The rite of the great consecration of the temple. Consecration of the temple Small consecration of the temple

It is proper for a Christian who has dedicated himself to the service of God to sanctify all his good undertakings by invoking God's help and blessings, since "unless the Lord builds a house, the builders toil in vain" (Ps. 126:1). All the more it is necessary to call on God at the foundation of the house of God, where the throne of God will be erected.

After the laying of the foundation (foundation) for the temple, the “rite for the foundation of the temple” is performed, which is usually called the laying of the temple. At the same time, there is also the erection of the cross. Since the rules of the Church (Apostolic canon 31; Council of Antioch, pr. 5; Chalcedon, 4; Double, 1, etc.) decreed that the construction of the temple began with the blessing of the bishop, the rite for the foundation of the temple is performed either by the bishop himself, or sent from him and the blessed archimandrite, or presbyter, or priest. The rite of worship at the foundation of the temple is placed in the Great Treasury. The worship service for the foundation of the temple of God consists, after the usual beginning and the initial psalms, in censing around the base while singing the troparion to the saint in whose name the temple will be erected. Then the rector reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to keep the builders of the temple unharmed, and the foundation of the temple unshakable and perfect showed the house to the glory of God. After the prayer, a dismissal is performed, on which the saint is mentioned, in whose name the temple is being built. Upon dismissal, the abbot, taking a stone and drawing a cross with it, puts it in the foundation, saying: “The foundations A and (his) Most High, God is in his midst and will not move, God will help him in the morning in the morning. Then the rector sets up a cross at the place where the holy meal (throne) will be, while saying a prayer in which he asks the Lord to bless and sanctify this place with the power and action of the Honest and Life-giving and Most Pure tree of the Cross to drive away demons and everyone resisting.

At the site of the laying of the temple, a metal plate is usually placed, on which an inscription is made, in honor of which holiday or saint the temple was consecrated, under which patriarch and bishop, what year, month and date. The above rite of laying the foundation stone and erecting the cross is usually performed after a prayer service with the blessing of water.

Note.

In the Supplementary Ribbon, this rite is described more extensively. If the temple is made of stone, then ditches are dug at the site of the foundation of the temple, stones are prepared, and on one of them - a quadrangular one - a cross is carved, under which, if the bishop or his governor deigns, a place is prepared for investing relics. Then a board with an inscription is prepared, when, in whose name the temple is consecrated, under which patriarch and bishop the laying of the temple was completed. In addition, a large wooden cross is prepared and a ditch is dug in the place where the throne should be built (for the erection of the cross in this place). If the church is built of wood, then the logs on which it will stand are prepared. After preparing all these accessories, the bishop or priest proceeds from the nearest church, preceded by deacons with censers, accompanied by other priests in full vestments, with a cross and the Gospel, presenting icons and singing sacred hymns in honor of the future church, and come to the place of laying . Here, after the usual beginning, while singing "To the King of Heaven", the rector performs incense at the site of the foundation of the temple. After reading the 142nd psalm, a great litany is pronounced with the application of petitions for the consecration and blessing of the foundation of the church and the successful completion of the work begun. After the exclamation, "God is the Lord" is sung and troparia to the feast or holy temple and foundation. After the 50th psalm, a prayer is read for the consecration of the water and the cross is immersed in the water with the singing "Save, Lord"; a prayer for the blessing of oil is also read, in which Jacob pours out oil on the stone on which he slept and saw the ladder. After the consecration of water and oil, the rector sprinkles the place where the cross will be erected with holy water, and reads a prayer for the consecration of this place by the power of the cross, and while singing the priest. with a song, the priests erect a holy cross in the place of the future throne. Then the rector goes to the moat in the eastern part of the temple, sprinkles the main stone with holy water and the place where it should lie, saying: “This stone is blessed by sprinkling sacred water sowing into the unshakable foundation of the temple, created in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, putting a board with an inscription into the recess, he covers it with a stone, saying the words: “This church is being founded for the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ... in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” On the laid stone, the priest pours consecrated oil and sprinkles holy water on all sides of the foundation of the temple while reading prayers and singing psalms. At the same time, if the church is being built of wood, then, as a sign of the beginning of the matter, the rector strikes the prepared logs with an ax several times. After sprinkling the entire foundation, the priest stands in front of the erected cross, sings "King of Heaven" and reads a prayer for the strengthening of the builders and for keeping the foundation of the temple unshakable. Then he reads another prayer with kneeling of all those praying for a blessing on this place of the altar to offer a bloodless Sacrifice. Then a special litany is proclaimed, to which are attached three petitions for the founders and for the successful construction of the temple. After the exclamation: “Hear us, O God…” there is a pronouncement of many years to the builders and benefactors of the newly built church and dismissal. The procession returns to the church when singing the stichera to the temple or other hymns to the glory of God (Additional breviary, 1st chapter. The rite that happens at the foundation of the church and the erection of the cross).

DELIVERY OF THE CROSS ON THE TEMPLE

With Christians, everything is sealed and sanctified by the image and sign of the cross. The cross is supplied not only to St. temples and in houses, but the temple itself is overshadowed and crowned with it (St. John Chrysostom).

The cross on the temple is supplied for the magnificence and decoration of the temple, as a cover and a solid fence, deliverance and preservation by the power of the cross from all evil and misfortune, from visible and invisible enemies - the temple and all the faithful, with faith and reverence entering the temple, and on honest cross looking, and to the Lord Jesus Christ crucified on the cross with faith and love bowing.

In the Supplementary Ribbon (Chapter 2) there is a special "Order of prayer for putting a cross on top of the roof of the newly created church." This rite is performed in this way. The priest, having dressed and incense, utters the initial exclamation: “Blessed is our God ...”, and after the usual initial prayers, troparia are sung: “Save, Lord, Thy people ...”, “Glory”: “Ascended to the Cross by will ...”, “And Now”: “The Representation of Christians…”. The priest reads a prayer in which, remembering the installation by Moses in the desert of a copper serpent, which saved people from being bitten by snakes and served as a prototype of the Cross, he asks the Lord to bless the sign of the cross for the magnificence and decoration of the temple, for protecting by the power of the cross those who enter the temple and worship the Son crucified on the Cross God's and have mercy on all who look at this sign and remember the saving death of the Lord. After the prayer, the priest sprinkles the cross with holy water, saying: “This sign of the cross is blessed and sanctified, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, by sprinkling this sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.” After singing: "Ascended to the Cross by will," the dismissal of the temple is pronounced, and the builders, taking the cross, put it in place, at the top of the church.

BLESSING THE BELL

Before hanging the bell on the bell tower, it is hung at the church so that it can be sprinkled on top and inside, and there is a blessing of the bell according to a special order: “The order of the blessing of the campaign, this is the bells, or ringing” (chap. 24 of the Additional Breed Book).

This rite is performed as follows: the bishop or priest comes out of the church and comes to the bell, near which there is consecrated water and sprinkles on the table, and proclaims the usual beginning. The clergy sings: “O Heavenly King”, the Trisagion is read, Our Father and psalms of praise are sung (Ps. 148-150), a great litany is pronounced, to which 4 petitions for the blessing of the bell are attached.

After the litany and the 28th psalm, a prayer is read for the blessing of the bell, and another prayer, bowed to the head, is read secretly. The petitions of the litany and the prayers contain a prayer for the blessing of the bell, for grace to be sent down to the bell, so that all “hearing its ringing in days and nights are excited to glorify the holy name of the Lord and to do the commandments of the Lord”; a prayer is also raised up that “at the ringing of the blessed campan, all windy storms, ill-dissolved airs, hail, whirlwinds, terrible thunders and harmful lightning, lack of water, and all slander of the enemy would be driven away.”

After prayers, the priest sprinkles the bell with holy water from 4 sides, from above, and around, and inside, saying three times: “This campan is blessed and sanctified by sprinkling this sacred water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.”

After sprinkling, the priest censes around the campan, inside and outside it, while the clergy sing the 69th psalm: "God, help me, get out." Then a proverb is read about the construction of sacred silver trumpets by Moses to call the people to prayer and sacrifice to God (Num. 11,

1-10). After paroemia, three stichera are sung and a day's leave is pronounced.

CHURCH CONSOLIDATED BY A BISHOP

The consecration, or "renewal," of the temple. A built temple can be a place for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy only after its consecration. The consecration of a temple is called “renovation,” because through consecration the temple becomes holy from an ordinary building, and therefore completely different, new. According to the rules Orthodox Church(IV Ecum. Sob., 4th rights.) The consecration of the temple must be performed by the bishop. If the bishop himself does not consecrate, then he sends the antimension consecrated by him to the newly created temple, where, after the establishment and consecration of the throne by the priest, the antimension is laid on him. This consecration of the temple - bishops and priests - is called great.

The existing ranks of the great consecration of the temple:

The temple is consecrated by the bishop himself- at the same time, he sanctifies the antimension. The rite is set out in a special book and in the Additional Ribbon (or in the Ribbon in 2 parts, part 2): "The rite of consecrating the temple from the bishop of the worker."

The bishop consecrates only the antimension. “The inquiry into how to consecrate the antimins to the bishop” is found in the “Officer of the Bishop’s Clergy”, as well as in the aforementioned “Order of Consecration of the Church from the Bishop of the Creator”.

The priest consecrates the temple, who received from the bishop a consecrated antimension for position in the temple. The rite of worship is in the Big Trebnik, ch. 109: “The following is to put a consecrated antimension in a newly built church, given from the bishop to the archimandrite or abbot, or protopresbyter, or presbyter, chosen for this and skilled.”

Prayers and rites of temple consecration raise our eyes from temples made by hands to temples not made by hands, members of the spiritual body of the Church, which are all faithful Christians (2 Cor. 6:16). Therefore, at the consecration of the temple, like that what is done for the sanctification of each person in the sacraments of baptism and chrismation.

The consecration of the temple, performed by the bishop, is the most solemn.

All-night vigil on the eve of the consecration of the temple. On the eve of the day of consecration, a small vespers is served in the newly created temple and all-night vigil. The service is performed for the renewal of the temple (stichera and canon) from the Big Breed Book in conjunction with the service of the temple, that is, the saint in whose name the temple was built. Both small vespers and vigil are sung before the altar with closed royal doors Oh.

Note.

The consecration of a temple should not be performed on the very day on which the memory of the saint or the event in whose name the church was built is celebrated, for the reason that the service of consecrating the temple should not be confused with the temple service in honor of the holiday. The consecration of the temple must be completed before the temple feast.

Temples in the name of the Resurrection of Christ are consecrated only in Sundays'cause it's not right to sing Sunday service in simple (weekly) days.

The temple in the name of the Resurrection of Christ and the temples of the Lord, the Mother of God and the saints are not allowed to be consecrated on the Week (Sunday) of Forty, Pentecost, the Week of the forefathers, the father before R.H., in the Week after R.H. and after the Enlightenment, as well as on those Sundays , on which the feasts of the Lord, the Theotokos and polyeleos saints occur, “before (in these days) in stichera and in canons there is a great oppression.” For the same reason, the consecration of the temple to the saint (or saint) is not performed on all the feasts of the Lord, the Theotokos and polyeleos saints.

IN great post on weekly days, the consecration of the temple (for the sake of fasting) is also not performed.

Preparing for the consecration of the temple. On the eve of the day of consecration, relics are brought to the newly created temple. The holy relics are placed on a diskos under a star and a cover in front of the image of the Savior on a lectern, and a lamp is lit in front of them. A table is placed in front of the royal doors, on which the accessories of the throne are usually placed: the Holy Gospel, the honest cross, the holy. vessels, clothes on the throne and on the altar, nails, etc., and lighted candles are supplied at the four corners of the table. In the altar, closer to the mountainous place, a table is placed, covered with a veil, and holy Myrrh, church wine, rose water, a pod for anointing with Myrrh, sprinkles, stones for nailing are supplied on it.

On the very day of the consecration of the temple (before the ringing), the relics are carried with reverence to the nearby temple and placed on the throne. If there is no other church nearby, then the relics stand in the consecrated church in the same place near the local icon of the Savior. On the very day of the consecration of the temple, a prayer service is sung and a small consecration of water is performed, after which the clergy participating in the consecration of the temple put on all the sacred clothes, and on top of these clothes, for their protection, put on white protective zapons (aprons) and gird them. After vestment, the clergy bring in a table with prepared utensils through the royal doors and place it on the right side in the altar. The royal doors are closed, and the laity cannot be in the altar, in order to avoid crowding.

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

arrangement of the throne (holy meal);

washing and anointing him;

the vestment of the throne and the altar;

consecration of the walls of the temple;

transfer and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics;

closing prayers, a brief litia and dismissal.

The device of the throne is done in this way. First of all, the bishop, having blessed his co-servants, sprinkles the pillars of the altar with holy water and waters its corners with boiling wax paste in the form of a cross, and the priests cool the wax paste with the breath of their lips. Wax, otherwise mastic (i.e., a composition of wax, mastic, crushed marble, dewy incense, aloe and other fragrant substances), serving together with nails as a means for attaching the board of the throne, at the same time marks the aromas with which the body was anointed Savior taken down from the Cross.

After short prayer that the Lord vouchsafed to consecrate the temple without condemnation, the bishop sprinkles holy water on the upper board of the altar on both sides of it, and it relies on the altar pillars while singing (in chorus) the 144th and 22nd psalms. Then the bishop sprinkles four nails and, putting them into the corners of the altar, fixes the board on the altar pillars with stones, with the help of the clergy.

After the approval of the throne, for the first time the royal doors, which are still closed, are opened, and the bishop, facing the people, kneeling together with the faithful, reads a lengthy prayer at the royal doors, in which, like Solomon, he asks the Lord to send down the Most Holy Spirit and sanctify the temple and the altar this, so that the bloodless Sacrifices offered on it may be accepted into the heavenly altar and bring down upon us the grace of heavenly overshadowing from there.

After the prayer, the royal doors are closed again and the great litany is proclaimed, with petitions for the consecration of the temple and the altar attached. This ends the first part of the rite of consecration of the temple - the arrangement of the holy meal.

Washing and Anointing of the Throne holy world. After approval, the throne is washed twice: the first time with warm water and soap, and the second time with rose water mixed with red wine. This and the other ablution is preceded by a secret prayer of the bishop over water and wine for the blessing of the Jordan and the grace of the Holy Spirit to be sent down on them for the consecration and completion of the altar. When washing the throne with water, the 83rd psalm is sung, and after washing the throne is wiped with towels. The secondary washing of the throne consists in the threefold cross-shaped pouring of red wine mixed with rose water (rhodostamnaya) on it. At each pouring of mixing, the bishop says the words of the 50th psalm: “Sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed: wash me and I will be whiter than snow,” and after the third pouring, the remaining verses are read until the end of the psalm. The priests grind the roodostamna, rubbing it with their hands on the upper board of the altar, then each priest wipes the “meal” with his lip.

After washing the meal, the bishop, with the blessing of the name of God, proceeds to the mystical anointing of it with holy chrism. First, he depicts the World with three crosses on the surface of the meal: one in the middle of the meal, and the other two - on both sides of it a little lower, designating those places where the Holy Gospel, paten and chalice should stand during the liturgy; then depicts three crosses on each side of the pillars of the throne and on the ribs; finally, on the antimension depicts three crosses with Holy Peace. At the same time, at each anointing, the deacon proclaims: “Let us listen,” and the bishop says three times: “Alleluia.” The choir at this time sings the 132nd psalm: "Behold what is good or what is red." After the chrismation of the throne, the bishop proclaims: “Glory to Thee, Holy Trinity, our God, forever and ever!”

Throne vestments. After being anointed with the World, the throne is clothed in clothes sprinkled with holy water. Since the throne marks the tomb of Christ and the Throne of the King of Heaven, two clothes are laid on it: the lower one is “srachitsa” and the upper one is “inditiya”. Having put on the lower garment (“srachitsa”) on the throne, the clergy three times encircle the throne with a rope (rope) so that a cross is formed on each side of it. When girdling the throne, the 131st psalm is sung. After putting on the throne in underwear, the bishop proclaims: "Glory to our God forever and ever." Then the outer garment of the throne (inditiya) is consecrated, and the throne is clothed with it while singing the 92nd psalm: “The Lord reigns, clothed in splendor”, then they put on the throne after sprinkling with holy water the iliton, antimens, the Gospel, the cross and all this is covered with a veil.

Having rendered glory to God (“Blessed be our God…”), the bishop orders the elder presbyter to clothe, sprinkled with holy water, the altar in sacred garments, place consecrated vessels, covers on it, and cover them with a shroud. The altar is only a place for the preparation of the sacrifice, and not for its consecration, and therefore it is not consecrated like a throne. When the altar is dressed in clothes and when vessels and covers are placed on it, nothing is said, only holy water is sprinkled, and then everything on the altar is covered with a veil. The zapons from the bishop and priests are removed, and the royal doors open.

After the consecration of the throne, the whole temple is also consecrated by incense, prayer, sprinkling with holy water and chrismation of the walls. The bishop, after burning incense in the altar, goes out and incenses the whole church, preceded by the protodeacon with a candle, and the bishop is followed by two elder presbyters, one of whom sprinkles the walls of the church with holy water, and the other anoints them crosswise with Holy Myrrh, first over the high place, then over gates - western, southern and northern. During this circumambulation, the choir sings the 25th psalm (“Judge me, Lord, for I walk with my gentleness”), in which the royal prophet pours out his joy at the sight of the splendor of the house of the Lord.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral to the altar, a short litany is pronounced, and the bishop, having removed the miter, reads a prayer before the throne, in which he asks the Lord to fulfill new temple and an altar of glory, holiness and splendor, so that a bloodless Sacrifice is offered in it for the salvation of all people, "for the forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins, for the management of life, for the correction of good living, for the fulfillment of all righteousness." After this prayer, the bishop, at the bow of the head of those present, reads a secret prayer in which he thanks the Lord for the continuous outpouring of grace that descended to him from the apostles. After the exclamation, the bishop lights the first candle with his own hands and sets it on a high place near the throne, and until that time not a single candle was lit in the altar.

Transfer and position under the throne of holy relics after the consecration of the church. From the church being consecrated there is a solemn procession to another church for the relics, if they were placed in the nearest church. If the holy relics were in the church being consecrated, then the bishop, having distributed the Gospel, the cross, holy water and icons on the altar to the presbyters, and the candles on the pulpit to the laity, after incense of the holy relics and litanies, raises the holy relics to the head, proclaiming: “In peace Let's leave, ”and they all go with crosses and banners around the whole temple while singing troparia in honor of the martyrs:“ Who is Thy martyr in all the world ”and“ Like the first principles of nature ”.

When the relics are being carried around the consecrated church, the troparion is sung: “Whoever built Your Church on the rock of faith, O blessed one.” During this procession, one of the priests, going forward, sprinkles the walls of the temple with holy water. If the terrain does not allow the relics to be carried around the temple, then they are carried around the throne.

Upon completion procession, when they come to the western gates of the temple, then the singers sing the troparia: “Holy Martyrs” (twice) and “Glory to Thee, Christ God” (once), and go to the temple, the western gates are closed behind the singers, and the bishop with the priests remains outside in porch, puts the diskos with the relics on the prepared table, worships them, overshadows the priests standing with the Gospel and icons at the table in front of the doors, facing west, and after the exclamation: “Blessed be Thou, Christ our God”, exclaims: “Take the gates your princes, and lift up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will come in.” The singers inside the temple sing, "Who is this King of glory?" The bishop, after incense of the shrine, again repeats these words and the singers again sing the same words. Then the bishop, having removed the miter, reads a prayer aloud, in which he asks the Lord to confirm the church being consecrated unwaveringly until the end of the age in order to bring worthy praise to the Most Holy Trinity in it. Then, at the head bow of all, he secretly reads the entrance prayer, which is read at the liturgy at the entrance with the Gospel.

After the prayer, the bishop, taking the diskos with the holy relics on his head, marks the gates of the temple with them in a cruciform manner and says in response to the inquiring choir: “The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” The choir repeats these words. The temple opens, the bishop with the clergy enters the altar, while the singers of the troparion sing: “Like the firmament of splendor from above,” and lays the diskos with holy relics on the throne. Having rendered honor to the holy relics with veneration and incense, the bishop anoints them with holy chrism, and places them in an reliquary with wax-mask, as if at burial. This reliquary, with the blessing of the bishop, is supplied under the altar in the middle pillar as at the base of the altar.

After the position of the relics under the throne, the bishop, having anointed a particle of the relics with the Holy Myrrh, puts it in the antimension and strengthens it with wax. After reading the prayer: “Lord God, Izhe and this glory,” the bishop with kneeling reads a prayer for the founders of the temple (with kneeling and all the people). In these prayers, petitions are raised so that the Lord sends down on us the grace of the Holy Spirit, gives everyone unanimity and peace, and forgiveness of sins to the creators of the temple.

Closing prayers, brief litany and dismissal. After this prayer, a small litany is pronounced, after which the bishop with the clergy proceeds to the cloudy place (or to the saline). The protodeacon pronounces a short special litany. After the exclamation, the bishop overshadows those who come on all four sides three times with the cross, and the protodeacon on each side proclaims before the fall (standing before the bishop): “Let us pray to the Lord, with all the people,” and incense to the cross. The choir sings: "Lord, have mercy" (three times). This is followed by the usual prayers preceding the dismissal, and the dismissal, which the bishop pronounces on the pulpit with a cross in his hands. The protodeacon proclaims many years. The bishop sprinkles holy water on the temple (on all four sides), the clergy and the people.

After the consecration of the temple, the (3rd and 6th) hours are immediately read and the Divine Liturgy is performed.

In the new consecrated temple the liturgy should be performed seven days in a row for the sake of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who from now on always abides in the temple (Simeon of Thessalonica). Newly consecrated antimensions must also remain on the throne in the temple for 7 days.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE BY THE PRIEST

The priest consecrates the temple through the position (on the throne) of the antimension with holy relics, consecrated and sent by the bishop. And therefore, during the consecration of the temple, the priest does not do everything that relates to the consecration of the antimension, as a result of which the rite itself is distinguished by greater brevity and less solemnity. In all other respects, the rites during the consecration of a temple by a priest, with a few exceptions, are the same as those that take place during the consecration of a temple by a bishop.

Features during the consecration of the temple by the priest. The priestly consecration of a church differs from that of a bishop in that:

prayers for the confirmation of the throne, which are read by the bishop during the consecration of the antimension, are not read;

lower throne clothes ("srach And tsa") is tied with a rope (cord) around the throne simply like a belt, and not crosswise;

around the temple, instead of relics, they encircle an antimension; holy relics are not placed under the throne, but only the antimension is placed on it.

According to the ancient practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, which came to us from Greek Church, during the consecration of the temple by the priest, the throne and walls of the temple were anointed with holy Myrrh, and only in the Synodal period, starting fromFrom 1698 until 1903, it was forbidden for a priest to perform this sacrament, believing that only a bishop had the right to perform it.

But at the beginning of the XX century. (since 1903) the ancient practice of consecrating the throne by a priest through anointing with holy chrism was again restored.

On the eve of the day of consecration, before the all-night vigil, at the local icon of the Savior, the priest places a diskos with a consecrated antimension on the table, over which he places a star, and covers everything with air. Before the holy antimension, a lamp is lit, which should burn all night.

In the altar, on a special table near the mountainous place, they put an aspergill and stones for nailing, and other items necessary for the consecration of the temple.

A table is supplied in the middle of the temple, and the sacred items of the altar are placed on it: the clothes of the throne and the altar, the sacred vessels, the Gospel, the cross, the Holy Myrrh and the pod, etc. (see details in the Appendix).

In front of this table, on two lecterns, they put three consecrated icons: Savior, Mother of God and temple.

The All-Night Vigil is performed in front of these icons in the middle of the temple, and not in the altar. (The royal doors and the veil are closed.) The whole service is performed for renewal and for the temple.

On the very day of the consecration of the temple, a small blessing of water is performed, after which the priests bring in holy water and a table with the holy. objects to the altar through the royal doors and put on right side throne.

The priests participating in the consecration of the temple must be dressed in full priestly vestments, over which they put on protective bands.

Having brought the table, they close the royal doors, after which they proceed to the consecration of the throne and the temple.

Like the episcopal consecration of a temple, the rite of consecrating a temple by a priest includes:

arrangement of the throne (meal);

washing him and anointing him with holy Peace;

dressing the throne and the altar in clothes;

consecration of the whole temple;

the transfer of the antimension and its position on the throne;

closing prayer and a short litia.

The device of the throne. After the table with St. objects, the royal doors and the veil are closed. The priests take the upper board of the future throne, the primate sprinkles it with holy water on both sides, without saying anything. The singers begin to sing the 144th psalm. The board is installed on the pillars so that the holes drilled in it and in the pillars for the nails coincide.

Wax paste is poured into the holes drilled under the nails and cleaned with knives. The singers sing the 22nd psalm. They also bring four nails and put them at the meal. The primate sprinkles them with holy water and puts them into the holes at the corners of the board. The priests, taking four stones, hammer nails into the pillars, thus attaching the table to its base.

The washing and consecration of the throne. Warm water is poured on the throne, and the priests rub it with their hands, and then rub the meal with soap. Then water is poured again to wash off the soap and the throne is wiped with towels. The primate again sprinkles the meal with holy water.

After that they bring red wine mixed with rose water; the primate pours crosswise into the meal three times (in the middle and on the sides a little below the middle). The priests, together with the primate, rub the wine with the chapel over the altar and rub it dry with sponges. (The singers sing the 83rd psalm.)

Finally, the primate anoints the throne with holy chrism. (The singers sing the 132nd psalm at the same time.) According to ancient practice, the priest, consecrating the throne, anoints the meal with a cross in the middle and at four corners. The deacon at each anointing says "Lemme," and the primate says "Alleluia" three times for each anointing.

After that, it takes place clothe the throne and the altar in their garments.

The primate sprinkles the lower garment of the altar (outside and inside) with holy water and puts it on the altar; then he sprinkles the cord with holy water, and they tie the throne with it “simply” (the Big Breed Book), that is, around the throne - in a circle, and not crosswise, as during the bishop's consecration of the temple; usually the primate holds the end of the cord in his hand on the upper right corner of the throne (in the place of the notch for the cord - on the end of the board), and the deacon girds the throne with a cord three times, after which they tie a knot at the right pillar of the throne (Additional Breed Book). At this time, the 131st psalm is read.

Then, while singing the 92nd psalm, an outer garment sprinkled with holy water ("india") is put on the throne. After that, they place the Gospel, the cross and the tabernacle on the throne, sprinkled with holy water, and cover everything with a veil.

In the same way, with the sprinkling of holy water, they put clothes on the altar, and, after consecration with holy water, sacred vessels and covers are placed on it, and covered with a veil.

Consecration of the altar and the whole temple. Having finished the vestment of the throne and the altar, all the priests take off their bands. The royal doors are opened, and the primate, with two other senior priests, consecrates the altar and the entire church. The rector, preceded by the deacon, censes the altar and the whole temple with a candle; the priests following him - one sprinkles the altar and the whole temple with holy water, and the second crosswise anoints the walls of the temple with Peace: above the mountainous place, above the western, southern and northern doors of the temple. At this time, the singers sing the 25th psalm.

After the consecration of the temple, entering the altar, the primate lights a candle with his own hands and places it on a high place near the throne. (Until now, not a single candle has been lit in the altar).

The transfer of the antimension and its position on the throne. At this time, the altar cross and banners are worn out in the middle of the temple. The priests take the gospel, the cross and temple icon, deacons - censers; the second priest takes the sprinkler. The primate proclaims: "We will leave in peace." And all the clergy proceed to the middle of the temple (the younger ones are in front, as in a procession). The choir follows the banner-bearers. The primate, going out on the solea, incenses the antimension lying on the paten in front of the icon of the Savior, makes a bow, takes the paten with the antimension on his head and follows the procession around the temple. The second priest goes ahead of the procession and sprinkles the temple and people with holy water. The deacons, while periodically turning, incense the antimension worn by the primate on the head, and also incense the temple on its southern, northern and western sides.

During the circumambulation, the singers sing the troparia: “Izhe on the stone of faith”, “Holy martyrs”, “Glory to Thee, Christ God.”

When the procession comes to the western doors, the singers enter the temple, and the doors are closed (or hung with a curtain). The primate removes the paten from his head, places it on the table in front of the church gates, and venerates the relics three times. Four candles burn at the corners of the table. (The bearers of the Gospel, the cross, icons and banners stand at the table in front of the doors facing west.)

The primate, standing before the relics (antimins) facing the east, proclaims: "Blessed are you, Christ our God ...". Singers (inside the temple): Amen.

After that, the primate says: "Take up the gates, your princes, and take up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter." To these words the chanters answer by singing: "Who is this King of glory?"

The primate, leaving the questions of the singers unanswered, reads the entrance prayers (one aloud, the other secretly).

After the prayer, the primate answers the question of the singers: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." The singers repeat the question: "Who is this King of glory?" The primate again proclaims: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." After that, taking the diskos, he blesses (the doors) crosswise with the diskos with the antimension lying on it, - the doors open, and everyone enters the temple while the troparion singers sing: “Like the magnificence of the highest.”

The primate with all the clergy enters the altar and places an antimension on the throne, places the Holy Gospel on it, and, shaking his head, reads a prayer with kneeling. (The deacon exclaims: “Packs and packs bow the knee.”)

After the prayer, the deacon pronounces a small litany: “Intercede, save, have mercy, raise up and save us, O God,” and the priest utters a special exclamation: “For Thou art holy, our God, and rest on the saints who suffered in Thee, honored martyrs ...”

After the exclamation, the primate, taking the cross, goes out with the cathedral of clergy to the middle of the temple. The deacon, standing in front of them, proclaims: "Let us pray to the Lord, with all the people," and incenses the cross. Singers (and people): "Lord, have mercy" (3 times). The primate overshadows with a cross three times to the east. Then, according to the same rank, it overshadows three times to the west, to the south and to the north. After this there is no leave and longevity; the primate and the clergy (and then the people) kiss the cross sprinkled with holy water. Then the hours are read, and the Divine Liturgy is served.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RITES INCLUDED IN THE REGION OF THE GREAT DESCRIPTATION OF THE TEMPLE

The actions performed during the consecration of the temple have a mysterious sign and an ancient origin. The rite of consecration begins with prayer and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, because the altar is dedicated to the Almighty. The affirmation of the throne spiritually points to the Lord's indwelling among the believers for their sanctification. The board of the throne is affirmed with four nails as a reminder of the nailing of the Savior to the cross. The corners of the altar, which marks the tomb of Christ, are fastened with a special fragrant composition (wax paste), to signify that fragrant ointment with which Nicodemus and Joseph anointed the body of the Savior taken from the Cross. After the approval of the throne, its ablution is performed, which is an ancient and sacred action. An example of the cleansing of the temple of God and the altar was prescribed in Old Testament(Lev. 16:16-20). The throne is washed first with warm water and soap, and then with rose water and red wine, in remembrance of the fact that the Church was washed and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus Christ, which was represented by the sacrificial blood poured out by Moses on the altar during the consecration of the tabernacle (Lev. 8, 24).

The throne will be anointed with the World as a sign of the outpouring of the grace of God. Confirmation of the throne and the temple has been used since ancient times. God Himself commanded Moses to consecrate the altar in the tabernacle with anointing oil, and Moses anointed the altar and consecrated it (Numbers 7:1).

After the throne is anointed, two robes are placed on it, corresponding to spiritual meaning throne as the tomb of the Lord and the Throne of the King of Heaven. The lower garment is girded with rope to remind of the bonds with which the Savior was bound and brought to the high priests Anna and Caiaphas.

After the consecration of the throne, the altar and utensils, the entire temple is also consecrated by incense, prayer, sprinkling of holy water and anointing the walls of the temple with the Holy Myrrh. The censing by the bishop of the entire temple depicts the glory of God, covering the Old Testament sanctuary in the form of a cloud (Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10). The anointing of the walls with Myrrh marks the consecration of the temple by the grace of God.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral to the altar, the bishop reads a prayer, and lights the first candle with his own hands, and places it near the throne in a high place. A lit candle indicates that the throne has become the true altar of Christ, and depicts the Church of Christ, shining with the light of grace and giving light to the whole world.

After the consecration of the temple, there is a solemn procession with holy relics around the temple or to another, the nearest, temple to transfer the relics to the newly consecrated temple. This last action signifies that the grace of sanctification is passed on and taught through the first temples, and that the new temple is dedicated to the patronage and protection of the holy intercessors of the former temple. So in the Old Testament, at the consecration of the temple of Solomon, the kivot of the covenant was transferred from the tabernacle and placed in the holy of holies. Enclosing the relics (or an antimension with relics) means the dedication of the temple to the Most High forever, and bringing them into the temple marks the entry into the newly created church of the King of Glory Jesus Christ Himself, the resting saint. During this procession, the outer walls of the temple are sprinkled with holy water.

Before bringing the relics into the temple, the bishop places the diskos with the relics on a special table in front of the closed gates of the temple and proclaims: “Take the gates, your princes,” and so on. And the singers inside the temple sing: "Who is this King of glory?" These words of the psalm, according to the explanation of St. Justin the Martyr and St. John Chrysostom, are related to the circumstances of the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. When Christ ascended to heaven, then the higher ranks of the angels, established by God, were commanded to open the gates of heaven, so that the King of glory, the Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, would enter and, ascending, sit at the right hand of the Father. But Heavenly Forces, seeing their Lord in a human form, they asked in horror and bewilderment: “Who is this King of glory?” And the Holy Spirit answered them: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." And now, when at the entrance to the consecrated temple, which marks the sky, with holy relics or an antimension, these words are pronounced, before the eyes of Christians, the same event, witnessed by the celestials, seems to be repeated. The King of Glory enters the temple with holy relics, on which, according to the faith of the Church, the glory of the Crucified, "resting in the saints" invisibly rests.

The holy relics are brought into the altar and placed under the altar, or in antimensions, on the grounds that in the first three centuries Christians celebrated divine services on the tombs of the martyrs, by whose blood the Church was founded, established and strengthened throughout the world. On the seventh Ecumenical Council it was determined that churches should be consecrated only with the relics of the martyrs placed in them (7 rights).

ANCIENTITY OF DESIGNATION OF TEMPLE

The consecration of a temple and its dedication to God is an ancient and everlasting custom of the Church of God. Patriarch Jacob consecrated the stone into the house of God by pouring oil on it (Genesis 28:16-22). Moses, at the command of God, consecrated the tabernacle and its accessories (Genesis 40:9). Solomon consecrated the newly created temple and celebrated the consecration for seven days (2 Chr. 7, 8-9). After the captivity of the Babylonian Jews under Ezra, they renovated the second temple (1 Ezra 6:16), and after the temple was cleansed from the persecution of Antiochus, they established an annual seven-day holiday of Renewal. The tabernacle and the temple were consecrated by the introduction of the covenant there, the singing of the holy. song, sacrifice, pouring of sacrificial blood on the altar, anointing with oil, prayer and national holiday(Ex. 40; 1 Kings 8 ch.).

During the period of persecution, Christians usually built churches over the tombs of the martyrs, which already consecrated churches, but there could not yet be a solemn and open consecration of churches. Churches were to be built with the blessing of the bishop. Thus, the custom was gradually established, which later received the force of law, to consecrate the places of prayer meetings of Christians by placing relics in churches and episcopal blessings. When, with the multiplication of churches, the bishops did not have the opportunity to consecrate all the churches themselves, they consecrated only the throne, or its upper board, and left the consecration of the building itself to the presbyters. This was the beginning for the device of portable thrones, which were already in the troops of Constantine the Great, and then antimensions.

Solemn and open consecration of churches began from the time of the end of the persecution of Christians. In the time of Constantine the Great, the consecration of churches was already an ordinary matter and was performed solemnly, with the participation of a council of bishops. Thus, the temple erected by Constantine the Great in Jerusalem at the tomb of the Savior was consecrated by a council of bishops, whom Constantine the Great convened first in Tyre, and then in Jerusalem in 335 (September 13) for this purpose. Similarly, the temple in Antioch, founded by Constantine the Great and completed by his son Constantius, was consecrated by the Council of Antioch in 341.

The most important actions of the consecration of churches were: the erection of a cross at the site of the construction of the throne; anointing the walls with sacred oil and sprinkling the walls with holy water; reading prayers and singing psalms. From IV century. the prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan for the consecration of the temple has survived to us, similar to the current prayer, pronounced at the consecration of the temple after the establishment of the throne.

ABOUT THE SMALL CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE

The rite of the great consecration of the temple through the placement of the relics or the consecrated antimension in it occurs not only after the creation of the church, but also when:

the church is desecrated from pagan or heretical violence (Instructive message in the Missal) and

when, during the repair and restoration of the temple, the throne is damaged or shaken. This consecration of the temple is also called great.

In addition to this rank, there is the rank of a small consecration of the temple. It is performed in the case when, during the repair of the temple inside the altar, the throne was not damaged and was not moved from its place. In this case, it is prescribed, without doing a great consecration of the temple, to sprinkle holy water on the throne from all sides, then the altar and the whole temple. For this, a small consecration of the water is usually performed, after which two prayers are read for the “renovation of the temple” (Big Book of Treaties, ch. 93). One of them: "O Lord our God" - the one that is read at the end of the great consecration.

A small consecration of the temple also happens when the throne is desecrated only by the touch of unconsecrated hands (as, for example, during a threatening fire), or when the temple was defiled by some kind of impurity that violates the shrine, or human blood is shed in the church, or someone has died here by violent death. In these cases, special prayers are read "for the opening of the church" (Big Breed Book, ch. 40, 41 and 42).

Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople owns the “Prayer for the Opening of the Temple from the Defiled Heretic”, written by him after the restoration of icon veneration to cleanse the temples desecrated by the wickedness of the iconoclasts.

THE CONSOLIDATION OF INDIVIDUAL CHURCH ICONS AND ITEMS THAT IS NOT PERFORMED WHEN THE TEMPLE IS CONSOLIDATED

When a temple is consecrated, all its accessories are also consecrated, including the iconostasis and other icons located in the temple.

Church icons and things new or renewed are consecrated separately before their use in an already consecrated church. In the Additional Ribbon (and in the 2nd part of the Ribbon in 2 parts) there are special rites for the consecration of the iconostasis, individual icons, several icons together, the cross, church vessels and clothes, vestments of the throne and other newly arranged utensils for the temple.

The consecration of these sacred objects and icons is performed according to the following order.

The things to be consecrated are placed on a table in the middle of the church. The priest, dressed in an epitrachelion and phelonion, proceeds through the royal gates to the table and, shaking it from all sides, usually begins: "Blessed is our God."

Singers: "Amen. King of Heaven." Then the Trisagion is read according to Our Father, Lord have mercy (12 times) and a special psalm, depending on which priests. objects are consecrated. After the psalm: Glory even now. Alleluia (three times).

The priest reads special prayers for the consecration of this icon or thing, and after the prayer he sprinkles them with holy water three times, saying each time:

“These vessels (or these clothes, or this icons, or this image) are consecrated - by the grace of the Most Holy Spirit, by sprinkling this sacred water, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.” If an icon is consecrated, then the corresponding troparion is sung in honor of the one depicted on the icon.

After that, the priest creates a dismissal.

In the prayer read at the consecration of the cross, the Church prays to the Lord to bless and sanctify the sign of the Cross and fulfill the powers and blessings of the tree on which the most pure body of the Lord was nailed.

During the consecration of the icons of the Lord, a prayer is offered for blessing and consecration of the icons of the Lord and giving them healing power and about the fulfillment of their blessing and strength of the Image Not Made by Hands.

With the blessing of icons Holy Mother of God a prayer is read to the Lord, incarnated from the Ever-Virgin Mary, for the blessing and consecration of the icon and giving it strength and strength of miraculous action.

With the blessing of the icons of the saints, a prayer is said for the blessing and consecration of the images in honor and memory of the holy saints of God, so that the faithful, looking at them, glorify God who glorified them, and try to imitate the life and deeds of the saints.

Washing the upper board of the throne with soap is optional if it is new and clean. “Since soap is used only for washing the meal, which can be washed without it, especially when it is wooden, well ironed and clean; therefore, whether to use it or not is one thing ”(Reverend Nicholas. In response to the question of the old-fashioned M., 1839).

“The priests accept the table of the meal, the ruler sprinkles the pillars or the single-pillar with holy water, without saying a word, and the table of the meal is strengthened, as if it is splendid, and is washed with warm water ... and watered with rodostamnoy (“gulyaf water”), if there is the same wine, if there is no native tamny, with wine. The same initial priest will anoint St. meal of the world. The holy meal will be anointed with the holy great Peace: the cross will create in the middle of the refectory table, and at the four corners it will create on the cross ”(Officer of the Most Holy Cyr Paisios, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria. Translated into Slavic language, sheet 12; see also Big Trebnik Kiev, 1862).

On the banks of the Dnieper, this iconic object, significant not only for the city, but for the entire Orsha region, was erected in less than a year.

The building is made of natural wood, because all previous churches in Kopys were also made of wood. The first one was laid in the same place more than 300 years ago. Since then, it has been rebuilt once or twice a century. On the joyful day of the solemn opening and consecration of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, it was filled with believers from all around. A new countdown in history began with the blessing of Metropolitan Pavel of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus. He sincerely thanked everyone who created and created this beautiful temple. And he wished that everyone who would come here would feel the grace of the Holy Spirit and touch Heaven.

After the consecration, a festive divine liturgy took place. The event was also attended by Assistant to the President - Inspector for the Vitebsk Region Vitaly Vovk, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentiev and Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Vladimir Penin.

The rector of the local church, Father Sergiy Vorobyov, was incredibly inspired by the event:

- It became possible thanks to donations from patrons, including the main ones - Nikolai Vasilyevich Martynov, the head of the Marko holding, as well as Belagroprombank. In total, more than ten organizations acted as our sponsors. To everyone involved in this miracle - a huge thank you!

The need for renewal arose a long time ago, because the century wooden churches not long, does not hide the interlocutor. The previous temple was built in 1947, it is not surprising that for more than 70 years the building began to deteriorate. Reconstruction, and, given the scope of work, rather, construction anew, began in October 2017 and was completed by August of this year. They changed everything - from the old rubble foundation to the majestic vaults. At the time of the big construction, the parish was temporarily housed in the chapel of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Today it was filled with the former decoration of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, icons late XVIII-XIX centuries. And for the completely transformed church in Kopys, a new iconostasis was painted. The efforts of local, Orsha, masters were applied to its creation. There is also a special relic, which, most likely, will be transferred to the new temple. This is the Iberian icon Mother of God, which was made not on a wooden, but on a tiled board, Father Sergius shares:

- We associate this with the rich handicraft past of our settlement. In the XVI-XX centuries Kopys was the center of artistic and industrial ceramics. The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God is an eloquent reminder of the former glory of Kopys as a city of unique tiles and tiles.

The church in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built of wood in 1694. It had three altars and was a typical example of a three-tower temple: the central, higher volume was crowned with a dome of light, the lower altar and narthex ended with small cupolas. The church had a large iconostasis measuring 8.9 by 9.25 meters. The room was illuminated by 19 windows. The role of a warm temple was performed by the adjacent Vvedenskaya Church. Nearby was a wooden chapel built in 1910.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord experienced different times, but no matter what happened, it always led to the light. Even in a difficult time for Christianity, the parish was preserved, and the doors of the temple were open.

Recall that Kopys became the first so-called “village of the future” in Belarus. It was here, in the small homeland of Alexander Lukashenko, that a pilot project was launched to improve small settlements. When the President received the village, the local residents asked to build a church. The dreams and hopes of believers have come true: the majestic, revived temple looks into the blue sky.

How a person in the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation casts off the old man, is sanctified, becomes a part of the spiritual body of the Church, i.e. a completely new person, a Christian, so the building becomes a temple, a place of the special presence of God on earth only after its consecration. No wonder this rite is also called the “renovation” of the temple: through ancient prayers and rituals, the building becomes holy, and therefore completely different, new. A man, a temple not made by hands, and a temple created by his hands, are both dedicated to God, become His dwelling, therefore, much is done during the consecration of the temple, similar to what is done during the consecration of a person.

Just as at Baptism a person descends into consecrated water, puts on white clothes, is anointed with myrrh, so the throne of the temple, its main place, the center of the altar, on which Divine Liturgy the most important sacrament is performed - a bloodless Sacrifice is offered from all and for all people by the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, is washed, puts on clothes and is anointed with the world. Even appearance a temple crowned with a dome, or head, serves as an image human body. And not only the throne, but the whole of it is sprinkled with holy water and anointed with myrrh during consecration.

On the eve of the day of consecration, an all-night vigil is served in the newly built church. The service is performed for the renewal of the temple (stichera and canon) in conjunction with the service of the temple, that is, of the saint in whose name the temple was built. The All-Night Vigil is served before the altar with the Royal Doors closed.

On the eve of the day of consecration, relics are brought to the newly created temple. The holy relics are placed on the diskos under the star and the cover in front of the image of the Savior.

On the day of the consecration of the temple, a prayer service is sung and a small consecration of water is performed.

The clergy participating in the consecration of the temple, put on all the sacred clothes, and on top of these clothes, for their protection, they put on white protective zapons (aprons).

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

1. The device of the throne (holy meal);
2. Washing and anointing him;
3. The vestment of the throne and the altar;
4. Consecration of the walls of the temple;
5. Transfer and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics;
6. Closing prayers, brief litia and dismissal.

1. The device of the throne in the altar, when the upper board is nailed to the prepared base with four nails and attached with a wax paste (composition of wax, mastic and fragrant substances), which marks the nailing of the Savior to the cross and the anointing of His body removed from the Cross with fragrant aromas.

After the approval of the throne, the royal doors, still closed, are opened, and the bishop, facing the people, kneeling together with the faithful, reads a prayer at the royal doors, in which, like Solomon, he asks the Lord to send down the Most Holy Spirit and sanctify the temple and this altar, so that the bloodless Sacrifices offered on it would be accepted into the heavenly altar and would bring down on us the grace of heavenly overshadowing from there.

Water, as a sign of the grace-filled sanctification of it by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, and a mixture of rose water and red wine, poured crosswise, which mysteriously forms the all-sanctifying blood of the Lord, which flowed from His side along with the water on the Cross.

The washing of the throne is preceded by a secret prayer of the bishop over water and wine for the blessing of the Jordan and the grace of the Holy Spirit to be sent down on them for the consecration and completion of the altar.

After the throne is anointed with the world as a sign of the outpouring of the grace of God; the fragrant composition of the world marks the life-giving fragrance of spiritual gifts.

3. Dressing the Throne and the Altar in special clothes; since the throne has a double meaning - the tomb and the throne of the glory of God - a double garment is placed on it: the lower, white, signifying the shroud in which the body of the Savior was wrapped for burial, and the upper, decorated, depicting His eternal heavenly glory.

Having put on the lower garment (“srachitsa” from the Slavic “shirt”) on the throne, the clergy three times encircle the throne with a rope (rope) so that a cross is formed on each side of it.

Then the outer garment of the throne (inditiya) is consecrated, and the throne is clothed with it while singing the 92nd psalm: “The Lord reigns, clothed in splendor”

Then liturgical objects are placed on the throne: a menorah, a tabernacle, a monstrance, a cross, the Gospel.

4. Consecration of the walls of the temple censing, sprinkling them with holy water and anointing with myrrh. The incense of the temple depicts the glory of God, which covered the Old Testament tabernacle in the form of a cloud; the anointing of the walls with myrrh marks the consecration of the temple by the grace of God.

After the return of the spiritual cathedral to the altar, a short litany is pronounced, and the bishop reads a prayer before the throne, in which he asks the Lord to fill the new temple and the altar of glory, holiness and splendor, so that a bloodless Sacrifice is offered in it for the salvation of all people, “for the forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins , for the management of life, for the correction of a good life, for the fulfillment of all righteousness. The bishop also reads a secret prayer in which he thanks the Lord for the continuous outpouring of grace that descended to him from the apostles, and then lights the first candle with his own hands.

A lit candle indicates that the throne has become the true altar of Christ, and depicts the Church of Christ, shining with the light of grace and giving light to the whole world.

5. Transfer by procession and position under the throne and in the antimension of relics

From the church being consecrated there is a solemn procession to another church for the relics, if they were placed in the nearest church. If the holy relics were in the church being consecrated, then the bishop raises the holy relics to the head, exclaiming: “We will leave in peace,” and everyone with crosses and banners goes around the whole church while singing troparia in honor of the martyrs: “Who is thy martyr in all the world” and "Like the first principles of nature."
When the relics are being carried around the consecrated church, the troparion is sung “Who on the stone of faith created Your Church, Blessed.”

During this procession, the outer walls of the temple are sprinkled with holy water.

The transfer of the relics to the newly consecrated temple means that the grace of sanctification is transferred and taught through the first temples, and that the new temple is dedicated to the patronage and protection of the holy intercessors of the former temple. So in the Old Testament, at the consecration of the temple of Solomon, the kivot of the covenant was transferred from the tabernacle and placed in the holy of holies. Enclosing the relics (or an antimension with relics) means the dedication of the temple to the Most High forever, and bringing them into the temple marks the entry into the newly created church of the King of Glory Jesus Christ Himself, the resting saint.

Before bringing the relics into the temple, the bishop places the diskos with the relics on a special table in front of the closed gates of the temple and proclaims: "Take up the gates, your princes, and take up the eternal gates, and the King of glory will enter." The singers inside the temple sing, "Who is this King of glory?"

These words of the psalm, according to St. Justin Martyr and St. John Chrysostom, are related to the circumstances of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. When Christ ascended to heaven, then the higher ranks of the angels, established by God, were commanded to open the gates of heaven, so that the King of glory, the Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, would enter and, ascending, sit at the right hand of the Father. But the Heavenly Forces, seeing their Lord in a human form, asked in horror and bewilderment: “Who is this King of glory?” And the Holy Spirit answered them: "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." And now, when at the entrance to the consecrated temple, which marks the sky, with holy relics or an antimension, these words are pronounced, before the eyes of Christians, the same event, witnessed by the celestials, seems to be repeated. The King of Glory enters the temple with holy relics, on which, according to the faith of the Church, the glory of the Crucified, "resting in the saints" invisibly rests.

The holy relics are brought into the altar and placed under the altar, or in antimensions, on the grounds that in the first three centuries Christians celebrated divine services on the tombs of the martyrs, by whose blood the Church was founded, established and strengthened throughout the world. At the Seventh Ecumenical Council, it was determined that churches should be consecrated only with the placement of the relics of the martyrs in them.

Upon completion of the procession, the bishop reads a prayer in which he asks the Lord to confirm the church being consecrated unshakably until the end of time to bring worthy praise to the Most Holy Trinity in it.
Further, the bishop with kneeling reads a prayer for the founders of the temple (with kneeling and the whole people). In these prayers, petitions are raised so that the Lord sends down on us the grace of the Holy Spirit, gives everyone unanimity and peace, and forgiveness of sins to the creators of the temple.

6. Closing prayers, litiya (short funeral service) and dismissal

After the consecration of the temple, immediately performed Divine Liturgy.

In the newly consecrated church, the liturgy must be served seven days in a row, for the sake of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who from now on always resides in the church.

Materials used: Hermogenes Shimansky "Liturgy. Sacraments and Rites" from the site "Pravoslavie.ru"

"Why should a temple be consecrated?" from the site "Tatyana's day"

Photos by Vsevolodov Nikolai, Fomin Ivan, Zakharova Larisa, Vorobyov Maxim

So is the Catholic Church.

rite temple consecration according to the Christian canon also bears the name renovation of the temple- “because through consecration the temple from an ordinary building becomes holy, and therefore completely different, new.” This concept applies both to newly built (created) and to repaired and otherwise converted places that have previously been consecrated for liturgies. So, renewal in the particular sense of re-consecration may be required after the throne was forced to be touched during the repair of the temple, or if the church was somehow defiled (including violence, for example, murder).

The rite of the Great consecration of the temple in Orthodoxy

If the temple is rebuilt, the consecration of the temple is preceded by:

• "The order for the foundation of the temple" after laying the foundation (foundation)
• "The Order for the Placement of the Cross" before the installation of the cross on the roof
• "Chinese blessing of the bell" in front of the bell suspension on the bell tower

The rite of consecration of the temple by the bishop

Preparations for the consecration of the temple

Prayers and rites of temple consecration raise our eyes from temples made by hands to temples not made by hands, members of the spiritual body of the Church, which are all faithful Christians (2 Cor. 6:16). Therefore, during the consecration of the temple, something similar is done to what is done for the consecration of each person in the sacraments of baptism and chrismation.

On the eve of the renewed church, a small vespers and an all-night vigil are served.

The rite of consecration of the temple includes:

• the arrangement of the throne as a sign of the presence of God in the temple;
• washing and anointing him as a sign of the outpouring of the grace of God;
• vestments of the throne and the altar (two clothes are laid, corresponding to the spiritual meaning of the throne as the tomb of the Lord and the Throne of the King of Heaven);
• consecration of the temple walls. The burning of the whole temple depicts the glory of God, and the anointing of the walls with Myrrh marks the consecration of the temple;
• transfer from a neighboring church and position under the throne (only if the renewal is carried out by the bishop) and into the antimension of relics means that the grace of consecration passes and is taught through the first churches.

When a church is consecrated, all its accessories are also consecrated, including the iconostasis and other icons.

In the newly consecrated church, the liturgy is performed for seven days in a row. The history of the rite of renewal dates back to pre-Christian times and the annual seven-day festival of renewal in the Jerusalem Temple.

Small consecration of the temple

The rite of the small consecration of the temple is performed if repairs were carried out inside the altar, but the throne was not damaged or moved from its place. In this case, the throne, the altar and the entire temple are sprinkled with holy water.

The small consecration of the temple is also used when the throne was defiled by the touch of unconsecrated hands, or when the temple was desecrated, human blood was shed in the church, or someone died a violent death in it. In this case, special prayers are read "for the opening of the church."

Sources

• G.I. Shimansky Liturgy: Sacraments and Rites. Chapter XIII. Order of the Consecration of the Temple.
• Nesterovsky E., Liturgy, or the science of worship in the Orthodox Church. St. Petersburg, 1905.
• Big Trebnik, ch. 109

Notes

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• consecration
• Oseeva

See what the "Consecration of the Temple" is in other dictionaries:

Temple consecration- a rite to which all newly built or defiled churches are subject (a desecrated temple is considered to be a temple in which a person was killed or which was used as a building for other purposes, in addition to Orthodox service to God, and ... ... Orthodoxy. Dictionary-reference

Temple consecration- in the Orthodox the church is performed by the bishop, or he sends only the consecrated antimension (see), and the O. of the temple instructs a person of presbyter dignity to perform. The very rite of O. is performed chiefly. image above the throne, as the most important accessory ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Temple consecration- rite christian church. Usually the archbishop performs the ceremony, and if he is absent, he sends an antimension, and the ceremony is performed by one of the presbyters. O. consists in the dispensation of the most important part of the temple the throne. To do this, the clergy ... ... Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary

CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE (TRIPTYCH)- "CONVISION OF THE TEMPLE (TRIPTYCH)", Russia, CROWN/LENFILM/VECTOR, 1992 1994, color, 90 min. Parable. Real story about the fate of the soldiers who served on Novaya Zemlya, at the nuclear test site. The film consists of three parts: "Ghost Soldiers", "Date at the Theater ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia

CONSOLIDATION OF THE TEMPLE (TRIPTYCH)- 1992 1994, 90 min., color, "Vector", "Lenfilm", "Crown". genre: philosophical parable. dir. Yuri Rusak, scene. Fedor Yartsev, opera. Valery Gibner, Valery Stepanov, comp. Alexander Grebaus, Sergei Rachmaninov. Cast: Yuri Virolainen, Elena ... ... Lenfilm. Annotated Film Catalog (1918-2003)

THE GREAT DESCRIPTATION OF THE TEMPLE- see the consecration of the temple ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

consecration- a rite by which people or things are separated for holy purposes (dedicated to the service of God). The rite of consecration in Christianity dates back to Old Testament times: The consecration of the tabernacle took place through the anointing with the world and the offering of the prescribed sacrifices. ... ... Wikipedia

consecration A rite by which people or things are consecrated for a holy purpose. So, for example, Aaron and his sons were sanctified by washing, dressing, anointing with oil and blood, as well as the tabernacle with its accessories (Ex. 29; 40:9 et al.; Lev. 8). How the Levites were sanctified ... ... Dictionary of Biblical Names

Consecration (dedication) of churches- ♦ (ENG consectation (dedication) of churches) new church or a church building, since it is intended to perform church services. The ritual is rooted in the consecration of the Temple by King Solomon (1 Kings 8:63)… Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms

consecrate, consecrate- Consecration, consecrate, a rite by which people or things are separated for holy purposes (dedicated to the service of God). The restoration of the tabernacle took place through the anointing with chrism (Ex 30:26-28; Lev 8:10 et seq.) and the offering of prescribed sacrifices (Ex 40:29). O. altar ... bible encyclopedia Brockhaus

Books

• Consecration of the Church of the Order of the Bishop's Liturgy,. Your attention is invited to the book "The Consecration of the Church. Orders of the Bishop's Clergy" ...