Christianity is not always clear not only to newcomers, but also to those who have been baptized for a long time and even regularly attend church with their loved ones. However, priests consider such an approach to serving Christ unacceptable, because having accepted faith, we, along with eternal life and blessing, receive a number of rules that we must fulfill. In Christianity it is impossible to classify the sacraments by degree of importance. They all only bring benefits human soul, which means every believer must take part in them. If you ask a clergyman a question about the sacraments and their sequence, they will most likely answer you that the first step on the path to the Lord is baptism, but the second, which carries enormous cleansing power, can be considered communion. Preparing for it takes quite a long period of time and requires a serious approach. A believer who wishes to receive communion must perform a series of manipulations and rituals in order to be admitted to one of the great sacraments. Our article is entirely devoted to the issue of preparation for communion. For beginners, this text can become a quality guide that will help you do everything on time and in accordance with church canons.
Communion: the essence of church rite
Preparing for communion includes several stages, but any church minister will advise you not to go through them thoughtlessly. In this case, the sacrament loses its importance and becomes a useless ritual, and such an attitude towards the sacrament is considered sinful. Therefore, those who are going to perform the ritual for the first time are recommended to learn in more detail about the very essence of the sacrament and its features before studying information about preparing for communion.
In general terms, communion is a special moment in the spiritual life of a believer when he can unite with the Creator, thus receiving assurance of his eternal life. We can say that during the ritual, a Christian eats the Body and Blood of Christ in order to get closer to him. This tradition was started by Jesus himself, saying goodbye to his disciples at the Last Supper.
The Gospel describes how he broke the bread and distributed it to those present, and then poured wine into cups, calling it his blood. Each of the disciples tasted the bread and wine, thus receiving communion for the first time. Today believers who want to have eternal life, must regularly perform this sacrament. Without it it is impossible to be saved. This moment was especially noted by Jesus Christ himself.
A quick glance at the ritual we are describing will not allow us to understand its essence and depth. From the outside it seems that parishioners are simply eating bread and drinking wine, but in fact, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, these products are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This is perceived as a real miracle that every true believer in God can touch.
The main meaning of the sacrament is that in the process a Christian receives spiritual food, as well as a guarantee of the immortality of his soul. The sacred texts say that only those who managed to unite with Jesus during their lifetime can be sure of eternal life. Naturally, even after death the soul will be able to do this.
Preparation for communion necessarily includes reading the Gospel in order to remember the very first communion of believers in the history of Christianity.
Holy Communion: preparation
As noted earlier, it is necessary to prepare for the ceremony in several stages. Moreover, each of them must be carried out consciously and assessed from the point of view of the spiritual, and not the worldly. Unfortunately, not all believers approach the sacrament in this way, so even after joining the church they cannot always name all the items on the list of preparation for such an important Christian ritual.
We have compiled a list that includes all the manipulations and actions necessary to approach communion in full accordance with the rules prescribed by the church:
- home prayer (preparation for communion includes church prayers);
- fasting;
- acquiring and maintaining spiritual purity;
- confession;
- attending the liturgy.
In addition, there are features of the communion procedure itself, as well as behavior after it. We will definitely mention all this in the future.
Number of communions: how many times do you need to participate in the sacrament?
Preparation for communion and confession is very important, but usually those who have only recently acquired faith have a reasonable question about the possible frequency of participation in the ritual. Many people realize that the sacrament can be performed more than once, which significantly distinguishes it from baptism. But it still remains unclear how regular a ritual should be that requires such careful preparation.
The clergy advise doing this at least once a month. It’s even better if you begin to receive communion weekly. To some Christians, such a number seems excessive, but in fact it is difficult to imagine how the opportunity to unite with Christ and feel his closeness can be considered a burdensome duty. Of course, for beginners, preparing for communion and confession is not easy work, requiring the exertion of all spiritual strength and partly being a real test of faith. However, over time, the feeling of goodness that covers a person after the ritual becomes literally a necessity, without which it is difficult to exist in the world.
Therefore, beginners can perform the sacrament four times a year. It is recommended to do this during large fasts, when the soul is ordered to work and voluntarily undergo certain restrictions. Preparation for communion in church on the eve of Easter is especially important. On this great holiday, every believer must perform the sacrament. It is believed that without this ritual a Christian cannot be fully imbued with the light that Jesus gave to all people on earth by his resurrection from the dead.
If you have just recently come to the temple, then know that in every action the regularity of its implementation is important. For example, many take communion for the first time after baptism, and then forget about this need for a long time, believing that they have already fulfilled everything prescribed for believers. However similar attitude to the sacrament is fundamentally wrong, so try not to lose the feeling of goodness, lightness and light received in the process of partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ. Keep in mind that the Lord sees not only our actions, but also our intentions, and therefore their purity must not be forgotten. IN modern world It’s very easy to get dirty about gossip, intrigue, anger and envy, for example. You can remove such a burden from yourself only through participation in the ritual we describe.
Prayer Rule
In the process of preparing for communion, prayers are very important element, which sets a person in the right mood and clearly characterizes his intentions. Let's say right away that they are secretly divided into home and church. Both of them have great power, so the priests instruct parishioners in such a way that they must come to church, where the collective power of turning to the Lord increases several times, but at the same time devote time to home prayer.
The fact is that in church every person feels the presence of higher powers, and the vibrations caused by the words spoken at the service and the mental appeals of ordinary parishioners are a real energy flow. It is able to calm and heal mental wounds, and also literally “wash away” any negative energy from a person.
At home, prayer is structured a little differently. It naturally has some healing and cleansing power, but at the same time it requires more concentration. Indeed, among worldly affairs and worries, it is quite difficult for an ordinary person to abandon all matters and completely surrender to communication with the Lord.
If your goal is to prepare for communion, you should read the canons daily. Some believers read them only the day before the Sacrament, but it would still be correct to start doing this at least ten days before the ceremony. Three canons are important:
- to Jesus Christ;
- To Mother of God;
- to your guardian angel.
The text of the listed prayers can be found in the prayer book or on the corresponding information resources. But usually believers know them well by heart, although they are quite difficult for beginners to understand. For example, the canon to the Guardian Angel includes eight songs, three troparions and a prayer - and this is not all of its components. Therefore, at first it is allowed to read the canons from a sheet of paper during home prayer.
If you find it difficult to pronounce all the lyrics in their entirety, then try taking one song from each canon. They can be pronounced in any order, alternating with each other.
Among the prayers, it is customary to highlight Follow-up. It consists of psalms and directly prayer texts. The beginning of this appeal to the Lord is as follows:
In the process of preparing for communion, the canons and the Follow-up are read every day at any time convenient for the Christian. But it would still be better to do this in the evening hours just before going to bed, when there is an opportunity to analyze the past day.
Keeping the fast
At all stages of preparation for communion and confession, prayer, even daily, will not be enough. Therefore, fasting is a prerequisite for admission to the Sacrament. Both men and women must observe it, but children under seven years old can take part in the ritual without prior preparation. In addition, children are allowed to receive communion first.
Fasting is a conscious action necessary in order to understand the importance of the upcoming ritual. Priests always condemn mechanical adherence to rules, and they even recommend special fasting for some parishioners. In the original understanding of the word “fast” there is a limitation. For the sake of enlightenment and glorification of God, a person must give up what is necessary and important to him. In ancient times, food served as this value, so people fasted, limiting themselves to it. Today, church ministers recommend giving up what is very dear to you. For example, some should close all social networks for a certain period of time, while others should give up the Internet or shopping.
However, preparation for communion and confession includes a classic version of fasting. Three days before the Sacrament, dairy and meat products, as well as eggs and dishes using them, are prohibited. In order to support yourself, you can eat vegetables and fish. However, in the evening hours before communion, seafood also becomes forbidden. From midnight, believers must abstain from all food and liquid. It is believed that the Body and Blood of Christ purify a person and sanctify him only if the conditions described above are met.
A few words about spiritual purity
Preparing for confession and communion involves abstaining from all kinds of entertainment activities. The Church does not forbid its parishioners to have fun and be in a good mood, but, unfortunately, in the process of preparing for the sacrament, any such events do not contribute to the preservation of spiritual purity.
Believers should not only refrain from going to visit people, the theater, or the cinema, but also significantly limit their TV viewing. It is better if you can avoid television completely.
It is especially worth paying attention to your mood and state of mind. In the process of preparing for confession and communion, it is important to maintain purity of thoughts. Believers must control feelings such as envy, anger, blame, and so on. Avoid judging your loved ones and unfamiliar people, negative statements and swear words. Nothing should come from your mouth that could offend any other person. Controlling your mood is usually the hardest thing to do. Try to be in an even and calm mood, avoiding outbursts of emotions.
It is recommended to spend your free time praying and reading church books. How much effort to spend on this activity is decided by the person himself. There are no special regulations or rules in the church on this issue. Preparation for communion also implies the renunciation of intimacy between spouses on the eve of the ceremony. The ban does not apply to the time interval preceding this evening.
Confession
Repentance and awareness of one's imperfection are an indispensable condition for the performance of the Sacrament. In the process of preparing for communion, everyone who plans to take part in the ritual must voice their sins to the priest. Reconciliation with the Lord is possible only through the process of confession, which can be imagined as listing your sins before a priest. He, in turn, will pray for their redemption, which significantly distinguishes confession from an ordinary conversation with a church minister. If you have a lot of questions for a church minister, try to arrange a meeting and conversation in advance. Usually quite a lot of people gather for confession, and therefore a detailed conversation may not work out. Therefore, newcomers who are preparing for communion and confession for the first time remember the sins they have committed over the years of their lives in advance and come to church with full awareness of their bad deeds.
Any person who thinks about confession for the first time understands that he does not always do the right thing. The commandments given by the Lord to Moses list all aspects that a Christian must adhere to. If you do not comply with at least one of them, then you are close to sinful behavior, which means it is time to come to church with repentance.
It is interesting that many people, in the process of preparing for confession and communion, think about how to compile a complete list of sins. However, church ministers strongly condemn this approach to the sacraments. The fact is that in the modern world of information technology it is customary to treat everything mechanically. Therefore, ready-made registers of sins are often used. In the process of preparing for confession and communion (many don’t even think about how to compile such a list on their own), such an attitude towards the great sacrament is condemned and cannot be a characteristic of a worthy Christian.
Keep in mind that during the confession process there is no need to be embarrassed and come up with the correct names for sins. Oddly enough, many try, even during confession, to “keep it up” and not lose face in front of the priest. However, you should not behave this way. From century to century, the list of sins practically does not change, and church ministers have heard about various sins, so it is difficult to surprise or amaze them with anything.
Even those who prepare for confession and communion more than once (prayers, fasting, awareness of sins, and so on) cannot always put together all the rules that will help them confess to the Lord with a full understanding of what they have done.
First of all, it is worth understanding that in the literal sense of the word, confession or repentance sounds like “a change of mind.” Therefore, you need to understand that changes in your life begin even before coming to the temple. If you are willing to take the time to recognize the unrighteousness of life, then by the time you meet the priest, change has already begun.
Do not forget that repentance mainly concerns mortal sins, such as adultery, theft, renunciation of one’s faith, and so on. Of course, during confession it is necessary to list the minor sins that we commit every day and do not even always realize that we are doing wrong. Rest assured that we will make such mistakes all the time, and we need to be prepared for this. Quite often, church ministers advise us to accept our sinfulness humbly, because only the Lord has no sin, and everyone else is more or less prone to mistakes.
Keep in mind that it is impossible to fully repent of sins if you are in a quarrel with someone. Of course, the priest will accept your repentance and you will be able to receive communion, but in reality the confession will be incomplete. Try to decide everything before going to the temple conflict situations. If this cannot be done due to the other person’s categorical refusal, then mentally ask him for forgiveness and forgive him for everything yourself.
Keep in mind that after confession, the priest may assign you penance. Many see it as a punishment, but in reality it is an opportunity to cleanse and prepare for the sacrament. Penance is prescribed for a certain period of time and can consist of abstinence, reading special prayers, or, for example, performing certain acts related to charity.
When we talk about communion, confession must take place on the eve of the sacrament. As a last resort, this can be done in the morning on the day of communion. But in this situation, you must know for sure that the clergyman will be able to devote time to you. Otherwise you will not take part in the sacrament.
Divine Liturgy
After fulfilling all the above conditions, believers must come to the liturgy. This service is held from the very early morning and those who plan to receive communion come to it with an empty stomach. You need to endure the service to the end and in its final part accept the gifts, which will symbolize the Blood and Body of Christ.
Rules of conduct during and after communion
Having defended the liturgy, the faithful accept the gifts with respect. At the same time, you should not cross yourself near the chalice, but it would be more convenient and correct to fold your hands on your chest in a cross. When accepting gifts, it is important to say your name. Moreover, keep in mind that it should be the same with which you were baptized.
After you move away from the bowl, approach the table with the prosphora. Take one and eat it right away. Then it is recommended to move away from the table so as not to interfere with the rest of the parishioners to bring the sacrament to its logical conclusion.
However, after all the manipulations have been completed, you cannot leave the church. No less important than accepting gifts is saying prayers of thanks, as well as kissing the cross. The priest walks around the flock with him at the very end of the service.
Only after all this can we consider that the sacrament has been accomplished. Church ministers recommend trying by any means possible to preserve the feeling received during the process of communion. Moreover, they claim that each successive communion makes it easier and easier to do this. In the future, the believer will be able to maintain spiritual purity and light after communion literally every day.
Prohibition of communion: we list the categories of Christians who will be denied participation in the sacrament
Not everyone will be able to take part in communion. And everyone who plans to begin preparing for the sacrament needs to know about these categories of persons. For example, believers who neglected confession will not be allowed to receive gifts. They are not given the opportunity to touch the great Christian sacrament.
Those who are in an insensitive state will also be denied the ritual. Also, spouses who had intimacy the day before will have to forget about communion. This interferes with the preservation of spiritual purity, and therefore cannot be considered a godly act.
Women with monthly menstrual bleeding should also wait to receive communion. The same applies to people recognized as possessed. If during seizures they fall into unconsciousness and blaspheme, then the clergy will ban their participation in the sacrament.
Preparing for Communion: a reminder
So, we think that you have already fully realized how difficult the process of preparing for communion is. Therefore, it is quite easy to get confused in the rules established by the church for those who plan to take part in the sacrament. To sum up our article, we have compiled a small reminder.
Before visiting the temple, work on understanding your sins and classifying them. Sincerely repent of what you have done and only then go to confession. Be sure to maintain spiritual purity before the sacrament through prayer and fasting, as well as after it with good deeds.
In church, never push or try to be the first to accept gifts. Women must carefully observe a certain style of clothing: covered shoulders, long skirts, and a head covered with a headscarf. Do not wear bright makeup or lipstick.
Remember that communication with the Lord is a very valuable gift that every Christian can use. Communion can completely change your life, so don't waste time and take this important step towards light and spiritual rebirth.
Are you thinking about going to confession, but haven't decided to do it yet? Are you confused because you don't know how to properly prepare for this? Using the following below simple tips you can take your first steps.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CONFESSION
Confession- the sacrament of reconciliation with God, when the penitent, in the presence of a witness-priest, reveals his sins to God and promises not to repeat them, and the priest prays for the forgiveness of the sins of the confessor. A confidential conversation with a priest, where you can discuss some details of your life and get answers to questions, should be distinguished from confession. Of course, some issues can be resolved during confession, but if there are a lot of questions or their discussion requires a long time, then it is better to ask the priest to set up a time for you to talk separately. Next, let's move directly to tips on preparing for confession.
1. Realize your sins. If you are thinking about confession, it means that you admit that in your life you did something wrong. It is with the awareness of one’s sins that repentance begins. What is sin and what is not? Sin is everything that contradicts God's will, or, in other words, God's plan for the world and man. God's plan for the world is revealed in Holy Scripture- Bibles. A partial, most “concise” expression of God’s plan for the practical life of man are the commandments - the famous Ten Commandments given to Moses at Sinai. Jesus Christ summarized the essence of these commandments as follows: “ Love the Lord God with all your heart" and "love your neighbor as yourself" Before preparing for the first confession, it is useful to re-read the Savior's Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew) and the parable of the Last Judgment, where Jesus Christ says that our life will be assessed based on how we treated our neighbors.
2. Don’t use “sin lists.” Recently, among believers (as they say, “churched”, that is, more familiar with church tradition, and in practice, with parachurch superstitions), various kinds of “lists of sins” have been distributed. They rather harm the preparation for confession, because they very successfully help turn confession into a formal listing of “what-is-sin.” In fact, confession should not be formal under any circumstances. In addition, among the “lists of sins” there are some completely curious examples, so it is better not to consider brochures of this kind seriously at all.
The only exception may be the most a brief “memo” of the main sins, which are often not recognized as such. An example of such a memo:
A. Sins against the Lord God:
- disbelief in God, recognition of any significance for other “spiritual forces”, religious doctrines, in addition to Christian faith; participation in other religious practices or rituals, even “for company,” as a joke, etc.;
- nominal faith, not expressed in any way in life, that is, practical atheism (you can recognize the existence of God with your mind, but live as if you were an unbeliever);
- creation of “idols”, that is, placing them in first place among life values anything other than God. Anything that a person really “serves” can become an idol: money, power, career, health, knowledge, hobbies - all this can be good when it occupies the appropriate place in the personal “hierarchy of values”, but when it comes first , turns into an idol;
- turning to various kinds of fortune tellers, sorcerers, sorcerers, psychics, etc. - an attempt to “subdue” spiritual forces magically, without repentance and personal effort to change life in accordance with the commandments.
b. Sins against one's neighbor:
- neglect of people, resulting from pride and selfishness, inattention to the needs of one’s neighbor (a neighbor is not necessarily a relative or acquaintance, it is every person who happens to be next to us in this moment);
- condemnation and discussion of the shortcomings of others (“ You will be justified by your words and you will be condemned by your words", says the Lord);
— prodigal sins of various kinds, especially adultery (violation of marital fidelity) and unnatural sexual relations, which is incompatible with being in the Church. The so-called so-called, widespread today, also refers to prodigal cohabitation. “civil marriage”, that is, cohabitation without marriage registration. It should, however, be remembered that a registered but unmarried marriage cannot be regarded as fornication and is not an obstacle to remaining in the Church;
— Abortion is the taking of the life of a human being, essentially murder. One should repent even if the abortion was done according to medical indications. Inducing a woman to have an abortion (by her husband, for example) is also a serious sin. Repentance for this sin implies that the repentant will never knowingly repeat it again.
— appropriation of someone else’s property, refusal to pay other people’s labor (ticketless travel), withholding the wages of subordinates or hired workers;
— lies of various kinds, especially slandering one’s neighbor, spreading rumors (as a rule, we cannot be sure of the veracity of rumors), inability to keep one’s word.
This is an approximate list of the most common sins, but we emphasize once again that you should not get carried away with such “lists”. When further preparing for confession, it is best to use the Ten Commandments of God and listen to your own conscience.
3. Talk only about sins, and your own. In confession you need to talk about your sins, without trying to minimize them or show them as excusable. It would seem that this is obvious, but how often do priests, when accepting confession, hear, instead of confessing sins, everyday stories about all their relatives, neighbors and acquaintances. When in confession a person talks about the grievances caused to him, he evaluates and condemns his neighbors, essentially justifying himself. Often in such stories, personal sins are presented in such a light that it would seem completely impossible to avoid them. But sin is always the fruit of personal choice. It is extremely rare that we find ourselves in such conflicts when we are forced to choose between two types of sin.
4. Don’t invent a special language. When talking about your sins, you shouldn’t worry about how to call them “correctly” or “church wise”. We must call things by their proper names, in ordinary language. You are confessing to God, who knows even more about your sins than you do, and calling sin as it is will definitely not surprise God.
You won't surprise the priest either. Sometimes penitents are ashamed to tell the priest this or that sin, or there is a fear that the priest, having heard the sin, will condemn you. In fact, over the years of ministry, a priest has to listen to a lot of confessions, and it is not easy to surprise him. And besides, all sins are not original: they have practically not changed over thousands of years. Being a witness to sincere repentance of serious sins, the priest will never condemn, but will rejoice at the person’s conversion from sin to the path of righteousness.
5. Talk about serious things, not trifles. There is no need to start confession with such sins as breaking the fast, not going to church, working on holidays, watching TV, wearing/not wearing certain types of clothes, etc. First of all, these are definitely not your most serious sins. Secondly, this may not be a sin at all: if a person has not come to God for many years, then why repent of not keeping fasts if the very “vector” of life was directed in the wrong direction? Thirdly, who needs endless digging into everyday minutiae? The Lord expects from us love and giving of the heart, and we told him: “I ate fish on a fast day” and “embroidered on a holiday.”
The main focus should be on our relationship with God and our neighbors. Moreover, by neighbors, according to the Gospel, we mean not only people who are pleasant to us, but everyone who meets us in our lives. life path. And above all, our family members. Christian life for family people begins in the family and is tested by it. Here is the best field for cultivating Christian qualities: love, patience, forgiveness, acceptance.
6. Start changing your life even before confession. Repentance in Greek sounds like “metanoia,” literally “a change of mind.” It is not enough to admit that you have committed such and such offenses in life. God is not a prosecutor, and confession is not a confession. Repentance must be a change of life: the penitent intends not to return to sins and tries with all his might to keep himself from them. Such repentance begins some time before confession, and coming to church to see the priest already “captures” the change taking place in life. This is extremely important. If a person intends to continue sinning after confession, then maybe it’s worth postponing confession?
It is necessary to stipulate that when we talk about changing life and renouncing sin, we mean first of all the so-called “mortal” sins, according to the word of the Apostle John, that is, incompatible with being in the Church. With such sins Christian church Since ancient times, she considered renunciation of faith, murder and adultery. Sins of this kind can also include the extreme degree of other human passions: anger towards one’s neighbor, theft, cruelty, etc., which can be stopped once and for all by an effort of will, combined with the help of God. As for small, so-called “everyday” sins, they will largely be repeated after confession. One must be prepared for this and accept it humbly as an inoculation against spiritual exaltation: there are no perfect people, only God alone is sinless.
7. Be at peace with everyone. « Forgive and you will be forgiven", says the Lord. - " By which court you judge, you will be judged" And even more powerfully: “ If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" If we ask God for forgiveness, then we ourselves must first forgive the offenders. Of course, there are situations when asking for forgiveness directly from a person is physically impossible, or this will lead to an aggravation of an already difficult relationship. Then it is important to at least forgive on your part and not have anything against your neighbor in your heart.
Some practical recommendations. Before you come to confession, it would be a good idea to find out when confession is usually held in the church. In many churches they serve not only on Sundays and holidays, but also on Saturdays, and in large churches and monasteries - on weekdays. The greatest influx of confessors occurs during Lent. Of course, the Lenten period is primarily a time of repentance, but for those who come for the first time or after a very long break, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy. It may turn out that confession is held in the church on Friday evening or Saturday morning - on these days there will probably be fewer people than during Sunday services. It’s good if you have the opportunity to personally contact the priest and ask him to set a convenient time for you to confess.
There are special prayers that express a repentant “mood.” It is good to read them the day before confession. Penitential canon Lord Jesus Christ is printed in almost any prayer book, except the shortest ones.
During confession, the priest may assign you penance: abstaining from communion for a while, reading special prayers, prostrations or works of mercy. This is not a punishment, but a means to overcome sin and receive complete forgiveness. Penance can be prescribed when the priest does not meet the proper attitude towards serious sins on the part of the penitent, or, conversely, when he sees that the person has a need to do something practically to “get rid of” the sin. Penance cannot be indefinite: it is appointed for a certain time, and then must be terminated.
As a rule, after confession, believers take communion. Although confession and communion are two different sacraments, it is better to combine preparation for confession with preparation for communion.
If these little tips helped you prepare for confession, thank God. Do not forget that this sacrament must be regular. Don't put off your next confession for many years. Confession at least once a month helps you to always be “on your toes” and treat your life attentively and responsibly. Everyday life, in which, in fact, our Christian faith should be expressed.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNION
A reminder to a Christian who wishes to approach the Holy Chalice to receive communion of the life-giving Body and Blood of Christ the Lord.
An Orthodox Christian who wishes to begin the Holy Sacrament of Communion must remember that in order for Communion to the Lord not to be “in court and condemnation,” a Christian must fulfill a number of essential and disciplinary conditions. Disciplinary conditions are not strictly mandatory, and in the event of extraordinary circumstances (for example, in the event of a serious illness of a person or his dying condition) are not enforced. However, Orthodox Christians should remember that the development of these disciplinary conditions was based on the extensive experience of the life of the Church, and therefore, under normal circumstances, this external preparation (attendance at worship services, fasting, home prayer, etc.) is also mandatory.
1. Awareness of meaning. A person must be absolutely aware of where and why he has come. He came to enter into communion with God, to become a partaker of the Divine, to unite with Christ, to taste the Lord’s Supper for his sanctification and cleansing from sins, and not to fulfill religious rite, “drink compote” or have dinner. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “ Next, you gather together in a way that does not mean eating the Lord's supper; for everyone hastens to eat his food before others, so that some are hungry, and others get drunk. Have you no houses to eat and drink? Or do you neglect the church of God and humiliate the poor? What should I tell you? Should I praise you for this? I won't praise you"(1 Cor. 11:20-22).
2. Sincere desire. A person must have a completely sincere desire to unite with Christ. This desire must be alien to all hypocrisy, and it must be combined with the Fear of God: “ The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord"(Prov. 9:10). A person must remember that “whoever eats this Bread or drinks this Cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord"(1 Cor. 11:27).
3. Mental peace. A person approaching the Chalice must have peace of mind, that is, a state alien to malice, enmity or hatred against anyone. In such a state, it is impossible for a believer to approach the Sacrament. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “ So, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift"(Matt. 5:23-24).
4. Churchness. And, finally, the last essential condition: a person must not violate the canons of the Church, which excommunicate him from Communion and the Church, that is, be within the limits of faith and faith permitted by the Church. moral life, because " grace is given to those who do not violate the limits of faith and do not transgress the traditions of the fathers"(Message to Diognetus).
5. Confession. The tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church requires mandatory confession before Communion : « Let man test himself, and in this way let him eat from this Bread and drink from this Cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying."(1 Cor. 11:28-29). Confession before Communion can take place either the night before or in the morning before the Liturgy., and in necessary cases (holidays, workload of priests due to large cluster people, etc.), a few days before Communion.
6. Liturgical fast. Before communion ancient tradition The Church needs the so-called liturgical fast, or fasting before communion, which consists of from 24 o'clock on the night before communion they do not eat or drink anything, for it is customary to approach the Holy Chalice on an empty stomach . On holiday night services (Easter, Christmas, etc.), it should be remembered that the duration of liturgical fasting, as determined by the Holy Synod, cannot be less than 6 hours. The question arises: if someone, fasting for communion of the Holy Mysteries, while washing or being in the bathhouse, reluctantly swallowed a little water, should he receive communion? As St. Timothy of Alexandria answers in his canonical letter: “ Must. For otherwise Satan, having found an opportunity to remove him from Communion, will more often do the same"(answer 16). In doubtful cases, in the morning before the service, you should seek advice from the priest.
7. Body fasting. Anyone who wishes to receive communion must try to adequately prepare for this holy sacrament. The mind should not be overly distracted by the trifles of life and have fun. During the days of preparation, if circumstances permit, one should attend church services and more diligently follow the home prayer rule. The means to such a more focused spiritual life is fasting (in church practice it is called fasting): the body is prescribed abstinence and restriction in food (meat and dairy) . Physical fasting before Communion usually lasts for several days. and the general rule here is this: the less often a person receives communion, the stricter and longer the physical fast should be, and vice versa. The amount of physical fasting is also determined by family and social circumstances (life in a non-church family, hard physical and intellectual work), and under these conditions it naturally decreases. Let us note that for Christians who observe one-day and multi-day fasts, during Bright Easter Week, physical fasting before communion is, as a rule, completely abolished.
8. Bodily cleanliness. There are certain requirements for bodily cleanliness for men and women. First general requirement There is renunciation of physical marital relations on the eve of Communion . The ancient ascetic tradition also prescribes, unless absolutely necessary, for men to abstain from Communion on the day after an overnight involuntary discharge, and for women during Women's Day and 40-day postpartum period : « It is not forbidden to pray, no matter what state someone is in and no matter how disposed they are, to remember the Lord and ask for help. But let him who is not entirely pure in soul and body be prohibited from approaching what is the Holy of Holies."(Second canonical rule of St. Dionysius of Alexandria).
9. Attendance at worship services and home prayer. Since temple worship allows you to better prepare for the liturgy ( common cause- Greek), healthy person On the eve of Communion, you must come to church and pray with everyone at the evening service .
Home prayer includes except the usual morning and evening prayers , reading Follow-up to Holy Communion (after morning prayers in the morning).
The evening before Communion is also provided reading the three canons:
- Canon of repentance to the Lord,
- Prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, And
- Canon to the Guardian Angel
Those who wish, according to their personal zeal, can also read other prayers, for example, the Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus.
Alexander Bozhenov
Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth
Submit a church note (commemoration)
Brothers and sisters, now you can order requirements from the list offered to you right here on the website
Nowadays, the development of information technology makes it possible to submit memorial donations remotely. On the website of the Holy Resurrection Church (old) in Vichug, such an opportunity also appeared - submitting notes via the Internet. The process of submitting a note takes just a few minutes...
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How to prepare for communion for a child? What prayers should you read? Is it possible for pregnant or nursing mothers to meet all the requirements? A lot of bewilderment arises among those who for the first time decided to participate alone or with their children in the main sacrament of the Orthodox Church.
We asked experienced priests to answer some of the most popular questions.
How to prepare for communion: what to read?
In the Orthodox prayer book, even the shortest one, you will find a sequence for Holy Communion, consisting of a canon and several prayers. All this needs to be read the night before or in the morning before Divine Liturgy. Additionally, three canons are read: the Savior, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel. They can be read for several days before Communion. The prayer rule of a Christian can be adjusted by the priest receiving confession, depending on life circumstances. At the end of the liturgy, you need to listen in church or read prayers of thanksgiving for holy communion from the prayer book.
The usual preparation for communion includes fasting (refusal of food of animal origin, entertainment and marital relations for 1 to 3 days), confession (repentance of sins in the presence of a priest and receiving forgiveness), evening worship, reading the communion sequence and canons. For those who come to church for the first time, the priest during confession can adjust the individual preparation for communion: the measure of fasting or the type of prayer rule.
How to prepare a child for communion?
To prepare children for communion, it is first important to explain to them what it is. Here it would be correct to tell the truth, namely, that the sacrament is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This should be explained to the child from the very beginning. The words that some parents use are incorrect: “bread with wine”, “sweet bread”. There is no need to say such words to children, because it is not true.
It is important to tell the child that communion is Divine light, the fire of Divine love, which can cleanse and sanctify the soul. If you start communion without special preparation, then this fire can burn your soul.
Preparing a child for communion consists, first of all, of the work of the soul: we need to make peace with everyone, ask God and people for forgiveness for our bad actions. If the child is already an adult, then in order to ask for forgiveness from God, he can participate in the sacrament of confession. The age at which children begin to confess and the frequency of confession are discussed by parents with the family confessor, without whom it will be difficult to find the right solution. In general, children from 7 to 10 years old begin to participate in confession, but can receive communion without it.
Many issues related to preparing a child for communion are discussed in the document adopted by the bishops' conference of the Russian Orthodox Church “On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist.” The importance of parents approaching the Chalice together with their children is especially emphasized. A child’s correct attitude towards the sacrament is facilitated by the fact that he sees the preparation of his parents, their reverence for the sacrament. A child's fast before communion, of course, is different from an adult's. Starting from the age of three, a young Christian can be taught that he needs to receive communion on an empty stomach, so that by the age of 7 he will be ready for this. Young children can receive communion often - every Sunday or every time they come to church. By adolescence, it is important that the sacrament becomes conscious.
An important element in preparing children for communion is personal prayer to God. From the age of 7, it is worth reading at least one prayer, you can start with those that the priest reads before the Chalice: “I believe, Lord, and I confess...” and “Thy Last Supper is this day.” And be sure to explain their meaning, which may not always be immediately perceived by them. With age, the prayer rule before communion can increase, taking into account age, spiritual and intellectual development child.
How to prepare for communion while pregnant?
Priest Alexander Lavrukhin, cleric of the Church of the Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius at the 1st City Hospital, director of the St. Demetrius School, father of 9 children, Moscow
Pregnancy is a special period in the life of a family, especially a woman. At this time it is important inner life pregnant, since the state in which she is, to some extent, affects the baby developing in her womb. Of course, for a Christian, participation in the sacrament of communion is the most important meeting with Christ possible here on earth. It can happen as often as it is feasible for her.
If before pregnancy a woman was accustomed to fasting strictly and taking into account in her prayer rule not only the adherence to communion, but also the three canons, now this may turn out to be impossible. And instead of receiving communion more often, she, feeling that she cannot fulfill everything, will begin to receive communion less often, which, of course, will be wrong. This is stated in the document adopted by the bishops' conference of the Russian Orthodox Church 3 years ago, “On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist.” For those Christians who begin to worship More often once a week or once every 2 weeks, the rule for preparation should be slightly different: fasting during the day before communion is considered sufficient, and prayer preparation includes proceeding to communion (canon and prayers). If this practice applies to everyone who often receives communion frequently, then even greater relaxations are possible for a woman during pregnancy: fasting can be completely canceled or limited to not eating meat food, if this does not lead to undesirable health consequences (if there is no anemia, for example ).
It is not necessary to stand during prayer - to the expectant mother It is quite possible to pray while sitting. And when you come to church, you should not be shy and sit down. If a woman feels unwell, the task of her loved ones is to help so that she can be present in the temple.
If a pregnant Christian woman is in confinement (at home or in the hospital) and does not have the opportunity to come to church for confession and communion, then, of course, you need to invite a priest. It is very important that a woman can confess and receive communion, and one should not think that this is impossible outside the walls of the church.
How to prepare for nursing communion?
Priest Alexander Lavrukhin, cleric of the Church of the Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius at the 1st City Hospital, director of the St. Demetrius School, father of 9 children, Moscow
When a woman becomes a mother, participation in divine services and sacraments becomes much more difficult for her than even during pregnancy, if, of course, the pregnancy proceeded as normal. In order to come to confession and receive communion, mother and child need to make special efforts.
Ideally, of course, it would be to come to the service not on a holiday, but on a weekday, having found out the schedule in advance on the church website and checking by phone that there will be confession on that day. It is easier to agree with a priest about confession in advance if you have a confessor. It would be great to come to church not alone, but with your husband or grandmother, who could be with the child while the mother goes to confession. It is important to prepare the baby by that time so that he can spend these 20 minutes without his mother: feed him well, change him, so that he either sleeps in the stroller, or, in extreme cases, is in his mother’s arms, well-fed and happy.
You need to understand that for a woman, giving birth to a child, feeding and raising him is a service to God and the Church. Therefore, there is no need to be embarrassed by the fact that there is little time left for prayer, you do not always have time to read the morning and evening rule, it is rarely possible to come entirely to the liturgy. This is the time when it is important for a woman to pray to God, remember Him, and try to pass on her faith and love for God to the baby with milk.
Women nursing a baby, like pregnant women, are in a special condition physical health are going through an important period in their lives. And of course, communion with Christ, the Eucharistic life, affects the children whom their mother feeds. It is very important to receive communion often in this position. It is known that it is vital for a nursing woman to drink water at night or in the morning. Relaxations in the preparatory fast, in the Eucharistic fast (after 12 o'clock at night on the eve of communion, they usually do not eat or drink) and in the prayer rule, in which a woman prepares to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ, are acceptable and recommended. This is stated in the document of the bishops' conference of the Russian Orthodox Church - “On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist.”
It seems to me that the main thing is the mother’s desire to take communion. If it exists, then all the natural difficulties associated with motherhood can be overcome.
How should a young mother prepare for communion?
Archpriest Andrey Romashko, cleric of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Krasnoobsk, head of the Orthodox teenage club “Ark”, father of 8 children, Novosibirsk region
Communion is the main sacrament in which a person mystically unites with Christ, becoming a real, and not a nominal member of the Church - the Body of Christ. Meeting with the Savior is by no means an ordinary event; even in preparation for the arrival of guests, we clean the apartment, put ourselves in order...
A person consists of a soul and a body; accordingly, it is necessary to prepare both the body and the soul for the great Sacrament. Physical preparation includes fasting, spiritual preparation includes reconciliation with neighbors, prayer, repentance of sins. Thus, having cleansed her inner temple, the young mother can begin Communion and invite the Lord to her.
Preparation for lay communion is clearly described in the document ““. For example, before communion you must be at the evening service and not be late for the liturgy, and an exception is possible for the disabled and parents with small children. And mothers who have recently given birth and are breastfeeding can certainly be classified as one of them.
More specific recommendations for preparing for Communion can only be given by a priest who knows the circumstances of your life. And if there is no confessor, if you are going to a new church for yourself, try to ask the local priest in advance what requirements will be made of you, because, as you know, you can have problems with your own rules in a foreign monastery... One priest, based on his experience , will treat you condescendingly, while the other will see serious potential and require more effort. You may be offered different preparation schemes that have one goal: to receive communion for benefit, and not for sin, but they may differ in intensity, be more abrupt or gradual. It’s like with doctors: the surgeon will say “we’ll cut”, the therapist will say “we need to treat”, but the goal is one – human health.
So, we call the church (we send our husband, mother, and mother-in-law there) with the question: how can a young mother receive communion? You say, for example, “I’m a nursing mother, I have three children the same age, no helpers, I’ll come alone with all the children!” It is advisable to hear an answer from the priest, and if there is none, from a librarian, catechist or candle maker. Remember that not all temple workers are equally competent: the watchman or cleaning lady may say exactly the wrong thing. And you need to get answers to three fundamental questions:
1. When to come to confession? Is it realistic in your specific situation (children, breastfeeding, pregnancy) to make an exception and confess not during the service, so as not to ring the church with the crying of a baby?
2. What prayers should I read before Communion? The minimum is the Follow-up to Holy Communion, as it is printed in the Prayer Book. If you really don’t have time, find the audio of these prayers on your tablet or smartphone and listen. You can sit or lie down if you are feeding. The main thing is to listen carefully and pray.
3. How to fast? There are relaxations for pregnant and nursing mothers: only one day or no fasting at all. What is required in your specific situation should be determined in advance.
If you are not pregnant, are not breastfeeding, have someone to leave your children with - act like everyone else, without giving yourself unnecessary concessions. Well, if it’s really difficult for you, and you were advised not to make any special concessions, don’t be upset, your father is just a surgeon at heart. You will cope, figure it out, or find a priest-“therapist”. The main thing is to start, and then the Lord will help!
What's the point Christian life? There may be many answers, but no one will argue that Orthodox Christians see the ultimate goal of earthly existence as an eternal stay in paradise.
No one knows at what moment a person’s stay on earth may end, so one should be prepared for the transition to another world every second.
What is confession
The best way to get rid of sin is sincere repentance, when the thought of an unclean life becomes disgusting.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9).
The secret of confession in Orthodoxy gives Christians the opportunity to leave all their sins and brings him closer to the Knowledge of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Humble prayer and frequent confession are the results of repentance, real contrition of the spirit, which occurs in a constant struggle with passions.
About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:
Christ and the Sinner
Orthodox Christians who are constantly in prayer and repentance, bringing their bad deeds and thoughts to the altar of God's blood, are not afraid of death, for they know that their bad deeds are forgiven during confession.
Confession is a Sacrament, during which, through a priest, as an intermediary, a person communicates with the Creator, renounces his sinful life in repentance and recognition of himself as a sinner.
Any, even the smallest sin, can become a huge lock on the door of eternity. The Creator holds the repentant heart, placed at the altar of God’s love, in His hands, forgiving all sins, without the right to remember them, shortening earthly life and depriving us of eternal stay in paradise.
Bad deeds come from hell; fallen man leads them into the existing world, acting as a guide.
Sincere confession of wrong actions cannot be violent; only through ardent repentance, hatred of the sin committed, dying for it and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.
Forgiveness in Christianity
The secret of confession in Orthodoxy guarantees that everything was said in front of the priest, dies and does not leave the gates of the temple. There are no big or small sins, there are unrepentant sins and self-justification that alienate a person from accepting forgiveness. Through sincere repentance, a person comprehends the mystery of salvation.
Important! The Holy Fathers of the Church forbid remembering sins that were confessed to God in sincere repentance and left forever by a person.
Why do Orthodox Christians confess?
Man consists of spirit, soul and body. Everyone knows that the body will turn to dust, but concern for bodily cleanliness occupies an important place in the life of Christians. The soul, which will meet the Savior at the end of life, also needs to be cleansed from sins.
Only confession of sinful deeds, thoughts, and words can wash away the dirt from the soul. The accumulation of impurities in the soul causes negative emotions:
- irritation;
- anger;
- apathy.
Often Orthodox Christians themselves cannot explain their behavior; they do not even suspect that the cause is unconfessed sins.
A person’s spiritual health and a calm conscience directly depend on the frequency of confessing his vicious inclinations.
Confession accepted by God is directly related, or rather, is the result of sincere repentance. A repentant person sincerely desires to live according to the commandments of the Lord; he is constantly critical of his errors and sins.
Confession in the Orthodox Church
According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, repentance occurs in four stages:
- realize sin;
- admit your guilt in committing an offense;
- decide to permanently break off your relationship with wrong actions or thoughts;
- tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.
In obedience, going to the frank opening of his heart, which occurs in the presence of a priest, a person first of all steps over his pride. Some believers argue that one can confess directly in the presence of the Creator, but according to the laws of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Sacrament of Confession is considered legal if it is performed through an intercessor, prayer book and witness in one person, through a clergyman.
The main thing when confessing sins is not the rank of mediator, but the state of the sinner’s heart, his heartfelt contrition and complete renunciation of the committed offense.
What are the rules of confession?
People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession approach the priest before or during the Liturgy, but always before the Sacrament of Communion. By prior agreement, priests visit sick people at home.
According to the Church Charter, during cleansing Orthodox soul There are no reservations about fasting or prayer rules, the main thing is that the Christian believes and sincerely repents. People do the right thing when, before coming to church, they spend time recognizing and writing down their sins, but these notes should be left at home.
In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts and torments, and for this you don’t need papers.
Deadly sins include:
- pride, arrogance, vanity;
- fornication;
- desire for someone else's and envy;
- excessive gratification of one's flesh;
- unbridled anger;
- a sad spirit that dries up the bones.
If this is an offense, before going to church, you need to reconcile with the offender and forgive the offending person.
In the presence of a priest, one should name the sins, say that I repent and admit it. In confession, we bring repentant sin to the foot of the great God and ask for forgiveness. Do not confuse a heart-to-heart conversation with a spiritual mentor and the Sacrament of Confession.
When consulting with a counselor, Christians can talk about their problems, ask for advice, and when confessing sins, they should speak clearly, clearly and briefly . God sees a repentant heart, He does not need verbosity.
The Church points out the sin of insensibility during confession, when a person has no fear of the Creator, has little faith, but came to church because everyone came so that his neighbors could see his “piety.”
Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid; it insults the Creator. You can find several priests, say one bad deed to each, but not repent of a single one, “taking on” the sin of hypocrisy and deception.
First confession and preparation for it
Having decided to confess, you should:
- clearly understand the importance of this event;
- feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
- repent of what has been done;
- forgive all debtors;
- be filled with faith for forgiveness;
- state all sins with deep repentance.
The first appearance of petition and repentance will force you to mentally “shovel” your life from the point of view of repentance, if the desire for repentance is sincere. At the same time, you should constantly pray, ask God to open the darkest corners of your soul, and bring all bad deeds to the light of God.
Sacrament of Repentance
It is a mortal sin to come to confession and then take communion with unforgiveness in your soul. The Bible writes that people who come to communion unworthily get sick and die. (1 Cor. 11:27-30)
Holy Scripture affirms that God forgives any repentant sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:30-32)
If the crime committed is very great, then after confession before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can assign penance - punishment in the form of many bows, many hours of reading the canons, intense fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to perform penance; it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.
Important! After confession they do not always receive communion, and it is impossible to receive Communion without confession.
Prayers before confession and communion: Christ knocks on the door
Only pride and false shame, which also refers to pride, hide the importance of complete trust in the Creator in His mercy and forgiveness. Righteous shame is born of conscience, it is given by the Creator; a sincere Christian will always strive to clear his conscience as soon as possible.
What to say to the priest
When going to confession for the first time, you should remember that what lies ahead is not a meeting with a clergyman, but with the Creator Himself.
When cleansing your soul and heart from a sinful inheritance, you should admit your guilt in contrition, humility and reverence, while not touching on the sins of other people. They themselves will give an answer to the Creator. One must confess in firm faith that Jesus came to save and wash His children from sinful deeds and thoughts with His blood.
Opening your heart to God, you need to repent not only of obvious sins, but of those good deeds that could have been done for people, the church, the Savior, but were not done.
Neglect of a task entrusted to you is an abomination to God.
Jesus, by His earthly death, proved that the path of purification is open to everyone, promising the thief who recognized Him as God, the Kingdom of Heaven.
God does not look at the number of bad deeds on the day of confession, He sees a repentant heart.
A sign of forgiven sin will be a special peace in the heart, tranquility. At this time, the angels sing to Heaven, rejoicing at the salvation of another soul.
How to prepare for confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko
The Orthodox faith presupposes the obligatory participation of Christians in church life. But simply going to church every Sunday will not have much meaning if a person does not participate in the fullness of church life and does not become one body with the Church. How can this be done?
We have been given great joy through which we can truly unite with the Lord, and which contains the whole meaning of Christianity - this is the Sacrament of Communion. Why is it so important and how to start it correctly? Let's look at it in this article.
What is the Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ
We see a description of the First Communion in the Gospel itself, when the Lord gave his disciples blessed bread and wine, commanding them to do so forever.
This is one of the most important quotes in the Gospel of Luke, which talks about the establishment by our Lord Jesus Christ himself of the great Sacrament of the Eucharist (which translated from Greek means “thanksgiving”). The events described in the Gospel took place on Maundy Thursday, at the Last Supper, just shortly before death on the cross Christ and His subsequent resurrection.
Meaning of Communion for Orthodox man is enormous and cannot be compared with any other rules, rituals or traditions of our church. It is in this Sacrament that a person has the opportunity to reunite with God not only spiritually (as in prayer), but also physically. We can say that the Eucharist is an opportunity to recreate the spiritual essence of a person, it is an opportunity to grasp the invisible connection between the Creator and creation.
The mystery of the Eucharist cannot be comprehended by a simple human mind, but it can be admitted through the heart and soul. Communion is inextricably linked with the Sacrifice that the Lord made on the Cross. Through the shedding of His Holy Blood, man received atonement for his sins and the opportunity to inherit eternal life. In the Sacrament of Communion, a bloodless sacrifice is made at each service, and a person comes into direct contact with God himself.
Important! Communion is not some kind of symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper, as can often be heard among Protestants.
Orthodoxy teaches that the Eucharist is the eating of the real Body and real Blood of Christ, only under the guise of bread and wine. The famous theologian and professor A.I. Osipov explains that during special prayers, which are said by the priest in the altar, a union of two different natures occurs - physical and spiritual.
In the physical sense, we eat bread and wine, but at the same time they carry within themselves an absolutely real and living God. This is a complex theological point that is not always clear to ordinary believers, but this is precisely the basis of Orthodoxy. Communion is not a ritual, not a symbol, not a form. This is the real, living Lord, whom we literally let into ourselves.
In a practical sense, this Sacrament looks like this. The priest at the altar reads special prayers, during which pieces are taken out of the consecrated prosphora in memory of those whose names were given in the notes. These particles are put into a special bowl and filled with wine. All this sacred rite is accompanied by special prayers. After consecration, the Body and Blood of Christ are brought out in front of the altar and the people who were preparing can begin to receive Communion.
Why do you need to take communion?
Often in the church environment you can hear the opinion that if a person prays, keeps the commandments, tries to live according to his conscience, then this is enough to be considered a good Christian. To be considered may be enough, but to be a real Christian, you need more.
The Eucharist is the eating of the real Body and real Blood of Christ, only under the guise of bread and wine
You can give the following analogy: a person loves someone. He loves deeply, sincerely, with all his soul. What will all the lover’s thoughts be about? That's right - about how to connect with your loved one, to be with him every moment and every hour. It’s the same with God - if we are Christians, then we love Him with all our souls, and we try to build our lives in such a way as to always be close to Him.
And now the Lord himself gives us a great Miracle - the ability to fit Himself into our sinful bodies. Contain as often as we want. So can we be called believers if we ourselves refuse this meeting, avoid it? Why then is everything else needed if we do not recognize the Living God?
All the holy fathers of our church unanimously spoke about the importance of Communion for the life of an Orthodox person. Even those monks who led a solitary hermit life periodically came out to the brethren to participate in the Eucharist. For them, this doing was a natural need of the soul, like breathing, food or sleep for the body.
Important! We must strive to absorb Communion so deeply that it becomes an integral part of the spiritual life of a Christian.
You need to understand that all the Sacraments of the church are not strict rules introduced by God for our taming. All these are instruments of our salvation that are necessary for man himself. God always stands next to every person and is always ready to enter his soul. But man himself, through his life, does not allow the Lord into himself, drives Him away, does not leave room for Him in his soul. And the path of Orthodox church life with obligatory participation in the Sacraments is a way to open your soul to God so that he can settle there.
Communion practice: preparation, frequency, features
The greatest number of questions among believers is raised by the practical side of participation in the fullness of church life. Since Orthodoxy is not a formal faith of prohibitions, there are a large number different opinions and approaches to Communion.
The most important sacrament of the Orthodox Church is communion
Some priests may also give various recommendations in this regard, based on their pastoral experience and the benefit for a particular person. Don't be embarrassed by this a large number different opinions. In essence, they boil down to one goal - for a person to worthily let the Lord into his life.
Concerning official position Church regarding the participation of believers in the Eucharist, there is a special document that clarifies all the main points. It is called “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist” and was signed by representatives of the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2015.
According to this document, the frequency, rules of preparation and other requirements for believers before and after receiving the Mysteries of Christ are determined by spiritual mentors based on the characteristics of a particular person’s life. Let us consider below the features of communion for modern Christians.
How to properly prepare for the Sacrament?
Communion is a very important and responsible moment in spiritual life, and therefore requires special preparation. How do we prepare for some special days V worldly life, so we must set aside time to prepare for a meeting with God.
According to the rules of our Church, before Communion all believers are required to fast and have a special prayer rule. Fasting is needed in order to pacify our flesh a little, quench its passions and subordinate it to spiritual needs. Prayer calls us to dialogue with the Lord, to communicate with Him.
Before Communion, all believers are required to have a special prayer rule
If you take an Orthodox prayer book, you can see that before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, believers need to read a special rule. It includes the Follow-up to Holy Communion, as well as several canons and akathists. These prayers are usually read in addition to the basic morning and evening prayer rules.
A new Christian who has decided to participate in the Eucharist for the first time in his life may find it very difficult to read such a large volume of prayer texts. In addition, such backbreaking work will lead to despondency, great fatigue and a lack of understanding of the meaning.
Important! Any prayers, including those preparatory to Communion, must be read carefully, heartily, letting every word pass through your soul. Mechanical proofreading in pursuit of greater volume is completely unacceptable.
Therefore, a person who has decided to take communion for the first time needs to consult with an experienced priest about the feasible volume of prayers. It is much better to read a small rule, but with attention, than to read everything, but without completely understanding what is being said.
About the post
Fasting is abstaining from eating animal products, as well as limiting idleness, entertainment and fun. There is no need to think that fasting is a sad state of banning all joys in life. On the contrary, fasting helps a person to cleanse his soul so that it can contain the real Joy of God.
The measure of fasting before the Eucharist is as individual as the prayer rule. If a person has not had any experience of restrictions before, then it is pointless to impose restrictions on him. weekly post before Communion. This will only lead to the person losing his temper, giving up everything and completely changing his mind about going to church.
Important! It is a generally accepted practice for believers to fast for three days before Communion. In addition, you need to go to church on an empty stomach and not eat or drink anything else until you partake of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The number of days of fasting may vary depending on the frequency of communion. If a person rarely begins the Sacrament, for example, several times a year, or once during Lent, then, of course, fasting can be longer (from several days to a week). If a person leads a rich spiritual life and tries to take communion every Sunday or every trip to church, he simply will not be able to fast for that long.
Before Communion, believers fast
For Orthodox Christians who very often participate in the Eucharist, it is permissible to shorten the fast to one day the day before. In any case, it is advisable to resolve such issues not on your own, but on the advice of an experienced priest. On the one hand, it is important not to take on impossible feats, and on the other hand, not to be lazy. An attentive confessor will be able to determine the correct line.
Confession
Despite the fact that confession is a separate Sacrament, it is inextricably linked with the Eucharist. The Orthodox tradition has always been based on the obligation of confession before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Confession before communion is quite logical, because even while waiting for guests to come to our home, we put things in order and remove the dirt. How can we let the Lord into us without first cleansing our soul with repentance?
Important! Many holy fathers warn that if a person does not feel the inner need for frequent confession, then he is in a state of spiritual sleep.
Confession, when accompanied by sincere repentance, cleanses the soul and removes the burden of heavy sins. A person gets rid of everything unnecessary and can let the Lord into himself. Confession is necessary every time a person approaches the Eucharist, regardless of its frequency.
Relaxations in preparation
Despite the strictness of all the necessary preparatory aspects, some believers can relax the rules. Thus, sick people can reduce or even cancel the Eucharistic fast if, for health reasons, they cannot do without food.
For example, with diabetes, a person must receive food strictly at a certain time. What to do if a believer cannot go to church on an empty stomach in the morning? Of course, it is better to eat a little than to deprive yourself of God.
And also certain concessions are allowed for pregnant and nursing mothers. They already carry out the physical feat, and there is no need to intensify it. Young children under 7 years of age are allowed to receive communion without fasting or any special preparations.
Old people, due to their weakness, can also ask the priest for permission to reduce the number of prayers or days of fasting. The essence of preparation is not to tire yourself out with the lack of usual food and very long prayers, but, on the contrary, to imbue yourself with joy from a future meeting with God.
It is very important to begin to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ not formally, but realizing that we are in contact with a great Miracle. A sincere, heartfelt approach can give a person great spiritual gifts and a sense of the presence of God in life.
How to prepare for confession and communion