A central place in the life of an Orthodox Christian is participation in common prayer and communion. It is performed at every Liturgy. But it is customary to partake of the sacrament several times a year - after serious preparation. Prayers read before Communion are an important part of the process.
What is Communion
This is a Sacrament that is recognized by all traditional churches, and not just a pious rite. Celebrated during the Eucharist. Communion is an opportunity for a person to unite with Christ Himself. Every Christian soul strives for this.
What dictates the need for communion for believers?
- This is the wish of Jesus Christ, given by Him before His crucifixion, during the Last Supper.
- During the sacrament, a merging of man and God occurs in an incomprehensible way that can only be known by faith.
- Any sins for which repentance is brought are forgiven and cleansed.
- Children also need Communion, but the preparation for them is more gentle.
Prayers before Communion are read during the entire preparation, which takes from three days to a week. The time limit is set by the priest, depending on how ready (or poorly prepared) he finds the believer. Usually, if a parishioner rarely appears at services and does not consider it necessary to adhere to fasts, he is blessed to fast for a week.
In church terms this period is called “fasting”. This concept includes not only bodily abstinence from certain types of food, but also spiritual struggle with sins.
What to do before communion
We need to delve into our internal state. Take control of your emotions so that your lips do not utter angry and condemning words. Read Scripture, dissect it. It is advisable to stop watching TV, visiting entertainment sites, and generally spending any idle time.
Those who constantly live church life have problems of a different order. Everything is done out of habit - prayers are read before confession and communion, spiritual preparation can become something mechanical, without the participation of the soul. Wise shepherds advise such people to open the Holy Scriptures more often. In the first centuries of the Church, Christians devoted much more time to its study than is customary now. During Great Lent, the book of the prophet Isaiah is read in churches; this will be a very useful reading during fasting.
During Lent, there is no need to look for sins in those who live under the same roof with you, or demand that they follow church rules. Fasting should not become a reason for pride. If a person boasts about his abstinence, this is not what pleases the Lord. What can you do to receive a blessing?
- Feed the hungry.
- Give shelter to a traveler.
- Dress someone who needs it.
Of course, this also includes any other possible help that a Christian can provide to others. For example, today there are volunteer programs at various churches and monasteries that you can join. The Lord will definitely accept the prayers read before communion by such a person, because he will do the will of God.
Many people make the mistake of focusing on what foods they should not eat. They bring themselves to a state of powerlessness, lash out at their family and colleagues - these are already extremes that should be avoided. Such fasting will not do any good; it only multiplies sins.
What prayers to read
What prayers should you read before communion? This question is asked by many newbies. To avoid confusion, it is better to buy a special book with the necessary texts. It can be found in any church store. Since fasting includes mandatory participation in church services, you can carry it with you and read it when you have time. Usually, in line for confession, many people read the canons.
The most important stage is repentance. If a priest can take into account bodily weakness and “count” a fast that was not performed according to all the rules, then without confession in any church they will not be allowed to the Chalice. The exception is infants and people who have been baptized the day before (but this only happens once).
Communion is a visible sign of invisible spiritual life, communion with God, into which a member of the Church enters. Without the desire for improvement, awareness of one's sins, such communication is impossible. The Lord expects us to actively participate in our own salvation. He had already done everything he could. Orthodox Christians must only read prayers before Communion, fast for several days and go to confession.
Prayers read before communion
Psalm 22
The Lord shepherds me and deprives me of nothing. In a green place, there they settled me, on the water they brought me up in peace. Convert my soul, guide me on the path of righteousness, for Your name’s sake. Even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your club, that will comfort me. Thou hast prepared a table before me against those who were cold to me, Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup makes me drunken, like a mighty power. And Thy mercy will marry me all the days of my life, and make me dwell in the house of the Lord for many days.
Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord, and its fullness, the universe, and all who live on it. He founded food on the seas, and prepared food on the rivers. Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in the place of His saints? He is innocent in his hand and pure in heart, who does not accept his soul in vain, and does not swear by his sincere flattery. This one will receive blessings from the Lord, and alms from God, his Savior. This is the race of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up the gates, your princes, and lift up the eternal gates; and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord is strong and strong, the Lord is strong in battle. Lift up the gates, your princes, and lift up the eternal gates; and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Psalm 115
I believed, I also exclaimed, and I was greatly humbled. I said in my frenzy: every man is a lie. What shall I render to the Lord for all that we have rendered? I will accept the cup of salvation, and I will call on the name of the Lord; I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. O Lord, I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have torn my bonds to pieces. I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you, and in the name of the Lord I will call. I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hallelujah. (Three times with three bows)
Real repentance
Before the ritual of repentance for sins, there are special prayers. But you don’t need to read them specifically. The priest will do this before starting individual confession. You should listen to her carefully when the priest says - say your name out loud. Then everyone approaches the lectern (the stand where the cross and the Gospel lie). The Holy Scriptures and the Crucifixion should remind the sinner that he is before the face of Christ Himself.
Many are overcome by understandable embarrassment, a reluctance to admit their sins to stranger. It should be overcome, call your mistakes briefly, indicating not the details, but the very essence. A priest is needed for several reasons:
- He is a witness of your repentance, but Christ accepts confession.
People often tend to minimize their guilt and denigrate others. An experienced priest will not let this happen, denouncing the person, leading to the awareness of his own, and not someone else’s, mistakes. Otherwise, the sacrament turns into another sin.
- The confessor also testifies that the Lord accepted repentance.
After the end of confession, the priest covers the Christian’s bowed head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment) and reads a prayer of permission. He also has the right to deny access to the sacrament if there are very serious sins - debauchery, murder (including abortion), blasphemy against God and parents. This is done so that a person does not receive communion to his own detriment, and not for the sake of punishment. Penance is given as a spiritual medicine - bitter, but necessary for recovery.
The salvation of the soul is the goal that every believer should desire. Achieving it is not easy, but it is possible. The means of salvation are available to everyone - prayer, participation in worship, repentance and Communion. Christ save you!
Prayer before confession (Reverend Simeon the New Theologian)
God and Lord of all! You who have the power of every breath and soul, who alone is able to heal me, hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the serpent nesting in me by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, slaying: and for me, poverty and nakedness, all the virtues that exist, at the feet of my holy (spiritual) father with tears grant him the honor, and his holy soul, to be merciful, so that you may be merciful to me. And grant, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who has agreed to repent to You, and may you not completely abandon the one soul that united with You and confessed You, and instead of the whole world chose and preferred You: weigh for, Lord, as I want to be saved, even if my evil custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, what is impossible is of man. Amen.
Confession is a Christian sacrament that every believer must go through, cleansing his soul of sins and his thoughts of all evil and negative. Find out how to properly prepare and how to pray before confession.
At confession, Orthodox believers open their souls before God, talking about their most secret things. Often, what is said in confession to the priest is told the most secret things, they share bad thoughts and terrible sins, misdeeds that sometimes gnaw at a person for years.
Before coming to the Almighty for repentance, a person must prepare himself and his soul. After all, he must sincerely repent of all sinful actions and want to become more righteous.
Preparing for Confession
Before admitting your own sins, you should lead a calm and righteous life. Three days before going to church, be sure to fast and abstain from any entertainment. It is not idle pastime that should occupy the penitent, but thoughts about his immortal soul. It is worth spending more time in solitude, reflecting on your own actions and reading church literature.
During confession itself, you cannot hide a single sin committed from the priest. You should not wait for questions, you must yourself, sincerely admit everything that you have done and ask for forgiveness from the Lord.
Prayers preparing for confession
Before confession, you must pray and turn to God, asking him to strengthen your spirit and faith. The Church says that before confession, a prayer-conversion is possible, from the heart in one’s own words. By sincerely asking for grace and guidance on the true path, you will prepare yourself for the Orthodox sacrament.
“Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind so that I may become more aware of my sins; motivate my will to genuine repentance for them, to sincere confession and decisive correction of my life.”
“O Mary, Mother of God, Refuge of Sinners, intercede for me.”
“Holy Guardian Angel, my patron saints, ask God for me the grace of genuine confession of sins.”
You can also read a prayer to the spinner the night before communion. In this way you will notify the Lord of your imminent repentance. In the morning you will be able to confess and tell about your worst sins without fear of God's punishment.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. You alone have sinned and done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and overcome, never judge You. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. You have loved the truth; you have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For even if you would have sacrificed, you would have given; you will not be pleased with burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God—a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart—God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.”
Sincere repentance from the bottom of your heart will have a positive impact on your state of mind. Such a “conversation with God” is necessary for every believer to cleanse himself of everything bad and sinful. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and don't forget to press the buttons and
12.08.2015 01:10
A prayer to the revered Christian saint, whom God has endowed with the gift of healing sick people, is considered one of the most powerful. ...
Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tone 6, Song 1:
Irmos: As Israel walked across the dry land, with footsteps across the abyss, seeing the persecutor Pharaoh drowned, we sing a victorious song to God, crying out.
Now I, a sinner and burdened, have come to You, my Master and God; I don’t dare look at heaven, only I pray, saying: give me, O Lord, understanding, so that I may weep bitterly for my deeds.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Oh, woe to me, a sinner! I am the most damned man of all; there is no repentance in me; Give me, Lord, tears, so that I may weep bitterly for my deeds.
Glory: Foolish, wretched man, you waste time in laziness; think about your life, and turn to the Lord God, and weep bitterly about your deeds.
And now: Most Pure Mother of God, look at me, a sinner, and deliver me from the snare of the devil, and guide me on the path of repentance, so that I may weep bitterly for my deeds.
Song 3
Irmos: There is nothing holy like You, O Lord my God, who has lifted up the horn of Your faithful, O Good One, and established us on the rock of Your confession.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Whenever thrones are set at the terrible judgment, then the deeds of all people will be exposed; woe there will be a sinner, sent to torment; and then, my soul, repent from your evil deeds.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
The righteous will rejoice, and the sinners will weep, then no one will be able to help us, but our deeds will condemn us, so before the end, repent of your evil deeds.
Glory: Alas for me, a great sinner, having been defiled by deeds and thoughts, I have not a drop of tears from hardness of heart; now arise from the earth, my soul, and repent from your evil deeds.
And now: Behold, O Lord, Thy Son calls us, and teaches us good, but I am a sinner who always runs from good; but You, Merciful One, have mercy on me, so that I may repent of my evil deeds.
Sedalen, voice 6th:
I think about the terrible day and weep for the deeds of my evil ones: how will I answer the Immortal King, or with what boldness will I look at the Judge, the prodigal one? Compassionate Father, Only Begotten Son and Holy Soul, have mercy on me.
Glory to this day:
Theotokos: Bound now by many captives of sins and held by fierce passions and troubles, I resort to You, my salvation, and cry out: help me, Virgin, Mother of God.
Song 4
Irmos: Christ is my strength, God and Lord, the honest Church sings divinely, crying out from a pure meaning, celebrating in the Lord.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
The path here is wide and pleasing to create sweetness, but it will be bitter on the last day, when the soul will be separated from the body: beware of this, man, from the Kingdom for the sake of God.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Why do you offend the poor, withhold bribes from a mercenary, do not love your brother, persecute fornication and pride? Forsake this, my soul, and repent for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Glory: Oh, foolish man, how long will you gather your wealth like a bee? Soon it will perish like dust and ashes: but seek rather the Kingdom of God.
And now: Lady Theotokos, have mercy on me, a sinner, and strengthen me in virtue, and keep me, so that insolent death does not snatch me away unprepared, and bring me, O Virgin, to the Kingdom of God.
Song 5
Irmos: With God's light, O Blessed One, illumine the souls of You in the morning with love, I pray, lead You to the Word of God, the true God, calling out from the darkness of sin.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Remember, accursed man, how you were enslaved to lies, slander, robbery, weakness, a fierce beast, for the sake of sins; My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
They tremble, for I have committed guilt by all: with my eyes I behold, with my ears I hear, with my evil tongue I speak, I betray everything to myself to hell; My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?
Glory: You have received the fornicator and the repentant thief, O Savior, but I am the only one burdened with sinful laziness and enslaved by evil deeds, my sinful soul, is this what you desired?
And now: Wonderful and quick helper to all people, Mother of God, help me, unworthy, for my sinful soul desires it.
Song 6
Irmos: The sea of life, raised in vain by misfortunes and storms, has flowed to Your quiet refuge, crying to You: lift up my belly from aphids, O Most Merciful One.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Having lived fornication on earth and given my soul into darkness, now I pray to Thee, Merciful Master: free me from the work of this enemy, and give me the understanding to do Thy will.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Who creates something like me? Just as a pig lies in feces, so I serve sin. But You, Lord, pluck me from this vileness and give me the heart to do Your commandments.
Glory: Rise up, damned man, to God, remembering your sins, falling to the Creator, crying and groaning; He, who is merciful, will give you the mind to know His will.
And now: Virgin Mother of God, save me from visible and invisible evil, Most Pure One, and accept my prayers, and convey them to Your Son, that He may give me the mind to do His will.
Kontakion:
My soul, why are you rich in sins, why do you do the will of the devil, why do you place your hope in this? Stop from this and turn to God with tears, calling: Merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Ikos:
Think, my soul, the bitter hour of death and the terrible judgment of your Creator and God: For threatening angels will understand you, my soul, and will lead you into eternal fire: for before death, repent, crying: Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.
Song 7
Irmos: The angel made the venerable furnace a venerable youth, and the Chaldeans were scorched by the command of God, admonishing the tormentor to cry out: Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Do not trust, my soul, in corruptible wealth and in unrighteous gatherings, for you will not leave all this to anyone, but cry out: have mercy on me, O Christ God, unworthy.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Do not trust, my soul, in bodily health and fleeting beauty, for you see how the strong and the young die; but cry: have mercy on me, O Christ God, unworthy.
Glory: Remember, my soul, eternal life, the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for the saints, and the total darkness and the wrath of God for the evil, and cry: have mercy on me, O Christ God, unworthy.
And now: Come, my soul, to Mother of God and pray to the One, for she is a quick helper to the repentant, she will pray to the Son of Christ God, and have mercy on me, the unworthy.
Song 8
Irmos: From the flames of the saints you poured out dew and burned the righteous sacrifice with water: you did everything, O Christ, only as you wished. We extol You forever.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Why shouldn’t the Imam cry when I think about death when I see my brother lying in the grave, inglorious and ugly? What do I lose and what do I hope for? Just grant me, Lord, before the end repentance (twice).
Glory: I believe that you will come to judge the living and the dead, and everyone will stand in their rank, old and young, rulers and princes, virgins and priestesses; where will I find myself? For this reason I cry: grant me, Lord, repentance before the end.
And now: Most Pure Mother of God, accept my unworthy prayer and save me from impudent death, and grant me repentance before the end.
Song 9
Irmos: It is impossible for man to see God; the Angels do not dare to look at the Worthless One; By You, O All-Pure One, the Word Incarnate as man, Who magnifies Him, with the heavenly howls we please You.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Now I come running to you, Angels, Archangels and all the heavenly powers standing at the Throne of God, pray to your Creator, that He may deliver my soul from eternal torment.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Now I cry to you, holy patriarchs, kings and prophets, apostles and saints and all the chosen ones of Christ: help me at the trial, so that my soul will be saved from the power of the enemy.
Glory: Now I lift up my hand to you, holy martyrs, hermits, virgins, righteous women and all the saints who pray to the Lord for the whole world, that He may have mercy on me at the hour of my death.
And now: Mother of God, help me, who trusts most strongly in You, beg Your Son to place me, unworthy, at His right hand, when the Judge of the living and the dead sits, amen.
Prayer to the Lord:
Master Christ God, who healed my passions with His passions and healed my ulcers with His wounds, grant me, who have sinned much to You, tears of tenderness; dissolve my body from the smell of Your Life-Giving Body, and delight my soul with Your Honest Blood from sorrow, with which the enemy gave me a drink; lift up my mind to You, which has fallen down, and lift me from the abyss of destruction: for I am not the imam of repentance, I am not the imam of tenderness, I am not the imam of consoling tears, leading children to their inheritance. Having darkened my mind in worldly passions, I cannot look to You in illness, I cannot warm myself with tears, even love for You. But, Master Lord Jesus Christ, treasure of the good, grant me complete repentance and a laborious heart to seek Thy, grant me Thy grace and renew in me the images of Thy image. Leave Thee, do not leave me; go forth to seek me, lead me to Thy pasture and number me among the sheep of Thy chosen flock, educate me with them from the grain of Thy Divine Sacraments, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints. Amen.
Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Sung in every spiritual sorrow and situation. Creation of Theostirikt the monk
Troparion to the Mother of God, tone 4:
Let us now diligently approach the Mother of God, sinners and humility, and let us fall down in repentance calling from the depths of our souls: Lady, help us, having had mercy on us, struggling, we are perishing from many sins, do not turn away your slaves, for you and the only hope of the imams (twice) .
Glory, even now: Let us never be silent, O Mother of God, in speaking Your strength to unworthiness: if You had not stood before us, praying, who would have delivered us from so many troubles, who would have kept us free until now? We will not retreat, O Lady, from You: for Your servants always save you from all evil ones.
Psalm 50:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. You alone have I sinned and done evil before You; for you may be justified in all Your words, and you will always triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. There is joy and gladness in my hearing; The bones of the humble will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward into the world the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.
Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, tone 8, Song 1:
Having passed through the water like dry land, and having escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried out: We will give drink to our deliverer and our God.
Contained by many misfortunes, I resort to You, seeking salvation: O Mother of the Word and the Virgin, save me from heavy and cruel things.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Passions trouble me and many despondencies fill my soul; die, O Young Lady, with the silence of Your Son and God, All-Immaculate.
Glory: Having given birth to You and God as Savior, I pray, O Virgin, to be delivered from the cruel ones: for now, running to You, I extend both my soul and my thoughts.
And now: Sick in body and soul, grant the visitation of the Divine and providence from You, the only Godmother, as a good Mother of God.
Song 3
The Supreme Creator of the heavenly circle, O Lord, and the Creator of the Church, confirm me in Your love, the desires of the land, true statement, one more humane.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I entrust the intercession and protection of my life to Thee, Virgin Mother of God: Thou feed me to Thy refuge, guilty of the good; true statement, the All-Singing One.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
I pray, Virgin, to destroy the storm of my spiritual confusion and sorrow: You, O Blessed One of God, gave birth to the ruler of the silence of Christ, the only Most Pure One.
Glory: Having given birth to the good and guilty, the benefactor, pour out wealth to everyone, for all you can, as she gave birth to the mighty one in the strength of Christ, the blessed one.
And now: To him who is tormented by fierce ailments and painful passions, O Virgin, help me: for I know You’s inexhaustible treasure, Most Immaculate, inexhaustible.
Save Thy servants from troubles, Mother of God, for we all run to You according to God, as an unbreakable wall and intercession.
Look with mercy, O all-sung Mother of God, on my fierce body, and heal the illness of my soul.
Troparion, voice 2:
Warm prayer and an insurmountable wall, source of mercy, refuge of the world, we diligently cry out to Thee: Mother of God, Lady, advance and deliver us from troubles, the only one who will soon appear.
Song 4
I heard, O Lord, Thy sacrament, I understood Thy works and glorified Thy Divinity.
The confusion of my passions, the helmsman who gave birth to the Lord, and the storm of my sins calmed, O Bride of God.
Grant me the abyss of Thy mercy, which gave birth to the Blessed One and the Savior of all who sing to Thee.
Enjoying, O Most Pure One, Your gifts, we sing in thanksgiving, Our Lady leading Thee.
Glory: On the bed of my illness and infirmity, I prostrate myself, as the Lover of Grace, help the Mother of God, the only Ever-Virgin.
And now: Hope and affirmation and salvation belong to the immovable wall of You, the All-Singing One, we get rid of every inconvenience.
Song 5
Enlighten us with Your commandments, O Lord, and with Your high arm grant us Your peace, O Lover of Mankind.
Fill, O Pure One, my heart with joy, Thy incorruptible joy that gives birth to joy, which gave birth to the guilty.
Deliver us from troubles, pure Mother of God, having given birth to eternal deliverance, and peace that prevails over all minds.
Glory: Resolve the darkness of my sins, Bride of God, with the enlightenment of Your Grace, Who gave birth to the Divine and Eternal Light.
And now: Heal, O Pure One, the infirmity of my soul, worthy of Thy visitation, and grant me health through Thy prayers.
Song 6
I will pour out a prayer to the Lord, and to Him I will proclaim my sorrows, for my soul is filled with evil, and my stomach is approaching hell, and I pray like Jonah: from aphids, O God, lift me up.
As if He saved death and aphids, He Himself gave away death, corruption and death my former nature, Virgin, pray to the Lord and Thy Son, to deliver me from the enemies of crime.
We know You as your representative and steadfast guardian, O Virgin, and I solve rumors of misfortunes and drive away taxes from demons; and I always pray to deliver me from the aphids of my passions.
Glory: Like a wall of refuge for an acquisitor, and all-perfect salvation for souls, and space in sorrows, O Young Lady, and through Thy enlightenment we ever rejoice: O Lady, save us now from passions and troubles.
And now: I now lie on my sickbed, and there is no healing for my flesh: but, having given birth to the God and Savior of the world and the Savior of ailments, I pray to You, O Good One: raise me from aphids and ailments.
Kontakion, tone 6:
The intercession of Christians is shameless, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the sinful prayers of the voice, but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us who faithfully call upon Ty; hasten to prayer, and strive to entreat, ever interceding, the Mother of God, those who honor Thee.
Another kontakion, the same voice:
There are no imams of other help, no imams of other hope, except for You, Most Pure Virgin. Help us, we rely on You, and we boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.
Stichera, same voice:
Do not entrust me to human intercession, Most Holy Lady, but accept the prayer of Thy servant: for sorrow will hold me, I cannot endure demonic shooting, there is no protection for the imam, below where I will resort, the accursed one, we are always defeated, and there is no consolation for the imam, except for You, the Lady of the world, the hope and intercession of the faithful, do not despise my prayer, make it useful.
Song 7
The youths who came from Judea, in Babylon, sometimes, by the faith of the Trinity, asked the flames of the cave, singing: God of the fathers, blessed art thou.
Just as you wanted to arrange our salvation, O Savior, you moved into the Virgin’s womb, and you showed the world a representative: our father, God, blessed are you.
The Commander of mercy, Whom you gave birth to, O pure Mother, beg him to get rid of sins and spiritual defilements by faith: our father, God, blessed are you.
Glory: The Treasure of salvation and the Source of incorruption, who gave birth to You, and the pillar of affirmation, and the door of repentance, you showed to those calling: our father, God, blessed are you.
And now: Bodily weaknesses and mental ailments, O Theotokos, with the love of those who approach Thy blood, O Virgin, vouchsafe to heal, Who gave birth to us the Savior Christ.
Song 8
Praise and exalt the Heavenly King, Whom all the angels sing, to all ages.
Do not despise those who demand help from You, O Virgin, who sing and extol You forever.
You heal the infirmity of my soul and bodily illnesses, Virgin, may I glorify You, Pure, forever.
Glory: You pour out a wealth of healing to those who faithfully sing of Thee, O Virgin, and to those who extol Thy ineffable Nativity.
And now: You drive away adversity and the onset of passions, O Virgin: therefore we sing of You forever and ever.
Song 9
We truly confess You, the Mother of God, saved by You, a pure Virgin, with your disembodied faces majestic.
Do not turn away from the current of my tears, Even though you have taken away every tear from every face, the Virgin who gave birth to Christ.
Fill my heart with joy, O Virgin, who accepts the fulfillment of joy and consumes sinful sadness.
Be a refuge and intercession for those who come running to You, O Virgin, and an unbreakable wall, a refuge and cover and joy.
Glory: Illuminate Your light with the dawns, O Virgin, driving away the darkness of ignorance, faithfully confessing Theotokos to You.
And now: In the place of the embitterment of the infirmity of the humbled one, Heal, Virgin, transforming from ill health into health.
Stichera, voice 2:
The highest of the heavens and the purest of the lordships of the sun, who delivered us from the oath, Let us honor the Lady of the world with songs.
Because of my many sins my body is weak, my soul is also weak; I come running to You, Most gracious, the hope of the unreliable, You help me.
Mistress and Mother of the Deliverer, accept the prayer of Your unworthy servants, and intercede with Him who was born of You; Oh, Lady of the world, be the Intercessor!
Let us diligently sing a song to You now, the all-sung Mother of God, joyfully: with the Forerunner and all the saints, pray to the Mother of God to be generous to us.
All the angels of the army, the Forerunner of the Lord, the twelve apostles, all the saints with the Mother of God, say a prayer that we may be saved.
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
To my most blessed queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and strange representatives, the sorrowful with joy, the offended patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as you will: for I have no other help except You, no other intercessor, no good comforter, except You, O God of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
To whom shall I cry, Lady? To whom shall I resort in my sorrow, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept my cry and my sighing, if not You, Most Immaculate, the hope of Christians and refuge for us sinners? Who will protect you more in adversity? Hear my groaning, and incline Your ear to me, the Lady of the Mother of my God, and do not despise me, who requires Your help, and do not reject me, a sinner. Enlighten and teach me, Queen of Heaven; do not depart from me, Thy servant, O Lady, for my murmuring, but be my Mother and intercessor. I entrust myself to Your merciful protection: lead me, a sinner, to a quiet and serene life, so that I may weep for my sins. To whom shall I resort when I am guilty, if not to You, the hope and refuge of sinners, with the hope of Your ineffable mercy and Thy generosity? Oh, Lady Queen of Heaven! You are my hope and refuge, protection and intercession and help. To my most kind and speedy intercessor! Cover my sins with Your intercession, protect me from enemies visible and invisible; soften your hearts evil people, rebelling against me. O Mother of the Lord my Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh, Mother of God! Give me help to those who are weak with carnal passions and sick at heart, for one thing is Yours and with You, Your Son and our God, the imam intercession; and through Your wonderful intercession may I be delivered from all misfortune and adversity, O most immaculate and glorious Mother of God, Mary. In the same way I say and cry out with hope: Rejoice, full of grace, rejoice, full of joy; Rejoice, most blessed one, the Lord is with you.
Canon to the Guardian Angel.
Troparion, tone 6:
Angel of God, my holy guardian, keep my life in the passion of Christ God, strengthen my mind in the true path, and wound my soul to heavenly love, so that I may be guided by you, I will receive great mercy from Christ God.
Glory, and now: Theotokos:
Holy Lady, Mother of Christ our God, who perplexedly gave birth to all the Creator, pray to His goodness always, with my guardian angel, to save my soul, obsessed with passions, and grant me remission of sins.
Canon, tone 8, Song 1:
Let us praise the Lord, who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone was gloriously glorified.
Sing and praise the song, Savior, worthy of Your servant, the disembodied Angel, my mentor and guardian.
Chorus: Holy Angel of God, my guardian, pray to God for me.
I am the only one lying in foolishness and laziness now, my mentor and guardian, do not leave me, perishing.
Glory: Direct my mind with your prayer, do God’s commandments, so that I may receive remission of sins from God, and teach me to hate the evil ones, I pray to you.
And now: Pray, Maiden, for me, Thy servant, to the Benefactor, with my guardian Angel, and instruct me to do the commandments of Thy Son and my Creator.
Song 3
You are the affirmation of those who flow to You, Lord, You are the light of the darkened, and my spirit sings of You.
I place all my thoughts and my soul on you, my guardian; Deliver me from every misfortune of the enemy.
The enemy tramples me, and embitters me, and teaches me to always do my own desires; but you, my mentor, do not leave me to perish.
Glory: Sing a song with thanksgiving and zeal to the Creator and God give me, and to you, my good guardian Angel: my deliverer, rescue me from the enemies who embitter me.
And now: Heal, Most Pure One, my many ailing scabs, even in the soul, heal the enemies who always fight with me.
Sedalen, voice 2:
From the love of my soul I cry out to you, the guardian of my soul, my all-holy Angel: cover me and always protect me from evil deception, and guide me to heavenly life, admonishing and enlightening and strengthening me.
Glory, and now: Theotokos:
The Blessed Most Pure Mother of God, Who without seed gave birth to all the Lord, Pray Him with my Guardian Angel to deliver me from all bewilderment, and to give tenderness and light to my soul and purification through sin, Who alone will soon intercede.
Song 4
I heard, O Lord, Thy sacrament, I understood Thy works, and glorified Thy Divinity.
Pray to God, the Lover of Mankind, my guardian, and do not forsake me, but keep my life in peace forever and grant me invincible salvation.
As the intercessor and guardian of my life, you are received from God, Angel, I pray to you, holy one, free me from all troubles.
Glory: Cleanse my depravity with your shrine, my guardian, and may I be excommunicated from the part of Shuiya by your prayers and become a partaker of glory.
And now: I am bewildered by the evils that have befallen me, O Most Pure One, but deliver me from them quickly: I am the only one who has come to You.
Song 5
We cry out to You in the morning: Lord, save us; For you are our God, don’t you know anything else?
As if I had boldness towards God, my holy guardian, I begged Him to deliver me from the evils that offend me.
Bright light, brightly enlighten my soul, my mentor and guardian, given to me by God to the Angel.
Glory: Sleeping me with the evil burden of sin, keep me vigilant, Angel of God, and raise me up for praise through your prayer.
And now: Mary, Lady of the Brideless Mother of God, the hope of the faithful, lay down the heaps of the enemy, and those who sing make you glad.
Song 6
Give me a robe of light, dress yourself in light like a robe, O most merciful Christ our God.
Free me from all misfortunes, and save me from sorrows, I pray to you, holy Angel, given to me by God, my good guardian.
Illuminate my mind, O blessed one, and enlighten me, I pray to you, holy Angel, and always instruct me to think usefully.
Glory: Tidy my heart from real rebellion, and be vigilant, strengthen me in good things, my guardian, and guide me wonderfully to the silence of animals.
And now: the Word of God dwells in You, Mother of God, and man shows You the heavenly ladder; Because of you, the Most High has come down to us to eat.
Kontakion, tone 4:
Appear to me, merciful, holy Angel of the Lord, my guardian, and do not separate from me, the foul one, but enlighten me with inviolable light and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Ikos: My soul has been humbled by many temptations, you, holy representative, have vouchsafed the ineffable glory of heaven, and a singer from the face of the disembodied powers of God, have mercy on me and preserve me, and enlighten my soul with good thoughts, so that with your glory, my Angel, I may be enriched, and cast down the evil-minded. my enemies, and make me worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Song 7
The youths who came from Judea, in Babylon, sometimes, by the faith of the Trinity, quenched the fire of the cave, singing: God of the fathers, blessed art thou.
Be merciful to me and pray to God, O Lord Angel, for I have you as an intercessor in my whole life, a mentor and guardian, given to me by God forever.
Do not leave my accursed soul on its journey, killed by a robber, holy Angel, who was betrayed by God without blame; but I will guide you on the path of repentance.
Glory: I bring all my disgraced soul away from my evil thoughts and deeds: but first, my mentor, grant me healing with good thoughts, so that I always deviate onto the right path.
And now: Fill everyone with wisdom and Divine strength, Hypostatic Wisdom of the Most High, for the sake of the Mother of God, for the sake of those who cry out with faith: Our father, God, blessed art thou.
Song 8
Praise and exalt the Heavenly King, Whom all the angels sing, to all ages.
Sent from God, strengthen the belly of my servant, your servant, most blessed Angel, and do not leave me forever.
You are a good angel, my soul's mentor and guardian, most blessed, I sing for ever.
Glory: Be my protection and take away all people on the day of testing; good and evil deeds are tempted by fire.
And now: Be my helper and silence, O Ever-Virgin Mother of God, Thy servant, and do not leave me deprived of Thy dominion.
Song 9
We truly confess You, the Mother of God, saved by You, a pure Virgin, with your disembodied faces magnifying You.
To Jesus: Lord Jesus Christ my God, have mercy on me.
Have mercy on me, my only Savior, for You are merciful and merciful, and make me a partaker of righteous faces.
Grant me to think and create continually, O Lord Angel, who is good and useful, as she is strong in weakness and blameless.
Glory: Because you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, pray to Him, along with other incorporeal ones, to have mercy on me, the accursed one.
And now: Having much boldness, O Virgin, to Him who became incarnate from You, deliver me from my bonds and grant me permission and salvation through Your prayers.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel:
Holy Angel of Christ, falling to you I pray, my holy guardian, given to me for the protection of my sinful soul and body from holy baptism, but with my laziness and my evil custom I angered your most pure lordship and drove you away from me with all the cold deeds: lies, slander , envy, condemnation, contempt, disobedience, brotherly hatred, and resentment, love of money, adultery, rage, stinginess, gluttony without satiety and drunkenness, verbosity, evil thoughts and crafty ones, proud custom and lustful indignation, driven by self-will for all carnal lust. Oh, my evil will, which even dumb animals cannot do! How can you look at me, or approach me like a stinking dog? Whose eyes, angel of Christ, look upon me, entangled in evil in vile deeds? How can I already ask for forgiveness with my bitter and evil and crafty deed, I fall into misery all day and night and at every hour? But I pray to you, falling down, my holy guardian, have mercy on me, a sinful and unworthy servant of yours (name), be me a helper and intercessor against the evil of my opponent, with your holy prayers, and make me a partaker of the Kingdom of God with all the saints, always, and now and ever and ever. Amen.
Follow-up to Holy Communion.
Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord, have mercy (12 times).
Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).
Psalm 22:
The Lord shepherds me and will deprive me of nothing. In a green place, there they settled me, on the calm water they raised me. Convert my soul, guide me on the paths of righteousness, for Your name’s sake. Even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your club will comfort me. Thou hast prepared a table before me to resist those who are cold to me, Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup makes me drunken, like a mighty one. And Thy mercy will marry me all the days of my life, and make me dwell in the house of the Lord for the length of days.
Psalm 23:
The earth is the Lord's, and its fulfillment, the universe, and all who live on it. He founded food on the seas, and prepared food on the rivers. Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in His holy place? He is innocent in his hands and pure in heart, who does not take his soul in vain, and does not swear by his sincere flattery. This one will receive blessings from the Lord, and alms from God, his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, O princes, and lift up the everlasting gates; and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord is strong and strong, the Lord is strong in battle. Lift up your gates, O princes, and lift up the everlasting gates, and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Psalm 115:
I believed, I said the same words, and I was greatly humbled. I died in my frenzy: every man is a lie. What shall I repay to the Lord for all that I have repaid? I will accept the cup of salvation, and I will call on the name of the Lord; I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. O Lord, I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have torn apart my bonds. I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you, and in the name of the Lord I will call. I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, Jerusalem.
Glory, and now: Alleluia (three times with three bows).
Troparion, tone 8:
Despise my iniquities, O Lord, be born of a Virgin, and cleanse my heart, creating a temple to Your most pure Body and Blood, lower me from Your face, having great mercy without number.
Glory: In the communion of Your holy things, how dare I, unworthy? Because I dare to approach You with the worthy, the robe denounces me as if it were not the evening, and I intercede for condemnation of my many-sinful soul. Cleanse, Lord, the filth of my soul, and save me, as a Lover of Mankind.
And now: My many and many sins, Mother of God, I have come running to You, O Pure One, demanding salvation: visit my weak soul, and pray to Your Son and our God to grant me forgiveness for the evil deeds, O Blessed One.
(On Holy Pentecost:
When the glorious disciple is enlightened at the thought of the supper, then the evil Judas, sickened by the love of money, becomes darkened, and betrays Your righteous Judge to the lawless judges. See, the steward of the property, who used strangulation for these sakes: flee the unsatiated soul, such a daring Teacher. O good Lord of all, glory to Thee.)
Psalm 50:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. To You alone have I sinned and done evil before You; for you may be justified in all of Your words, and you will always triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. My hearing brings joy and joy; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.
Canon, voice 2, Song 1:
Irmos: Come, people, let us sing a song to Christ God, who divided the sea, and taught the people, even as he learned from the work of Egypt, for he was glorified.
May Thy Holy Body, O most gracious Lord, be the bread of the eternal life, and the Honest Blood, and healing of manifold ailments.
The accursed one, defiled by unplaceable deeds, am unworthy, O Christ, of Your Most Pure Body and Divine Blood, to receive communion, which you have vouchsafed to me.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
O good earth, blessed Bride of God, vegetating untouched and saving the world, grant me this food to be saved.
Song 3
Irmos: Having established me on the rock of faith, you have enlarged my mouth against my enemies. For my spirit is glad, always singing: none is holy like our God, and none is righteous more than Thee, O Lord.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Grant me tearful drops, O Christ, that cleanse the filth of my heart: for as I have been purified by a good conscience, I come by faith and fear, O Master, to partake of Thy Divine Gifts.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
May Thy Most Pure Body and Divine Blood be with me for the remission of sins, the communion of the Holy Spirit, and into eternal life, Lover of mankind, and alienation from passions and sorrows.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The Most Holy Bread of the Animals, from above the mercy of which came down, and gave peace to a new life, and now vouchsafe me, the unworthy, to taste this with fear, and live to be.
Song 4
Irmos: You came from the Virgin, not an intercessor, nor an Angel, but Himself, Lord, incarnate, and you saved me as a whole man. Thus I call to Thee: glory to Thy power, O Lord.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Thou didst desire, for our sake, to be incarnated, O Omni-merciful One, to be slain like a sheep, sin for the sake of men: I also pray to Thee, and cleanse my sins.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Heal my ulcers, Lord, and sanctify everything: and grant, O Master, that I may partake of Your secret Divine Supper, the accursed one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Compassionate me also from Thy womb, O Lady, and keep me undefiled by Thy servant and undefiled, like the reception of clever beads, I will be sanctified.
Song 5
Irmos: Light to the Giver and Creator of ages, Lord, instruct us in the light of Your commandments; Don’t we know any other god for You?
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
As you foretold, O Christ, that it would be done to your evil servant, and abide in me, as you promised: for behold, Your Body is Divine, and I drink Your Blood.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Word of God and God, may the coal of Your Body be for me, who is darkened, into enlightenment, and the cleansing of my defiled soul may Your Blood.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Mary, Mother of God, sweet-smelling village, make me a chosen vessel through Your prayers, so that I may partake of Your Son in sanctification.
Song 6
Irmos: Lying in the abyss of sin, I call upon the abyss of Thy unfathomable mercy: from aphids, O God, lift me up.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Sanctify my mind, soul and heart, O Savior, and my body, and grant me, without condemnation, O Lord, to approach the terrible Mysteries.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
So that I may withdraw from passions, and have the application of Your grace, the affirmation of my life, through the communion of the Saints, Christ, of Your Mysteries.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
God, God, Holy Word, sanctify me entirely, now coming to Thy Divine Mysteries, Thy Holy Mother with prayers.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Bread, O Christ, do not despise me, take Thy Body, and now Thy Divine Blood, most pure, Master, and Thy terrible Mysteries, may the accursed partake, may it not be for me in judgment, may it be for me in the eternal and immortal life.
Song 7
Irmos: The wise children did not serve the golden body, and they themselves went into the flames, and cursed their gods, and cried out in the midst of the flames, and I sprinkled the angel: the prayer of your lips has already been heard.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
May the source of good things, communion, Christ, of Thy immortal Mysteries now be light, and life, and dispassion, and for the advancement and increase of the most Divine virtue, intercessionfully, the only Good One, for I glorify Thee.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
May I be delivered from passions, and enemies, and needs, and all sorrows, with trembling and love with reverence, O Lover of mankind, approach now Your immortal and Divine Mysteries, and vouchsafe to You to sing: Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Who gave birth to the Savior of Christ more than the mind, O God-gracious One, I now pray to Thee, Thy pure and impure servant: who now wishes to approach the most pure Mysteries, cleanse all from the defilement of the flesh and spirit.
Song 8
Irmos: Who descended into the fiery furnace of the Jewish youth, and who turned God into the dew, sing the works of the Lord, and exalt them unto all ages.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Heavenly, and terrible, and Thy saints, Christ, now the Mysteries, and Thy Divine and Last Supper to be a fellow-companion and vouchsafe to me the desperate one, O God, my Savior.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Beneath Your compassion, O Good One, I call upon You with fear: abide in me, O Savior, and I, as you said, in You; Behold, daring in Thy mercy, I eat Thy Body and drink Thy Blood.
Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.
I tremble, accepting the fire, lest I be scorched like wax and like grass; Ole terrible sacrament! Ole of God's blessing! How do I partake of the Divine Body and Blood of clay and become incorruptible?
Song 9
Irmos: The Son, God and Lord, who is without beginning, appeared to us incarnate from the Virgin, who was darkened to enlighten, who was squandered by his fellow-creatures: with this we magnify the all-sung Mother of God.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Christ is, taste and see: the Lord for our sake, having been for us of old, brought Himself alone, as an offering to His Father, He is ever slain, sanctifying those who partake.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
May I be sanctified in soul and body, Master, may I be enlightened, may I be saved, may Thy house be a communion of the sacred Mysteries, having You living within me with the Father and the Spirit, O Most Merciful Benefactor.
Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit.
Let me be like fire, and like light, Your Body and Blood, my most honorable Savior, scorching the sinful substance, burning the thorns of passions, and enlightening all of me, let me worship Your Divinity.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
God became incarnate from Your pure blood; In the same way, every race sings to Thee, the Lady, and the intelligent multitudes glorify, as through Thee they have clearly seen the Ruler of all, who existed among humanity.
Worthy to eat...
Trisagion. Holy Trinity...
Our Father...
Troparion of the day or holiday. If it is a week, the Sunday troparion according to the tone. If not, real troparia, tone 6:
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You, as the Lord, sinners: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord, have mercy (40 times and bows as much as you want).
And poems:
Although eat, O man, the Body of the Lord,
Approach with fear, but don’t get burned: there is fire.
I drink the Divine Blood for communion,
First of all, reconcile those who have grieved you.
Also daring, the mysterious food is delicious.
Before communion there is a terrible sacrifice,
Lady of the Life-Giving Body,
Hereby pray with trembling:
Prayer 1, Basil the Great:
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the Source of life and immortality, of all creation, visible and invisible, and the Creator, of the beginningless Father, co-eternal with the Son and co-originating, much for the sake of goodness in the last days, he clothed himself in flesh, and was crucified, and was buried for us, ungrateful and evil-willed, and Yours. With the blood of renewing our nature, corrupted by sin, Himself, Immortal King, accept my sinful repentance, and incline Your ear to me, and hear my words. For I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned in heaven and before You, and I am not worthy to look upon the height of Your glory: I have angered Your goodness, having transgressed Your commandments, and not listened to Your commands. But You, Lord, are kind, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, and did not give me up to perish with my iniquities, waiting for my conversion in every possible way. Thou art, O Lover of mankind, Thy prophet: for by will I do not want the death of a sinner, but the hedgehog will turn and live to be him. You do not want, Master, to destroy your creation by hand, and you are less than pleased with the destruction of mankind, but you want to save everyone and come into the mind of truth. Likewise, I, even though I am unworthy of heaven and earth, and sow temporary life, having subjected myself to sin, and enslaved myself with pleasure, and desecrated Your image; but having become Thy creation and creature, I do not despair of my salvation, the accursed one, but daring to receive Thy immeasurable compassion, I come. Accept me, O Lord, who loves mankind, as a harlot, as a thief, as a publican, and as a prodigal, and take away my heavy burden of sins, take away the sin of the world, and heal the infirmities of man, call those who labor and are burdened to Yourself and give rest to those who did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And cleanse me from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, and teach me to perform holiness in Thy Passion: for by the pure knowledge of my conscience, having received part of Thy holy things, I may unite with Thy holy Body and Blood, and have You living and abiding in me, with the Father, and Your Holy Spirit. To her, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, may the communion of Thy most pure and life-giving Mysteries not be in judgment for me, nor may I be weak in soul and body, so that I am not worthy to receive communion, but grant me, even until my final breath, to accept without condemnation part of Thy holy things, in communion with the Holy Spirit, in the path of eternal life, and in a favorable answer at Thy Last Judgment: for I, too, with all Thy chosen ones, will be a partaker of Thy incorruptible blessings, which Thou hast prepared for those who love Thee, O Lord, in which Thou art glorified in eyelids. Amen.
Prayer 2, St. John Chrysostom:
Lord my God, in knowing that I am not worthy, I am below satisfied, and you have brought the temple of my soul under the roof, all empty and fallen, and there is no place in me worthy of bowing your head: but as from on high you humbled us for your sake, humble yourself and now to my humility; and as you received it in the den and in the wordless manger, reclining, take it in the wordless manger of my soul, and bring it into my defiled body. And just as you did not fail to bring in and shine a light on the sinners in the house of Simon the leper, so deign to bring into the house of my humble soul, lepers and sinners; and even though You did not reject a harlot and a sinner like me, who came and touched You, have mercy on me, a sinner, who comes and touches You; and just as you did not abhor her foul and unclean lips kissing Thee, below mine, abhor those defiled and unclean lips, below my vile and unclean lips, and my foul and unclean tongue. But may the coal of Your most holy Body, and Your honorable Blood, be for me, for the sanctification and enlightenment and health of my humble soul and body, for the relief of the burdens of many of my sins, for the protection from every devilish action, for the driving away and prohibition of my evil and evil customs, for the mortification of passions, for the supply of Thy commandments, for the application of Thy Divine grace, and the appropriation of Thy Kingdom. It is not because I come to You, O Christ our God, that I despise You, but because I dare you in Your ineffable goodness, and let me not withdraw from Your fellowship in the depths, I will be hunted down by the mental wolf. In the same way, I pray to You: as the only Holy One, Master, sanctify my soul and body, mind and heart, womb and womb, and renew all of me, and root Your fear in my hearts, and create Your sanctification inseparably from me; and be my helper and intercessor, feeding my belly in the world, making me worthy to stand at Your right hand with Your saints, the prayers and supplications of Your Most Pure Mother, Your immaterial servants and the Most Pure Powers, and all the saints who have pleased You from the ages. Amen.
One pure and incorruptible Lord, for the ineffable mercy of our love for mankind, we have received all the mixture, from pure and virgin blood, more than the nature, who gave birth to Thee, the Divine Spirit by invasion, and by the good will of the ever-present Father, Christ Jesus, the wisdom of God, and peace, and power; By your perception of the life-giving and saving suffering perceived, cross, nails, spear, death, mortify my soul-smothering bodily passions. By Your burial of the hellish kingdoms, bury my good thoughts, evil advice, and destroy the spirits of wickedness. By Thy three-day and life-giving resurrection of the fallen forefather, raise me up in the sin that crawled, offering me images of repentance. By Thy glorious ascension, the carnal perception of God, and honor this on the right hand of the Father, grant me the gift of receiving the communion of Thy holy Mysteries on the right hand of those who are being saved. By bringing forth the Comforter of Thy Spirit, Thy disciples have made honorable sacred vessels, friend and show me That coming. Although you would like to come again to judge the universe with righteousness, deign to seat You on the clouds, my Judge and Creator, with all Your saints: may I endlessly glorify and sing Your praises, with Your beginningless Father, and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 4, St. John of Damascus:
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who alone have the power to forgive man’s sins, for as he is good and a lover of mankind, I have despised all sins in knowledge and not in knowledge, and grant me without condemnation to partake of Thy Divine, and glorious, and most pure, and life-giving Mysteries, not in heaviness, neither torment, nor to the addition of sins, but to cleansing, and sanctification, and the betrothal of the future Life and kingdom, to the wall and help, and to the objection of those who resist, to the destruction of many of my sins. For You are the God of mercy, and generosity, and love for mankind, and we send up glory to You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 5, St. Basil the Great:
We know, Lord, that I unworthily partake of Thy most pure Body and Thy honorable Blood, and I am guilty, and I condemn myself to pit and drink, not judging the Body and Blood of You of Christ and my God, but in Thy bounty I boldly come to You who said: You eat My flesh and drink My blood, he abides in Me, and I in him. Have mercy, O Lord, and do not expose me, a sinner, but do with me according to Your mercy; and may this saint be mine for healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and for the sanctification of soul and body; to drive away every dream, and evil deed, and the action of the devil, acting mentally in my lands, into boldness and love, even towards You; for the correction of life and affirmation, for the return of virtue and perfection; in fulfillment of the commandments, in communion with the Holy Spirit, in the guidance of the eternal life, in response to a favorable response at Thy Last Judgment: not in judgment or condemnation.
Prayer 6, Saint Simeon the New Theologian:
From vile lips, from a vile heart, from an unclean tongue, from a soul defiled, accept this prayer, my Christ, and do not despise my words, below images, below lack of study. Grant me to boldly say what I want, my Christ, and even more so, teach me what I should do and say. Having sinned more than the harlot, even though I knew where you were, having bought myrrh, I came boldly to anoint Your nose, my God, my Lord and Christ. Just as you did not reject the one that came from your heart, abhor me below, the Word: Give yours to my nose, and hold and kiss, and boldly anoint this with streams of tears, like a valuable ointment. Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, O Word. Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness. Weigh a multitude of evils, weigh my scabs, and see my ulcers, but also weigh my faith, and see my will, and hear my sighing. There is no hidden part of you, my God, my Creator, my Savior, below a drop of tears, below a drop of a certain part. Thy eyes have seen what I have not done, and in Thy book the essence of what has not yet been done is written to You. See my humility, see my great labor, and forgive me all my sins, O God of all: so that with a pure heart, a trembling thought, and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your undefiled and most holy Mysteries, by which everyone who eats poison and drinks with a pure heart is revived and adored; For you have said, my Lord: everyone who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, he abides in Me, and I am seven in Him. The word of every Master and my God is true: for you partake of the divine and adoring graces, for I am not alone, but with You, my Christ, the Trisunlar Light, enlightening the world. May I not be alone besides You, the Life-Giver, my breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world. For this reason, I come to You, as if I saw you, with tears, and with a contrite soul, I ask you to accept the deliverance of my sins, and to partake of Your life-giving and immaculate Mysteries without condemnation, so that You may remain, as You have promised, with me, the repentant one: may I not find Your grace except, the deceiver will delight me with the flatterer, and deceiving will lead away those who idolize Your words. For this reason I fall down to You, and cry out to You warmly: as You received the prodigal, and the harlot who came, so receive me, the prodigal and the defiled, Generously. With a contrite soul, now coming to You, we know, Savior, as another, like I, did not sin against You, lower than the deeds I did. But we know this again, because not the greatness of sins, nor the multitude of sins exceeds my God’s great patience and extreme love for mankind; but by the grace of compassion, warmly repentant, and purifying, and brightening, and creating light, you are partakers, associates of Your Divinity, doing unenviably, and strange things with both the Angel and human thought, conversing with them many times, as if with Your true friend. This is the bold thing they do to me, this is what they force me to do, O my Christ. And daring to show us Your rich kindness, rejoicing and trembling together, the grass partakes of the fire, and a strange miracle, we water it without burning, just as the bush of old burned without burning. Now with a grateful thought, with a grateful heart, with grateful hands, my soul and my body, I worship and magnify and glorify Thee, my God, for being blessed, now and forever.
Prayer 7, St. John Chrysostom:
God, weaken, forsake, forgive me my sins, those who have sinned, whether in word, whether in deed, whether in thought, will or involuntarily, by reason or foolishness, forgive me all, as you are good and a lover of mankind, and through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, your intelligent servants and Holy powers, and all the saints from the ages who have pleased You, without condemnation, deign to accept Your holy and most pure Body and venerable Blood, for the healing of soul and body, and for the cleansing of my evil thoughts. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
His, 8th:
I am not pleased, Master Lord, that you may come under the roof of my soul; but since You, as a Lover of Mankind, want to live in me, I boldly approach; You command that I open the doors that You alone created, and with love for mankind, like You, you will see and enlighten my darkened thoughts. I believe that You have done this: You did not drive away the harlot who came to You with tears; You have rejected below the publican, having repented; below the thief, having come to know Your kingdom, You drove away; Thou hast left the repentant lower than the persecutor; but from repentance Thou hast brought all who have come to Thee, in the person of Thy friends Thou hast made the One blessed, always, now and unto endless ages. Amen.
His, 9th:
Lord Jesus Christ my God, weaken, forgive, cleanse and forgive my sinful, and indecent, and unworthy servant, my sins, and transgressions, and my fall from grace, from my youth, even to this day and hour, those who have sinned: if in mind and in foolishness, or in words or deeds, or thoughts and thoughts, and undertakings, and all my feelings. And through the prayers of the seedless One who gave birth to Thee, the Most Pure and Ever-Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, the only shameless hope and intercession and salvation of mine, grant me to uncondemnedly partake of Thy most pure, immortal, life-giving and terrible Mysteries, for the remission of sins and for eternal life: for sanctification and enlightenment , strength, healing, and health of soul and body, and in the consumption and complete destruction of my evil thoughts, and thoughts, and enterprises, and nightly dreams, dark and crafty spirits; For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, and the honor, and the worship, with the Father and Thy Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 10, St. John of Damascus:
I stand before the doors of Your temple, and I do not retreat from fierce thoughts; but You, Christ God, have justified the publican, and had mercy on the Canaanites, and opened the doors of paradise to the thief, open to me the womb of Your love for mankind, and accept me, coming and touching You, like a harlot who is bleeding: and having touched the hem of Your robe, make it easy to receive healing, Thy most pure ones restrained their noses and bore the remission of sins. But I, the accursed one, dare to perceive Your whole Body, so that I will not be scorched; but accept me as you do, and enlighten my spiritual feelings, burning away my sinful guilt, with the prayers of You who gave birth without seed, and the Heavenly powers; for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom:
I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most pure Blood. I pray to You: have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word, in deed, in knowledge and ignorance, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure Sacraments, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen.
When you come to receive communion, mentally recite these verses of Metaphrast:
Here I begin to receive Divine Communion.
Co-creator, do not scorch me with communion:
You are fire, unworthy of scorching.
But cleanse me from all filth.
Then:
Thy secret supper this day, O Son of God, accept me as a partaker; I will not tell your enemies the secret, nor give you a kiss like Judas, but like a thief I will confess to you: remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom.
And poems:
It is in vain, O man, that you should be horrified by the worshiping Blood:
There is fire, you unworthy ones burn.
The Divine Body both adores and nourishes me:
She loves the spirit, but she feeds the mind strangely.
Then the troparia:
You have sweetened me with love, O Christ, and you have changed me with Your Divine care; but my sins fell into immaterial fire, and I am vouchsafed to be filled with pleasure in You: let me rejoice, O Blessed One, magnify Your two comings.
In the light of Thy Saints, what is there who is unworthy? Even if I dare to go into the palace, my clothes will expose me as not being for marriage, and I will be cast out from the Angels, bound and bound. Cleanse, Lord, the filth of my soul, and save me, as a Lover of Mankind.
Also prayer:
O Master, Lover of Mankind, Lord Jesus Christ my God, let this Holy One not be brought into judgment against me, because I am unworthy of being: but for the purification and sanctification of soul and body, and for the betrothal of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me, if I cleave to God, to place the hope of my salvation in the Lord.
And further:
Your secret supper... (See above)
Anyone who wishes to receive communion must adequately prepare for this holy sacrament. This preparation (in church practice it is called fasting) lasts several days and concerns both the physical and spiritual life of a person. The body is prescribed abstinence, i.e. bodily purity (abstinence from marital relations) and food restriction (fasting). On fasting days, food of animal origin is excluded - meat, milk, eggs and, during strict fasting, fish. Bread, vegetables, fruits are consumed in moderation. The mind should not be distracted by the trifles of everyday life and have fun.
On the days of fasting, one should attend services in church, if circumstances permit, and more diligently follow the household prayer rule: whoever usually does not read all morning and evening prayers, let him read everything in full; whoever does not read the canons, let him read at least one on these days canon. On the eve of communion, you must be at the evening service and read at home, in addition to the usual prayers for the future, the canon of repentance, the canon to the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel. The canons are read either one after the other in full, or combined in this way: the irmos of the first song of the penitential canon is read ("As Israel traveled on dry land, in the abyss with its feet, seeing the persecutor Pharaoh drowned, we sing a victorious song to God, crying out") and the troparia, then steam the first songs of the canon to the Mother of God ("I have suffered through many misfortunes, I resort to You, seeking salvation: O Mother of the Word and the Virgin, save me from the heavy and fierce"), omitting the Irmos "The water has passed...", and steaming the canon to the Guardian Angel, also without irmos ("Let us praise the Lord, who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone was gloriously glorified"). The following songs are read in the same way. The troparia before the canon of the Theotokos and the Guardian Angel, as well as the stichera after the canon of the Theotokos, are omitted in this case.
The canon for communion is also read and, for those who wish, an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. After midnight they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach. In the morning, the morning prayers and the entire sequence for Holy Communion are read, except for the canon read the day before.
Before communion, confession is necessary - either in the evening or in the morning, before the liturgy.
Prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion.
Glory to You, God. Glory to You, God. Glory to You, God.
Prayer of thanksgiving, 1st:
I thank you, Lord, my God, for you have not rejected me as a sinner, but have made me worthy to be a partaker of your holy things. I thank You, for You have vouchsafed me, who is unworthy, to partake of Your Most Pure and Heavenly Gifts. But the Lord, the Lover of Mankind, for our sake, died and rose again, and granted us this terrible and life-giving Sacrament for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies, grant this to me for the healing of soul and body, for the driving away of all that is resistant, for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart , into the peace of my spiritual strength, into unashamed faith, into unfeigned love, into the fulfillment of wisdom, into the observance of Thy commandments, into the application of Thy Divine grace and the appropriation of Thy Kingdom; Yes, we preserve them in Your shrine, I always remember Your grace, and I live not for myself, but for You, our Master and Benefactor; and thus having gone from this life to the hope of the eternal life, I will achieve everlasting peace, where those who celebrate the unceasing voice and endless sweetness, who behold the ineffable kindness of Your face. For You are the true desire and the inexpressible joy of those who love You, Christ our God, and all creation sings to You forever. Amen.
Prayer 2, St. Basil the Great:
Master Christ God, King of the ages, and Creator of all, I thank Thee for all the good things He has given me, and for the communion of Thy most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray to Thee, O Kinder and Lover of Mankind: keep me under Thy roof, and in the shadow of Thy wing; and grant me with a clear conscience, even until my last breath, to worthily partake of Your holy things, for the remission of sins and eternal life. For You are the living bread, the source of holiness, the Giver of good things, and we send up glory to You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 3, Simeon Metaphrastus:
Having given me flesh by Your will, fire and scorch the unworthy, do not scorch me, my Creator; rather, go into my mouth, into all my parts, into my womb, into my heart. The thorns of all my sins fell. Cleanse your soul, sanctify your thoughts. Confirm the compositions with the bones together. Enlighten the simple five of feelings. Fill me with Thy fear. Cover me always, keep me, and save me from every deed and word of the soul. Cleanse and wash and adorn me; Fertilize, enlighten, and enlighten me. Show me Your village of the one Spirit, and not to anyone the village of sin. Yes, like Your house, the entrance of communion, like fire, every evildoer, every passion flees from me. I offer prayer books to You, all the saints, the orders of the disembodied, Your Forerunner, the wise Apostles, and to this Your undefiled, pure Mother, graciously accept their prayers, my Christ, and make Your servant a son of light. For You are the sanctification and the only one of ours, the Good One, of souls and lordship; and like unto You, like God and the Master, we send all glory every day.
Prayer 4:
May Thy Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, be unto me for eternal life, and Thy Honest Blood for the remission of sins: may this thanksgiving be unto me joy, health and gladness; at Thy terrible and second coming, vouchsafe me, a sinner, to the right hand of Thy glory, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all the saints.
Prayer 5, to the Most Holy Theotokos:
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, hope, protection, refuge, consolation, joy, I thank Thee, for Thou hast vouchsafed me, unworthy, to be a partaker of the Most Pure Body and Honest Blood of Thy Son. But She who gave birth to the true Light, enlighten my intelligent eyes of the heart; You who gave birth to the Source of immortality, revive me, killed by sin; O most merciful Mother of God, have mercy on me, and give me tenderness and contrition in my heart, and humility in my thoughts, and appeal in the captivity of my thoughts; and grant me, until my last breath, to receive consecration of the most pure Mysteries without condemnation, for the healing of soul and body. And give me tears of repentance and confession, to sing and praise Thee all the days of my life, for Thou art blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace: for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light for the revelation of tongues and the glory of Your people Israel.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Troparion of St. John Chrysostom, tone 8:
With your lips, like the light of fire, grace shining forth, enlighten the universe: do not gain the love of money and the treasures of the world, showing us the height of humility, but chastising with your words, Father John Chrysostom, pray to the Word of Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 6:
Glory: You have received Divine grace from heaven, and through your lips you have taught us all to worship the one God in the Trinity. All-blessed John Chrysostom, Reverend, we worthily praise you: you are a mentor, as if you were manifesting the Divine.
If the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was celebrated, read:
Troparion to Basil the Great, tone 1:
Thy message went out into the whole earth, as if it had received your word, which thou hast divinely taught, thou hast clarified the nature of beings, thou hast adorned human customs, the royal priesthood, reverend father, pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion, tone 4:
Glory: You have appeared as an unshakable foundation for the church, giving to all inconspicuous dominion by man, sealing with your commands, the unappearing Reverend Basil.
And now: The intercession of Christians is shameless, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us who faithfully call Thee: hasten to prayer, and strive to entreaty, interceding ever since, the Mother of God, who honor Thee.
If the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was celebrated, read:
Troparion to Saint Gregory the Dvoeslov to Basil the Great, tone 4:
Whom have we received from God above divine grace, O glorious Gregory, and whom we strengthen with strength, who thou hast deigned to walk in the gospel, from whom thou hast most blessedly received from Christ the recompense of labor: pray unto him that he may save our souls.
Kontakion, voice 3:
Glory: You appeared to the Chief to be the shepherd of Christ, the monks of the succession, Father Gregory, instructing the heavenly fence, and from there you taught the flock of Christ with His commandment: now you rejoice with them, and rejoice in the heavenly roofs.
And now: The intercession of Christians is shameless, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us who faithfully call Thee: hasten to prayer, and strive to entreaty, interceding ever since, the Mother of God, who honor Thee.
Lord, have mercy (12 times). Slava: And now:
We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, the real Mother of God.
Prayer of the illiterate after communion of the Holy Mysteries.
(Prot. I. Evropeytsev)
Lord Jesus Christ, my Most Sweet Redeemer, I feel that I am unworthy of Your Most Holy Body and Blood, but by Your goodness I also accepted Your Cup, like my brothers: I thank You with all my heart for Your Heavenly Mercy and grace towards me. I pray to You, Lord, that this communion may be for me the cleansing of sins and the health of the body, the correction of life and future eternal bliss.
Spiritual life, if approached seriously, requires certain efforts from a person. It becomes mandatory not only to attend divine services, but also to fully participate in church sacraments. These are special means for renewing the soul that are given by Christ - repentance and communion.
During confession, Christians remove the burden of sinful actions, receiving forgiveness from God through the visible actions of the priest. In this way they prepare for union with the Lord, which occurs during communion. Through bread and wine a Christian finds grace. It gives determination to live according to the commandments, strength of spirit, joy and gratitude. The question is how to properly prepare for these important church sacraments.
Texts required before confession
Orthodox Christians attach great importance to communication with the Lord. It occurs during a person’s personal appeal to higher powers. This is a complex art that can take a lifetime to master. Consistency is important here. In the Orthodox tradition, prayer is often combined with fasting - in this case, the soul becomes more receptive and lighter. It is precisely this period that is necessary before proceeding to the main church sacraments. These days are called fasting, usually its duration is from 3 to 7 days . In general, preparation consists of several stages:
Fasting is necessary so that a believer can truly cleanse his soul. In addition to refusing heavy and rich food, you need to exclude entertainment from your life: computer games, watching TV, staying in in social networks. All this cannot be combined with abstinence. In fact, the whole purpose of fasting is aimed at freeing the soul from unnecessary and vain things. The Lord dwells only in a purified heart. This is achieved by reading the so-called rules.
The texts are spoken daily in the morning and evening (hence the name). If on ordinary days a shortening of the rule is allowed, then during fasting you need to read full version. It contains all the necessary petitions: for the cleansing of forgotten offenses, help in spiritual improvement, even assistance in everyday affairs. Prayers before confession and communion must be read in a certain order. They are in any prayer book, usually they are printed towards the end, after the evening rule. You can read more than one evening r, and within a few days:
Canons are usually read out before confession to start it in the right mood. It is permissible to read them one per day if it is difficult to master all three at once.
Preparation for repentance
Before the sacrament, you need to remember all the sins that have been committed since the last conversation with your spiritual father. There is no need to read special prayers before confession at home. They will be recited aloud by the priest immediately after the end of the evening service. You need to be present and listen carefully, pray silently. In Orthodoxy, the following sequence of the sacrament of confession of sins is accepted:
- The initial ones are the Trisagion, “Our Father” and others. Read before the start of any church service or prayer service.
- Psalm 50 (repentance) is a well-known biblical chapter, included in the evening rule (and not only).
- Troparions to the Lord and the Mother of God - short church verses.
- Appeals to God are special texts in which the clergy asks those present to forgive their sins.
Next, the believers one by one approach the priest for confession. In order not to forget anything, many write down their sins on paper. There is no need to describe in detail, but the priest can ask questions - not out of curiosity, but to better understand the reasons for the action. You should answer briefly, without self-justification or blaming other people. Having accepted confession, the clergyman reads a prayer of absolution - this means that sins have been forgiven.
Meaning of participle
Based on the results of the conversation, the priest allows you to participate in the sacrament. In modern church practice, it is rarely denied. After all, a person cannot correct himself without receiving God’s help, and he receives it during the Liturgy. The establishment of the sacrament was performed by Jesus Christ himself during the Last Supper. It was then that the Savior commanded the believers to gather for prayer and eat his Flesh and Blood under the guise of bread and wine.
Union with God is the most important Christian sacrament. Without him, the rest of church life will be in vain. Therefore, comprehensive preparation acceptance of the holy gifts must be very serious. The Follow-up to Holy Communion contains texts that were written by various Christian authors:
- Initial prayers - the believer turns to the Holy Spirit, God the Father, calling for a blessing on his prayer work, asking for forgiveness of sins.
- Psalms, troparia - Psalms 22 are read (“The Lord shepherds me” - in it the author draws an image of the meal that God offers); 23rd (“Lord’s land” - here there is a symbolic image of the temple, altar, Christ’s ascension to heaven); 115th (“The same words of faith” - the Eucharistic Chalice is again spoken of). The troparia continue the theme of the humility of a weak person before the greatness of God.
- Prayers for communion - written by Saints Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Simeon Metaphrastus, John of Damascus. All of them were fathers of the Church, devotees of faith and piety, and great teachers. In the texts, believers again comprehend the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, remember His suffering, resurrection, and the coming Last Judgment.
- Brief participle verses - should be repeated to yourself already in the temple, immediately before receiving the consecrated bread and wine.
Prayers for communion and confession must be read before the start of the morning service. If you no longer have the strength in the evening, it is better to get up early and combine it with the morning rule. There is no need to read akathists before communion - they are sung voluntarily at any time. If you wish to undertake an additional feat of prayer, you must be blessed by your confessor. Excessive zeal can be harmful: if a person takes on overwork, he will quickly “burn out.”
Children under 7 years old can receive communion without the preliminary sacrament of repentance. Women who have recently given birth are allowed into the temple only after performing a cleansing prayer. Sick, elderly and pregnant women may not fast very strictly; this issue is decided on an individual basis. You can't smoke on the holy day, eat food and drink water before the Liturgy ends.
How to behave in the temple
After the parishioners sing “Our Father,” you need to come closer to the altar. Usually small children, women, and the elderly are allowed ahead. It is forbidden to cross yourself or bow in front of the cup - this is done in advance. They approach the priest who is performing the sacrament with his hands folded on his chest, the right one on top. After accepting, you should go to the table and grab a drink. Stay until the end of the service, approach the cross - it is taken out of the altar for the duration of the sermon, after which they are allowed to venerate. Listen to prayers of thanks, only then go home. Regular communion helps believers grow in God, purify themselves, and sanctify not only the soul, but also the body.
Attention, TODAY only!
Preparation for confession and communion. Listen to audio recordings of the Canons and prayers for Holy CommunionThe great Day is approaching when the Great God will sit to judge all His creation. All people will be resurrected: their immortal souls will forever be united with their bodies. And the fiery angels will carry everyone to God’s judgment, to give an account for all our deeds done on Earth. Complete justice will be restored. - The righteous will receive an eternal reward in the Kingdom of Heaven, and for all their atrocities, sinners will have to bear eternal retribution in the flames of hell.
There is only one way to avoid punishment for your atrocities - to repent to God for your sins and receive forgiveness in the sacrament of Confession and Communion. Perhaps this is because Jesus Christ died for our sins and took our punishment upon Himself. And therefore God forgives sins only of those who are members Orthodox Church, Which is the mysterious Body of Christ. The priest of the Church in the sacrament of Ordination (ordination to the priesthood) receives from God the power to forgive and retain the sins of people.
Anyone who wants to receive forgiveness of sins and be saved needs the following:
- Need to be Orthodox Christian who have received the sacrament of Baptism from a legal priest (those baptized by grandmothers or someone else must resolve this issue with the priest). We must firmly believe and accept the Revelation of God given to the Church - the Bible. Its essence is summarized in the Creed, which we must know by heart. An explanation of our faith can be found in the book "Catechism". It is always available in the church store or library.
- You need to remember (and if you need to write down) your evil deeds, starting from the age of 7 (or from the moment of Baptism - who was baptized as an adult) and admit that only you are to blame for all your evil deeds, and no one else. Those who, in confession, talk about the sins of others do great evil.
- You must promise God that with His help you will make every effort not to repeat the sin, but to do the opposite good deed.
- If sin has led to damage to your neighbor, you must make every effort before confession to make amends for this damage (give back what was stolen, make peace with the offended person).
- We must forgive all offenses ourselves for the sake of the blood of Christ, then God will forgive us our sin.
After this, one must go to the priest for confession and tell without concealment all one’s evil deeds, which Christ, through the priest, will forgive the repentant. There is no need to be afraid that the priest will be shocked by your confession. During his ministry, every shepherd hears almost every conceivable sin. You won’t surprise or upset him with anything, except for an attempt to shift the blame onto someone else. We must remember that confession remains only between the priest and you. For disclosing the secret of confession, a priest can be defrocked.
To make it easier to prepare, here is a short list of sins that must be fought mercilessly, in accordance with the 10 Commandments.
- I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me. Sins: atheism, false teachings, communism, magic, going to grandmothers and healers, astrology (including reading horoscopes), participation in sects, pride, boasting, careerism, arrogance, self-love.
- Do not make an idol for yourself, do not worship or serve them. Sins: idolatry, invoking spirits, feeding brownies, fortune telling, man-pleasing, love of money.
- Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Sins: blasphemy, mockery of a sacred thing, swearing, desecration, breaking a promise to God, swearing, not reading the Bible every day.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; You shall work six days, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Sins: missing Sunday services, working on holidays, parasitism, breaking fast.
- Honor your father and your mother. Sins: insulting parents, not honoring them and not remembering them in prayers, cursing at the priesthood and authorities, not respecting elders and teachers, not inviting a priest to visit relatives before death.
- Dont kill. Sins: murder, abortion, anger, swearing, fighting, hatred, resentment, rancor, irritability.
- Don't commit adultery. Sins: adultery, sex outside marriage, homosexuality, masturbation, watching pornography.
- Don't steal. Sins: theft, robbery, fraud, usury, stinginess.
- Do not bear false witness. Sins: perjury, lies, slander, gossip, betrayal, deception.
- Don't covet someone else's. Sins: envy, dissatisfaction with one's position, grumbling.
If you have repented of these sins, then you should prepare for the greatest Miracle of Holy Communion, when, under the guise of bread and wine, the faithful partake of the Body and Blood of Christ for cleansing from sins and eternal life. Communion is celebrated in the morning during the Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy.
In order to receive communion worthily, one must prepare oneself by fasting (usually 3 days) and prayer. During fasting, one does not eat eggs, meat or dairy products. They read the Bible more than usual. On the evening before Communion, they must come to church for the evening service and confess their sins. During preparation, the “Rule for Holy Communion” and 3 canons are read - to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel. All these texts are in the Prayer Book. If some word in the prayers is not clear, you need to ask the priest about it.
On the day of communion they do not eat or drink anything from midnight. In the morning they come to the temple and during the Liturgy they reverently approach St. Remembering more often the Death and Resurrection of Christ. At the end of the Liturgy, they thank God and go out into the world to do good deeds.
(a short list of the most common sins in our time)
I (name) sinned before God:
With weak faith (doubt about His existence).
I have neither proper fear nor love for God, and therefore: I don’t know how to repent, I don’t see sins, I don’t particularly try to find out what is sinful and what is salvific, I don’t fulfill His holy Commandments, I don’t remember death, I don’t prepare to face death. The judgment of God, and is generally indifferent in relation to faith, to God and his bitter fate in Eternity.
Sinned:
I don’t thank God for His mercies.
Attributing success to oneself rather than to God’s help.
In conceit and pride, he relied on himself and on people more than on God.
Not by submission to the will of God (I wish that everything would be my way).
Impatience of sorrows and illnesses (I am afraid of the suffering allowed by God for my sins, forgetting that they were given to me to cleanse my soul from them and save me).
Murmuring at one's life cross ("fate"), at people (God), accusing Him of cruelty.
Cowardice, despondency, sadness, hardness of heart, despair of salvation, thoughts of suicide, attempted suicide.
Sinned:
I justify my sins (by citing everyday needs, illness and physical weakness, and that no one taught me faith in God in my youth).
Being an unbeliever, he seduced people into unbelief.
Visited places of godlessness (mausoleum, atheistic events...), participated in them.
Blasphemy against God and all sacred things.
Not by wearing a cross.
Wearing shoes with crosses on the soles.
By indiscriminately consuming newspapers... in which the name of God was written...
He called animals by the names of saints: “Vaska”, “Mashka”.
Sinned:
Rarely visiting Church on Sundays and holidays. Spent these days in work, trade, drunkenness, sleeping a lot and entertainment (this can lead to clouding of mind, shamelessness, carnal lust, quarrels, damage to health...).
Not going to church (due to rain, mud, frost..., laziness and negligence).
By being late to Church and leaving early.
During the service - I sinned by talking, laughing, dozing, inattention to reading and singing, absent-mindedness, walking around the temple unnecessarily.
Walking through the temple, he pushed people and was rude.
I listened to sermons with a feeling of criticism and condemnation of the preacher, and left the sermon.
I rarely think about what I heard in church and read in the Holy Scriptures.
During women's uncleanness, she dared to walk around the church and touch the shrine (for men after nightly desecration).
Sinned:
I rarely confess.
Having committed a sin, he did not reproach himself and did not repent immediately (this brought his soul to petrified insensibility).
He dared to approach Communion without proper preparation (without reading the canons and prayers, concealing and belittling sins in confession, without fasting, in enmity...).
Didn't read prayers of thanks.
He did not spend the days of Communion sacredly (in prayer, in reading the Word of God, in pious meditations, but indulged in overeating, sleeping too much, idle talk...).
Sinned:
Out of laziness, I don’t read the morning and evening prayers (entirely from the prayer book), I shorten them.
I don’t always pray before meals, work and after.
I pray absentmindedly.
She prayed with her head uncovered, wearing a hat, having enmity towards her neighbor.
By carelessly depicting the sign of the cross on oneself, by irreverent veneration of St. icons and shrines of the Lord.
To the detriment of prayer, reading the Gospel, Psalms and spiritual literature, I watched TV...
Cowardly silence when people blasphemed in front of me, shame to be baptized and confess the Lord in front of people (this is one of the types of renunciation of Christ).
He spoke about God without reverence and humility.
Sinned:
In vital matters, he did not consult with the priest and elders (which led to irreparable mistakes).
Being under the guidance of his spiritual father, he lived according to his own sinful will.
Gave advice without knowing whether it pleased God.
Passionate love for people, things, activities...
I tempted those around me with my sins (my unchristian behavior blasphemed the name of the Lord).
Sinned:
Violation of fasts, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays (they are equal in importance to Great Lent, as days of remembrance of the sufferings of Christ).
Saturation in food and drink, secret eating, delicacy (addiction to sweets).
Ate the blood of animals (bloodweed...).
On a fast day, the festive or funeral table was modest. He commemorated the deceased with vodka.
Sinned:
Superstition (belief in dreams, omens, horoscopes...).
Appealing to "grandmothers" (pouring wax, swinging eggs, pouring out fear...), psychics (for what?).
I drank and ate what was said by fortune tellers and psychics.
He defiled himself with urine therapy.
Fortune-telling with cards (tarot...), enchantment (for what?).
He was afraid of sorcerers more than of God.
Coding (why?).
Passion for Eastern religions, occultism or Satanism (specify what).
By attending sectarian, occult... meetings.
Yoga, meditation, Ivanov dousing..., martial arts.**
Reading and storage of occult literature prohibited by the Church: magic, palmistry, horoscopes, dream books, prophecies of Nostradamus, literature of Eastern religions, the teachings of Blavatsky and the Roerichs, Lazarev's "Diagnostics of Karma", Andreev's "Rose of the World", Aksenov, Klizovsky, Vladimir Megre, Taranov, Sviyazh , Vereshchagina, Garafini Makoviy, Asaulyak***...
Forcing (advice) and others to contact them and do it (indicate what the advice was given for).
** Worship of the spirit of the teacher, the hall, pagan-occult teaching about the disclosure of “inner capabilities” leads to communication with demons, possession...
***The Orthodox Church warns that occultism has nothing in common with the teachings of Christ the Savior, and that the works of the above and other occult authors are a wolf pit prepared by the devil for the inexperienced and arrogant in their pride. A Christian through the occult, entering into deep communication with demons, falls away from God and destroys his soul).
Sinned:
Laziness towards work and everything good deed.
I did not visit the lonely, the sick, the elderly, children in orphanages, prisoners....
The desire for bodily peace, restlessness in bed.
Sorrow that I cannot enjoy a worldly, sinful, luxurious life.
Addiction to gambling, shows and entertainment (cards*, dominoes, computer games, TV, cinemas, video salons, discos, cafes, bars, restaurants, casinos...).
Drinking until drunk, using foul language, smoking**, using drugs.
Listening to pop and rock music (excites base feelings).
(*Regardless of type card game or fortune telling, the atheistic symbolism of the cards is intended to blasphemously mock the suffering of Christ the Savior.
** Among the American Indians, smoking tobacco had a ritual meaning - the worship of demon spirits. By smoking tobacco, a Christian is a traitor to God and a demon worshiper).
Sinned:
By reading and viewing (in books, magazines, films...) erotic shamelessness and sadism.
I watched immodest games, shows, dances*, and danced myself.
He took part in “beauty” competitions, fashion models, masquerades (“malanka”, “driving a goat”, “Halloween” festival..), as well as in dances accompanied by shamelessness (specify which).
He did not move away from sinful encounters and temptation.
Slowed down and enjoyed the lustful dreams and memories of past sins.
Lustful views and free treatment of persons of the other sex (immodesty, hugs, kisses, unclean touching of the body...).
Fornication (sexual intercourse before marriage).
Prodigal perversions (handjob (masturbation), postures, oral and anal fornication).
Sins of Sodom (homo..., lesbianism, bestiality, incest (fornication with relatives)...).
Selling your body, pimping, renting out premises for fornication.
Following the godless customs of this world, and also wanting to please and seduce: she cut her hair and dyed her hair (this violated the commandment of God about the appearance of a woman), she dressed shamelessly (in short, with slits, trousers, shorts, too tight, see-through...). In this form, without respect for the shrine, she dared to enter the temple of God.
He was immodest in his gestures, body movements, and gait.
Swimming and sunbathing in the presence of people of the other sex (contradicts the concepts of Christian chastity).
Deliberate temptation to sin (which one?).
(*They led to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, after which dancing for Christians is a mockery of the memory of the Prophet).
Sinned:
Adultery (cheating in marriage).
Not married.
Lustful intemperance in marital relations (during fasting, Sundays and holidays, during pregnancy, on days of female impurity).
In marital relations he committed perversions (specify which ones).
Using contraceptives*.
Wanting to live for his own pleasure and avoiding life's difficulties, he killed his children (abortion).
Advising (forcing**) others to have an abortion.
Was the cause of family scandals, insulted family members....
Not the desire to bear joint responsibilities for raising children and maintaining the household, parasitism, wasting money, sending children to an orphanage...
(*The spiral and pills kill the conceived fetus at a very early stage. This is the same abortion, only without surgery.
**Men who forced women to have abortions, or acquiesced, are also child killers. Doctors who perform abortions are murderers, and assistants are accomplices).
Sinned:
He ruined the souls of children, preparing them only for earthly life (he did not teach them about God and faith, did not instill in them the love of church and home prayer, fasting, humility, obedience and other commandments of God, as well as a sense of duty, honor, responsibility..., didn’t look at what they read, who they are friends with, what they do, how they behave.).
Punished them too harshly (taking out anger and irritation, and not for correction, calling them names, cursing).
He seduced children with his sins (swearing, foul language, gossip, watching immoral TV shows, intimate relationships... in their presence).
Sinned:
Disobedience to parents, elders and bosses, insulting them.
Negligent care for elderly (sick) parents, relatives... (left without supervision, food, money, medicine..., transferred to a nursing home...).
Whims, stubbornness, contradiction, self-will, self-justification.
Laziness towards studying.
Was careless about his work (public position).
He used his talents and social position (work) not for the glory of God and the benefit of people, but for personal gain.
Embezzled state and collective property.
Giving and accepting bribes, extortion (which could lead to harm to public and private tragedies).
Harassment of subordinates (for what purpose?).
Having a leadership position, he did not care about suppressing non-Christian customs (corrupting the morality of the people); teaching immoral subjects in schools...
Did not provide all possible assistance to the Orthodox Church (was indifferent to the dominance of the Orthodox people by false faiths, did not contribute to the spread of Orthodoxy, did not protect church shrines, did not provide assistance in the construction and repair of churches and monasteries, cleaning church territory...).
Sinned:
I judge the living and the dead (but I don’t see my sins).
Idle talk (empty talk about the vanity of life...).
Telling and listening to vulgar and blasphemous jokes (about God, the Church and clergy).
Excessive laughter, laughter, showing off your own wit in front of people, leading them to laugh.
Calling on the name of God in vain (unnecessarily, in empty talk, jokes).
Condemnation of priests and monks.
By listening and retelling gossip about clergy and Church affairs (through this the name of God was blasphemed among people through me).
Disclosure of other people's sins and weaknesses, slander, spreading bad rumors and gossip.
Lies, deceit, failure to fulfill promises given to God (people).
Fighting God, a false oath, false testimony in court. Unfair trial (acquittal of criminals and condemnation of the innocent...).
Sinned:
Theft (what kind?).
Love of money (addiction to money and wealth).
Non-payment of debts.
Greed, stinginess for alms (and I spend money on whims and vain entertainments without stint).
I did not use the surplus of my income for spiritual benefits (alms, buying spiritual books...).
Self-interest (using someone else's..., benefiting from everything).
Wanting to get rich, he gave money at interest.
He ruined people's souls by selling vodka, cigarettes, drugs, contraceptives, immodest clothes, porn...
Fried, weighed, passed off bad goods as good... (indicate other sins of your trade).
Sinned:
Self-love, envy, suspicion, gloating, flattery, hypocrisy, deceit, people-pleasing, insincerity. I listened to slander with pleasure and agreement.
Approval and justification of sin.
Forcing others to sin (lie, steal, spy, inform, retell, eavesdrop, drink alcohol...).
Participation in bad things and conversations.
By doing good for show, by the desire for fame, gratitude, praise. Seeking primacy and respect...
Playing sports* and martial arts for the sake of fame, money, robbery (racketeering)...
Boasting, admiring oneself (appearance, abilities, clothes...).
Out of pride, he humiliated his neighbors with ridicule (jokes), stupid jokes...
Laughed at the poor, the crippled, the misfortune of others...
(*professional sport damages health and destroys the soul by developing pride, vanity, superiority, contempt, thirst for enrichment...).
Sinned:
Pride.
Touchiness.
Grudge.
Vengefulness.
Hatred.
Intransigence.
Enmity.
Hot temper.
Anger.
Rough treatment of neighbors.
Impudence and impudence (climbing out of turn, pushing).
Swearing (including swearing, with reference to evil spirits).
Assault, beating.
Murder.
Purchasing a driving license.
Violation of traffic rules.
Driving while drunk... (thus endangering people's lives).
Causing harm to one's neighbor (what kind?).
Not protecting the weak, the beaten, women from violence...
Cruelty to animals.
A cold and insensitive confession.
I sin deliberately, trampling on my convicting conscience. There is no firm determination to correct your sinful life.
I repent that I offended the Lord with my sins, I sincerely regret this and will try to improve.
(Since remembering all sins during confession would s It’s difficult, you can write them all down on a piece of paper and read them out during confession.)
The priest often has to stand at the lectern with the Cross and the Gospel not to accept the confession of the penitents, but to listen to speeches of self-justification and condemnation of neighbors (relatives, co-workers, neighbors, etc.) This happens partly due to the Orthodox misunderstanding of the meaning of the sacrament of Confession, partly due to the tedious unwillingness to talk to your conscience, to remove the filth of sin and wash it with repentance.
Confession is not a conversation about your shortcomings, doubts, or telling your confessor about your life. Confession is repentance of the heart, born of a thirst for cleansing from the filth of sin. We come to confession with the intention of receiving forgiveness of sins from the Lord God through the priest. So know that your confession is empty, fruitless, invalid and even offensive to the Lord if you go to confession without any preparation, without testing your conscience, for shame or another reason you hide your sins, you confess formally, coldly, mechanically, without having a firm intention to improve.
Here is what needs to be done in preparation for the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist (Communion):
3 days - fasting (food of animal origin is excluded, abstaining from entertainment).
Follow the following prayer rule:
MORNING PRAYERS
PRAYERS FOR THE SLEEP OF THE COMING
CANON:
REPENTANCE TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
PRAYER TO THE HOLY VIRGIN
GUARDIAN ANGEL
Using the book THE EXPERIENCE OF CONSTRUCTING A CONFESSION, compose a confession on paper.
In the days of preparation for confession, one must attend divine services in church and read the GOSPEL.
After CONFESSION, before COMMUNION, read in the evening:
PRAYERS FOR THE SLEEP OF THE COMING
CANON FOR HOLY COMMUNION.
After midnight they no longer eat or drink, because it is customary to begin the SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION on an empty stomach (you cannot smoke).
In the morning read: MORNING PRAYERS
FOLLOWING HOLY COMMUNION, except for the canon read the day before.
At the end of the service, you must hurry home, read the PRAYERS OF THANKS FOR HOLY COMMUNION and spend the rest of the day reading spiritual books and helping your neighbors, protecting yourself from empty talk and entertainment.
Prayer book
“The experience of constructing a confession.” I. Peasant.
New Testament
Communion is a mysterious, incomprehensible to the mind, the deepest and closest connection with God possible for a person through the partaking of the greatest shrine - the Eucharistic Gifts, Bread and Wine - the true Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is necessary to begin this most holy Sacrament, if possible, monthly, but not less than 4 times a year. One must carefully prepare for it so that Communion does not lead to judgment or condemnation.
When preparing for communion, be sure to make peace with everyone with whom you had a conflict or quarrel. Taking communion in hostility is a grave sin.
On the eve of the day of communion, it is necessary to attend the evening service. This is an indispensable condition for preparation for the sacrament of Communion.
The Sacrament of Communion must necessarily be preceded by the Sacrament of Confession.
The communicant must wear a cross on his body.
One should approach the Holy Chalice with reverence, without pushing anyone, realizing one’s unworthiness. Cross your arms across your chest, right over left. Do not be baptized in front of the Chalice. state your full name given at baptism. Take St. carefully. Gifts, kiss the edge of the Chalice and calmly move away. The gifts should be chewed and swallowed immediately if necessary. Then wash down the Gifts with “warmth” and eat a piece of prosphora.
Usually people inexperienced in spiritual life do not see either the plurality of their sins or their vileness - “I didn’t do anything special, I only have minor sins, like everyone else - I didn’t steal, I didn’t kill.” What about self-esteem? Intolerance to reproaches? Callousness? People-pleasing, weakness of faith, lack of love for one's neighbor? Are these all unimportant sins? Let's take a closer look at ourselves, remember what our relatives and friends usually reproach us for. Very often their accusations and reproaches are fair. Have we achieved meekness, freedom from anger, humility? Do we love every person as commanded by the Savior?
Knowing your sins does not mean repenting of them. True, the Lord accepts confession: - sincere and conscientious, even if it is not accompanied strong feeling repentance, if we confess this sin of ours - the petrified insensitivity of the heart - courageously and frankly, without hypocrisy. And yet, contrition of heart, sorrow for our sins is the most important thing that we can bring to confession. To soften our hearts and sharpen the feeling of repentance, we need prayerful preparations for confession and fasting. Fasting disrupts bodily well-being and complacency, which is disastrous for spiritual life, loosens the soil of our heart, which can then absorb prayer, the word of God, the lives of saints, the works of the Holy Fathers, and this, in turn, will give us strength to fight sin and do good deeds .
There is no need to wait for questions during confession, you need to make the effort yourself, because confession is a feat and self-compulsion. We must speak precisely, without obscuring the ugliness of sin with general expressions. We must give up attempts to justify ourselves with “mitigating circumstances,” and give up references to others who allegedly led us into sin. Confession must be complete, that is, we must confess all our sins, without hiding anything or putting it off “for later.” Unrepentant sins constantly burden the soul and prepare it for eternal damnation. One should be ashamed to commit a sin, and not repent of it. Don’t you dare think that your sins are so great that it’s not worth repenting. Who accepts our repentance? Who heals our sinful ulcers? Almighty God. Almighty Doctor! And as such, He makes forgiveness possible for all the most serious sins.
It is wrong to think that after confessing our many sins, the priest will begin to neglect us as sinners. On the contrary, any priest rejoices at the sincere repentance of a sinner, just as a good shepherd rejoices when he finds a lost sheep. Knowing our ailments, he will be more likely to help us, to indicate a way to heal from our sinful ulcers.
based on materials from Orthodox websites.