a rest, pray

the benefit is given to man by idleness? Pilgrimage - a kind of suffering or tourism? What is the oldest mission stations and major holidays? As influenced by prayer, liturgy and confession on the mental state of man? What place does the health system, religious taboos and prescriptions? The world's religions offer different and sometimes quite similar responses to these questions.
Does every holiday for you? Let us turn to the first counselor in the field - the world's religions. Let's start with Christianity.

not fun, but the need

The Bible says that God himself was the first "travelers": "In six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and rested the seventh day and rested." Apparently, even God needs rest. What to say about us mere mortals. To strengthen their forces, Christians have to relax mentally and physically. After all, according to the teachings of the church and health - a gift from God, as life itself. Because some people need to treat yourself very carefully. But excessive concern about body and health can develop your passions and vices. For example, the need for food can turn into gluttony.
Activities should take place in a careless and mindless fun. This is not a simple pleasure, but rather an urgent necessity. Leisure and entertainment according to the canons of the Christian Church, Orthodoxy - in particular, can bring joy, but for a person's inner world, they are the same, than stringy candy for the digestive system. According to the priest Danilov Monastery Mikhail Dudko, physically and spiritually restored only person in prayer.
St. John of Kronstadt said: "I know that after the prayer, even a short nap would be to I was refreshing and return me strength. " Throughout his life he worked 18-20 hours notice, no holidays and weekends, and never complained of fatigue. Generally speaking, in ancient times the monks have been such a rule: "Work hard and pray." It would seem: a great joy? But somehow they lived happily ever after. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II has almost no rest. When doctors try to convince His Holiness that and relax sometimes does not hurt, he replies: "I know many people who were saving themselves unnecessarily, and that to my age did not survive. As God wills, so be it ».
Of course, if a person is sick, is on the verge of physical or mental exhaustion, he needed rest as the air. The Christian church does not forbid to make tourist trips and to visit restaurants, go out of town and go on a cruise. The only "but": everything should be in moderation. In food, entertainment and sleeping. "The main objective of most tourists - said Father Michael, - drink, walk, enjoy the worldly pleasures. After a rest they come not so much rested, but rather tired and soused what some diseases. Recreation - is to restore power to order so you can get back to work, not a way to run into trouble or pick up an intimate illness.

Cult tourism for Christians?

At first glance, the pilgrimage is similar to tourism. Although earlier it was more of a punishment, penance, than the rest. Pilgrimage - walking faithful to the Holy Places of worship, known in ancient times, it is based on the belief that prayer is more effective in areas that have a particular relationship to the gods. Since the Greeks and Romans gathered in remote temples, the Germans - in the sacred groves in the great feasts of the Jews went to Jerusalem. In the Christian world, the pilgrimage is a habit at the end of the IV. for example St. Helena, former mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, left for worship in Palestine, where he lived and taught the Savior. St. Helena erected there she found the Cross on which Christ was crucified.
Penance, voluntary or imputed, was that people had to go to Jerusalem. Now the Holy Land on foot do not go, and fly on an airplane. But many Christians - not rich people. And spending 500-700 dollars for a ticket to Jerusalem is for them a kind of penance. After all, have to save on food, clothing and on the same play. After collecting enough money, they go on pilgrimage to holy places or Russian or foreign. There are traditional routes of pilgrimage of Orthodox: Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulchre, to the relics of St. Nicholas of Bari in Italy, Mount Athos in Greece. In Russia it - Lavra, Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Optin Deserts, Diveyevo near Sarov and other places where the miracle-working icons and relics of saints. Common to all Christians is a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

not felt the Lord!

Every believer As an atheist according to Russian law has the right to leave. How to spend it, a purely personal matter, "the inheritance of conscience," as one would say earlier. But the craving for extreme forms of recreation in a Christian should not be. The reason is simple: from health - God's gift - just on their own initiative, voluntarily waive impossible. Pursuing the same extreme, people deliberately take risks for life. So true Christians are not recommended for snowboarding and skateboarding, wakeboarding and parachute jumping, vertical rock climbing and scuba diving. Otherwise, losing the gift of God, snischut his anger, because says "Do not tempt the Lord thy God." This is the comment of our priest - Father Michael.
Now turn to the fans to hunt. Gentlemen, replace the gun at the camera with a telephoto! Hunting according to Christian precepts - occupation, God was evil. For the fun of killing living beings is sinful. Destruction of wildlife for personal gain condemn all the laws - and mundane, and the church. But "hunt" for fish, large and small, Christianity allows all. After all, even Christ went to sea with the fishermen and gladly partook of fish dishes. Explained by such a seemingly simple injustice: for anglers fishing river and sea "critters" - a way of existence.
Speaking of dishes. The so-called separation and buzz in bars and restaurants as a form of recreation church relates to employment in doubt. Live somewhere you ought to humble, no frills and excessive passions. The church in general is eager to moderately congregation. To moderate as in joy and in sorrow, in work and leisure. Food, too, can not be turned into a cult. What food in restaurants, if not a cult? Of course, we can not succumb to provocations chefs, avert their eyes from the mouth-watering names in the menu and be satisfied, for example, a modest lunch or a glass of dry wine ... But the few who succeed. By the way, another argument in favor of moderation: good food, and tasting of sparkling wine, beer or zaboristogo peppered vodka, many are drawn to adventures and deeds of the possible consequences of which can be very telling for a long time. Then, of course, the Christian church can not accept. While on the other hand, at church feasts feast is served not skoromnoe. Good wine, vodka yes "and accept the monks." But it is more likely, though not uncommon, but an exception. Something and put under the statute. And the statutes and laws, as you know, sometimes echoing each other, and not just the church.
This is our first, of course, is not an exhaustive review of certain provisions of one of the world's religions - Christianity - is interpreted and regulate the concept of rest for the believer. In fact, the theme of the relationship of religion to rest much deeper and it is useful not only to believers. We will be happy to debate as researchers and clergy, and ordinary believers, regardless of their religion.

Olga Filatova