Holy Week is the week after Easter. What can and cannot be done. Customs, signs, rituals by day. The first Monday after Easter: what you can and cannot do, signs

I spent most of my childhood in the village with my grandmother, a very pious old woman. Instead of children's poems, grandmother taught me prayers. At the age of five, I already knew the Our Father, the Mother of God, the Trisagion and the Creed, and on holidays I proudly stood for the entire service next to other parishioners of the local church.

Week after Easter

Village holidays are distinguished by a special atmosphere. Sometimes it seemed to me that after Easter they did not end until Trinity itself. But special place in traditions they occupy "coffins", when all the local people, young and old, dress in the most beautiful clothes, collect baskets of food and drink and go visit deceased relatives at the cemetery.

On such days, a quiet cemetery turns into a noisy feast, where everyone considers it their duty to commemorate those who are not around in the world. And those who survive until the evening gather near the river and continue the fun. Another party continues under a new name, because after the "groves" it is customary to "call for spring."

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I remember how I envied the children who had fun until midnight and brought sweets and packages of sweets from the graves ... I asked my grandmother to go with everyone at least once, but she never allowed. We spent "coffins" in the church, and after mass went to the cemetery when there was practically no one there.

At that time, I felt a lot of things that were incomprehensible and insulting. But now I understand why my dear grandmother, may God rest her peace, acted the way she did. And thanks to her for this invaluable experience.

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The tradition of sharing the feast of Christ's Resurrection with deceased relatives has been preserved even now. And although the days of remembrance are called in the old way: Fomino Sunday, Antipascha, Radonitsa, they celebrate them differently. The commemoration of the dead is increasingly turning into an ordinary booze.

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The pagan Red Hill is called Fomino Sunday, which in 2018 falls on April 15. This holiday has ancient pre-Christian roots, when the Slavs celebrated the final arrival of spring. But with the establishment of Christianity, this day became the first day of the Radonitsa week.

Many of us have forgotten that first week after Easter special. The Church calls not to grieve over temporary separation from loved ones, but to rejoice in the victory over death received in exchange for the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.

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The joy of Easter should be shared with the deceased relatives, because they died in the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

The commemoration of the departed reflects human faith in one God, the belief that even after death people will remain devoted to Him. Easter commemoration at the cemetery (Radonitsa) takes place on the ninth day after Easter, on Tuesday April 17th. On this day, people gather holiday meals with Easter cakes and eggs and go to the graves of their relatives.

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But if it is not possible to come to the cemetery on Tuesday, you can commemorate the dead in Parents' Saturday or Fomino Sunday. For yourself, it is important to solve the main question: “Why am I going to the cemetery? In the world to remember, eat and drink?

It is much more important to pray for the soul of the deceased, and any booze is unacceptable! The Church has established a strict order of commemoration for the laity a week after Easter.

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Order of commemoration of the dead

Any commemoration should be done only with pious intentions. Radonitsa is not an experience of death, but the joy of a new birth their loved ones in eternal life. Prepare for this holiday in advance and learn or rewrite funeral Orthodox prayers.

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Prayer for the Lost Christian

“Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the belly of your eternally reposed servant, our brother (name), and as Good and Lover of mankind, forgive sins and consume iniquity, weaken, leave and forgive all his voluntary sins and involuntary, deliver him eternal torment and fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. Be merciful to him the same, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as if Generous rest: there is no man who lives and does not sin. But Thou art One, apart from all sin, and Thy righteousness, righteousness forever, and Thou art the One God of mercies and generosity, and love of mankind, and to Thee we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Easter in 2018 falls on April 8th. Holy Trinity in 2018 will be May 27. From Easter to Trinity, seven weeks pass, which is also called Holy Pentecost. On seven Sundays, various events are remembered, especially the prayer rule and prostrations at Holy Pentecost.

Seven weeks after church calendar stand out specifically, and are considered Weeks "after Easter". "Christ is Risen!" Orthodox Christians greet each other all seven weeks after Easter and answer "Truly Risen!". In addition, before each meal, the Easter troparion is sung, and not the usual prayers.

It stands out in particular, in 2018 it goes from April 9 to 14. This is a continuous week, that is, it does not have fast days. All this week everyone can ring the bells. There are features in the prayer rule - instead of the morning and evening prayers and the rules for preparing for the sacrament are sung or the Passover Hours are read. The canons necessary before communion are replaced by the canon of Pascha.

The second week is called Fomina, Antipaskha or Krasnaya Gorka. It begins in 2018 on April 15 with the remembrance of the assurance of the Apostle Thomas in the resurrected Savior and continues until April 21. This week falls significant event– Radonitsa, day special commemoration deceased. Meals this week follow the usual annual cycle - Wednesday and Friday are fast days.

The third week is called Mironositskaya, begins in 2018 on April 22 with the Day of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women and ends on April 28.

From Easter to Trinity, the calendar of seven weeks after Easter 2018 - holidays and parental Saturdays

This week, the holy Myrrh-Bearing Women are remembered, who were the first to hasten to pay their last respects to the crucified Teacher, but found the Tomb empty.

The fourth week is called "About the paralytic", in 2018 it begins on April 29, when the miracle of the exaltation of the paralytic, which Christ performed, is remembered, and ends on May 5. This week, believers are thinking about how important it is in order to start moving after Christ, to first trust Him and rise (begin).

From Easter to Trinity, the calendar of seven weeks after Easter 2018 - holidays and parental Saturdays

The fifth week is called "About the Samaritan Woman", in 2018 it begins on May 6 with a recollection of a conversation at the well of Christ with a Samaritan woman and ends on May 12. The open heart of the Samaritan woman easily accepted the words of Christ, as they are like pure water.

The sixth week is called "About the Blind", in 2018 it begins on May 13 by remembering the miracle of giving sight to the blind as a response to faith, and ends on May 19. The miracle of the blind man was performed on Saturday and became a challenge to the Pharisees, who forbade working on the Sabbath. On Thursday of this week, there is always a moveable feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which in 2018 falls on May 17.

From Easter to Trinity, the calendar of seven weeks after Easter 2018 - holidays and parental Saturdays

The seventh week after Easter is established in memory of the First Ecumenical Council, it begins on May 20 and ends on May 26. At this Council, Bishop Nicholas of Lycia, later nicknamed the Miracle Worker, opposed Arius and defeated the heresy. On Tuesday of this week, May 22 - the feast of St. Nicholas, which is non-transitory - St. Nicholas of the Summer. May 26 - Trinity parental Saturday.

After all seven weeks of Easter come to an end, the feast of the Holy Trinity comes, which in 2018 falls on May 27.

From Easter to Trinity, the calendar of seven weeks after Easter 2018 - holidays and parental Saturdays

From the very day of Holy Pascha until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, all deeds, meals and prayers are preceded by a three-time reading of the troparion of Pascha: “Christ is Risen from the dead by death trampling down death and living in the tombs with gifts!” Then the Trisagion is read: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on me!”

From the Ascension to the Trinity, all prayers begin with the Trisagion.

From Easter to Trinity, the prayer "O Heavenly King ..." is not read.

From Easter to the Ascension, the prayer “It is worthy to eat” is replaced by the Worthy of Easter.

From Ascension to Trinity, both of these prayers are not read. It should not be forgotten that from Easter to the Trinity, prostrations in the temple are not performed.

The Sunday following Easter is called Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday. This day has long been considered a holiday and is a kind of second Easter. It was then that the Apostle Thomas, who initially did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, became convinced that the Savior had returned to life, and believed in the miracle performed by God.

Antipascha begins the second Paschal week, called St. Thomas Week. For Orthodox Christians, in addition to Sunday, special meaning has Fomin Tuesday. Radonitsa falls on it - a day of special commemoration of the departed, when the joy of their transition to the Kingdom of God should be stronger than sadness due to separation from those whose earthly path is already over.

Answering the question of what Orthodox holiday is celebrated by Christians after Easter, we immediately recall Antipascha. It is also called St. Thomas's Resurrection. This church holiday got its second name in honor of Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Probably everyone has heard the expression about the unbelieving Apostle Thomas. But it is very important to understand its meaning correctly. Thomas sincerely revered God, spent a lot of time in prayer, and his faith in the Almighty was indestructible. After the execution of Jesus Christ, he was in terrible grief. Thomas was not present among the apostles at the moment of the first appearance of the resurrected Savior to them and refused to believe the word of the apostles, who told him about the miracle that had happened.

According to the Gospel, Thomas wanted to personally make sure that everything told by the disciples of Christ was true, and told them that he would not believe in the resurrection of the Son of God until he saw him with his own eyes and touched the wounds from the nails on his hands and to his ribs. From the point of view of the Orthodox Church, this testified not so much to his distrust, but to the great all-consuming desire of Thomas to personally experience a meeting with the Son of God who had returned to life, and not from other people's words, but with his own heart to feel the joy of this bright event.

Jesus Christ heeded the desire of his disciple and appeared to him a week after his resurrection. In the Gospel on this occasion it is written that the Savior came to a room whose doors were locked. He stood among the apostles and turned to Thomas with the words “put your finger here and look at my hands; give me your hand and put it in my ribs; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” To which his disciple replied: “My Lord and my God!”. After that, Jesus again turned to the apostle: “You believed because you saw me; blessed are those who have not seen and believed." After the miracle, the Apostle Thomas unconditionally believed in the Resurrection of the Savior and began to preach Christianity, wandering around the world. In memory of these events in the church calendar, also called St. Thomas Sunday, which is a kind of appeal to the past, its repetition.

Orthodox Christians celebrate the second appearance of the Savior to the apostles, which confirmed faith in the truth of his Resurrection.

Antipascha and Radonitsa

In all Orthodox churches the holidays after Easter continue for another 39 days, until the day of the Ascension of Christ.

The name of the holiday comes from the words “kind” and “joy”, and it is a day of special commemoration of the dead. On Radonitsa, one cannot be sad and yearn for people who are not with us. On this day, Orthodox Christians, on the contrary, are instructed to rejoice for their relatives who have already “gone” to the Kingdom of God.

On Radonitsa it is also customary:

• pray for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives;
• visit the temple;
• clean up the cemetery after winter;
• hold memorial meals with traditional Easter treats in order to share with the deceased the joy of the Resurrection of Christ.

At the same time, the Church instructs believers to hold memorial meals at home, and not in cemeteries. And do not leave a glass of vodka with bread on the graves of deceased relatives, as well as colored eggs and Easter cakes, as this is a pagan, not a Christian custom.

Treats are best given to needy people, or simply give alms to the poor.

Krasnaya Gorka - the time of weddings and matchmaking

Fomino Sunday, as well as the entire Fomina week, which is also called Krasnaya Gorka, has long been considered in Russia as a time of matchmaking and weddings. During this period, for the first time since the beginning of Lent, the church resumed wedding ceremonies. Therefore, on Fomin's week, people celebrated not only church holidays but also numerous weddings.

Fomin's week began to be called Krasnaya Gorka due to the fact that, according to ancient Russian rites, spring brides were held in the villages at that time. In Fomin's week, all the young unmarried girls, or red maidens, as they were then called, gathered on the hills in the middle of the villages and sang special holiday songs in chorus, and the grooms during such festivities came to the hill and looked which brides were now married. So it has been since then that in honor of the songs and round dances arranged on the hills by the red maidens, this holiday was nicknamed Red Hill among the people.

At the same time, a huge number of weddings were celebrated. Our ancestors have long believed that marriages made on Krasnaya Gorka will be very happy, and young people married these days will spend their whole lives in love and harmony.

This custom has survived to this day, and many Christians prefer to get married on St. Thomas' week.

Each Week after Easter has a specific name and is dedicated to important church events: the 2nd Week after Easter is called Antipascha, among the people - Thomas Week, the upcoming day off is dedicated to the myrrh-bearing women, followed by the Week of the Paralytic, the Week of the Samaritan Woman, the Week of the Blind. Today we will talk about why the Sundays after Easter are named in a certain way and stand out in the church calendar.

But first, explain why the word "Week" in the church calendar is called only one specific Sunday, and the usual week for us from Monday to Sunday in the church calendar is called a week?

Such complexity in terminology is due to the fact that worship in the Russian Orthodox Church, the church calendar and all calendar features are conducted in Church Slavonic. This language is similar to Russian only in certain moments, while in others it is not very similar or not at all similar. A person who is poorly familiar with the Church Slavonic language, in order to understand everything correctly, needs to learn the following thing: it is Sunday in Church Slavonic that is called the Week, from the word “do not do”, when a person is removed from all worldly affairs in order to devote to spiritual work, spiritual pursuits, first of all, visiting the temple of God. Usually the entire church community gathers on Sunday in the temple of God. That is why the day on which people do not do or try not to do anything worldly, but are engaged in spiritual work, the day dedicated to the remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, is called Week in Church Slavonic. Accordingly, all Sundays that are of particular importance are specially marked on the calendar, they are called so on the calendar - Week such and such, for example, Week 2 after Easter. The seven-day period of time, which we call a week in Russian, is called a week in Church Slavonic.

Thus, if we are talking about a week in the church calendar, then we mean a seven-day period of time. And if we are talking about the Week, then we mean Sunday, which is marked by one or another memory.
It is also important to note such a feature of Sundays after Easter - their countdown begins from Easter itself. The 2nd week after Easter is not marked anywhere on the calendar, because it is Easter itself. Week 2 after Easter comes in Russian a week later, in Church Slavonic - a week after Easter. It's called the 2nd Week of Easter.

We can say that this confusion is linguistic. It turns out that when we talk about St. Thomas' Week, we mean one specific Sunday - Week 2 after Easter?

Yes, it is the Sunday that follows the feast of Holy Pascha.

Why are those Weeks after Easter, which we mentioned at the beginning of the program, distinguished in the church calendar in a special way?

Indeed, every Sunday, or in Church Slavonic every Week after Easter, is marked by a special remembrance. Basically, these memoirs relate to those gospel readings that are scheduled on these Sundays. Some days are connected with the remembrance of special saints, for example, Sunday, on which the holy fathers of the First Ecumenical Council are remembered, are already separate church remembrances, and, accordingly, a separate Sunday is dedicated to this remembrance. Basically, these are gospel readings and special reflections corresponding to them, which it is useful for Christians to have. Each of the gospel readings is dedicated to a specific topic, with the exception of the gospel reading on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. These readings are quite long and serious, each of them is devoted to a special occasion in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ; they allow a Christian to devote a whole week to comprehending the gospel reading, which was discussed at the Sunday festive service.

- The 2nd week after Easter is called Antipascha, or St. Thomas' week. What is Antipascha?

Antipascha sounds strange and even threatening, as if it has an anti-Christian meaning. In fact, the word "anti" in Greek not only "against", but also "instead of". When we say Antipascha, we mean something instead of Easter. We can ask ourselves the question: “Can there be anything instead of Easter?”. Yes maybe. Instead of Pascha, there may be a remembrance of Pascha of a slightly lesser strength, such a remembrance that again makes every believing heart tremble, again prompts him to rejoice at the Resurrection of Christ, therefore it is on the next Sunday after Easter that a special remembrance of the Resurrection of Christ takes place. There is even such a church tradition: it is on this day that churches celebrate their patronal feasts, the thrones of which are consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. It seems that the patronal feast should be on Easter, but church tradition implies that in these parishes the celebration takes place a week later - on the day of Antipascha.
This Sunday is also called the Week of Thomas, or Thomas Week, or the Week of the Assurance of the Apostle Thomas.

In fact, each of the Sundays is instead of Easter? After all, the resurrection is also a resurrection, because we remember the most important Christian celebration?

The way it is. But of all the Sundays, it is Antipascha that we perceive as the main one of the Sundays after Pascha.

Question from a TV viewer from Yekaterinburg: “It was said during Great Lent that the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read only in great post. At the end of the Psalter, after reading the kathismas, it is written that the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian should be read. Is it possible to read the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian every day?

Here you can answer with a brief church monastic saying that the cell does not know the charter. Therefore, those features that relate to worship in churches may not apply to those prayers that we perform privately, at home. I know that many Christians consider it exalted and instructive to read the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian not only during Great Lent, but also on other days. Perhaps only on Easter, when you need to especially rejoice, the penitential prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian will not be appropriate even in cell conditions. In general, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, if it arouses high pious feelings in your soul and encourages you to a good Christian life, of course, you can read in private conditions. But on Bright Week, when churches sing about the Risen Christ, when there is an exalted and joyful service, it is hardly necessary in private conditions to move on to the deep repentance that the wonderful prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian carries in itself.

- What event do we remember in Fomin's Week?

On St. Thomas Week, the Gospel of the Assurance of the Holy Apostle Thomas is read. This is a rather long gospel narrative, which speaks of two meetings of the resurrected Christ the Savior with his apostle disciples. It is noted that Christ the Savior appeared to them when they were locked up "for the fear of the Jews." These words signify the fear with which the apostles were seized; at that time the Holy Spirit had not yet descended on them, and they were not yet those wonderful preachers of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. These were very frightened people who could fully feel the power of the Jews who spread the rumor about them that they were deceivers and rebels of the people, they stole the body of Jesus from the tomb and declared Him resurrected. They could be seized at any moment, arrested and subjected to the most severe punishment on charges of indignation of the people. The apostles were frightened by this and sat shut up. They were in prayer, but the moment when they were locked up testifies to the circumstances that surrounded their lives. The Lord Jesus Christ appears to them, talks with them, gives them peace, gives them the power to forgive people's sins (this is even before the descent of the Holy Spirit). We can only imagine what courage these words of Christ could bring to the apostles. But among them at that moment was not the Apostle Thomas. When the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, he did not believe it and began to say: “Until I put my fingers into His wounds on His hands and feet, until I put my hand into His wound on His ribs, I will not believe." His words are exactly repeated by the Lord Jesus Christ when the apostles were already gathered together with the Apostle Thomas. Christ the Savior, appearing among them, “He says to Thomas: Put your finger here and see My hands; give me your hand and put it in my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27). Thomas, immediately convinced not so much that he needed to put his hand in and feel the wounds, but also that Christ repeats exactly the words that he spoke to his fellow apostles, rushes at the feet of the Savior and says the words of the confession of faith: My Lord and my God!" At that moment, Thomas was 100% sure. Christ the Savior immediately reinforces him: “Jesus says to him: you believed because you saw me; blessed are those who have not seen and believed” (John 20:29).
Here the Apostle Thomas appears not as a person for whom it is difficult to believe in something, but rather as a person for whom faith has such great importance in life, that in order to believe, you need a strong, unshakable foundation.

There is a saying when a person is compared with Thomas: "Thomas is an unbeliever." Is this a reference to this gospel story?

Yes. The assurance of the Apostle Thomas is a whole narrative in the gospel reading. When a person who doubts and is weak in faith is called Thomas an unbeliever, then this is very external description essence. In fact, the Apostle Thomas was not just a believer, but such a believer that he needed stronger foundations so that his faith would be strong: such were the requirements of his soul.

The Apostle Thomas is also characterized by another moment from the Gospel: when Christ the Savior prophesied about Himself that He should be in Jerusalem and die, the disciples could have a variety of experiences on this occasion. Thomas was ardent in his commitment to Christ the Savior like no other, he said: "Come and we will die with Him." From these words, we can conclude that Thomas was not a student who wavered in faith, just in order to believe, he needed substantial grounds, and he was looking for them.

Question from a viewer Voronezh region: “Is it possible to read the Psalter for the dead after Bright Week?”.

Yes, you certainly may. The Psalter for the dead should be read to the extent that we are concerned about this topic, to the extent that we have a spiritual need to pray for the departed relatives and friends. Bright Week has passed, and it is quite possible to return to this reading.

I think that in each of the Sunday stories there is not an image of a specific person, for example, the Apostle Thomas, but a certain collective image that is instructive for people. How to read these stories correctly in order to recognize them not only as someone else's story, but to live as your own personal story?

It is this understanding of the Gospel that is very fruitful, in which a person engages in this in accordance with church tradition and the teachings heard from the priest in the temple. Every person can take from the Apostle Thomas an example of not being gullible, not being superstitious. Very often superstitions accompany our lives, we can meet superstitious people in the temples of God. Superstition can penetrate into any aspect of our creed if one focuses superficially on it. Superstition is the opposite of the spiritual exactingness that the Apostle Thomas had, so every Christian can ask himself such questions: “In order to believe, don’t I need to have much more grounds so that my faith does not crumble in case of temptations? Do I read spiritual books enough to keep my faith strong? Do I know enough about my faith? Is Christian fellowship enough in my life to strengthen my faith from the faith of other people, so that my faith is not something fundamental that I cast in concrete for myself and put on a shelf, but alive and replenished? Each person can say to himself: “And in some ways I can be like the Apostle Thomas,” and take an example from him in these matters.

Question from a TV viewer from Kursk: “Father, I have been watching you on the Soyuz channel for many years, I sincerely wish you health and well-being. Today you talked a lot about the Apostle Thomas. Tell us a little about the apostle John.

The Apostle John was the youngest disciple of Jesus Christ by age, which is why, as scientists and experts in the field of psychology suggest, he was able to remember in fine detail the farewell conversation of Christ the Savior with the disciples, His long prayer-address to His Heavenly Father before His suffering on the Cross. The Apostle John expounded them with detail and accuracy in his Gospel, thus making up for the lack of other Gospels. The gospel of John was written later than the others, and it differs in precisely those details that were omitted in other gospels. Saint John, both as a disciple and as the author of the Gospel, did a lot to convey to us the features last days from the life of Christ the Savior.

- Question of a TV viewer: “In the Psalter, in Psalm 108, there are these words: “When he is judged, let him come out guilty, and let his prayer be a sin”. Explain how prayer can be a sin?

And the second question of the viewer: “I am the novice Lyudmila. My acquaintances and friends did not join the Church with me, they remained in worldly life. Relations with them now do not add up: I avoid communication with them, since communication is reduced to condemnation, gossip, unnecessary conversations. They resent me. How to be?

In the book of Psalms there are moments when the psalmist tells the story of his enemies, and brings down serious wishes on their heads. These moments are due to certain historical events which we can read about in biblical books. Like the Holy Scriptures, the book of Psalms is a book that can be understood directly, or it can be understood allegorically. In an allegorical understanding, those places that speak of negative and bad wishes, a praying person can refer to the enemies of the human race - to the devil and demons.

Can a Christian's prayer be a sin? The answer to this question can be positive, because if a person prays for something that is not useful for him, such a prayer is not pleasing to God. If a person prays that the circumstances of his life will develop in such a way that there will be success in sinful deeds, is such a prayer righteous before God? There is an instructive story: a certain robber, heading for robbery, used to pray in front of the icon Mother of God that his plan would end in success and that he would not be caught, that those whom he wanted to rob and rob would not raise the alarm, that he would return alive and unharmed with prey. And only a miracle of God once made him come to his senses from his evil way of life. So this is an example of such a prayer, which is a sin, so you do not need to take an example from this robber.

Do you think it is necessary to enter into disputes with people who begin to object about something? Is it necessary to try to avoid such topics in which opinions differ with people close to you before?

- Question of a TV viewer: “The Gospel of John says: “Jesus said to them a second time: Peace be with you! as the Father sent me, so I send you. Having said this, he breathed, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22). How to understand it?

When Christ the Savior during this conversation said to the disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit", it was not the descent of the Holy Spirit itself: it happened later - on the day of Pentecost. This was a preliminary promise that the disciples would soon receive the Holy Spirit, Who would endow them with God's supernatural gifts - all those gifts that the apostles should have in order to carry the news of the Resurrection of Christ to all the peoples of the earth. We can reason like this: “How can there be a manifestation of the Resurrected Christ the Savior without the descent of the grace of the Holy Spirit?” Of course, this cannot be. Therefore, in a sense, this coming of Christ the Savior, risen from the dead, and this call, which He addressed to the apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” was to some extent the descent of the Holy Spirit on His disciples. However, far more fruitful was the descent of the Holy Spirit, which we know of as the special visitation of the Holy Spirit on the day of Holy Pentecost, on the disciples.

- The upcoming Sunday is dedicated to the feat of the myrrh-bearing women. What kind of feat is this, and how is it instructive for us? Word wife in this case does not mean a wife, as a legal spouse, but simply a woman?

- Yes, in Church Slavonic a wife is a woman. On this day, the gospel is read in churches about the burial of Christ the Savior and that the disciples devoted to the Lord watched how this burial was performed. Then it is said that they, with aromas, rushed early in the morning to the tomb of Christ the Savior in order to anoint Him with fragrant aromas, which, as it seemed to them, were not enough spilled on the body of Christ the Savior during burial. The Lord was buried in a hurry, because the Sabbath was coming, when the people of the Old Testament were supposed to be calm, pray and not do any work. This haste seemed inappropriate to these women, and it was necessary to make up for the lack that was at the burial of Christ, so they went to the tomb of Christ with these aromas. They walked and wondered who would roll away the stone from the coffin. But no aromas were needed anymore, because Christ the Savior resurrected right at sunrise, the stone was rolled away, the guards fled. The myrrh-bearing women themselves met the appearance of an angel, who informed them in the most simple words that Christ the Savior is no longer here: He is risen. Then, when the apostles came, they also saw the angel of God and saw empty coffin. But it was not the apostles who went on this mission - to show love and honor to the deceased Christ the Savior, but it was the women who were His disciples, who followed Him and served Him. Overcoming their fear (the disciples of the executed Christ the Savior could be in danger at any moment), overcoming all the circumstances of these last days, these women revealed best qualities- the most direct love, faith and devotion. These are the properties of the soul that we all always lack, both men and women. This is one of those examples when men can say with a calm soul and a firm heart: “Yes, these are the women from whom we, men, can take an example.”

A question from a viewer: “Can I take part in monastic life on my next vacation? The monasteries are far away from me. Can I live in a monastery as a worker, paying for the accommodation? I can perform chores, minor repairs, help in the kitchen. Where do I go, where do I start?

Monasteries are different: large, small, there are monasteries that have hotels, good conditions to receive pilgrims and laborers. Such conditions have not yet been created in small monasteries. To get started, you need to call or write off via the Internet at e-mail with the monastery that you have looked after, and ask necessary questions those who are responsible in the monastery for communicating with the outside world (usually these are monks specially blessed for this). You can choose from several monasteries one whose answer will be more to your liking. Sometimes monasteries publish answers to such questions on their website. You can do this, or you can use the reviews of pilgrims who have already been somewhere.

Those monasteries that have the right to receive someone always have a website. These are, as a rule, large monasteries, with a developed life, including in the Internet space.

Question from a viewer Samara region: “There was a general confession in the temple, after which the Cross and the Gospel were carried out on the lectern, everyone was communed, while the stole was not applied. Is that possible?"

In our time, in most churches, there are still conditions under which you can do without a common confession. Those parishioners who think that their feelings are thereby hurt can contact the priest to set a time for confession separately. There are cases when a priest, behind a crowd of people praying, makes a general confession, but, most likely, this should not happen as described in this case. When there are many worshipers, the priest can make a general confession, addressing all confessors with an appropriate repentant conversation, which would dispose the worshipers to repentance. At the same time, the priest will always maintain good and warm relations with the parishioners, when he accepts those of them who need a separate confession under his stole and listens to what needs to be heard. There are times when a priest knows all his parishioners, who confessed and took communion throughout Great Lent. Before a big feast, such parishioners who are really penitent sinners ready for communion can be given some kind of general blessing.
When needed in individually tell something to the priest, such a person can be advised to turn to his parish priest and ask him to listen to you separately. Let the woman who asked the question do so.

- Why is an epitrachelion placed on the head during confession?

Epitrachelion is superimposed on a person's head as a sign God's grace. The sacrament of repentance carries several meanings at once: a person gets rid of sins by expressing them, and the priest calls on the grace of the Holy Spirit so that the Lord forgives the person's sins. And when a person bows his head before the Cross and the Gospel, the priest puts on the epitrachelion, as a sign of God's mercy, crosses it, reading the sacramental prayer, and then removes the epitrachelion. Putting on the stole means visiting the grace of the Holy Spirit, and removing the stole means that with it the priest removes sins from the person God's power. To the attentive Christian, each of these actions is particularly comforting.

May the Lord save all pious TV viewers with His grace! We are experiencing the joyful days of the Easter of Christ, so I congratulate everyone with all my heart: Christ is Risen!

Host: Dmitry Brodovikov
Transcription: Nina Kirsanova

The first Sunday after Easter in the church calendar is called Antipascha or Fomino Sunday. People call this day Red Hill.
The name Antipascha means "instead of Easter" or "the opposite of Easter" - but this is not a contrast, but an appeal to the past holiday, its repetition on the eighth day after Easter.
From ancient times ending Bright Week is celebrated especially, constituting, as it were, a substitute for Easter.
This day is also called St. Thomas Sunday, in memory of the miracle of the assurance of the Apostle Thomas. death on the cross Christ made an incredibly depressing impression on the Apostle Thomas: he seemed to have established himself in the conviction that His loss was irretrievable. To the assurances of the disciples about the resurrection of Christ, he answers: “Unless I see the wounds from the nails on His hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20, 25).
On the eighth day after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to the Apostle Thomas and, testifying that he was with the disciples all the time after the Resurrection, did not wait for Thomas's questions, showing him His wounds, answering his unspoken request.

The Gospel does not say whether Thomas really felt the wounds of the Lord, but so faith kindled in him with a bright flame, and he exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” With these words, Thomas confessed not only faith in the Resurrection of Christ, but also faith in His Divinity.
According to Church Tradition, the holy Apostle Thomas was imprisoned, endured torture, and finally, pierced with five spears, he departed to the Lord.
Starting from St. Thomas Sunday, after a long Lenten break, the celebration of the sacrament of the wedding is resumed in the Orthodox Church. In Russia, it was on this day, Krasnaya Gorka, that most weddings took place, festivities and matchmaking were arranged.

On this day, they tried to free themselves from all sad thoughts and experiences. Mass festivities were organized on elevated places, funny Games and led round dances. Also on this day, the bride-to-be bridesmaids took place. On the eve of the villages, hailers walked around the villages, who sang a majestic song under the windows of the newlyweds and invited all the inhabitants to the festivities.

Tuesday on St. Thomas' week, on the ninth day after Easter, Orthodox Church celebrates Radonitsa - the first after Great Lent and Easterday of special commemoration of the dead.

Each day of St. Thomas' week has both its own name and customs, all of which are associated with commemoration...

Monday is called "wiring". It is believed that during the Easter period, the dead visit their homes to celebrate their own Easter. We, who live in this earthly world, are supposed to meet the dead, accept (treat) them, and then help them return to the next world. Thus, according to tradition, on Monday, they begin to see off their ancestors to the next world.

Tuesday is the main day of St. Thomas' week, which is called Radonitsa, Radunitsa, Radanitsa, Radovnitsa. In the 19th century, Navi day and Radonitsa united into one and began to celebrate in a bright form. On Radonitsa, they turned to the dead ancestors with requests for the patronage of the house, its protection. Young people asked blessings for love and marriage.
On the eve of Radonitsa, they usually heated the bath for the ancestors, prepared a towel and soap, but did not wash themselves. Also, people brought gifts and crumbled them on the graves of loved ones (pastries, pancakes, funeral kutya, colored eggs, beer, wine etc. ). Then they ate for themselves. Funeral bonfires were lit on the churchyard.
On this day, it was customary to sing songs and dance round dances. Sadness often turned into joy. No wonder the saying is known: they plow on Radonitsa in the morning, cry in the afternoon, and jump in the evening. And all because after Easter, spring began field work, on Radonitsa people visited cemeteries, and in the evening they had fun.

From these pre-Christian rituals come spring memorial rites on St. Thomas Week. The church charter prescribes visiting cemeteries after Bright Week: "Easter for believers is the entrance to the world where death has been abolished and where everyone who can be resurrected is already alive in Christ." On this day, a universal memorial service is performed in churches.
People go to the cemetery to the graves of their loved ones and symbolically christen with them. Having tasted kutya, they drink vodka or wine without clinking glasses. They remember the deceased with warm words.
It is believed that the dead share a meal with the living. The remains of the treats crumble, and a funeral glass of vodka is poured onto the grave. Part of the memorial meals (sweets, sweets, pastries, colored eggs) are distributed to others and children "for the repose of the soul."

Thursday is considered the most dangerous day of St. Thomas' week: on this day the dead come to their homes. In order to meet them with dignity, they left refreshments in one of the rooms for the night and opened the windows. It was strictly forbidden to enter the room before dawn. Protecting themselves from unwanted dead, at the same time they took certain protective measures: they sprinkled houses with poppy seeds in the corners and lit passionate candles in front of the icons. If there are drowned people in the family, then the treat was left near the water or thrown into the river.

On Fomin's Saturday, the expulsion of death took place in the villages. Old and young women gathered from all over the village and, armed with brooms, pokers and other household utensils, called out curses to death. It was believed that the longer and more fun to frighten a ghost, the more reliable you can get rid of any disease. In addition, people ran around the cemeteries with knives in their hands and exclaimed: “Run, run, evil spirits!”. So in a way sought to alleviate the afterlife suffering of the dead.

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