In prayer books and liturgical books, some frequently used prayers and even small rows of prayers are not given in full each time, but are indicated in abbreviations. Such abbreviations - for example, the abbreviation "Glory, and now:" - are found in almost all prayer books. This not only saves space, but is also very convenient for experienced reciters and singers. However, the beginning prayer book can sometimes be confused by abbreviations that are not yet familiar to him. Therefore, we present for our readers a list of the most common abbreviations that can be found in prayer books.

In liturgical books, abbreviations of this kind are much larger: they are designed for a solid knowledge of the reader of a very wide range of prayers and hymns. In the Church Slavonic tradition, the colon (:) serves as an indicator of such a contraction - it plays here a role similar to the role of the ellipsis (...) in modern Russian writing.

"Glory, and now: (or: "Glory: And now:" ) - Glory to the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

"Glory:"- Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

"And now:"- And now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Attention! In the Psalter, each of the kathisma - twenty parts into which the Psalter for reading is divided - is divided into three parts, after each of which it is usually written: "Glory:"(these parts are therefore called "Glories"). In this (and only this) case, the notation "Glory:" replaces the following prayers:

(Three times)

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia (Three times) - Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, God.(Three times)

“Trisagion. By Our Father" or "Trisagion. Holy Trinity ... Our Father ... " - prayers are read consecutively:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquity; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for your name's sake.

Lord have mercy.(Three times)

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also leave our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Reduction "Come, let us bow ..." should read:

Come, let us worship our Tsar God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down on Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down on Christ Himself, the Tsar and our God. (Bow).

Instead of Bogorodichen we usually say: Holy Mother of God, save us and instead of Trinity : Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee, or Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

According to the ancient Aramaic religion, angels are divided according to belonging to one of the four elements: fire, earth, water and air. Each of them has its own army: kings, princes, satraps, dukes, ministers, legions of spirits, consisting of hundreds of units. Under the rule of these angels, everything on earth: animals, plants, minerals, metals and, of course, man. Having learned in more detail about what kind of temperament, character traits your elemental patron angels possess, you may get to know yourself better, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business partner, spouse, child.

This article tells in detail about the character, demeanor, appearance, habits of each person, depending on which sign of the Zodiac and, therefore, the angel of the elements he was born under the auspices of.

According to the Japanese and Chinese calendars, a person is patronized by the angel in the year of which a person was born, respectively, by the year of birth, you can determine your own guardian angel and ask him for help.

Elemental Angels.

There is nothing in the world, not even grass, over which the spirit does not dominate.

Scripture tells us that God created everything and gave a name to both people and things, indicated their purpose and determined their properties and qualities. Therefore, signs and star names have nothing to do with either form or sound, but entirely depend on the strength and properties that are contained by God or nature in them.

There is not a single being in heaven or on earth that does not come from God. Without His will, nothing can be accomplished, communicated, or put into action.

God possesses absolute wisdom, followed by the wisdom of spiritual beings (angels, spirits) and only then beings clothed in flesh. The fourth and last stage of wisdom is in nature and objects related to it.

The Bible tells us that God teaches people everything that is good for them, what they should avoid and what to strive for. God's instructions are given to people by holy spirits and angels. Much, of course, depends on a person's faith in God. Everything becomes possible and achievable if he himself believes and wishes, and impossible if he doubts and does not want. This means that a person should be pious, honest, firm in his words and even more in deeds, have firm faith in God, be prudent.

Even the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle said that at the heart of everything in the world are four basic qualities: warmth, moisture, dryness and cold.

The theory of Aristotle was developed by Democritus, who asserted that in the infinite space of many worlds, only the first atoms of the four basic elements remain unchanged: fire, air, water and earth. Each of these elements has two permanent qualities (according to Aristotel): fire - warm and dry, air - warm and moisture, water - moisture and cold, earth - dry and cold.

The elements are not four different matters. Rather, they can be called four different states of matter. You, of course, know that each substance can have several states of aggregation. For example, oxygen in its usual state is a gaseous substance, but under certain conditions it can be both liquid and solid. In each of the states there is a different amount of heat, movement, active principle.

All elements have their own soul and life. Each of them has its own angel - good, pure power: the angel of the air - Michael, the angel of water - Gabriel, the angel of fire - Gafael, the angel of the earth - Uriel. Nature itself is in the power of the angels of the elements, including man as an integral part of it.

Thus, nature and man are a set of particles of the four elements under the general control of the angels of the elements, and through them, and God himself.

Particles of earth are hard and inert. Their features are passivity, the ability to maintain shape, the desire to preserve it, non-plasticity.

Uriel (earth angel) loves autumn, west, sweet and volatile smell. In the human body, earth particles are solid structures: bones, tendons, nails, hair, skin.

Particles of water have plasticity, susceptibility, the ability to take any shape (for example, the shape of a container into which it is poured), to withstand pressure, although not as firmly as particles of earth.

Gabrielle (angel of water) loves winter, north, salty taste and rotten smell. Particles of water in the human body - secrets of glands, mucous membranes, blood plasma, cellular protoplasm.

The properties of air particles are mobility, ability to move, multilayer, multiplicity, lightness, striving upward, ability to seep through any gap.

Michael (an-gel of the air) loves spring, east, sour taste and pungent aroma. In the human body, Air-Spirit particles are associated with the nervous system.

If water, air and earth are considered as states of matter, then fire is more a process than a state.

Fire is pure activity, pure heat, the more heat the more fire, activity. The maximum fire is light, the maximum speed and maximum movement are associated with it.

Raphael (angel of fire) loves summer, south, bitter taste and pungent smell. The particles of fire in the human body are associated with the processes of metabolism and metabolism, the digestive system, the retina of the eyes, and the gray matter of the brain.

Below is a table that combines information about the angels of the elements.

The interaction of the elements - parts of the world - seasons.

Four forces
Elemental Angels			Gabriel
Parts of the world where these angels are present
Seasons
Properties, the times	Lightweight and transparent	Brilliant	Bright and correct	Thin and dark

The signs of the zodiac are closely related to the elements.

The elements of fire include signs: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius;

To the elements of the earth - Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo;

To the element of air - Libra, Aquarius and Gemini;

To the element of water - Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

Each element in the Zodiac is represented by three qualities - activity, stability and changeability. They largely determine the type of behavior, adaptability to circumstances, the temperament of a person born under one or another sign of the zodiac, therefore, under the auspices of an angel of one of the four elements.

According to the type of behavior and adaptability to circumstances, all the signs of the Zo-Diak can be divided into:

a) static - Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. The angels of the elements who patronize them guide them towards their goal, endow them with stubbornness, patience and endurance, thanks to which they manage to achieve a lot. For them, the future is of great interest, since the main thing for them is to achieve their goal (by any means, during any period). These people are reliable, but stubborn, if they have something in mind, it is difficult to convince them otherwise;

b) floating - Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo. The angels endowed them with a lively mind, experience in various areas of life, the ability to easily adapt to the surrounding circumstances. Among the negative qualities one should mention some nervousness, inability to live in the present;

c) cardinal - Capricorn, Libra, Cancer, Aries. The patron angels of these signs endowed them with the ability to directly influence circumstances, realistically assess the situation and foresee the possibilities of further action.

A person's temperament also depends on the character properties and temperament of the angel of the elements who take care of him.

a) The angel of fire Gafael is aggressive, decisive, hot and quick-tempered, quick-witted, quick and impetuous, Possesses creative abilities, but is also too impatient, self-confident, stubborn and contradictory. His close friend has always been and remains the angel of the air - Michael, he supports, kindles the fire. Gafael also gets along with Uriel, the angel of the earth, but at the same time, each of them remembers that the earth can cool the fire, and the fire can burn the earth.

Gafael's behavior largely depends on his mood: angry, inflamed, he turns into a fireball, into a flame that nothing can extinguish, calm. In this state, he can do a lot of troubles Calm, Gafael is an evenly burning fire, obedient, persistent, serving faithfully, helping, creating. Gafael is quick-tempered, his behavior easily changes, his mood and state too: he can turn into lightning or a waking volcano.

Gafael endows people born under his patronage with the appropriate temperament, appearance, even certain professions and diseases.

Gafael loves large spaces where you can roam, where there is a lot of air; any restriction, lack of air suppresses and makes the fire even more angry.

The good spirit of fire that brings good luck is the sala-mandra, which, according to legend, lives on fire.

Each of the angels of the elements acts together with their spirits, in accordance with their own desire, if God does not oppose it. An angel can direct spirits to a person that obey him, his requests, prayers. Sometimes this happens even when the person himself refuses the protection of spirits.

Prayer to salamanders (fire spirits).

The eternal, uncreated Father of all things! Not in a chariot, moving the worlds incessantly revolving. The ruler of the infinite ether, where the throne of Your power rises, from the height of which everything is open to Your formidable eyes. Hear me, because Your golden, great and eternal greatness shines over the world, the sky and the stars. You rise above the world, oh blazing fire! You ignite life in us, inexhaustible sources of light emanate from Your essence. You have also created beings who are miraculously similar to Your thought and Your essence. You put them above the angels who proclaim the truth to the world. You created us too. Praise to You! Do not deprive me of your mercy, your wonderful light, send me your spirits so that they help me to know the soul, spirit and harmony of things around me. Amen.

b) The angel of the earth Uriel is distinguished by practicality, reasonable behavior, does not like to fantasize, on the contrary, he prefers to call all things by their proper names, and demands the same in relation to himself from other angels, spirits and people. Uriel is proud and independent, always ready to give good advice, a little secretive, boring, stingy, stubborn and cruel.

He is friends with Gabriel (the angel of water), who keeps him alive, nourishes, since the earth should not turn into a lifeless desert. Uriel maintains a relationship with both Gafael (the angel of fire) and Michael (the angel of the air), provided that he can endure Gafael's sudden fun and survive Michael's hurricanes.

Uriel can be secretive, loving loneliness, preferring to act from behind the scenes, through intermediaries, and remain in the shadows himself, without leaving the arena of events. Sometimes he becomes strong, unshakable, like a rock, until a volcano wakes up in him. Then he becomes active, able to redo a lot of things.

He feels calm and comfortable only in his element, on earth, loves gardens and parks.

The lucky spirits of the earth are the gnomes; who live in an inconspicuous burrow. Having made friends with a person, a gnome can settle in a greenhouse, in a box with indoor plants.

Prayer to the gnomes (spirits of the earth).

Invisible, who took the Earth as a support, dug up chasms in order to fill them with His power! You, whose name makes the vaults of the world tremble, Who directs the currents of seven metals along the veins of stone. Master of the seven lights, rewarding the work of ore-cops, lead me to the desired air to the kingdom of light. Oh Lord! Oh, silvery white! Oh, golden glitter! You, who wear the sky on Your finger, like a sapphire ring. Live, rule, be the eternal steward of treasures, send me Your spirits so that they become my patrons, faithful helpers and protectors. Amen.

c) Angel of the air Michael is cheerful, mobile, co-educational, talkative, easy to contact, sociable. He is inclined to interpretations, explanations, logical arguments, one or two interesting plans constantly ripen in his head, he is reasonable and loves freedom. Michael's negative traits are obstinacy, talkativeness, self-will, and sometimes licentiousness.

He gets along better than others with Gafael (the angel of fire), can maintain relations with both Uriel and Gabriel, if they do not oppose his will, they are not afraid of the wind.

Michael is sometimes cold, calm, sometimes he becomes warm, and sometimes both at once. Suddenly it can subside, turn into invisibility, and then he experiences pressure or influence from the outside, he lurks and waits for the right moment to break free again, frolic and let the unsuspecting world know about himself.

Michael loves open spaces, rooms in which there is a lot of space, windows, he feels best at freedom, gets nervous if something hinders his movements, actions, if someone forces him to do an unloved business.

Good air spirits - Michael's helpers - sylphs who prefer to live in places where there is a lot of air (in parks, gardens).

Prayer to the sylphs (air spirits).

Air Spirit! Spirit of wisdom! Whose breath gives form to every thing. You, before Whom the life of beings is only a changing shadow or disappearing vapor! Endless spaces are inhabited by your breath. May You be forever blessed! I exalt You, I strive ceaselessly to Your unshakable and incorruptible radiance. I pray to You, send me by the grace of Your spirit, which will become for me the ray of Your mind, the warmth of Your love. Then everything that is movable will be affirmed, determined, the shadow will become a body, the air will turn into a soul, sleep - into a thought. O spirit, become my guardian, protect and direct my deeds and thoughts. Oh, Inhaling and Exhaling everything that exists in the ebb and flow of Your eternal word, which is the ocean of Divine movement and truth! Amen.

d) The angel of water Gabrielle is emotional, sensitive, but has a wonderful gift to find a way out of any situation, to seep through any obstacles, very susceptible to the attitudes of other angels and people who have served his patronage and protection. He perfectly feels the mood of people, the gift of foresight and foreboding never fails him.

Gabrielle simply cannot live without Uriel, because the earth needs water as a container. Gabrielle and Gafael do not get along at all, but even friendship is possible with Michael, if he is not afraid of fog and clouds.

The angel of water is sometimes too irritable, stormy, or, conversely, lazy. If he is energetic, indomitable, then he turns into steam, and the next minute he can become ice, cold, hiding desires, freezing his own and other people's feelings. Having turned into underground water, it easily dodges failures and overcomes any obstacles in its path, and most importantly, it acquires the ability to move forward, defeat enemies, flooding them.

Gabrielle loves peace and quiet, for this he needs a constant connection with his element (with the seas, oceans, rivers, even with the water that fills the pool or aquarium).

The patron spirits, obeying Gabriele, are undines, mermaids who love open and calm reservoirs without thresholds and barriers.

Prayer to the undines (water spirits).

Terrible lord of the sea! You, who hold the keys of heavenly streams and keep underground waters in caves, the King of the flood and spring rains, who opens the sources of rivers and springs, who commands the moisture, which is the blood of the earth, turn into plant sap. I bow to You and pray to You. Talk to me during the roughness of the sea, talk to me with the murmur of transparent waters, do not leave me with Your mercy, help and protect me.

Oh, the immensity in which the streams of the being reborn are lost. Oh, the ocean of endless perfections, the height, in the depth of which You are reflected, and the depth, which disappears into the height. Lead me to real life through the mind and love, protect me from misfortunes, from misfortunes and delusions. Amen.

a source

The most famous prayer ends with these words: "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit", while few people have a complete understanding of all three described participants. In fact, these are important personalities in Christianity who are an inseparable part of the Lord.

Is the Holy Spirit mystic or reality?

There are different versions of the description and representation of the Holy Spirit, but in fact this is the third hypostasis of the one God. Many priests describe him as the active force of the Lord and he can send it to any place to fulfill his own will. Many explanations regarding what the Holy Spirit looks like agree that it is something invisible, but has visible manifestations. It is worth noting that in the Bible he is represented by the hands or fingers of the Almighty, and his name is not described anywhere, so we can conclude that he is not a person.

Another important point that interests many is the symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. In most cases, he is represented as a dove, which in the world symbolizes peace, truth and innocence. An exception is the icon "The Descent of the Holy Spirit", where it is represented by tongues of flame located above the heads of the Mother of God and the Apostles. According to the rules of Orthodox cathedrals, it is forbidden to represent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove on the walls, with the exception of the icon of the Epiphany. This bird is also used to describe the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which will be discussed below.

The Holy Spirit in Orthodoxy

For a long time, theologians had conversations about the nature of God, trying to come to a decision about whether he is a single person or whether it is advisable to dwell on the trinity. The importance of the Holy Spirit is connected with the fact that through him the Lord can act in the world of people. Many believers are sure that several times in the history of mankind he descended upon some people who received.

Another important topic is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which refers to the operation of grace leading to salvation and perfection. They are an important part of the spiritual life of every Christian. The acquired gift of the Holy Spirit should bear fruit, helping a person to cope with different passions. These include love, self-control, faith, mercy, and so on.

Signs of the lack of the Holy Spirit

Believers will never exaggerate their own dignity, be proud, try to be higher, deceive and commit other actions that are considered sinful. This indicates that the Holy Spirit is present in them. Those who are sinful are deprived of the Lord's help and the chance of their salvation. The presence of the Holy Spirit can be identified in several ways.

A person easily identifies his weaknesses that require adjustment.
Jesus Christ is accepted as Savior.
There is a desire to study God's word and a thirst for fellowship with the Lord.
Desire to glorify God in words, songs, actions, and so on.
There is a change in character and bad qualities are replaced by good ones, which makes a person better.
The believer realizes that he can no longer live for himself, so he begins to create God's Kingdom around him.
The desire to communicate with other people, for example, in the church. This is necessary for common prayer, support for each other, joint glorification of the Lord, and so on.

Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - Orthodoxy

Special actions of divine grace that take place in the soul of a believer and give strength to perform actions for the sake of one's neighbor and the Higher Powers are called gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are many of them, but the main ones are seven:

The gift of the fear of God... Many people see some kind of contradiction in this wording, since the two words, gift and fear, are used together. This is explained by the fact that a person has a tendency to feel self-sufficient and perfect, and this alienates him from the Lord. Only by realizing the greatness of God, you can see the reality of the world, avoiding serious mistakes, so fear is a source of good.
The gift of piety... The Lord forgives sins and constantly rescues people by showing mercy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit in Orthodoxy are realized through prayer, the celebration of the liturgy, and so on. Godliness also implies charity, that is, helping those in need. Showing condescension to others, a person acts like God in relation to people.
Gift of Guidance... It stands for the knowledge of truths based on faith and love. It is worth noting that intellect, heart and will are meant here. The gifts of the Holy Spirit show that you need to know the world through God and then no temptations will lead you astray.
The gift of courage... It is very important for salvation and resisting various temptations that are encountered on the way throughout life.
Gift of advice... Every day a person is faced with different situations where it is necessary to make a choice and sometimes spiritual advice is useful for making the right decision. The Holy Spirit helps to stay in harmony with the Divine plan of salvation.
Gift of reason... It is necessary in order to know God, who is revealed in the Holy Scriptures and in the Liturgy. The first option is a source of inspiration for the transition to divine knowledge, and the second implies the acceptance of the Body and Blood of the Lord. All this helps a person.
Gift of wisdom... Having reached this final step, a person will be in unity with God.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Many religious terms are unfamiliar for a large number of people, so there are those who do not know that blasphemy is a deliberate rejection of the grace of the Lord with its obvious effect on a person, that is, it is blasphemy. Jesus Christ said that it implies denial and insult. He also argued that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, since the Lord puts His Deity into him.

How to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit?

The phrase was introduced into use by Seraphim of Sarov during a conversation concerning the essence of faith. To acquire the Holy Spirit is to acquire grace. In order for this term to be understood by all believers, Sarovsky interpreted it in as much detail as possible: each person has three sources of desires: spiritual, personal and demonic. The third makes a person do things out of pride and self-interest, and the second provides a choice between good and bad. The first will is from the Lord and it pushes the believer to do good deeds, accumulating eternal riches.

How to communicate with the Holy Spirit?

The saints and the three persons of God can be addressed in several ways, for example, through prayer, while reading the Word of God or Holy Scripture. Allows the church to communicate in regular dialogue. Invoking the Holy Spirit can be done with a few tips.

It is necessary to retire by taking and reading a few leaves of the Bible. It is important to relax and let go of all thoughts.
Communication begins with a casual conversation, so you need to introduce yourself.
A person should understand and feel that the Holy Spirit lives within him.
During communication, you can ask different questions, ask for training, and so on. Listen to whispers and inner voices.
The more often a believer conducts such sessions, the more he feels the voice of the Lord.

Orthodox prayers to the Holy Spirit

Today, many prayer texts are known that help people in difficult times. The actual topic is whether it is possible to pray to the Holy Spirit, and what requests can be addressed to him. It is allowed to use both special texts and to say everything in your own words. Sincere faith and the absence of bad thoughts are of great importance. You can pray in church and at home.

Prayer of invoking the Holy Spirit

The most common prayer text that can be recited at any time when you feel that you need the help of the Higher Powers. He helps to live the day in spiritual purity and tranquility. Prayer for the reception of the Holy Spirit is directed towards God, and it helps to receive the seven gifts described above. The text is short, but at the same time great power is concentrated in it, helping to find comfort and find peace.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of desire

It is difficult to meet a person who does not dream of a better life and the hope that when all this becomes a reality always remains in the heart. If desires have only good intentions, then the power of the Holy Spirit can help to translate them into reality. It is important to use the presented text only if the need to realize your desire is huge. You need to turn to the Holy Spirit at dawn, repeating the text of the prayer three times.

Prayer for help to the Holy Spirit

Difficult times periodically come in the lives of many people and in order to cope with the problems that have arisen, you can turn to the Higher Forces. There is a special prayer to the Holy Spirit that will help you gain confidence in your abilities, understand the current situation and become. You can pronounce it anywhere and at any time when the desire arose. It is better to memorize the text and repeat it three times.

Due to the duty of work, it is often necessary to look through a considerable number of samples of icons on the Internet, in the materials accumulated over a considerable time on the computer, as well as especially looking at the live icons in different churches. Very often you have to see icons, if such can be called icons, depicting the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. It seems to be nothing strange, nothing seductive .. But this is only until the time. Until then, until you start to consciously ask yourself and those around you: “What is the meaning of such an icon? And where does she come from in Orthodoxy? " In response, there is only one argument: "tradition", well, the argument "pre-schismatic tradition" is even stronger, and not a shadow of theological justification, interpretation of the image.

It is somehow strangely customary for us to argue. All pre-split traditions are correct, post-split traditions are questionable. But really, before the split, they could not be mistaken, really, for all 16 centuries, there was not one bad influence on icon painters from either the West or the East?

What exactly is the question regarding the depiction of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove? The gospel story tells us that the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove only at the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit did not take on the nature of a dove, but appeared in the form of a dove. On the day of Pentecost, He already appears in the form of tongues of fire. After all, it would never occur to anyone to write a bonfire or fire on icons and hang such icons in churches, paint the walls of cathedrals with such images? Everyone will say with certainty that this is blasphemy! And it will be right! But isn't it blasphemy to write on the icons of a dove and sign the written word “Holy Spirit”? We will not refer to the history of the image, it is also clear that he did not come to us from good neighbors. And let us turn better for theological help to one of the great teachers of the Church - John Chrysostom, we read:

“Why did the Holy Spirit appear in the form of a dove? Because the dove is a meek and pure animal. And as the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of meekness, He appeared in this form.In addition, such a phenomenon reminds us of ancient history. When the general deluge embraced the entire universe, and our family was in danger of complete destruction, then this bird appeared and made it known about the end of the flood, and, bringing the olive branch, brought the good news of the general silence in the universe. All this was a prototype of the future. Then people were in a worse condition, and were worthy of much more punishment. Therefore, so that you do not despair,

Baptism of the Lord, Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, 15th century

Scripture brings this story to your mind. And at that time, despite the most desperate state of affairs, there was some relief fromdisaster and recovery; then it happened through punishment, and now through grace and the gift of the unspeakable. Therefore, the dove does not appear with an olive branch, but points us to the Liberator from all evils and gives good hopes. She brings not only one man out of the ark, but she raises the whole universe to heaven, and instead of the olive branch brings adoption to the whole human race. Representing the greatness of this gift, do not diminish in your thoughts the dignity of the Holy Spirit just because He appeared in such an image. I have heard some say that the difference between Christ and the Holy Spirit is the same as that between a man and a dove, because He iswas in human nature, and this one in the form of a dove. What should I say to this? The fact that the Son of God took on the nature of man, but the Holy Spirit did not take on the nature of a dove. Therefore, the Evangelist did not say: in the nature of a dove, but in the form of a dove. Yes, except for this case, afterwards He never appeared in such an image. Further, if for this only reason you regard Him as lesser in worth, then the cherubim yourself will be better than Him, and moreover, as many times as an eagle is more superior than a dove, because they appeared in the form of an eagle. Likewise, the angels will be better than Him, because they often appeared in the form of a man. But let it not be, let it not be! " (John Chrysostom, interpretation of the gospel of Matthew, conversation 12, part 3.)

Neither subtract nor add.

"Therefore, the dove is not with an olive branch" On many icons, icon painters depicted, under the guise of the Holy Spirit, a dove with an olive branch.

"I have heard some say that the difference between Christ and the Holy Spirit is the same as between a man and a dove."

After Chrysostom, this was not only talked about, but already boldly depicted by the 10-11 centuries in such icons as the "Holy See", "The New Testament Trinity". But more on that in another.

"Yes, except for this occasion, afterwards He never appeared in such an image." Therefore, it is worth portraying Him only in the plot in which He appeared in this way.

“Representing the greatness of this gift, do not diminish in your thoughts the dignity of the Holy Spirit just because He appeared in such an image ... Further, if for this only reason you consider Him less in dignity, then the same cherubim will be better than Him, and moreover as many times as the eagle is superior to the dove, because they appeared in the form of an eagle. Likewise, the angels will be better than Him, because they often appeared in the form of a man. But let it not be, let it not be! "

Here, it seems to me, the saint speaks of those who reasoned in this way, that since the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove to John, then He is therefore less worthy than Christ. Otherwise, what is Chrysostom talking about then, if not about this? This is what people’s reasoning alone led us to reach ... If, however, we consider icon painting to be a sermon in paints, or, better to say, the teaching of the Church in paints, then is it right to give people such a temptation? The temptation that a person may be tempted not only to diminish the dignity of the Holy Spirit in his consciousness, but also to pray to the dove and not the Spirit for the rest of his life after such “icons” while praying to the Holy Trinity?

Prayer is the inexpressible sighs of the Holy Spirit. Interpretation Rom. 8: 26.27

“Likewise, the Spirit also strengthens us in our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for, as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings unspeakable ”

Let's try to figure out what the apostle Paul is writing about here.

Sometimes we pray more emotionally than with thoughtful words. This is the cry of the heart! And it happens that a person cries or experiences excitement, worries inside ... He needs the help of the Lord, but he does not know what to ask hard ... He kneels down and calls out to the Creator! A person is ready to open his soul before the Lord !!! Emotions overwhelm him, it is even difficult to speak ... and even more so to find the right words ...

There are also believers who have learned to trust God. They no longer ask the Creator for something specific, but pray that His will be fulfilled in their lives! Including that He would solve some specific life problem, as He pleases ... Based on their experience, such believers know that their personal wishes may not lead to the best for themselves and those around them, therefore they entrust everything into the hands of the Lover God.

And the Holy Spirit reinforces these believers, He knows our experiences and needs. Spirit knows what will be better for us, what is in line with the will of God! He helps us by acting within us, directing our thoughts, repentance and desires to the Lord ...

Rome. 8:27 "But the examiner hearts knows what thought the Spirit has, because He solicits for the saints at will God's "

Here it is even more clearly seen that the Spirit, acting in our heart , thus intercedes for the believers, knowing will God's about us. In Holy Scripture, the result of the influence of the Holy Spirit on a person is called “spirituality” ... And prayer with the help of the Holy Spirit more than once in the New Testament is called “prayer by the Holy Spirit” (see the texts of Jude 20, Eph. 6:18, analyzed in the material )

Let's see how Jesus Christ spoke about the Holy Spirit:

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter (Intercessor) be with you forever "

In the original text, the word translated into Russian as the Comforter is represented by the Greek word "Paracletos" - which has a translation intercessor, intercessor.

As you can see, Rome. 8:26, 27 The Holy Spirit is described as an intercessor, as Jesus foretold.

As for the words " sighs unspeakable"from verse 26 - other possible translations are inexpressible, indescribable groans. These colorful epithets in symbolic allegorical language describe the experiences and efforts of the Holy Spirit in intercessory ministry in the hearts of believers.

Of course, here we are NOT talking about prayer in other languages, this is not at all traced from the context of the chapter, and especially from the entire New Testament, however, as well as the Old. That is, this does not mean that if we deliberately pray in an incomprehensible language, then the Holy Spirit will immediately come to our aid to convey from us to God, what He pleases with "inexpressible sighs" ...

Someone wise said, "If the heart does not pray, the tongue works in vain"!

Valery Tatarkin

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