijah, Daniel, also went through a forty-day fasting field. Never and nowhere do the holy fathers praise those who work their womb. 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, at the same time we preserve gentleness, prudence and other virtues, without which all our deeds cannot be saving and pleasing to God.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break through 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 Paschal joy that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. A bodily fast also presupposes a spiritual fast, i.e. to take special care of your inner man, behind the movements of the heart and soul. The holy fathers compare a fasting and silent person who harbors in his heart remembrance and condemnation of his neighbors with a poisonous asp hiding in its hole. If we say “forgive,” but we ourselves do not forgive, if only for the sake of ostentatious vanity we bow to the brother who offended us, and, stepping aside, we are again darkened with anger, then in vain we watch and fast, for the devil himself never eats and never does not sleep, but does not cease from this to be the devil. The heart of an angry and angry person is the home and haven of crafty demons. Nothing strips us of God's grace more than rancor 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 neighbor are ill with this passion because they do not have a perfect and constant memory and care for their sins. For if a person saw his evil deeds exactly, without a 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 for himself, even if he were a hundred years old. He lived for years and at least saw a whole Jordan of tears flowing from his eyes. I watched the weeping of true repentance and did not find in it a trace of slander or condemnation” (“Ladder”, word 10).

Just as wasps and flies swoop in on sweet things, so the evil spirit rushes against every virtue in order to mix something harmful with it and turn back the salvific undertaking. 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. On the contrary, crafty spirits try to puff up the heart of the fasting person with vanity and arrogance and teach him to despise his weakest brethren. A self-loving person is always prone to harsh and harsh reproofs, while one who speaks to a brother in love will speak about the matter as if talking about his own weakness, and, no 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.

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

Whether we fast, whether we watch, whether we make many prostrations and otherwise humble our body, we must always remember that this is not an “end in itself”, but only a means to achieve 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 keep our first commandment about love for God and neighbor. When we live in a large family, we love all our household members, we endure and resign ourselves to their infirmities, endure the troubles and annoyances that they cause us, we always think how to support and comfort them. But we should have a similar and even greater love not only for our close relatives, but also for all the people around us. True love is known precisely in the forgiveness of slander and insults, when, having endured humiliation from a neighbor, we ache with our souls not about ourselves, but about our offender, and sincerely want to help him and calm him down.

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

“Forgive” is a word of love and comfort, when, having reconciled with a brother, we hope for forgiveness of our own sins. For all our righteousness is like the rags of an unclean woman before God. And if we can still count on indulgence, for the sake of our natural weakness, with a weak passage of bodily virtues, then hidden hatred in the heart has no reasonable justification for itself. And it destroys all our labors and deeds, 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 9) there is one very touching story about the holy martyr Nicephorus (c. 257), who suffered during the times of severe pagan persecution.

Two friends lived in the city of Antioch - the priest Saprikios and the layman Nikifor, who loved each other in the Lord. But the devil envied their unfeigned love and sowed enmity between them. And this enmity flared up so much that if they even met on the street, they fled in different directions, blinded by demonic malice. And so both of them - Saprikios and Nikifor, having forgotten about the law of Christ, rushed to eternal death.
But over time, the layman Nicephorus repented of his anger at Priest Saprikios and began to ask his forgiveness. Three times he sent his friends and neighbors to him, considering himself a sinner and unworthy to approach the offended priest, and three times Saprikiy refused to reconcile. Finally Nikifor made up his mind and fell at the feet of his former friend himself with the words:
- Forgive me, father, for God's sake forgive me!
But Saprikios 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 Saprikios was brought to the judgment seat. The ruler demanded that he make sacrifices to the idols, but Saprikiy courageously replied:
- O ruler! We are Christians. Our King is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One, True God, the Creator of the earth and the sea. Your gods are demons. Let them die! Your gods are the creations of human hands!
They tortured him for a long time and cruelly, but Saprikiy, even in suffering, said to the chief:
- 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 Saprikios, he was condemned to death. But when the executioner was already leading him to the place of execution, Nikephoros, hearing about this, ran and fell on his face before Saprikios, crying out with tears:
- Oh martyr of Christ! Forgive me, forgive me! I have sinned against you!
But Saprikios, blinded by malice, again renounced reconciliation.
Blessed Nicephorus begged him for a long time, but in vain. And then the power of God and grace departed from the insane priest, and Saprikios suddenly lost heart and renounced the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Oh, my beloved brother, - Nikifor exclaimed, - do not do this! Do not lose the crown of heaven, which you wove with many sufferings! Now the Heavenly Lord is preparing to appear to you and reward you with eternal joy for temporary suffering and death.
But having hated his neighbor and for this abandoned by God, Saprikiy 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 take the execution instead of Saprikios.
Then, by order of the ruler, the apostate was released, and Nicephorus was beheaded. With his jubilation, his pure soul flew away to the Lord and, with all the holy martyrs, appeared before the throne of God, to Him is power and glory, honor and worship forever. Amen.

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

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

“The feat of virtue was opened, those who want to suffer enter, girded with the good feat of fasting. Those who are legally suffering are legally married. And we will take up all the weapons of the cross, we will resist the enemy, like an indestructible wall holding faith, and like an armor of prayer. And a helmet of alms. Instead of a sword, fasting cuts off all malice from the heart. Do this, the true one will receive a crown, from all the King Christ, on the Day of Judgment. ( Triode Lenten ).

Forgiveness Sunday in folk traditions

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

The last day of Shrovetide is called "forgiven", and the peasants dedicate it with a charm. At 4 o’clock in the afternoon, a sad, Lenten Annunciation for Vespers is heard in the rural bell tower, and, having heard it, the peasants who have been spree earnestly cross themselves and try to shake off the merry Shrovetide mood: the crowded streets are emptying little by little, the festive conversation and noise subsides, fights, games stop, skating. In a word, the wide, drunken Maslenitsa abruptly stops and Great Lent comes to replace it. The approach of fasting is also reflected in 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 and vespers depart, relatives and neighbors begin to walk around the huts, asking each other for forgiveness. The peasants bow down to the very ground and say: "Forgive me, for Christ's sake, in which 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 die out little by little. 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 visitor asks for forgiveness, kneels near the door and, turning to the hosts, says: “Forgive me with all your family, in which 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 that, those who came to say goodbye get up and the owners, having kissed with them, offer them refreshments. And after some hour, the owners themselves go to say goodbye, and the whole ceremony, including the treat, is done from the beginning.

So, moving from hut to hut, they walk until the light, and, passing along the street, both men and women consider it a duty to shout with all their might: “Madame Shrove Tuesday, stretch!” or: “Wet-lipped carnival, stretch!”

As for the village youth, they either do not adhere to the custom of saying goodbye at all, or their parting takes on a playful character. Here is what our Oryol correspondent reports on this matter: boys and girls stand in a row and one of the guys comes up to the last one on the right side and says to him: “Forgive me, dear Ivan (or dear Daria), in which I have sinned before you.” He (or she) answers: "God will forgive you and I will immediately." After that, they kiss each other three times. So the whole row passes by and stands to the side, the second goes to say goodbye to the first, etc. When parting, of course, it is not without jokes.

Some feature is parting in the family circle. This is how it happens in the Saratov province. The whole family sits down for dinner (and the last dish is necessarily served with scrambled eggs), and after dinner everyone prays earnestly, and then the youngest begins to bow to everyone in turn and, having received forgiveness, goes 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 forgiveness from him), etc. The hostess bows last, and asks for forgiveness only from her husband, but the head of the family does not bow to anyone.

Although the custom of asking for forgiveness from relatives and neighbors, as has just been said, is noticeably falling into disuse, 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 Shrove Tuesday is supported mainly by women. At four o'clock in the afternoon they go in groups of 10-12 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 have rude and harmed you.” After praying, the women put pancakes on the grave (and sometimes they also put vodka) and go home as silently as they came. At the same time, it is considered a good sign if on the third day there are no pancakes or vodka left on the grave: this means that the deceased lives in the next world not badly and that he does not remember evil and is not angry at the one who brought the treat.

Traditionally, Shrovetide farewell coincides with at least important event- Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, be sure to communicate with loved ones and ask them for forgiveness.

At times we all do things we need to apologize for. It is not always possible for us to 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 speak words of repentance to your loved ones. However, remember that your apology must be sincere.

Forgiveness Sunday is celebrated annually on the last day of Shrove Tuesday. Immediately after this, a long period of Lent will begin.

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 really offended by word or action.

However, if you visit a church on this day, you will notice how people line up and ask for forgiveness from each other. 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 to those who are offended by you, but also for the purification of the soul. On this day, it is customary not only to apologize and forgive other people, but also to engage in charitable deeds. It is strictly forbidden to enter into conflicts, complain about other people and spread rumors.

If a person apologizes to you on this day, be sure to say in response: "God forgives and I forgive". Thus, 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 to do on Forgiveness Sunday

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

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

Forgive your offenders. It is difficult to forget some grievances, but to refuse forgiveness to a person is a terrible sin. Try to forgive your offenders and release negative memories from your thoughts. One day you will realize that small conflicts are not worth a broken relationship.

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 entertainment and mass festivities. However, be sure to spend time with your family in the evening. Tell your loved ones at least a couple of kind words and ask for forgiveness again.

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

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

Get ready for the start of Lent. At this time, each 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 wrongs and let go of negative thoughts. From next week you can start life with clean slate and unpleasant memories are best left in the past.

Great Lent is a serious test for Orthodox believers. During this period, you will have to change your diet, excluding prohibited foods from it. However, bodily fasting without spiritual cleansing is meaningless. To cleanse not only the body, but also the soul, it is recommended to start every morning with a 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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