(The true goal of prayer is to enter into a dialogue with God. This dialogue is not limited to some hours during which a person prays. The Christian must always feel that he is in the presence of God, and the goal of prayer is precisely for the praying person to always be with God)... Father George Florovsky

liturgical year

If someone wishes to follow the public services in the Anglican Church or recite its text (at least in theory), he can suffice with two books: the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. Likewise, for servants in the Catholic Church, he will only need two books. But the richness of Orthodox services requires the believer to acquire a small library containing twenty important volumes. Although difficult to use at first, these volumes constitute one of the greatest treasures in the Orthodox Church.

Feasts:

The twenty volumes include texts serving the liturgical year {See for further information the book (The Blessed Wreath of the Sunnah), in both parts, by a monk of the Eastern Church, in French, the Publications of Light, and also (in order to understand and live the liturgy) by the monasticism of the Monastery of the Letter, the Publications of Light, and (The Sacrifice of Praise) ) by Frieda Haddad, Publications of Light, and (Individual Worship and Collective Worship) by Father George Florovsky, Publications of Light (Publisher)} which constitute the series of feasts and periods of fasting that commemorate the Incarnation and restore it in the Church. The liturgical year begins on the first of September. Among the holidays, Easter ranks first, as it is the “Feast of Holidays” and its status is unique. In addition to Easter, there are twelve major feasts called “the Lord’s Feasts,” which are:

1. Birth of the Lady (September 8)
2. Raising the Holy Cross (September 14)
3. Our Lady's Entry into the Temple (November 21)
4. Birth (December 25)
5. Divine appearance or epiphany (Baptism of Christ, January 6)
6. Entry of the Master into the Temple (February 2)
7. Annunciation (March 25)
8. The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday, one week before Easter)
9. Ascension (40 days after Easter)
10. Pentecost (50 days after Easter)
11. Transfiguration (August 6)
12. Dormition of Our Lady (August 15)

Thus, three of the twelve major feasts are linked to Easter and are considered mobile feasts, while the remaining feasts have fixed dates. Eight of them relate to the Savior and four relate to the Mother of God.

There are a large number of other holidays that are less important than these (the Church celebrates one or more saints every day), the most prominent of which are the following:

1. Circumcision of the Lord (January 1)
2. Three Moons (January 30)
3. Martyr George (April 23)
4. Constantine and Helena (May 21)
5. The heads of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29)
6. Prophet Elias the Zealot (July 20)
7. Beheading of John the Baptist (August 29)
8. The first female martyr, Thecla (September 24)
9. Martyr Demetrius (October 26)
10. Archangel Michael (November 8)
11. Martyr Katerina (November 25)
12. Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 6)
13. All Saints' Day (first Sunday after Pentecost)

Fasting:

In addition to these holidays, there are times for fasting {see (Fasting) by Bishop George Khader, Al-Nour Publications and (The Time of Fasting) by Father Lev Jallah, Al-Nour Publications (publisher)}. The Orthodox Church, which looks to the human being as a whole, body and soul, has always stressed the taming of the body alongside the taming of the spirit. (Fasting and self-control are the first virtues and the source and foundation of all goodness) {Callistos and Ignatius Gzanthopoulos, in the Philokalia, Athens, 1961, vol. 4, p. 232}.

There are four periods of fasting in the year:

1. Great and Holy Lent, which begins seven weeks before Easter.
2. The Apostles' Fast begins on Monday, eight days after Pentecost, and ends on June 28, the eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Its duration ranges from one week to six weeks.
3. The fast of the Dormition of Our Lady lasts for two weeks, from the first of August until the 14th of August.
4. The Christmas fast lasts for forty days, from November 15 to December 24.

In addition to these major periods of fasting, every Wednesday and Friday (and every Monday in some monasteries) are days of fasting (except for the period between Christmas and Epiphany, and throughout the Week of Renewals (i.e. the week immediately following Easter, and during the week following Pentecost).) The raising of the Holy Cross and the beheading of the forerunner John the Baptist and the eve of the Epiphany are also days of fasting.

The rules of fasting in the Orthodox Church are so strict that they surprise many Western Christians. During the days of Lent, for example, it is not only forbidden to eat meat, but also to eat fish and all animal production (such as fat, eggs, butter, cheese, and milk). Many Orthodox, especially in the diaspora, find that modern life makes it difficult to apply all the rules of fasting that were established in different financial circumstances, and therefore some exemptions are given. But even with the exemptions, Lent - especially in its first week and throughout Great Week - remains for devout Orthodox a period of true austerity and harsh physical deprivation. Taking into account all the types of indulgence known in our time, it is certain that Orthodox Christians in the twentieth century, both laymen and monks, fast with a seriousness that has no parallel in Western Christianity, except in some strict monastic orders.

Seasons:

Some periods of the liturgical year are characterized by special celebrations, such as the consecration of water on the Feast of the Epiphany, which often takes place outside, in front of a river or on the seashore, such as the blessing of fruit on the Day of the Transfiguration, the service of raising the cross and prostrating before it on September 14, and the prayer of forgiveness. The Sunday immediately before Great Lent, when believers and priests kneel before each other asking for forgiveness. But Orthodox worship reaches its climax during Great Holy Week, as the Church enters, day after day and hour after hour, into the Passion of the Lord. The Great Week reaches its climax, firstly in the procession of Good Friday in the evening during the funeral service of Christ, and secondly in the joy of the magic service on the dawn of Easter. There is no one who has the opportunity to attend this service without feeling a feeling of universal joy. Christ saved the world from its ancient slavery and from its former sources of terror, and the entire Church began to rejoice in His victory over darkness and death.

Church calendar:

It is not permissible for us to end the discussion about the liturgical year unless we shed some light on the issue of the church calendar, which was in the past and is still the subject of bitter controversy among Eastern Christians. Until the end of World War I, all Orthodox were using the (old) calendar, that is, the Julian calendar, which is thirteen days behind the (new) or Gregorian calendar followed in the West. In 1923, the Ecumenical Patriarch called for a general Orthodox conference to be held in Constantinople, attended by delegates from the churches of Serbia, Romania, Greece, and Cyprus. The Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem refused to send their representatives. As for the Patriarch of Alexandria, he did not respond to the invitation. The invitation was not sent to the Church of Bulgaria, while the conditions of the Russian Church did not allow it to participate. This conference put forward some proposals for study, including the marriage of bishops, allowing the second marriage of widowed priests, and the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. No Orthodox church agreed to the first two proposals, but the third proposal was approved and implemented by some independent churches. In March 1924, Constantinople adopted the new calendar, and in the same year or shortly thereafter, it was adopted by all of Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, and Poland. As for the churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, and the monasteries of the Athos generation, they continued to adopt the old calendar. As for Bulgaria, it adopted the new calendar in 1968. This difference in positions created a reality of confusion, which we hope will be resolved quickly. Now, all Greeks (with the exception of the monks of Mount Athos and the members of the Church of Jerusalem) and all members of other churches that have adopted the new calendar celebrate Christmas at the same time as the West, that is, on December 25, while the Russians and those who have not adopted the new calendar celebrate it after that. The date is thirteen days away, i.e. January 7th. However, all Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on the same day, fixing its date according to the old Julian calendar. The date of Eastern Easter may sometimes coincide with the date of Western Easter, but at other times there is a difference ranging between one week and five weeks {and these differences also come from the way in which the apktyat, which determines the lunar months, is calculated}. As for the Finnish Church and some immigrant dioceses, they celebrate Easter on the same date as Western churches.

Changing the calendar has sparked strong opposition, especially in Greece, where groups of “followers of the old calendar” (which have more than one bishop) continue to follow this calendar, and they believe that both the calendar and setting the date of Easter are related to a church decision issued by the Ecumenical Councils, and they cannot be modified. Except by a decision of the entire Orthodox Church and not by some independent churches that act on their own initiative. As for the monasteries of Mount Athos (with the exception of one of them), which refused to adopt the new calendar, they still maintain communion with the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Greek Church, but (followers of the old calendar) in other regions of Greece were subjected to excommunication by the official church.

Individual prayer

Daily prayer:

When prayer is mentioned, the Orthodox first thinks of collective liturgical prayer, because liturgy plays a more important role for his spiritual experience than it does for the majority of Western Christians. This does not mean that the Orthodox only pray in the church, as there are also books containing the prayers that the Orthodox must recite daily, in the morning and in the evening, in front of the icons inside their homes. But most of these prayers are taken from liturgical books used in public services, and thus the Orthodox, even when he prays at home, he prays with the entire Church. Even when he is within the sanctuary of his home, he remains in the company of all other Christians who use the same words in their prayers. (Individual prayer is only possible within the framework of the community. No one is a Christian himself, but rather as a member of the body of Christ. Even in the privacy of his room, the Christian prays as a member of the redeemed community, as a member of the Church. And in the Church he learns the practices of worship) {George Florovsky, (Individual Worship and Collective Worship), Al-Nour Publications, (Publisher)}.

Just as there is no separation in Orthodox spirituality between collective prayers and individual prayers, there is also no separation in this matter between monks and laity, as the laity use the same prayers that are repeated daily in the monasteries. Since husbands and wives are called to lead the same Christian lifestyle as monks and nuns, they say the same prayers. It is self-evident that prayer books serve only as a guide and a framework, and every Christian has full freedom to address God in his own words.  

The instructions given at the beginning and at the end of the text of the Prayer for Awakening from Sleep, for example, stress the importance of personal contemplation, in order for the prayer addressed to the living God to be a living prayer. What these instructions say at the beginning of prayer: (When you get up from sleep, and before you begin your day, stand devoutly before God who sees everything, and make the sign of the cross, and pray like this: (In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen).) Then, after turning to prayer To the Holy Trinity, take a moment of silence to free your thoughts and feelings from all worldly concerns. Then recite the following prayers, without haste and from the depths of the heart. At the end of the prayer, the instructions continue: (If you do not have enough time, and you are in a hurry to start your work, it is better to recite only some of the prayers referred to, but with attention and piety, rather than reciting them all in a hurry and without concentration.) There is a small note in the instructions for the Awakening Prayer, inviting each person to read the Epistle and Gospel assigned to each day.

Here, for example, are two examples of daily prayers selected from the Sa'i. The first of them is an aphorism of prayers for rising from sleep written by Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow:

(Enable me, O Lord, to receive this day in peace and to seek Your holy will in everything. In every hour of this day, make Your will clear to me. Bless what I do with others. Teach me to receive everything new in peace, knowing Your will is above all. Illuminate my thoughts and feelings. In every action I do and in every word I say. And if something strange and unexpected comes to me during this day, I seek help so that I do not forget that it comes from you. Teach me how to act wisely and with consistency and not to be a stumbling block for others. Give me strength to endure the hardship of this day with everything it will bring. To me, direct my will and teach me how to pray, nay, pray in me. Amen).

The second example is from the concluding prayer of the sleep prayer:

(Forgive, O Lord, who loves mankind, those who hate us and those who oppress us, and do good to those who do good, and grant our brothers and those close to us all the means of salvation and eternal life. Care for those who are in sickness and grant them healing. Rescue the captives. Provide for those who are on sea, land, and air. Accompany travelers... and those who have commanded us. Those who do not deserve to be prayed for, have mercy on them with your great mercy. Remember, O Lord, those of our fathers and sisters who have previously fallen asleep, and have mercy on them where the light of your face is lost...)

Jesus prayer:

There is another form of individual prayer approved for centuries and which has played a very prominent role in Orthodox life, it is the Jesus Prayer: (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner). Because it is sometimes said that Orthodoxy does not pay enough attention to the person of the incarnate Christ, it is both necessary and useful to note that this Jesus Prayer, which is the most classic of the Orthodox prayers, is fundamentally based on the person of Christ, and is facing Jesus, taking his person as its focus. Those who have grown up in the tradition of the Jesus Prayer cannot forget the moment of the incarnate person of Christ.

The Jesus Prayer can be accompanied by the use of rosaries, and this differs from Western rosaries, because they are often made of wool, and they are also completely silent.

This prayer is characterized by wonderful flexibility. It is very suitable for beginners, and it is considered the prayer that leads to the deepest depths of contemplative life. Every person can use it, whoever he is, at any time, and in any place: while waiting for the bus or train, while walking and during travel, at work, in cases of insomnia, during periods of severe anxiety, when he is unable to focus his mind in any way. the prayer. But while every Christian can use the Jesus Prayer in this way spontaneously at different times of the day, it is different if he wants to repeat it regularly and permanently, and follow the physical movements that accompany it. Orthodox spiritual fathers advise whoever wants to use the Jesus Prayer in this way not to do so without resorting to an experienced spiritual father to guide him in this prayer life.

Some of those who practice the Jesus Prayer gain a special grace because after a while the prayer enters their hearts, and they no longer perform it as before through voluntary effort, but rather it becomes spontaneous for them when they write or speak, during sleep and wakefulness. As Ishaq the Syrian says: (When the Holy Spirit resides inside a person, this person does not stop praying, because the Holy Spirit is the one who constantly prays in him, and whether he is asleep or awake, prayer never stops from him. And whether he eats or drinks, or goes to sleep. He rested or went to work, and even if he was sleeping deeply, the fragrance of prayer would be spontaneous, like the panting of his heart) {(Sufi articles, Vinsnik Publications, p. 174, and also Al-Nour Publications}.

The Orthodox believe that the power of God is present in the name of Jesus, and if this name is mentioned, it does so (as a true indication of God’s work, a holy sacrament) {(The Jesus Prayer), by a monk of the Eastern Church, Shiftoni Publications, p. 87}. (The name of Jesus, present in the heart of man, conveys to him the power of deification... and the light of the name of Jesus illuminates the entire universe, through the heart) {Sergius Bulgakov, (The Orthodox Church), pp. 170-171}.

The Jesus Prayer is a great source of comfort and joy for those who practice it constantly, and for those who return to it only on special occasions. As stated in the book (A Russian Tourist on the Paths of the Lord) {See (A Russian Tourist on the Paths of the Lord), Al-Nour Publications, 1982 (publisher)}: (And so I proceed now, endlessly repeating the Jesus prayer, which is more precious to me than anything in this world. Sometimes I walk 44 miles a day and I don't feel like I'm walking. I just feel like I'm praying. When the cold hits me, I say my prayer with more enthusiasm and soon I feel the heat spreading through my body. And when I feel hungry, I repeat the name of Jesus many times, and I forget my desire to Eating food. When I am bedridden and feel pain in my back and legs, I focus all my attention on the Jesus Prayer and no longer feel my pain. And if someone intends to harm me, it only occurs to me how sweet the Jesus Prayer is and the pain and anger dissipate and I forget them completely... I thank God because I now understand the meaning of the words Which I heard when reading the message: (Pray without ceasing) (1 Thessalonians 5:17)).

Book: The Orthodox Church: Faith and Doctrine
Chapter Six: Holidays, fasting, and individual prayer
Written by: Bishop Callistus (Timothy) Ware