It is necessary to prepare oneself for the sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting, that is:
prayer, fasting, proper disposition, conduct and confession.
Prayer at home and church
Those who wish to take communion must at least a week in advance prayerfully prepare themselves for this: they pray more and more fervently at home in the morning and evening and, which is very desirable, attend morning and evening church services every day. If work interferes with regular attendance at Divine Services, then one must go to church as far as circumstances permit, but in any case, one must by all means be at the evening Divine Service on the eve of the day of Communion.
On the eve of Communion (in the evening), it is necessary to read the following canons and prayers from the "Rules for Holy Communion":
canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ;
prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos;
canon to the Guardian Angel;
prayers for the coming dream;
On the morning before Communion, read:
morning prayers;
worship and prayers for Holy Communion.
Fast
1. It is necessary to adhere to the fast during fasting, that is, abstaining from fast food: meat, milk and dairy products, eggs (and fish during strict fasting), and in general, moderation in food is necessary. It is necessary to fast before Holy Communion for a week (for the weak and weak, with the blessing of the confessor, 2-3 days). You should eat less than usual, avoid festive feasts, and refrain from drinking alcohol. As for smoking, it is not only a bad habit, but also a sin that must be got rid of.
2. From 12 midnight on the eve of the Communion, it is not allowed to eat or drink, except for taking mandatory medicines prescribed by a doctor. In the morning before Communion, one should not take prosphora, blessed water. Children should be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion from a very young age.
Mood and behavior
Anyone preparing for Holy Communion must:
to realize the necessity of cleansing the soul from sins in the sacrament of Confession;
reconcile with everyone who offended him, protect himself from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation, all kinds of obscene thoughts and conversations;
refuse to visit places of entertainment and societies that can give rise to temptation and sin.
It is useful to reflect on the greatness of the sacraments of Communion, spending as much time as possible in solitude, reading the Gospel and books of spiritual content, especially about repentance, preparing for confession. You should refrain from watching television, reading secular literature, magazines, newspapers, listening to entertaining music.
Confession
1. Those who wish to take communion must necessarily confess - bring sincere repentance for their sins to God in the presence of a priest, sincerely opening their soul and not concealing a single sin they have committed. Before confession, one must certainly reconcile both with the offenders and with the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. Forgiveness is usually requested in this form: "Forgive me, a sinner," to which it is customary to answer: "God will forgive you, forgive me, a sinner."
2. During confession, one should not wait for the priest's questions, but express oneself everything that burdens one's soul, without justifying oneself in any way and without shifting the blame onto one's neighbor.
3. It is more convenient to confess the day before, in the evening, in order to devote the whole morning to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. In extreme cases, you can confess in the morning, but it is advisable to have time to confess before the start of the Liturgy.
4. When confessing, you must make a firm decision not to repeat your former sins again.
5. Communion without confession:
infants (children under 7 years old);
newly baptized (those over whom the sacrament of Baptism was completed yesterday or today)
6. A woman who is in purification (during menstruation; after childbirth - until the priest reads cleansing prayers over the woman / read, as a rule, on the 40th day /), you can not proceed to the sacraments of Confession and Communion (except for special cases, such as e.g. sickness to death).
Confession - the ability to see your sins
Many consider themselves believers, go to church, pray, but they do not know how to repent, they do not see their sins. If we, having come to confession, do not know what to say, this does not mean that we are sinless.
How to learn to repent?
To do this, you must constantly control yourself, your actions, words and thoughts. As soon as we notice something unkind, we immediately turn to God with contrition: “Forgive me, Lord, and have mercy on me!” And then we confess the sin before the priest.
“Test yourself in the morning how you spent the night, and in the evening just how you spent the day,” advises St. Abba Dorotheos. “And in the middle of the day, when you are burdened with thoughts, consider yourself.” And St. Simeon the Theologian says: “Judg yourself every evening, as you spent the day: have you condemned anyone? Have you offended anyone with a word? Have you looked passionately at someone's face?
How to prepare for confession?
You need to prepare for confession in advance: think through everything, remember all the sins, go through the convolutions of your soul, and be sure to write everything down, otherwise we will go to the priest for confession, and the enemy can cloud the mind - we will forget everything. And even better - to develop the habit of writing down every day what you have sinned. Before going to bed, you can mentally imagine the past day, how we spent it: how we prayed in the morning, whether it was scattered, where our thoughts were - in the words of prayer or in the kitchen, in the store; didn’t they offend anyone that day, didn’t they swear, weren’t they offended, if someone scolded us, didn’t they envy, weren’t they conceited? How did you sit at the table? You must have eaten too much? Did you pray before every deed, did you think at least a little about your soul? Or just the flesh? And how was the night? Maybe there were unclean dreams, because the day was spent in uncleanness ...
And so, if we learn to control ourselves in this way, we will know what to say in confession. From the penitent is required:
awareness of one's sins
condemning oneself in them
self-accusation before the confessor
repentance not only in word but also in deed. Repentance is correction - new life
brokenness and tears
faith in forgiveness of sins
hatred for past sins.
According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, its members must begin confession from the age of seven.
Orthodox Christians may receive Holy Communion:
Preparing to receive the Sacrament
this morning or last night those who confessed and received permission from the priest to take Communion;
not eating anything (did not eat or drink) since 12 o'clock at night;
those who came to the temple at the beginning of the Divine service (in extreme cases, no later than the reading of the Gospel).
They cannot partake!
unbaptized (these also include those who were baptized by a schismatic priest);
non-Orthodox (Roman and Greek Catholics);
schismatics (i.e. those who took part in services in churches that are in schism with the Orthodox Church);
sectarians (Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.)
All of them can proceed to Holy Communion only after they repent for this at confession and promise to remain faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church in the future.
Coming to Holy Communion without a pectoral cross is indecent and unacceptable.also to Holy Communion may not be allowed people who missed / were late (without good reason) for the Evening Service or late for the beginning of the reading of the Hours before the Divine Liturgy! If you missed or were late for the Evening Service or for the reading of the Hours before the Divine Liturgy, ALWAYS tell the priest about it at confession.
Before and during Holy Communion:
1. When the Holy Chalice is carried out with the words “Come with the fear of God and with faith”, the communicants, as well as everyone in the temple, bow to the ground. Then they fold their hands crosswise on their chest - right to left, and together with the priest say a prayer to themselves before Holy Communion.
2. Then they approach the Holy Chalice. The lips of the communicant must be clean. Bags, packages and other things at the time of communion must be deposited with friends or behind a candle box.
3. Monastics are the first to receive communion, then children, then men and women.
4. Between the communicant, who is at the Holy Chalice, and the rest, there must be a distance of at least half a meter, so as not to push the communicant onto the Holy Chalice.
5. Approaching the Holy Chalice, we clearly and distinctly pronounce our Christian name, i.e. the name that is given to us in Holy Baptism.
6. Do not cross yourself in front of the Cup, so as not to accidentally touch it! Raise your head and open your mouth wide. The priest gives us the Communion, we swallow the Communion, if possible without chewing, so that nothing remains in the mouth.
7. They wipe our lips with a fee, we kiss only the Chalice below (but not the priest’s hand), and, without crossing ourselves or bowing, we retreat to the table with a drink. After eating the prosphora and drinking (that is, warm water with a small amount of wine), you can bow to the altar from the waist.
8. On the day of Communion, prostrations are not supposed to be made. Then the communicants return to their places and remain in the temple until the end of the service. They listen to thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion, venerate the cross, which is in the hands of the priest, and then leave the church in peace and spiritual joy.
9. During Communion, one cannot walk around the temple and one cannot talk.
On the day of Communion, you can’t kiss, spit, try not to drink alcohol, and in general, you should behave reverently and decently in order to “honestly keep Christ accepted in yourself.” After the service, it is desirable to be alone and silent for some time, concentrating on thoughts of the Divine and preserving your feelings. It is customary to wear the best clothes on the day of communion, as on the biggest holiday.
Help for the penitent.
Sins previously confessed should not be repeated in confession, for, as the Holy Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if we repeat them again, then we need to repent of them again.
List of sins spread in our time
Sins against the Lord God:
pride;
not fulfillment of the holy will of God, violation of the commandment;
lack of faith and lack of faith, doubt in faith;
lack of hope in God's mercy, despair;
excessive hope in the mercy of the Lord without striving to stop sinning;
hypocritical worship of God;
lack of love and fear of God;
lack of gratitude to the Lord for all His blessings, for sorrows and illnesses;
appeal to psychics, astrologers, fortune-tellers, soothsayers; classes in "black" and "white" magic, witchcraft, divination, spiritualism;
belief in superstitions, belief in dreams, omens, talismans;
blasphemy and grumbling against the Lord in the soul and in words;
failure to fulfill the vows given to God;
calling on the name of God in vain (unnecessarily), swearing by the name of the Lord;
blasphemous attitude without proper reverence for icons, relics, candles, saints, Holy Scripture, etc.;
reading heretical and sectarian books and keeping them at home, watching blasphemous television programs;
be ashamed to be baptized and profess the Orthodox faith;
not wearing a pectoral cross;
careless execution of the sign of the cross;
non-fulfillment or poor fulfillment of the prayer rule: morning and evening prayers, other prayers, bows, etc., did not read the Holy Scriptures, spiritual literature;
skipped Sunday and holiday services without a valid reason;
visiting the temple without diligence and diligence;
lazy to pray, prayer scattered and cold;
conversations, drowsiness, laughter, walking around the temple during a church service; inattentive, distracted listening to readings and hymns, being late for services and leaving the temple before the holidays;
visiting a temple in impurity, touching icons, candles in impurity (for women);
rare confession of sins, conscious concealment of them;
communion without contrition and the fear of God, without proper preparation, without being measured with others;
disobedience to the spiritual father, condemnation of clergymen, monastics, grumbling and resentment against them, jealousy;
disrespect for the feasts of God, work on holidays;
violation of fasts, non-observance of fasting days - Wednesdays and Fridays;
listening to Western preachers, sectarians, fascination with Eastern religions;
thoughts of suicide or attempts to kill yourself.
Sins against neighbor:
Lack of love for neighbors, hatred for them, desire for harm to them;
lack of forgiveness, exaltation of evil upon evil;
disrespect to elders and superiors (bosses), to parents; disappointment of parents;
failure to fulfill the promised;
non-payment of debts;
explicit or secret appropriation of someone else's;
beating, attempt on someone else's life; killing babies in the womb (abortions), advising to make them neighbors;
robbery, extortion, arson;
refusal to protect the weak and innocent, indifference to the drowning, freezing, burning, in trouble;
laziness at work;
not sitting on someone else's work;
poor parenting: outside the Christian faith;
mercilessness, contempt and condemnation of the poor, stinginess in almsgiving;
non-visiting patients in hospitals and at home;
cruelty;
contradiction, intransigence in a dispute with others;
slander, condemnation, slander, gossip, prediction of other people's sins;
resentment, insult, enmity with neighbors;
scandals, tantrums, curses, impudence, impudent and free behavior towards one's neighbor;
hypocrisy, evil jokes, barbs;
anger, irritation, suspicion of neighbors in unseemly deeds;
deceit, perjury;
desire to seduce or seduce others;
jealousy;
verbiage, telling indecent jokes;
unwillingness to pray for mentors, relatives, enemies;
Corruption by one's actions of one's neighbors;
greed in friendship, betrayal and betrayal of friends and relatives;
Sins against oneself:
Pride, vanity, arrogance;
pride;
desire for evil to one's neighbor, vindictiveness;
disobedience, disobedience, arrogance;
deceit, envy;
slander, foul language;
irritation, indignation, remembrance of evil, obstinacy, resentment;
despondency, melancholy, sadness;
doing good deeds for show;
avarice;
laziness;
idle pastime, desire to sleep, gluttony (polyeating, desire to feast);
forgetfulness of Christian humility, virtues, death and hell, careless and careless pastime, lack of desire to improve;
preference for earthly and material over heavenly, spiritual;
addiction to money, things, luxury, pleasures;
excessive attention to the flesh;
striving for earthly honors and glory;
smoking, drug use, alcohol (drunkenness);
playing cards, gambling;
decorating oneself for the sake of seducing others;
pimping, prostitution;
singing obscene songs, swearing, telling jokes;
watching pornographic films, reading pornographic books, magazines;
perception of fornication thoughts, desecration in a dream;
committing fornication (not being married);
committing adultery (treason while being married);
allowing oneself liberties before marriage, and intemperance in married life;
masturbation (defilement of oneself with prodigal touches), sodomy sin, fornication perversions in marriage;
cruelty to animals, birds, killing animals and birds unnecessarily, destruction of trees;
despondency, sadness, committing sins by sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, lust, impurity and all your feelings, thoughts, words, desires, deeds (here it is necessary to name the sins that were not listed and burden the soul)
Sins According to the Plan of the Nine Beatitudes
Do you follow the gospel commandments? Do you care to adorn yourself with gospel virtues?
1. Do you try to cultivate in yourself a sense of humility, a consciousness of your own unworthiness?
2. Do you tearfully mourn for your sins and weaknesses?
3. Have you always been and are you trying to be meek in dealing with your neighbors?
4. Are you hungry for holiness and higher righteousness?
5. Are you attentive to the needs of others? Do you consider yourself obligated to help the needy, console the sad, visit the sick, admonish the foolish, and in general be merciful to all?
6. Are you diligent about purity of heart? Do you harbor envy and evil desires in your heart?
7. Do you care about the appeasement of the warring?
8. Are you ready to endure even slight sorrows for the truth?
9. Do you love the Lord Jesus enough to go to Him even to death:
Having named the sins, you need to carefully listen to the answer of the priest, who at the end will read the resolving prayer.
When the Sacrament of Confession is not performed:
If the priest is outside the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church (Ukrainian autocephaly, "Kyiv Patriarchate", Greek Catholic, etc.), under the prohibition of the bishop.
If we came to confession and did not name a single sin, but only said our name, even if a permissive prayer was read over us.
If we said all the sins, but a permissive prayer was not read over us: “The Lord and our God Jesus Christ, by the grace and bounty of His philanthropy, forgive you, child ...”.
If we said all the sins, but did not give a promise to God to correct.
If we have said all the sins, but have not been reconciled with our neighbors, we are at enmity with them.
Brief Confession of Dmitry Rostovsky
I confess to the Lord my God all my sins, which I have done to this day and hour by deed, word, thought.
Daily and hourly I sin with ingratitude to God for His great and countless good deeds and all-good providence done to me. I sin with idle talk, condemnation, contempt, disobedience, slander, inattention, negligence, despondency, carelessness, malice, bitterness, disobedience, murmuring, arbitrariness, slander, lies, laughter, temptation, self-love, ambition, gluttony, voluptuousness, obsession, drunkenness, love of things , vanity, laziness, acceptance of prodigal, impure and blasphemous thoughts, omission of the service of God, neglect of prayer, impure confession, non-fulfillment of penances and sinned with all my feelings of soul and body, I repent to the Lord in them and ask for forgiveness.
The task of the life of any believer is spiritual renewal. This can be done with the help of two powerful means given by the Lord himself - confession and Communion. The purpose of confession is to purify the human conscience from everything impure, to prepare a person for the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries. In Communion, the believer unites with Jesus, accepts the Divine life and all the blessings associated with it: strength and good spirits, good thoughts and feelings, strength and desire to do good. These two sacraments, confession and Communion, require careful preparation, first of all, preparation by prayer.
Prayer texts can be downloaded at. Below we will talk about how to properly prepare, what prayers to read before confession and Communion.
A believer is admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting, and repentance. The preparation for Communion is called fasting by the Church. Fasting usually takes 3-7 days and is directly related to both the spiritual and physical life of a person. During the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will take place during the sacrament of Communion.
In general, the preparation for Communion consists of the following steps:
- fasting immediately before Communion;
- attending the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
- reciting a specific set of prayers;
- abstinence from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the very sacrament;
- confession with a clergyman, during which he decides on the admission of a person to Communion;
- stay at the Divine Liturgy.
Fasting is aimed at a person's awareness of his sins, their confession before a spiritual person and God, at the beginning of the struggle with sinful passions. The believer, while preparing for Communion, must move away from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary fuss. The Lord dwells only in a pure heart, so fasting must be approached with the utmost seriousness and concentration.
Post and its features
During the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily cleanliness - in other words, abstinence from intimacy and marital relations. Restriction in food (fasting) is mandatory. A few words about the post:
- the duration of the fast must be at least 3 days;
- these days, any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs) should be abandoned. If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
- plant products (vegetables, fruits, grains, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.
If a person has only recently joined the Church, or has not turned to her for a long time, forgetting about God, or has not observed all the established fasts, the clergyman in this case can assign him an additional fast of 3-7 days. Strict restriction in food at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with refraining from visiting institutions and entertainment events (theaters, cinema, clubs, etc.), with refraining from watching entertainment TV shows, films and from listening to popular secular music. . The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be entertained and exchanged for everyday trifles.
The strictest fast falls on the day before the sacrament of Communion, starting at midnight. During this time, abstinence from food and drink should be absolute. You should go to Communion on an empty stomach. Also, for this period, a person should completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Women are not allowed to take Communion on the days of atonement (during menstruation).
On behavior and mood before Communion
A person who is preparing for Communion should let go of all negative feelings and emotions (hatred, anger, irritation, anger, etc.). You also need to forgive your offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were once offended by you, reconcile with those with whom the relationship was at odds. Consciousness should be free from condemnation, obscene thoughts. Arguments, empty talk should also be discarded. Time is best spent in silence and solitude, reading the Gospel and spiritual books. If possible, you should definitely attend the services held in the church.
About the prayer rule
Prayer is a personal conversation of a person with God, which consists in turning to Him with requests for the forgiveness of sins, for assistance in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in worldly and spiritual needs.
A person preparing for Communion during the days of fasting should more carefully and diligently observe the daily home prayer rule. Morning and evening prayers must be said in full force. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.
Prayer preparation for Communion includes the following prayers:
- morning prayer rule;
- prayers for a dream to come;
- “Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ”;
- “Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos”;
- "Canon to the Guardian Angel";
- "Following Holy Communion".
The texts of the prayers can be found in the Appendix to this article. Another option is to approach the clergyman with the “Prayer Book” and ask him to mark everything you need.
The utterance of all prayers before the sacrament of Communion requires calmness, attentiveness, concentration and considerable time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all the canons to be distributed over several days. “The Follow-up to Holy Communion” should be read on the eve of the day of the sacrament, in the evening, before prayers for the coming sleep. The remaining three canons can be recited within three days, after reading the morning prayers.
About confession
Confession is an integral part of fasting. You can confess either in the morning or in the evening, but always before the start of the service, so you should come to the temple in advance (being late is an expression of deep disrespect). Without confession, no one is allowed to take Holy Communion, the only exceptions are children under the age of 7, and people who are in mortal danger.
On the day of Holy Communion
On the day of Communion, after reading the “Our Father”, the believer should go to the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out. Do not rush forward - the first to let the Chalice pass are children, the elderly and sick people. Having waited for your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should still bow from a distance and cross your arms over your chest (put the right one on the left). It is not necessary to overshadow oneself with the banner of the Cross in front of the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Before the Chalice, you need to name your full name received at baptism, and then with reverence in your soul accept the Body and Blood of Christ, swallow it. When the Holy Mysteries are received, one should kiss the edge of the Chalice without making the sign of the cross and go to the table, eat the prosphora and drink it with warmth.
After receiving Communion, you cannot immediately leave the church - you need to wait until the priest walks around with an altar cross and kiss this cross. It is highly desirable to be present at the prayers of thanksgiving, but in extreme cases they can be read at home.
On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person who takes communion must remain decent and reverent.
Communion frequency
The first Christians took Communion every Sunday. Now, due to the change in people's way of life, the Church recommends taking communion, if possible, during each Lent, but at least once a year.
Confession and communion are among the main sacraments of the Church. They help a person cleanse his soul and mind from heavy sinful thoughts. The person seems to start his life anew. An important point is the correct preparation for the sacraments. A person must watch his thoughts, behavior, actions. You can’t wish anyone harm, envy, get annoyed and swear. For three days, a strict fast should be maintained, which concerns not only food, but also intimate life, drinking, smoking, entertainment.
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General rules for preparing for confession and communion
All people who believe in God need to confess and take communion to calm their souls. This can be done when there is a strong desire to get rid of the heavy burden of sins committed. However, Great Lent is the best time for a person to think about his life, ask the Lord God to forgive sins, conduct the sacrament of confession and prepare for communion.
In order for repentance for sins to be carried out correctly, it is important to observe certain conditions:
- It is necessary to accept the sacrament of Baptism performed by the priest in the temple. If a person has already been baptized, then this should be discussed with the priest.
- Remember or make a written list of your sins from the age of 7 or from the time of Baptism for those who were baptized as adults.
- If sin has caused damage to another person, then before going to confession, you must do everything possible to make amends for your guilt. In addition, you yourself need to forgive the sins of your offenders.
- It is important to keep yourself in your soul from anger, envy, gossip and bodily communication between spouses, on the night after communion too. But on Holy Week, marital fasting is not so strong.
During confession, it is necessary to sincerely, honestly tell about your sinful deeds.
It is important to repent precisely for what the person himself did, and not to blame someone else or the prevailing life circumstances.
You need to tell in simple language, not trying to use special church terms.
You should not be afraid that the priest will be greatly shocked by the confession or ridicule the person. It is important to remember that confession remains only between the priest and the one who talks about his sins.
List of sins
In order to make it easier to prepare for the sacrament of confession, you can use a short list of sins in accordance with the Ten Commandments, which must be repented in the church:
Commandment
Corresponding sin
I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me.
Irreligion, communist views on life, atheism, magic, attending grandmothers, healers, astrology, reading horoscopes, participation in sects, pride, boasting, arrogance, pride, careerism
Do not make yourself an idol, do not worship and do not serve them
Worship of various idols, divination, feeding the brownie
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
Blasphemy, mockery of holy things, use of swear words, violation of promises made to God
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; work six days, and the seventh day is Sunday to the Lord your God
Performing work on a holiday, skipping Sunday worship, parasitism, non-observance of fasting
Honor your father and your mother
Insulting parents, disrespectful attitude towards elders and teachers
Dont kill
Murder, abortion, anger, swearing, fights, feelings of hatred and resentment, rancor
Don't commit adultery
Cheating, intimate relationships outside of marriage, homosexuality, masturbation, viewing pornography
Theft, theft, fraud, greed, avarice
Don't bear false witness
Perjury, lies, deceit, slander, gossip, betrayal
don't want someone else
Feelings of envy, dissatisfaction with one's position, grumbling
About Preparing for Communion
After a person has repented of his sins, he needs to prepare for the next important sacrament - Holy Communion. This preparation process has its own characteristics.
- Communion is celebrated in the morning during the Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy.
- On the eve of Communion, one must attend the evening service, which usually consists of a combination of Vespers and Matins.
- The preparation process also includes abstinence in food. Fasting should be observed for three days. At this time do not eat eggs, meat, dairy products, fish, sweets.
- On the eve of communion, spouses are forbidden to have intimate relationships. Entertainment is prohibited. TV viewing should be limited.
- On the day of communion, starting from midnight, you can not eat anything, drink water, smoke.
- In the morning, be sure to wash your face and brush your teeth.
- It is advisable to get up early in order to have time to read the prayers for Holy Communion.
- At the beginning of the service, you must come to the temple without delay.
After the people in the temple sing "Our Father", you should come closer to the Royal Doors. At the same time, it is important to let women with small children, the elderly, and nuns go ahead. If a person is let through, then you need to bow in gratitude and immediately pass.
You should be baptized in advance; this cannot be done near the Chalice. After a person has taken communion, one should go to a special table where they will give it to drink.
Reading prayers
Reading prayers before confession and communion in Orthodoxy is an important step for thorough preparation for the purification of the soul and the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. If a person is going to confess or receive communion for the first time, then it is important to carefully read all the rules for conducting the sacraments and read all the canons.
There are several most commonly used prayers before confession.
The text of the prayer before confession.
Prayer of St. Simeon the New Theologian.
Prayer of St. John of Damascus before Communion.
First confession
For those who want to confess for the first time, it is important to try to remember and write down all their sins, which will need to be told to the priest. If it is difficult for a person to tell about his wrong actions, then he can hand over a piece of paper with recorded unworthy deeds to the priest. After the person confesses, the record will be burned.
For those who want to confess for the first time, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy so that he can devote more time to the newcomer.
At the end of confession, the priest gives a brief instruction that must be remembered and accepted for oneself. After that, the person's head is covered with stole, and the priest reads a prayer of permissiveness to forgive sins. Then the confessor kisses the cross and the Gospel.
Preparing a Child for Communion
In order to properly prepare a child for communion, it is important to consider the age of the baby:
Age
Preparation Methods
From birth to one year
During this period of infancy, the main moment of preparation is the preservation of good mood and complacency by the mother during the trip to the church for the Liturgy.
1 to 3 years
At this age, you can already start talking about the church with your child. During this period, most children's memory is based on visually perceived images of objects. Preparation for the sacrament at this age consists in the fact that the child, along with his parents, regularly meets and attends the temple. It is important that the actions are played at the speech level by the parents: “Now we will get up, wash ourselves, brush our teeth, get together and go to the temple.” Each action should be affectionately commented on by the father and mother of the child.
3 to 7 years old
At this time, the child begins to perceive the world more meaningfully. You should buy and read Orthodox literature with your children. This will enable parents and children to spend more time together, discuss what they have read, and develop skills in retelling and literate speech.
In addition to reading, it is important to pay attention to the upbringing of the child. You should help the baby to learn the concepts of "good" and "bad", discuss his actions.
The child already has an idea of what fasting is. You can start to accustom him to it, however, it should be just a children's fast: for chocolate, ice cream, cartoons, computer games.
You should not force a child to learn big prayers, as this will be just a mechanical memorization of the text.
"Accept the source of the immortal..."
What prayers to read before Communion?
Immediately on the eve of communion, the believer must attend the evening service, after which at home read all the prayers and canons for Holy Communion, namely:
- the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ;
- canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos;
- canon to the Guardian Angel;
- canon for Holy Communion and prayers for Holy Communion;
- Evening prayers.
Prayers for Holy Communion move to morning. You will find all these canons and prayers in almost every prayer book sold in any Orthodox church.It is quite possible that when preparing for Holy Communion, you will not be able to read all these prayers. However, try to make the most of what you can. After midnight, they no longer eat or drink, smoking is strictly prohibited - they start Holy Communion on an empty stomach.
On the morning of the day of communion, it is necessary to read the morning prayers.
How to fast?
Since ancient times, preparation for communion is called fasting. In preparing to unite with Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion), the Orthodox must prepare his soul and body for a worthy meeting with the Lord. Preparing the body, a person for a week or three days (depending on the frequency of communion, age, health) abstains from fast food (meat, eggs, dairy products), eats vegetables, fruits, cereals, pasta. We also abstain from marital (intimate) life, from various kinds of entertainment and amusements. It is not customary for women to begin the Holy Mysteries during purification (monthly cycles). To prepare his soul, a Christian often visits church these days, reads spiritual literature. It is necessary to make peace if you are in a quarrel, to forgive all insults.
Is there any relaxation in fasting?
If for health reasons you are practically unable to fast (illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding) or for good reasons you cannot attend evening worship or read all the required prayers (for example, you are a mother with small children), this should not be for you an obstacle to Holy Communion. It is advisable to consult a priest about relaxation in fasting.
How to take communion?
The communicants must approach the holy Chalice in deep humility. After the priest has read the prayers: “I believe, Lord,” “Thy secret Supper ...” and “Let not go to court ...”, which the laity repeat to themselves or quietly aloud, we bow to the ground with all fear and tenderness. After that, folding our arms crosswise on our chest so that the right hand is on top of the left, we approach the holy Chalice.
After Communion, the deacon wipes the mouth of the communicant with a special cloth, after which the communicant kisses the edge of the holy Chalice as the very rib of Christ, from which blood and water flowed, and, retreating a little, makes a bow, but not to the ground for the sake of the received Holy Mysteries. Then he drinks the Communion with warmth and antidoron.
How to Communion Babies?
As a precaution, so that during the Communion of the infant the Holy Mysteries do not remain unswallowed by him, you need to bring him to the Chalice face up on his right hand and in this position take communion, then give him to drink warmth with antidoron. Within a few minutes after communion, a pacifier should not be given.
At the end of the service, prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion are read for those who have received Communion.
How to receive communion at home?
Seriously ill people who cannot come to church and do not hope to recover soon can receive communion at home. To do this, relatives must invite a priest to the house. Holy sacraments are performed only on a person who is conscious. Parting words cannot be postponed until the last hour.
Communion at home is celebrated with reserve holy gifts. They are prepared once a year, on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week, and are kept in a special tabernacle, which stands on the holy throne in the altar.
Sick people also commune at home on an empty stomach (not on an empty stomach, you can only commune only “for the sake of death”.
Before visiting the priest in the room where the patient is, you need to prepare a table (there should be no foreign objects on it), cover it with a clean tablecloth or napkin, and put an icon. Warm boiled water, a cup and a teaspoon are also prepared.
After communion, the sick person should be given a piece of prosphora or antidoron and warm water. If the sick person cannot read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion himself, you need to read them aloud to him.
Can pregnant women take communion?
One should prepare for Confession and Communion during pregnancy in the same way as at any other time, taking into account only the physical infirmity of the woman. In the same way, one should examine one's conscience and repent of one's sins at Confession. In the same way, if possible, one should limit oneself in food - not in dairy or other protein foods necessary during pregnancy, but in sweets or treats; entertainment should be limited. He will ask for forgiveness from those who are offended by us, and reconcile with those against whom we are offended.
Compiled by priest Vitaly Simora
The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Modest food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses abstain from physical intimacy. If circumstances permit, these days you should attend services in the temple. The morning and evening prayer rules are more diligently carried out, with the addition of reading the Penitential Canon to them.
Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is performed in the temple - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading the prayers for the future, three canons are read: Penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read until the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to perform such a prayer rule in one day, they take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.
It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for the sacrament. Parents, together with the confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child will be able to do, then gradually increase the number of necessary prayers needed to prepare for Communion, up to the full prayer rule for Holy Communion.
For some, it is very difficult to read all the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, some do not go to confession and do not receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers to be read) with preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing sins, ask your confessor for advice on how worthily, to the best of your weak strength, prepare for communion. It is necessary to pray to the Lord that He will help to overcome difficulties and give strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.
Since it is customary to start the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock in the morning they no longer eat or drink. The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5–6 years old, and if possible even earlier) must be taught to the existing rule.
In the morning they also do not eat or drink anything, you can only brush your teeth. After reading the morning prayers, prayers for Holy Communion are read. If it is difficult to read the prayers for Holy Communion in the morning, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the night before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, it is necessary to arrive on time, before the start of confession. If confession was made the night before, then the confessor comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.