Eating without praying means gluttony. According to orthodox Orthodox beliefs, like any other matter, every meal should be accompanied by prayer. Moreover, a Christian needs to know several prayers.
Prayer before breakfast
Like any prayer, an appeal to God before breakfast should be preceded by a triple prayer of repentance, accompanied by bows: “God, cleanse me, a sinner. Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner.” Before breakfast, this is doubly important, because the morning meal, although traditional, is not included in the Church Charter.
Repentance is followed by the prayer itself before the meal: “The eyes of all trust in You, O Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good will.” Then the head of the family says: “Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.” Everyone says “Amen” and starts eating breakfast.
Prayer before lunch
Lunch in the Orthodox tradition is considered the main meal of the day, in which even satiation of the belly is allowed. Therefore, it is better to precede it with the reading of “Our Father”, of course, accompanied by a triple beginning of repentance and the final “Prayers of the saints our fathers...”
Prayer before dinner
Dinner is the second of the statutory meals. But unlike lunch, it is only needed to reinforce your strength before going to bed. Therefore, an Orthodox dinner should be much lighter than lunch (only the poor and wretched are allowed to eat during dinner). In this regard, before the evening meal, it is recommended to read: “The squalor will eat and be satisfied, and those who seek Him will praise the Lord; their hearts will live forever and ever.”
Prayer before non-statutory meals
All meals except the two statutory ones and - with certain reservations - breakfast are, albeit small, sins. And for those who are hosting a tea party or treating a guest, or having a snack between tasks in fast food, the Optina elders recommend reading a prayer for the forgiveness of sins: “Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.”
Other prayers
Other forms of turning to God before eating are also acceptable. Thus, a meal can be preceded by a prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, our God, bless our food and drink with the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen". At the same time, you must remember to cross food and drinks.
The following prayer is also considered acceptable: “Bless us, Lord God, and these gifts, which in Your goodness we will partake of, and grant that all people may have their daily bread. We ask You through Christ our Lord. Amen".
The meaning of prayer before meals
Through prayer, a person simultaneously illuminates food, recognizing it as a gift from God, and thanks the Heavenly Father for the gift sent. Therefore, it is important not just to mechanically pronounce the text of the prayer, but to read it from the heart.
On the other hand, some priests allow some relaxations in the tradition of praying before meals. If you are in a public place (for example, a restaurant or canteen) or visiting, especially among people of other faiths, it is permissible to read the prayer to yourself, not out loud. But it is still recommended to read the Orthodox prayer out loud - after the owner, an adherent of another faith, reads his own.
Also, those who forgot to pray before eating and came to their senses already in the middle of a meal are advised to take a break, read a prayer, and then return to lunch, breakfast or dinner: it is never too late to pray.
For a believer, prayer is hope for salvation, God’s help and peace. In the Orthodox faith, a person is invited to live according to laws and rules, which include a daily request for God’s blessing in the morning, in the evening and before every activity, including before and after meals.
Prayer before and after eating food
A truly believing Orthodox person does not sit down at the table or get up from it without praying. Prayers of thanks before and after meals help to accept the sacrifice of angelic love, which is everything that a person eats. Food is the Creator’s sacrifice, proof of the service of nature and angels to man.
Prayer for meals
Options for turning to the Lord at the table:
- before meals- “Our Father”, many believers read only this text, but priests recommend after it to say “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” and the troparion to the powers of the Angels;
- for blessing meals and products - “Lord Jesus Christ our God, bless us with food and drink...”;
- after meal- “We thank You, Christ our God...”
Food can not only benefit, but also harm a person; poisoning, gastritis or other diseases often occur, so it is necessary to ask for mercy and divine protection before the meal, so that food benefits not only the body, but also the spirit.
Appealing to the Lord from the heart, with feeling and attitude always becomes heard, and the desired comes true, through gratitude to the Creator for food, a blessing is descended on the people and food gathered at the table, which allows you to eat dishes with benefits for the body. For an Orthodox person, even the most modest dishes with God's blessing become tastier.
Important! Prayer after eating - gratitude to the Lord for the food that was on the table and a request for the future not to leave the family without a piece of bread and God's mercy.
How to properly baptize food and why
Making the sign of the cross over food before eating means asking for the blessing of the Lord.
Important articles:
After prayer at the dinner table, make the sign of the cross on yourself, then you need to cross the top of the table, the bottom, then the left and right sides. The sign of the cross in this case is placed from left to right.
Why are foodstuffs blessed at Easter?
The consecration of food, houses and other objects in Orthodoxy is an ancient custom. Sanctification brings a person closer to God. This ritual means that a person asks for blessings from the Creator for a meal and other material things, asks him for protection and patronage in life.
Easter cake and colored eggs symbolize the body of Christ and the birth of new life; these products are a holiday tradition, and consecration is a tradition of faith.
This is interesting:
The cross is a symbol of the Orthodox faith; it must be applied to ourselves and to everyone, everything that surrounds us.
Prayer while cooking
Diseases of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract in the modern world are in first place in terms of distribution and population. In Orthodoxy, this unpleasant phenomenon is explained by the fact that people have now stopped restraining their diet and saying prayers of thanks before and after meals.
Preparing food for a believer should also begin with prayer, which helps in cooking and blesses the food for further consumption.
Advice! With God's blessing, dishes turn out healthier and tastier.
How to read a prayer correctly and why
In an Orthodox family, a petition to the Lord at a meal is p. Children who, from infancy, see how their parents thank the Creator for the products sent to them, will themselves take part in this and be more careful about the products and the work of the mother who prepared all this for them.
Prayer after eating
Rules for prayer before and after meals:
- everyone who is going to have a meal must stand in front of the icon (or without it, if there is none), read a prayer to everyone or one person, ask God for a blessing for the meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), cross themselves and start eating;
- after a meal, you need to pay for food in the same way, even if you forgot to pray before the meal, there is nothing stopping you from doing it after;
- if eating takes place in a public place or at a party, you can simply cross yourself before and after eating, say words to the Lord to yourself;
- Snacks can also be accompanied by the sign of the cross.
Unspoken rules for thanking the Lord for food:
- turning to God at the dinner table requires the presence of the whole family;
- the eldest member of the family most often says words of gratitude to the Lord;
- all family members listen carefully to the text of the petition, delve into it and are baptized;
- You can cross the table with food or everyone has their own filled plate.
Food for Orthodox Christians is nourishment for the mind and body, it is needed for energy, not for pleasure.
Important! Blessed food helps maintain vitality and a healthy body, and sincere gratitude for it teaches you to appreciate everything that is in this life and set priorities.
Video about prayers before and after eating food
In Orthodox life, a special prayer must be read before meals. It is she who is considered a reminder to a believer that man does not live by bread alone and spiritual values are of greater importance to him. In the prayer before meals, people thank the Lord for sending them food and for the fact that they can share it with their household.
The Orthodox faith implies that food should not be used for gluttony, which is a sin. But if it is blessed by prayer, then it will provide enough energy for the health of the body and mind. This means that a person will learn to correctly set life priorities and live righteously.
Orthodox prayers before and after meals in Russian
As a rule, in Christian families, household members gather around the table, and a prayer is said in the form of a simple and understandable blessing. At the same time, an icon must be installed in the dining room. The prayer is usually said by one person, and all other family members say its words to themselves or in a low voice. But each family can set its own rules. For example, prayer is often carried out in the form of chants.
The Holy Fathers, revered in Christianity, claim that prayers before and after meals are very important. Many of them believe that the cause of many human ailments is that the custom of blessing food has been lost. In the modern world, many people sit down at the table in a bad mood with negative thoughts and anger in their souls. Food absorbs negative energy and negatively affects the condition of the human body. Quarrels and conflicts in the kitchen also have a negative impact on the quality of food.
Prayer before eating food
For prayer before eating food, there are special rules that should be followed. All participants in the meal should hold hands or fold their hands in front of them, bowing their heads. Before starting the prayer reading, you need to sit in silence for some time to get into the right mood.
The text of the prayer before eating may sound like this:
“Bless, Lord, this food for our body, and allow us to keep faith in our hearts. We pray in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ. Amen".
Another version of prayer before meals can also be used:
We thank You, Lord, for our daily bread and food, which You have given us for our bright good. Do not allow us to succumb to the sin of gluttony and do not send us hunger to atone for our sins. Amen".
After saying the prayer words, you can start eating. But you should remember that if there are invited guests at the table, then the prayer should be said silently. This will avoid an uncomfortable situation if there are people of a different religion at the table.
Prayer for the blessing of food and drink
Food and drink are necessary for a person to live a full life. But in order not to succumb to gluttony and to get the most out of the food you consume, you need to bless it. After reading such a prayer, the food must be crossed. It is very important that in this case the prayer text is pronounced sincerely and in a good mood.
The prayer for blessing food and drink is:
“Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, bless our food and drink with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, the Virgin Mary, and all Your saints. Amen".
Prayer after eating food
Prayer must also be read after eating food. After everyone has eaten, the head of the family quietly recites a special prayer text. All other household members should repeat it in a whisper. It is also permissible to sit in silence with your head bowed and your hands folded in front of you.
The after-meal prayer goes like this:
“We thank You, Lord, Savior of the human race Jesus Christ, for satisfying all of us on earth and bestowing Your blessings. We ask you not to deprive us of hope in Your Heavenly Kingdom. Come to us, save and preserve us. Lord have mercy (spoken three times) and bless. Amen".
In Islam, food intake requirements are very strict. For example, only utensils that belong to a Muslim should be used at the table. Otherwise, it should be washed for a long time and thoroughly under running water. Islam requires cleanliness, neatness and moderation during meals. In addition, prayer before meals is a mandatory ritual.
Before eating, Muslims recite special duas in Arabic.
Translated into Russian they mean the following:
“In the name of Allah, the most merciful and merciful.” “Great, Allah! Your food is good for us, protect us from evil forces and from the devil.”
Moreover, the first phrase, that is, the dua “Bismilyakh” is pronounced before each change of dishes. If it happens that for some reason a Muslim forgot to say special duas before eating, then after eating he must say a phrase in Arabic.
Translated into Russian it means:
“I begin and end with the name of Allah.”
Before and after eating, Muslims must wash their hands thoroughly. Moreover, it is noteworthy that hand washing is performed directly at the table. The youngest members of the family bring a basin and a jug to the household member, from which they pour water onto their hands. After this, a towel is offered. If there are honored guests at the table, then the owner of the house brings a jug with a basin for washing hands directly.
What prayer should you read before eating?
Prayer before eating food should become a mandatory custom for every believer. This ritual also plays an important role in raising children. It has long been noted that when it was customary in the family to say prayers before meals, children began to respect the work of their parents and food. In addition, the importance of praying to God before meals is that such a ritual ensures the preservation of the integrity of the family. After all, prayer implies that all household members should gather at least once a day at a common table.
Prayer before meals should be clear and simple, its meaning should be understood by everyone gathered at the table, regardless of age. At its core, such a prayer represents a grateful appeal to the Higher Powers. It is allowed not to use standard texts, but to pronounce a couple of lines from yourself. Moreover, in this version the prayers sound more sincere, while the texts proposed in prayer books can create the impression of pretense. Each family can come up with their own words of gratitude that will be understandable to everyone. Sometimes prayer before meals is replaced by reading a very strong prayer, known to every believer, “Our Father.”
It is important to understand that the prayer before meals should not sound “by the way”; it must be read with full concentration. To do this, there must be an icon of the Savior or the Blessed Virgin Mary in the dining room. It is very important to sit down at the table in a good mood. If unpleasant events have occurred in life that have disturbed your mental balance, then you need to throw away negative thoughts through an effort of will. If you can’t do this, then it’s better to postpone your meal for a while. Moreover, all household members should try to restore peace of mind to their loved one.
Our Church Charter knows only two meals - lunch and dinner. And only for these two cases does he give in the liturgical books the corresponding rites of blessing the meal and thanksgiving after it. This is understandable, for our Rule was drawn up primarily in monasteries, where both the early morning and the entire first part of the day (almost until noon) were occupied with divine services.
But even in monasteries, part of the brethren who carry out various obediences, having defended the Midnight Office, the first part of Matins and the Six Psalms, with the beginning of the reading of the kathismas, go to various obediences, often involving difficult physical labor. Moreover, worldly people, obligated by everyday concerns, after morning prayer must go to “their work and their work even until the evening” (Ps. 103: 22-23). In view of the upcoming work, it is necessary to reinforce bodily strength with food. This is how the third was established - the morning meal, served both in secular houses and monasteries, but in the latter only for those who have work to do in the morning. This third meal - breakfast - especially among worldly people has become traditional, irrevocable, a legalized custom and therefore, as it were, statutory. For people engaged in heavy physical labor, in particular, for the Russian people-farmers living in rather harsh climatic conditions, and in addition to these three times - especially on long summer days, when farmers work from dawn to dusk in a difficult time of suffering, additional meals. The second breakfast, called “afternoon snack,” and “pauzhinok” are light food reinforcements between lunch and dinner. But even beyond this, the hospitable Russian people have always been in a hurry for the sake of the guest, and are in a hurry to provide at least a small treat, to arrange at least a modest fraternal meal. And over the last century, not only in the city, but also in the countryside, not only among lay people, but also among monks, tea drinking has become almost obligatory, organized both for the sake of guests and in addition to or instead of breakfast and afternoon tea.
Believers, like any activity in general, and in particular the eating of food, even if not provided for by the Charter, are always preceded and concluded with prayer. In monasteries, before and after meals, general public prayers are performed, accompanied at appropriate moments by singing. In Ancient Rus', in secular homes, on these occasions, a common public prayer was offered for all participants in the meal. Unfortunately, since the time of Peter the Great's secularization of Holy Rus', this good custom of antiquity has been almost completely forgotten. Now, most often, each of those present at the meal reads to himself what kind of prayer he knows. Only in a few families that cherish the Old Testament customs, and during festive and funeral meals, headed by clergy, a common prayer is read or sung. But even in these cases, even in the presence of the bishop, at every meal, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or just tea, for the most part, the same thing is read: before the meal “Our Father...”, after it - “We thank You, Christ our God...” , in half abridged against the edition given in liturgical books, in which it was published in prayer books for the laity. Meanwhile, in the liturgical books for the two statutory meals, completely different orders of pre-meal and post-meal prayers are given, compiled in relation to the nature of one and the other meal. Accordingly, and for all other occasions of eating, there should be special blessings for the food offered for each rite and thanksgiving after eating them.
The desire to bring home pre-meal and post-meal prayer as close as possible to the Church Rule, as was the case in ancient times in Holy Rus', served as the reason for drawing up the proposed rites. Basically, the corresponding sequences of liturgical books were used for them, using them for secular use and for celebration by laymen alone without a priest.
Of all the daily meals, the main one is the lunch meal - the most complete, the most plentiful, the longest, during which food is allowed to be eaten until full. This character of the dinner meal corresponds to the statutory prayers surrounding it. True, only one prayer is sung before dinner, but it is the greatest of prayers, so to speak, the prayer of prayers, the Lord’s Prayer. And after the dinner meal there is a whole lengthy rite of thanksgiving, not only for the gift of “meal for joy,” but also for the satiation: “For Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings.” In the present experience of using the statutory rite of afternoon thanksgiving for secular use, it is first of all shortened by the omission of everything that relates to the rite of offering “Panagia” - bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is not always and not performed everywhere in monasteries. The statutory afternoon rite includes the troparion of a holiday or day, to which in some monasteries the troparion of a cathedral church or holy monastery is added. In accordance with this, in the rite proposed here, in addition to the troparion served on that day of the feast of the Lord, the Mother of God or the great ecumenical saint, the troparion of All Russian Saints is introduced, the common holiday of which can be considered as a temple or monastery for all Orthodox Russian people. After the general troparion to All Russian Saints, in accordance with the same thought about their significance for us, Russian people, the troparions to the Russian Saints celebrated that day are indicated. After this, the troparion to the prophet Elijah is introduced to “Glory”, who, according to the revelation of one person of highly spiritual life, is a nourisher in our time, especially for those who prayerfully call on him. Accordingly, the edition of the troparion to the prophet was slightly changed. On “And Now” as the Theotokos, the troparion in honor of the original Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was taken from the same service to All Russian Saints, under whose grace-filled cover the entire history of the great Russian state was formed. At the conclusion of the entire rite of afternoon thanksgiving, a prayer for benefactors is added, which is especially appropriate when the meal is a gift of love and care for the brethren.
The evening meal is significantly different from the lunch meal. It is less abundant and less long lasting. For her, the Charter recommends not to prepare food again, but to be content with what is left over from lunch. The evening meal is only for light reinforcement of food for those going to bed, which only the poor - the “poor” could consider satiation. It is much shorter than lunch. Accordingly, the prayers surrounding it are shorter.
The morning meal not provided for by the Charter - breakfast - is very different in nature from lunch, it is shorter and closer to dinner. Accordingly, the prayers surrounding breakfast should be different from lunch. The prayers of the evening meal could be used here, with the exception of verses of Psalm 4, the words of which “in peace together I will sleep and rest” do not correspond to the time. But for a new meal not provided for by the Charter, a new order can be drawn up. Just as before dinner a passage from Psalm 21 is read, so before breakfast a prayer known to many laymen can be used, composed of verses 15-16 of Psalm 144: “The eyes of all trust in Thee, O Lord...”. And after breakfast, there can be, accordingly, the reading of one of the thanksgiving afternoon prayers, also well known to many lay people: “We give thanks to You, Christ our God, for you have satisfied us...”, for the morning saturation, in view of the upcoming labors, can be fuller and more plentiful than the evening.
A meal with tea and all others, unnecessary against the Charter, are, as it were, some kind of lawlessness, a consequence of our weaknesses. Therefore, the Optina elders advised to precede such meals with a prayer for the forgiveness of our sins, for the healing of our infirmities, and to end with the usual final song to the Mother of God: “It is worthy to eat,” in the hope that the Mother of God will add to our prayers Her bold intercession for the forgiveness of our sins, about the healing of our infirmities.
PRAYERS BEFORE BREAKFAST
As before the beginning of any prayer, first of all three bows with prayers of repentance are required:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
(Bow.)
I have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Let's pray before meals
The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every living thing with good will.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest: Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, I am holy, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.
[If only lay people eat, then the person reading the prayer, usually the eldest, without blessing the meal, says:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus, behold, You are not God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, I am unto Thy Holy One, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.]
And we: Amen.
PRAYERS AFTER BREAKFAST
Thank You, O Christ our God, I have filled us with Your earthly blessings, do not deprive us of Your Kingdom in Heaven, but I have come to the midst of Your disciples, O Savior, having given them peace, come to us, and save us.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest: God is with us with His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.
We: Amen.
(In the absence of the priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.)
And three final bows with prayers:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Creator of me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
I have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
PRAYERS BEFORE DINNER
Three short prayers of repentance with bows. Then:
O our father, who art in heaven x! Hallowed be Thyself, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, I am in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, I skin and we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the bow.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest: Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, I am holy, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.
(In the absence of a secular priest: Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, I am holy, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.)
All: Amen.
AFTERNOON PRAYERS
Let's take a vacation: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus, behold our Christ, have mercy on us.
And we: Amen.
Blessed be God, who has mercy and nourished us from youth on our necks, giving food to all flesh, filling our hearts with joy and gladness, so that we always have all the sufficiency we have, abounding in every good deed That is, in Christ Jesus our Lord: to You is due glory, power, honor and worship, with the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee, Holy One, glory to Thee, the King, for Thou hast given us a meal of joy: fill us with the Holy Spirit, that those who may find before Thee may find good days and fasts days when reward is expected for anyone according to his work.
Thank You, Christ our God, I have filled us with Your earthly blessings, do not deprive us of Your Kingdom in heaven, but I have come to the midst of Your disciples, O Savior, having given them peace, come come to us and save us.
Then the troparions are sung or read on that day of the feasts celebrated - the Lord's, the Theotokos, the Archangels, the Forerunner, the Apostles and the great Ecumenical Saints (with a bow after each troparion).
Let us therefore troparion to All Russian Saints (Tone 8):
I skin the red fruit of Your saving sowing, the Russian land brings to You, Lord, all the saints who shone in that one. Those prayers of yours in the world deeply, keep the Church and our country with the Mother of God, O merciful One.
And the troparia of the Russian saints celebrated that day (with bows).
Glory: Troparion to the Prophet Elijah (Tone 4):
Incarnate an angel, the foundation of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, the glorious Elijah, who received food from the angel and gave food to the widow during famine, and to us who honor you, grace nutritious nutritious bud.
And now: Theotokos (same voice):
We will not fall to the Protector of the country in our Everlasting Mother of God, and to the first-written icon of Her, we will not fall, calling with faith from the depths of our soul: O Mother of God, save the Russian land, heal its contrition , and comfort to faithful people.
TO Thanksgiving for the nourishment can be accompanied by a prayer for the hosts of the meal and benefactors. Then, at the end of the troparion to the Mother of God, the priest exclaims:
Merciful Lord, have mercy on Your servants who have mercy on us. Everyone repeats this refrain. Priest: Glory. And we: And now. Then they sing the chaos:
Deliver from the troubles and sorrows of the servant in Yours, who nourish us, O Merciful One, I diligently resort to You, to our Merciful Nourisher and to all the merciful who promised mercy.
The priest pronounces the litany: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray, hear and have mercy.
All: Lord have mercy. (Thrice.)
Priest: We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of sin... (The worldly man begins the petition: Lord have mercy... further general continuation) remember all those who love, have mercy and feed us, who do good and serve us, who gave commandments and for whom it was given to us to pray, and all their relatives, to repay them for their love for us pray for their faith in the power of your brothers and your priests, and according to their faith, fulfill all their requests, pour out spiritual and physical blessings on them, bless their labors and undertakings with success, and preserve take them away from all sorrows (especially let them not grieve for this deed of love that is being done to us), we pray to You, O Merciful Lord, hear us sinners praying to You, and forgive lui.
All: Lord have mercy. (Thrice.)
Priest: How merciful...
All: Amen.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest: Blessed be God, who has mercy and nourished us with His rich gifts, His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.
(In the absence of the priest, the worldly: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus, behold, our Christ, have mercy on us.)
All: Amen.
In conclusion, three bows are required with the usual prayers and everyone thanks the organizers of the meal and the eldest of the tablemates.
PRAYERS BEFORE NON-STARTED MEALS
Three short prayers of repentance with bows:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Thou who created me, O Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
You have sinned without number, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Vladko, forgive our iniquities; Saints, visit and heal not the relics of ours, and for my sake. Glory, even now. Lord have mercy. (Thrice.)
And a blessing like before breakfast: God bless... With the prayers of your holy father...
PRAYERS AFTER NON-STARTED MEALS
It is worthy, I truly believe, of Thy blessedness, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. Most honorable to the cherubs and most glorious without comparison to the seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, we magnify Thee as the present Mother of God.
Glory, even now. Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) Bless.
And the ending is like after breakfast: God be with us... or the prayers of the holy fathers... And three prayers of repentance with bows.
PRAYERS BEFORE DINNER
After three prayers of repentance:
Eating the squalor and being satisfied, and those who seek Him will praise the Lord, their hearts will live forever and ever.
Glory, even now. Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) Bless.
And a blessing like before breakfast: God bless... or with the prayers of the holy fathers...
PRAYERS AFTER DINNER
Be in Your womb the Holy Table, having in Heaven this Bread, Christ our God, from Him all poison does not die, I say to the skin of all, Mother of God, Nourisher.
Most honorable to the cherubs, and most glorious without comparison to the seraphim, who gave birth to God’s Word without corruption, we magnify Thee, the present Mother of God.
Thou art rejoiced, O Lord, in Thy creation, and in the work of Thy hand we will rejoice. Knowing the light of Your face upon us, O Lord, You have given me joy in my heart, from the fruit of wheat, wine and my barely living. In the world I will not sleep and rest, because You, Lord, alone have given me hope.
Glory, and now: Lord have mercy. (Thrice.) Bless.
And the ending is like after breakfast: God is with us... or the prayers of the holy fathers...
PRAYERS AT THE FUNERAL MEAL
If a priest is present at the funeral meal, then the usual funeral litia is performed first, after which the Our Father is sung... and the blessing of the meal follows.
If there is no priest among those present, then after three usual bows:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus, behold our Christ, have mercy on us. Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (Three times with bows.)
Glory, even now. Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Vladko, forgive our iniquities; Saints, visit and heal not the relics of ours, and for my sake.
Lord have mercy (Thrice).
Glory, even now. Amen.
O our father, who art in heaven x! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, I am in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us the debts to our debtors, and we will forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the bow.
And funeral troparia: From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away the soul of Your servant (Thy servants), May you rest in peace, keep me in this blessed life, I am with You, O greater Man.
Seek Thy rest, O Lord, where all Thy saints and Thy ones rest in peace, give rest to the soul of Thy servant (Thy servants), I am one of you, a lover of mankind.
Glory: You are God, who descended into hell and loosed the chains of the chained. I am the soul of Your servant (Thy servants) rest in peace
And now: O Pure and Immaculate Virgin, Who gave birth to God without seed, pray for His soul to be saved (her).
Then this prayer is said three times with 15 bows: Remember, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant. (uso Thy servants) Name (bow). If in this life I have sinned against man, you, I, God, have mercy on mankind. (bow), and eternal torment izba vi (bow), and bring about the Kingdom of Heaven as a participant (participant) (bow), and do good things for our souls (bow).
After this, it is sung or read as a pre-dinner prayer. Our Father, followed by an invocation of God's blessing on the meal according to the rank for the laity.
At the beginning of the funeral meal, before other foods, everyone is offered kutia. And before the last sweet dish, which is traditionally served with jelly with milk (on fast days with almond or poppy seed), the so-called pivomedie is brought - a sweet non-alcoholic drink. In conclusion, everyone stands up and, if the meal is served on the day of burial or commemoration: on the 9th, 20th, 40th days after death and on the first anniversary, they sing the stichera in the 6th tone:
Seeing me without an eye of sleep, / and lifeless present, / weep for me, brothers and friends, / relatives and signs: / yesterday was the day of my conversation with you, / and suddenly I came to I am a terrible hour of death; / but come, all you who love me, / and kiss me with your last kiss, / there is no one like you / or I’m talking about other things; / for I am going to the Judge, / where there is no partiality: / for the servant and the rulers stand together, / the king and the warrior, the rich and the poor / in equal dignity: / each from his own deeds / or to become famous or to be ashamed. / But I ask and pray to everyone, / constantly pray for me to Christ God, / that I may not be brought down (descended to) because of my sin, to the place of torment, / but may I be brought down, where the Light has come animalistic.
If the commemoration is performed on occasions other than those listed, the stichera, tone 8, is sung:
I cry and sob, / when I think about death, / and I see our beauty, created in the image of God, lying in the tomb, / ugly, ignorant, / without form. / Oh miracle! What is this mystery about us? / How do we give ourselves over to corruption, / how do we embrace death? / By the true command of God, / I eat on the skin, / I give this to the dead (stop falling in love) repose.
Then the priest: In blessed dormancy to the servant of God (servant of God) name, cease to please (stop falling in love) everlasting memory.
In the absence of the priest, the eldest of the laity: Servant of God (servant of God) stop falling in love (stop falling in love) everlasting memory.
All: Everlasting memory (three times).
They drink the funeral cup and eat the last dish. The meal ends with the usual thanksgiving.
PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF EASTER FOOD
Lord Jesus, behold, our Christ God, who, through the great sorrow of the Cross and Thy suffering, has filled all with immeasurable joy through the third day of resurrection! Thank You, I have vouchsafed You not even us, who have completed fasting, to become partakers of the saints of these days and to be partakers of the joy of Your blessed resurrection. Thank You, because through Your mercy and ineffable condescension towards our weaknesses, you comfort us and eat us with a festive meal to strengthen and delight our weak flesh. We also pray to Thee, bless this Easter bread, the thickened milk, eggs and other Easter flax foods, especially these, from which, in obedience to the Charter of the Church, in the past days of fasting, Thy servants abstained, yes Those who partake of them with thanksgiving will receive good health, to strengthen their bodily strength, to cheerfulness and joy, and to have all the sufficiency they have, we will abound in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart we will glorify You, the Risen One, who nourishes and comforts us, together with You are Your Father without beginning and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
This prayer can be read by the priest or the eldest of those present at the first festive meal instead of the usual blessing formula.
ANOTHER PRAYER AT THE VERY SCARY EASTER MEAL
Lord Jesus, behold, our God Christ, who, through the great sorrow of the Cross and Thy suffering, was filled with immeasurable joy through the third day of resurrection! Thank You, I have made You worthy, and we, who have completed fasting, to achieve the death of the saints of these days and the joy of the bright and blessed Resurrection of Yours, to be partakers. We pray to Thee: bless and sanctify these breads, and even Thy servants, in their meagerness, instead of Easter meals, prepared them for you and brought them before Your Holy Face. May they provide sweetness and consolation to those who eat them faithfully, and may the meagerness of the meal not darken the festive joy of Your people. With the light of the resurrection, may all sorrows and sorrows be dispelled, and may all the rich and the poor, those in abundance, and those in poverty glorify Thee, the Risen One, and in sorrows give joy to us, the One Who Gives, together with Thee and Thy Infinite Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF MASSIVE FOOD ON THE HOLIDAY OF THE CHRISTMAS
Lord Jesus, behold, the Christ our God, who deigned for our salvation to appear on earth in the flesh and be indescribably born of the Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary! We thank Thee, for Thou hast vouchsafed us, having purified ourselves through the feat of fasting, to achieve the great feast of Thy Nativity and in spiritual joy to sing Thee with the angels, to praise Thee with the shepherds, and to worship Thee with the wise men. We thank Thee, for through Thy great mercy and immeasurable condescension towards our weaknesses, you now comfort us not only with abundant spiritual food, but also with a festive meal.
We also pray to Thee, who opens Thy generous hand, fills all living things with Thy blessings, gives everyone food in accordance with the times and rules of the Church, bless the festive foods prepared by Thy faithful people, especially this, from which we obey the Charter of Thy Church, in During the past days of fasting, Your servants abstained, so that those who partake of them with thanksgiving will be in health, in strengthening their bodily strength, in joy and joy. May all of us, who have every good fortune, be abundant in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart glorify Thee, who feeds and comforts us, and also Thy Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF FAST FOOD (ON THE HOLIDAY OF THE HIGH APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL)
(read at the first holiday meal instead of the usual blessing formula)
Lord Jesus Christ our God! We thank You for granting us, who have passed on through the fasting of the holy apostles, to achieve the celebration of the feast of the glorious Chief Superiors Peter and Paul.
We pray to You, who opens Your generous hand, fills all living things with Your blessings, gives everyone food in accordance with the times and rules of the Church, bless the holiday foods prepared by Your faithful people, especially this, from which, in obedience to the Charter of Your Church, we abstained in the past days of fasting May Thy servants be with thanksgiving for those who eat them in health, in strengthening their bodily strength, in joy and gladness. Yes, we all have every kind of contentment, we will abundantly engage in good deeds, and from the fullness of a grateful heart we will glorify You, who nourishes and comforts us, together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
(If the Feast of the Supreme Apostles happens on Wednesday or Friday, this prayer is read before the meal the next day).
BISHOP ATHANASY - ELDER AND NOBLICION
Vladyka Athanasius devoted his entire life to collecting materials in pursuance of this Council definition—services of festivities in honor of the icons of the Mother of God and locally revered saints, hagiographic references and information about the veneration of iconographic images. The extensive correspondence reflects the greatness of the work done. The result was the appearance (after the death of the Bishop) of complete liturgical Menyas in 1970-1980, prepared for printing and published for the anniversary of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' by the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House.
About another of his “doings,” Bishop Athanasius wrote: “...The Holy Council of 1917-1918, recognizing the matter of correcting liturgical books as urgently necessary, expressed the wish that the temporary commission established for this purpose at the Holy Synod be transformed into a permanent institution, so that and carried out by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, who, by resolution of November 6, 1956, established the Liturgical and Calendar Commission at the Holy Synod.”
It is interesting to turn to the history of the issue of correcting liturgical books. Even Saint Theophan, the Recluse of Vyshensky, wrote on this occasion: “Our liturgical hymns are all edifying, thoughtful and sublime. They contain all theological science and all Christian moral teaching, and all consolations, and all fears. Anyone who listens to them can do without any other teaching Christian books. Meanwhile, most of these chants are completely incomprehensible. And this deprives our church books of the fruit that they could produce, and does not allow them to serve the purposes for which they are intended and available. As a result of this, a new translation of church liturgical books is urgently needed... A simplified and clear translation of liturgical books is needed... A new one is needed Slavic(my italics - A.I.) translation” (Collected letters. Issue II, Letter 289.). The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', St. Tikhon, spoke wittily and insightfully on this issue: “It is important for the Russian Church to have a new Slavic translation of liturgical books (the current one is outdated and incorrect in many places), which will prevent the demand of others to serve in the Russian everyday language.”
In the pre-conciliar discussion at the beginning of the century, the majority of bishops unanimously spoke out in favor of correcting liturgical texts, in which Greek grammar and word production sometimes hide and often distort the meaning and content of many liturgical readings and chants. But they also talked about the lessons that should be learned from the church book correction in the 16th and 17th centuries, when a well-organized task entrusted to a whole staff of inspectors, in addition to benefits, also led to the sad events of the time of Patriarch Nikon. In the discussions, the requirement to translate texts into the Slavic language, a common language for all Slavic tribes in their native Orthodox faith, sounded mandatory. (By the way, in these debates there were also wishes for publishers: it is necessary to publish small liturgical books for distribution in the church to the people, so that every layman can more successfully study the language and structure of the service. Not only “read and chant” himself, but also make it impossible to perform the service carelessly. ..)
Vladyka Athanasius made this work—the work of a surveyor—an obedience for the rest of his life. Immediately upon returning from exile in 1955, he wrote to the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archimandrite Sergius Golubtsov: “For a long time, I began to defile my menaions and other liturgical books, correcting the old Slavic text. I consider the correction of liturgical books an urgent matter... And I would like to give all my soiled books... to my native academy - after death, of course.” Vladyka understood his work as a beginning and, bequeathing materials to the academy, assumed that it would help begin to solve a large scientific and practical problem, the urgency of which was clearly recognized at the beginning of the century.
In the archives of Bishop Afanasy, a notebook of prayers and prayer orders for everyday use has been preserved. Several pages in it are occupied by abbreviated notes from “Prayers at Meals,” which represent not only a wonderful historical testimony of our time, a scientific and theological development of a small but important topic, but also a precious grain of the prayer experience of the elder confessor. In the introductory article to the “Prayers,” the Bishop shares his secret knowledge, advising before dinner to sing a new troparion he compiled to the prophet Elijah, a saint who “is a nourisher in our time, especially for those who prayerfully call upon him.”
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Question to the editor: “Why pray before and after eating, because food is not a spiritual necessity for a person?”
Nina, Pervouralsk
It is aimed at avoiding gluttony, so that people, sitting at the dinner table, take part in the meal. Prayer sanctifies food and at the same time reminds us that man does not live by bread alone. This prayer is especially useful for children, as it teaches them to begin any task by praying. Children who are accustomed to praying before meals and eating regularly will find it easier to get used to fasting and serious prayer.
Prayers before and after meals: “The eyes of all trust in Thee, O Lord...”, “The poor eat and are satisfied...” are contained in any prayer book. Most often they read - or sing if the food is eaten in the refectory (dining room) of a temple or monastery - before eating the Lord's Prayer. In any case, you need to know one of these prayers by heart
On the twelve holidays and Easter, ordinary prayers are replaced by reading (singing) the festive troparion. Troparia (short chants) dedicated to great church holidays can be found in the prayer book.
After the meal, a prayer of gratitude was accepted: “We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings...”. You should also know it by heart.
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Prayer before meals
The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good will.
Prayer for the blessing of food and drink for the laity
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, bless us with food and drink through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, for blessed are You forever. Amen. (And cross food and drink).
Prayer after eating food
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
Baptized world
Andrey PolushinThe “Cross over Europe” program continues the story about the shrines of the Ligurian coast of Italy and France. We will start it on the Italian Riviera in the city of San Remo and then go south, towards France Church in honor of Christ the Savior, Great Martyr Catherine and St. Seraphim of Sarov
