Confession and communion during Lent 2021 are necessary to cleanse the soul and strengthen the spirit

Believers fast every year before great religious holidays. During a period of abstinence from certain foods, observance of rules and church canons, the truth is learned. Fasting helps fight mental burdens, life difficulties and problems. Enlightenment can only be achieved by stepping away from everyday life. Lent before Easter is a time when you can receive grace from the Lord and find the right path in life. Communion and confession help with this.

Orthodox Christians will fast from March 15 in 2021. The first week is almost over, but there are six more to go. This is a multi-day period when they read prayers, fast, do good deeds, help loved ones and the poor, and give alms. They try to go to church more often, and on certain days to confess and receive communion.

Is there a communion in Lent?

Communion is a Sacrament established by Christ Himself, through which modern man comes into contact with the Lord. This is the center of the life of the Church, and therefore there is always Communion - both during Lent and on holidays.

But it must be taken into account that the days of Great Lent are a time for repentance and reflection on one’s sins, and the Liturgy is always a great joy and reward for a Christian, therefore during this period it occurs only on Saturdays and Sundays, and on weekdays it does not occur at all, or the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated. There is no preparation and Translation (change) of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, but at this special service, performed only during Lent, there is Communion, since the Holy Gifts are preserved in the altar from the previous full Liturgy. Thus, the Church never deprives a believer of the opportunity to begin the Sacrament of Communion, but preparing for it is his personal task.

The essence and traditions of Lent

Communion during fasting days

Ancient Christians took communion very often, because they could not imagine their lives apart from Christ. But over time, traditions have changed, so now you can find opinions that you need to take communion only a few times a year on major holidays or during fasting. Christians usually decide for themselves how often they should receive communion, after consulting with a priest. But during the days of fasting, when believers try to fight their sins, look inward, repent and pray, Communion is a necessary spiritual medicine. In addition, during Holy Week, most believers try to take communion on Maundy Thursday - the day when the Church remembers the very establishment of this Sacrament by Christ.

How does the Holy Sacrament of Communion take place?

We have already explained in detail what Communion is, but the question of how it is made and how it is carried out still remains unsolved.

During the Liturgy, those wishing to receive Communion must not leave the church. You should participate in the service until the priest calls the parishioners to the Eucharist. He must leave the altar with a cup of wine in his hand.

Parishioners line up. Children come first, then the infirm, then men, and then women. Everyone standing in line must cross their arms over their chest. Approaching the priest, you need to say your name and open your mouth for the spoon (church spoon). There is no need to be baptized.

After drinking, you need to blot your lips with a handkerchief and kiss the cup. Then, without talking to anyone, you should go to the table with wine and prosphora (bread). Afterwards the priest reads prayers of thanks. At this time you need to be present in church.

When asked whether it is necessary or not to undergo the Holy Sacrament, the priests answer that it is necessary. This is food for our soul.

And if a person does not undergo the sacrament, then the soul begins to be filled with sins, passions and stink. Therefore, Communion is mandatory for everyone who wants to cleanse themselves of this and draw closer to God.

Communion during Lent: on what days is it possible?

Communion during Lent is possible on any day when there is Liturgy in the church.

During the days of Great Lent, the liturgical charter does not provide for it every day, but only on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and significant holidays (the day of remembrance of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste - March 22, the Annunciation - April 7, etc.). The Liturgy on Lenten weekdays is very different from the usual service - it is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, but, of course, you can also receive communion at it. Moreover, many believers try to attend this special service at least once a year.

During fasting, as in the days of preparation for communion, a Christian abstains from light food, prays more, tries not to sin and to reconcile with those with whom he is in a quarrel. Accordingly, if no events have occurred that contradict the approach to the Sacrament, having read the prescribed prayers the day before and confessed, believers can receive communion at any Liturgy during the days of fasting.

What is Communion

This Orthodox sacrament began to be carried out during the time of Jesus Christ on earth after his Last Supper. It was there that the Son of God spoke about this ritual. First, He broke the bread into pieces and gave them to the disciples, calling it His Body. Then He poured the wine into cups and marked it with His Blood.

Communion in the church is the personification of the renewal of the unity of the nature of the Creator and what He created even before Adam and Eve committed the first sin.

As a result, a person who receives the Eucharist approaches the Kingdom of God one step closer. Therefore, it is so important to turn to the sacrament as often as possible, while having deep faith, sincerity and the call of the soul.

The main idea of Communion is the Savior's sacrifice. This refers to His voluntary departure to death, in the name of atonement for human sins, and the shedding of His Blood for them on the cross.

And people, thereby, pay tribute for the fact that Jesus sacrificed himself in order to restore fallen human nature before the Creator.

Another interpretation regarding the question of what Communion in the church is is given by the holy fathers. They say that the sacrament nourishes the human soul. And this happens after receiving the rite of Baptism.

Only you need to take it once in your life, but Communion at least once a month. The minimum interval between rituals should be 1 year.

Preparation for Communion in Lent

Preparing for Communion during Lent is no different from preparing for the Sacrament at any other time. It is necessary to observe abstinence (in food, marital relations, entertainment), read the prescribed prayer rule the day before, prepare for confession and repent. It is highly advisable to attend the evening service. As always, immediately before communion, a Eucharistic fast is needed: if the service is in the morning, then food and drink are refused from 12 o’clock at night, if in the evening (according to ancient tradition, in some churches the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during Great Lent is served in the afternoon) - complete abstinence must be at least 6 hours.

But giving up meat and all kinds of delicacies is not a guarantee of readiness for communion. During the period of fasting, as at any other time, we may have conflicts with people around us, quarrels and misunderstandings. But you cannot approach the Sacrament with malice and anger in your heart. On days of fasting, you need to be especially attentive to what is happening in your soul, and you need to go to the Chalice only after cleansing your soul with personal repentance and forgiveness of offenses.

We prepare according to all the rules

Any clergyman will tell you that receiving communion spontaneously is wrong, and even sinful. Since the ritual concerns not just the spiritual, but also the physical state of a person, it is advisable to discuss all questions and points of interest with the priest, who will never refuse to help you.

So, at least a week before you take communion in church, you have to completely reject all entertainment and worldly amusements. This implies a complete refusal to stay in noisy companies, visit entertainment and entertainment venues, drink alcohol and fatty foods, idle chatter, gossip and everything like that.

If such preparation for Holy Communion is difficult for you, try to gain new strength by visiting church, saying prayers, and communicating with the holy fathers. A day before you need to confess and receive communion, you have to endure the entire service, from the beginning to the very end.

The physical side of preparation consists of strictly fasting and abstaining from sexual relations. Three days before the ceremony, exclude alcohol and food of animal origin from your diet, do not think about sex and do not engage in it. Before the sacrament itself, or rather, a day before it, it is necessary to fast.

It is better to abstain from dinner the day before; the last meal should take place before the evening service on the day before communion. Holy Communion itself should be approached strictly on an empty stomach. Even morning tea or coffee is prohibited.

How will the ceremony take place?

Before you need to properly confess and receive communion, it is important to familiarize yourself with the procedure itself, which will allow you to be relaxed and feel the full importance of what is happening.

So, what to do on the pre-agreed day:

Important! Under no circumstances should one be baptized near the chalice, so as not to knock it out of the priest’s hands and spill Communion. In the old days, the church in which such terrible blasphemy was committed was demolished, and the abbot was deprived of his rank and went to atone for the sin in a monastery. Now morals are not so harsh, but such an incident will not go without consequences for the priest - the holy father can forget about moving up the career ladder.

Immediately after communion, you should not talk, and simply open your mouth so as not to accidentally drop particles of Communion on the floor - this is a great sin. The servants of the temple give the communicants (as they call those who have accepted the ritual) to wash down the Communion with warm water in order to be sure to swallow the body of Christ to the last crumb;
It is not customary to leave the service immediately after receiving the Sacrament; the communicant must wait until the end of the service.

If, after everything you have experienced, peace and tranquility settle in your soul, it means that you did everything right, and you can return home. Again, on this day it is worth giving up entertainment, fasting, thinking about your life, about the Lord, about Faith and about everything sublime and spiritual.

When is it forbidden to take communion, and when can it be done?

Having experienced the first rite, people begin to wonder how often and on what days they can or should now receive communion. The first Christians underwent a ritual every new day, for which they completely gave up food and fun immediately after dark.

It is clear that a modern person is unlikely to be able or willing to do this, so you can visit the temple for this purpose to the extent possible, readiness and spiritual desire, at least once a week, at least once a month. The main thing is to understand what exactly Communion means in your life, to feel support from it and to receive strength for new achievements.

Now about whether it is allowed to receive communion while pregnant. Undoubtedly, the church itself insists that a woman carrying a child undergo the ritual as often as possible, attracting heavenly grace, blessing and support to herself and the unborn child.

Pregnant women are allowed not to fast, and the most ideal option is considered to be one in which a married couple begins to receive communion from the moment of their wedding in church, and continues to do so, not yet knowing about the conception of offspring.

Why do you take your children to Communion?

The most important thing is the child’s meeting with God. In addition, the child gradually learns to go to church. You will never hear from a grown-up child: “My mother didn’t teach me to go to church...”

And one more thing... Many times parents were convinced that after communion their child did not get sick, although according to tests or external signs the illness seemed inevitable. Children with neurology also behave much calmer; children with any health problems eat and sleep better...

Faith is a powerful source of peace and confidence for a person. And during the Sign of the Cross, the heartbeat rhythm improves and breathing evens out.

Later, when the child begins to confess, communion and a conversation with the priest may save the matured child from the feeling of impunity and permissiveness, alas, characteristic of adolescence.

It is necessary to give communion to a child - this is important for his spiritual and mental development, health, so that the Heavenly Patron, in whose honor the child is baptized, is close to the child, protects and protects him from all the troubles that await the baby on his life's path.

When is the first time to give Communion to a child?

We allow children to receive communion from the moment of baptism, because in baptism they are, as it were, mysteriously immersed in Christ and begin to live His life. And our belonging to Christ does not depend on the amount of our knowledge. A child's soul may know more than his parents or adults. Therefore, the question is not that he does not know so much, does not understand, and therefore can he receive communion... His soul has been revived by the grace of Christ, and he communicates with Him.

During the service, a Chalice is brought out, into which special consecrated bread cut into small pieces was first placed and wine diluted with water was poured. Prayers are read over this cup, which you will naturally hear, the holy spirit of Jesus Christ is invoked, and thus the holy spirit descends into this cup and it is believed that the blood and flesh of Christ are invisible in it.

Let's calm everyone down right away. Not a single person got sick from this. Not a single baby suffered any deterioration. On the contrary, children need to receive communion as often as possible.

Turn your first visit to church into a real holiday! If the child is older, he will like to light candles and choose a commemorative icon. You can give an interesting Orthodox book, cassette; after church - somewhere to eat deliciously, and maybe even take a walk in a cheerful company of kids, of whom there are always many near the Temple.

How to explain the meaning of the Sacrament to a baby

It would be good to explain the meaning of the Sacrament in a form accessible to every child: explain to a two-year-old daughter or son that this is a meeting with God. There is no need to talk to kids about the Body and Blood of the Savior - children are not ready for this awareness due to their age and they will understand this over time, or over time you will be able to explain this to the child yourself in an accessible form. Sunday school for children or a good conversation with Father when the child grows up a little and begins to understand more can help here. But you shouldn’t tell your child about “tasty” if we are talking about Communion. What to say? - This is Communion. So we say to our children: honey, look, this is bread. This is porridge. This is sugar. Let's try it. And the child assimilates the information received for the rest of his life.

Appearance, clothing of parents and children

For mom, it is advisable to wear a long skirt, a scarf and a long-sleeved jacket to church (in hot weather, three-quarter sleeves are also suitable). For a monastery, these conditions are strictly required. But clothes can be both beautiful and festive; according to the canons “in black”, only widows go to the Temple of God.

For children, the girl should wear a hat or scarf, and the son should not wear a headdress. By the way, you should turn off your cell phone in church. In winter, you need to take off your mittens in the temple. Outerwear can be removed or unbuttoned.

Is it possible to feed children before Communion?

Up to 3 years of age there are no food restrictions. Infants can be safely fed, but preferably a little in advance (at least 30 minutes, although, if possible, it is better 1.5 hours before Communion) so that the baby does not burp after Communion.

After three years, children receive communion on an empty stomach. You cannot even drink holy water (you can ask the Priest about taking medications).

But after the Sacrament, you don’t need to feed your children a lot, especially if you get home by car.

When to come to Communion with children

It is best, of course, to find out the service schedule in advance. Most often, the liturgy (Communion is given only at liturgies) begins on weekdays and on Saturdays at 8, and on Sundays and holidays at 7 and 9 or 10 in the morning.

However, in some temples it may be a little different: at 7, 7.30 or 6.30 in the morning...

When to bring children to Communion. Adults can look at the child’s condition; if he behaves calmly, he can stand at the Service. Usually small children are brought before Communion itself, which happens after the Lord’s Prayer, usually 50 minutes, an hour after the start of the service, but you need to be prepared that the service will be longer. The schedule is always posted in advance. Children under 7 years old can attend the Service with adults or walk near the Temple.

Participle

Before going to the Chalice (to Communion), take the Blessing from the priest who is confessing (no need to stand in line with children). If there is no priest, go to Communion and tell the Priest who administers Communion about it.

Communion is the greatest shrine, the Lord God Himself! By the way, this is why people don’t cross themselves before the Chalice.

Older children fold their arms crosswise on their chest (right on top of left). Adults place babies on their right (!) hand, and babies are placed on their right hand with their head. A pacifier is not given in front of the Cup. This is done so that not a single drop of Communion spills on the clothes.

During communion, altar servers hold a special red cloth called a cloth, and the baby’s mouth will definitely get wet.

And be sure to explain to the baby that the Particle must be swallowed. Better yet, watch it yourself, especially for the first time.

If a drop of Communion gets on clothes or the child burps after Communion, go to Father and tell him about it.

Children are given communion first. After the priest’s words: “The servant of God receives communion...”, you must clearly state the child’s church name (the name with which the child was baptized). An adult names the babies' names, while older children name their names independently.

After Communion, without talking yourself or letting the children talk, take them to a special table to wash down the communion and take a piece of prosphora.

Then the baby can be attached to the Crucifix, or you can wait until the end of the Service and venerate the Cross, which the priest will take out at the very end of the Service.

It is not necessary to wait until the end of the Service - look at the child’s condition.

Until the age of seven, children do not confess.

The article was prepared by the editors of the site "Children's"

based on materials from the article “Children’s Communion” by the Orthodox literary club “Olympia”

Hello, dear readers!

What is communion in church? And what is it for? This question is answered by the modern Greek preacher and theologian Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos).