The path of the Church is always the “golden” mean. Everything in Her is harmonious, everything in Her is verified to the smallest detail. Everything in Her leads with God's help man to salvation. So it is with continuous weeks (from the word “seven”, seven days of the week).
A continuous week is a week in which there are no one-day fasts on Wednesday and Friday, when you can eat all foods. The exception is the continuous Cheese Week before Lent, when by its Charter the Church gradually develops a person’s habituation to fasting, making his diet easier. Continuous weeks are established to achieve several goals, so to speak, in a complex. On the one hand, in terms of food, to accumulate strength for fasting or, conversely, to console yourself a little after a long fast, such as on Bright Week or Christmastide. On the other hand, it is to give a person the opportunity to relax before a long and intense spiritual feat: a kind of rest before a campaign or battle. On the third hand, to prevent us from falling into delusion and imagining that we are “great” fasters and ascetics.
There are only five continuous weeks in the church annual calendar:
1. Christmastide- from Christmas to Epiphany, from January 7 to January 18 (this, strictly speaking, is not a week, but 11 days).
2. Publican and Pharisee- two weeks before Lent.
3. Cheese (Maslenitsa)- the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat).
4. Easter (Light)- the week after Easter.
5. Trinity- the week after Trinity (the week before Peter's Lent) - this year falls in the interval from June 5 to June 11.
Speaking specifically about continuous week after the Day of the Holy Trinity, it is also connected with the fact that Pentecost is compared in its meaning to Easter. We triumph and rejoice that to us, Orthodox Christians, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity has been revealed - the Holy Spirit, Who generously poured out on the apostles, establishing the Church, and continues to pour out on us sinners.
We find the prescription for a continuous week after Trinity Day in the apostolic decrees: “After Pentecost, celebrate one week, and then fast; justice requires both rejoicing after receiving gifts from God, and fasting after relieving the flesh.”
As for the practice of communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ during Trinity Week, they are regulated by the document “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist,” adopted at the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on February 2-3, 2015. It says the following: “A special occasion in relation to the practice of preparing for Holy Communion is Bright Week - the week after the holiday of Easter. The ancient canonical norm about the obligatory participation of all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharist in the 7th century was extended to the Divine Liturgy of all days of Bright Week: “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until New Week, throughout the entire week, the faithful must in the holy churches continually practice psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphant in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the Holy Mysteries. For in this way we will rise together with Christ and ascend” (66th canon of the Trullo Council). From this rule it clearly follows that the laity are called to receive communion at the liturgies of Bright Week. Bearing in mind that during Bright Week the Rules do not provide for fasting and that Bright Week is preceded by seven weeks of the feat of Great Lent and Holy Week, - it should be recognized that the practice that has developed in many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church corresponds to canonical tradition, when those who observed Lent Christians during Bright Week begin Holy Communion, limiting fasting to not eating food after midnight. A similar practice can be extended to the period between Christmas and Epiphany. Those preparing for communion these days should: special attention guard yourself from excessive consumption of food and drink.”
Approximately the same can be said about other continuous weeks, including Trinity.
Let us rejoice and be merry, and celebrate the birthday of the Mother of the Church, and glorify and glorify our Comforter. With God's help, let us accumulate strength for Peter's Fast, which this year begins on June 12 and lasts exactly a month until July 12. This post is not strict. You can eat fish except Wednesdays and Fridays. But the main thing, of course, is to confess, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, attend divine services, strengthen prayer rule, do good deeds. After all, fasting is a small step with which we get closer to God.
During the days of Christmas week, which is blessed by the Church as a continuous week, on January 10, I decided to take communion in the church where I am a parishioner. I received Communion often even during fasting, broke my fast moderately, the night before Communion I did not eat anything from 12 o’clock, and I said the prescribed prayers. Due to the fact that in the Russian tradition Local Church You cannot approach Communion without confession; I went to the confessional lectern for a blessing for Communion. The priest told me that it’s a full week now, so I can’t fast, but I’m supposed to fast before Communion, so he can’t allow me to take Communion. I objected that the absence of fasting was blessed by the Church and could not be a reason for exclusion from the Holy Chalice. In addition, from 12 o'clock at night I fasted and prayed. And with this approach, when “it’s not possible, but it’s supposed to be,” the path to the Chalice is fundamentally closed for the laity precisely on the brightest days. Even if you fast, even if you don’t fast, you won’t receive communion. To this the priest told me that if I was not a monk, I should go to my confessor and receive communion from him, and asked me to leave the temple. It seems like I insulted him with my words. And I have been a parishioner of this temple since 2000. I understand that the priest acted unorthodoxly (I read your answer to a similar question in the section). My question is this. How should I behave further? Should we change the church during the period of Christmas and Easter to one where the priest does not block access to the Chalice on bright days, or once again try to explain to this priest that he was wrong? If the latter, then what methods and methods of explanation exist for this, blessed by the Church (so that pride does not interfere, according to the principle “there is nothing to tell a lay priest”).
Andrey, Moscow.
Dear Andrey, I hope that you will not have to wait very long, and at one of the next Councils of Bishops very important decisions will be made, very definitely indicating the opportunity for everyone who has fasted for many days to begin the Holy Mysteries on Bright Week and during the Christmas season. Today, it would hardly be wise for you to enter into a lengthy discussion with a priest who privately holds a different point of view. But since you live in Moscow and also study at St. Tikhon’s University, you will certainly be able to find churches, including the Church of St. Tikhon’s University, where you will not have any difficulties with the possibility of communion with Bright Week and other continuous weeks of the church year.
IN Orthodox world The calendar year begins with the Nativity Fast, which lasts until the Nativity of Christ. On January 7, a continuous week begins, called the Christmastide Church, and among the people simply called Christmastide.
Traditionally, multi-day fasts are intended for introspection, prayer and spiritual deeds. During Lent there are special rules that must not be violated. As a rule, the week is divided into Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when only food is allowed, Tuesday and Thursday, when hot food without oil is allowed, and Saturday and Sunday, when it is permissible to add vegetable oil in dishes.
Continuous weeks serve as a consolation after many days of fasting, help to stock up on strength before the upcoming spiritual test (after all, there are several fasts), and do not allow one to imagine oneself as “eternally limiting oneself as a faster.”
A continuous week is the week from Monday to Sunday, when even weekly fasts on Wednesday and Friday are canceled, and it is allowed to eat any food.
Such weeks are often preparatory to the 4 main Lents (Great, Petrov, Dormition and Nativity) and are tied to church holidays.
Types of weeks
During the year in Orthodox calendar The Church has established five continuous weeks before one or another fast.
Holy Week
The end of the Nativity Fast will mark the beginning of Holy Week. Strictly speaking, it lasts not seven days, but 11. The week covers the period from the Birthday of Christ, who came into our world in the name of the salvation of mankind, until the Baptism of the Lord - from 7 to 18 January.
“Holy days” or “Holy evenings” have been revered in the Church since ancient times. These days, by Charter Pr. Savva the Sanctified was forbidden to fast, genuflect and marry.
The sanctity of the continuous week was violated by remnants pagan holidays: for example, fortune telling.
Week of the Publican and Pharisee
The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee received its name thanks to the parable of the same name from the Gospel of Luke, which talks about the need for humility, not pride and exaltation of one’s virtues.
The Publican and the Pharisee are the heroes of the parable who came to repentance. The second convinced himself of his own exaltation and closeness to God so much that he stopped noticing his own pride, and the first sincerely admitted his sins and asked for forgiveness.
This Week is one of a series of preparatory weeks on the eve of Great Lent.
The Church Charter does not establish exact date continuous week, because it is tied to the date of Easter. Such a week must take place 14 days before the start of fasting.
Week of the Prodigal Son
Before Great Lent there is another preparatory week - the Week of the Prodigal Son. The Gospel of Luke contains a parable that tells the story of a father and son. A son wandering around the world, having squandered everything that was in his soul and given by his father, returns home to sincerely beg for forgiveness, and receives it.
Drawing an analogy, before Great Lent it is necessary to repent of sins and return to the bosom of the church, hoping for His mercy.
Week of the Last Judgment
The last 7 days before Great Lent in Orthodoxy, the Parable of the Last Judgment, and the whole week is dedicated to the memory of the deceased, inveterate and not inveterate by the church. These days we should remember that God is a fair judge, and not only merciful.
Maslenitsa
Pagan Maslenitsa actually merged with the last preparatory week before Lent, the continuous Cheese Week, which is revered Orthodox churches. IN Christian sense during Cheese week it is necessary to devote oneself to communication with neighbors and reconciliation with them.
The emergence of such a church tradition is associated with the vow of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius I, who waged a grueling war with the Persians. He made a vow not to eat meat a week before the start of Lent, and when the victory was won, the Church included such a rule in the Charter.
A distinctive feature of Cheese Week is food restrictions associated with the proximity of fasting. This week you can eat fish, dairy products, cheese and eggs, and meat dishes no longer possible.
Bright Week
During Easter week Jesus met with his disciples several times until they finally believed what had happened. The Savior’s last meeting was with the Apostle Thomas, who for the longest time refused to believe in the resurrection of the Lord and wanted to see the wounds and be convinced of the miracle.
Christ gave him such a chance by personally visiting Thomas, returning the student to the true path. The example of the apostle shows that the Church does not close the door to a person who wants to believe, but does not have the inner strength to do so.
The first week after Easter is called Bright Week - a time of joy, happiness, and a great miracle.
At this time, all services will be similar to Easter.
It is strictly forbidden to observe fasting, asceticism and even kneel. Throughout the whole week, people celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord: they rejoice and have fun. You can eat any food on all days.
Trinity Week
Latest in calendar year The continuous week is Trinity Week, which follows the feast of the Holy Trinity - the Birthday of the Church. According to legend, it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them the knowledge of languages.
In total, according to the Bible, there were 9 such gifts, including the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit descended on believers, giving them the opportunity to attract those who do not have faith to the Church and edify themselves and others.
During the week you will be able to eat whatever you want - the restrictions of Lent are ahead.
The end of Trinity Week is also the beginning of the summer Petrov (Apostolic) fast, which has different durations, but always ends on July 12 - the Day of Peter and Paul.
Orthodox fasts and weeks are inseparable from each other: the former provide the opportunity to accomplish a spiritual feat, purify oneself and engage in introspection, while the latter provide time to take a break from asceticism and experience the other side of life. It is important to remember that continuous weeks are not given for continuous fun, but for thoughtful fun - each of them is filled with inner meaning, open to believers.
If you don’t understand something, your faith is not strong, or you are looking for a mentor, go to church. Pray to God or talk to a minister.
Friends, one of the latest programs of the Orthodox Encyclopedia was devoted to the topic of communion.
Gave answers priest Alexy Uminsky.
It seemed to me that his answers were very interesting, and I was very pleased with Father Alexy’s reasonable, “humane” approach.
I bring them to your attention in a small abbreviation with my breakdown into subtopics.
About the frequency of communion.
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - Father John Krestyankin said: “The life of a Christian is a life of grace. This life is fellowship with the Lord. This communication is most effective and closest through the Communion of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore, from the very first centuries, Christians made frequent Communion the main benefit.”
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - I am very glad that you have such an ardent desire to receive communion at every Liturgy. Not only Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, but also many holy fathers, especially the early Church Fathers, said that Christians always took communion at every Sunday Liturgy. Frequent Communion is a completely natural and normal desire for every Christian. I support you in this and am very happy for you!
Communion and children.
TV viewer: -I am a nursing mother, my daughter is only 2 months old, and she is not yet baptized. Before her Baptism, should I receive communion and fast?
Presenter - Priest Alexy Uminsky: - According to the tradition of our Church, children are baptized on the 40th day after birth. If by this time you are already able to receive communion, then, of course, it would be good to come to church before the baptism of your child, receive a prayer of permission from the priest and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ yourself. Of course, you, as a nursing mother, do not need to fast before communion.
TV viewer: – I have three small children. I can’t always prepare for communion, read the rule, and it’s impossible to stand through the entire Liturgy with the children. What do i do?
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - This is a very important question. How to take communion with children? It is clear that when children are small, they do not have to be brought to the very beginning of the Liturgy, but can be brought to Communion itself. You can feed the little ones before Communion. But when parents want to take communion with their children, problems arise. In our church, during the service, parents bring their small children to the parish house, and one of the parishioners works with them, and then brings them to the church for Communion. Or parents come to church with their children at the very end of the liturgy, and before Communion a second priest comes out and confesses them. It is very important that the whole family - both children and parents - can receive communion together.
TV viewer: - At what age should children read the three canons and the Sequence when preparing for Communion?
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - My answer may surprise you: I think that children should not read the canons and the Sequence. This rule was created for adults who have the opportunity to carefully and consistently prepare for Communion. For children, this rule is unbearable; it only puts an obstacle on their path to God. Children pray as best they can. Maybe one or two prayers are enough for a child. As the child grows, this rule will increase slightly, but should never become an obstacle to Communion.
Communion during the whole week.
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - The Church itself regulates fasts. During the continuous week, the Church abolishes fasting on Wednesday and Friday, but liturgies are still celebrated on these days, that means. The Church still calls us all to God these days. During the continuous week you can receive communion without fasting.
Fasting before communion for the sick.
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - Those who suffer from such a serious illness as diabetes can take an injection and eat before Communion - this is not an obstacle to Communion. Anyone who needs to take medicine in the morning due to illness can do so before Communion. Even before the revolution, this issue was considered at a special meeting of the Holy Synod, where it was blessed to take medicine before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Rules for clergy.
– Among the laity, there are well-known stages of preparation for receiving the Holy Mysteries: fasting, confession. Do clergy also have confession and fasting?
– Of course, like all Orthodox Christians, clergy have both confession and fasting. But clergy do not confess before every Liturgy, but from time to time with their confessors or with the confessor of the diocese. The same applies to fasting. The clergy do not observe special fasts before each Liturgy, but keep all the fasts established by the Church, as well as Wednesday and Friday. Those laity who often receive communion (for example, every Sunday) also may not strictly fast, but, with the blessing of their confessor, observe Wednesday and Friday and begin the Sacrament of Communion.
Strictness of disciplinary requirements.
TV viewer: – I have a great desire to receive communion more often. But I work a lot and cannot fast for five days every time and read the big rule. Is there any way I can shorten the preparation?
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - This is exactly what I started talking about. Indeed, many Christians long to receive communion as often as possible, and, naturally, it is not possible for everyone to observe a multi-day fast. In our Church there are already many fasts and fast days. Therefore, for those who want to receive Communion often, it is enough to fast on Wednesday and Friday, as Father Dimitri already advised in our story, and you can, when there is a lot of work and great fatigue accumulates, shorten the Rule itself before Holy Communion, with the blessing of your confessor.
Presenter - priest Alexy Uminsky: - Answering your question, I would like to quote the words of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov: “A person should not become a slave to the prayer rule.” The rule must be treated in the same way as Christ commanded to treat the Sabbath, saying: “The Sabbath is not made for man, but the Sabbath is for man” (Mark 2:27). When preparing for Communion, I think it’s worth taking on a feasible prayer rule. You can also distribute your preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist over the whole week, reading the canon every day.
In six months, in November, a large scientific conference dedicated to Church Sacraments, and we will return to this topic later.
Dear visitor to our site, the traditions of preparing for Communion during continuous weeks - on Holy Week, on Christmastide, and on other weeks established by the Church, when fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is canceled - may vary in different dioceses and even in different parishes. However, according to the logic of the church charter, which offers us time for repentance and analysis of our personal sins and time for joy about the general church celebration, when we should stop thinking a lot about ourselves, remember that we are never fully worthy of Divine mercy, and simply be grateful God rejoice in His holiday.
The Church certainly offers every Divine Liturgy as a service at which he calls his children to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. There is no liturgy at which one cannot receive communion. This is internally contradictory, it is absurd that there can be this kind of worship, which, being a liturgy, at the same time implies a ban on communion. Another thing is that in Soviet time, justifiably, the practice developed that priests did not recommend that many receive communion on Christmastide and Bright Week. Who was not recommended? Those people who held on to church life very, very closely: they came to bless Easter cakes, they could come to the night Easter or Christmas service, and, seeing that others were coming, they also went to receive communion. Such herd collectivism was characteristic of society at that time, and was involuntarily introduced into the fence of the Church. Of course, for people who don’t understand anything, who haven’t really prepared, perhaps suddenly coming in the middle of the service to take communion, it would be, let’s say, spiritually unhelpful.
Let's think about what we should do now. Probably, for a person who fasted during Lent and Christmas, prepared, prayed, took communion on the eve or on the very holiday of the Nativity of Christ or Easter, the priest can give a blessing so that this person, if his soul asks him, both on the days of Christmastide and in days Happy week, having read the rule, prayed, without arranging for himself any fasts that are forbidden by the Church at this time, but also without, of course, allowing excesses in overeating and drinking wine, he partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and in this sense, the holidays were a spiritual triumph for him , and not a reason for drinking and gluttony. And this is a good deed, established in the Church from ancient times. Another thing is that if a person uses some strange logic: now, now is Christmastide, fasting is prohibited by the Church, the Liturgy is being served, I can read the rule, make a short confession (what kind of serious confession is there at Christmastide), receive a blessing, and then I’ll go without fasting to take communion, how cunning I am! But is it possible with such logic to go to the Chalice of the Body and Blood of Christ? Having this distinction, draw conclusions in relation to the situation of the people you asked about.
There must be a hierarchy of values in a person's life. It is important to perceive Christmas time not as a reason to eat, drink, walk and have fun to the fullest, but a time to, firstly, rejoice in the Born Christ, attend divine services, and secondly, share this joy with our loved ones in friendly and family communication, and thirdly, if such an opportunity is provided, and give some rest to our bodily composition. It is also good to do some deeds of mercy: visit the sick, help some poor monastery. After all, Christmastide is precisely holy days.