Sorokoust about health: what it is, you need to know the believers

Moleben "Sorokoust about health" has recently caused a lot of controversy, since some priests believe that such a prayer to live people is not read. However, the appeal to historical data indicates that in Russian Orthodox traditions, in fact, there are two types of services with the same name.

Only in Russia

One of them was developed only in Russia. This is the forty-hour, which is performed for the deceased person within forty days after his death. In this case, it is necessary that the priest or close people read the Psalter forty times. Usually it was done on the third, ninth and fortieth day after death. Such a prayer has nothing to do with what is a sorokoust about health. What it is, you can learn by studying the church organization of past centuries.

Then the parishes were divided into districts, each of which had forty churches. It was possible to order the required number of funeral liturgies in all forty churches in one day, performing the necessary ritual. This is how the funeral prayer with this name was formed.

The number "forty"

Quite differently, it is believed, appeared sorokoust about health. What it is? This service is also associated with the number "forty", which in turn is associated with the number of days of the fasting of the prophet Moses, the term of wandering in the wilderness of the Jews, the Savior's stay in the wilderness after Baptism, the time of Christ's training of the Apostles after the Resurrection.

Sorokoust of health (what it is, every believer should know) is a mention in the service (liturgy) for forty days of both living and deceased, indicated in the notes, since it is believed that "all are alive for the Most High." On the proskomedia, a piece of prosphora is taken out for a person, who then plunges into the Blood of Christ with prayerful words about cleansing from sins, that is, for all who are prayed for, a thank-offering to God is offered.

How to order a prayer

Today, not everyone knows how to properly order the sorocaust about health. What is this from the "organizational" point of view? The application can be submitted at any time, however, during the Liturgy period, servicemen are less likely to serve. Let us note that it is not possible for each person to be asked for such a prayer, since only baptized persons are allowed to the liturgy, therefore proskoid memos can not be submitted to any name.

Magic or not?

Sometimes there are suggestions that it is better to apply to sorokoust about health in several churches at once. The reviews say that people turn to three, five or more cult institutions in order to remove spoiling, evil eye or piled up troubles or illnesses. This is not forbidden, but some see in such actions elements of "church magic", when the main element (prayer) is added to the selection of numbers or the arrangement of churches in a certain order (a triangle, a star, etc.). The priests believe that it is enough in the traditional service to attribute to the name of the person for whom the note is being sent, its needs ("aching", "suffering"), which indicates a request for healing or assistance in a difficult life situation.