How to prepare for Communion for mother and child

How to prepare for Communion while pregnant?

A pregnant woman can take communion as often as is feasible for her. When preparing for Communion for an expectant mother, the Church allows concessions. Fasting can be limited to not eating meat or even canceled if there are contraindications for health reasons. It is recommended that a pregnant woman discuss this stage of preparation with her doctor and confessor. The prayer part must be fully observed: it is necessary to read morning and evening prayers, confess and repent on the eve of Communion.

It is important for a pregnant woman to know:

Fasting should not harm the health of the expectant mother and child.
It is not necessary to stand during the entire service in the temple; you can sit down, especially in the late stages of pregnancy.
Those staying in confinement can confess and receive communion outside the walls of the church by inviting a priest to their home or hospital ward.

Reasons for frequent participles

Pregnancy is a period of stress, anxiety and long waiting. Expectant mothers experience it differently - some close themselves off from the world, spending their pregnancy at home, others, on the contrary, are constantly in sight. They are united by caring for the baby, and whoever deems it necessary to protect the child from dangers.

Pregnant women become sentimental and superstitious, so they try in every possible way to cleanse themselves of bad views, words, and actions. It is believed that the church will help rid the child of unpleasant conditions. Therefore, expectant mothers try to go there regularly or at least several times during pregnancy.

The main reason for going to church is the desire to atone for sins and confess before giving birth. This is done so that the birth goes smoothly and the baby becomes more comfortable being born.

Many mothers want to enlist Father’s support and gain his blessing for childbirth, especially if there are problems with the child’s health. This is wonderful, they become a little closer to God, protecting the kids from adversity. The present works with those who firmly believe.

How to prepare for Communion for a nursing mother?

After 40 days after the birth of the child, a cleansing prayer is read over the woman, and she can again participate in church services and the Sacraments. But most often, the appearance of a baby in the house makes it difficult for a young mother to attend church, as does the ability to observe strict fasting in the days of preparation for Communion.

It is important that the newborn receives all the necessary nutrients and beneficial substances with mother’s milk, so the nursing mother’s diet should include meat, eggs, and dairy products. In this case, the woman’s preparation for communion consists of intense prayer when time permits. It is believed that the period of caring for a newborn, its feeding and Christian upbringing is service to God and the Church.

How to fast for the laity

People who have a great desire to know the power and will of the Almighty should know the main rules of fasting:

At its core, fasting is a feat, the basis of which is faith. A person who turns to him seeks purity, strives to overcome his own sinfulness and free the spirit from physical slavery;
repentance is the most important task of fasting. You need to be able to cleanse not only the body, but also the soul. And this can be done through confession;
fasting is a prayer for the sick and suffering, strengthened spiritually and confirmed by merciful deeds;
the power of fasting can only be assessed by the degree to which one is deprived of something;
you need to know the measure of fasting and strictly adhere to it;
true abstinence must coincide with the condition of the body;
people who break the rules of fasting due to illness should remember that there may also be some lack of faith in this. Therefore, first of all, you need to be honest with yourself and know the true reason for intemperance;
remember that God commands you to hide your fast from others.

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It often happens that in one family not everyone strictly adheres to fasting. There is no need to reproach your loved ones, because fasting is voluntary and conscious, which means that their time to learn this simply has not come yet.

Every believer who has already known this spiritual joy always approaches it with desire and enthusiasm. After all, he does this for the sake of the Lord and in his name.

Orthodox fasting is quite strict, therefore the attitude towards it should be appropriate: you need to study all the aspects and nuances of its implementation. It is also worth remembering that people who want to find spiritual salvation have individual characteristics that must be taken into account.

How to prepare a child for Communion?

Children should prepare for Communion starting at age 7. Until this time, they are considered infants and receive communion without preparation.

Infants are brought to church just before Communion. It is advisable that by the beginning of the Sacrament more than two hours have passed after feeding, and the child has not vomited the Holy Gifts. If this happens, clothes stained with drops of the Blood of Christ must be left in the temple and then burned. To avoid such a situation, it is recommended to have a handkerchief or baby bib with you.

Small children 4-5 years old can be taught to take Communion on an empty stomach gradually: leaving the house for church before breakfast, and after Communion feeding the child in the refectory with pies, cottage cheese or another type of snack that you brought with you. So, by the age of seven, the child will get used to taking part in the Sacrament and will calmly fast and learn to confess. In this case, personal example is required - the mother prepares and receives communion together with the child.

How many days should you fast?

The number of days you need to fast depends on several factors:

type of fast: multi-day, one-day and liturgical;
reason (communion, confession);
person's age;
past or present diseases;
state of the body (pregnancy).

What a person who has turned to fasting can eat depends on these same factors. This should be a fairly balanced diet, which, despite strict abstinence, will contain the main components for a healthy and long life.

Confession of a pregnant woman

The confession of a pregnant woman is no different from the confession of an ordinary woman, if she has not committed a great sin.

For example, if an expectant mother plans to have an abortion, to take someone else’s husband away from another woman, especially a legal wife, then she should tell her confessor about her intentions.

It is advisable to repent of what is being done, since a grave sin during pregnancy is genetically reflected in the condition of the child.

Often, women who destroy families have children who are seriously ill or are born disabled. Or a once loved one begins to raise his hand against them or drink.

Therefore, the priest should strongly repent if the child was conceived out of wedlock or you began to destroy the family for his sake.

After giving birth, a pregnant woman should not visit the temple at all for 40 days - this is necessary to restore the body. You should not confess or take communion for 40 days in case of a stillbirth, after a miscarriage or abortion.

How to fast before Communion

Holy Communion is one of the most wonderful sacraments of Orthodoxy, and a person must prepare for it with prayer, fasting and repentance. Such preparation includes the following steps:

fasting;
attending an evening service on the eve of the ceremony;
reading the prayer rule, necessary Communion;
strict abstinence on the day of Communion itself;
confession to the priest and his admission to the sacrament;
presence at the Divine Liturgy from beginning to end.

How long to fast before Communion

Preparation for Communion (fasting) lasts, as a rule, 3 days and concerns both the physical and spiritual aspects of a person’s life:

physical (bodily) purity is abstinence from marital relations and restriction in food. On these days, animal food and fish should be completely excluded, and dry food should be consumed in fairly moderate quantities;
spiritual cleansing consists of attending services in church, reading certain prayers and canons.

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You need to give up food (fast) after midnight, since it is customary to begin the sacrament on an empty stomach. Also, the person who is preparing for the ritual must expel all negative thoughts and extinguish anger. It is better to spend time in solitude and reading the Word of God.

Immediately before Communion (in the evening or in the morning) confession takes place. Without it, no one can be admitted to Communion, except for children under 7 years of age and cases bordering on mortal danger.

How to fast before confession

Before confession, it is also advisable to fast physically and spiritually for three days. It must be remembered that Communion, and therefore the further purification of a person, depends on this rite.

Very often, completing it turns out to be a very difficult and overwhelming task. And if a Christian has already taken this path, it means that he is filled with strength and will for the further path. In addition to physical fasting, one must not forget about purity of thoughts: not to be subjected to abuse, idle thoughts and entertainment, and to do good deeds.

Fasting before confession, what you can eat

For complete spiritual cleansing on the eve of confession, you should eat this way:

eat cereals, vegetables and fruits;
eat fish;
exclude food of animal origin;
alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited.

Is it possible for pregnant women to light candles for the repose?

There is a belief according to which a pregnant woman should not light candles for the repose - this can negatively affect the condition of the unborn baby or even provoke a stillbirth. However, according to the priests, this is worth doing if a loved one or relative has died.

Whether or not to light candles for repose is a personal matter for each person. And, if a pregnant woman is afraid of negative consequences for the child at the energy level, then it is better for her not to light candles for the repose.

Is it possible for pregnant women to go to church for christenings?

A pregnant woman can simply attend the christening of someone else’s baby - this will not in any way affect her well-being and the happiness of the unborn baby.

However, the priest may refuse baptism if the pregnancy is already approaching childbirth or if the woman is suffering from severe toxicosis.

Some gynecologists are against baptizing a baby during pregnancy - the load on the diaphragm increases and the woman may not be able to carry her child. Therefore, it is advisable for a pregnant woman to abandon the role of goddaughter and simply attend the christening as a guest.

Is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in church?

It is not only possible, but also necessary for a pregnant woman to get married, unless she is marrying a clergyman.

According to church canons, the priest's wife must be a virgin.

Therefore, the church may refuse to marry a priest to a pregnant woman. But more often they try to marry a couple secretly if there is a church blessing for this.

In other cases, pregnancy is not an obstacle to marriage. Therefore, it is possible to get married in this state.

Do pregnant women fast?

Pregnant women are a separate category of people. And here the question about nutrition during fasting takes on a completely different meaning, so there is no clear answer to it.

But if a woman in this position wants to fast, she may not do it strictly, but be sure to try not to eat meat products and undergo spiritual cleansing, since the health and life of her child depends on this.

Do children fast?

There are also many contradictions on this issue. Therefore, initially, a child who is already at a conscious age (starting from seven years old) needs to correctly and clearly explain the meaning and meaning of fasting. After all, children do not fully understand what it means to limit themselves and why they should do it. Here it would be appropriate to work on preparing for the post on the following points:

fasting is not a diet;
visibility of fasting times (calendar);
among other children (don’t advertise it, but don’t be shy either);
fasting – a need or a whim;
Sunday joys and the holiday of anticipation;
from each according to his measure.

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If all these points have been studied, and the child is ready to try his hand, you just need to help him in word and deed. And remember that the main thing is your own example.

Fasting is truly a great sacrament that a person undergoes independently, and the result depends only on him, and it always requires strength and faith. To fast means to become one step closer to the Lord, gradually gaining his spiritual blessing and righteous grace.

Fasting Person's Prayer (Jesus Prayer, Sinner's Prayer)

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

The Lord is always with you!

Watch a video about fasting before communion: