Communion is one of the most important and significant rites in Christianity. At this moment there is unity with Jesus Christ - the Son of God. Preparing for the sacrament is a difficult process that takes a long time. For a believer making first communion, it is important to know how communion takes place in church, what needs to be done before and after the ceremony. This is necessary not only in order to avoid mistakes, but also to gain awareness of the future union with Christ.

What is a participle

Jesus Christ performed the first sacrament of communion, dividing bread and wine among his disciples. He commanded his followers to repeat this. The ritual was first performed at the Last Supper, shortly before the crucifixion of the Son of God.

Before the ceremony, the Divine Liturgy is performed, also called the Eucharist, which translated from Greek means “thanksgiving.” Preparation for the rite of communion must necessarily include the memory of this great ancient event. This will allow you to experience the mystery deeply and touch your soul and mind.

Communion frequency

How often should you take communion? Accepting the sacrament is a purely individual matter; you cannot force yourself to do it just because the ritual seems necessary. It is very important to take communion according to the call of your heart. If in doubt, it is better to talk to the Holy Father. Priests advise proceeding to the sacrament only in case of complete internal readiness.

Orthodox Christians, in whose hearts love and faith for God live, are allowed to perform the ritual without any restrictions. If there are doubts in your heart, then you can take communion no more than once a week or once a month. As a last resort, during the periods of each major post. The main thing is regularity.

Ancient literature indicates that it is good to perform communion daily on weekdays and weekends, but performing the ritual 4 times a week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) also brings benefits.

The only day when communion is obligatory is Maundy Thursday. This is a manifestation of respect for the ancient tradition that stands at the origins.

Some priests argue that taking communion too often is wrong. In truth, according to the laws of the canon, this opinion is incorrect. However, you need to see and feel the person well in order to understand whether he needs to perform this action or not.

Communion should not happen by inertia. Therefore, when it is performed frequently, a Christian must constantly be ready to accept the Gifts and maintain the right attitude. Few are capable of this. Especially considering the training that must take place on a regular basis. It is not so easy to keep all the fasts, constantly confess and pray. The priest sees what kind of life a layman leads; this cannot be hidden.

Prayer rule for Communion

Home prayer is of great importance in preparing for communion. In the Orthodox prayer book there is a sequence that is involved in sacred rites. It is read on the eve of the Sacrament.

The preparation includes not only prayer read at home, but also church prayers. Immediately before the ceremony, you must attend a service. Also you need to read three canons: the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel.

This preparation will allow you to consciously approach confession and communion and feel the value of the Sacrament.

Necessity of fasting

Fasting is a mandatory and indisputable condition before communion.

Christians who regularly observe single-day and multi-day fasts should only perform liturgical fasting. This means that you cannot eat or drink from midnight before the ceremony. The fast continues immediately until the moment of the Sacrament.

Parishioners who have recently joined the church and are not observing any fasts are required to undergo a three-day or seven-day fast. The duration of abstinence must be set by the priest. Such points need to be discussed in church; you should not be afraid to ask questions.

Internal state before the Eucharist

You need to fully realize your sins before communion. What needs to be done besides this? To prevent sins from multiplying, you should abstain from entertainment. Husband and wife must avoid close physical contact one day before communion and on the day of communion.

You need to pay attention to the birth of your thoughts and control them. There should be no anger, envy, or condemnation.

Personal time is best spent alone, studying the Holy Scriptures and the lives of saints, or in prayer.

The most important thing for accepting the Holy Gifts is repentance. A layman must absolutely sincerely repent of his sinful acts. This is what all the preparation is for. Fasting, reading the Bible, prayer are ways to achieve the desired state.

Actions before confession

Confession before the ceremony is very important. You must ask the priest of the church in which the Sacrament will take place about this.

Preparing for the rites of communion and confession is a process of examining one’s behavior and thoughts, getting rid of sinful actions. Everything that has been noticed and consciously needs to be confessed. But you shouldn’t just list your sins like a list. The main thing is to be sincere. Otherwise, why was such serious preparation carried out?

It is worth understanding that the priest is just an intermediary between God and people. You should speak without hesitation. Everything said will remain only between the person, the priest and the Lord. This is necessary in order to feel freedom in life and achieve purity.

Day of Reception of the Holy Gifts

On the day of the Sacrament, certain rules must be followed. You can only accept gifts on an empty stomach. A person who smokes must abstain from his habit until the body and blood of Christ are received.

During the removal of the Chalice, you need to approach the altar. If children come, you should let them go first; they always receive communion first.

There is no need to cross yourself near the chalice, you need to bow with your arms crossed over your chest. Before accepting the Gifts, you need to say your Christian name, and then immediately taste them.

Actions after communion

You should also know what needs to be done after the sacred rite has been completed. You need to kiss the edge of the Cup and go to the table to eat a piece. There is no need to rush to leave the church, you still need to kiss the altar cross in the hands of the priest. More prayers of gratitude are read in the church, which also need to be listened to. If you are extremely short of time, you can read prayers at home. But this must be done.

Communion of children and the sick

There are the following points regarding the communion of children and sick people:

• Children under seven years of age do not need to undergo preparation (confession, fasting, prayer, repentance).
• Infants who have been baptized receive communion on the same day or during the next liturgy.
• Seriously ill people may also not prepare, however, if possible, it is worth going to confession. If the patient is unable to do this, the priest must say the phrase “I believe, Lord, and I confess.” Then immediately take communion.
• Those people who are temporarily excommunicated from communion, but are in a state of death or in a state of danger, are not denied sacred rites. But in case of recovery, the ban will come into force again.

Not all people can accept the gifts of Christ. Who can't do this:

• Those who did not come to confession (except for small children and seriously ill people);
• Parishioners who are prohibited from receiving the Holy Sacraments;
• Insane, if they blaspheme while in a fit. If they do not have such an inclination, they are allowed to receive communion, but not every day;
• Spouses who had intimate contact shortly before the Sacrament;
• Women who are currently menstruating.

In order not to forget anything, you should read the memo compiled on the basis of all of the above:

About what behavior should be in church during communion:

1. Arrive at the liturgy on time.
2. When the Royal Doors open, cross yourself, then fold your hands crosswise. Approach the Chalice and move away from it in the same way.
3. You need to approach from the right, and the left side should be free. Do not push other parishioners.
4. Observe the order of communion: bishop, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, children, adults.
5. Women are not allowed to come to the temple with lipstick.
6. Before accepting the Sacred Gifts, you must say your name given at baptism.
7. There is no need to be baptized in front of the Chalice.
8. If the Holy Gifts will be placed in two or more bowls, only one of them must be chosen. Communion more than once a day is a sin.
9. If prayers of thanks were not heard in church, you need to read them at home.

Preparing for communion is a very serious sequence. All advice must be strictly followed in order to be ready to receive the Sacred Gifts. Prayer is needed for awareness, fasting for bodily cleansing, and confession for spiritual cleansing.

Meaningful preparation will help you discern the deep meaning of the Sacrament. This is truly contact with God, after which the life of a believer changes. But it should be remembered that those who have recently embarked on the path of religion will not be able to take communion and radically correct everything at once. This is natural, because sins accumulate over the years, and you also need to get rid of them consistently. Communion is the first step on this difficult path.

People go to the temple of God to participate in the Holy Eucharist - the main event for which the church and temples were created. The Holy Eucharist is Communion. What is Communion in the church, why is it needed and who established it - we will analyze in this article.

The Eucharist (and among Protestants the Lord's Vespers or the Breaking of Bread) is a sacrament of the church, the central part of the Divine service and the main event in the life of a Christian. In the sacrament, Christ is united with man: having consumed him worthily, it becomes possible to assimilate the Son of God, to the extent that this is accessible to everyone. Christ gave Himself to us - in every sense.

Communion in church: what is it and why?

Communion is bread and wine, which, after a special prayer, “transubstantiation,” symbolizes the Body and Flesh of the Lord. The Lord left His Body and Blood to us at the Great Supper before His suffering on the Cross, as it is written in the Gospel.

And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take, eat: this is My Body.” And, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:26-28)

“...do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19)

Communion is hidden from us in its true form and the image of bread and wine is preserved, since it is not common for man to consume flesh, even Divine flesh. But after transubstantiation, that is, after the completion of the sacrament, the property is changed - this is already the true Body and true blood of Christ.

The sacrament was created and introduced by the Lord Himself on the eve of the betrayal of Judas, immediately before the arrest, scourging and execution. Communion, which is consumed in the church, is a union with God the Father in Christ, reconciliation with Him for the sake of His Son. This is the New Testament between man and God, which the Savior brought to earth. Christ gave himself as a sacrifice so that we would eat His Body and drink His Blood and through this have eternal life within us, which was once lost in Paradise, as He told us in the Gospel.

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him (John 6:53,56)

Communion in the Catholic Church is different from the Orthodox. So, the first one uses unleavened bread for the sacrament, and the second one uses yeast bread.

How to prepare for Communion in church?

Preparing for Communion in church consists, first of all, of observing yourself. You cannot begin to receive the Holy Gifts if there is resentment against someone in your heart, if something has not been forgiven, if forgiveness has not been asked from those who were offended. Be sure to go through another sacrament on the eve of Communion - Repentance. Repentance consists of sincere repentance for sins and a firm decision not to repeat them again.

You must bring your contrition for sins to confession to a priest. It is not enough to repent “in the soul” - the apostles bequeathed to us to perform the sacrament of confession in the presence of their successor, who is a priest. We cannot break this hierarchy. The confession is told in private to the priest - for Catholics this happens completely incognito, and for Orthodox Christians the confessing priest sees the person’s face, but the confession is hidden from prying ears. The service at which the sacrament of confession occurs is celebrated in the evening, on the eve of the Liturgy, usually starting at 17.00.

Another important matter is physical and prayerful preparation for receiving the sacrament. In order to worthily accept Christ into yourself, the church recommends reading special prayers before Communion and abstaining from meat and dairy dishes for several days. In Orthodoxy, prayers for Communion include the rule from the prayer book:

• rule for sleep on the eve of communion;
• three canons: the Lord, the Virgin Mary, the Guardian Angel;
• following to Holy Communion;
• morning rule before the service.

The prayers listed are of a recommendatory nature; it may be difficult for a beginner to read everything thoughtfully. Therefore, the rule can be shortened - down to the most necessary ten prayers, which are contained in the sequence to Holy Communion. But it is recommended to discuss the reduction of the rule - as well as other relaxations for Communion - with the priest after confession, since the required number of prayers must be selected individually.

How is communion celebrated in church?

Liturgy is served in the Orthodox church in the morning. You can find out what time the service starts in a particular church behind the candle box, since everyone’s schedule is different. Liturgy (“common cause”) is the most important Divine service, an action of amazing beauty, filled with deep content and meaning. It consists of the most ancient chants and is aimed at proceeding to Communion with the necessary prayers and the correct consecration of the Gifts. The communicants pray heartily at this service and reverently receive communion at the end.

In the Catholic Church, Communion takes place at Mass, without the rite of consecration, also after special prayers, which are established by the Catholic Catechism. Catholic worship is filled with beauty, which is conveyed by a skillful choir and the famous organ - an instrument that accompanies the sacred action.

After Communion, a prayer of gratitude is read and then, having kissed the cross, everyone can go home to carefully preserve the grace received from the Lord in purity of heart, silence and concentration.

What Communion in church is can only be understood through experience. The inexpressible connection between man and God, so natural for the intact Adam, became available to people again. The human soul longs for Divine communication, but sometimes it looks for it in the wrong place. How often do we choose vice and dubious pleasures? The soul seeks paradise, but often makes mistakes in its search. The state of communion with the Lord, provided that the sacrament is received in a worthy manner, can provide the desired fullness. But it is important to remember that Judas also received Communion (one of the first), and his Communion was a condemnation for him. Therefore, we will approach such an important sacrament with extreme responsibility in order to find the connection we are looking for.

I regularly take communion in church to cleanse myself of accumulated negativity, feel even better connected to God and be filled with the amazing energy of the temple. I will tell you in detail about the meaning of communion and the features of the ritual that are important to know if you are going to perform it.

Communion or communion is the oldest church rite, the history of which began back at the time of the Last Supper. The rite and its “regulations” were established by the Son of God himself. Christ broke off the bread with his own hands and distributed it to the disciples-apostles, saying that this was his body, and the wine was his blood.

The sacrament of communion has its own deep religious and sacred meaning. The ritual symbolizes the restoration of unity and harmony between man and God, which existed in the Garden of Eden before the original sin committed by Eve and Adam.

The meaning of communion is to give the beginnings of a new life in the heavenly kingdom. The sacrament of communion is inseparable from the image of Jesus, who, at the cost of his own life and shed blood, saved the human race and atoned for all its sins. And in the name of this sacrifice, a person, agreeing to receive communion, helps restore the flesh and blood of God’s son.

It is noteworthy that it is during the sacrament of communion that in the Orthodox Church it is allowed to eat flesh (meat) and wine. It is believed that the killed body of an animal in this case symbolizes the incorruptible Divine nature. The meat nourishes the soul, which is then reborn during Baptism.

How to take communion in church

Almost everyone has heard the name of this rite, but few people understand how to properly receive communion in church. I'll tell you about the basic rules and give recommendations.

It is important to understand that communion in church is a rite that assumes that a person is ready to transform both his body and shake his soul.

What is important to observe when preparing for the ceremony, during and after it:

1. You must be as aware as possible of what you are getting into. Understand why you need it. Not out of curiosity, but for what? Answer this question honestly, and you will understand whether you need a ritual at all.
2. There is such energy in the temples that most people feel a certain awe, a feeling of sacred reverence. If you are completely indifferent, perhaps you should not think about how to take communion. Your soul is not ready - it does not feel connected to God.
3. Only a sincere believer should receive communion. Otherwise, what is the point of this action? The event will affect only those who feel, understand God, believe in him and want to enlist his support.
4. Before the ceremony, you need to understand the whole meaning of this great sacrament in order to fully understand what will happen.
5. Communion in church has its own rules - the state of a person’s soul must be peaceful and calm. It is better to clear yourself of negative emotions, grievances and claims in advance. Internal state and emotions are extremely important.

How to properly take communion in church: rules

So, how does communion take place in church?

The entire ceremony takes place in strictly regulated stages. It is important to know how to behave at any given moment. The recommendations are as follows:

1. On the eve of communion, special evening services are held in churches, during which the priest says prayers with special religious meaning.
2. On the day of communion, it is better to come to church early, before all the action begins.
3. When the ceremony begins, you must listen silently to the priest. Do not leave the temple until the end of the prayer. Stand and listen until the priest leaves the place at the altar and calls everyone to take communion.
4. As soon as the invitation follows, people in the temple line up in the following sequence: children, sick, disabled and old people, men, women.
5. While queuing, you need to keep your hands on your chest, folding them crosswise. Important: as soon as your turn comes to the cup, you do not need to cross yourself - this is not customary during communion.
6. When you are near the priest, introduce yourself and open your mouth. They will put a spoon in it, which you need to lick with your lips. Then blot them with a handkerchief and kiss the edge of the bowl.
7. It is very important to go through the ceremony in silence. Do not contact anyone, do not approach the icons. After receiving the sacrament, simply step away and take the wine and holy water.
8. After you find yourself at home and the ritual is completed, read prayers, turning to God or the saints with thanks.

Watch a video about what it means to take communion in church:

What then?

After you have received Holy Communion, it is important to follow certain recommendations. It is necessary to avoid negativity, not to let it into your soul. Follow the commandments and not commit sins. Repeat the sacrament periodically. It’s great if you have the opportunity to come to the temple for this at least once a month.

This will help your soul cleanse itself of all the bad and negative to make room for positive events and joyful emotions.

A long refusal to take communion is a real disaster for a person. Sins, passions, and negativity accumulate in his soul. The farther you go, the more there are. All this poisons life from the inside and corrodes the soul. That’s why it’s so important to visit the temple occasionally and cleanse yourself of all this.

But, of course, you need to come to church only consciously, and not because “it’s necessary.” Only a sincere desire and understanding of the process and its religious significance will make sense.

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We often hear questions: communion in the Orthodox Church - what it is, how to prepare for it, and why, in fact, it is needed. Since these questions are important and necessary, we decided to give a detailed explanation of this most important Sacrament to those interested in Orthodoxy and beginners, based on the Holy Scriptures.

To maintain the life of the human body, nutrition is necessary: ​​food, drink; as well as treatment if he is sick. The human soul, as a substance of a more subtle organization, needs to be reinforced with special – life-giving spiritual food. Like a loving mother, she never leaves her child, but cares and takes care of him; Moreover, the Lord does not abandon His creation, but provides for man, sends him an abundance of earthly fruits for food and feeds His faithful children with the most precious, immortal and incorruptible Food: with Himself – His Most Pure Body and Blood, taught to us in the sacrament of Communion.

Communion is a sacrament in which an Orthodox Christian, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes (partakes) of the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Through Communion, a person is most closely united with Christ, becomes involved in Christ for the renewal and strengthening of a person’s spiritual and physical strength and their inheritance of eternal life.

The Lord tells us about the sacrament of Communion :

“I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and died; The bread that comes down from heaven is such that whoever eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever; The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (Gospel of John, chapter 6, v.: 48-51). “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My true Flesh is Drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him.” (Gospel of John: ch. 6, v.: 53-56).

Why do you need to take communion?

So, we see that in order to unite with God and have eternal life, we need to receive communion. If a person has blood poisoning, then the only way to save his life is to transfuse him with healthy blood. Likewise with the human soul, infected with sin, the only way to save it is a “transfusion” of healthy Blood, which only Christ Himself has. And, as the holy fathers of the church said, after partaking of Communion, “The Blood of Christ flows in our veins,” “we become co-corporeal with Christ.” After all, a diseased and destroyed organ in the human body is replaced by a healthy one through a transplant so that the person can live on.

So in the spiritual sense, the Body of Christ replaces with itself the part of the human soul that is sick with passions and sinful ulcers, nourishes it and gives life: “For we are members of His Body, of His Flesh and of His Bones” (Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians: ch. .5, art. 30). Through Holy Communion, the Lord Himself, in His Most Pure Flesh, enters a person, giving him peace, cleansing from sins, and joy from the close presence of the Lord. In the sacrament of Communion, a Christian tastes the “immortal source”, receives the ability to improve spiritually, to be one of the participants in a blissful and immortal life, which, for a person who reverently partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, begins here on earth, and is the guarantee of his resurrection and eternal life.

The history of the appearance of the Eucharist

The Sacrament of Communion is also called the Eucharist, which translated from Greek means “thanksgiving.” The service at which the sacrament of Communion is celebrated is called the Liturgy (it is performed in the morning, and sometimes at night), which means “public service.” The Holy Eucharist (sacrament of Communion) in the Orthodox Church is the “Sacrament of Sacraments,” the heart of the Church, its basis and foundation, because without it the existence of the Church itself is unthinkable.

The Sacrament of the Eucharist was established by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself at His last supper with His disciples - the Last Supper, on the eve of the Savior's Passion on the Cross.

He Himself performed this Sacrament: “And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and giving it to the disciples, said, Take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the Cup and thanking (God the Father for His mercy to the human race), he gave it to them (the disciples) and said: drink from it, all of you; for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Gospel of Matthew: ch. 26, v. 26-28)

The holy evangelist Luke complements the narrative of the evangelist Matthew - while teaching the disciples the Holy Bread, the Lord said to them: “... Do this in remembrance of me.” (Gospel of Luke: 22, v.:19-20); the same is said in the Gospel of Mark: chapter 14, v. 22-24, in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians: ch. 11, v.: 23-26.

After the Resurrection of the Savior, the disciples of Christ gathered on the “day of the sun” (now this day is called Sunday and in the church, as before, it is the first day of the week (week)) for the “breaking of bread.” Initially, it was a meal during which the Holy Scriptures were read, psalms were sung, a sermon was preached, and prayer was carried out. Sometimes the meal lasted all night.

Gradually (over time, communities expanded), from the supper-dinner Eucharist was transformed into a divine service, which in our modern church also begins in the evening: the evening service is the first part of the Sunday (or holiday) service, and the morning - Liturgy - its second part, in during which the holy sacrament of the Eucharist is actually performed.

How often should you take communion?

The first Christians took communion every Sunday. Nowadays, unfortunately, not many people can approach this Sacrament so often due to various circumstances. On average, it is recommended to take communion at least once a month. Well, or at least every post, of which there are four in a calendar year, which means at least four times a year. But no less than once a year - this is, so to speak, the “very minimum”.

Some people rarely approach the sacrament of Communion, considering themselves unworthy of this holy Sacrament; for others, communion has generally turned into a formality: a tradition, “for show,” or something like that, when people without proper preparation, awareness of the great Sacred and feelings of reverence, or in general, running past, “running in” to take communion.

Actually, a person is not completely worthy, due to the sinfulness of his nature, of this great Sacrament, since all people are sinners, and the Eucharist was given to us by the Lord for this purpose, in order to make us purer in heart and soul and, accordingly, more worthy of this Divine gift. Based on the above, it is better to decide how often to receive communion individually with your confessor or with the priest to whom a person confesses, based on his spiritual age (level).

How to prepare for the sacrament of Communion?

The Holy Fathers of the Church emphasized that those who approach this holy sacrament must be ready to meet Christ Himself - but how could it be otherwise, since we eat the Body and Blood of the Lord Himself!

Preparation for communion should not be limited to just reading some prayers and abstaining from any food - first of all, readiness for communion is determined by purity of conscience, absence of enmity against neighbors or resentment towards anyone, peace in relations with people: “If you If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar and go, first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Hebrews from Matt., : Chapter 5, Art. 23-24). An obstacle to communion is grave sins committed by a person, which must be repented of in confession.

Before receiving the Holy Mysteries, an Orthodox Christian tries to spiritually gather and concentrate. You need to prepare yourself for Communion by fasting, which consists of fasting, prayer, and doing good deeds (which, however, a Christian should always do, because “faith without works is dead”). Before receiving communion, a Christian must clear his conscience, and for this, according to the tradition of the Russian Church, he must come to confession to receive forgiveness for his sins.

Everyone who wishes to begin the Sacrament of Communion, firstly, must be baptized in the Orthodox faith, since through baptism a person becomes a member of the Church and receives the right to receive communion. Secondly, he must clear his conscience, which is facilitated by fasting and prayer. “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord.” (1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians: chapter 11, art.: 28-29).

That is, a person must realize that in front of him in the holy Chalice is not ordinary food, not ordinary bread and wine, but the immortal Table of the Lord - the Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord Himself, the Lord Himself, which one must partake of with the fear of God, reverence and faith. A person’s irreverent attitude towards the Sacrament exposes him to judgment and condemnation. One of the teachers of the Orthodox Church wrote:

“Bread and wine are seen in the cup, and bread and wine are smelled, but the Holy Mysteries are revealed and revealed through their action. Thus, God, hidden by humanity, was revealed.”

This is because of the Lord’s immeasurable love for us, and his boundless mercy, because of his condescension towards
We feel bread and wine in weak human nature.

It must be said that when, feeling his sinfulness, a person does not approach Holy Communion by his own decision, this is an act of pride, since only a priest can deny access to Communion. Contrition from the awareness of one's sinfulness is not an obstacle for a Christian to perceive the Eucharist as a holiday and joy from union with the Lord, because the Divine Blood washes away our sins and heals our sinful ulcers.

And so, we examined what spiritual preparation for the Holy Sacrament consists of. Now let's look at the physical side of this preparation.

When we are expecting a visit from a person who is very important and authoritative for us, we clean our house: sweep, wash, polish. Similar to this, but only many times more carefully, we must prepare our home - the body - to receive the Lord Himself. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians says:

“...Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own?” (St. Paul, 1st epist. to Cor.: 6, 18-19)

The holy apostle likens the human body to a temple - how responsible is this and how can one not prepare one’s body for Communion?

Before communion you must:

1. . If this is not one of the four fasts of the calendar year, then it is recommended to fast for an average of three days, where seven days are recommended, and for some - at least one day. It is better to decide in advance individually with the priest. During fasting they do not eat food of animal origin, and during strict fasting they do not eat fish - this can also be discussed with the priest. During fasting, one abstains from marital intimate relations.
2. On the eve of Communion you are supposed to attend an evening service. Different churches have different starting times, usually it starts: where at 14.00 o'clock, where at 15.00 o'clock, at 16.00 o'clock, at 17.00 o'clock - you need to find out this in advance in the church where you plan to go to the evening service.
3. In the evening, on the eve of Communion, you need to read (in the sense of not just “reading” - as they sometimes say, but, while reading, delve into the meaning of what is being read - praying): evening prayers (“Prayers for those coming to bed”) and three canons: “Canon of Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ”, “Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos” and “Canon of the Guardian Angel”. The Canon for Communion is also read (It is contained in the “Follow-up to Holy Communion”).
4. After midnight (after 24 hours) they no longer eat or drink anything, since it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach.
5. In the morning, after the Morning Prayers, they finish reading that they didn’t have time in the evening. (It happens that in the evening they do not read the Canon from “Following to Holy Communion”, but in the morning, after the morning prayers, they read the entire “Following to Holy Communion”).
6. obligatory, which in some churches is held in the evening after (during) the evening service, in others - in the morning before (during) the liturgy. It is also advisable to clarify this in advance. In which part of the temple confession is held - you can also ask the temple servants.

During Communion

• After confession, all believers line up (in line to the Chalice you should not talk, but pray) to the solea (the elevation on which the iconostasis stands, protruding significantly forward), to the center of the solea - to the pulpit (at the level of the Royal Doors, with steps).
• When the Chalice with the Gifts is brought out, immediately make three prostrations in front of the Chalice (touching the forehead to the floor), but not in front of the Chalice itself, so as not to knock it over, but at a distance from it, stand in turn, fold your arms crosswise on your chest (right hand on top left) as a sign of his humility before the Lord.
• When it’s your turn, go up to the Chalice, no longer crossing yourself or bowing (so as not to catch the Chalice), say your full name (Ivan, not Vanya; Natalya, not Natasha, etc.), open your mouth wide and, Having taken Communion, immediately swallow it and kiss the edge of the cup.

• Then, without talking, go to the table on which there are cups of “warmth” (warm water for drinking Communion, to which a little wine can sometimes be added) and eat a piece of prosphora lying on a plate on the same table. Step aside so as not to disturb other participants.

• After communion, you need to be there until the end of the liturgy and, only in extremely urgent circumstances, leave the church before the end of the liturgy (venerate the cross brought out by the priest (kiss the cross) and leave the church after closing the Royal Doors.

After Communion

After communion you must:

1) Read “Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion” (all of the above prayers and canons are in almost any book of “Prayers”).
2) On the day of communion, abstain from marital intimate relations.

In the Eucharist, the Lord cleanses, sanctifies and deifies man. In this Holy Sacrament, the grace of the Holy Spirit transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and transforms the person receiving communion from one darkened by sins into one enlightened by the Divine light and free from the heavy burden of sins. Having accepted the Mysteries of Christ, we already carry Christ Himself within us. It’s as if we are carrying a cup filled to the brim with Divine grace - if we are careless, we will spill the contents of the cup, and if we stumble and fall, we will lose all its contents. From the moment of Communion, preparation for the next Eucharist should begin and you need to monitor your spiritual state and protect it from sin. And if, due to the weakness of human nature or because of our negligence, we stumbled, fell, sinned again, do not hesitate, rush to the doctor of our souls: repent and confess, receive the sacrament of Holy Communion for the salvation of the soul and eternal life.

It would be more correct if you, dear Masha, yourself approach the clergyman of the temple where you plan to go for Communion (or at least the clergyman of another Orthodox church) and as he blesses (i.e. says, allows) you to do so, you will do so . He will tell you how many prayers to read from the Rule for Communion - sometimes beginners are allowed to read only part of the rule, because... It is not short and may be difficult to read in its entirety at first. But it is better to do all this with the blessing of a clergyman.
After 24 hours on the night before Communion, you cannot eat or drink anything until you receive Communion.

Answer

How to fast before communion, can you explain in more detail?

Answer

1. Answer

Communion is the most serious and important thing for which it is worth coming to church. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that only those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will have eternal life. How to prepare yourself for this great Sacrament in order to accept it for the healing of soul and body will be discussed in this short article.

The way in which Christians unite with the Lord Jesus Christ through partaking of His Body and Blood under the guise of bread and wine is called the Sacrament of Communion (Communion), and the service in which this Sacrament is celebrated is the Eucharist, or Divine Liturgy.

According to the Gospel, Jesus Himself commanded His disciples to receive communion. The first Christians, according to the books of the New Testament, from the very beginning gathered weekly for the “breaking of bread” - as Communion was called in ancient times. This happened on the night of Saturday, the day on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. This first day of the week later received the name Sunday in the Christian tradition.

According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, the Body of Christ, which we receive in Holy Communion, is the same body of Jesus Christ that suffered on the cross, was resurrected and was ascended to Heaven, and the Blood of Christ is the same that was shed for the sake of salvation peace.

Why take communion?

In the Sacrament of Communion, a Christian truly unites with God. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of Himself as the bread of life: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, for My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live through the Father, so he who eats Me will also live through Me.”

According to the Monk John of Damascus, the Body and Blood of Christ cleanse a person from all filth and drive away all evil. We become “partakers of the Divine,” as the holy Apostle Peter writes, “our own” for God, His people. At the same time, we unite with each other, “for we all, who partake of the same bread, become one Body of Christ, one blood and members of one another,” writes Damascene, paraphrasing the words of the Apostle Paul from the Epistle to the Ephesians.

In the New Testament, the Church of God, that is, the collection of all Christians, is called the Body of Christ. It is possible to be in the Church of Jesus Christ only through a real union with Him, that is, with the help of Communion.

It is extremely necessary to receive communion in order to be saved and inherit eternal life. After all, salvation in the Orthodox Christian worldview is not an external event in relation to a person (as if God was first angry with us and then had mercy), but an internal rebirth, a person’s ability to live in the fullness of love and grace through union with God Himself.

Worthy and unworthy

“Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. This is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying,” writes the Apostle Paul in chapter 11 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Communion should be approached consciously, understanding that not a single person in the world can be worthy of receiving the Body and Blood of God himself.

According to Chrysostom, worthy Communion is one that is accompanied by spiritual awe and ardent love, faith in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Gifts and awareness of the greatness of the shrine.

In order to test their conscience before Holy Communion, Christians confess their sins. You cannot approach the Chalice in a state of mortal sin, for example, after an abortion, visiting a fortune teller, adultery, or living in a so-called “civil marriage.” Such sins require sincere repentance and a change in life, and only then is communion possible. Confession before Communion is not only a pious tradition, but also a real help for a person to cleanse the soul. In addition, this is an opportunity to directly communicate with the priest about the most important things.

How often should I take communion?

The very rite of the Divine Liturgy, at which the Eucharist is celebrated, that is, bread and wine are consecrated, is performed so that all who take part in this service may receive communion. In the liturgy there can only be participants, and there cannot be spectators. Participation in the liturgy and communion have, unfortunately, become an “individual” matter for each Christian, while in essence it is a common matter, stemming from the very essence of the Church.

The outstanding theologian of the 20th century, Protopresbyter Nikolai Afanasyev, wrote: “ To be a member of the Church meant to take part in the Eucharistic Assembly. To be a participant in the Meal means to “eat” from it. In the Eucharistic canon there are no prayers that non-communicants could offer...».

The joint communion of all believers during the liturgy was so self-evident that deviation from this principle is considered in the church canons as a falling away from the Church: “All the faithful who enter the church and listen to the scriptures, but do not remain in prayer and holy communion to the end, are considered disorder in the church those who produce, should be excommunicated from church communion,” says the 9th Apostolic Canon. And canon 80 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council says that those who, without a good reason, did not receive communion on 3 Sundays in a row, actually excommunicated themselves from the Church.

We should strive to receive communion every time we come to the liturgy. A feeling of unworthiness is not a reason for avoiding Communion. Here is what St. John Cassian wrote about this: “ We should not shy away from Holy Communion because we recognize ourselves as sinners; but with even more and more thirst we must rush to him for the healing of the soul and the purification of the spirit, but with such humility of spirit and faith that, considering ourselves unworthy of receiving such grace, we would desire more healing for our wounds. Otherwise, even once a year one cannot worthily receive communion, as some do, who value the dignity, sanctification and beneficence of the heavenly Sacraments in such a way that they think that only saints, not vicious, should receive them; but it is better to think that these Sacraments, through the communication of grace, make us pure and holy. They truly show more pride than humility, because when they accept them, they consider themselves worthy of accepting them. And it would be much more correct that we, with that humility of heart by which we believe and confess that we can never worthily touch the Holy Mysteries, should accept them on every Lord’s Day to heal our ailments, rather than, being exalted by the vain conviction of our hearts, to believe that After a year, we are worthy of accepting them...»

Indeed, there is such a false humility, which is actually a type of spiritual pride. Rare communion, writes the remarkable twentieth-century theologian Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann in his book “Holy of Holies,” arose, according to the unanimous testimony of the Church Fathers, out of negligence, but soon “began to be justified by pseudo-spiritual arguments and was gradually accepted as the norm.”

« Who should we praise? - asks John Chrysostom. - Those who take communion once a year, those who take communion often, or those who rarely? No, let us praise those who approach with a clear conscience, a pure heart, and an impeccable life. Let such people always begin; but never like that. Why? Because they bring upon themselves judgment, condemnation, punishment and torment... Do you become worthy of a spiritual meal, a royal meal, and then again defile your lips with uncleanness? Do you anoint yourself with myrrh, and then again become filled with the stench? When you start taking communion a year later, do you really think that forty days is enough for you to cleanse your sins for the entire time? And then a week goes by and you do the same thing again? Tell me: if you, having recovered for forty days from a long illness, then again took up the same food that caused the illness, would you not have lost the previous work? Obviously so. You use forty days to restore the health of your soul, or maybe not even forty, and you think to appease God? You're kidding, man. I say this not to forbid you to begin once a year, but rather to desire that you continually approach the Holy Mysteries».

How to prepare?

1. Understand the meaning and sincerely desire Communion. Those who come to Communion must understand what it is and why. We receive communion, as mentioned above, in order to unite with God Himself, enter into communion with Him, and accept the Body and Blood of Christ for sanctification and cleansing from sins. You must have a sincere personal desire for this, and not forced by some authority, “duty,” or the recommendation of a healer or “grandmother.”

2. Have peace with everyone. To take communion, you must be at peace with all people, at least not have a desire for revenge. You cannot accept the Sacrament in a state of hostility or hatred. The Lord Jesus said: “If you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” .

3. Do not commit mortal sins, excommunicating from Communion. This is primarily murder (including abortion), violation of marital fidelity, betrayal of God with various fortune-tellers, healers, and psychics. In case of apostasy, it is necessary first of all to reunite with the Church through confession with a priest.

4. Live as a Christian every day. In order to receive Communion, it is better not to invent special periods of preparation, but to live in such a way that everyday life itself is compatible with regular participation in the Lord's Table. The essential content of such a life is daily personal prayer, reading and studying the Bible - the Word of God, the obligatory fulfillment of God's commandments and the constant internal struggle with the “old man” living inside us, with our nature damaged by sin, which attracts us to sin. Important components of spiritual life are daily examination of conscience (for example, before going to bed) and regular confession. It is extremely important for a correct spiritual life to strive to live not for oneself, but for the sake of one’s neighbor, internal honesty, truthfulness and humility before each person. It is also important, as far as possible, to balance your life rhythm and schedule with the liturgical rhythm, observing generally accepted fasts (Wednesday and Friday, as well as multi-day fasts, of which the most important is the pre-Easter Lent) and, if possible, participating in holiday services that do not occur. only on Sundays.

5. Liturgical fast. It has long been customary in church tradition to approach Communion on an empty stomach. This disciplinary norm is called “liturgical fasting.” As a rule, one abstains from food and drink from midnight before Communion. According to the definition of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1969, the duration of liturgical fasting should be at least 6 hours. That is, if you drank water after midnight and are going to Liturgy at 9 o’clock in the morning, this is not a reason to refuse Communion. In the same way, there is no reason to refuse Communion if you swallowed a little water while washing your face in the morning. It should be remembered that the disciplinary norm applies to physically healthy people. For those who, for example, suffer from diabetes, they are allowed to eat in the morning. In the same way, you can take medications necessary for health reasons before Communion. After all, both the Last Supper and the Eucharistic meals of the first Christians were celebrated in the evening, after meals. And when preparing for Communion, what matters is the state of the heart and soul, not the state of the stomach.

6. Confession. As a rule, before Communion in churches they require mandatory confession. It can be performed either immediately before the liturgy, or the evening before or several days before. Those people whom the priest knows as conscious Christians who live according to faith and regularly receive communion may be allowed to receive communion without mandatory confession - this practice is generally accepted in the Greek Church, and we consider this issue in more detail, for example, in the article: Confession: about the important and the frivolous .

7. Prayer preparation before Communion includes reading the canon and prayers for Holy Communion - in the evening or in the morning before the liturgy. A healthy person is recommended to come to the temple the day before for the evening service. During the liturgy in church, you need to pray together with everyone, and not read your rule, which you did not have time to “read” at home. The reading of other prayers, such as the canons of repentance, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, and the akathist to the Sweetest Jesus, remains at the discretion of each believer.

8. Bodily abstinence. On the night before Communion, it is customary for spouses to abstain from physical marital relations.

Archpriest Andrei Dudchenko

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