Many people try to join the life of a real Christian, but they do not always have the knowledge of how to fast before confession and communion. But it is communion that is the long-awaited grace from God himself, which makes it possible for a mere mortal to get closer to Jesus the Savior. And if you have certain knowledge and understand how communion works, you will be able to spend your time correctly during preparation. As soon as the fasting person is completely cleansed of his bad thoughts and sinful actions, he can receive a lot from God, because His gifts are numerous and beautiful.
What is fasting?
Communion is the transition from the life of a simple person to the life of a Christian who desires to receive God's grace. That is why the question is so often asked in the church about what fasting is and how to fast before confession and communion. It is known that during communion, believers take a little food. So, first of all, this is wine, which symbolizes the Blood of Christ. She is certainly a Saint, therefore she perfectly cleanses the human soul, body and spirit. The person also takes a piece of prosphora.
Communion is considered a holy sacrament for the human soul. The Christian himself is responsible for how such a sacrament occurs and how he receives it. And for this you need to be alone with yourself, think about your life. But if you do not take communion, then there will be no blessing from God.
In order for such a misfortune not to happen, for the sacrament to pass safely, it is imperative not only to confess one’s sins, but also to observe fasting.
What types of posts are there?
For a worldly person, bodily abstinence seems to be something unified. If you are fasting, it means you cannot eat meat and animal products (milk and eggs). You can also eat fish, vegetable fats, drinks, including alcoholic drinks, vegetables and fruits. But the Church divides fasts into ordinary and strict. There are days when you can’t eat not only meat, but also fish. Some fasts also prohibit vegetable oil (so-called oil).
There are days of dry eating. During them, you cannot take any food until sunset, and in the evening you are allowed to eat only lean foods. Now let’s look at the fasting before receiving the Holy Gifts: is it possible to eat fish before communion?
How should you fast?
How to fast before confession and communion? First of all, this is the time that is given to a person to pacify his flesh, to cleanse him of spiritual attachments and habits that harm him. It is fasting that allows people to become spiritually closer to the Creator. Fasting gives a person time to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ; this is the time when a believer should indulge in prayer. When a believer prepares for communion, he usually must analyze his entire life and understand what sins he needs to repent of.
During fasting, a person should avoid satiety and not drink alcohol. Thus, by placing his nutrition within certain limits, a Christian, first of all, tames his body, his morals and emotions. But fasting concerns not only food, but also behavior and thoughts. So, if during fasting a person constantly talks on the phone, gossips, and spends time on social networks, then it is worth remembering that God at this moment sees the soul, and fasting, first of all, concerns it.
Therefore, in order not to wonder about how to fast before confession and communion, it is worth remembering that you need to behave in such a way as to draw closer to God, and not move away from Him.
Meaning of Communion
For a Christian believer, an integral part of spiritual life is union with God in the Sacrament of Communion. It is also called the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which translated from Greek means “thanksgiving”, “gratitude”. It was established by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper in the presence of His closest disciples, the apostles. The Sacrament of Communion consists of a Christian receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. “Body and Blood” is not a symbolic name. This is an image of the incomprehensible formation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of God Jesus Christ Himself. But to prepare for the Sacrament, you need to figure out how to fast before Communion.
“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” (John 6:53-54).
Priests with Cups before Communion
Communion is vital for everyone who strives to live with God and according to His Commandments as a sacrament of salvation. According to the Savior, only “he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood” can enter the Kingdom of God (paradise). And every Christian approaching the Eucharist must accept the Sacred Gifts with the greatest reverence, thereby being sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is the greatest shrine. This means that a person must prepare especially for Communion, cleansing his soul and body with prayer and fasting.
“Now is the time when we know many prayers, but we pray little. We eat lean food, but we don’t fast. We accumulate information about spiritual life, but have no experience of it. We confess our sins, but do not repent. We go to churches and stand at services, but the soul does not humble itself before the Creator. All this is because the heart is closed. It must open to let Christ in” (Paisiy Svyatogorets on preparation for Communion).
A little history
Knowing how to fast correctly before confession and communion, believers want to know what the history of fasting is. It is known that after Jesus ascended, the first Christians took communion every day. But then no one even thought about the need to cleanse themselves spiritually and physically.
In the time of the apostles, the Eucharist of Communion was usually celebrated only in the evening, but over time this procedure was moved to the morning so that Christians could early take the food of the Lord, which would be a cleansing for both body and spirit.
The first mention of fasting occurs in the fourth century. At the same time, some basic laws appeared on how to fast before confession and communion. At this time, the priests noticed that the laity had lost interest in the faith. They began to call on the Orthodox to refrain from sexual pleasures and other entertainment. But at this time nothing was said about food restrictions.
Early Christians eventually began to fast three times a week. The days were set by the church. But already at the beginning of the ninth century, new rules appeared on how to fast before confession and communion. Abstinence from food began to take from three to seven days. This innovation was introduced due to the fact that spiritual life was gradually disappearing. But, as Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk claims, there is no single and specific requirement for a three-day fast. Each person can independently decide how many days to fast before communion and confession so that his body becomes purer before the Lord. It is better to resolve this issue with your spiritual mentor.
Rules for fasting before communion
First of all, let's understand the question of what fasting is. Fasting is a person’s spiritual and physical abstinence, which is necessary for a person to get as close as possible to God. And here it is very important to mention that these two components of abstinence (spiritual and physical) are closely interconnected and, if you follow strict rules, one is impossible without the other.
There are multi-day and one-day fasts, which are written down in the church charter, which means they are mandatory. Thus, in Orthodox Christianity there are 4 main fasts, which are multi-day fasts, and two weekly fasting days - Wednesday and Friday, which are one-day ones.
Fasting is a person’s spiritual and physical abstinence
Please note that the obligatory church rules do not say anything about fasting before communion: neither about a multi-day fast, nor about a one-day fast. And all because such a rule does not exist. Therefore, we can safely say that fasting before communion is not necessary.
But at the same time, there is another canonical rule that exists and which all Orthodox Christians adhere to - you cannot eat or drink immediately before communion. Nothing is said about the amount of time a person should spend abstaining from food and water. All time frames for refusing food and drink (they can be different) that are observed in the church are Orthodox traditions and customs.
Everyone can draw their own conclusions from all of the above.
Everyone can draw their own conclusions from all of the above, but still, as mentioned above, there are certain traditions in the Russian Orthodox Church regarding the amount of time to abstain from food. They have been observed by Christians for a long time. We'll talk about this a little later.
Along with the statement that there is no rule of obligatory fasting, it should immediately be said about the nuances, without which it is impossible to fully illuminate the issue of fasting before communion. Firstly, you can safely rely on the fact that in the church charter there is no mandatory rule of fasting before communion; only those people who observe all the mandatory fasts prescribed in the charter, both multi-day and one-day fasts, can do so.
Everyone can draw their own conclusions from all of the above.
And the number of days that make up all the obligatory fasts is quite impressive - about 200. Agree, a person who fasts for most of the year is already quite well physically prepared for communion. For others, it is still better to abstain from food before communion.
So, Attention! Fasting for a long time before communion is not necessary only for those people who regularly observe all other fast days prescribed in the church charter. It will be enough to adhere to the mandatory church rule of refusing food and water immediately before communion.
It is not necessary to fast for a long time before communion
Here, immediately, it is worth returning to the question of the amount of time of fasting before communion, which we touched upon earlier. There are different time frames for fasting before communion: ranging from several hours. But there is no maximum limit.
One of the most common periods for fasting before communion is 3 days. But this period can be increased or, conversely, shortened. It all depends on the individual situation of the person who is going to receive communion.
There are different time frames for fasting before communion
For example, if you have never taken communion in your life and are planning to do so for the first time, then even a week of fasting will not be enough for you to prepare for the sacrament of communion. Conversely, if you observe at least a few of the obligatory fasts (discussed above), then it will be enough for you to spend a few hours abstaining from food.
This issue must be discussed with the priest who serves in the church where you are going to receive communion. Only he can and has the right to give a blessing to you for a certain number of days or hours of fasting before communion, having understood, after talking with you, your personal situation.
The most common tradition for all Orthodox Christians regarding abstinence from food before communion is the cessation of eating food and water, starting from the beginning of the day when communion will take place, that is, from 00:00. It has been adhered to for a long time by all ministers and parishioners of the Orthodox Church. But you can also find other traditions in which the amount of time to abstain from food before communion is 6 hours.
Preparation for Communion
Since there is no certain number of days how long you need to fast before confession and communion, then, accordingly, you can listen to your wishes. And the church is recommended to abstain for at least three days. But this wish is suitable for those believers who participate in the Eucharist several times a year, for example, two or three. It is known that there are four posts, and there are no other additional requirements.
Priests recommend that everyone take communion every Sunday. This will allow you to keep your body and soul clean and, most importantly, holy. It is better to abstain from eating on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Fasting before communion: rules
What kind of fasting should there be before communion: what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten - this question will always be relevant for every Orthodox Christian. On the one hand, the answer to it is covered in all church sources and is not a secret to anyone. On the other hand, there are many nuances in this answer that not every person preparing for communion knows about. Next we will discuss all aspects of this issue.
what you can eat and what you can’t - this question will always be relevant for every Orthodox Christian
What is it forbidden for those who are fasting to eat?
You shouldn’t worry about how long you need to fast before communion and confession, but it’s better to know that there are foods that the church has forbidden Orthodox parishioners to eat during this period. So, these are eggs, meat products, some types of fish and dairy products. It is believed that during fasting one should eat food not for one’s own pleasure, but in order to maintain one’s health.
If fish is considered a staple food for someone, then it can be eaten. During the day before communion, a believer must completely abstain from food and any entertainment. This day must be spent in prayer. In the evening you need to go to church service, in the morning to liturgy. It is worth thinking about what was completely sinful, and you must tell the priest about this in order to decide whether it is possible to perform the sacrament.
Fasting before Communion
Fasting before Communion is obligatory, but its extent is usually determined individually.
The point of preparing for the Sacrament is not to exhaust your body with hunger, but to allow bodily abstinence to help in spiritual preparation. There are several degrees of fasting - starting with giving up only meat and ending with completely giving up food. It is customary to fast before Communion for three days. If a person starts the Chalice very rarely, then it is worth increasing this time to a week. If one observes all one-day (Wednesday, Friday, Epiphany Eve, Beheading of John the Baptist, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord) and multi-day (Great, Petrov, Assumption, Nativity) fasts, then the Church does not impose any additional obligations, or only one slightly more will be enough strict day before Communion.
Complete abstinence from food immediately before the Sacrament itself is mandatory. From 12 o'clock at night, if the service is in the morning, or 6 hours before the start of the Liturgy, if it is celebrated in the evening or at night, believers do not eat or drink.
Otherwise, the duration and measure of fasting should be determined based on life circumstances and taking into account that both excessive zeal and excessive indulgences will not bring benefit.
What do you eat before communion during Lent?
During the fast before Communion, they eat food of plant origin, that is, cereals, fruits and vegetables, mushrooms and legumes. The ban primarily includes meat, as well as milk and eggs. If a person is preparing to receive communion not during the period of fasting, then his diet may include seafood and fish, but if the regulations require stricter gastronomic abstinence at this time, then it must be observed.
It happens that health problems or some difficulties in life do not allow a person to follow the recommendations of the charter. But in any case, we must understand that fasting during the period of preparation for Communion presupposes, first of all, the renunciation of some excesses and delicacies, which can be not only modest, but also lenten. The basic rule: food should be simple, and attention should be paid to spiritual work - repentance and prayer.
Is it possible to eat fish during Lent before communion?
There is no point in eating fish during fasting before Communion if a person receives the Sacrament infrequently, but somehow fulfills the church calendar dietary requirements - in this case, it is advisable to fast more strictly before rare Communion. It is worth giving up fish even if the preparation already falls on fast days. During Lent, even if you are allowed indulgences (for example, for health reasons), you should give up fish before Communion. If, according to the rules, you can eat everything on these days, and a believer, strictly following the rules, does not eat meat and dairy foods for about half a year, then it will not be a sin if he does not exhaust himself with unnecessarily strict abstinence.
Such issues need to be resolved individually, taking into account the peculiarities of everyday and spiritual life and consulting with a priest you know.
But whether or not to eat fish during the fast before Communion is still not the main question. It is much more important to try to maintain spiritual purity, not to offend loved ones and not to allow yourself to get irritated. It is anger, and not a piece of fish, that can become an obstacle to proceeding to the Sacrament.
Is it possible to have seafood during Lent before Communion?
Whether to eat seafood during Lent before Communion, believers usually decide based on the circumstances. There is no definite answer whether they should be equated with fish or whether “sea reptiles” are a lean product. And therefore, even during Lent, some categorically refuse them as meager food, while others use them to make up for the lack of protein. But on fasting days, if your health allows, immediately before Communion you can do without seafood.
It is also worth remembering that you need to eat modestly during any fast, and expensive seafood delicacies can hardly be considered abstinence. In any case, when choosing how to fast (with seafood, fish or other indulgences), you must remain reasonable and judicious.
Is it possible to have coffee during Lent before communion?
Of course, you cannot drink a cup of coffee immediately in the morning before Communion, since you must approach the Sacrament on an empty stomach. But on preparation days, black coffee is acceptable, since it is a lean product.
It’s another matter if a person loves coffee to such an extent that he himself already notices a problem in this. For a coffee lover, just on the days of fasting before Communion, you can try to reduce the amount of consumption of your favorite drink. After all, the point of fasting, first of all, is to learn to cope with your desires and overcome your passions. Fasting before Communion is a good reason to try to overcome your addiction to coffee.
Fasting before communion during the whole week
A continuous week is a period when fasting is canceled. There are five of these a year - ten days after Christmas, two weeks (about the publican and the Pharisee and Cheese Week, during which everything is possible except meat) before Lent, Easter and Trinity Week before Peter's Lent.
During the continuous weeks preparing for fasting, communicants usually try to observe gastronomic abstinence before receiving the Sacrament. But on the festive holidays or on Bright Week it is allowed to receive communion without fasting, if the believer, together with the entire Church, has gone through a multi-day fast. However, there is no need to overeat on the eve of Communion. After all, even when fasting is canceled, gluttony still remains a sin. Also, during continuous weeks, as always, Eucharistic fasting is necessary - that is, abstinence from food and drink immediately before the Liturgy (usually from 12 o'clock at night).
And always during fasting before Communion, we must remember that meat and milk themselves do not carry sin, but their consumption can make our attitude sinful. Every Christian can and should be told by his own conscience how to fast correctly.
Source of the article: https://foma.ru/post-pered-prichastiem.html
How many days does the fast last?
It is known that each fast will take a different number of days. Everything will depend on many reasons. First of all, a believer should know that there are one-day, multi-day and liturgical fasts. Another reason for deciding how many days the fast will last is choice.
How long to fast before confession and communion depends on the person himself, on his state of health, his age, what diseases he is sick or has already had, and also what the state of the body is at the time of fasting, for example, whether there is pregnancy.
The choice of products that he can consume during this period will depend on these features. After all, even during a period of complete abstinence, the human body must receive vitamins.
Post for children
The debate about whether children should fast continues to this day. For example, if a child is already seven years old, then after an explanation of what fasting is, he himself can decide whether he will do it. But still, even with such children, preparatory work must be carried out, since they do not always immediately understand the meaning of abstinence. So, you need to explain to your child that fasting has nothing to do with diets and that you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. You should not demand more from a child than he is capable of.
What fast should you observe before confession?
Cleansing the soul from sins does not require any preparation. Previously, good believers went to their confessor and confessed when they felt the need for it. And it is not at all necessary to receive the Eucharist immediately after the remission of sins. But if you are going to do this, then fasting is necessary, that is, preparing the soul and body to receive the holy sacrament of the Church. And here it would be appropriate to ask the question: is it possible to eat fish before communion? Regarding this product, a negative answer can only be given with certainty for Saturday evening. Everything else depends on the frequency of your communion, your health and life circumstances. It also matters whether the Orthodox Church observes general fasting on these days. In this case, the food requirements for fasting people change.
Rules of strict fasting
It is believed that before communion there should be fasting for at least three days. The person who decided to participate in the Eucharist and decided to abstain from food must understand that there is no need to boast about this. Restriction in food is necessary in order to reconcile a person with himself, as well as with the people around him. This is the time to sort out your conflicts and make peace with everyone.
On such days, it is better not to watch TV, but to stay alone with a book, visit a temple or chat with loved ones. At this time, you cannot do bad things or get angry. Strict fasting allows you to achieve harmony between a person’s spiritual and physical health. As a result of such a strict fast, a person becomes more confident, vigor and strength appear in him, which were previously dormant.
Menu for a fasting person
Any fast usually consists of easy and difficult days. The most difficult thing is when you can only consume a dry diet and water. There are days when you can eat hot food either with or without butter. You should always eat fruits during Lent, but vegetables can be either fresh or baked.
Cereals and honey will be useful products for the human body during fasting. You need to drink a lot of water, and when the desire to eat something arises, you need to either pray or visit a temple. It is believed that the first day of fasting is the hardest, so it is recommended to refrain from eating any food at all. You can eat nuts, jelly, legumes and even marmalade.
After fasting, you also need to be careful about your diet, since you cannot eat a lot of meat products at once. This can lead to severe upset of the gastrointestinal system. It is better to break fast gradually, eating food that will be easily digested by the stomach.
Special categories of believers
Communion is such a great power that grants healing and forgiveness of sins. Afterwards the person turns out to be joyful and feels free. All Orthodox people, regardless of age, are allowed to participate in this church procedure. It is good if children begin to understand such a sacrament early, and for this they should have an example from their parents. But fasting for them should be softer. For pregnant women, children and sick people, there should be no days of dry eating during fasting. A spiritual mentor will help this category of believers create proper nutrition.
Currently, the field of cooking has become so developed that even from a small amount of products you can prepare healthy dishes that will not harm children, the sick and pregnant women.
This special category of believers also includes those people who, due to the current situation, cannot be at home. For example, these are places of detention, the army and boarding schools. All of them are put on a special diet that they cannot control. The Church treats them graciously. Such people are usually advised to abandon modesty for a while and intensify their prayer.
If a person is seriously ill or dying, then he can be admitted to communion without any preparation. Fasting will help every person draw closer to the Savior and hope for eternal life.
Who does the relaxation apply to?
Food restrictions have a number of relaxations. The rules of fasting do not apply to children under 3 years of age and pregnant women. The relaxations also apply to nursing women and sick laypeople who cannot give up all prohibited foods for health reasons.
Fish before communion, even during strict fasting, is also permitted for believers living in regions where it is the main source of nutrition. These include regions of the Far North and other territories where the basis of the diet is fish and seafood.
