Angels are depicted on icons, as a sign of their spiritual beauty and strength, in the form of beautiful young men with wings. Wings mean that they quickly fulfill the will of God. On Church Routine and Behavior in Church Why Should We Not Eat Before the Service? "Those who go to the divine service having eaten," writes St.

John of Kronstadt, voluntarily impose upon themselves an unnecessary and harmful burden and stifle their hearts for prayer in advance, blocking the access to it of holy thoughts and holy sensations. One must be extremely careful not to eat before the service. It must be remembered that the Kingdom of God is neither food nor drink (Romans 14:17), i.e. God cannot reign in that heart which is burdened with gluttony and drink" [4].

If a stranger in church offers a prosphora, should I take it or is it better to refuse? One can kindly and politely refuse prosphora or kutia, since some give for suicides who died in unbelief or from drunkenness (drunk), for whom it is sinful to pray. Is it possible after night defilement (in a dream)

Go to church in the morning, venerate the icons, take holy water, prosphora? It is necessary to read prayers from desecration, otherwise it is a sin to go to church, venerate icons, take Epiphany water and prosphora. Approaching the Holy Mysteries, repent of this to the confessor at confession. Here a distinction is made: from what did the desecration originate? Is it your fault (

I ate too much, slept for a long time and on a soft, warm place, condemned someone, etc.) or through the fault of the devil, who made you sleep in order to prevent you from receiving Communion or to defile you altogether. In general, it is up to the confessor how best to deal with the defiled. Should you dress when you go to church, in your best clothes, or walk around sloppily dressed? From the lives of the ascetics we learn that they wore decent, but not luxurious clothes when visiting church.

Is it possible to enter the church during the service through the side entrance, if it is convenient, or only through the central (main) entrance? It is possible, depending on the circumstances. Is it allowed to venerate the church paintings, outside or inside, and when is it better to do so? There are many icons for kissing, and paintings (frescoes)

It is good to bow down and pray for them. On the eve of Communion Day, some say that after eight o'clock in the evening you should not eat. Is there any rule in this regard? Those who abstain from eating before Communion in the evening do well. But according to the rules, from 12 o'clock at night, you can no longer eat or drink anything.

Can the unbaptized be in church during the Liturgy or at the Vigil? The unbaptized may be in church during the entire Vigil, and during the Liturgy until the exclamation "Catechumens, depart." What is the best thing to do if, because of the crowding in the church, you have to stand with your back to the nearest icon during the service? It is not a sin to stand with one's back to the icon during the service.

Is it necessary to drink zapivka after communion? After communion, it is necessary to drink zapivka. Is it necessary to make a remark if someone in church interferes with the service with chatter or sings loudly and very incorrectly? St. John Chrysostom says that even a little boy can do this.

In the Church, all the "grandmothers" at the candlesticks advise in different ways. How to figure out who is right? These grannies often understand very little about church affairs; therefore, it is necessary to ask the priest and learn to read the Holy Scriptures, the books of the Holy Fathers. Is it possible to finish reading the rule for Communion during the Liturgy, or is it better to leave what you did not have time to finish reading, and listen to the service, and finish reading after Communion?

Reading a rule in church is an evil habit. It is allowed to finish reading the rule after Communion only if necessary, but otherwise it is necessary to begin reading it in the morning before Communion. At what moments is it best to read the commemoration book during the Liturgy? During the celebration of the proskomedia. Is it a sin when a woman comes to church without a headscarf, in trousers, with painted lips?

Some priests do not allow women in trousers to take communion. Is this correct? All believers know that it is a sin to come to church in trousers, with painted lips and without a headscarf. And what the priests admonish in this is their duty, although it should be done meekly and affectionately. Is it possible to stand in the narthex of the church during the Liturgy, or is it better to stand in the church itself? Does the place where you stand matter?

In part, it matters where to stand. For example, standing at the end of the church is distracted by those who come and go, conversations at the candle box, prayer is scattered there, but there is no such thing ahead. However, it is important with what feeling you stand: with a sense of your unworthiness and sinfulness, or with a feeling of pharisaism and curiosity. What should I do if, after the end of the Liturgy, the priest does not give me a cross for kissing, because he is serving a moleben or for some other reason, and I need to leave urgently for a good reason?

One should kiss the Crucifix in the temple and go, thanking God and lamenting that he left earlier. Is it possible to enter the church with a tape recorder or with products from the store (meat, eggs, etc.)? This should be avoided. In the Gospel we read that Jesus Christ did not allow anyone to carry a vessel through the temple. And it is generally forbidden to bring meat to church[5].