Orthodoxy: Forgiveness Sunday (description, meaning, tradition). Forgiveness Sunday: how to respond to "forgive"

Forgiveness Sunday marks the end of the Shrove week, after which the Lent begins, preceding Easter. Following the Orthodox canons, on this day you should visit the church for confession, as well as ask forgiveness from your relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues for involuntary or involuntary inflicted injuries. In ancient times, when the traditions of the people were sacred, every believer knew how to behave properly on a forgiven Sunday, how to respond to "forgive". Today, in an attempt to return to spiritual sources, we have to discover the lost knowledge again.

How did the tradition of mutual repentance come about?

According to religious writings, in the old days there was a custom, obedience to which, monks with the beginning of the Great Lent one by one went into the desert for long forty days. At that time, they not only observed food restrictions, but also prayed, preparing for the Day of Resurrection of Christ. Return to their home was not destined for everyone - someone died from the cold and hunger, someone became a victim of wild beasts. Realizing this, the holy fathers, before going on a journey, asked for forgiveness from each other for possible sins.

Their words were quiet and sincere, exactly as if it were the last dying repentance. With the passage of time, Christianity has a tradition of celebrating a Forgiveness Sunday in a special way. How to respond to "forgive", everyone can decide for themselves. The main thing is that the words come from the depths of the soul, uttered from the heart. The usual answer, prescribed in church regulations, is: "God will forgive, and you will forgive me."

Shrovetide festivities are a tribute to pagan customs

When the pagan Maslenitsa merged with the Christian Sedentary week, it is for certain unknown. But the church disapproves of broad festivities with songs and dances, burning of stuffed animals, jumping through divorced fires. Often on the last day of Maslenitsa, oral and verse wishes for health, prosperity, a satisfying life. How to respond to congratulations? Forgiven Sunday, though it coincides with the culminating day of the pagan Carnival, but has nothing to do with it. Therefore, you can politely wish the person who has congratulated you all the best and ask him for forgiveness.

It does not matter how close you are with him, in what ways you are. Repenting before family and friends is easy, as the Christian covenants say, to bow to the enemy - an act of humility, pleasing to God.

As celebrated for the Forgiveness Sunday church

Throughout the Sour season, Christians should prepare for the Great Lent, gradually abandoning the pleasures of life and entertainment. During this period it is recommended to behave with dignity, asking for forgiveness and letting off grievances to your neighbors. Only by purifying the soul of passions, lust for revenge, anger against other people, can one begin the ordinances of the Great Lent.

On the last day of the week of the week of the week, special liturgies are performed in the temples, and then the priest descends from the platform to ask forgiveness from his parishioners. People who come to the service bring repentance to the father and to each other, believing in the grace of God, the hope of eradicating all hostility. When you are addressed with a request for absolution, how correctly to answer? On a Forgiven Sunday, it is permissible to pronounce any phrases prompted by the heart. The main thing here is sincerity, openness and friendliness.

How was the rite of reconciliation in the old days?

Obviously, this custom is based on the church's prescribed need for spiritual purification on the eve of the Great Lent. Often you can hear the question: on a forgiven Sunday how to respond to forgiveness? To give an exhaustive answer, let us turn to the ancient sources.

In the literature of the XVIII-XIX centuries, one can meet the description of this good Christian tradition. Before the decline of the evening dawn in Russian villages, people went from house to house, asking for forgiveness from their enemies or those whom they especially offended. Entering the upper room, the guest humbly bowed at the feet of the hosts and with humility in the soul, in a low voice, uttered words of repentance.

There was this action in the evening time on Forgiveness Sunday. How to respond to the request, the host decided himself, usually the words were pronounced: "God will forgive, and you will forgive me." After that, the reconciled enemies kissed each other in the mouth, bowed and crossed themselves as a sign of mutual absolution of offenses.

How to spend the last day before Lent?

The Church does not recommend a wide feast for the Forgiveness Sunday, let alone use alcohol. Guests on this day meet with pies or pancakes with cottage cheese, honey, jam, sour cream. Meat dishes are already banned, as in the whole Shrovetide week. With sunset, all the fast food is removed from the table, the so-called light-headedness begins.

People of faith usually go to church, where during the evening service the chapters of the Gospel are read and the traditional rite of reconciliation and repentance is performed. To be angry, scandalous, to behave rudely and pompously - these actions, of course, are unacceptable on any day, and even more so on the Forgiven Sunday. How to respond to "forgive", we already know. You can also say the words: "God will forgive, and I forgive."

Purification of the soul and body

According to folk customs on the last Shrovetide day, it was customary to go to the bathhouse, in order to cleanse oneself from moral sins, wash off the body and dirt from oneself. Punish yourself from negative thoughts, bad memories, do not enter into conflicts, forgive all insults and insults that disturb your soul. These are the basic rules of conduct on Forgiveness Sunday. How to respond to "forgive" - will prompt a kind heart and bright mind. The Gospel of Matthew says: "... if you do not forgive men their trespasses, our Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins."