Rules for visiting the monastery. Mother of God Alexievsky Monastery © Men's Monastery what women wear

Many people have recently been increasingly drawn to monasteries - these hospitals for the soul, which are distinguished by stricter discipline and longer services than parish churches. Some come here as a pilgrim, others as workers, to work on restoring the monasteries and strengthen their faith.

A person who finds himself for some time among the sisters or brethren of a monastery, in one way or another “fits himself in” to monastic life, tries to be more pious.

But it should be remembered that with real contact with monastic life, passions and sinful inclinations, which for the time being dormant in the depths of the soul, become aggravated and come out. To avoid many temptations and problems, you need to adjust yourself to the fact that nothing is done in the monastery without a blessing, no matter how reasonable and justified your desire to do this or that thing may seem. In a monastery, you must cut off your will and be completely subordinate to your sister or brother, who is responsible for the obedience to which you have been assigned.

The monastery is headed by the holy archimandrite - the bishop of the diocese, while practical management is entrusted to the viceroy (archimandrite, abbot or hieromonk). He is called “Father Abbot”, “Father Archimandrite” or “Father Viceroy” - depending on his position, or using the name as a parish priest: “Father Dositheus”, or simply “Father”.

In the same way as parish priests, monks with priestly rank are addressed. If he does not have a priestly rank, the dean who is responsible for the accommodation of pilgrims can be addressed as “father dean”; the housekeeper can be addressed as “father housekeeper”. A monk is usually addressed as “father,” and a novice is addressed as “brother,” adding his name.

The convent is governed by the abbess, who wears a pectoral cross and has the right to bless, but not as a priest, but with three fingers or a pectoral cross, to which one should venerate. After the blessing, you can venerate the abbess’s hand. They address her by calling her “Mother Abbess” or the full Church Slavonic name given during monastic vows, with the addition of the word “mother”: “Mother Ioanna”, for example, or simply “mother” - by the way, this is how to address convent accepted only to the abbess. Other nuns or nuns (those with “minor” tonsure) are addressed as: “Mother Theodora”, “Mother Nikon”, “Mother Sebastian”, “Mother Sergius”. The male names of sisters in tonsure mean that monasticism is an angelic order that has no gender... You can address novices as “sister.”

Naturally, those who come to the monastery must give up smoking, foul language and other sinful habits. Talk about worldly affairs, free speech, and laughter are inappropriate here. When meeting, the layman is the first to bow to the monastic priest.

If any misunderstandings arise during obediences, there is no need to strive to “restorate justice,” much less lecture someone. It is necessary to help the weak, to cover with love the shortcomings of the inexperienced, to endure with humility grievances if they arise, when the common cause suffers, to turn to the sister or brother assigned for this purpose to resolve the misunderstanding.

Meals in some monasteries, usually small ones, are shared between sisters and pilgrims, but more often visitors take advantage of a special pilgrim meal. They sit at the table according to seniority. After the common prayer, they do not immediately begin to eat, but wait for the blessing of the person sitting at the head of the table, between dishes - the ringing of a bell or the words: “Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.” During the meal, you are not supposed to have any conversations, but listen carefully to the reading of the lives of the saints.

It is not customary in the monastery to “take bites,” to eat anything outside the common meal, or to express dissatisfaction with food, obedience, or a place to sleep.

The monastery is not a place for walking, swimming, or sunbathing. Here you are not only prohibited from exposing your body, but also from doing anything for self-pleasure, as well as leaving the monastery without permission for any purpose - be it picking flowers or mushrooms. You can go outside the monastery only with a blessing.

It is not customary in the monastery to go “to visit” - that is, to other people’s cells, except for obedience. When entering a cell, workshop or other monastic premises, a prayer is said aloud: “Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.” You are allowed to enter only if you hear from behind the door: “Amen.”

When meeting in a monastery, they usually greet each other with bows and mutual greetings “bless”, sometimes they say: “Save yourself, sister (brother).” It is customary to answer: “Save, Lord.”

A worldly person who understands his weakness and sinfulness and humbles himself in the “medical hospital of the soul” will undoubtedly derive great spiritual benefit from his stay in the monastery.

Baptism

For baptism, during which the old man dies and a new one is born - for a new life in Christ - it is necessary to have godparents - godparents from the font, who are obliged to instruct the godson in the rules of Christian life. Godfathers and mothers are needed not only for babies, but also for adults. There can be two godparents, but according to the church charter, one godparent is required: a man for a boy and a woman for a girl.

Young children cannot be recipients; people ignorant of faith; Gentiles and schismatics; mentally ill and mentally retarded people; morally fallen (for example, libertines, drug addicts, drunk people). It is not customary for monastics to become godparents. Spouses also cannot be the successors of one child. The parents of the baby being baptized also cannot be godparents.

What is required from godparents? Not only belonging to Orthodox faith after baptism, but at least an elementary concept of faith, awareness of the extent of responsibility before God for the souls of godchildren, knowledge of at least the basic prayers ("Our Father", "Creed", "Hail to the Virgin Mary", Guardian Angel), reading Gospel, for in the Sacrament of Baptism the Lord hands them a baby or an adult (since baptism is a second birth, he is also a spiritual baby, he is also given godparents, who are entrusted with responsibility for his spiritual upbringing). Helping to instruct him in matters of faith, helping parents carry or take the baby to church and give him communion are the concerns of godparents.

Godparents are entrusted with enormous responsibility for all the burden, for all the work of spiritual education of their godchildren, for they, together with their parents, are responsible for it before God. Godparents can also financially support their godson - and not only by giving gifts on name day, on the day of the child’s baptism.

You need to know that in exceptional cases (for example, in case of mortal danger - for a newborn baby or an adult, in remote areas where there is no church and it is impossible to invite a priest or deacon), it is allowed for baptism to be performed by a layman, a believing man or a believing woman. In this case, it is necessary to strictly follow some rules: after reading the “Trisagion” according to the “Our Father”, correctly pronounce the baptismal formula, the secret words: “The servant of God (servant of God) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father (first immersion or sprinkling), amen, and the Son (second immersion), amen, and the Holy Spirit (third immersion), amen." If a person baptized in this way remains alive and recovers, then he must subsequently appear before a priest so that he can complete the rite of Baptism (perform Confirmation and church the person being baptized). The priest is also obliged to find out whether the Sacrament of Baptism was performed correctly, and in case of errors, perform it again...

But God willing, you bring your child to be baptized in infancy - the sooner the better - usually this is done on the 9th day from birth, or on the 40th, when the mother of the person being baptized can come to the temple to receive a cleansing prayer after childbirth. It should be noted that the customs existing in some places of not allowing father and mother to be baptized have no ecclesiastical basis. The only requirement is that parents should not participate in the Sacrament of Baptism (that is, they do not hold the baby in their arms or receive from the font - this is done by the godparents), but can only be present at it. The godparents hold the baby in their arms during the entire time of the Sacrament - usually the godmother until immersion in the font, Godfather- after (in the case when a boy is baptized). If a girl is baptized, then first the godfather holds her in his arms, and the godmother receives her from the font.

Is it possible to grumble if they brought, say, a baby to be baptized, but the confession has not yet ended and you have to wait for the priest?

The baby is capricious, the parents become restless... It should be remembered that Baptism is performed once in a lifetime - and for this you can endure and work hard. In ancient times the question was much broader. The person who came was not simply allowed to receive Baptism - preliminary conversations were held with him: for a week, or even a month, people were thoroughly prepared for this Sacrament and they accepted Baptism quite consciously. During the service, those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Baptism were in the church until the moment when the deacon exclaimed: “Elits of the catechumenate, come out, catechumenate, come out!” And after this moment they left the temple, and the deacon looked to see if any of the unbaptized remained in the temple.

First of all, you need to understand that Baptism is not a tradition, not a custom - it is a Sacrament. Therefore, the attitude towards the Sacrament of Baptism should be very, very serious, deep and not be reduced to some external actions. In ancient times, baptism always ended with the communion of the Holy Mysteries. Now we don’t always have such an opportunity - therefore, in the coming days, adults need to come and bring the baby to the temple of God so that they can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. And what these Holy Mysteries are for us - parents and godparents must explain to the child - according to his age.

What needs to be done so that the Sacrament of Baptism brings not only spiritual, but also everyday joy to family and friends? It’s good if the godfather can buy a cross for the baby, cover the cost of the Baptism, and prepare a gift at his own discretion. The godmother usually gives “robes” - the fabric in which the baby godson is wrapped after the font, as well as a baptismal shirt and cap. If you decide to give any gifts, then you need to choose something that would be practically convenient for both the baby and his loved ones. If the newly baptized person is already an adult, or a child who can read and write, then it is better to give him spiritual literature that would correspond to this moment the level of his spiritual development.

I wanted people to spend the day of baptism in a spiritual mood. You can, when you come home, arrange a celebration for all family members. But don’t turn this into a drinking party for which people forget what they came for. After all, baptism is joy, it is the spiritual growth of a person for eternal life in God!

The motives for baptism are very important, so that the child is baptized to grow in God, and not just in case, “so that he doesn’t get sick.” Therefore, a person who has been united to Christ must live according to His commandments, go to church on Sunday, regularly confess and receive communion. Reconcile in repentance with God and with your neighbors.

And of course, the day of holy baptism should remain memorable for a lifetime and be specially celebrated every year. On this day it is good to go to the temple of God and be sure to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ - to unite with Christ. You can celebrate this celebration at home, with your family. Regarding gifts, you can give a souvenir or a spiritual book, depending on the needs that the godson has. We must try to bring him special joy on this day - this is the day of his baptism, on this day he became a Christian...

What to prepare for baptism? White clothes are a symbol of cleansing the soul from sin. The clothes that a person puts on in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism can be bought, but you can also get by with what the person has - only the baptismal clothes must be light, clean and new. For babies - a shirt, usually with embroidered crosses on the chest, on the shoulders or on the back, for women - a shirt no higher than the knees, for men it can be a specially tailored white shirt to the floor, but you can get by with a regular white shirt. A new white sheet or towel is also required for baptism.

How to use baptismal clothing in the future? In ancient times there was a custom - to wear these clothes for 8 days. Now, of course, this custom is impossible to observe, but some pious laymen do not take off their shirt on the day of baptism - wearing it under ordinary clothes.

Of course, you should try not to use baptismal clothes for everyday purposes - keep them until the hour of death, when they are put on the deceased or placed on his chest, if it is an infant's shirt... You can wear them on the day of baptism. One must also treat the sheet used during baptism with the same reverence (after all, everything is consecrated during the Sacrament), and also keep it until the hour of death. If we baptize a baby at home, in a basin or bath, then we no longer need to use them for household needs, it is better to give them to the temple. The custom of wearing baptismal clothing during illness or placing it on the chest is associated with superstition - after all, we order prayers for a sick person, submit a note “On health” to the church for the Liturgy - there is nothing higher, more valuable than a bloodless sacrifice to the Savior.

Matchmaking and wedding

In the Sacrament of Marriage, the bride and groom, united by love and mutual consent, receive the grace of God, sanctifying their union, grace for raising future children. The family is a small church, the basis of society. Therefore, it is so important to approach its creation with all responsibility, praying that the Lord will send an Orthodox groom or Christian bride.

Before giving consent to marriage, it would be good for the bride and groom to clarify their views about their lifestyle, attitude towards the institutions of the Church, about raising children, about abstaining from married life during Lent. It is very important that spouses have common views on entertainment, on contraception, in the end - because there can be very dramatic moments among Orthodox Christians if a husband or wife of little church, raised by the world, in some critical situation begins, say, to insist even on abortion - that is, on the murder of children. It happens that a person says in words: I am a believer, Orthodox, but in reality he does not accept most of the demands of the Church.

So, discussing all these points in advance is not only permissible, but also necessary, because sometimes views on life and religious beliefs are the cause of disagreements, discord in families and even divorces. And this cannot be ignored. Yes, Scripture says that an unbelieving wife is sanctified by a believing husband and vice versa. But now we must take into account the fact that we get married after already being baptized. And if one half believes, then the other must take this into account, that is, long before becoming husband and wife, how to become one flesh, they must resolve this issue, consult with the priest. It often happens that before the wedding, only words are spoken, and then these words are forgotten - and you are faced with a terrible, difficult reality - disagreements, quarrels, and hostility begin. Sunday comes: one half begins to gather in the temple of God, and the other begins to hinder. Or fasting begins - everything was relatively peaceful while the husband was fasting and the wife was not, for example, but children appear, and quarrels arise on this basis: you, they say, are fasting, this is your personal matter, but I do not allow the child to fast! There may be obstacles to the Christian upbringing of an infant in general, which consists not only in limiting food intake.

It is no coincidence that in ancient times, before finding a groom, the bride's parents looked at what family the person was from, studied his entire family tree - whether there were drunkards, mentally ill people, or people with all sorts of disabilities in the family. That is, this is a very, very important question - since the foundation for raising a future child is laid long before his birth...

Of course, it is necessary that young people, having explained themselves, notify their parents in order to receive a blessing for family life, and discuss various issues: where they will live, with what means.

Is it permissible to discuss questions about how the family will live? Is the sentiment “The Lord will feed you anyway” legitimate, or is the husband obliged to think about how he will feed the family?.. Yes, the Lord, of course, said: “Without Me you cannot do anything.” Of course, we must place all our trust in God. But this does not mean at all that we should not think about tomorrow, reflect - living things always think about living things. But, before we begin to implement our plans, we must turn to God with prayer, asking that the Lord, if it pleases Him and is useful to us, will help this come true. Is the poverty of the bride or groom, or both, an obstacle to marriage? This requires an approach with prayer and understanding. Of course, it is inappropriate to give up family happiness due to lack of funds. But on this issue there must be unanimity between the spouses: if they agree to endure hardships and be content with little, God will help them. But if after some time the spouse (wife, for example), unable to withstand the tests of poverty, makes a scene for the other, reproaching him for “ruining his life” - such a marriage is unlikely to be blessed. That is why it is so important to find out the common views of the bride and groom on many issues.

Are early marriages acceptable? As a rule, they are fragile. It would be better if parents, before giving their blessing, invited the young to experience their feelings. After all, very often newlyweds live by carnal attraction, mistaking it for love. Previously, there was a very good custom - matchmaking, betrothal, announcements of the bride and groom. Some people still adhere to these wise traditions in order to test the strength of their love, get to know each other better, and get to know the parents of the bride and groom better. It is very good for the bride and groom to go on a pilgrimage trip together, spend some time in a monastery as pilgrims or workers, and ask advice from spiritually experienced people. As a rule, on such trips the characters of the chosen ones are more clearly revealed and their shortcomings are revealed. And there will be an opportunity for both to reflect on whether they are ready to bear the cross of family labor with this particular person, whether they are even ready to bear such a burden now.

What to do if the bride discovers serious shortcomings in her chosen one - for example, she finds out that he is a drunkard or a drug addict? Should I immediately break up with my fiancé or try to reason with him? In such difficult situations, one must rely entirely on the advice of a confessor, to whom it is absolutely necessary to turn, praying to the Lord that He will reveal His will to him, whether one half is able to bear the burden of saving a loved one from grave passion.

As for the parental blessing for marriage, it is simply necessary to take it. Moreover, according to tradition, the groom must ask the girl’s hand in marriage from her parents. For we know from the Holy Scriptures that when parents blessed their children, their blessing extended to their offspring.

There are also situations when parents are still in paganism and do not agree in any way to the marriage of their son or daughter to a Christian, they want a more financially advantageous match for their child. You need to understand that people are united not by some material wealth, but by love for each other. When parents are against the union of Orthodox people, they need to try to explain their feelings and intentions, turn to God with a request, with a prayer, so that the Lord will enlighten them, win their hearts, help these people unite... Take, for example, Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov and his future wife Alexandra Feodorovna - after all, their parents were against their marriage. Nevertheless, the love of two young, pure people overcame all difficulties - and they became spouses. And different religions did not interfere here, because Alexandra Feodorovna accepted the Orthodox faith...

What should precede the wedding registration of marriage or vice versa? Purely formally, the relationship must be legalized legally - marriage registration occurs first. Then - the Sacrament of Wedding, blessed by God. Before the wedding, it is necessary for the newlyweds to undergo the sacrament of Confession, perhaps even on the eve of the wedding to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Why is it better to do this the day before? Because now many holidays are associated with feasting, drinking wine, and singing. You have united with God, Christ has entered into you - and in order not to fall into sin through such worldly actions, it is better to take communion on the eve of the wedding. Although in ancient times they received communion on the day of the Wedding - the Liturgy was served, during which the bride and groom received communion, then the Wedding followed. But then there was a different attitude towards the sacrament, which did not end with entertainment. And the meal was an organic continuation of the Liturgy.

Is it necessary to “play” a wedding? Unfortunately, many wedding customs come from pagan times. For example, mourning the bride. At one time this was part of folk life, in some places the custom has been preserved and this has to be taken into account. But sometimes this takes on ugly forms: hen parties, for example, turn into drunken get-togethers, where friends “drunk” the bride, and “stag parties” turn into “drunk” parties for the groom, saying goodbye to his single life. How should we feel about this? Of course, every nation has its own customs - ransoming a bride, kidnapping a bride - but basically this is a tribute to paganism. Sometimes this is accompanied by all sorts of pagan actions.

What is acceptable at an Orthodox wedding? Since this is a great holiday, joy, drinking wine in moderation is allowed, without getting drunk, of course. Sin is not in wine, but in how we treat it: wine makes a person happy - it is said in Scripture in one place, and in another that “in wine there is fornication” - this is the case if we cross the line of what is permitted... There may be dancing - but not disorderly dancing, but kind, lyrical dancing, within reason. So is singing. After all, our joys were not alien to the Lord - and now they are not alien to us. If this had been forbidden by God, the Lord would never have come to Cana of Galilee for the wedding and would never have turned water into wine. When one elder was asked whether it was possible to dance, he answered: it is possible, but in such a way that later you would not be ashamed to pray in front of the icons.

You need to know this: when weddings are not performed. Weddings should not take place on the eve of Wednesday, Friday (that is, on Tuesday and Thursday), on the eve of Sunday (Saturday), on the eve of the twelfth holidays, during all four fasts (Great, Petrine, Dormition and Nativity), during Christmastide - from the Nativity of Christ through Epiphany - from January 7 to January 20, on Bright Easter Week, on the day and eve of the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 11) and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 27). Also, weddings should not take place on Maslenitsa - because the mood for Lent is already underway.

In some places there is a custom that the bride’s parents, the mother in particular, are not present at the wedding - supposedly they should stay at home and wait for the newlyweds. But at this moment, relatives can also do the preparation for receiving guests, or someone else can take care of it. The mother should be at the wedding - who could be closer to her child at this moment than the mother, who would testify her love in this way? Parents should be in church with their children at the most important point their lives. After all, there is such an Orthodox tradition that after the Sacrament of Wedding, parents, arriving a little earlier, meet the newlyweds at the entrance to the house with bread and salt, with icons, and bless them with these icons: the groom - with the icon of the Savior, the bride - with the icon of the Mother of God, when they are already became spouses when God blessed their marriage, their family. In the temple they bless with icons and in the house. It is possible for there to be both parents from the groom’s side and from the bride’s side. A young couple should keep these icons all their lives - they should be in the front corner of the house. It’s good if they use these icons to bless their future children for a family life - that is, the icon will become family, ancestral. Happy are the families where they bless their marriage with “grandmother’s” icons...

It happens that you can hear from women of all ages that they have decided to go to a monastery. Some say this as a joke, others seriously think about how to get into a nunnery to live, and some, especially girls, having parted with their loved one and considering that life is over, decide to go to a monastery, as if to spite everyone. And also in church circles you can hear stories about some negligent mother leading an immoral lifestyle, who abandoned her children and went to a monastery, now living there for her own pleasure with everything ready for her.

But is it so easy to get into the monastery, and is life “with everything ready” so carefree? Of course not. Getting into the monastery is quite difficult, because it will be necessary to prove not only to yourself, but also to other nuns that the decision was not made spontaneously, that all the pros and cons have been weighed, that the woman is ready for such a vitally important act. Only in the old days was it possible to imprison a person in a monastery without the will of the person himself, but now he will have to go through a long difficult path on his own in order to take monastic vows.

Required qualities

Go to a monastery - what is needed for this? A lot is needed, first of all you need to have a number of qualities, namely:

In addition, it should be borne in mind that nuns are constantly engaged in hard physical labor to earn their living, so it is very desirable to have good physical health and endurance. You will also have to observe fasts and stand at services, which in the monastery last for several hours in a row. . Therefore, in addition to physical, you also need to have spiritual strength. Each person must first decide for himself whether he can withstand such a life, because removing the monastic rank is very problematic.

How to start preparing for monasticism

So, how can a woman go to a monastery? If the decision is made firmly, you can begin to prepare for monastic life. First, you need to begin the life of a churchgoer - regularly attend church services, confess, take communion, observe fasts, and try to follow the commandments. You can, with the blessing of the priest, serve in the temple - clean candlesticks, wash floors and windows, help in the refectory and perform any other assigned work.

It will be necessary to resolve all issues related to worldly affairs - determine who will look after the apartment or house (often future nuns simply sell their real estate and invest in equipping the monastery), resolve any legal issues, place pets, if any, in reliable hands. Next, you need to talk to your spiritual mentor, tell about your intention. The priest will help you choose a monastery and prepare for monastic life. It is imperative to receive the blessing of your confessor to leave life in the world.

Trip to the monastery

So, preparation completed, the blessing has been received, the monastery has been chosen. Now you should go there to talk with Mother Superior. She will talk about the features of life in the chosen monastery, about traditions and living conditions. You should have the necessary documents with you:

• Passport.
• A short autobiography.
• Marriage certificate or death certificate of spouse (if available).
• Request for admission to the monastery.

You should know that tonsure is permitted only to persons who have reached thirty years of age. If a woman has minor children, she will need to present a certificate of the establishment of guardianship over them by the responsible persons (sometimes they may also require characteristics of the guardians). You need to know that in this case the confessor may not give a blessing for monastic life and the abbess will advise you to stay in the world and raise your children. Stay in the monastery, having in the world minor child, is possible only in exceptional cases. The same applies to situations where a woman has elderly parents who need care.

Mandatory deposit Money not required, but you can bring a voluntary donation.

What awaits in the monastery

It is impossible to take monastic vows immediately upon arrival at the monastery. Typically, a probationary period of three to five years is established. At this time the woman will take a closer look to monastic life and will be able to understand whether she is ready to finally leave the world and stay in the monastery. Before taking monastic vows, a woman goes through several stages of monastic life.

These are all the answers to the questions of how to go to a monastery, what is needed for this. If a woman is not frightened by the upcoming difficulties, the desire to serve God and her neighbor is still strong, and leaving for a monastery is a decided matter, perhaps this is her path, after all, as experienced priests say, it is not people who accept people into the monastery, but the Lord himself.

Following rule 43 of the VI Ecumenical Council, any Christian can enter a monastery to save his soul and please God, regardless of his previous moral lifestyle. As a rule, novices cannot be minors, as well as parents with young children who require their guardianship, a husband with a living wife and a wife with a living husband (spouses sealed by church marriage can enter a monastery, provided that new image life will take a blessing from the bishop and at the same time each will enter their own monastery, of course, in different monasteries: male and female, according to the 18th rule of Basil the Great).

A newcomer to the monastery undergoes a test for a certain period of time and, if he turns out to be worthy, is tonsured into the monastic rank. During the testing period, he is assigned an experienced mentor in spiritual life, usually called an elder. The beginner must reveal his spiritual state to the spiritual mentor and receive instructions and spiritual support from him. After tonsure, he becomes a monk, before whom the opportunity opens to become a schema-monk. The behavior of newcomers is often stipulated by the monastery charter.

NEW BEHAVIOR

1. The novice, first of all, must carefully read and assimilate the monastic Rules, so that during the very first steps of his stay in the monastery he does not violate the order and discipline established in it.

2. The newcomer gives a signature that he undertakes to sacredly fulfill everything set out in the Charter; in case of violation of the mentioned Charter, he is subject to appropriate punishment by the monastery administration for the purpose of admonition and repentance, and in case of persistent disobedience he may be removed from the monastery.

3. The novice must strive in every possible way for spiritual life as the first goal of his calling, abandoning secular habits, remembering the instructions of St. Basil the Great to beginning monks: “Have a modest gait, do not speak loudly, observe decorum in conversation, eat food and drink at the right time, remain silent in the presence of elders, to be attentive to the wise, obedient to those in authority, to have unfeigned love for equals and lesser ones, to distance oneself from the evil, to speak little, to carefully collect knowledge, not to talk too much, not to be quick to laugh, to be adorned with modesty.”

4. In relation to the abbot and monk of the monastery, the novice should show humble respect; when meeting with the abbot, he should take a blessing, and greet the monks with a respectful bow when meeting.

5. You should enter someone else’s cell with prayer and only when the answer “Amen” is received.

6. After the evening rule, all idle conversations and walks are prohibited.

7. It is appropriate to unquestioningly obey the governor, the ruler of the monastery, remembering that Christ Himself said about Himself: “For I came down from heaven not to do My will, but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 6:38). It is not customary for monastics to discuss or criticize the orders of the governor of the monastery, but to carry them out with prayer and humility. If a brother does not agree with the orders of his superiors, he may, with meekness and in private, express his opinion to the one who gave this order at his further discretion.

8. Diligent and diligent obedience for beginners is the key to their future spiritual growth and salvation. One should avoid self-will, do nothing without the blessing of one’s superiors, even praiseworthy ones, so as not to fall into temptation, pride and delusion.

9. The novice must be in constant peace and love with all the brothers of the monastery, trying to be friendly and helpful to everyone.

10. No one should take into his cell any thing, even the most necessary, without the blessing of his elders, remembering that any such acquisition without a blessing is theft.

11. Monastics should not bring unnecessary things into their cells and fall into the sin of money-grubbing. The best decoration of a monastic cell are holy icons and books of Holy Scripture, as well as the works of the Holy Fathers. The monk's cell contains the bare minimum of everything that cannot be done without. The cell should be red not by things, but by the spirit of faith and prayer of the monk living in it. Secular and purely worldly things and accessories should not have a place in the cell.

12. Clothes should be clean and simple. The color of monastic clothing is always black and no other. For novices it can be gray, brown or something else, but not bright.

13. Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and foul language are strictly prohibited; violation of this ancient rule entails serious punishment, including expulsion from the monastery.

14. Chastity or purity of the soul consists not only of keeping oneself from vicious deeds and actions, but also from unclean thoughts, as the first reasons for sin.

15. Everywhere and always it is proper for a monk to refrain from idle talk, remembering the words of the Lord: “I tell you that for every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the day of Judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” ( Matthew 12.36).If one of the novices constantly violates the rules of monastic life, then he is taken under the special supervision of his elder brothers, he is admonished and instructed with a view to correction, and if he persists in his sins, such a violator should be cut off from the society of monastics, like a damaged member of the body "

From the Charter of the Holy Trinity of Tyumen monastery

The love of the Orthodox people for monasteries is known. There are now about 1000 of them in the Russian Orthodox Church. And in each of them, in addition to the monks, there are workers, pilgrims who come to strengthen themselves in faith, piety, and to work for the glory of God on the restoration or improvement of the monastery.

The monastery has stricter discipline than the parish. And, although the mistakes of newcomers are usually forgiven and covered with love, it is advisable to go to the monastery already knowing the rudiments of the monastic rules.

The monastery is headed by the sacred archimandrite - the ruling bishop or (if the monastery is stauropegial) the Patriarch himself.

However, the monastery is directly controlled by the governor (this can be an archimandrite, abbot, or hieromonk). The convent is governed by the abbess.

Due to the need for a clearly organized monastic life (and monasticism is a spiritual path, so verified and polished by centuries of practice that it can be called academic), everyone in the monastery bears a certain obedience.

The first assistant and deputy governor is the dean. He is in charge of all worship services and the fulfillment of statutory requirements. It is to him that people usually refer regarding the accommodation of pilgrims coming to the monastery.

An important place in the monastery belongs to the confessor, who spiritually cares for the brethren. Moreover, this does not have to be an old man (both in the sense of age and in the sense of spiritual gifts).

From the experienced brethren the following are selected:

treasurer (responsible for storing and distributing donations with the blessing of the governor),
sacristan (responsible for the splendor of the temple, vestments, utensils, storage of liturgical books),
economist (responsible for the economic life of the monastery, in charge of the obediences of workers who come to the monastery),
cellarer (responsible for storing and preparing food),
hotel (responsible for the accommodation and accommodation of guests of the monastery) and others.
In women's monasteries, these obediences are carried out by the nuns of the monastery, with the exception of the confessor, who is appointed by the bishop from among the experienced and usually elderly monks.

Appeal to the monks

In order to correctly address the monk (nun) of the monastery, you need to know that in the monasteries there are novices (novices), cassock monks (nuns), robed monks (nuns), schemamonks (schemanuns). In a monastery, some of the monks have priestly rank (serve as deacons and priests). Conversion in monasteries is as follows.

In the monastery

To the rector you can address him by indicating his position (“Father Superior, bless”) or by using his name (“Father Nikon, bless”), perhaps simply “father.” In an official setting: “Your Reverence” (if the rector is an archimandrite or abbot) or “Your Reverence” (if a hieromonk). In the third person they say: “Father Superior”, “Father Gabriel”.

To the dean address: indicating the position ("father dean"), adding a name ("Father Pavel"), "father". In the third person: “father dean” (“turn to father dean”) or “father... (name).”

To the confessor address: using the name (“Father John”) or simply “father.” In the third person: “what the confessor will advise,” “what Father John will say.”

If the housekeeper, sacristan, treasurer, and cellarer have priestly rank, you can address them as “father” and ask for blessings. If they are not ordained, but have been tonsured, they say: “father housekeeper”, “father treasurer”

Hieromonk, abbot, archimandrite you can say: “father... (name)”, “father”.

To the monk Those who have been tonsured are addressed as “father”, to the novice— “brother” (if the novice is in old age — “father”). In circulation to the schema-monks, if rank is used, the prefix “schema” is added - for example: “I ask for your prayers, father schema-archimandrite.”

In a nunnery

Abbess, unlike nuns, wears a gold pectoral cross or a cross with decorations and has the right to bless. Therefore, they ask for her blessing, addressing in this way: “mother abbess”; or using the name: “mother Varvara”, “mother Nicholas” or simply “mother.” (In a convent the word “mother” refers only to the abbess. Therefore, if they say : “That’s what mother thinks,” meaning the abbess.)

In circulation to the nuns they say: “Mother Evlampia”, “Mother Seraphim”, but in a specific situation you can simply “Mother”. The novices are addressed as “sister” (in case of advanced age the novices may be addressed as “mother”).

There is no spiritual justification for the practice of some parishes, where parishioners who work in the kitchen, in the sewing workshop, etc., are called mothers. In the world, it is customary to call only the wife of a clergyman mother.

About monastic rules

The monastery is a special world. And it takes time to learn the rules of monastic life.

When you come to the monastery as a pilgrim or worker, remember that in the monastery they ask for a blessing for everything and strictly fulfill it.

You cannot leave the monastery without a blessing.

They leave all their sinful habits and addictions (wine, tobacco, foul language, etc.) outside the monastery.

Conversations are only about spiritual things, they do not remember about worldly life, they do not teach each other, but they know only two words - “forgive” and “bless”.

Without grumbling, they are content with food, clothing, and sleeping conditions.

They do not go to other people’s cells, except when they are sent by the abbot. At the entrance to the cell they say aloud a prayer: “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us” (in the convent: “Through the prayers of our holy mothers...”).

They do not enter the cell until they hear from behind the door: “Amen.”

They avoid free speech, laughter, and jokes.

When working on obediences, they try to spare the weak person who works nearby, covering with love the errors in his work.

When meeting each other, they greet each other with bows and words:
"Save yourself, brother (sister)"; and the other responds to this: “Save, Lord.”

When sitting down at the table in the refectory, they observe the order of precedence. The prayer said by the person serving the food is answered with “Amen,” and the table is silent and listens to the reading.

They are not late for divine services, unless they are busy with obedience.

Insults encountered during general obediences are endured humbly, thereby gaining experience in spiritual life and love for the brethren.

Pilgrim's reminder

The pilgrim must wear a pectoral cross.

You are required to have identification documents with you.

- an icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" (Guide) or the wonderworker Nicholas - the patron saint of travelers
- Prayer Book and Psalter

Make sure you have money for the return trip (if any).

Before traveling, it is advisable to take a written blessing from your confessor or the priest of your parish.

Aristarchus (Lokhanov), abbot. What you need to know about Orthodox church etiquette. M., 2001
The spiritual leader and the attitude of an Orthodox Christian towards him. M., 1993

Visitors found this page by searching:

official website of the Gornal monastery, Pryazhevo icon, Mother of God, Gornal, Gornal monastery, St. Nicholas Belogorsky men's, hermitages, Miropolye, religious procession, miraculous icon, Pitirim, Guevo, Sudzha, Kursk, order services, reliquary of Joseph of Belgorod, Kursk diocese, Russian Orthodox Church, history of the Gornal monastery, miraculous icon, religious procession to Ukraine, miraculous icon of the Mother of God, image Holy Mother of God, gornal.prihod, pilgrim, requirements in the monastery,