How to ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday: tips and tricks

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Forgiveness of insults that sometimes hurt so much has a healing effect. And for both sides. Every person has moments that make him sometimes show his negative sides of character. The reasons for this may be very different. And this does not mean at all that he is bad, unworthy of love or forgiveness.

Jesus also said that whoever has no sin, let him cast the first stone. No one is immune from such actions in relation to the closest and dearest people, friends, colleagues, and so on.

And how great it is that in the Orthodox tradition there is such a wonderful holiday, which is celebrated on the last day before Lent. And it's called Forgiveness Sunday.

How to ask for forgiveness, traditions, historical data, forgiveness in verse - everything in our article.

Description

The celebration of Forgiveness Sunday has been carried out by followers of the faith of Christ since the days of early Christianity. Moreover, the customwhich represents this holiday, noble and deep, has greatness in spiritual terms.

Before the longest and most difficult period of the year, in which Great Lent takes place, each person has the opportunity to turn inward to find strength and ask for forgiveness: from God, loved ones, acquaintances, ancestors, and so on.

That is, to achieve the most complete spiritual cleansing before fasting and praying during the 40 days of fasting.

And always Christians, performing this custom, were accompanied by an indefatigable desire to receive forgiveness from the Almighty - for their sins, as well as for their people.

Physical cleansing

In addition to saying the sincere words "I'm sorry" on Forgiveness Sunday, you need to follow some rules. Food should also be modest and lean. After all, this day is the eve of strict Lent. In ancient times, there were such believing Christians who, at the very beginning, generally refused food and even water.

Although in fact in the first three days it is necessary to organize the diet in such a way that it does not contain boiled and fried foods, meat, dairy products. But you can eat mushrooms, sauerkraut, radish, fruits, juices, water. In general, everything vegetable that can be eaten raw.

History

There is a legend that tells of Egyptian Christian monks who met on the last day before Lent and asked each other for forgiveness, and then dispersed through the desert for all 40 days. This wasa period of complete detachment from earthly life, complete concentration on the spiritual. And not everyone could withstand such a load, some died or became victims of predatory animals.

And therefore, before a long parting, asking for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday meant for them to say goodbye forever, clearing themselves of insults, grief, evil caused to each other earlier.

This helped the monks to meet their earthly death in the desert freed from a heavy spiritual burden and to appear before the Almighty cleansed and enlightened.

Today

At present, a lot has changed: both in culture, and in human thinking, and in life in general. There are no longer any monks who would go to the desert for a long period of fasting. And there is no obvious danger of falling into the clutches of a predatory beast, staying in a prayerful vigil for all 40 days.

Now every person needs inner healing more than anything. Namely, the establishment of internal connections with oneself, loved ones and the outside world.

It became a problem for a single individual to be with himself and alone with God. These moments of life become scary, because they open all the wounds of the soul and heart, remind of the mistakes and insults that were once made.

And also difficulties in managing a naughty mind, which strives to frighten, undermine an already not very stable state of mind, lead to depression.

Because the day before Lent can become that frontier in the year wheninner peace and purification through mutual forgiveness, including oneself.

How to ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday? There is no universal answer to this question. Since each person can form this message only on the basis of their individual feelings:

• God - during the festive service and prayer.
• Parents, children, grandchildren and others - close and distant relatives.
• To acquaintances and friends, to other people.

The main thing is that the intention is pure, sincere and energetically strong. Then inner silence will come, and purification, and calm, and a complete renewal of connections - with the divine plan (vertical) and with people (horizontal).

And the fullness of goodness, joy, vitality after the mutual words "I'm sorry!" Forgiveness Sunday will help you live the next year easier and deeper.

Slavic traditions

Since the time of Kievan Rus, people have been aware of how to ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday regarding age and hierarchical differences.

For example, among believing ordinary people, the first to say the words of forgiveness is the one who is older. And only then does the younger person answer him. This applies to both relatives and other people.

As for social status, here also the chief asks for forgiveness from subordinates or those who are below him in position.

Even the Russian tsar until 1917, on the day of Forgiveness Sunday, addressed his subjects with sincere words:clergy, generals and soldiers. Everything was drawn up in the form of a special protocol and was of a serious spiritual nature.

After people forgive each other, they hug each other and give each other a warm smile. And then everyone gathers together in the church to listen to the sacred sermon.

Festive service in the temple

Usually on this day, the rite of forgiveness takes place in Christian monasteries, culminating in the performance of spiritual songs about Forgiveness Sunday, about the approach of the bright holiday of Easter.

Priests in their sermons at this festive service always try to convey to the parishioners such main points as:

• to ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday first of all from God, and then from people;
• the futility of physical fasting without spiritual cleansing - through the complete forgiveness of yourself and others;
• a reminder of the torment of Christ, who gave himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all people, and of the great forgiveness that still lives in his heart.

And it is so important for Christian believers with an open and pure heart to accept these truths, meditate on them and form a real intention to forgive.

Forgiveness in verse

By tradition, people today say to each other on Forgiveness Sunday: "I'm sorry!". Someone wraps it in friendly, sincere hugs and simple words, while others even in poems.

There are lines like this:

I apologize to everyone -

In ForgivenessSunday!

And let our relationship

Resentment and grief do not overshadow!

The following poem is also interesting:

The question of how to properly ask for forgiveness

on Forgiveness Sunday, Not at all self-explanatory, But only sincere words of forgiveness, Smiles of pure, burning hearts!

And a very important aspiration before Lent –

Spiritual cleansing, God's blessing, And a life of bright insight!