Is the Eucharistic Orthodox Canon a law or a prayer?

Everyone had to hear the word "canon". But very few people know what it means, what is the story of its origin. In Western Semitic languages, the canon is reeds and reeds. This has nothing to do with the present meaning of the word, is it not? Although in fact the connection is traceable to the most direct. In the ancient world, a reed pole of a certain length served as a benchmark for measuring land. And in modern times there is also a device that sets the rhythm and musical intervals. It is called a monochord, or canon.

Gradually the meaning of the term expanded. From the standard of measurement of length the canon has turned into a set of some established rules. They can relate to different areas of life and the scope of people. For example, in art, the canon is a collection of certain rules for composition, image, etc. It is another matter that modern art often departs from forms, protests against them, breaks the established framework. The same goes for other areas: science, religion, ethics, aesthetics. We can say that this set of rules is a traditional one, not subject to discussion. But nevertheless, under the pressure of innovators, he changes from time to time. A vivid example is the development of the canon of iconographic art.

In Christianity, especially in Orthodoxy, the term has acquired a particularly broad meaning. The most extensive is a set of church rules and dogmas. There is also the Biblical canon - these are the books of the Old and New Testaments, which the Church recognized as inspired. And those Gospels and other texts that are not included in this list are called apocrypha. There is also the eucharistic canon, also called anaphora - clearly laid down rules for conducting the liturgy. The list of priests and monks of a certain diocese is also called the canon. It is understood that these people share the doctrine of faith and follow the prescribed rules. Therefore such ministers of the Church are still called canons.

But in Orthodoxy there is one more meaning of this term that is absent in other Christian denominations. The canon is a genre of ecclesiastical poetry, a form of hymnography. It appeared in the 7th century. It was in those days that the Fathers of the Church, like John Damascene and Andrew of Crete, created the first canons. Since then, such chants and performances Hymns firmly entered the liturgy of Orthodoxy. They are read for Matins, Compline, Midnight Service, and also in prayer services. The laymen are instructed before the reception of the sacrament the day before to read the canon penitential to Jesus Christ, as well as to the Theotokos and his Guardian Angel. These hymns are read at home before going to bed. After their utterance, you can not eat anything, as the sacrament should be taken on an empty stomach.

One more canon to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary is pronounced by the priest on behalf of the dying believer. This formulation expresses the call of a seriously ill person to his loved ones to pray for his soul. This is not a prayer for the healing of the body, but a request to God and the saints to help the dying soul overcome posthumous tribulations, forgive all sins and open the way to the heavenly gates.