In the last week before Easter, which is popularly called Passion, many believers wonder whether it is possible to receive communion in church at this time, how to do it correctly and on what days. There are a lot of communicants during Holy Week, especially in its last days.
A special period for Orthodox Christians, a time of spiritual contemplation and reflection on the life of the Savior, is the last week before Easter. In memory of the last earthly days of Christ, when he was betrayed and crucified, the week is called Passion. At the same time, this is a time of understanding the need for spiritual and physical purity, which is why the week has other names - Great, Pure, White. Every day Great Week has a special meaning: it is dedicated to a specific event, and these traditions have been preserved for centuries.
On the peculiarities of communion on Bright Week
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov
The 66th rule of the VI Ecumenical Council orders all Christians to receive daily communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ throughout Bright Week. This is the rule of the Ecumenical Council. Unfortunately, few people can do this. There are even fewer people who know about this at all, because practice has distorted our lives so much that everything is often done completely differently.
Many people still have the heretical idea (this is a real heresy, condemned by the Ecumenical Council) that meat and the sacrament are incompatible. Some Hindu considerations are brought in there: that this is a killed animal and other nonsense. As if potatoes are not a dead plant. This is not a Christian idea at all, because it is said: “Whoever abhors meat because of uncleanness, let him be anathema.” But many people have a specific attitude towards meat. There was a fast - the person fasted, now there is no fast - the person does not fast.
I do not forbid communion. What about me? I myself ate meat yesterday, and today I serve. If I, a priest, do this, does it mean that I can, but he can’t? By what right? Unclear. A priest must live more strictly than a layman. It turns out that the priest allows everything to himself, but not to others. This is hypocrisy.
What are the features of preparation for Communion at this time?
The Easter Canon and Easter Hours are read.
Why is communion necessary?
Communion allows a person to inherit the Kingdom of God, which means it gives the opportunity to go to heaven after death.
Communion in Lent, as at other times, is necessary to strengthen the soul. It helps not to become embittered in everyday life, to remain sensitive to people, supports faith and helps to maintain balance even in the most difficult situations, hoping in God.
The sacrament of communion cleanses sins. Every day a person faces condemnation, envy, dissatisfaction and other negative feelings. He feels this negativity pouring out of himself, and also sees it in other people. Being in such an atmosphere, the soul gradually becomes callous, moving away from God and becoming completely immersed in everyday worries. Constant dissatisfaction poisons life, and the inability to achieve your goals sometimes makes it simply meaningless. But these thoughts do not occur to people who have God in their hearts. Faith and hope in God allows you to find the right paths and enjoy life. Therefore, every person needs communion, which washes the soul and brings it to God.
Communion in Lent
Lent is the time that precedes the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Christians, in memory of the great sacrifice made by the Savior, fast for 48 days (from February 19 to April 7 in 2018), and then joyfully celebrate Easter. During fasting, abstaining from modest food, remaining in humility and prayer, a person tames his body and cleanses himself. Confession and Communion in Lent have great importance, but communion before Lent is also important, as well as throughout the year.
Very often people take communion before Easter, paying tribute to tradition, without realizing their actual sinfulness. But communion without understanding sins is of no benefit. You need to realize your sins, want to get rid of them, and try not to repeat them in the future.
The meaning and significance of Holy Week
Holy Week actually begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the day of the Resurrection of Christ. The following Easter Monday marks the beginning of Bright Week. But the Resurrection is yet to come, and these few days before it are Golgotha for the laity.
Holy Week before Easter shows that the path to the heights of spirituality is repentance and humility for the sake of the great goal, the Resurrection, and there is no other road to eternal life other than through the cross and suffering. During these seven days, the longest services are held in churches, calling people to empathy and compassion for the Savior, who accomplished the feat of self-denial. According to religious canons, all days of the week, services immerse believers in events last days life of Christ. Each of these days was holy and therefore today received the same name as the week - Great.
The Gospel readings seem to lead along the path of Christ:
Monday is dedicated to the memory of the parable of the drying up of the fig tree, as well as the Old Testament patriarch Joseph;
Tuesday is devoted to reading about the ten virgins and memories of how Christ denounced the Pharisees;
compare on Wednesday life paths the repentant Mary Magdalene and the traitor Judas;
on Thursday they talk about how Christ washed the feet of the apostles, remember the Last Supper, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas;
Friday is dedicated to remembering the Passion of the Lord;
on Saturday they remember the burial of Christ, His descent into hell for the liberation of the souls of believers.
Question: I would like to know what the rules are for Holy and Bright Week. Father Sergius has said more than once that people no longer go to confession on Passion Street - the time for this was the entire previous Great Lent. But the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then for whom? Is it possible to go to confession, for example, on Maundy Tuesday or Wednesday, when there are not so many people, and receive communion on Maundy Thursday? And then on Easter there will be no confession - right?
The same thing about Bright Week: it seems that there is even a rule of some Council that you need to receive communion on Bright Week every day (for those, of course, who fasted throughout Great Lent, confessed and received communion several times). Is confession necessary? Fast? What rule to read for Communion?
There are many opinions on this matter, I would like to know what Father Sergius thinks. This interests many.
Answer prot. Sergia Pravdolyubova: There is a long, detailed confession, with reflections and a request for advice. Such confession is appropriate during Lent. And on Passion Street it’s not the time to delve into your sins. To briefly say general words - go to the priest for confession anyway, when there are few people. It is very good to confess as you suggest and take communion on Maundy Thursday. And on Holy Saturday in the morning and on Easter at night - without verbal confession, but with heartfelt contrition, and after listening to a general prayer of permission. During Easter Week, you can also receive communion according to the rite of Passion, after listening to the general prayer of permission. – This is the permission of the Holy Synod. But Father John Krestyankin never recommended receiving communion every day of Easter week. In general, he did not say anything about communion at Easter. At least twice or once is quite enough for Easter. And every day is already either for saints or schema-monks. You should not dare to classify yourself as a schema monk.
Bows and blessings to everyone.
We have no right to refuse Christians who wish to partake of the holy mysteries of Christ. The only obstacle here is the continuing state of mortal sin. Communion must be a deep inner need. It is unacceptable to receive communion formally, for external reasons: because Schmemann orders communion every Sunday, or because mother asked, or because everyone is coming...
Communion is a personal matter, the most important event in a person’s life. The priest should remind parishioners of the importance of communion. But there is no need to demand complete uniformity. When a so-called person with little church comes to me, I tell him that the indispensable duty of a Christian is to take communion every year. To those who have the habit of annual communion, I say that it would be nice to take communion during all multi-day fasts and on the day of the angel. To those who go to church regularly and are seeking spiritual guidance, I talk about the desirability of receiving communion once a month or once every three weeks. Who wants more often - maybe every week or even more often. There are people who strive to receive communion daily. These are lonely, middle-aged, and frail people. I cannot refuse them, although I believe that even they should confess every time.
The norms of fasting and abstinence for each person are determined individually. If a person receives communion once a year, why shouldn’t he fast for a week, as he did before? But if you receive communion every week, you can probably fast for no more than three days. Having said that, it is difficult to enforce fasting on the Sabbath, remembering how much ink has been spilled to condemn the Latin Sabbath fast.
Here the problem of “double morality” arises: clergy do not fast either on Saturday or on other non-fasting days, when they receive communion the next day. It's obvious that church order does not require a clergyman to fast before receiving communion, not because he is “better” than a layman, but because he receives communion more often than a layman. It is difficult to prescribe to others what you yourself do not do, and it seems that the only healthy way to get rid of the “double morality” is to bring the measure of fasting of frequently communing laity closer to the measure of the clergy, in accordance with this very frequency. The orders of those superiors who solve the problem in the opposite direction, obliging subordinate clergy to abstain from meat for a certain number of days before communion, have no canonical basis.
Regardless of communion, the measure of fasting varies from person to person. different people. You cannot demand strict fasting from sick people, children, pregnant and nursing mothers. It cannot be demanded from those who are not accustomed to fasting or from those in cramped living conditions: those living in unbelieving families, those in the army, in a hospital, in prison. In all these cases, the fast is either softened (and here there is the possibility of multi-degree gradation) or completely canceled.
It is hardly advisable to demand abstinence from food and drink from infants up to the age of seven: the moment of a mystical meeting with Christ, which a child’s soul cannot help but feel, should not be overshadowed and overshadowed by hunger for a child, which is not only painful, but also completely incomprehensible. It happens that a person urgently needs to take medicine: in case of a heart attack, headache, etc. This should in no way be an obstacle to receiving communion. For those suffering from diabetes, frequent meals are necessary, which also does not deprive them of the right to partake of the holy mysteries.
Nowadays, pilgrimage travel has received great development. They are often timed to coincide with major holidays. It can be a pity when a Christian cannot take communion on a holiday because he could not observe the full form of fasting along the way. In such cases, relaxation is also necessary.
There is also the problem of marital fasting. This is a sensitive area, and parishioners should probably not be questioned on this topic. If they themselves want to fulfill all the rules, they need to be reminded of the words of the Apostle of Languages that spouses should fast only by mutual consent. If one of the spouses is a non-believer, or even if they are on different spiritual levels, both being Orthodox, imposing abstinence on the less spiritual spouse can have very dire consequences. And if a married believer wants to receive communion, the incontinence of his husband or wife should not be an obstacle to receiving communion.
Another problem is prayerful preparation for communion. Let us remember that in our liturgical books a distinction is made between literate and illiterate, and the latter are allowed not only all cell rules, but even church services (vespers, matins...) to replace the Jesus Prayer. In our time, there seem to be no illiterate people, but there are people who are just beginning to master church books. Modern man immersed in the whirlwind of worldly vanity much more than it was 300 years ago. To many modern people It is difficult to read the monastic rule: three canons and an akathist. It is advisable to require the reading of the Sequence for Communion or at least ten prayers from it. Otherwise, the parishioner begins to conscientiously read the three canons, but due to lack of time he never gets to the Follow-up. But if a person has not had time to read the Follow-up, but sincerely wants to take communion, it is difficult to refuse him.
It is not always easy for everyone to attend services on the eve of communion. It is unlikely that anyone will demand this from an old woman who only gathers the strength to go to church and take communion a few times a year. But it is also difficult for the evening shift worker and the mother of small children. In general, these days it is difficult to require everyone to attend the evening service on the eve of communion, although, of course, this should be encouraged and welcomed.
The practice of confession before each communion generally justifies itself. This requires, with frequent communion among parishioners, a lot of effort from the priests. Unfortunately, in some cases this results in the fact that the priest, in order to make his life easier, prevents his parishioners from receiving frequent communion, limiting communion to Lenten periods, preventing communion on Easter and other holidays, although church rule(66th VI Ecumenical Council) prescribes communion every day of Bright Week (of course, in this case there can be no talk of fasting).
Easter and Christmas are holidays when many “non-church” people come to church. It is our duty to give them all possible attention on such days. Therefore, parishioners need to confess the day before, say, in the first three days of Holy Week. Of course, someone who has confessed and received communion on Holy Thursday can also receive communion on Easter. Generally speaking, communion on Easter is a gratifying achievement of our church life last decades. But, unfortunately, this achievement is not universal. Some abbots do not give communion to the people at all on Easter (probably so as not to overwork), while others agree to give communion only to those who have regularly fasted throughout the Holy Pentecost. In this case, the reading of the Easter word of St. John Chrysostom, where those who fasted and those who did not fast are called to communion, turns into an empty and hypocritical formality. Easter is the day when many of our contemporaries come to church for the first time. We must do everything in our power to ensure that these people meet Christ. They must be confessed if they want, and perhaps also given communion.
Undoubtedly, the elimination of these days is positive." general confession" However, if a parishioner well known to the priest comes up to the lectern and says that he wants to receive communion, the priest can probably limit himself to reading a prayer of permission.
Can not be denied important penance in the matter of spiritual rebirth of man. In some cases, excommunication from communion for a certain period may also be applied. IN modern conditions this period should not be long. At the same time, some self-proclaimed elders practice annual or even two-year excommunication not only from communion, but also from visiting the temple. In our time, this leads to the de-churching of people who, before this unfortunate penance, had already become accustomed to regularly attending divine services.
In conclusion, I would like to quote from St. John Chrysostom, answering the much discussed question in our time about the frequency of communion. As we see from these words of the saint, in his time different practices of communion collided: some took communion very often, and others once or twice a year (and not only hermits and hermits).
“Many partake of this Sacrifice once throughout the year, others twice, and others several times. Our words apply to everyone, not only to those present here, but also to those in the desert, because they receive communion once a year, and sometimes even after two years. What? Who should we approve? Are those who receive communion once, or those who often, or those who rarely? Neither one nor the other, nor the third, but those who partake with clear conscience, with a pure heart, with an impeccable life. Let such people always begin. And not like that - not even once... I say this not to forbid you to begin once a year, but rather wanting you to continually approach the holy mysteries.”
Thus, the saint does not declare formally obligatory one of the practices of communion that existed in his time, as some currently fashionable doctrines do, but establishes an internal, spiritual criterion.
My kind but unobtrusive advice. If we talk about cleansing one’s own conscience, about the desire to glorify the risen Christ with a pure heart, one should not transfer to Holy Week the so-called “general confession”, which requires a deep understanding of what has been lived and experienced in order to spill out from the depths of the heart what, perhaps, has been going on for years. it rotted there, the sins of the “Kazan youth”.
All this must be done in advance, to be like the prudent virgin from the parable of Christ, who fills her vessel with oil and does not wait for the cry to be heard: “Behold the Bridegroom is coming, come out to meet Him.”
Passionate Week, unusually deep and meaningful, in its inner meaning presupposes in the intelligent children of the Church full participation in evangelical events. During Holy Week it is no longer time to crowd around the cross and the Gospel, like moths flying around a candle. But it is time to reveal the stories of Christ’s suffering, listening to the mournful and solemn hymns and prayers of the Church. To follow the Lord along the sorrowful path, like Simon of Cyrene, to help Him carry the cross, to ascend after Him to the cross of crucifixion and prayer, so that, suffering with Christ, we may reign with Him.
Each day of Holy Week is infinitely significant, associated with milestones of the suffering of Christ the Savior.
This is Great Wednesday. The last liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the memory of the betrayal of Judas, who sold and betrayed his Teacher for thirty pieces of silver. While the sinful woman became chaste, she repented, pouring tears on the feet of the Lord and anointing them with myrrh.
People who are deeply ecclesiastical, who have become close in spirit to the Gospel and try to always remain in prayer to the Lord, strive both during Holy and Bright Week to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, to which the Mother Church calls them. The priests do not need to sulk at all, put on a gloomy face and drive away the children of the Church from the Holy Chalice, who came to the temple for this reason, to hide the shrine in their hearts.
Is it really just because you took part in Great Wednesday that you are not allowed to eat the Body and Blood of the Lord on Holy Thursday - the time when the Lord established the Last Supper, when the whole temple sings after the Church: “Receive the Body of Christ, taste the Immortal Source”?
Is it really possible to stand aside from the Holy Chalice on Great and Blessed Saturday, when heaven, earth, animals, trees, and flowers - everything freezes in deep silence? For nature itself listens to God, who removes the curse from the earth, returning God's blessing to the world.
Not receiving communion on the night of Easter is the lot of unbaptized Chinese. But Orthodox people During Great Lent, for forty days we walked along the narrow path of Gospel self-sacrifice, in order to feel Christ the Savior, Who mysteriously rises from the grave of our soul, illuminating it with His Divine light.
And what difficulties can there be regarding the communion of the Holy Mysteries on Bright Week, when we simply need to abstain in the evening and not burden ourselves with fast food? But during the day, no one prevents you from bringing Easter cake to your friends, breaking your Easter fast, Easter eggs, testing the strength of your own Christian convictions.
Therefore, dear friends, let us leave aside the hypocrisy and pharisaism that sometimes takes place among the clergy, and let us not prevent the children of the Church from being sanctified by Divine grace in the Sacrament of Communion, as the Mother Church calls us to do throughout Bright Week.
Even the sacramental verse, which is sung while the priest crushes the Holy Lamb on the throne, says: “Receive the Body of Christ, taste the Immortal Source.”
This is the fullness of life in the Lord, the fulcrum of a Christian - so that, having tasted the holy things, he reflects on what gift he has been vouchsafed. Christ Himself testifies to this: “Whoever drinks the blood and eats the body of the Son of Man will live through Me, and I will raise him up at the last day, and will never die.” Because Eternal Life dwells in the depths of our hearts.
And please, do not tell me about those churches and pastors who do not allow their God-loving parishioners to the Holy Chalice on Easter and Bright Week, but it is better to tell us about this To His Holiness the Patriarch Kirill. He will find words of conviction for the careless priests and send them to the nearest monastery for a month or two so that they repeat the seminar course and understand mysterious meaning words of Christ: “He who does not gather with Me scatters.”
A priest is not a gendarme or a jailer whose function is to keep those released on parole behind bars. Good shepherd, “Father Aibolit” must - “chick-chick-chick, my chickens” - invite the immortals human souls share with him, the shepherd, the joy of the risen Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Priest Dimitry Turkin: You need to save yourself from confession to communion
The most important thing for a Christian is, of course, a meeting with the Lord. And this meeting occurs in the best way when a person partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. No matter what he understands in this, no matter what he expects in this, it is still a meeting with God, which the Lord Himself creates, offers to us, and Himself comes to meet us.
We just have to decide: “Do we want to meet with Him?” We must definitely ask ourselves this question, and
then we will begin to do this consciously, creatively and for our own benefit.
During the days of Holy Week and Bright Week, some puzzling questions arise about how to properly prepare for Holy Communion. There are a lot of communicants during Holy Week, especially in its last days.
Maundy Thursday begins a time when a person especially feels the closeness of Heaven and especially strives for God. There are a lot of communicants on Holy Thursday.
Some of them managed to confess the day before, and some - before the liturgy. But there is still Holy Saturday and the night of Easter ahead. And not everyone will be able to approach the priest during these difficult hours for everyone.
Even if there is time for internal preparation, the ministers themselves have responsibilities to prepare the temple for the holiday. Everyone is busy, everyone is very solemn and tense.
How can you take communion on Saturday or Sunday if you understand that it is difficult to get to confession? You need to take from your confessor - the priest to whom you constantly confess - a blessing to receive communion on Thursday and Saturday or on Thursday and on the night of Easter.
To make such a request, you must, firstly, be internally prepared for the fact that the priest will not give such a blessing. He can decide for himself how it will be more useful and convenient for you to do this.
But, if he gives such permission, how do you need to tune in to your inner spiritual world, so that those hours and days that pass from confession to communion do not confuse your inner spirit, so that you approach the Chalice in a spiritual disposition towards your neighbors, towards God and your inner self? calmness?
How to achieve this? Of course, only with practice. You need to learn in advance, and if there is no such practice, then right now not to judge anyone.
The following problem arises: we need to save ourselves from the time of confession, which sometimes happens on other days from the evening until the morning, when we receive communion. After all, at the very least, it is stupid to go to confession in the evening, then do something wrong in order to go to confession again in the morning. And this problem is not isolated - similar situation repeats itself from year to year.
Therefore, we must stop judging anyone today. Treat everyone as if they are the most the best people, whom we have ever met in life.
Of course, such a mood cannot be extended for a week or a month - this would be an extreme effort. But it is possible to keep it for a few days - by constantly reminding yourself that “Judge not, lest ye be judged” and who are you to judge your neighbor – “someone else’s servant,” as the Lord says.
Of course, we cannot stop sinning. You just need to stop judging, concentrate on this shortcoming of yours, but not be tense, but simply attentive to yourself, to your feelings and experiences. Not in the sense of experiencing them with all your might, but simply not paying attention to them. Be attentive to your thoughts. And don’t pay any attention to the shortcomings of your neighbors.
Make this effort - and the problem of the distance between confession and communion in time will become easily solved for you.
Regarding communion on Bright Week. The main perplexity is the problem of how to fast.
According to one of the traditions, which I know firmly, the following attitude is accepted: fasting, which we spent more or less worthily, prepares us for communion throughout Bright Week. That is, we have already done everything we could do. And during Bright Week we may not fast, even if we take communion every day.
Another thing is that maybe not every person will and can do this. But if such an arrangement is possible, useful and blessed by the priest, why not. After all, in the end, the priest who blessed you to do this will answer.
Well, maybe not every day, every other day... But if there is such joy, if you have finally found your God, whom you have finally loved, then why can’t you take communion several times on Bright Week, which is the single day of Easter? This is possible and should, thereby you will show your zeal and finally understand that there is spiritual joy.
Of course, this requires a certain mood. Everything that has been said about the repentant and humble mood regarding fasting and Holy Week also applies to Holy Week. The same mood - non-judgment, love for one's neighbor. But at the same time, why fast?
The only thing is that I would recommend spending the evening before communion a little more humbly - you don’t need to eat meat in the evening and, in general, put some kind of extensive meal on the table. Allow yourself everything you can in the morning and at lunch, and in the evening, humble yourself a little and, thereby, prepare for communion.
So it turns out: it seems like there is no fasting, and you can’t say that you didn’t prepare at all and didn’t work hard. I think that this approach will be the most correct.
Archpriest Alexy Uminsky: Give the opportunity to confess to those who did not do so during Lent
How to properly confess and receive communion during Holy Week? It's different for every person. Holy Week is a special time. There are people who diligently attended divine services throughout Lent, confessed and received communion regularly every Sunday liturgy, maybe even some more often.
Therefore, there is a time when, during Holy Week, it may be worthwhile for such people to give up their place in the line for confession to those who came towards the end of Lent, like the “eleventh hour workers”, who for some reason are little visible to us - maybe because they had just woken up at the end of Lent, maybe something real was born in them at the end of Lent - and suddenly they decided to approach Easter in a truly Christian way.
And there are a lot of services, the priests are often overloaded. Therefore, before the service of especially Maundy Thursday, the entire church strives to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Therefore, it seems to me that Christians who really took their souls quite seriously throughout Lent can now humbly step aside a little and give the opportunity to confess during Holy Week to those who did not do so during Lent, so that the priest has the opportunity to truly , listen to everyone deeply.
This is my advice for practicing Christians.
Recorded by: Daria Mendeleeva, Tamara Amelina
Video: Victor Aromstam
Archpriest Vladimir Zyazev, rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Yekaterinburg, answers questions from viewers. Broadcast from Yekaterinburg.
- Why is every day of Holy Week called Great?
Lent is the strictest and longest: it prepares us for the greatest of the Russian holidays. Orthodox Church- The Resurrection of the Lord. The last Holy Week no longer refers to Lent, which has already ended. The Passion of the Lord is torture and torment, betrayal. The Lord knew that Judas would betray Him. On Maundy Thursday there was the Last Supper, at which the Lord washed the feet of his disciples, including Judas. Many say that communion is grace, but we also see another kind of communion, when the Lord gave bread to Judas - His Body, and the devil entered into him. The one who receives communion, having prepared himself worthily, receives great grace, and whoever does this unworthily, then “eat and drink judgment for himself,” as the prayer says.
The Lord endured great torture, torment, and great betrayal of the entire people. IN Palm Sunday, just a few days ago, people shouted: “Hosanna on high! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jews are very emotional, they celebrate by throwing up dust from the air, waving branches, covering the ground with clothes.
When the Lord raised Lazarus, the Jews came to condole with his sisters Martha and Mary. They saw that Lazarus had already died, and some, perhaps, were there at those moments when he was still dying. They knew that he was buried and that he was already stinking. The Lord said: “Roll away the stone,” and the sister replied: “Lord, it already stinks.” Christ exclaimed: “Lazarus, come out!” And a few minutes ago, a decaying corpse emerged as a living man, full of life and strength. And the Jews, seeing the death and resurrection, said that they needed to kill Christ and Lazarus.
This week we see great trials and great repentance - the repentance of the thief. The robber said to his brother: “You and I received what we deserved” - this is repentance. And he asked for forgiveness: “ Lord, remember me when You come to Your Kingdom". This is forgiveness, confession and preaching, because it is said in front of the whole crowd. Only God could accomplish the greatest thing - resurrection. He resurrected, and there is considerable evidence of this from that time. Therefore, this week is called Great Holy Week, and every day in it is Great.
- What is worth paying attention to? Special attention during the remaining days of Holy Week?
If we recognize that these are truly the Great days of the earthly life and earthly death of Jesus Christ, then why should we indulge in some trifles? Many people spend the whole week worrying about what kind of Easter cakes they will bake, how the eggs will be painted, who they will invite to visit, and where they will go. The entire Great Week passes in petty bustle. It is worthy to paint eggs and bake Easter cake, but you should not attach great importance to this, otherwise it will detract from the holiday. Judas received the Body and Blood from Christ, and a demon entered into him. Let us not put the small things above the great, otherwise we too will be close to Judas. The first thing should be the remembrance of the Great Days of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many acted piously when they received communion on Maundy Thursday or Holy Week, and went to church more often. If a person is accustomed to visiting church only on Sundays, then it is good to visit it every day, if possible. My mother said: “There is no time for those who do nothing.” Whoever gets into the rhythm will have enough time for everything. When we think about how to please the Lord, then our earthly affairs will improve very well - that’s for sure.
Question from a TV viewer from the Volgograd region: “I am a disabled person of the second group, I take a vital drug, without which I cannot move. Is it possible to take it before communion, won’t it be a condemnation for me?”
This will not condemn you. If you invited a priest home to confess and give you communion as if you were sick, he wouldn’t even ask whether you had eaten or not. For a sick person, fasting and Eucharistic abstinence are weakened. After complex operations, I also have to take medicine every morning. If you need to take the medicine with a sip of water, then do that too and go to God with a clear conscience. The Lord aggravated your fast with illness. God help!
Ideally, every Christian should go to church every day during Holy Week. On Maundy Thursday the establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is remembered. IN Good Friday I remember the Lord's suffering on the cross. This is very important days when you need to have a special reverent and prayerful state. But we live in a world that does not allow this to be done properly. Once upon a time, everyone was freed from work this week, but now there is no such opportunity. What should a working person do if he cannot attend worship services?
Anyone who can attend church on all days of the week is worthy and good. For those who cannot due to some circumstances, pray fervently to yourself, make it a rule at home to read the Psalter, Gospel, and meditate more. Sing psalms, many spiritual ones good poems, for example, “Intercessor of the World, Mother of the All-Singing.” Sometimes I start drinking at home, and the whole family immediately listens to me. There are pious chants, pious prayers and pious activities. Don’t be discouraged if for some reason you can’t come to church, pray at home.
I disagree with Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in many ways; there are points for which he was excommunicated from the Church. But he has a story about a harsh owner who forced his workers to plow the fields on Easter. Some grumbled, others threw their tools in anger, and sabotage began. When the owner arrived at the field, he saw one humble worker plowing with a candle attached to his plow. The wind is blowing and the candle is burning! And the worker sings psalms and plows. The owner was very touched by this humility and miracle. And, perhaps, in the temple he would not have prayed as much as he prayed at work. Humble yourself, strengthen your heart, do good deeds and strengthen your prayer at home. You can say to the Lord: “Lord, you did not allow me to go to church on Maundy Thursday, but for this, as soon as I have time, I will go and help someone.” This will be accepted by God as a sacrifice. There is no need to grumble.
One mother came up to me for confession during Easter week: “I am fasting.” I say: “Easter week is coming, and you haven’t even eaten an egg?” She replies: “No, father, I only have enough money for bread, but not enough for an egg.” It’s better to visit this mother on Maundy Thursday and ask: “Is everything ready for Easter?” We only take care of ourselves, but the person next to us needs us. This will be a great sacrifice and help. “If you brought your gift to God and remembered that your brother is angry with you, then leave the gift and go, make peace with your brother, and then bring the gift, and then it will be accepted" By going to church, you are already making a sacrifice for the sake of God’s cause. But maybe you haven’t made peace with someone? Maybe there is someone in need and you forgot about him? We will always find somewhere to please God, as long as our heart wants it. The heart wants - God will indicate.
Question from a TV viewer from the Krasnodar region: “I submitted a note about health, and they read it about repose. What should I do?".
Don't be discouraged: it was just a mistake, they happen to everyone, a person cannot live without a mistake. Even if they forgot to read it altogether, it would be okay. You submitted a note, made some kind of sacrifice for it. Submitted about health and know that she went about health.
“I once wrote a note, but for some reason the priest didn’t say the name.”
- When they wrote the note, the person had already remembered. It happens that the priest lost, did not speak, was forgotten - we are all people. God already has a note for you, don’t doubt it.
- Is it right to stand there and listen: will they say it or not?
- You need to stand and pray. When the priest remembers you, remember your own people, whom you indicated in the note. With your prayer, Father’s prayer will only be stronger. This will be much more pious than standing and thinking: “Oh, what a father, I forgot to read it!” You are committing a sin by doing this.
On our broadcast we once cited Lenten statistics that were published by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion. They surveyed 1,600 people, of which only 3% observed Lent. However, 9% of those surveyed said that they plan to fast during Holy Week. What is the reason for this desire of people to fast on this particular week?
Even in the times of atheists, Holy Week was widely known. I served in a rural parish in Talitsa. It happened that many people came to the removal of the shroud and the Twelve Gospels who did not come throughout Lent. People have it ingrained in their hearts that Holy Week is special. About 12-14 million people in our country (9%) will fast during Holy Week - what a powerful army of Christians this is! And 4 million people fast throughout Lent - and this is very significant.
About 30 years ago I had the opportunity to open the first church in the city of Kamyshlov, and they allowed me to buy a house. The first Easter passed, my children were still young. My son, daughter, and altar server (now Archpriest Igor) and I agreed to go for a walk in the evening along Kamyshlov, but we set ourselves the condition of saying to everyone we met: “Christ is Risen!” People’s reaction was this: two or three would twirl their finger at their temple, three more would stop, mouth open and not knowing what to answer, and somewhere around the fifth, sixth or eighth or ninth would say: “Truly He is Risen!” or they will ask: “What should I answer?” Now everyone or almost everyone will answer you: “Truly He is Risen!” True, we had one commissioner who proudly called himself an atheist, and when they said to him “Christ is Risen!”, he answered: “Hello, hello.” It’s like the joke when they told Leonid Ilyich: “Christ is Risen!”, and he replies: “I know, I know, they’ve already reported to me.”
There were times much worse. You told me about such percentages, and I am very surprised. But there are still others - 80% call themselves believers. It turns out that 100 million people in Russia call themselves believers. Russia is becoming Orthodox. At the same time, I do not in any way belittle the merits of Muslims, Jews and Catholics. We fought with Muslims and Jews in the same trenches and in the same tanks. Patriotic War, defending our Motherland, but still she is Orthodox. I have good Muslim friends, and they always say: “You are our “elder brothers”, we are younger than you here,” and this is always said with respect. Rus' is becoming a believer - this is the main thing. Churches, mosques, synagogues are being built, we are becoming like civilized people.
What do you remember from your life? Could you give some examples of how people react to the festive mood?
I was transferred to the diocese, and I began to serve in Yekaterinburg, and was assigned to Uralmash. Elena Anatolyevna Shevchenko, our elder, began the “battle” for the church even before me. I came to the small room of the former cinema, she and I began to push for a church, and then the article “Build it, we’ll blow it up!” appeared in the newspaper. They organized rallies, there were a sea of opponents, and now, if you say that Uralmash is godless, then 90% of the residents will be offended. There are now churches there and services are going on.
In Talitsa for Christmas, my wife and I decided to take a walk, and I took a box of chocolates with me. It was very difficult to get sweets back then; these were the times of a rich country with hungry people. The wife asks: “Where are you taking the sweets, father?” I answer: “Now we’ll see!” They went out into the street, and I told her: “Now I will ask all the children who come across, what holiday is today? Whoever answers me that today is Christmas, I will give him this box of chocolates.” And only the fifteenth or sixteenth child answered that today was Christmas. And now everyone knows! Everyone knows Trinity, everyone knows Easter. It is becoming a completely different time: Russia is waking up, the “Russian hero” is waking up.
We have already said that you should not get too carried away with cooking or buying gifts for Easter, but you need to pay more attention to prayer. Tell me, why do these symbolic dishes appear on the tables?
The egg has its own legend. On the one hand, it is, as it were, “twice-born” and symbolizes our life: a person is now on Earth, and then, by the grace of God, he will emerge from his bodily “shell” and live a second life - eternal. And where it will be depends on our earthly affairs. The second legend: one Jew came to the market to sell eggs, and when he was told that Christ, who was crucified a few days ago, had risen, he replied: “The eggs in my basket would sooner turn red than I would believe that He had risen!” I opened the basket, and the eggs were all red.
As for Easter cakes, their symbolic meaning is based on the bread of the Gospel, the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. There are many different legends, but let’s not pay much attention to this, but let’s think as we like. Great week to be with Christ. Not with eggs and not with Easter, but with Christ and crucified with Him. And if we are crucified with Him, then He will resurrect us with Himself! Let's think about how we can avoid running away from Him, as many of the disciples did. One student ran away, and when they grabbed him by his clothes, he left his clothes and ran away naked. The Lord conveyed to His Mother all of humanity: "Behold Your child". And he showed us ours Heavenly Mother: "Child, behold your Mother". Let us remember these great deeds in order to be adopted by the Mother of God and recognize her as our Great Heavenly Mother.
Question from a TV viewer: “On the Internet, in TV programs, I often come across such things as prophecies about Russia, information about passports, electronic cards glasses, that you need to give up this, otherwise you won’t be saved. Because of this, there is great confusion and anxiety. But the Gospel says that the power, the government, is established by God and you need to obey him.”
Take your passports, no need to throw them away: we live in a state. They told the Savior: “You must pay the tax,” and He did pay it: He sent Peter, he caught a fish, and it had a fish in its mouth. gold coin, He gave this coin for himself and for Peter. We see that the Savior denounced, but He did not resist the authorities anywhere. Let us fulfill what the law has established. I have a passport and other documents, but I don’t have electronic cards just because in the electronic sense I’m a complete ignoramus. Anyone who refuses a pension is completely absurd. You earned your pension yourself, contributions to it have been going on for many years, maybe now you are paid less than what you earned, so don’t refuse. It is correctly written in the Gospel: "Be obedient to the authorities." Your disobedience towards the atheistic government will not be condemned, but now we can be proud of the head of our country. After all, I found Stalin, I lived under Khrushchev and Brezhnev. Yes, our president is wrong, I don’t agree with him in some ways, but we have a worthy ruler who cares for his country and sets an example for us how to love and defend our Motherland. Thank God, our authorities are not godless, but believers, Orthodox.
On the last program, a woman asked about the fact that she had three sixes in her passport. People come across this number in documents, on car license plates, and so on. How should we approach this?
There are countries where the number 13 does not exist at all. There are many beliefs, opinions and various rumors. Let's not be biased about this. If you can painlessly move away from this figure, move away. Or if today you are given a pension of 6,666 rubles or 16,666, then take it and don’t think about these sixes! We think about numbers and forget to think about God, future life, good deed. Because of these three sixes, we are ready to scratch someone’s eyes out, God forgive me. It may be a satanic number, but God is stronger than the devil!
Question from a TV viewer: “I go to the Church of the Nativity of Christ, I want to take communion this Sunday, but my work does not allow me to fast in food. Can I take communion without fasting?”
If your conscience tells you that it is possible, then I, as a priest, will not prohibit you from doing so. It is advisable to fast for at least a day. Try, especially since Holy Week is underway. But if you have received communion 4-5 times throughout Lent and fasted, you can receive communion on Easter of Christ even without confession. In general, you need to prepare. Of course, one has work, the other has illness. If fast food is like medicine for you, and your conscience tells you so, you can take it. If you feel that you are fasting to the detriment of your health, then this is not fasting, but suicide. Based on this, see what your conscience says, come to me and I will talk to you. It is still necessary for people to abstain. If everything is resolved now, people will come to the church for communion after breakfast. You need to have the rigor possible for you.
My personal observation is that so many people gather for the Easter service that you can’t even get into some churches. But two hours pass, the religious procession announces that Christ is Risen, and about 30-40% of the people leave. How to explain this behavior, and how to convey to people the importance of the entire service, and not just the beginning?
There is also a turning point here. Previously, when I served in Talitsa, I noticed that after procession There were very few people left in the temple, but that was in those years. Now people remain families, with children, and stand for services. If previously drunk people would come into the temple and behave disgracefully, now this is practically not the case. The improvement is noticeable.
Question from a TV viewer from Yekaterinburg: “Does everyone Orthodox Christian, who fasts, regularly confesses, takes communion, must have a confessor?”
A confessor is a priest who guides you through life. You come to talk to him, tell him about your hardships, not necessarily in confession. He can advise you on what to do regarding work, family, children, studies, on any issue. There are family doctors, and it happens that one doctor guides entire generations: grandparents, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, and knows the entire heredity of this family. Such a doctor will be much more valuable than the one who talked with you for 15 minutes at an appointment. It’s the same with a confessor: if he knows you, you trust him, consult with him, ask him for resolution of difficult issues, then over the years he will study you and, perhaps, give advice better than anyone else. It is better to have a confessor, but you have the right to choose him: to whom your heart lies. But if you have chosen him, then if you change him, it will be a loss for you, because he knows you like no one else. Having a confessor, I think, is very worthy. And to receive communion, you can go to confession to any priest. A person can even travel to another region to see his confessor and call by phone, for example, once every three months.
Question from TV viewer Servant of God Marina: “I am a parishioner of the Church of the Nativity at Uralmash.” Father said that you can come to communion throughout Bright Week without confession. What about food, since you can’t fast during Bright Week?”
I haven’t heard about the whole week, but on the day of the Resurrection of the Lord you can receive communion without confession, but only if you have kept the entire fast, confessed, and received communion. There is Eucharistic abstinence, and I would not recommend taking communion throughout Bright Week; sooner or later this could result in us getting used to communion and ceasing to treat this Sacrament with reverence. You need to read at least the minimum rule. Once on Easter, if you have been preparing yourself through fasting, come and partake of the Glory of God.
- How to spend the remaining days before Easter, what to strive for, how to celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ itself?
The remaining days should be spent in intense abstinence. If possible and you have prepared, then you need to take communion on Maundy Thursday or Maundy Saturday. There is no need to put small things above the great, less hassle. It often happens to us that we place knowledge of dogma above its implementation. We know, and let's do it, otherwise the Last Judgment will be upon us all: everyone will answer for their deeds. We need to spend Bright Week in joy, love, and remember that best gift God is to help our neighbor. If we find out that a person needs help and help him on Bright Week, then do not be afraid, there will be no sin if you violate Bright Week with work. I worked as a watchman in a church in 1974, prayed at the All-Night Vigil on Trinity, and an old man came up to me: “One housewife’s fence was blown away by the wind, and sheep are grazing nearby, now they will come into her garden. Let’s go and make a fence for her.” We went and fenced it, on other days people completed the fence. And when we walked, they swore at us that during the All-Night Vigil on Trinity, we were doing other things. This old man (who lived to be 106 years old) says to me: “Volodya, don’t worry, today you didn’t build a fence for this grandmother here, you built it for yourself in the higher life, in heaven. God will have this fence.” This is how you should spend time: fun, with love and kindness.
Question from a TV viewer: “My granddaughter is 3 years old, we often take her to communion. How can I explain to her who she is accepting?”
At 3 years old it is too early to talk about the Passion of the Lord. In the children's books that we sell, all this is explained in a very simple and intelligible language.
I am glad that of all those who called today, two are parishioners of the temple of which you are the rector. Some people believe that if they go to confession to a priest, then he automatically becomes their confessor.
This is fine. When people go to one priest for confession, he knows them by sight and name, knows how and how a person lives, what his heart is inclined to, this priest is the confessor.
Shouldn't there be a formal acceptance from the person who takes responsibility for his spiritual son or daughter?
The confessor prays for his children, remembers them in private and church prayer, and the child prays for his confessor. This is how a spiritual bridge is built between them. A child also often knows his confessor, how he lives, what weaknesses and troubles he has, and also tries to support him. All this is worthy and normal, no official identification is needed.
Presenter: Dmitry Brodovikov
Transcript: Anna Solodnikova