Preparation for communion for beginners

One of the most important sacraments in Orthodoxy can be called Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the moment when the believer is united with the Son of God. However, you should know how preparation for communion occurs, especially for those who decide to receive it for the first time (for example, you need to confess, pray, etc.). This is necessary in order for the right attitude to appear, awareness of future unity with Christ.

Preparing for confession and communion is not a one-day procedure, so you need to know exactly what to do and when. This is exactly what the article will discuss.

What is the Sacrament of Communion?

Before you figure out where the preparation for communion begins (this is especially important for beginners), you should know what kind of sacrament it is in general. Christ first accepted it and commanded his followers to repeat it. The first communion took place at the Last Supper on the eve of his crucifixion.

Before the sacrament, a divine service is necessarily performed, which is called the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, which is translated from Greek as “thanksgiving.” It was this action that Christ performed in the distant past before giving communion to his disciples.

Thus, preparation for communion should include memories of these distant ancient events. All this allows you to tune in to the right mood, which will undoubtedly lead to a deeper acceptance of the Sacrament.

Rite of Communion

On the day of the ceremony, you need to skip breakfast and come to the temple early, feel the atmosphere of the place, get ready, and tune in to the right mood. What is communion in church? The sacrament begins during the service, closer to its end. The Royal Doors open, and a relic is brought out to visitors - a bowl with consecrated gifts - Cahors and bread. The dishes are symbols of the Flesh and Blood of the Savior. The bowl is placed on a special platform called the pulpit. The priest reads the prayer of thanksgiving intended for communion.

How to take communion in church? The priest gives each parishioner who approaches the bowl a taste of the dish from a spoon. You need to get closer, cross your arms across your chest, say your name. Then you should kiss the base of the bowl. You can leave the temple after the end of the service. Before leaving you need to kiss the cross. A ritual performed sincerely and with all the heart brings the believer closer to Christ and gives the soul happiness and salvation. It is important to preserve holy grace in the heart after communion, and not to lose it outside the church.

Pumpkin oil: beneficial properties and uses
Pumpkin salad: delicious recipes
Drugs for cerebral vasodilation

How children receive communion

Communion of a child is important for his spiritual maturation. The ritual is necessary so that the baby is under the care of the guardian angel in whose honor he was baptized. The first communion in the church occurs after baptism. Children under seven years of age are not required to go to confession the day before. It doesn’t matter how often the baby’s parents take communion in church or whether they do it at all.

An important rule for children’s communion in church is to conduct the ceremony on an empty stomach. A very small child is allowed to have breakfast. It is better to feed the baby at least half an hour before the ceremony so that he does not burp. After three years, it is advisable to bring children to church on an empty stomach, but there is no strict rule. It is important that the child gradually gets used to the restrictions during preparation. For example, you can remove games, cartoons, meat, something very tasty. Children are not required to follow prayer rules.

You can come to communion with babies. You are allowed to arrive early with older children, depending on how long the child can stand standing in the temple. Children often lack patience; on the contrary, they have a lot of energy. This needs to be understood and not force the child to stand in one place, instilling a dislike for the ritual. During communion, an adult pronounces the name for a small child. When the baby grows up, he must identify himself.

How does communion occur for the sick?

If a person, for health reasons, is unable to listen to the liturgy or take communion within the walls of the church, this can easily be resolved by performing the ceremony at home. Seriously ill patients are allowed by the canons of Orthodoxy to undergo the procedure. It is not necessary to read prayers and fast. However, confession and repentance for sins are necessary. Patients are allowed to receive communion after eating. Clergy often visit hospitals to give confession and communion to people.

How often should you take communion?

Preparation for communion (especially for those who do it infrequently or for the first time) should include the concept of how many times you can participate in this sacrament. Here you should know that this action is voluntary, so you should in no way force yourself to do it. The main thing is to come to communion with a pure and light heart, when you want to join the Mystery of Christ. Those who are in any doubt should consult a priest.

It is recommended to start communion if you are internally ready for it. That Christian who lives with faith in God can perform this sacrament at every liturgy. If there are still doubts in your heart, but you believe in God and are on this path, then you can receive communion once a week or month. As a last resort during every major post. However, all this should be regular.

It should also be noted that, according to ancient sources, it was advisable to perform communion daily, but it would be good to do it four times a week (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday). Those who are just embarking on the path of the Christian faith should know that there is one day in the year - Maundy Thursday (before Easter), when communion is simply necessary, this is a tribute to the ancient tradition with which it all began. It is also written about in the article above.

Some clergy believe that frequent reception of the sacrament is unacceptable. However, it should immediately be said that, according to canonical laws, they are wrong. Here you need to look very deeply into a person and see how much he really needs this action. In addition, communion should not be mechanical. Therefore, if it is performed frequently, then the layman must constantly keep himself in good shape and be ready to accept the Gifts. Not everyone can do this, so what is described in this article about preparation should happen regularly. Constant prayers, confession and observance of all fasts. The priest should know about all this, since such a life cannot really be hidden.

How to take communion in church

The Eucharist is the first step taken by a person towards God. This act must be conscious and voluntary. To confirm the purity of his intention, a layman should prepare for communion in church. First you need to ask for forgiveness from those who may be offended by you. For several days before the ceremony, an adult needs:

Observe fasting, refusing to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products. Dietary restrictions are imposed for a period of one to three days, depending on the physical condition.
Give up the habit of “eating” yourself and others. Internal aggression should be kept to a minimum. You need to behave kindly to others; selfless help to your neighbors is useful.
Eliminate foul language, tobacco, alcohol, and intimacy from everyday life.
Do not attend entertainment events or watch entertaining television programs.
Read evening and morning prayers.
Attend Liturgies, listen to sermons. It is especially recommended to attend the evening service on the eve of the day of communion and read the Sermon.
Study spiritual literature, read the Bible.
Confess on the eve of communion in church. This requires understanding life, events, and actions. Sincere confession is needed not only as preparation for communion. Repentance makes a believer purer, gives a feeling of lightness and freedom.

Prayer rule before communion

So, now let’s take a more specific look at all the points that need to be taken into account before preparing for communion. First of all, it should be noted that home prayer before the Sacrament is very important. In the Orthodox Prayer Book there is a special sequence that is read before communion. This is preparation for communion. The prayers that are read before this, not only at home, but also in church, are also included in the preparation for the Sacrament. It is imperative to attend the service immediately before the Sacrament, but in general it is advisable to do this every day.

In addition, it is recommended to read three canons and an akathist before accepting the Gifts of Christ. However, this is considered a tradition, but not an obligation. This includes:

prayer canon of the Mother of God;
penitential canon to Jesus Christ;
canon to the Guardian Angel.

Thus, conscious preparation for communion and confession, prayers from the heart can help the believer to understand the importance of the Sacrament and spiritually prepare for this miracle.

The sacrament of communion. Part 3. How to prepare for communion

Confession. Photo: A. Pospelov / Pravoslavie.Ru

The holy mysteries - the body and blood of Christ - are the greatest shrine, a gift from God to us sinners and unworthy.
It’s not for nothing that they are called holy gifts. No one on earth can consider himself worthy to be a communicant of the holy mysteries. By preparing for communion, we cleanse our spiritual and physical nature. We prepare the soul through prayer, repentance and reconciliation with one’s neighbor, and the body through fasting and abstinence. This preparation is called fasting

Prayer Rule

Those preparing for communion read three canons: 1) repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ; 2) prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos; 3) canon to the guardian angel. The Follow-up to Holy Communion is also read, which includes the canon for communion and prayers.

It is recommended to read all the canons at a convenient time during the day on the eve of communion, and prayers for communion - on the day of communion in the morning, before the liturgy.

All these canons and prayers are contained in the Canon and the ordinary Orthodox prayer book.

On the eve of communion, you must be at the evening service, because the church day begins in the evening.

Fast

Before communion, fasting, fasting, fasting - bodily abstinence are attributed. During fasting, food of animal origin should be excluded: meat, dairy products, and eggs. During strict fasting, fish is also excluded. But lean foods should also be consumed in moderation.

During fasting, spouses must abstain from physical intimacy (5th rule of St. Timothy of Alexandria). Women who are in purification (during menstruation) cannot receive communion (7th rule of St. Timothy of Alexandria).

Of course, it is necessary to fast not only with the body, but also with the mind, sight and hearing, keeping your soul from worldly entertainments.

The duration of the Eucharistic fast is usually negotiated with the confessor or parish priest. This depends on the physical health, spiritual state of the communicant, and also on how often he approaches the holy mysteries.

The general practice is to fast for at least three days before communion.

For those who receive communion frequently (for example, once a week), the duration of fasting can be reduced with the blessing of the confessor to 1–2 days.

Also, the confessor can weaken the fast for people who are sick, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and also taking into account other life circumstances.

Those preparing for communion no longer eat after midnight, as the day of communion arrives. You need to take communion on an empty stomach. Under no circumstances should you smoke. Some people mistakenly believe that you shouldn’t brush your teeth in the morning so as not to swallow water. This is completely wrong. In the "Teaching News" every priest is prescribed to brush his teeth before the liturgy.

Repentance

The most important point in preparing for the sacrament of communion is the cleansing of your soul from sins, which is accomplished in the sacrament of confession. Christ will not enter into a soul that is not cleansed from sin and not reconciled with God.

You can sometimes hear the opinion that it is necessary to separate the sacraments of confession and communion. And if a person regularly confesses, then he can begin communion without confession. In this case, they usually refer to the practice of some Local Churches (for example, the Greek Church).

But our Russian people have been in atheistic captivity for more than 70 years. And the Russian Church is only just beginning to gradually recover from the spiritual catastrophe that befell our country. We have very few Orthodox churches and clergy. In Moscow, for 10 million inhabitants, there are only about one thousand priests. People are unchurched and cut off from traditions. Community and parish life is practically absent. The life and spiritual level of modern Orthodox believers are incomparable with the life of Christians of the first centuries. Therefore, we adhere to the practice of confession before each communion.

By the way, about the first centuries of Christianity. The most important historical monument of early Christian writing, “The Teaching of the 12 Apostles” or in Greek “Didache”, says: “On the Lord’s Day (that is, on Sunday. - Fr. P.G.

), having gathered together, break bread and give thanks, having confessed your sins in advance, so that your sacrifice may be pure. Let anyone who has a quarrel with his friend not come with you until they are reconciled, so that your sacrifice is not desecrated; for this is the name of the Lord: in every place and at all times a pure sacrifice must be offered to Me, for I am a great King, says the Lord, and My name is wonderful among the nations” (Didache 14). And again: “Confess your sins in church and do not approach your prayer with a bad conscience. This is the way of life! (Didache, 4).

“The Teaching of the 12 Apostles” is an authoritative source of the late 1st – early 2nd century and gives us a vivid idea of the life of early Christian communities, and the instruction on the need for liturgical confession is very valuable for us.

The importance of repentance and cleansing from sins before communion is undeniable, so let’s dwell on this topic in a little more detail.

For many, the first confession and communion was the beginning of their churching, their formation as Orthodox Christians.

In preparation for welcoming our dear guest, we try to better clean our house and put it in order. Moreover, we must prepare with trembling, reverence and care to receive into the home of our souls the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The more closely a Christian follows spiritual life, the more often and more diligently he repents, the more he sees his sins and unworthiness before God. It is not for nothing that holy people saw their sins as countless as the sand of the sea. One noble citizen of the town of Gaza came to the Monk Abba Dorotheos, and the Abba asked him: “Eminent gentleman, tell me who you consider yourself to be in your city?” He replied: “I consider myself great and the first in the city.” Then the monk asked him again: “If you go to Caesarea, who will you consider yourself to be there?” The man replied: “For the last of the nobles there.” “If you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there?” “There,” he answered, “I will consider myself one of the common people.” - “If you go to Constantinople and approach the king, who will you consider yourself to be?” And he answered: “Almost like a beggar.” Then the abba said to him: “This is how saints, the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”[1]

Unfortunately, we have to see that some perceive the sacrament of confession as a kind of formality, after which they will be allowed to receive communion. When preparing to receive communion, we must take full responsibility for the cleansing of our soul in order to make it a temple for the acceptance of Christ.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism

, baptism of tears. Just as the waters of baptism wash our soul from sins, tears of repentance, crying and contrition for sins, cleanse our spiritual nature.

Why do we repent if the Lord already knows all our sins? God expects repentance and recognition from us. In the sacrament of confession we ask Him for forgiveness. This can be understood with the following example. The child climbed into the closet and ate all the candy. The father knows perfectly well who did this, but he waits for his son to come and ask for forgiveness.

The very word “confession” means that the Christian came to tell

, confess, tell your sins yourself.
The priest in the prayer before confession reads: “These are Thy servants, with a word
you will be pleased.” The person himself is resolved from his sins through the word and receives forgiveness from God. Therefore, confession should be private, not general. I mean the practice when the priest reads a list of possible sins, and then simply covers the confessor with a stole. “General confession” was an almost universal phenomenon in Soviet times, when there were very few functioning churches and on Sundays, holidays, and also during fasting, they were crowded with worshipers. It was simply unrealistic to confess to everyone who wanted to. Conducting confession after the evening service was also almost never allowed. Now, thank God, there are very few churches left where such confession is held.

In order to prepare well for the cleansing of the soul, you need to think about your sins and remember them before the sacrament of repentance. The books help us with this: “To help the repentant” by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), “The Experience of Constructing a Confession” by Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) and others.

Confession cannot be perceived as just a spiritual wash or shower. You don’t have to be afraid of messing around in the dirt and soil; everything will be washed off in the shower later anyway. And you can go on sinning. If a person approaches confession with such thoughts, he is confessing not for salvation, but for judgment and condemnation. And having formally “confessed,” he will not receive permission for sins from God. It's not that simple. Sin and passion cause great harm to the soul, and even after repenting, a person bears the consequences of his sin. This is how a patient who has had smallpox ends up with scars on his body.

It is not enough to simply confess sin; you must make every effort to overcome the tendency to sin in your soul and not return to it again. So the doctor removes the cancerous tumor and prescribes a course of chemotherapy to defeat the disease and prevent relapse. Of course, it is not easy to immediately leave sin, but the repentant should not be a hypocrite: “If I repent, I will continue to sin.” A person must make every effort to take the path of correction and no longer return to sin. A person must ask God for help to fight sins and passions.

Those who rarely confess and receive communion cease to see their sins. They move away from God. And vice versa, approaching Him as the Source of light, people begin to see all the dark and unclean corners of their soul. Just as the bright sun highlights all the untidy nooks and crannies of the room.

The Lord does not expect earthly gifts and offerings from us, but: “a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). And preparing to unite with Christ in the sacrament of communion, we offer Him this sacrifice.

Reconciliation

“So 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 make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23–24), the word of God tells us.

The one who dares to take communion with malice, enmity, hatred, and unforgiven grievances in his heart sins mortally.

The Kiev-Pechersk Patericon tells about the terrible sinful state people who approach communion in a state of anger and non-reconciliation can fall into. “There were two brothers in spirit - Deacon Evagrius and priest Titus. And they had great and unfeigned love for each other, so that everyone marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil, who hates good, and always walks “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred into them that they avoided each other, did not want to see each other in person. Many times the brethren begged them to reconcile with each other, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run away, Titus passed by him without showing any signs. And so they spent a lot of time in sinful darkness, approaching the holy mysteries: Titus, not asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius, being angry - the enemy armed them to such an extent. One day Titus became very ill and, already near death, began to grieve over his sin and sent to the deacon with a prayer: “Forgive me, for God’s sake, my brother, that I was angry with you in vain.” Evagrius responded with cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly brought Evagrius to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the patient rose a little, fell prostrate at his feet and said: “Forgive and bless me, my father!” He, unmerciful and fierce, refused to forgive in the presence of everyone, saying: “I will never be reconciled with him, neither in this century nor in the future.” And suddenly Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders and fell. They wanted to raise him, but they saw that he was already dead. And they could neither stretch out his arms nor close his mouth, like someone who had died long ago. The sick man immediately stood up, as if he had never been sick. And everyone was horrified by the sudden death of one and the speedy recovery of the other. Evagrius was buried with much weeping. His mouth and eyes remained open, and his arms were stretched out. Then the elders asked Titus: “What does all this mean?” And he said: “I saw angels retreating from me and crying for my soul, and demons rejoicing at my anger. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful angel holding a flaming spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him and he fell dead. The angel gave me his hand and lifted me up.” Hearing this, the brothers feared God, who said: “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)”[2].

When preparing to receive the Holy Mysteries, we need (if there is such an opportunity) to ask for forgiveness from everyone whom we have voluntarily or unwittingly offended and to forgive everyone ourselves. If it is not possible to do this personally, you need to make peace with your neighbors at least in your heart. Of course, this is not easy - we are all proud, touchy people (by the way, touchiness always stems from pride). But how can we ask God for forgiveness of our sins, count on their remission, if we ourselves do not forgive our offenders. Shortly before the faithful receive communion, the Lord's Prayer is sung at the Divine Liturgy - “Our Father.” As a reminder to us that only then will God “ forgive

) we have our debts (
sins
),” when we also forsake “our debtor.”

(To be continued.)

Fasting before communion

It is equally important to fast before communion. This is a must. After all, Holy Communion, preparation for which must take place consciously, is a very important rite, and it should not be mechanical, otherwise there will be no benefit from it.

So, those believers who regularly observe multi-day and one-day fasts are entitled only to the so-called liturgical fast. Its meaning is not to eat food or drink from twelve o'clock at night before receiving the Sacrament. This fast continues in the morning (i.e., communion occurs on an empty stomach).

For those parishioners who do not observe any fasts, as well as those who have just joined Orthodoxy, the priest can establish a seven-day or three-day fast before communion. All such nuances should be additionally agreed upon in the church and you should not be afraid to ask about them.

Establishment of the Sacrament of Communion

This rite has a Divine establishment and is mentioned in Scripture. For the first time, the sacrament of communion was performed by Jesus Christ. This happened before the betrayal of Judas and the beginning of Jesus’ torment on the cross.

The Savior and his disciples gathered to celebrate the Passover meal - this event was later given the name the Last Supper. Christ already knew that he would soon have to give up His honorable blood and pure body to atone for the sins of the human race.

He blessed the bread and divided it among the apostles, saying that this was His body. After this, he gave the disciples a cup of wine and told the disciples to drink, for this is His blood, shed for the atonement of sins. After this, Jesus commanded his disciples, and through them his successors (presbyters, bishops), to perform the sacrament constantly.

The Eucharist is not a remembrance of what once happened; communion is considered a repetition of that same Last Supper. Through a canonically ordained clergyman, Our Lord makes wine and bread His holy Blood and Body.

How to behave, what thoughts to avoid before the Sacrament

When preparation for communion begins, one must realize one’s sins in full. But in addition to this, to prevent them from becoming more numerous, you need to refrain from various amusements, for example, visiting the theater or watching TV. Spouses must renounce physical contact the day before communion and on the day of taking it.

Particular attention should be paid to your mood, behavior and thoughts. Make sure not to judge anyone, discard obscene and evil thoughts. Do not give in to a bad mood or irritation. Free time should be spent in solitude, indulging in reading spiritual books or prayer (as far as possible).

It should be noted that the most important thing for accepting the Holy Gifts of Christ is repentance. A person must sincerely repent of his actions. This is exactly what you need to focus your attention on. Fasting, prayer, reading scriptures are just means to achieve this state. And we need to remember this.

How often can you take communion?

The ritual must be performed when the soul desires it, when there is an internal need. The number of sacraments is not regulated by representatives of the Patriarchate. Most believers receive communion once or twice a month. The ritual is necessary for special occasions - weddings, baptisms, name days, and during great holidays. The only restriction is the ban on communion more than once a day. The holy gifts are served from two church vessels; you only need to try from one.

How to prepare for confession

Confession before communion is very important. Make this request to the priest of the church in which you are going to receive the Sacrament. Preparing for communion and confession is a special mindset aimed at correcting one’s sins, one’s bad behavior and unclean thoughts, as well as keeping track of everything that contradicts and violates the Commandments of the Lord. Everything that was found and consciously should be confessed. But remember to be sincere, do not turn the conversation with the priest into simply a formal listing of sins on a list.

So, why is such serious preparation for confession and communion necessary? You should realize your sins in advance in order to know what to tell the priest about. It often happens that a believer comes, but does not know what to say, where to start. You also need to tune in to the fact that the priest is just a guide; the Sacrament of Repentance remains with him and the Lord. Therefore, there is no need to feel embarrassed when talking about your sins. This is necessary to cleanse yourself and continue living freely.

Confession before communion: awareness of sins

So, the preparation for confession and communion is over. But the hardest part is yet to come. When you come to confession, open your heart without waiting for the priest’s questions. Tell us everything that weighs on your soul. It is better to perform this action in the evening, on the eve of the liturgy, although it would not be a mistake to do it in the morning before it.

If you are going to receive communion for the first time, it is better to confess the day before. This is necessary so that the priest has time to listen to you. If you want to confess in the morning, then choose a day when there are few people. For example, on Sunday there are a lot of parishioners in the church, so the priest will not be able to listen to you in detail. After confessing your sins, you should adhere to the right path and strive with all your might not to commit them in the future, otherwise what was the meaning of this spiritual conversation?

Confession

Before the sacrament of Holy Communion, you need to confess your sins before God in the presence of a priest. It is equally important to reconcile with loved ones and ask for forgiveness from everyone who was offended. The day before you want to confess and receive communion, you should attend an evening service. In many Orthodox churches, confession is held during/after the evening service or in the morning before the Liturgy. It is better to ask the temple workers in advance what time you should come to confession.

To prepare for the Sacrament of Repentance, you need to remember all your sins: actions, events, character traits that contradict the Commandments of God. You can write them down on paper so you don’t miss anything you did. Do not hide your sins, do not try to justify yourself and your actions. Confession can be compared to a bath in which a person’s soul is washed from the filth of sin. It is into such a clean house that God comes.

“God requires confession from you not in order to punish, but in order to forgive; not in order for Him to know your sin: doesn’t He know even without this? But in order for you to know what debt He forgives you. He wants to show you the greatness of His goodness so that you will constantly thank Him, so that you will be slower to sin, more zealous for virtue” (St. John Chrysostom).

Communion day. What to do?

On the day of communion, you need to follow some rules. As mentioned above, you need to go to the temple on an empty stomach. If you smoke, then you need to abstain from cigarettes until you accept the Gifts of Christ. In church, when the moment comes for them to be taken out, you need to approach the altar, but let the children go ahead if they have come, since they receive communion first.

There is no need to be baptized near the Chalice; you just need to bow in advance, crossing your arms over your chest. Before accepting gifts, you need to say your Christian name, and then eat them immediately.

What is communion

Belonging to a religious denomination implies adherence to traditions. What is the Eucharist? The most important religious rite involves receiving from the hands of a clergyman and then eating bread and wine, symbolizing the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. The sacrament includes prayers, bows, chants, and preaching. Communion in church introduces a person to God and strengthens the spiritual connection with the Higher powers. To conduct a ceremony in a church, the purity of the believer, both physical and mental, is required. Communion must be preceded by confession and preparation.

What should be done after a person has received communion?

The rules for preparing for communion also include knowledge of what needs to be done after the Sacrament has taken place. Kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table with prosphora to eat a piece. Do not leave the church until you kiss the altar cross that the priest will hold.

Also in the temple there are prayers of thanksgiving that need to be heard. As a last resort, you can read them at home yourself. Keep the purity you have received inside your soul. Each time this will happen easier and easier.

What you should know about giving communion to children and the sick

It should be said that young children (up to the age of seven) receive communion without confession. Also, they do not need to prepare the way an adult does (fasting, prayer, repentance). Those infants who have received baptism receive communion on the same day or during the nearest liturgy that follows their baptism.

Exceptions are also made for patients. They don’t have to prepare the way healthy people do, but if possible, they should at least confess. But if the patient cannot do this, then the priest reads “I believe, Lord, and I confess.” After which he immediately gives communion.

In church practice, parishioners who are temporarily excommunicated from communion, but are on their deathbed or in danger, are not denied the reception of the Holy Gifts. However, upon recovery (if this happens), the ban continues to apply.

Prayers and Worship

After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip) and read a special prayer. During this you will have to say your name. After this, take the blessing from the priest, listen to the instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.

Before taking communion, you should read the daily prayer rule and special sacramental canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a type of church poetry that tunes the soul in the right way. You can read them in church before confessing.

The canons are followed by prayers; they can be read in the morning, if there is time, but not during the Liturgy, but before it. The participle rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over three days. But then the necessary mood is not achieved. If in doubt, you need to ask the priest for advice - he will tell you what is best to do.

We must try to maintain peace of mind during the days of fasting and not quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstaining from certain foods is not as important as abstaining from anger and bad deeds.

You must come to the Liturgy without delay.

Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.

Women should not wear too much perfume or makeup - the Church is not a secular get-together, but the Temple of God.

If a remark was made in church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.

If after confession you have committed some sin, you must try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.

Before going to the Chalice, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Make prostrations in advance!

If a person has just received Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be allowed to receive Communion without confession. Otherwise, the “Christian” demonstrates complete disregard for everything on which spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation; for this it is necessary to constantly improve.

About the author About the book

How to confess in church correctly
How to properly light candles in church - here
How to consecrate a cross in a church or at home -

Now you know how to properly receive communion and confess in church. Over time, most of the questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's beginner becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!

Who cannot take communion

Preparation for communion for beginners includes knowing who cannot receive it. This will be discussed below:

those who have not confessed cannot receive communion (with the exception of children under seven years of age);
parishioners who have been excommunicated from receiving the Holy Sacraments also cannot receive communion;
those who are insensible;
parishioners who are insane and possessed if they blaspheme in their fits (if this does not happen, then you can give communion, but this should not happen every day);
spouses who had an intimate life on the eve of receiving the Sacraments;
Women who are menstruating cannot receive communion.

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.

A brief reminder for those taking communion and confessing

So, now let’s summarize all the moments that arise when preparing for confession and communion. The reminder will help you not to forget all the steps.

Consciousness of sin.
Repentance is perfect, a special state when you have forgiven everyone and do not feel evil.
Preparing for confession. Here you need to reconsider what sins there may be: in relation to God, loved ones, to yourself (smoking, for example), carnal sins, those that relate to the family (infidelity and the like).
Correct and sincere, without concealment, confession.
Post if necessary.
Prayers.
Direct communion.
Further retention of purity and Christ in the body.

Separately, it is necessary to say about how to behave in church during communion.

Don't be late for the liturgy.
You need to cross yourself when opening the royal doors, then fold your hands crosswise. Approach and move away from the Chalice in the same way.
Approach from the right side, and the left should be free. Don't push.
Communion should take place in turn: bishop, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, children, adults.
Women are required to come to the temple without lipstick.
Before accepting the Gifts of Christ, do not forget to say your name.
People do not cross themselves directly before the Chalice.
It happens that the Holy Gifts are given from two or more Chalices. In this case, you should choose one, since receiving communion more than once a day is considered a sin.
At home, after communion, you need to read prayers of thanksgiving, if you did not listen to them in church.

Now, perhaps, you know all the stages that include communion in church and preparation for it. It is very important to approach this consciously, with deep faith in your heart. The most important thing is repentance for your sins, which must be true, and not just in words. But you shouldn’t stop there either. You need to reject sin from life as something alien, understand that it is impossible to live like this, realize that lightness can only come with purity.

Why Holy Communion is Necessary

The sacrament of communion is of great importance for a believer. A layman who does not want to perform the rite of the Eucharist moves away from Jesus, who commanded to observe tradition. Disruption of communication with God leads to confusion and fear in the soul. A person who regularly receives communion in church, on the contrary, strengthens his religious faith, becomes more peaceful, and closer to the Lord.