What prayers are read before confession of the sacrament. Canons and Prayers to Prepare for the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion



However, there are those who consider themselves a deeply religious person, despite the fact that they have never gone through this procedure. After all, there are probably certain rules, church canons, norms with which everyone who has entered a religion should be familiar. This should be taken seriously.

Confession: what is it for and what is its purpose?

One of the mysterious church rites is considered a confession. The very concept of "forgiveness" of sins and sins is not accessible to the worldly mind. Having confessed to a priest, a person takes off the burden of unworthy actions, and can continue his spiritual path. It is probably impossible to understand exactly how sins are removed, the main thing is just to believe.



Confession in itself does not act as a separate necessity. The repentance procedure must precede Communion. The church does not give permission to people who have not confessed to receive Holy Communion, but things are different with children who have not reached the age of seven. They do not need to repent, since there can be no sins in childhood. They are absolutely pure before God.
Adults should prepare in advance. What prayers to read before confession and communion is not clearly indicated anywhere. There are no strict rules on how to do this correctly, and there is also no exact information. In addition, the Sacrament of the Sacrament requires more serious preparation for its conduct. In order to receive the Holy Communion, you will have to take care in advance about choosing the appropriate prayers. Their purpose is to tune a person into a long process of soul cleansing.

But this in no way diminishes the importance of confession in the life of a believer. It also needs to be approached seriously and responsibly. It is imperative to pray before repentance, and this prayer will not differ much from the usual petitions with which people turn to the Almighty in their lives.

How to Prepare for Confession?



The main difficulties usually arise at this stage when a person should realize his sins, repent of his deeds and not have even the slightest desire to repeat them. And no matter how simple it may seem at first glance, it is rather difficult to fulfill these conditions. When deciding which prayers to read before confession and communion, many think that this is where the work on oneself will end. Simple proofreading of the canons is indispensable here.

Any believer will confirm the need to read prayers before confession. Although the church says that prayer should always go hand in hand in life. Every undertaking, every step, choice and decision must be blessed by God. The will of the Lord must be compared with the goal and aspiration in absolutely everything.



In addition, self-awareness plays a huge role. Many do not understand their sins, refusing to recognize them as taboo. Often people are simply not familiar with the religious rules and regulations of the Orthodox faith and have no idea that their actions are sinful. Having chosen the most appropriate words in the form of a prayer, they, as a rule, go to the priest without a twinge of conscience, confident in their own righteousness.

Such a confession, naturally, will not absolve one from sin. After all, everyone knows from the Bible that the first who entered heaven with Jesus was a robber who robbed and killed more than once in his entire life. Without reading a single prayer, a prudent person was able to realize his sin and repent of it.

Also, repentance is important in the deliverance of the soul from sins. This is another for the full fulfillment of confession. Repentance should be present not only in. Any mistakes and misdeeds must be associated with repentance. From morning to evening, the consciousness of a believer should be permeated with repentance. It is impossible to save the soul without repentance. A striking example of this was the aforementioned robber, who did not know anything about what prayers to read before confession and communion, but was able to save his soul in the end. It's not hard to imagine how far from his life was from holiness and ideal.



The desire to avoid repeating similar sins is just as important as awareness and repentance. Each of us knows what to expect from ourselves and whether we can trust ourselves at all. But, be that as it may, confession must be completely permeated with a great desire not to commit such misconduct in the future.

Prayer, on the other hand, should set the person confessing in a suitable way. Without prayer, there is probably no faith. Like air, it is needed by everyone who takes communion, confesses or wants to ask the Almighty for support. It doesn't matter when a believer prays: before or after confession, the main thing is that the words come from the very depths of the soul. Perfectly suited are those prayers that are mainly used for daily communication with God: "Our Father", "I believe", "Theotokos" and many others.

Choosing a Prayer for the Sacrament



A person can approach Communion when confession is completed. This is an equally important Orthodox sacrament, also necessary and obligatory. Uniting during Communion with the Son of God - Jesus Christ, the body and blood of a person become his flesh as well. By performing the Sacrament procedure as often as possible, the believer will learn to resist temptations and not succumb to sinful words, deeds and thoughts. You can cope with the temptation constantly encountered on the path of life, if you decide on which prayer to read before confession and communion.

Every Orthodox person knows that the life of a believer who regularly attends divine services is simply unthinkable without regular confession and communion. However, for people who have just set foot on the path of Orthodoxy, many of the rules seem complicated and incomprehensible. How to Prepare for Confession? What prayers to read before confession? Or maybe there are some canons?

Confession

Confession is one of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church. During confession, in a supernatural and incomprehensible way for the human mind, the forgiveness of sins in which the person confessed to the priest takes place. Confession precedes Communion, another of the most important. Children under 7 years old can receive Communion without confession, but adults are not allowed before Communion without confession.

What prayers to read before confession? In fact, there is no strict rule for reading out any specific prayers just before confession, unlike Communion, where it is simply necessary to read prayers that prepare and attune a person to this sacrament. Something else is important before confession. What exactly?

Prerequisites for Confession

In order for confession to really be what is expected of it, and not some random episode in a person's life, it should be approached consciously and seriously. Prayer before confession is necessary, as, indeed, prayer in general in the life of an Orthodox person. First of all, a person approaching confession must be aware of his sins, repent of them and have a firm desire not to repeat them again.

It seems that everything does not sound so difficult, but sometimes it is very difficult to comply with these three rules, rather than just reading certain canons before confession. The reason for these difficulties lies in the fact that we have lost the Orthodox faith and several generations have lived before us, no longer having faith, which had a disastrous effect on the spiritual life of an entire people. Spiritual life is incredibly difficult, which is why many people don't even try to start living it.

Awareness of sin

If you ask any person, they will answer you: of course, prayers are necessary before confession. Orthodoxy says that a believer needs prayer constantly, and not only in this case. A person, whose gaze is directed to God, should compare any step he takes with God's will, asking Him for blessing for any undertaking.

And before confessing, you must, first of all, remember your sins and realize that they really are. Many people, knowingly or unknowingly, do not consider this or that sin to be a sin. Some are simply not familiar with Orthodox teaching and do not even know that what they are doing is a sin. They think that prayer before confession is more than enough, and, not having a single drop of doubt that they are right, go to confession. In fact, this is not good. On the contrary, it is destructive for the human soul. Such people simply turn into legalists who think that Orthodox prayer before confession will save them. However, we all know that the Lord Jesus Christ denounced the scribes and Pharisees, and the prudent robber, hanging not far from the crucified Savior, was the first to enter Paradise with Him, although he did not read a single special prayer. The only thing is that this robber realized his sin, and having realized it, he repented of it.

Repentance

Repentance is the next step necessary for the confession to be performed for the salvation of a person, and not for his destruction. Without repentance in general, the life of an Orthodox person cannot be called correct. The whole life of believers should be permeated with repentance. Every morning you need to wake up with repentance in your heart and fall asleep in the same way. Without repentance, our salvation is impossible, and the prudent thief gave us an example of how repentance can save a person's soul. But the life of this robber was very far from perfect! We do not know how many atrocities he committed, but, most likely, a lot, otherwise he would not have been subjected to such a terrible and shameful death.

In addition to repentance, there must also be a desire not to repeat the sins committed beforehand. Any believer knows how crafty his heart is, and that it is dangerous to trust your feelings and thoughts. Nevertheless, at the time of the confession, there should be a persistent desire not to repeat the committed sins, even if there is no clear certainty that they will not be repeated.

Prayer before confession is necessary because it sets a person in the right mood, as a musician does before performing a piece of music. In general, prayer is what a believer needs like air, and it doesn't matter if it is before or after confession. You need to pray the way you are used to, using those prayers that you use every day, for example, "Theotokos", "Our Father", "I believe", prayers to the Guardian Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Communion

When confession is already over, another of the 7 Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, very important and necessary, awaits a person ahead. During Communion, the union of a person with Christ takes place, the body of a person becomes His body, and the blood of a person becomes the blood of Christ. It is advisable to receive communion regularly, because this sacrament helps a believer to cope with temptations that are constantly encountered on the path of spiritual life.

Before Communion, it is necessary to read prayers and canons, which are designed specifically to prepare for this holy sacrament. As a rule, these are the combined canons "To Jesus Christ" and the prayer canon "To the Guardian Angel and the Most Holy Theotokos." In any prayer book, you can easily find these prayers and prepare for Communion by reading them carefully and thoughtfully, thus setting your soul in the right mood. It is advisable to read them not at once, but several days in advance, so that the preparation is more meaningful. Prayers before communion and confession do not accept vanity, as well as spiritual life itself, which vanity simply kills.

Conclusion

The life of an Orthodox believer is filled with prayer, with which he begins any business in his life. Prayer is needed always and everywhere, it serves as a guiding star and guides a person on the right path. This is communication with God, which is why it does not matter whether a prayer is read before confession or not. The main thing is the presence of prayer itself, which is a kind of indicator indicating whether everything is normal in a person's spiritual life. If prayer appears rarely and in extreme cases, then there is reason to think about why this is happening. And again there is a reason to repent!

The most important sacraments in the life of an Orthodox Christian are confession and communion, which help the human soul to purify itself and draw closer to God. From our article you will learn what prayers should be read before confession and communion.

General information

In daily prayers, Orthodox Christians turn to the Savior with requests to forgive the human race for the sins they have committed. The culmination of a believer's repentance is the forgiveness and remission of sins, called the sacrament of confession.

The clergy call the confession of Jesus Christ, who believed in the Savior, the second baptism. During the sacrament of baptism, the baby is cleansed from original sin, the second baptism makes it possible to atone, repent and cleanse himself of the faults committed during the course of life.

Sin is not only actions, but also thoughts that are contrary to the commandments of God. There are transgressions against God, condemning the Holy Spirit, against one's neighbor, against oneself and mortals. Sin is the spiritual filth generated by passion, which is in the depths of the human soul. According to the clergy, committing atrocities, speaking out against the Lord God and the Holy Spirit, a person becomes an accomplice in the crucifixion of Christ on the cross.

Confession helps the soul to cleanse itself of the wrongdoing. A believer who believes in God and a repentant believer becomes closer to the Savior, receives His mercy and grace.

In Orthodoxy, confession is carried out in a church, but if necessary, confession to a clergyman can be done anywhere else. Before conducting a sacred ceremony, an Orthodox Christian reads:

  • morning and evening prayer rule;
  • a canon of repentance to our Savior Jesus Christ;
  • prayer of Simeon the New Theologian.

There is no need to be embarrassed and afraid of your sinfulness. All faults in which a person sincerely repents will be heard and forgiven by God. As stated in the Holy Scriptures, some saints were previously sinners. Sincere repentance and sincere faith helped them to be cleansed, to take the righteous path and draw closer to the Lord.

The Eucharist, or the sacrament of the sacrament, is an opportunity for the believing Christian to touch the most intimate, having tasted bread and wine in the church, with which those who repented of their sins and confessing the righteous are given communion, and which personify the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Some parishioners consider themselves unworthy of the sacrament, forgetting that this sacrament exists precisely for previously unworthy people who have realized their sinfulness.

Women should not receive communion during their menstrual cycle. Also, a woman who has recently become a mother is not allowed into the church. Before entering the temple and performing the sacrament of the sacrament of a woman in labor, the priest must read a special prayer over her.

Before communion, an Orthodox Christian reads:

  • morning prayer rule;
  • evening prayer rule;
  • canon of repentance to the Savior;
  • canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos;
  • canon to the Guardian Angel;
  • akathist to Jesus the Sweetest;
  • following to Holy Communion.

The Orthodox Church allows to distribute the reading of all canons for several days preceding the celebration of the sacrament of the sacrament.

At the end of the ceremony, a prayer of gratitude to Jesus Christ, a prayer to St. Basil the Great and a prayer after communion with the Most Holy Theotokos are said. Reading sacred texts gives the believer spiritual food and the opportunity to meet with God.

Video "Preparing for Confession and Communion"

How to properly prepare for the most important Sacraments in life, what prayers to read, and how to repent in confession.

What prayers to read

Confession and Communion are important Sacraments for an Orthodox Christian. The main point is the correct preparation for the cleansing of the soul and the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is very important to know and read the prayers before confession and communion.

Before confession

God and Lord of all, I have power of every breath and soul, one can heal my might! Hear the prayer of me, the cursed and nesting serpent in me, by the inspiration of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, having killed it. And me, a beggar and nakedness of every virtue that exists, at the feet of my holy father (spirit) with tears, save me with tears, and bring his holy soul to mercy, to be merciful to me, attractors.

And grant, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who has agreed to repent to You; and not completely leaving the soul alone, united to You and confessing Thee, and choosing and preferring Thee instead of the world. Weight bo, Lord, as if I want to be saved, even if my crafty custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the whole essence, the tree is impossible to be from a person. Amen.

Before communion

Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, merciful and benevolent, the one who has the power to forgive sins to people, despise (forget), forgive all my sins, conscious and unconscious, and grant me without condemnation to partake of Your divine, glorious, pure and life-giving Mysteries not in punishment, not in the multiplication of sins, but in cleansing, sanctification, in the pledge of the future life and kingdom, in a solid stronghold, in defense, and defeat of enemies, in the destruction of many of my sins. For YOU are the God of mercy and generosity, and love for mankind, and we glorify You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

What prayers to read before confession and Communion?

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 cleanse the human conscience of everything unclean, to prepare a person to receive the Holy Mysteries. In Communion, the believer unites with Jesus, accepts the Divine life and all the blessings associated with it: strength and courage, good thoughts and feelings, strength and the desire to do good. These two sacraments - confession and Communion, require careful preparation, first of all, preparation by prayer.

General principles of preparation for Communion

The believer is allowed to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting and repentance. The Church calls the preparation for the Sacrament fasting. Speaking usually takes 3-7 days and has a direct relation to both the spiritual and physical life of a person. On the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will take place during the sacrament of Communion.

In total, preparation for the Sacrament consists of the following stages:

  • fasting immediately before Communion;
  • stay at the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
  • reciting a specific set of prayers;
  • abstaining from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the sacrament itself;
  • confession with a clergyman, during which he makes a decision on admitting a person to Communion;
  • stay at the Divine Liturgy.

Speaking is aimed at a person's awareness of their sins, their confession before the spiritual person and God, at the beginning of the struggle with sinful passions. The believer, during preparation for Communion, must distance himself from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary vanity. The Lord settles only in a pure heart, therefore, one should approach fasting with the utmost seriousness and concentration.

Post and its features

On the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily purity - in other words, abstain 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;
  • on these days, you should refuse any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs). If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
  • plant products (vegetables, fruits, cereals, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.

If a person has only recently joined the Church, or for a long time did not turn to it, forgetting about God, or did not observe all the established fasts, the priest in this case can assign him an additional fast of 3-7 days. A strict restriction on food at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with refraining from visiting establishments and activities of an entertainment nature (theaters, cinema, clubs, etc.), with refraining from watching entertainment television programs, films and from listening to popular secular music ... The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be amused and wasted on everyday trifles.

The strictest fast occurs on the day before the sacrament of the Sacrament, starting at midnight. At this time, abstinence from food and drink should be absolute. One should go to Communion on an empty stomach. Also, for this period, a person must completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Women are not allowed to partake of the sacrament on cleansing days (during menstruation).

About 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, come to terms with those with whom the relationship was at odds. Consciousness should be free from condemnation, obscene thoughts. Arguments and empty talk should also be discarded. The best time is to spend 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 forgiveness of sins, for help in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in everyday and spiritual needs.

A person preparing for Communion on the days of fasting should more carefully and diligently observe the daily home prayer rule. Morning and evening prayers must be recited in full. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.

Prayer preparation for the Sacrament includes the following prayers:

  • morning prayer rule;
  • prayers for future sleep;
  • "Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ";
  • "Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos";
  • “Canon to the Guardian Angel”;
  • "Follow-up to 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 all that is necessary.

Saying all prayers before the sacrament of the Sacrament requires calmness, attentiveness, concentration and a lot of time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all canons to be distributed over several days. “Follow-up to Holy Communion” should be read on the eve of the sacrament day, in the evening, before prayers for the future 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 church in advance (being late is an expression of deep disrespect). Without confession, no one is admitted to Holy Communion, the only exceptions are children under 7 years of age and people in mortal danger.

On the day of Holy Communion

On the day of Communion, after reading Our Father, the believer should go to the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out. You should not rush forward - the first to go to the Cup are children, old people and sick people. Having waited for your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should also bow from a distance and cross your arms on your chest (put your right on your 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 Christ's Body and Blood, swallow it. When the Holy Mysteries are accepted, one should, without being baptized, kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table, eat the prosphora and wash it down with warmth.

After taking Communion, you cannot immediately leave the church - you need to wait for the priest to walk with the altar cross and kiss this cross. It is highly desirable to be present at the thanksgiving prayers, but as a last resort you can read them at home.

On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person who has received the Holy Communion should remain dean and reverent.

Communion frequency

The early Christians took the sacrament every Sunday. Now, in connection with the change in the way of life of people, the Church recommends to receive communion, if possible, during each fast, but not less than once a year.

I am just ripening for Communion, getting ready. Thanks for the clarification needed!

I try to take communion at least once a year, usually during Great Lent. I began to do this about 7 years ago, since then the Communion has been an obligatory sacrament for me.

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Sacrament of confession and communion

Confession or repentance is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, during which the repentant confesses his sins to the priest, the representative of the Lord on earth, after which the forgiveness of sins is carried out. It is believed that these Sacraments were established by Jesus Christ himself. To achieve the best result, prayers are read before confession and communion, according to Orthodoxy, this allows the believer to tune in the right way.

In order for the ritual to pass according to all the rules, you need to prepare before communion:

  • It is necessary to realize your sinfulness, sincerely, heartily repent of your sins.
  • It is necessary to realize the desire to leave sin and not repeat it again, believing in Jesus Christ, hoping for his mercy.
  • One must believe that confession is powerful enough to cleanse sins.

To receive remission of sins, you will need to undergo the Sacrament of Baptism in the church before communion, becoming an Orthodox Christian.

In addition, there are some simple rules:

  • Remember all the evil words, starting from the age of 7 or the moment of baptism, admit solely your guilt in saying them.
  • Offer up your prayers to God, promise that with his help you will make every effort to exclude the repetition of sin, you will try to do good.
  • If sin has caused harm to your neighbor, you need to make amends for the harm done.
  • Forgive the sins of those who caused moral or material damage to you before communion takes place.

You should feel sincere repentance during confession, only then the Lord will be able to illuminate your soul with light. And if you decide to confess "for show", it is better not to do it at all. This is a great Sacrament, not a formality.

To pass the sacrament ritual you need:

  • Realize the meaning of the ritual. Your goal is to become a partaker of the Divine, to unite with Christ, to be cleansed from sin.
  • Realize the need for a ritual. Offer up your prayers, sincerely desire to pass it.
  • To find peace of mind, a state opposite to anger, enmity, hatred.
  • Do not violate church canons.
  • Pass confession on time.
  • Stick to fasting.
  • Participate in divine services, pray at home.
  • Keep body and spirit clean.

Prayers to Help Prepare for the Sacraments

It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of the holy confession and communion by repentance, fasting, in addition, prayers are also read at this time. There are several types of prayers, some of which can be read at home or in the temple. Reading the prayer for communion will help to cleanse spiritually, prepare for the ritual, and make it much easier.

Orthodox Christians note that this kind of preparation really makes the process more enjoyable, allows you to better understand its meaning, frees you from disturbing thoughts, and grants understanding. You can even pray for your loved ones who are going to have a ritual, no doubt, this will allow them to go through it much easier.

Examples of Orthodox prayers

Get acquainted with the three canons and akathists, they include the "canon of the repentant to the Lord", "the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos", "the canon to the Guardian Angel."

On the eve of Easter, it is recommended to read the Easter Canon. There are several prayers that must be read before the Sacrament of Confession. It is recommended to read them at home, or within the walls of the church, putting candles in front of the icon of Jesus Christ.

Some rules for offering prayers

In order for the procedure for reading prayers to be successful and have an effect, you need to follow some rules, before the ritual, contact the Lord. The rules include awareness of the need to communicate with the Lord, understanding the meaning of prayers, and maintaining concentration.

It doesn't matter where the ritual will take place, at home or in the church, the main thing is to remember what you are doing and why. It is recommended to memorize the texts of the prayers themselves, this will allow you not to be distracted.

Read about other ordinance prayers:

Prayers before confession and communion: comments

Comments - 3,

I learned a lot of prayers. Special thanks for the design, everything is done simply and tastefully. I was especially pleased with the video at the end, very informative. I learned a lot for myself, both about confession and about the sacrament. Soon I will practice the acquired knowledge. I did not know about some of the rules for raising prayers. In general, thank you for the article and God bless you. AMEN.

Read better on how to prepare for confession and Communion on Orthodox sites. And Communion is not a ritual, but a sacrament. And before confession, you don't need to read any prayers. And not the canon of the REPENTED to the Lord, but the canon of the REPENTED. And the following to Holy Communion is not written in full - only one prayer has been written, in fact it is very long. Likewise, the canons - they wrote only one prayer here, not the whole canon. In general, read on Orthodox sites, not here - they wrote some nonsense….

I have not confessed for a long time and did not receive communion it was hard to walk after the operation I can’t wait for tomorrow I am going to confession to God very much sick please pray for my health very hard on my soul

Prayer to be read before confession and communion

It is necessary to prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion by prayer, fasting and repentance.

"... let the bishop take communion, then the presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, ascetics, and among women - deaconesses, virgins, widows, then children, and then the whole people in order, with bashfulness and reverence, without noise."

Preparation for Communion on Bright Week

The Church does not forbid making significant indulgences to children. It would be most correct to consult with a priest in each specific case - keeping in mind the main thing: visiting church, prayer, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ should bring joy to the child, and not become a heavy and unwanted duty.

About the frequency of Communion

Putting fasting into a real fast, you prescribed that you are dissatisfied with your fasting, although you love fasting and would like to do this work of Christian piety more often. - As you have not indicated what you are dissatisfied with with your fasting, I will not say anything about it, I will just put it: try to bring your fasting to such a degree that it satisfies you. You can ask your confessor how to improve your fasting. As for the more often, then it is not necessary to increase it more often, because this frequency will take away not a small part of reverence for this great work, of course, fasting and communion. I seem to have already written to you that it is enough to talk and take communion in every large post out of 4. And in the fast before Easter and Christmas, twice. And look no more. Try to more your inner order and bring to perfection. "

Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ with translation into Russian

What prayers to read before confession and communion

The sacrament of confession is one of the most important seven sacraments for the believing Orthodox person. At the same time, one cannot just come to confession and pass the sacrament, one must prepare for this sacrament. Prayers before confession and the sacrament will prepare the soul for the purification of the soul, help to turn to God, to become closer to him.

But, this is not the only thing that needs to be done in order to undergo preparation for confession and communion. Every person who visits an Orthodox church and follows the faith must know how to prepare for confession and communion.

Sacrament of Confession

Everyone is a sinner, but these sins can be atoned for. After all, the cleansing of the soul from evil and sins is the only way to God, that is, cleansing occurs through repentance. This repentance and forgiveness can be received through the sacrament of Confession and Communion, and this is the essence of these rituals.

All those who want to undergo repentance and cleansing should know the basic canons before Confession and Communion:

Only Orthodox baptized Christians can pass the sacrament. The sacrament of baptism should be performed by the priest, if grandparents baptized, then this issue should be individually discussed with your spiritual mentor.

  • In addition to being baptized, one must firmly and sincerely believe and accept the Revelation of God, which is the book of the Bible. The essence of God's Revelation is set out in the Creed, which must be learned by heart.
  • Before Confession and Communion, you need to remember all your evil deeds, thoughts and thoughts, starting from the age of 7. You should be frank with yourself and understand that in all sinful deeds the fault lies not with someone, but with you.
  • You can not remember other people's sins, even if they gave rise to a chain that made you do a bad deed. Remembering other people's sins, as well as telling about them in Confession is also equated to a sinful deed.
  • In the prayers that are read before the sacrament, it is imperative to promise God that with the help of his blessing you will no longer repeat your sins again.
  • Also, if a sinful act has caused damage to a loved one, then before Confession and Communion, one must make every effort to correct this damage.
  • It is important not only in prayers to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, but also to forgive all the insults that other people have inflicted on us.

After this reflection and preparation, you should go to confession to the priest. At the same time, it is important to be as frank with him as with yourself. Do not be afraid to shock the priest with your deeds, since only priests know about all mental and non-mental sins. There is a secret of Confession, which means that everything said to the priest will not leave him, this secret remains only between the confessing and the priest. For the disclosure of this secret, the priest may lose his rank.

Preparing for the sacrament

After realizing your sins (and you can even write them down, so as not to forget or miss anything), you should undergo preparation for the sacrament. To do this, you need to adhere to a three-day fast, during which you cannot eat eggs, meat products, and dairy products. During the fast, you need to pray a lot and be sure to read the Bible.

The sacrament is performed in the morning, therefore, after three days of fasting, the night before, you must visit the temple and listen to the evening service. During the evening service, you must confess your sins. On the day of communion itself, when the clock spills at midnight, you cannot eat or drink anything. In the morning, during the Liturgy, one must approach the Holy Chalice, remembering the Death and Resurrection of Christ. When the service ends, one should thank God and go out into the world with a pure soul in order to do good deeds and not commit past sins.

What prayers should be read

But if this is not possible, then here are the names of the prayers that must be read before the sacrament:

  • "Prayer of Simeon the New Theologian"
  • "Prayer of St. John of Damascus before communion "
  • "Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ";
  • "Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos";
  • "Canon to the Guardian Angel";
  • "Follow-up to Holy Communion."

The Sacrament is a sacrament of the Orthodox Church that helps to purify the soul and unite with God. To cleanse your soul, you need to sincerely repent of your sins - this will help the rite of Confession.

These ordinances, related to each other, must be performed with the believer taking them seriously. They require a certain amount of spiritual preparation. Observing fasting, reciting prayers, and repentance are essential prerequisites for celebrating the sacrament.

Prayers before confession and communion cleanse the soul and help a person to tune in to the sacrament. To correctly select and read the necessary texts, you need to read the article below.

General principles of preparation for communion

The believer is allowed to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting and repentance.

  1. The Church calls the preparation for the Sacrament fasting.
  2. Speaking usually takes 3-7 days and has a direct relation to both the spiritual and physical life of a person.
  3. On the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will take place during the sacrament of Communion.

In total, preparation for the Sacrament consists of the following stages:

  • fasting immediately before Communion;
  • stay at the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
  • reciting a specific set of prayers;
  • abstaining from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the sacrament itself;
  • confession with a clergyman, during which he makes a decision on admitting a person to Communion;
  • stay at the Divine Liturgy.

Speaking is aimed at a person's awareness of their sins, their confession before the spiritual person and God, at the beginning of the struggle with sinful passions. The believer, during preparation for Communion, must distance himself from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary vanity. The Lord settles only in a pure heart, therefore, one should approach fasting with the utmost seriousness and concentration.

Post and its features

On the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily purity - in other words, abstain 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;
  • on these days, you should refuse any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs). If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
  • plant products (vegetables, fruits, cereals, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.

If a person has only recently joined the Church, or for a long time did not turn to it, forgetting about God, or did not observe all the established fasts, the priest in this case can assign him an additional fast of 3-7 days.

  1. A strict restriction on food at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with refraining from visiting establishments and activities of an entertainment nature (theaters, cinema, clubs, etc.), with refraining from watching entertainment television programs, films and from listening to popular secular music ...
  2. The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be amused and wasted on everyday trifles.

The strictest fast occurs on the day before the sacrament of the Sacrament, starting at midnight. At this time, abstinence from food and drink should be absolute.

One should go to Communion on an empty stomach. Also, for this period, a person must completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Women are not allowed to partake of the sacrament on cleansing days (during menstruation).

Behavior and mood before the sacrament

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, come to terms with those with whom the relationship was at odds. Consciousness should be free from condemnation, obscene thoughts. Arguments and empty talk should also be discarded. The best time is to spend in silence and solitude, reading the Gospel and spiritual books. If possible, you should definitely attend the services held in the church.

What is repentance

Many do not understand why go to confession at all - the Lord sees everything, why can't you do it at home? But the Orthodox do this every day by reading the words of repentance, which are on the list of daily prayers.

The appearance in the temple is intended to demonstrate not so much sinfulness as the determination of a person to abandon his evil deeds. Indeed, in order to speak about them in front of a witness, you need courage, repentance, a certain detachment from your former self. These are all signs of spiritual work.

Prayers read before confession very well help to recognize among the usual actions those that are sinful. People are so used to them that they often don't even notice them. Sins are divided into two main types:

  • Against God. I did not attend church, I was late for the service, I listened inattentively. I missed home prayers, broke fasting. He concealed his affiliation with the Church, hesitated to wear a cross or to impose the sign of the cross on himself.
  • Against the neighbor. He envied a friend. Discussing someone behind his back. I condemned the actions of other people in my heart. I succumbed to sinful passions. Pride, rudeness - everything belongs to this category. Careless attitude to work.

Repentance should not be limited to just declaring your sinfulness. First of all, this is the right thing to do. Offended your wife? Come and apologize. Did you owe it to your neighbor? Bring money. Eating too much? Restrain yourself, impose a fast on yourself.

At the same time, it is better not to promise anything to the Lord, but simply ask His grace-filled help. After all, a person is very weakened by sins, he can take on too heavy obligations, not fulfill them, and then fall into despondency. It is better to fall and rise than to give up confession altogether.

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Pairing Repentance and Communion

The rule that one must confess before participating in the Eucharist is in fact not canonical. For example, the priests do not follow it and receive communion freely on any day. This causes controversy in the church environment, bewilderment among the parishioners.

  • In the first centuries of Christianity, there was only one repentance - before being baptized. Then everyone freely participated in the Lord's Supper without any preparation. However, one must understand how seriously people then took the adoption of the Christian faith. The preparation lasted for years - from 3 to 10 years. As they became full members of the Church, people already behaved differently.
  • There were cases when baptism was delayed in order not to “accumulate” sins before death. These, of course, are already extremes. Over time, they began to practice confession for those who had already been baptized and stumbled. After all, many confessed to misconduct and asked to return to the community.

  • In modern practice in the Greek church, attending confession before Communion is not required. And in the Russian Orthodox Church, some priests allow their spiritual children to the Chalice without preparation - however, this is not advertised. Yes, and do so, in general, only the bishops or rectors of churches, who are very well aware of the spiritual state of a particular person.

What about ordinary parishioners who want to start the Sacrament? We'll have to read all Orthodox prayers before confession, attend services. Perhaps, as a result of your efforts, the priest will become less demanding about fasting and frequency of repentance over time. However, services and prayers remain unchanged. Unfortunately, this burden is not for everyone. Many, frightened by such serious preparation, refuse to attend the temple altogether, which is very sad.

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On the day of Holy Communion

On the day of Communion, after reading Our Father, the believer should go to the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out.

  1. You should not rush forward - the first to go to the Cup are children, old people and sick people.
  2. Having waited for your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should also bow from a distance and cross your arms on your chest (put your right on your left).
  3. 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.
  4. Before the Chalice, you need to name your full name, received at baptism, and then, with reverence in your soul, accept Christ's Body and Blood, swallow it.
  5. When the Holy Mysteries are accepted, one should, without being baptized, kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table, eat the prosphora and wash it down with warmth.

After taking Communion, you cannot immediately leave the church - you need to wait for the priest to walk with the altar cross and kiss this cross. It is highly desirable to be present at the thanksgiving prayers, but as a last resort you can read them at home.

On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person who has received the Holy Communion should remain dean and reverent.

Prayers before confession and communion

Prayer is a personal conversation of a person with God, which consists in turning to Him with requests for forgiveness of sins, for help in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in everyday and spiritual needs.

A person preparing for Communion on the days of fasting should more carefully and diligently observe the daily home prayer rule. Morning and evening prayers must be recited in full. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.

Prayer preparation for the Sacrament includes the following prayers:

  • morning prayer rule;
  • prayers for future sleep;
  • "Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos";
  • “Canon to the Guardian Angel”;
  • "Follow-up to Holy Communion."

Saying all prayers before the sacrament of the Sacrament requires calmness, attentiveness, concentration and a lot of time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all canons to be distributed over several days.

Morning Prayer Rule

The prayer rule of the layman consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult task, inspiration, mood and improvisation alone are not enough.

There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced laymen, which is published in the Orthodox Prayer Book.

However, for those who are just beginning to get used to prayer, it is difficult to immediately begin to read the entire rule set as a whole. Usually, confessors advise to start with several prayers, and then add one prayer to the rule every 7-10 days, so that the skill of reading the rule will develop gradually and naturally.

In addition, lay people sometimes have situations when there is little time for prayer, and in this case it is better to read a short rule with attention and reverence than to hastily and superficially, without a prayer mood, mechanically read the complete rule.

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Morning Prayer Rules for Beginners

Today, many prayers are known that should be chosen depending on the circumstances. The first and most important action is to deny Satan.

There are no strict rules for reading prayer texts, and to a greater extent, spiritual attitude is very important. When turning to God, the believer should be calm, not experience any negative feelings and not think about anything other than the Lord. Only thanks to sincere faith can we expect that the Higher powers will hear the prayer and respond to it.

  • The morning rules for pronouncing a prayer are very simple.
  • First you should wash yourself and dress in decent attire.
  • It is best to turn to God while alone, so that nothing interferes or distracts.
  • You need to read the prayer before the image, after placing a lighted candle or icon lamp next to it.
  • You can memorize the text, but it's difficult for beginners, so use a prayer book.

Prayer for beginners

Before reading the prayer text, you need to thank God for the fact that the last night went well, and then, you can say a short morning prayer for beginners, and the tax collector's text is as follows:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Don't underestimate this short prayer that is powerful. It is read not only in the morning, but also before leaving the house or any important events. You can then turn to God in your own words, telling about what is in your soul, what are your goals and desires. Sincere treatment will allow you to free yourself from the load and tune in to a good wave.

Prayer can be said in the church, where one should go without having breakfast, this rule does not apply to sick people. It is worth paying attention to clothes, so a woman should have a long skirt and a head covered with a scarf. Entering the temple, one should cross and bow three times.

Prayer "Our Father"

  1. The morning prayer "Our Father" is ideal for turning to God, both in church and at home, in general, it is considered universal.
  2. Reading this prayer, a person, as it were, pays tribute to the Higher Forces, sending gratitude for the fact that they allowed to wake up and gave one more day of life.
  3. People who have just converted to faith should know that you can also read it in difficult moments of life, when you need support and help.

The text of the prayer is as follows:

Each person has a guardian angel who is nearby and helps to cope with different problems. You can contact him with different questions. There is a special morning prayer to the guardian angel, which should be read to thank, ask for forgiveness and receive protection.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

The text of the prayer is as follows:

"To the Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfill everything, Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all defilement, and save, Blessed One, our souls."

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Evening prayers for the coming sleep

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed every day: morning prayers are read in the morning, and prayers for the coming sleep must be read in the evening.

Why do you need to read prayers before bed

  1. There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and laymen who are experienced in the spiritual understanding.
  2. But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning the prayer path, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that the laity have unforeseen situations when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.
  3. In this case, it is better to read a short rule than to rattle the full text thoughtlessly and without reverence.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer appeal will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serve God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, laymen read a short rule - a prayer at night before going to bed:

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; every answer is bewildered, this Ti prayer as if to the Lord of sin we bring: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, in You with hope; Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look after us and now, as if you are well-to-do, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us get rid of Thy troubles: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos

“The blessed King, the good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers guide me to good deeds, but the rest of my life I will pass without blemish and I will find paradise by Thee, Virgin Mary, one Pure and Blessed. "

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

To the Angel of Christ, my saint guardian and protector of my soul and body, all forgive me, the tree of those who have sinned in this day, and save me from all cunning of the enemy, so that I will anger my God in no way; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if you were worthy of me showing the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

“To the chosen Voevoda, victorious, as if we will get rid of the evil, we will grateful to Ty Thy servant, the Mother of God, but as the one who has an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

Glorious Ever-ever, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son and our God, that Thou mayst save our souls.

I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, demanding Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of St. John
My hope is the Father, my refuge Son, my cover is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, Mother of God, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, we magnify the Mother of God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, venerable and God-bearing father of ours and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen."

Interpretation of individual prayers

  • Heavenly King.

In supplication, the Holy Spirit is called King, because He, as God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and to this day he comforts those who need it. He instructs believers on the righteous path, and therefore is called the Spirit of Truth.

  • Trisagion.

The petition is addressed to the three persons of the Holy Trinity. The great song is sung by the angels of heaven before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy All-Powerful. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell.

Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

  • The Lord's Prayer.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as a Father, we stand before Him as children before mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His might, we implore you to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death we will be honored to be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, prayer to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will patronize the soul and body.

In the prayer, the danger of attacks by the enemies of the body (people pushing them to commit sin) and disembodied (spiritual passions) is especially highlighted.

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants in audio recordings?

In the Epistle of the Apostle Paul it is said that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work should be done for the glory of God.

Important! It is necessary to understand that it is impossible to replace prayers with a dream that is coming by listening to Orthodox songs.

The prayer should be started before bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He was given for the whole day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of each spoken word.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers about:

  • close and dear people
  • the living and the dead;
  • about enemies;
  • virtues and the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil's army, he is visited by sinful thoughts, bad desires. Night in the Christian sense is considered a time of revelry of demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious, they can send nightmares in a dream.

That is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances develop successfully, one should not forget about faith and about the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

  1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Pustyn. This male monastic abode is famous for miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and tunes in to the righteous path.
  2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated with great care, and while listening or watching, it is recommended to postpone worldly activities.
  3. Clergymen advise to include in the evening rule the prayers of the Optina elders. Their texts have evolved over the centuries and each of their phrases bears the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and knowing their full depth.

A prayer appeal is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep; other life processes are also difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at the Creator's participation in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! The ascension of prayer before bedtime is the acquisition of protection and support by an Orthodox Christian. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and bestow upon them mercy.

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Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ

There are liturgical traditions in the Orthodox world. They are of several types. One of them is the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ. But before talking about it, you need to understand what this concept means.

The Canon is a complex church multi-line work that is dedicated to the glorification of a church holiday or saint.

It is part of the morning and evening services. The entire canon is divided into the following components:

  • Song,
  • Irmis,
  • Tropter.

The number of such songs in one canon can be from two to nine.

When to read the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ

It should be noted that the canon to the Lord Jesus is included in any prayer book. This is one of the three canons, which must be read before preparing for the Sacrament of Communion. From the name it is clear that it is he who is aimed at softening the soul of the believer and attuning him to the wave of repentance.

Also, his reading is associated with the sacrament of Repentance. As you know, it is this sacrament that precedes communion.

  1. It should be noted that very often people who are just starting to go to church are upset and upset by the very preparation for the sacrament.
  2. It involves special training for three days.
  3. On these days you need to fast and limit yourself in fatty and dairy foods.
  4. In addition, if possible, it is necessary to attend church all three days and pray fervently.

Direct preparation begins at the church service on the eve of the ceremony itself. Namely, at the evening service. And only after strict adherence to such preparation, the priest can conduct the rite of Communion.

But it is worth remembering that Repentance is not just a canon and church tradition, it is an independent prayer that must be read at any time when the soul of a person is inclined towards it.

Penitential Canon to the Lord Jesus Christ in Russian

As you know, all prayers are written in the Old Slavic language. Sometimes people without special education either cannot read the prayer correctly, or while reading it they cannot understand its meaning and essence. It is clear that such reading will be of no use.

Therefore, for the convenience of most Orthodox believers, the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ was translated into Russian. Now it can be read not only by clergymen, but also by Orthodox believers. At the same time, they understand the whole deep meaning of prayer.

Song 1

“Like Israel, walking along the abyss like dry land with her feet, seeing the persecutor of Pharaoh being drowned, we sing and proclaim a victory song to God.

Now I, sinful and burdened, come to You, Master and my God! I dare not look to heaven, but I only ask, saying: give me reason, Lord, so that I bitterly mourn my deeds!
Chorus: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me!

Oh, woe to me, a sinner! I am more unhappy than all people, I have no repentance! Oh, give me tears, Lord, so that I mourn bitterly for my deeds!

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Oh, unreasonable, unhappy man! You are ruining time in laziness! Imagine your life and turn to the Lord God and cry bitterly about your deeds!

And now, and always, and forever! Amen.
Most Pure Mother of God! Turn your gaze on me, a sinner, and deliver me from the devil's net. and put me on the path of repentance, so that I mourn bitterly for my deeds! "

Song 3

In holiness there is no one like Thee, O Lord my God, who lifted up the horn of Thy faithful, O Good One, and established us on the stone of Thy confession.

When the thrones of the Last Judgment are installed, then the deeds of all people will be revealed! There will be sorrow for the sinner, sent into torment! And knowing this, my soul, turn from your evil deeds! The righteous will rejoice, but the sinners will cry! Then no one will be able to help us, but our very deeds will condemn us! Therefore, before the end, turn from your evil deeds!

Glory: Alas for me, many sinful ones, defiled by deeds and thoughts: from hard-heartedness I do not have a drop of tears! Now rise up from the earth, my soul, and turn from your evil deeds!

And now: Oh, Lady! Thy Son calls to you and teaches us good things, but I, a sinner, always shy away from good! But you, merciful, have mercy on me, and turn from my evil deeds!

Sedalen, voice 6th

I reflect on a terrible day and mourn my evil deeds. How then will I answer the immortal King, or with what boldness will I, the prodigal, look at the Judge? Merciful Father, Only Begotten Son and Holy Spirit, have mercy on me!

Glory, and now: Mother of God:

Now, being bound by many chains of sins and surrounded by many sufferings and troubles, I resort to You, my salvation and cry: Help me Virgin Mother of God!

Song 4

Christ is my strength, my God and Lord! This is how the worthy Church sings splendidly, crying out from the pure sense and rejoicing in the Lord.
Here the path is wide and convenient for enjoyment, but how bitter it will be on the last day, when the soul is parted from the body! Oh, man, keep yourself from them, for the sake of the Kingdom of God!

Why do you offend the poor, take the wages of the worker, do not love your brother, show fornication and pride? So, my soul, leave this and correct for the sake of the Kingdom of God!

Slava: Oh, unreasonable person! How long will you drown, collecting your wealth like a bee? Soon it will perish, becoming dust and ashes, and you seek more of the Kingdom of God!

And now: Madame Mother of God! Have mercy on me, a sinner, and strengthen and preserve me in virtue, so that insolent death does not kidnap me unprepared, and bring me, Virgin, to the Kingdom of God!

Song 5

Oh, Good One, illuminate your souls with Your God’s light in the morning those who are coming to You with love, so that You, the Word of God, may be known as the true God! So I pray, crying out of sinful darkness.

Remember, unfortunate person, how enslaved you are by your sins to lies, slander, robbery, weakness, fierce beasts! My sinful soul, did you want that?
My members tremble, for I have been guilty of all of them: looking with my eyes, listening with my ears, speaking evil with my tongue, giving myself over to Gehenna! My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?

Glory: Oh, Savior, you accepted the already repentant fornicator and robber, but I am still burdened with sinful laziness and evil deeds enslaved! My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?

And now: Mother of God, a wonderful and fast helper to all people! Help me, unworthy, for my sinful soul has already wanted it!

Song 6

Seeing the sea of ​​life as an indignant storm of temptations, I ran to Your quiet haven, crying to You: O Many-Merciful, build my life from decay!
I lived my life on earth fornication, and gave my soul into darkness, but now, merciful Master, I implore You: free me from this enslavement of the enemy and give me reason to do Your will!

Who does something like me? For as a pig lies in the mud, so I also serve sin. But Thou, Lord, tear me out of this vileness and give me such a heart to fulfill Thy commandments!

Glory: Unhappy man! Remember your sins, rise to God, falling to the Creator, shedding tears and groaning! He is merciful, he will give you reason to know His will!
And now: Virgin Mary! Save me, Most Pure One, from visible and invisible evil and take my petitions and convey them to Thy Son, so that He may give me understanding to do His will!

Kondak

My soul! Why do you grow rich in sins, Why do you fulfill the devil's will, in what do you put hope? Stop and turn to God with a cry, crying out: merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Ikos

Imagine, my soul, the bitter hour of death and the terrible judgment of your Creator and God, when you, soul, will be caught by formidable forces and led into eternal fire! Therefore, before death, correct yourself, crying out: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Canto 7

An angel watered the stove for the holy youths, but he scorched the Chaldeans with the command of God, forcing the tormentor to cry: Blessed be the God of our fathers!
Do not rely, my soul, on bodily wealth and on the gathering of earthly goods, because you do not know to whom you will leave all this, but rather call out: Christ God, have mercy on me unworthy!

Do not trust, my soul, in bodily health and in passing beauty, because you see that both the strong and the young are dying, but rather call out: Christ God, have mercy on me, an unworthy one!

Glory: Remember, my soul, eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven, prepared for the saints, and external darkness and the wrath of God for the evil, and call out: Christ God, have mercy on me, an unworthy one!
And now: Fall, my soul, to the Mother of God, and ask her, and She, the ambulance for those who turn, will beg the Son, Christ God, and He will have mercy on me, unworthy!

Canto 8

To the saints, pouring moisture out of the fire, and pouring water on the sacrifice of the righteous. You, Christ, do whatever you want! We exalt you at all times.
How can I not cry when I imagine death, For I saw my brother lying in the grave, inglorious and ugly? What do I expect and what do I hope for? Lord, give me only repentance before the end! (Twice).

Glory: I believe that you will come to judge the living and the dead! Then everyone will stand in their rank: old and young, lords and princes, virgins and priests, but where will I end up? Therefore, I cry: Lord, give me repentance before the end!

And now: the Most Pure Mother of God! Accept my unworthy petition, and save me from impudent death, and give me repentance before the end!

Canto 9

It is impossible for people to see God, whom even the angelic ranks dare not look at! Through You, All-Pure One, the incarnate Word appeared to people, magnifying which, we with heavenly powers please you.
Now I appeal to you, angels, archangels and all the heavenly powers that stand at the throne of God! Ask your Creator to deliver my soul from eternal torment!

Now I cry in front of you, holy forefathers, kings and prophets, apostles and saints and all the elect of Christ! Help me at the trial so that He would save my soul from the power of the enemy!

Glory: Now I lift up my hands to you, holy martyrs, desert dwellers, virgins, righteous and all saints, asking the Lord for the whole world, so that He may have mercy on me at the hour of my death.

And now: Mother of God! Help me, who strongly hopes in You, beg His Son, so that when He sits down to judge the living and the dead, He will set me unworthy at His right hand! Amen.

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Orthodox Canon of the Most Holy Theotokos

From time immemorial, the Orthodox people venerate the Most Holy Theotokos as "The Most Blessed and Most Immaculate Mother of our God, as the Most Honorable Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim", the great Intercessor and Intercessor in the affairs of believing Christians. The veneration of the Mother of God is based on the word of God and on faith in Her special merits. Icon-painting works, prayer works in the form of akathists, troparia and canons of the Mother of God are dedicated to all the beloved image of the Most Pure One.

Her greatness became true, because She alone happened to receive the grace of God, to become blessed among all women, to hear from the Heavenly Messenger: "The Lord is with You."

  • Prayer veneration of the Ever-Virgin among Orthodox Christians is very great.
  • Every day ordinary Christians associate with Her name and a prayer appeal to Her.
  • In the reposed canon of the Most Holy Theotokos the Tsaritsa, believing Christians, having repented of their sins, ask the Mother of God to "have mercy" on them and deliver them from a multitude of sins.

The meaning of the Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos

Reverence for the Mother of God is one of the best means, effective forces for genuine repentance, correction and prosperity in the spiritual life. Through her omnipotent prayers, Orthodox believers will be vouchsafed to eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The canon of prayer for the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most characteristic prayers that emphasize the importance of the Mother of God for the common people. Christians do not see a more powerful protector, deliverer from many troubles, than their Lady.

Between glory and irmos throughout the entire Orthodox canon of the Most Holy Theotokos, the main phrase is the prayer for salvation: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us." The Most Pure One is called the “Mother of the Word, the culprit of the good and the support of the believers”, who is resorted to as “a reliable wall and a single quick protector”.

The entire Christian canon of the Mother of God consists of zealous invocations to the Mother of God - "a warm prayer book, an unapproachable wall, a refuge of mercy to the source and the world." Perhaps, there are few prayers in Orthodox worship in which the Most Pure One has so many precise names.

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Canon to the Guardian Angel

The canon consists of nine songs, which are read all together only in the canon of Andrew of Crete and in the canons of the parents' Saturday. In other cases, the canons often use two, three, four, or eight songs.

  1. The canons that do not use the second canto are eight songs.
  2. In the days of Great Lent, the three- or four-hyped canons are used, which are “triodes” and “four-hymns”, and the canons consisting of two songs are “two-hymns”.

Byzantine and modern Greek canons are metrically similar to each other. With the Slavic translation, it is impossible to copy the exact poetic content of the Greek metric, which in this case allows the irmos to sing and the troparia to read. The Easter Canon is an exception; it must be sung in its entirety. Such a canon is sung in one of eight voices.

  • The canon is based on Old Testament songs.
  • When the canon is sung, it follows that all the texts of biblical songs and troparions should be equally distributed among the faces, so the number of songs and troparions is always even.
  • In order to make it easier to listen to the canon and to attract new attention of the audience, it was divided into three parts.
  • Between the parts of the canon, something is read that is opposite in meaning to the canon.
  • Canon is a praise song with a complex melody.

How to read the canon

The inter-chant allows prayer instead of praise, the chant is replaced by reading, and the complex chant is replaced by a simple one. This allows the inter-chant in the canon to be divided into three groups: reading, prayer and singing. Following the Charter, it is necessary to combine several canons every day (three canons on weekdays, and four canons on holidays and weekends).

  1. Following the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, the canon is read together with prayers that are read before communion.
  2. Following modern church books, which says that the canon is to the guardian angel before communion.
  3. Before communion, it is necessary to attend the evening service, and then, while reading prayers at home before going to bed, three canons are also read: the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the canon of prayer to the Holy Mother of God, and at the end only the canon to the Guardian Angel is read.

At the conclusion of the home prayer service before Communion, it is necessary to read the follow-up to Holy Communion. After reading all the necessary prayers at home, it is already forbidden to eat and even drink water, since the sacraments of Communion take place on an empty stomach. From early in the morning, morning prayers are read, and if prayers were not read in the evening for Holy Communion, these prayers must be read in the morning.

The canon of repentance to the Guardian Angel can be read if a person finds himself in a difficult situation and needs the support of a Guardian Angel. This canon is read if necessary, both for oneself and for relatives and friends, taking care of them.

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Follow-up to Holy Communion

What are these canons?

  • Canon to the Guardian Angel
  • Canon of the penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ
  • Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

During the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, these canons are replaced by the Easter canon. If you do not have free time to read them, then do not be discouraged, as it is not necessary. And if you do this, you will only benefit your spiritual state.

Its main task: to eat less food and drink, to reduce the viewing of entertainment programs, music, theater. At this time, it is necessary to adhere not only to mental, but also to bodily purity. The day before and after the ceremony, it is necessary to refrain from physical intimacy. Strict fasting must be observed 12 hours before Communion.

  1. The mood before the ceremony is considered important.
  2. Refrain from negative emotions, feelings of anger and irritability.
  3. Try not to judge anyone.
  4. Instead, spend your free time reading the Gospel or other spiritual books.

Before Communion, you must go through confession. Until that moment, it is necessary to try on the offenders and offended, and also ask for forgiveness. Confession is bringing your sins to the Lord in the presence of a witness - a priest. Just tell him what weighs on your soul.

This can be done in any temple, for example, in the Optina Monastery. Follow-up to Holy Communion in Optina Hermitage can be heard quite often. This is a monastery in the Kaluga region, which keeps certain secrets.

The Follow-up to Holy Communion in Russian is written so that people who do not speak Church Slavonic can read it without difficulty.

ikona-i-molitva.info

Communion frequency

The early Christians took the sacrament every Sunday.

Now, in connection with the change in the way of life of people, the Church recommends to receive communion, if possible, during each fast, but not less than once a year.