Orthodox penitential canon of Andrew of Crete. The Penitential Canon - Translations, performances, interpretations

The Canon of Andrew of Crete is one of the greatest liturgical texts - a penitential canon that combines an interweaving of images from the Holy Scriptures, high poetry and an accurate portrait of a person.

  • Text of the Great Canon of Andrei Kritsky, translation, AUDIO
    • Translating to Russian language
  • Contents of the canon
  • 6 amazing facts about the canon of Andrei Kritsky

In the first four days Lent At the evening service the canon of St. Rev. is read. Andrey Kritsky. Great Canon Andrea Kritskog o - this is a miracle of all church hymnography, these are texts of amazing power and beauty. It begins with a text addressed to Christ: “Where will I begin to cry over my accursed life and deeds? Shall I make a beginning, O Christ, for this present mourning?” - where should I start to repent, because it is so difficult.

“Go, damned soul, with your flesh. Confess to the Creator of all…” – amazing words, here is both Christian anthropology and asceticism: the flesh must also participate in repentance, as an integral part of human nature.

Text of the Great Canon of Andrei Kritsky, translation, AUDIO

Full text of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Download the canon of Andrei Kritsky in formats

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  • Andrew of Crete's canon Monday
  • Canon of Andrei Kritsky in Tuesday first week of Lent (text + audio)
  • Andrew of Crete's canon Wednesday first week of Lent (text + audio)
  • Andrew of Crete's canon Thursday first week of Lent (text + audio)
  • Canon of Andrei Kritsky. Mariino's standing (+ Audio + Video)

Recordings of the reading of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete

  • The Great Canon of Andrew of Crete - reading at Sretensky Monastery (AUDIO)
  • The Great Penitential Canon of Andrei of Crete - read by Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk (AUDIO)
  • The Great Canon of Andrew of Crete - read by Patriarch Pimen (AUDIO)

Translating to Russian language

  • Canon of St. Andrew of Crete translated by Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov)
  • Download Metropolitan Nikodim's translation PDF format

We analyze the text of the canon - interpretation of difficult passages

  • According to the pages of the canon of St. Andrey Kritsky – article by philologist L. Makarova

Reflections on the pages of the canon

  • Bishop Veniamin (Milov): Edification according to the “Great Canon” of St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete
  • Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann: Lenten pilgrimage - Great Canon of Andrew of Crete
  • Nun Ignatia (Petrovskaya) The place of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the hymn-making heritage of the Church
  • Hieromonk Dimitry Pershin About the canon of Andrei Kritsky, aliens and brands of refrigerators (conversation + video)
  • Archpriest Nicholas Pogrebnyak The Great Canon: history and iconographic parallels (reading the canon through icons)
  • Olivier Clément The Canon of Andrei Kritsky - the awakening of the soul
  • Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov About Saint Andrew of Crete and his Great Canon
  • M.S. Krasovitskaya Through the pages of the Great Canon of Andrei Kritsky. Lent

Canon of Andrei Kritsky in art

  • Canon of Andrei Kritsky - song of Hieromonk Roman (Matyushin) !Recommended (AUDIO)
  • The penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete in a poetic arrangement by priest Gabriel of Pakatsky
  • Anna Akhmatova I listened to the canon of Andrei of Crete in this church...

Sermons after the canon of St. Andrew of Crete

  • Archpriest Valentin (Amphiteatrov) Sermons for the first week of Lent
  • Hieromartyr Hilarion (Trinity), Archbishop of Vereisk About wisdom. Reflection on two troparions of the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete
  • Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)
    • Sermon on Tuesday of the 1st Week of Great Lent at Great Compline About fasting and its benefits
    • Homily for Wednesday of the 1st week of Great Lent at Great Compline About fasting and repentance
    • Homily for Thursday of the 1st Week of Great Lent at Great Compline About fasting and its meaning

About the author of the Canon. About Andrei Kritsky.

The Great Canon of Andrew of Crete talks about the repentance of the soul and the difficult path of the soul towards the Heavenly Father, towards God. The author of the canon wrote it in his declining years, having lived a long and difficult life. Andrei Kritsky was born in Syria, in Damascus. He lived and worked in Syria, Constantinople, and Crete. This poem is dedicated to the repentance of his own soul, but his personal story is passed through the prism of the history of the Old and New Testaments. The great Christian theologian and author of many hymns, St. Andrew of Crete is best known for his penitential canon, which is read during Great Lent. At birth, Andrei Kritsky could not speak, but after receiving Holy Communion at the age of seven, he found his voice. As a teenager, he led the ascetic life of a monk in the monastery of St. Savva the Sanctified. He later became an archdeacon at the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. His relics were transferred to Constantinople, but he died on the island of Lesbos, serving the Church and the Lord to the end.

Why is the Canon called Great?

The canon of Andrei Kritsky contains about 250 verses; it is quite large in form and complex in content. In the original, the canon of Andrei Kritsky was written in Greek, later it was translated into Church Slavonic, and it is in this form that we hear it in church. Since many prostrations are made during the reading of the great canon, it may seem that reading the canon is difficult, first of all physically. But the essence of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete, of course, is not physical, but spiritual labor. There are many translations of the canon of Andrei Kritsky. To understand not only the content of the canon, but also its meaning, it is best to read Holy Bible. It is believed that they most fully reveal the horror of sin and the suffering of the soul struck by it.

The canon of Andrei Kritsky is divided into four parts. This is a great poetic and theological work that prepares believers for the field of Lent. After all, the essence of fasting is not in restricting food, but in spiritual exercise, in learning to repent and pray. After each short verse, according to established tradition, believers bow to the ground. The canon of Andrei Kritsky consists of more than 250 stanzas. Its text is found in the Lenten Triodion. The great canon of Andrei Kritsky is set to music and performed in polyphony.

When the Canon of Andrei Kritsky is read

In the first week of Great Lent, the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in the church for four days. At the center of Great Lent is human change, change through repentance. Without repentance, spiritual life and growth of the human spirit are impossible. Repentance for sin involves judging oneself, and judging oneself is difficult, but necessary when it comes to spiritual growth.

Many Christians, called “neophytes,” who have recently become believers, come to the services of Lent. It seems difficult for them to endure a long penitential service, which speaks of the repentant and difficult path of the sinful human soul to the Perfect Creator. The practice of reading the canon varied in different ancient manuscripts. The Church divided the canon into four parts in order to gradually prepare a person for great repentance. If you read the entire canon at once, the feeling will be heavy. The Church Charter suggests reading the canon of St. Andrew of Crete in parts. But on Thursday (or Wednesday evening) of the fifth week of Great Lent, the canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read again, this time in its entirety. At this point, a person is already prepared for a long service, usually spiritually. The life of Mary of Egypt is read as an example of great repentance. After all, it was Mary of Egypt who achieved holiness, enduring the great feat of repentance. The canon of Andrew of Crete reminds us of the power of God's grace, which purifies any heart. Even the one that seemed to be completely mired in sin.

The canon of Andrei Kritsky can be read at home. The prayer book, as a book, appeared only in the 8th century. In ancient times, the canon of Andrew of Crete was read at home, especially in connection with a huge amount translation, you can clarify the essence of phrases that are incomprehensible in Church Slavonic. If it is not possible to come to the temple, it is better to read the canon of St. Andrew of the Cretan House than not to read it at all. This will be quite appropriate. Reading the canon in cell prayer at other times, not only during Lent, is also allowed. A feeling of repentance before the Lord, a desire to be cleansed from sin, should accompany a Christian not only at certain times of the year.

6 amazing facts about the canon of Andrei Kritsky

The Great Penitential Canon is an endless cause for surprise. Do you know that they used to read it on different days of Lent than they do now? Moreover, that its creation is not connected with Lent at all? And also - can you imagine how long a church service lasted in the 7th century?

1. The Great Penitential Canon is not the only work of St. Andrew of Crete, he also owns the canons for the main Byzantine church holidays. The total number of canons attributed to the pen of St. Andrew of Crete is more than seventy.

2. Saint Andrew of Crete was not only a preacher(he owns a whole series of “words”-sermons) and a hymnographer, but also a melodist. That is, the chants to which the words of the canon were sung were also originally invented by him.

3. Saint Andrew of Crete is considered inventor of the very form of the nine-part canon- a genre of church poetry, a kind of hymn poem. As a genre, the canon replaced the kontakion, which in ancient times was also a multi-stanza poem.

In general, the services of that time were much longer. Thus, the Great Penitential Canon is by no means the most extensive in the work of Andrei Kritsky. And, for example, only in the same 7th century, when the saint began to preach, the form of the Six Psalms supposedly took shape. Before that, during the service, the Psalter was read in full.

4. Until the 14th century in Rus' they adhered to the Studio Charter, which ordered the singing of the Great Penitential canon on the fifth week of Lent. Sometimes the canon was split into parts, sometimes it was entirely included in the Sunday church service. The tradition of singing the canon in parts during the first four days of Lent is provided for in the Jerusalem Rule.

When in the 14th century the Russian Church switched to the Jerusalem Rule, it adopted, accordingly, this tradition. The tradition of reading the canon on Thursday of the fifth week has a later origin.

5. Initially the Great Penitential Canon in general not associated with the time and services of Pentecost. Some researchers believe that this work of St. Andrew arose as his dying autobiography, as repentance for his participation in the false council of 712. Then, under pressure from the heresiarch emperor, along with other participants, the saint signed a condemnation of the decisions of the VI Ecumenical Council.

A year later, the emperor changed, and all participants in the meeting repented, especially putting their signatures under the documents of the Ecumenical Council. But, apparently, the past deed did not give the saint peace. And then he creates his extensive poem about human repentance and man’s path to God.

6. The parts into which the Great Penitential Canon is divided when performed during the first week of Lent, in Greek they are called "mephimons". However, in Russian everyday life this word was often pronounced as “efimony”. The hero’s trip to the “Efimon” is described in the novel by I.S. Shmelev "The Summer of the Lord".

Video about the canon of Andrei Kritsky:

The canon of Andrei Kritsky is written in the first person, which gives believers an idea of ​​the events described through the prism of feelings and impressions. It belongs to church hymnography and is considered an amazing work glorifying the events of the Old and New Testaments.

According to church regulations, the entire text of the canon is read in the first week: one part per service (by day of the week), since it is extremely difficult to read the entire work at once. In the fifth week, the canon is read again, but in full for one service, because it is believed that by this time the souls of the parishioners have become sufficiently strong and they are ready for this test and repentance.

Nowadays it is easy to find the canon in Russian, for example, purchase it at church shop any Orthodox church, which will allow you to read it at home, for example, if it is not possible to visit the church.

It is worth noting: Readings of this text are allowed at any time of the year, and not just during Lent. After all, repentance and asking for mercy are needs that follow every believer all year round.

Saint Andrew of Crete - short life

Born in Christian family in the city of Damascus, Andrew was mute until the age of seven.

One day, his family went to the church for communion and there, after receiving the Holy Sacrament of Christ, Andrei miraculously found his voice and spoke. It was then that the boy chose the church path and began to study theology and Holy Scripture.

Already at the age of fourteen, Andrei was tonsured a monk in the monastery of Sava the Sanctified; he followed a strict routine and led a calm, chaste lifestyle.

Years later, Saint Andrew was called to serve as archdeacon at the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, at which time he was already famous as a theologian and hymn writer. Moreover, he also wrote music for church prayers.

The saint died on the island of Militina, and his relics were taken to Constantinople.

Prayer to Andrey of Crete

IN Orthodox Church There is a Saint named Andrew of Crete, a venerable martyr, whose feast day is celebrated on October 30.

This Holy Martyr should not be confused with the bishop and saint Andrew of Crete, the author of the Great Penitential Canon.

Prayers to Saint Andrew of Crete, as well as the troparion, which is read on the day of remembrance of the Saint - July 17.

Akathist to Andrei Kritsky

Saint Andrew of Crete is the author of the Great Penitential Canon, read during Great Lent, the Easter Canon, read on Svetlaya Easter week, and the Canon of the Holy Martyrs 1400 infants killed during the time and by order of King Herod.

His Eminence Metropolitan of St. Petersburg John (Snychev) compiled a repentant Akathist based on the Repentant Canon of St. Andrew of Crete.

The text is not used for worship and is intended for prayer at home. This akathist helps to put thoughts, prayer requests, and images in order. This is no longer a song of praise - the original purpose of the akathist - but repentance through prayer.

Conclusion

Lent is an important time in the life of all Orthodox Christians; it is a period when you need to ask for help and mercy from above, when you should forgive your loved ones and ask for forgiveness yourself.

Saint Andrew created a work that concentrated everything the right words and the feelings experienced by believers at the moment of repentance. This is a great word through which a person touches Divine grace.

Nika Kravchuk

Canon of Andrei Kritsky - the first note of Lent

Lent began on February 27, 2017 and will last until April 15. For almost 50 days, believers will prepare for Easter - the Holy Resurrection of Christ, limit themselves to food and entertainment, and focus on prayer, mercy and repentance. Helps to tune in to fasting The Great Penitential Canon of Andrei Kritsky, which is read in churches at the beginning of Lent (the first four days) and in the fifth week (on Thursday mornings, and more often on Wednesday evenings).

The Canon of Andrew of Crete is a unique song of repentance, 250 troparions intertwined with cries for mercy. This creation, written in the 8th century as an individual hymn of repentance, but thanks to deep meaning turned into a church-wide song of pardon.

The Great Canon of Repentance - the price of 30 years of repentance

What inner turmoil did the author go through to write a song of repentance? According to some historians, Andrei of Crete was a participant in the false council of 712, at which they opposed the decisions of the VI Ecumenical Council. The false council was held on the initiative of Emperor Philippicus, who supported the heresy of monothelitism (the monothelites denied the presence in Christ of not only divine, but also human will).

But after a couple of years, the government changed, the decisions of the false council were declared invalid, and all participants repented and separately signed the decisions of the VI Ecumenical Council.

But Andrei Kritsky could not forgive himself. For 30 years, almost until his death, he prayed to God for repentance, and then wrote his masterpiece hymn.

The Canon of Andrei Kritsky - personal history and biblical stories

Andrei Kritsky compares himself with Adam, expelled from paradise, Cain, the first murderer, Ham, who mocked his father, and many other violators of the commandments.

In the canon of Andrei Kritsky, New Testament characters are also remembered. One of the most striking is the Apostle Peter, who, having doubts, began to drown. But Christ saved him. Likewise, God is ready to give a helping hand to each of us drowning in sins. You just have to ask for it.

The canon of Andrei Kritsky is compared to the correct tonality of a chant. If you set the wrong tone, the whole song will sound haphazard. It’s the same with Lent: if you start it without an appropriate repentant attitude, then the likelihood of wasting time to no avail increases. How can we make sure that the first days of the Holy Pentecost are useful for us? We offer you five tips:

  1. If possible, come to church for the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of Andrew of Crete - this will help you get in the mood for fasting. How? Firstly, appearance temple and the black vestments of the priests will become a visual signal. Secondly, the repentant songs, bows and “fasting” mood of those present in the church will not leave you indifferent.
  2. Buy a book with the canon or download it to your phone - the text in front of your eyes will make it easier to perceive. Moreover, you may not hear what the priest is reading. Or, even worse, the reader may twist certain words. Or the unexpected noise of parishioners may distract you. But the text before your eyes will help you focus on prayer.
  3. Read the Holy Scriptures - Andrew of Crete often refers to the biblical context. If you don't know any names, and Old Testament If you don’t know well or haven’t read it at all, don’t be too lazy to at least Google it. Then the text of the canon will not seem like some kind of encrypted message.
  4. If you can’t go to church, read or listen to the canon of Andrei Kritsky yourself.
  5. If you did not understand the meaning of the penitential hymn through the Church Slavonic language, find a translation into Russian on the Internet.

We also invite you to watch a video of the reading of the Great Penitential Canon accompanied by the song "My soul..." :


Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

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In the first week of Orthodox churches The Great Penitential of St. Andrew of Crete is read during the service.

It is divided into four parts and is read during the first four days of Lent. Reading the canon at the beginning of Lent helps a Christian to prayerfully tune in to the upcoming feat of fasting.
One of the main spiritual tasks of the Great

Fasting is to help a person think about his life, see his shortcomings and, with God’s help, correct them. Without this, a person cannot fully taste the great joy of Easter - the holiday that crowns Great Lent.

The feat of fasting begins with a person crying about his imperfections, about his sins, and ends with triumph and rejoicing in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

It is known about the author of the Great Penitential Canon - St. Andrew of Crete - that he came from Damascus, was born in the middle of the seventh century into a family of pious parents and was mute for the first seven years of his life.
But one day a miracle happened: the Lord opened the mouth of the future preacher of repentance.

Body and Blood of Christ, he spoke.

After a miraculous healing, Saint Andrew decided to devote his life to God. At the age of fourteen he left the world and retired to a monastery. After many years of monastic feat, the monk was elevated to the see of the island of Crete, where he ended his holy life.

Among the theological heritage of St. Andrew of Crete is the Great Penitential Canon, the pearl of church hymnography.

The penitential canon of Andrew of Crete describes famous Old Testament events and images - paradise, the fall of Adam and Eve, patriarch Noah and the flood, the Promised Land - and connects them with a feeling of deep repentance for the sins committed.

The saint gives personal meaning to long-standing events of Sacred history; they are shown as a symbolic reflection of those mental states that every person has.

The narration is told in the first person. The works of God in the past are works concerning us and our salvation; the tragedy of sin and betrayal of the first people to God is our universal tragedy. Human life is revealed as part of a great struggle between God and the forces of darkness, and the place of this struggle becomes the human heart.

One by one, the sins of people are revealed as a consequence of the loss of spiritual union with God, the tragic separation that took place in the fall of the forefathers: “I committed the crime of the primordial Adam; I know that I am cut off from God and His eternal Kingdom and sweetness because of my sins...”

Having disobeyed his Creator, man lost many divine gifts: “I desecrated the clothing of my flesh, I desecrated what was, O Savior, in the image and likeness. I darkened my spiritual beauty with the pleasures of passions...”

The feeling of one’s defenselessness against the forces of darkness, one’s dependence on sin and at the same time trust in God is very important and healing for a person.
This necessary condition for the return of the lost paradise, this is the first step from which a person’s difficult ascent to holiness and perfection begins - that saving state of “spiritual poverty” about which Christ spoke in the Sermon on the Mount. Human experience of events Old Testament history

as the events of your life - not a poetic metaphor. In order to fully realize his current sinful state, a person must see the origins of his existence.

That is why, in his Repentant Canon, St. Andrew returns to the beginning of existence and the Fall. The one who prays seems to be immersed in the primordial world, where everything speaks about God, everything reflects His Divine glory. His former blissful state is revealed to a person, what he should have become and what he became. Repentance is difficult in the world we live in. Modern world the opposite of the primordial one. He lost the knowledge of God and acquired false ideas about the meaning human existence

. This world is trying with all its might to drown out conscience and repentant feelings in people.

The evil world assures a person damaged by sin that he is healthy, while the spiritually suffering one needs immediate and effective treatment. This cure is repentance.

The Holy Fathers called repentance a “spiritual bath,” for in it a person is washed from the darkness of sins and restored to his former radiant appearance.

Having walked the path of Great Lent and cleansed himself of sinful filth, a person with a pure heart meets the bright Resurrection of Christ and, together with Christ, partakes of eternal blissful life. Andrey Kritsky. Great Canon Andrey Kritsky At the evening service the canon of St.

“Go, damned soul, with your flesh. Confess to the Creator of all…” – amazing words, here is both Christian anthropology and asceticism: the flesh must also participate in repentance, as an integral part of human nature.

Text of the Great Canon of Andrei Kritsky, translation, AUDIO

- this is a miracle of all church hymnography, these are texts of amazing power and beauty. It begins with a text addressed to Christ: “Where will I begin to cry over my accursed life and deeds? Shall I make a beginning, O Christ, for this present mourning?” - where should I start to repent, because it is so difficult.

Full text of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

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Canon of Andrei Kritsky (text + audio)

  • Recordings of the reading of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete
  • Recordings of the reading of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete

(AUDIO)

Translating to Russian language

  • We analyze the text of the canon - interpretation of difficult passages

– article by philologist L. Makarova

  • Reflections on the pages of the canon
  • Bishop Veniamin (Milov)
  • Protopresbyter Alexander Shmeman
  • Nun Ignatia (Petrovskaya)
  • Hieromonk Dimitry Pershin (conversation + video)
  • Archpriest Nikolai Pogrebnyak (reading the canon through icons)
  • Olivier Clément
  • Archpriest Sergiy Pravdolyubov

M.S. Krasovitskaya

  • !Recommended (AUDIO)
  • Canon of Andrei Kritsky in art

Anna Akhmatova

  • Archpriest Valentin (Amphiteatrov)
  • Hieromartyr Hilarion (Trinity), Archbishop of Verei
  • Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov)

About the author of the canon. About Andrey Kritsky

The Great Canon of Andrew of Crete talks about the repentance of the soul and the difficult path of the soul towards the Heavenly Father, towards God. The author of the canon wrote it in his declining years, having lived a long and difficult life. Andrei Kritsky was born in Syria, in Damascus. He lived and worked in Syria, Constantinople, and Crete. This poem is dedicated to the repentance of his own soul, but his personal story is passed through the prism of the history of the Old and New Testaments. The great Christian theologian and author of many hymns, St. Andrew of Crete is best known for his penitential canon, which is read during Lent. At birth, Andrei Kritsky could not speak, but after receiving Holy Communion at the age of seven, he found his voice. As a teenager, he led the ascetic life of a monk in the monastery of St. Savva the Sanctified. He later became an archdeacon at the Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. His relics were transferred to Constantinople, but he died on the island of Lesbos, serving the Church and the Lord to the end.

Why is the canon called Great?

The canon of Andrei Kritsky contains about 250 verses; it is quite large in form and complex in content. In the original, the canon of Andrew of Crete was written in Greek, later it was translated into Church Slavonic, and it is in this form that we hear it in the church. Since many prostrations are made during the reading of the great canon, it may seem that reading the canon is difficult, first of all physically. But the essence of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete, of course, is not physical, but spiritual labor. There are many translations of the canon of Andrei Kritsky. To understand not only the content of the canon, but also its meaning, it is best to read the Holy Scriptures. It is believed that it most fully reveals the horror of sin and the suffering of the soul affected by it.

The canon of Andrei Kritsky is divided into four parts. This is a great poetic and theological work that prepares believers for the field of Lent. After all, the essence of fasting is not in restricting food, but in spiritual exercise, in learning to repent and pray. After each short verse, according to established tradition, believers bow to the ground. The canon of Andrei Kritsky consists of more than 250 stanzas. Its text is found in the Lenten Triodion. The great canon of Andrei Kritsky is set to music and performed in polyphony.

When the canon of Andrei Kritsky is read

In the first week of Great Lent, the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in the church for four days. The center of Lent is human change, change through repentance. Without repentance, spiritual life and growth of the human spirit are impossible. Repentance for sin involves judging oneself, and judging oneself is difficult, but necessary when it comes to spiritual growth.

Many Christians, called “neophytes,” who have recently become believers, come to the services of Lent. It seems difficult for them to endure a long penitential service, which speaks of the repentant and difficult path of the sinful human soul to the Perfect Creator. The practice of reading the canon varied in different ancient manuscripts. The Church decided to divide the canon into four parts in order to gradually prepare a person for great repentance. If you read the entire canon at once, the feeling will be heavy. The Church Charter suggests reading the canon of St. Andrew of Crete in parts. But on Thursday (or Wednesday evening) of the fifth week of Great Lent, the canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read again, this time in its entirety. At this point, a person is already prepared for a long service, usually spiritually. The life of Mary of Egypt is read as an example of great repentance. After all, it was Mary of Egypt who achieved holiness, enduring the great feat of repentance. The canon of Andrew of Crete reminds us of the power of God's grace, which purifies any heart. Even the one that seemed to be completely mired in sin.

The canon of Andrei Kritsky can be read at home. The prayer book as a book appeared only in the 8th century. In ancient times, the canon of Andrei Kritsky was read at home, especially due to the huge number of translations, it is possible to clarify the essence of phrases that are not clear in English. Church Slavonic language. If it is not possible to come to the temple, it is better to read the canon of St. Andrew of the Cretan House than not to read it at all. This will be quite appropriate. Reading the canon in cell prayer at other times, not only during Lent, is also allowed. A feeling of repentance before the Lord, a desire to be cleansed from sin, should accompany a Christian not only at certain times of the year.

6 amazing facts about the canon of Andrei Kritsky

The Great Penitential Canon is an endless cause for surprise. Do you know that they used to read it on different days of Lent than they do now? Moreover, that its creation is not connected with Lent at all? And also - can you imagine how long a church service lasted in the 7th century?

1. - not the only work of St. Andrew of Crete, he also owns the canons for the main Byzantine church holidays. The total number of canons attributed to the pen of St. Andrew of Crete is more than seventy.

2. Saint Andrew of Crete was not only a preacher(he owns a whole series of “words”-sermons) and a hymnographer, but also a melodist. That is, the chants to which the words of the canon were sung were also originally invented by him.

3. Saint Andrew of Crete is considered inventor of the very form of the nine-part canon- a genre of church poetry, a kind of hymn poem. As a genre, the canon replaced the kontakion, which in ancient times was also a multi-stanza poem.

In general, the services of that time were much different longer. Thus, the Great Penitential Canon is by no means the most extensive in the work of Andrei Kritsky. And, for example, only in the same 7th century, when the saint began to preach, the form of the Six Psalms supposedly took shape. Before that, during the service, the Psalter was read in full.

4. Until the 14th century, Rus' adhered to the Studio Charter, which ordered the singing of the Great Penitential Canon on the fifth week. Sometimes the canon was split into parts, sometimes it was entirely included in the Sunday church service. The tradition of singing the canon in parts during the first four days of Lent is provided for in the Jerusalem Rule.

When in the 14th century the Russian Church switched to the Jerusalem Rule, it adopted, accordingly, this tradition. The tradition of reading the canon on Thursday of the fifth week has a later origin.

5. Initially the Great Penitential Canon in general not associated with the time and services of Pentecost. Some researchers believe that this work of St. Andrew arose as his dying autobiography, as repentance for his participation in the false council of 712. Then, under pressure from the heresiarch emperor, along with other participants, the saint signed a condemnation of the decisions of the VI Ecumenical Council.

A year later, the emperor changed, and all participants in the meeting repented, especially putting their signatures under the documents of the Ecumenical Council. But, apparently, the past deed did not give the saint peace. And then he creates his extensive poem about human repentance and man’s path to God.

6. The parts into which the Great Penitential Canon is divided when performed during the first week of Lent, in Greek they are called "mephimons". However, in Russian everyday life this word was often pronounced as “efimony”. The hero's trip to the "Efimon" is described in the novel "The Summer of the Lord."

Video about the canon of Andrei Kritsky: