Thirst quenching or necessity?
The modern Orthodox Church allows the use of medications and water before communion, since such substances are not food.
All Orthodox canons are written for healthy people. Sick people may have relief .
In some cases, patients are allowed to eat animal food during fasting and during the preparation period before communion. But for this there must be medical indications.
Is it possible to drink tea during Lent before communion?
Many Orthodox believers ask the priests in person, via the Internet, or ask their relatives: is it possible to brush your teeth before communion? But this is far from the only thing that not only beginners can ask. Churchgoers have a lot of questions. It is worth noting that there are a huge number of para-church myths and misconceptions.
This article briefly retells the answers of experienced and pious priests, and gives recommendations and useful advice to beginners.
What is Communion?
What does Christ say in the Gospel about Communion? On the eve of his terrible death on the cross, He gathers his disciples together and prepares a meal. There is bread and wine on the table. Christ says that in memory of Him they will drink wine and eat bread, since these are symbols of His blood and body.
To this day, liturgy is celebrated in churches and Holy Communion is prepared using bread and wine. The priests pray together with the parishioners with the words “For the offered Honest Gifts to the Lord, let us pray.”
What is actually meant by the bread and wine in the Holy Chalice? Prayers read before Communion at home are just as necessary for a Christian as those in church. Why is prayer needed? Because the Lord connects with precisely the person who calls him to himself.
What is Communion?
There are several pieces of evidence about how Communion is actually prepared and what is hidden underneath it from human eyes. One day a certain man came into the temple. The royal doors in the temple were open. The priests stood at the altar. Suddenly a man who came in saw the priest piercing the baby with a spear. He shouted to the whole temple: “Why are you killing the baby?” All the people standing in the temple turned around. No one could understand which baby we were talking about. In fact, the priest had a prosphora (small bread made from wheat flour and water) in his hands.
The Lord invisibly and endlessly sacrifices himself for the sake of people, but not materially, but spiritually. His actual crucifixion was seen almost 2000 years ago at Golgotha in Jerusalem.
Let's return to the Gospel and to those lines where the Lord is at the Last Supper. He said: “From now on you will drink my blood (wine) and eat my body (bread) in memory of Me.” But even the apostles did not know how this would happen. Moreover, it is not given to us to know. This is a Divine secret. We can only take it seriously, and as it is, without a doubt. Therefore, the prayers read before Communion are very necessary, first of all for the person receiving communion.
Another living testimony:
In the city of Lanciano (Italy) to this day there is true proof that Communion is not just bread and wine. In the Catholic Church of Saint-Legotius in the 8th century, a priest doubted that Communion was a miracle. When he picked up a piece of bread, he saw something similar to muscle tissue. He looked into the Cup and saw that instead of wine there was blood. The priest screamed in horror. Then he realized that there was no doubt. The Lord proved to him that everything was for real. To this day, this miracle is located in Lanciano. Many pilgrims come to pray near such a shrine.
What does a Christian need before communion?
Of course, first of all, the belief that he will be given to taste not just bread and wine, but the body of Christ. Of course, such a meal is a miracle. The Lord gives a piece of himself to a sinful person. Therefore, one must approach Communion not only with fear, but also with faith. You can’t just receive communion like that.
How to treat?
Above we looked at two testimonies of the miracle of God. It is worth noting that during the Liturgy there is not only Jesus Christ in the altar, but also the Mother of God, Archangels, and saints.
It is not for nothing that the holy fathers said that the angels grieve because they do not receive communion. After all, they have no body, no need. They are already with God. And the Lord gave man such a great gift - to unite with Himself during Communion. Even if it is invisible.
Let's figure out what to read before communion:
*canon of repentance to the Savior;
*canon of prayer to the Mother of God;
*canon to the Guardian Angel;
*following to Holy Communion.
It is all these prayers, chants, kontakia that will help you prepare correctly to receive the Holy Gifts as they should be.
Fasting and Confession:
The priests say that you need to fast for at least 3 days. If a person is unchurched, rarely attends church, and sins, then he needs to prepare for almost a week. That is why the best option for such people is Lent, the Nativity Fast, as well as Petrov and Uspensky. But this is why there is no need to choose periods of multi-day fasting. After all, what is more important is reconciliation with God, not convenience.
What should someone who rarely goes to church do before Communion?
Firstly, you must go to the priest for confession. When the priest receives penitents, you can find out in the temple that is closer to your home or that you want to visit. Be prepared for the fact that the priest may not allow you to receive Communion after confession. There could be a lot of reasons for this. Often, in order to be allowed to receive communion, you need to fast, repent, and visit the temple many times. After confession, you must definitely ask the priest whether he blesses you to approach the Holy Chalice or not. Often the priests themselves insist that the confessor receive communion. You need to take this advice.
What is the fast before communion?
If you are new or have not been to church for a long time, then be sure to go to the priest for confession. Usually during this sacrament many spiritual issues are resolved. Father will explain to you what to do, what to beware of, and when you can receive communion.
How long before the sacrament should I stop taking liquids?
If a person is going to attend a sacred service in the morning, then drinking water should be stopped at night after midnight. It is necessary to preserve this until the partaking of the Sacraments of Christ.
If the service takes place during the day or evening, then it is necessary to fast for 6 hours. However, there are no restrictions on drinking water just before confession.
It is worth noting that the clergy came to the conclusion that people who observe all four great fasts simply need to take communion on an empty stomach.
Tips on how to cope with the urge to drink?
Thirst is a normal biological process. To overcome this feeling and properly prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, you can follow the following tips:
- In the evening before preparing for communion, you need to drink more water than usual. This method will help you avoid feeling too thirsty the next day.
Taking vitamin C shortly before communion will also help eliminate the urge to drink water in the morning.- Drinking fresh juices and fruits will also relieve thirst the next day. Juices are quickly absorbed by the body, thirst subsides. This effect lasts for a long time.
- Vegetables and all plant products, rich in water content, perfectly fill the human body. Therefore, thirst will subside for a short period of time.
Additional Information. It is worth noting that some clergy recommend drinking a small amount of water in the morning before communion if thoughts about water do not go away and interfere with reading prayers.
They justify this by the fact that it is much more important how a person realizes and prepares spiritually to receive the Holy Gifts than simply following physical prohibitions.
Everything you need to know about drinking water can be found in this section.
About Epiphany water in questions and answers
Is it possible to drink holy water?
You can and should drink holy water. Christians believe that water consecrated in the temple retains the grace of God. They drink holy water with reverence and prayer. It is customary to drink holy water on an empty stomach, but if necessary (in difficult circumstances) you can drink it after meals. The main thing when using it is not to forget that this is a shrine.
Is it possible to pour out holy water?
You can throw away holy water if it has spoiled. Although holy water remains fresh for a long time, and believers usually store Epiphany water for a whole year, and sometimes even several years, it still happens that it becomes unfit for consumption. But if you have to pour out holy water, then you need to find a clean place that is not trampled (on which they do not walk).
Is it possible to pour holy water into a sink?
You cannot pour holy water into the sink. This is a sacred thing - and even if it has lost its freshness, it cannot be poured into the sewer, where all kinds of sewage are poured. You can always find a clean place that is more suitable for pouring out the holy water.
Where can you pour holy water?
Holy water can be poured into a so-called untrodden place, where the shrine will not be trampled underfoot: into a pond with running water or into flower pots. You can also pour holy water under a tree, near the trunk of which no one walks and no dogs run.
Is it possible to boil holy water?
There is no need to boil holy water. Holy water becomes holy after the blessing of water - small or great - that is, after the priest reads special prayers over it and lowers the cross into it. Drinking water is usually used for this purpose. During the rite of consecration, water receives God's grace, which keeps it fresh and clean for a long time. If the holy water has spoiled, which also happens, then it should not be boiled, but poured into some clean place.
But you cannot brew tea or use it for cooking: holy water is a shrine, and the attitude towards it must be appropriate.
Is it possible to drink holy water during menstruation?
You can drink holy water during your period. According to pious tradition, women during menstruation do not approach Communion, but there are no prohibitions on receiving holy water and prosphora on these days.
Even people who have been temporarily excommunicated from the Holy Body and Blood of Christ for some very serious sins are allowed to drink holy water. And menstruation is a natural process in a woman’s body, and it is not her fault, and therefore there is even more reason not to drink holy water during “critical” days.
Is it possible to consecrate a cross with holy water?
It is possible and necessary to sanctify the cross with holy water. Usually the consecration is performed by a priest during a water blessing prayer according to a special rite.
Basically, the crosses in church shops have already been consecrated. Crosses found, purchased in secular stores and made to order need to be blessed. Then you need to contact the priest in order to clarify whether the purchased cross corresponds to the Orthodox canons.
If there is no way to ask the priest in the temple to consecrate the cross, then you can sprinkle it with holy water yourself with a prayer for the consecration of any thing:
To the Creator and Creator of the human race, the Giver of spiritual grace, the Giver of eternal salvation, Lord Himself, send Your Holy Spirit with the highest blessing on this thing (this cross), as if armed with the power of heavenly intercession, those who want to use it will be helpful for bodily salvation and intercession and help, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(And sprinkle the item with holy water three times).
Is it possible to have holy water before communion?
They usually do not drink holy water before communion, since it is customary to keep the Eucharistic fast - that is, to abstain from any food and drink from 00.00 o'clock if the Liturgy is in the morning, or for 6-8 hours if the Liturgy is at night. But it happens that a person feels unwell or for health reasons cannot stop drinking at all. In this case, the believer may be allowed to drink a little holy water to maintain strength. But such a decision can only be made with the blessing of the priest!
How long can you store holy water?
You can store holy water for a long time. It has the amazing property of not deteriorating. Thus, believers usually store Epiphany holy water for a whole year, until the next Epiphany. There are cases where holy water remained fresh for several years.
But holy water is a gift that must be used. That is, there is no point in accumulating bottles of water in the house; you need to accept this God's blessing with faith and prayer.
Is it possible to dilute holy water?
You can dilute holy water; even a few drops of holy water impart its properties to a large volume. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to carry huge bottles of holy water home from the temple and fill your containers to the very top, “over the top.”
We need to dilute holy water with prayer and reverence, believing that we are in contact with God's wonderful gift.
Is it possible to consecrate an apartment with holy water yourself?
The consecration of an apartment (house) is a requirement performed by a priest according to the special rite of blessing the home. He says special prayers calling for God's blessing on everyone living in this house. Then the priest prayerfully sprinkles the house with holy water and makes crosses on the walls of the house with blessed oil. The apartment is blessed once (except for special cases).
So you won’t be able to consecrate an apartment on your own without a priest, but you can simply sprinkle holy water on your home. There is even a tradition of doing this, bringing holy water home from the temple on the feast of Epiphany. In this case, you can read the following prayer:
May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the presence of fire, so let demons perish from the presence of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and who say in joy: Rejoice, most honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons by force on you of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power the devil, and who gave us His honorable Cross to drive away every adversary. O most honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.
or troparion for the holiday:
In the Jordan I am baptized to You, O Lord,/ Trinitarian adoration appeared:/ For the voice of your parents testified to You,/ naming Your beloved Son,/ and the Spirit in the form of a dove/ made known your word affirmation./ Appear, O Christ God,/ and an enlightened world, glory to You.
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