The Orthodox faith presupposes the obligatory participation of Christians in church life. But simply going to church every Sunday will not have much meaning if a person does not participate in the fullness of church life and does not become one body with the Church. How can this be done?
We have been given great joy through which we can truly unite with the Lord, and which contains the whole meaning of Christianity - this is the Sacrament of Communion. Why is it so important and how to start it correctly? Let's look at it in this article.
What is the Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ
We see a description of the First Communion in the Gospel itself, when the Lord gave his disciples blessed bread and wine, commanding them to do so forever.
This is one of the most important quotes in the Gospel of Luke, which talks about the establishment by our Lord Jesus Christ himself of the great Sacrament of the Eucharist (which translated from Greek means “thanksgiving”). The events described in the Gospel took place in Maundy Thursday, at the Last Supper, just shortly before Christ’s death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection.
Meaning of Communion for Orthodox man is enormous and cannot be compared with any other rules, rituals or traditions of our church. It is in this Sacrament that a person has the opportunity to reunite with God not only spiritually (as in prayer), but also physically. We can say that the Eucharist is an opportunity to recreate the spiritual essence of a person, it is an opportunity to grasp the invisible connection between the Creator and creation.
The mystery of the Eucharist cannot be comprehended by a simple human mind, but it can be admitted through the heart and soul. Communion is inextricably linked with the Sacrifice that the Lord made on the Cross. Through the shedding of His Holy Blood, man received atonement for his sins and the opportunity to inherit eternal life. In the Sacrament of Communion, a bloodless sacrifice is made at each service, and a person comes into direct contact with God himself.
Important! Communion is not some kind of symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper, as can often be heard among Protestants.
Orthodoxy teaches that the Eucharist is the eating of the real Body and real blood Christ's, only under the guise of bread and wine. The famous theologian and professor A.I. Osipov explains that during special prayers, which are said by the priest in the altar, a union of two different natures occurs - physical and spiritual.
IN physical sense we eat bread and wine, but at the same time they carry within themselves an absolutely real and living God. This is a complex theological point that is not always clear to ordinary believers, but this is precisely the basis of Orthodoxy. Communion is not a ritual, not a symbol, not a form. This is the real, living Lord, whom we literally let into ourselves.
In a practical sense, this Sacrament looks like this. The priest at the altar reads special prayers, during which pieces are taken out of the consecrated prosphora in memory of those whose names were given in the notes. These particles are put into a special bowl and filled with wine. All this sacred rite is accompanied by special prayers. After consecration, the Body and Blood of Christ are brought out in front of the altar and the people who were preparing can begin to receive Communion.
Why do you need to take communion?
Often in the church environment you can hear the opinion that if a person prays, keeps the commandments, tries to live according to his conscience, then this is enough to be considered a good Christian. To be considered may be enough, but to be a real Christian, you need more.
The Eucharist is the eating of the real Body and real Blood of Christ, only under the guise of bread and wine
You can give the following analogy: a person loves someone. He loves deeply, sincerely, with all his soul. What will all the lover’s thoughts be about? That's right - about how to connect with your loved one, to be with him every moment and every hour. It’s the same with God - if we are Christians, then we love Him with all our souls, and we try to build our lives in such a way as to always be close to Him.
And now the Lord himself gives us a great Miracle - the ability to fit Himself into our sinful bodies. Contain as often as we want. So can we be called believers if we ourselves refuse this meeting, avoid it? Why then is everything else needed if we do not recognize the Living God?
All the holy fathers of our church unanimously spoke about the importance of Communion for the life of an Orthodox person. Even those monks who led a solitary hermit life periodically came out to the brethren to participate in the Eucharist. For them, this doing was a natural need of the soul, like breathing, food or sleep for the body.
Important! We must strive to absorb Communion so deeply that it becomes an integral part of the spiritual life of a Christian.
You need to understand that all the Sacraments of the church are not strict rules, introduced by God for our taming. All these are instruments of our salvation that are necessary for man himself. God always stands next to every person and is always ready to enter his soul. But man himself, through his life, does not allow the Lord into himself, drives Him away, does not leave room for Him in his soul. And the path of Orthodox church life with obligatory participation in the Sacraments is a way to open your soul to God so that he can settle there.
Communion practice: preparation, frequency, features
The greatest number of questions among believers is raised by the practical side of participation in the fullness of church life. Since Orthodoxy is not a formal faith of prohibitions, there are a large number of different opinions and approaches to Communion.
The most important sacrament Orthodox Church is a participle
Some priests may also give various recommendations in this regard, based on their pastoral experience and the benefit for a particular person. Don't be embarrassed by this a large number different opinions. In essence, they boil down to one goal - for a person to worthily let the Lord into his life.
As for the official position of the Church on the participation of believers in the Eucharist, there is a special document that clarifies all the main points. It is called “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist” and was signed by representatives of the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2015.
According to this document, the frequency, rules of preparation and other requirements for believers before and after receiving the Mysteries of Christ are determined by spiritual mentors based on the characteristics of a particular person’s life. Let us consider below the features of communion for modern Christians.
How to properly prepare for the Sacrament?
Communion is a very important and responsible moment in spiritual life, and therefore requires special preparation. How do we prepare for some special days in worldly life, so we must set aside time to prepare for a meeting with God.
According to the rules of our Church, before Communion all believers are required to fast and have a special prayer rule. Fasting is needed in order to pacify our flesh a little, quench its passions and subordinate it to spiritual needs. Prayer calls us to dialogue with the Lord, to communicate with Him.
Before Communion, all believers are required to have a special prayer rule
If you take an Orthodox prayer book, you can see that before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, believers need to read a special rule. It includes the Follow-up to Holy Communion, as well as several canons and akathists. These prayers are usually read in addition to the basic morning and evening prayer rules.
A new Christian who has decided to participate in the Eucharist for the first time in his life may find it very difficult to read such a large volume of prayer texts. In addition, such backbreaking work will lead to despondency, great fatigue and a lack of understanding of the meaning.
Important! Any prayers, including those preparatory to Communion, must be read carefully, heartily, letting every word pass through your soul. Mechanical proofreading in pursuit of greater volume is completely unacceptable.
Therefore, a person who has decided to take communion for the first time needs to consult with an experienced priest about the feasible volume of prayers. It is much better to read a small rule, but with attention, than to read everything, but without completely understanding what is being said.
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Fasting is abstaining from eating animal products, as well as limiting idleness, entertainment and fun. There is no need to think that fasting is a sad state of banning all joys in life. On the contrary, fasting helps a person to cleanse his soul so that it can contain the real Joy of God.
The measure of fasting before the Eucharist is as individual as the prayer rule. If a person has not previously had experience of restriction, then it makes no sense to impose a week-long fast on him before Communion. This will only lead to the person losing his temper, giving up everything and completely changing his mind about going to church.
Important! It is a generally accepted practice for believers to fast for three days before Communion. In addition, you need to go to church on an empty stomach and not eat or drink anything else until you partake of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The number of days of fasting may vary depending on the frequency of communion. If a person rarely begins the Sacrament, for example, several times a year, or once during Lent, then, of course, fasting can be longer (from several days to a week). If a person leads a rich spiritual life and tries to take communion every Sunday or every trip to church, he simply will not be able to fast for that long.
Before Communion, believers fast
For Orthodox Christians who very often participate in the Eucharist, it is permissible to shorten the fast to one day the day before. In any case, it is advisable to resolve such issues not on your own, but on the advice of an experienced priest. On the one hand, it is important not to take on impossible feats, and on the other hand, not to be lazy. An attentive confessor will be able to determine the correct line.
Confession
Despite the fact that confession is a separate Sacrament, it is inextricably linked with the Eucharist. Orthodox tradition has always been based on the obligation of confession before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Confession before communion is quite logical, because even while waiting for guests to come to our home, we put things in order and remove the dirt. How can we let the Lord into us without first cleansing our soul with repentance?
Important! Many holy fathers warn that if a person does not feel the inner need for frequent confession, then he is in a state of spiritual sleep.
Confession, when accompanied by sincere repentance, cleanses the soul and removes the burden of heavy sins. A person gets rid of everything unnecessary and can let the Lord into himself. Confession is necessary every time a person approaches the Eucharist, regardless of its frequency.
Relaxations in preparation
Despite the strictness of all the necessary preparatory aspects, some believers can relax the rules. Thus, sick people can reduce or even cancel the Eucharistic fast if, for health reasons, they cannot do without food.
For example, with diabetes mellitus, a person should receive food strictly in certain time. What to do if a believer cannot go to church on an empty stomach in the morning? Of course, it is better to eat a little than to deprive yourself of God.
And also certain concessions are allowed for pregnant and nursing mothers. They already carry out the physical feat, and there is no need to intensify it. Young children under 7 years of age are allowed to receive communion without fasting or any special preparations.
Old people, due to their weakness, can also ask the priest for permission to reduce the number of prayers or days of fasting. The essence of preparation is not to tire yourself out with the lack of usual food and very long prayers, but, on the contrary, to imbue yourself with joy from a future meeting with God.
It is very important to begin to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ not formally, but realizing that we are in contact with a great Miracle. A sincere, heartfelt approach can give a person great spiritual gifts and a sense of the presence of God in life.
How to prepare for confession and communion
It would seem that everything that Christians need to do is generally known and has long been described in the Gospel - from which at least Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is somehow familiar to most of us.
But there are much fewer who know that Christ at the Last Supper gave Christians another very important institution - to perform the Sacrament of Communion.
What is this, and why can’t Christians imagine their lives without this Sacrament?
The very sound of the words “Sacrament of Communion” speaks of their meaning - in this Sacrament, Christians become involved in something. But to what? What are they a part of now?
Vaccination against death
In the Soviet years, it was believed that there was no “soul” in a person - there was only a body and some psychological processes in it, and if they were thoroughly studied, then scientific materialism would finally triumph. But the vast majority of the planet’s population is still far from such theories and knows very well that a person consists not only of a body, but also of a spirit and soul. So Christians believe that we exist only in the totality of these components - after all, it is impossible to call either a cold corpse or the soul of a deceased person who has lost his body a living person. Death, as is obvious to everyone, kills us, deprives us of integrity, and the tragedy of mortality frightens people all the more because deep down in our souls everyone has a living feeling - we were created to never die. After all, if death were inherent in our nature, thoughts about the upcoming departure would not weigh on us, and death would be the natural end of our life.
But even while a person lives, he is often separated from other people and from God by a mass of obstacles, based on a lack of love and a reluctance to communicate with the world. You can argue about whether it is possible to hide from death and hatred during life, you can simply close your eyes to the problem - but it is already useless to argue about what will happen to us after death: from there no one returned. Christians believe that after death a person's condition will be determined by how he lived earthly life,” and reflecting on possible bliss after death, one of the wise said that one cannot enter heaven alone. In other words, if a person lives selfishly and at the same time hopes to learn what love for God and people is, then most likely he will not succeed.
Christians call salvation the overcoming of the gap between man and God, the return of man to the state for which he was conceived - to eternal happiness, which only love gives, or, as they also say, to eternal life. And since the Source of all life in the world is our Creator and no one else, a person can only be saved by communing with this Source, uniting with Him. This is what communion means - in this Sacrament a person is united with God. Without such a “vaccination” of life, humanity would have no chance of recovering from death. But how is this possible?
Memento mori
The service during which the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is celebrated, is called the Divine Liturgy. The word “Liturgy” itself, translated from Greek, means “common cause” - which already indicates that this service, unlike others, can only be performed by Christians together, and in unanimity and peace with each other.
Death and hatred divide people, sin and time kill us one by one. Christ does the opposite: He just connects people, and not in a mechanical way, as in some kind of barracks, but connects them in His Body, where everyone is in his place and every organ is needed. The Church as a collection of Christians is the Body of Christ.
But what exactly makes a body a body? After all, the body is not a random collection of disparate members, but their organic unity. Christians receive this unity with each other and with God precisely in communion with Christ. How this happens is a mystery; the human mind is unable to understand it, so communion is logically called a Sacrament.
And communion became possible precisely because the Creator visibly entered the reality He created - as if an artist entered a picture that he himself painted. God became man so that man could become god, - this thought is found in many Church Fathers and perfectly expresses the very essence of Christianity. If we perceive Christ as a simple teacher of morality, then Christianity completely loses its meaning and turns into, albeit lofty, but useless for getting rid of death, moralizing. That is, in order for not only the words, but also the deeds of Jesus of Nazareth to become the path to salvation for us, it is necessary to recognize Christ as God, who suffered and was crucified for us.
Just as during the Last Supper, when the Savior instituted the Sacrament of Communion, so today in all Orthodox churches Bread and Wine, prepared and consecrated in a special way, are blessed and offered to God with the request that the Holy Spirit, as before, descend on these holy Gifts and make the Bread the Body of Christ, and the Wine His Blood. It is under the guise of Bread and Wine that Christians partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, and these are not “terms” or some pompous words; this is the same Body that was crucified on the Cross, and the same Blood that the Lord shed for us on Calvary. For us, who are made of flesh and blood, there is no other way to fully and truly unite with God and cannot exist. Prayer, good deeds, fulfilling the commandments, the desire to improve in goodness - this is only the path to communion, necessary condition, but not yet an end in itself. The goal, the meaning of Christianity is Christ Himself, participation in Him.
By the way, it's no coincidence Last Supper committed by Christ immediately before the sufferings of the Cross - one is very closely connected with the other. The service during which the Sacrament occurs contains not only the remembrance of the entire life of Christ, but also a direct connection with His crucifixion. Christians believe that although the Sacrifice on Calvary was offered once, its fruits are enjoyed by every person who communes with Christ. This does not mean that the Sacrifice is repeated, because it has already been accomplished once, Christ has already been crucified. But worship brings timelessness, eternity into the earthly plane of our existence; it projects this Sacrifice onto every moment of our existence.
The important thing is that the communion of a person with God in the Sacrament of Communion is not accomplished “individually” at all: in the Sacrament of Communion all Christians are united with the One and the Same Christ - which means they become united with each other, even closer than brothers and sisters. And this is also how people unite with the Heavenly Church, that is, with all the already dead Christians who are tasting the fruits of Christ’s victory over death.
During the celebration of the Sacrament, the barrier between earth and heaven and life completely loses its meaning - after all, this border does not exist in Christ. This is the deepest spiritual reality, the very core of church life. Everything else - prayer, fulfilling the commandments, good deeds - is just a path, and communion is the result of the path.
A right, not an obligation
From the very beginning of the history of the Church, when Christians did not yet have a coherent system of theology, public recognition, magnificent churches and beautiful iconostases, the Sacrament of Communion was the same in those days - because in order for it to be performed, it is necessary, in addition to the actual Bread and Wine, just two things.
Firstly, it is necessary for the priest to have apostolic succession, that is, for the covenant of Christ to be fulfilled, with which the Lord addressed His disciples: do this in remembrance of Me(OK 22
:19). Christ did not go out into the square and say, “Everyone who hears me, do this.” He said this only to his disciples, and from the very first days such an order was established in the Church that when a community of Christians gathered, the apostle or his successor, who received the grace of the priesthood from the apostle himself, performed the Liturgy - a divine service during which communion occurs. Such continuity is preserved in the Orthodox Church to this day - each bishop is supplied by already existing bishops, and so from the very beginning, from apostolic times and from the apostles of Christ themselves.
And secondly, there must be a community that participates in worship and communion. Previously, this participation in the course of the service itself was more significant (for example, community members themselves brought bread and wine), but now the community is represented mainly by the priest, clergy and choir. Of course, we must hope for the revival of strong parishes; but the Sacrament itself still does not suffer at all, because Christ performs it, and the priest only clergyman, he only co-serves God. The Lord Himself performs this Sacrament, He established it - and the priest during the service does not at all repeat the actions of Christ, does not reproduce, as in the movies, historical event. It’s just that everything that God has done already exists in eternity, and every time in the Sacrament our ordinary time is connected with this eternity. That's what it is Kingdom of Heaven come in power, according to Christ (Mark 9:1).
But in no case can the Sacrament of Communion be understood magically - as a “vaccination” of a child against diseases, as some kind of obligatory rite, or as a dreary and difficult “duty” of a Christian. The opportunity to receive communion with Christ is a great and priceless gift, and if someone is not yet ready to accept it with reverence, fear and faith, then it is better not to rush, but to wait and be better prepared. The Apostle Paul even said: Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying.(1 Cor. 11
:27-30). It is very dangerous to approach the sacrament without proper reasoning and examination of your conscience - this way you can achieve not life with Christ, but a completely opposite effect. It would even be more accurate to say that those who sincerely receive communion for the sake of life with Christ receive this life from Him. And for those who do not really strive for Christ, perhaps only the Lord Himself knows what they can achieve in this way.
Does gratitude have boundaries?
The sacrament of communion is called differently The sacrament of the Eucharist. "Eucharist" in Greek - "thanksgiving". This indicates that the performance of the Sacrament presupposes a person’s love for God and gratitude to Him for all His gifts given to man - and, first of all, for the fact that He gave us Himself, completely, without reserve. Naturally, such gratitude is unthinkable without communion of the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ, therefore the expressions “Sacrament of Communion” and “Sacrament of the Eucharist” are almost always interchangeable.
The Sacrament of Communion has several other names, reflecting its various aspects. And one of these names, very common, is the Eucharist, that is, translated from Greek language- Thanksgiving. What does this mean? Christians simply believe that everything that is in our lives was given to man by God; everything “ours” actually belongs only to Him. Therefore, not some material sacrifices, but simple gratitude - this, perhaps, is the most important manifestation of a person’s love for God. In human communication, love is often mixed with many things - with the need for a person, with the need for his support, sometimes even some material things- care, maintenance. Of course, we love each other for this too, but the purest form of love is still thanksgiving. Gratitude is perhaps one of the most selfless and pure human feelings.
During the service, a prayer of sincere gratitude to God for the entire created world and care for it on behalf of the entire community is solemnly pronounced by the priest in the altar. And only after this thanksgiving does he ask that the Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is how the fall of mankind is healed in humility - through gratitude and love for God.
It can be argued that God is self-sufficient and can do without our praise. But gratitude to God is needed by the person himself - after all, when a person says at least “thank you” to God, then these are always far from just words or some kind of forced manifestation of etiquette - they say, God did something for you, and you should thank Him, be kind On the contrary, every such word to God, spoken sincerely, seems to permeate our entire existence, changing something in the innermost depths of the soul. Therefore, when we thank God, we thereby do a good deed for ourselves, and there is joy in Heaven from this (see Luke 15
:10), after all, God is our Father, and He loves us, this is naturally.
The peculiarity of selfless Divine love is that God knows perfectly well that we cannot give Him anything even remotely equal or comparable to what He did for us. As King David says to God in the Bible - You don't need my benefits(Ps 15
:2). God simply wants us to be ourselves—the way He intended us to be.
And the first step towards becoming who God wants us to be is being honest with ourselves. The beginning of such honesty lies, for example, in the fact that a person can admit to himself that he still goes to church not because he loves God so much, but because he needs something from God. If you tell yourself honestly at least this, a lot in life can already change.
Natural miracle
In the language of the New Testament (i.e., Greek) the word "Church" sounds like "ekklesia", which means "meeting, convocation". In other words, the concept of “church” does not express some kind of frozen administrative structure, but permanent action- people coming to God, gathering them together for life together and salvation.
Most often, in practice, Christianity is understood this way: a person lives everyday life, “like everyone else,” and on some day plans to attend church. Before this, he begins to tensely abstain from something, prepares, prays, then comes to confession, throws off the burden of worldly life, joins the high, leaves the temple... and the process begins anew again. But such Christian life is supposedly divided into two parts: temple life and non-temple life. Temple life is usually considered the highest, they consider themselves obligated to prepare for it, but profane, worldly life - it simply exists, there is no escape from it; as they say, “life takes its toll.”
This is completely wrong. Saint Theophan the Recluse writes that the norm of life for a Christian is this: what you are during the Sacrament, so you should be in Everyday life. Of course, if these words are placed in the ideology of “going to church” described above, you can simply get scared - after all, this would seem to mean constantly living in some kind of terrible psychological tension? And so - there is at least some kind of “sinusoid”, tension-relaxation, akin to some kind of sports exercises... A person tenses up - makes a jump - rests, and so on all the time. But in fact, the Christian life should flow smoothly. In no case does this mean that participation in the Sacrament of Communion should be belittled - on the contrary, life should be elevated to it.
Sometimes they try to do this in a disciplinary way - by not eating certain foods, by intensively reading the prayer book, etc., but mainly we need to act differently, because the essence is different - Christ gives us the gift of life, which we must bring to the world. For example, in order to participate in pagan cults, some kind of special sacred preparation was needed. But Christ seems to turn everything on its head: he does not require any such special preparation - only Bread and Wine, elementary, natural things, eat and drink. You don’t need to jump over a fire, you don’t need to perform any extraordinary “one-time” rituals on yourself. All you need is get hungry, thirsty God, but this is one of the most natural things in the world. Communion becomes part of a series of everyday activities, but is not reduced to them - on the contrary, thereby everyday life itself rises to the sky.
A Christian must take communion often, and the church canons say that if we do not take communion at least once every three weeks, then we cut ourselves off from the Church. Communion is precisely the daily bread that we vitally need, and that living water, without which we will die. As the Lord Himself said - whoever thirsts, come to Me and drink(In 7
:37).
Grow your soul like a flower
The Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and said: Take, eat, this is My Body, broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
He also took the cup after supper, and said: This cup is the new covenant in My Blood; Do this whenever you drink, in remembrance of Me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.
1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23-26
If a person wants to take communion, he often simply does not know where to start. In fact, everything is simple: in preparation for communion the first and most important condition is the desire to receive communion, the thirst for God, that is, the impossibility of life without Christ. A living feeling that in the Sacrament we are united with Him - and an extreme desire for such a union. This is not just a feeling, it is a constant state of the soul, when it feels insufficient without Christ, and only with Him and in Him does it find tranquility, joy, peace, and the very meaning of its existence. If there is none of this in the soul - or, as more often happens, there is, but in a weak, almost disappearing measure - then the first and main condition for preparing for communion will be to create in oneself, at least in to a small extent, this state of mind, this desire. This is where abstinence, prayer, examination of conscience and many other methods from which a person must choose the most effective for himself will be useful. You definitely need to “stir up” your soul in order to receive communion not because of some collateral reasons or “tradition,” but because of a living feeling of thirst for God - and to maintain this feeling after communion.
The second is an examination of conscience, reconciliation with God. There are things in our lives that are simply incompatible with the Eucharist, with our participation in this Sacrament. This, for example, is a prodigal life, a cruel or indifferent attitude towards people, and similar sins. The test of conscience is that in the light of the Gospel we not only repent of what we recognize as incompatible with communion with Christ, but also resolutely leave it - or, in any case, begin to make efforts so as not to lead a double life: not participate in the main Sacrament of the Church, while living in sin. It is for the testing of conscience and reconciliation with God that it is customary to confess before communion.
Finally, third is reconciliation with people. You cannot approach the Chalice holding a grudge against anyone. Of course, in life there are a variety of situations over which we sometimes have no control, but - as the Apostle says - if possible on your part, be at peace with all people(Rome 12
:18). That is, we, for our part, must make every effort for reconciliation; and it’s even better not to bring things to a situation in which you need to reconcile, but to behave evenly and peacefully with everyone.
In general, in order to determine the possibility or impossibility of communion, a person has a conscience. The priest with whom he will confess will tell him some subtleties, but everything is determined by one thing, in fact - does a person want to be with Christ, does he want to live as Christ commands? If there is such a desire, even to a small degree, then the person is worthy, but if there is no such desire, then it is not clear why he needs to receive communion at all.
Some cautiously say that a person is never worthy, but this does not mean that he can never receive communion and be with God. The Lord did not distribute people according to merit or unworthiness - He freely entered the house of the tax collector Zacchaeus, and ate and talked with sinners, tax collectors and fornicators, although the Pharisees told Him that they were “unworthy.” So if a person really tries to live like a Christian, then he is worthy of communion with Christ, and if not, then he is not worthy. The priest at confession should draw a conclusion about a person’s efforts on the path of Christian life and bless (or not bless) communion in the near future.
Of course, non-members of the Church, that is, unbaptized people, cannot receive communion. Baptism is a Sacrament that allows you to enter the Church, and this is why you need to enter it in order to be able to receive communion. Without communion, baptism is almost like a train ticket from which a person gets off somewhere at a stop. Yes, you can still catch up and sit back in your seat - fortunately you have a ticket. But it’s better to hurry up while the train is still on the way...
The Church also has disciplinary requirements regarding preparation for communion: fasting, attending services, reading prayers (the so-called “Rules for Holy Communion”, it can be found in any church shop) and certain canons. But these are only church rules, and not the dogmas of the Church at all, and they are not absolute. The main thing is that the soul internally corresponds to the Sacrament, to be, as it were, “one spirit” with the Sacrament (even if this correspondence is imperfect, incomplete, or even still exists only in the form of desire). A certain, traditionally established church discipline should help this.
And since all people are different, everyone should have their own disciplinary training. Here everyone has their own measure - one for a blind old man, another for a small child (who, for example, does not need to confess at all until the age of seven), and a completely different one for a healthy young man. The priest will also tell you this during confession. What the Church offers is not a literal obligation, but a certain average measure, traditional, historically established. We need to look at the situation as a whole: if we definitely need to pray more concentratedly before communion, impose some kind of fast on ourselves - so we put these needs into a rule: whoever can - observes everything completely, who can - more, and who can't - less, without any embarrassment. In the first place is internal maturation, the maturation of the soul; It is for this reason that external efforts are made, and not in order to subtract to the letter what is required. In general, all external forms in the Church must be animated and filled with internal prayerful meaning, otherwise the Sacraments and the Church will turn into a painful and difficult formality, and external rules we will replace living life with God blessing.
Homecoming
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
on the last day. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink.
He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Gospel of John,
chapter 6, verses 53-56
But what happens to a person after he communes with Christ? Is it necessary or can we expect any noticeable immediate consequences?
Everything happens differently with everyone, and, of course, very personally (even intimately). But usually, if a person prepares conscientiously - that is, he not only “reads” all the prayers, but also desires a meeting with Christ - of course, the Lord makes him feel that the Meeting has taken place. And this can no longer be explained in words...
But it happens that a person does not feel anything at all - perhaps precisely because he specifically wanted to feel something. The Lord seems to be saying: “You wanted not only Me, but also some kind of religious experience? No need, it’s unnecessary.” So you should not expect ecstasy or some kind of “ascension in spirit”; it is better to think more about how not to lose the gift that has already been given.
But then, what, in essence, happens to a person at the very moment of communion and after? The Lord says in the Gospel: you can't do anything without Me(In 15
:5). What does it mean? We are quite capable of digging the earth, for example, or working in some other way, of course. But here we cannot fulfill the commandments of Christ without Him Himself. The co-creation of God and man is carried out through the fact that we accept Christ into ourselves, and together with Him we begin to create the commandments and live by them. Together with God, we begin to create humility, love, mercy in ourselves, we become alive in the full sense of the word.
Communion is also the only true educational means. When a Christian feels that God is leaving him, for him it is the same as losing himself. loved one It’s the same if one of two lovers loses the other. This is a tragedy, and nothing else simply exists at such a moment - all thoughts are only about how to return lost love. So it is here: if communication with God is cut off, a person is only looking for how to return God to his heart. For this, the Church offers ascetic means - fasting, prayer, reflection on Scripture. The severe feats of the hermit monks were such precisely because their measure of communion with God was so high that the slightest deviation of God from their hearts forced them to bear the deepest repentance.
And at our level the best remedy return home to loving Father- this, of course, for a start, is not just decent or honest, but also an active moral life according to the Gospel. And as a result - communion with Christ.
The simplest and most beautiful things, in fact.
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion through prayer, fasting and repentance.
Preparation for Communion includes:
Fasting before Communion;
Attendance at the evening service on the eve of Communion;
Reading a specific prayer rule;
Abstinence from food and drink on the day of Communion itself, from midnight until Communion itself;
Admission to Communion by a priest at confession;
Presence at the entire Divine Liturgy.
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 the church, if circumstances permit, and more diligently follow the home prayer rule: whoever usually does not read everything, let him read everything in full; whoever does not read the canons, let him read at least one canon on these days.
For prayer preparation for Holy Communion you need to read:
On the eve of Communion, you must be at the evening service. If this did not happen for reasons beyond your control, then try to tell the priest about it in confession.
After midnight they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach. Read in the morning morning prayers and Follow-up to Holy Communion, except for the canon read the day before.
Those preparing for Holy Communion must make peace with everyone and protect themselves from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation and all indecent thoughts and conversations, spending time, as far as possible, in solitude, reading the Word of God (Gospel) and books of spiritual content.
Before Communion, confession is necessary - either in the evening or in the morning, before the liturgy.
Without confession, no one can be admitted to Holy Communion, except for children under 7 years of age and in cases of mortal danger.
Anyone preparing to receive communion must come to church in advance, before the start of the Liturgy.
The Apostolic Decrees clearly speak about the procedure for receiving the Holy Gifts:
“... let the bishop receive communion, then the presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, ascetics, and among the women - deaconesses, virgins, widows, then children, and then all the people in order, with modesty and reverence, without noise.”
Having received the Holy Mysteries, you should kiss the edge of the Chalice without crossing yourself and immediately go to the table to taste a particle of the antidor and wash it down with warmth. It is not customary to leave the church before kissing the altar cross in the hands of a priest. After that, you need to listen (or read them when you get home).
On the day of Holy Communion, one must behave reverently and decorously in order to “worthily preserve within oneself the Christ received.”
Hegumen Paisiy (Savosin) answers the question:
– Is it necessary to strictly prepare for communion, reading all the canons and fasting, during Bright Week?
As an example of a prayer rule, I can cite the practice of the St. John the Theologian Monastery in Poshchupovo, according to which, for Compline with the canons and for the evening prayers, the Easter hour is chanted (read out) twice (found in the canons and many prayer books), and then the actual following to Holy Communion. Regarding fasting... As the Savior says in the Gospel, “ the sons of the bridal chamber cannot fast when the bridegroom is with them"... And Bright Week... isn't this the time? But, if a person is embarrassed, he can have a plant-based dinner on the eve of Communion.
Features of preparation for Communion for children
The Church does not forbid making significant concessions to children. It would be most correct in each specific case to consult with a priest - while keeping in mind the main thing: visiting church, prayer, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ should bring joy to the child, and not become a difficult and unwanted duty.
In the latter case, upon reaching a certain age, the internal protest raised in the child by overly zealous parents can spill out in the most unexpected and unpleasant forms.
Hieromonk Dorotheos (Baranov):
“First of all, a person who wants to receive Communion must clearly understand for himself what Communion is, what kind of event it is in his life. So that it doesn’t turn out like this: a person will do everything correctly, prepare, fast, read all the prescribed prayers, confess, but the most important thing is will not know, or will not want to find out. Therefore, if you have any perplexed questions about what happens during the liturgy, what is in the Holy Chalice and is taught to the believers, then they must be resolved with the priest in advance, before Communion. Even If a person has been going to church for a long time and has taken communion more than once, you still need to honestly ask yourself the question: Do we understand the meaning correctly? church sacraments(Communion and Confession) to which we proceed.
Correct preparation for the sacrament of Communion in the tradition of the Orthodox Church is called “fasting”. It usually lasts for three or more (up to a week) days before Communion. These days, a person prepares himself for the meeting with God, which will occur during Communion. God can only move into a pure heart, so the main goal of preparation is awareness of one’s sins, confessing them before God and one’s spiritual father, and the determination to leave sins (passions), or at least begin to fight them. To do this, it is necessary for the duration of the fast to resolutely move away from everything that fills the soul with unnecessary vanity. This does not mean that a person should not go to work or do anything at home. No! But: do not watch TV, do not go to noisy companies, do not meet unnecessarily with numerous acquaintances. This is all quite within the power of anyone and is necessary in order to carefully look into your heart and, with the help of such an “instrument” as conscience, cleanse it of everything that is called by the general word - sin.
The most effective means To prepare for a meeting with God is prayer. Prayer is a conversation, communication with God, consisting of turning to Him with requests: for forgiveness of sins, for help in the fight against one’s vices and passions, for mercy in various spiritual and everyday needs. Before Communion, three canons must be read, which are found in almost all prayer books, as well as the Rule for Holy Communion. If you were unable to find these prayers on your own, then you need to go directly to the priest in the temple with the prayer book and ask him to indicate what exactly needs to be read.
It takes time to calmly and carefully read all the prayers prescribed before Communion. If the three canons and the Rule for Holy Communion are read at once together, it will take at least one and a half, even up to two hours, especially if a person does not read them often and is not familiar with the text. If we add morning or evening prayers to this, then such prayerful tension can deprive a person of both physical and spiritual strength. Therefore, there is a practice that the three canons are read gradually over the course of several days before Communion, the canon for Communion (from the Rule for Communion) is read the night before and after it prayers for bedtime, and prayers before Communion (from the Rule for Communion) in the morning of the day Communion after the usual morning prayers.
In general, all “technical” questions regarding preparation for Communion should only be learned from the priest in the church. This may be hindered by your timidity, indecisiveness, or the priest’s lack of time, but one way or another, with some persistence, you can find out everything. The main thing is not to pay attention to all the confusion and bewilderment (or, in church terms, temptations) that will certainly arise, but to trust in God. We need to pray that He will bring us to the sacrament of Communion, and thus fulfill our main purpose, the goal of our life - union with God."
About the frequency of Communion
The first Christians took communion every Sunday, but now not everyone has such purity of life to take communion so often. In the 19th and 20th centuries, St. The Church commanded us to take communion every Lent and no less than once a year.St. Theophan the Recluse writes about how often one should receive communion:
“God's mercy be with you!
Having fasted during this Lent, you wrote that you are dissatisfied with your fasting, although you love fasting and would like to do this work of Christian piety more often. - Since you didn’t indicate why you are dissatisfied with your fasting, I won’t say anything about it, I’ll just add: try to bring your fasting to the point that it satisfies you. You can ask your confessor how to improve your fasting. As for more often, there is no need to make it more frequent, because this frequency will take away not a small part of the reverence for this greatest cause, I mean fasting and communion. It seems that I have already written to you that it is enough to speak and take communion in every major post out of 4. And in the fasts before Easter and Christmas twice. And look no more. Try to better organize and perfect your inner self.”
Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin):
“Already Theophan the Recluse, in a letter to one of his spiritual daughters, wrote that irregularities had crept into parish life, and as the most dangerous example of such irregularities, he cited the vicious practice of priests who prevent Christians from frequently receiving communion. The reason why this is done, first of all, , personal lack of spirituality, when the priest himself does not feel the inner need to receive communion as often as possible, and looks at communion as his professional duty. The second reason is theological ignorance and reluctance to become familiar with the unanimous teaching of the holy fathers about frequent communion as the Heavenly Bread necessary for the soul person. The third reason is laziness and the desire to shorten the time needed for confession and communion. There is another reason: this is a false, Pharisaic reverence. The Pharisees, in order to show their special respect for the name of God - Jehovah, forbade saying it at all. Thus, they they distorted the commandment: “Do not take the name of your Lord in vain (in vain).’ The liturgy itself is a divine service, during which the sacrament of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts is performed and the sacrament is given to the people. When the liturgy is served, then you can receive communion. In liturgical prayers, the Church calls on everyone in the church to accept the Body and Blood of Christ (of course, if they have prepared for this). On Easter week and on Christmastide, and in the several weeks preceding Great and Petrine Lent, one can without a doubt receive communion, since otherwise the Church would not serve the Liturgy on these days. The life of St. Macarius the Great tells how a priest, who arbitrarily excluded people from communion, was severely punished with many years of paralysis, and was healed only through the prayers of the saint. Macaria. St. John of Kronstadt especially sharply denounced this vicious practice of communion. On Bright Week, before communion, it is enough to abstain from meat food, but it is better to agree on this issue with your confessor... Archpriest Belotsvetov wrote in a well-known collection of his sermons that in his time Christians tried to take communion on Bright Week every day.”
Currently, the Church leaves the issue to priests and spiritual fathers to decide. It is with the spiritual father that one must agree on how often to take communion, for how long and how strictly to fast before it.
Follow-up to Holy Communion with translation into RussianSaint Theophan the Recluse. What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it:
Teaching about. John on Communion. - I.K. Sursky. Father John of Kronstadt
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Ascetic sermon:
Patriarch Pavel of Serbia. Can a woman come to church for prayer, kiss icons and receive communion when she is “unclean” (during her period)?
I regularly take communion in church to cleanse myself of accumulated negativity, feel even better connected to God and be filled with the amazing energy of the temple. I will tell you in detail about the meaning of communion and the features of the ritual that are important to know if you are going to perform it.
Communion or communion is the oldest church rite, the history of which began back at the time of the Last Supper. The rite and its “regulations” were established by the Son of God himself. Christ with my own hands He broke off the bread and distributed it to the apostle disciples, saying that this was his body, and the wine was his blood.
The sacrament of communion has its deep religious and sacred meaning. The ritual symbolizes the restoration of unity and harmony between man and God, which existed in the Garden of Eden before the original sin committed by Eve and Adam.
The meaning of communion is to give the beginnings of a new life in the heavenly kingdom. The sacrament of communion is inseparable from the image of Jesus, who, at the cost of his own life and shed blood, saved the human race and atoned for all its sins. And in the name of this sacrifice, a person, agreeing to receive communion, helps restore the flesh and blood of God’s son.
It is noteworthy that it is during the sacrament of communion that in the Orthodox Church it is allowed to eat flesh (meat) and wine. It is believed that the killed body of an animal is in this case symbolizes the incorruptible Divine nature. The meat nourishes the soul, which is then reborn during Baptism.
How to take communion in church
Almost everyone has heard the name of this rite, but few people understand how to properly receive communion in church. I'll tell you about the basic rules and give recommendations.
It is important to understand that communion in church is a rite that assumes that a person is ready to transform both his body and shake his soul.
What is important to observe when preparing for the ceremony, during and after it:
- You must be as aware as possible of what you are getting into. Understand why you need it. Not out of curiosity, but for what? Answer this question honestly, and you will understand whether you need a ritual at all.
- There is such energy in the temples that most people feel a certain awe, a feeling of sacred reverence. If you are completely indifferent, perhaps you should not think about how to take communion. Your soul is not ready - it does not feel connected to God.
- Only a sincere believer should receive communion. Otherwise, what is the point of this action? The event will affect only those who feel, understand God, believe in him and want to enlist his support.
- Before the ceremony, you need to understand the whole meaning of this great sacrament in order to fully understand what will happen.
- Communion in church has its own rules - the state of a person’s soul must be peaceful and calm. It's better to clear yourself in advance negative emotions, grievances and claims. Internal state and emotions are extremely important.
How to properly take communion in church: rules
So, how does communion take place in church?
The entire ceremony takes place in strictly regulated stages. It is important to know how to behave at any given moment. The recommendations are as follows:
- On the eve of communion, special evening services are held in churches, during which the priest says prayers with special religious meaning.
- On the day of communion, it is better to come to church early, before all the action begins.
- When the ceremony begins, you must listen silently to the priest. Do not leave the temple until the end of the prayer. Stand and listen until the priest leaves the place at the altar and calls everyone to take communion.
- As soon as the invitation follows, people in the temple line up in the following sequence: children, sick, disabled and old people, men, women.
- While queuing, you need to keep your hands on your chest, folding them crosswise. Important: as soon as your turn comes to the cup, you do not need to cross yourself - this is not customary during communion.
- When you are near the priest, introduce yourself and open your mouth. They will put a spoon in it, which you need to lick with your lips. Then blot them with a handkerchief and kiss the edge of the bowl.
- It is very important to go through the ceremony in silence. Do not contact anyone, do not approach the icons. After receiving the sacrament, simply step away and take the wine and holy water.
- After you find yourself at home and the ritual is completed, read prayers, turning to God or the saints with thanks.
Watch a video about what it means to take communion in church:
What then?
After you have received Holy Communion, it is important to follow certain recommendations. It is necessary to avoid negativity, not to let it into your soul. Follow the commandments and not commit sins. Repeat the sacrament periodically. It’s great if you have the opportunity to come to the temple for this at least once a month.
This will help your soul cleanse itself of all the bad and negative to make room for positive events and joyful emotions.
A long refusal to take communion is a real disaster for a person. Sins, passions, and negativity accumulate in his soul. The farther you go, the more there are. All this poisons life from the inside and corrodes the soul. That’s why it’s so important to visit the temple occasionally and cleanse yourself of all this.
But, of course, you need to come to church only consciously, and not because “it’s necessary.” Only a sincere desire and understanding of the process and its religious significance will make sense.
One of the main and most ancient church sacraments - communion - was established in memory of the Savior and the apostles and their last joint meal - the Last Supper.
On it, the apostles and Christ drank wine and ate bread, while the Savior said: “This is my blood and my body.” After the execution and ascension of Christ, the apostles made the sacrament of communion daily.
What is needed for communion?
First of all, you need a chalice - a special church bowl on a high leg with a round stable foundation. The first chalices were made of wood, later bowls made of silver and gold appeared. The chalice is decorated with ornaments; bowls made of precious metals can be inlaid with finishing stones.
The extracted pieces are placed in the chalice and wine diluted with water is poured. Prayers are read over the bowl. It is believed that during the liturgy the holy spirit emanates from the chalice, and by eating pieces of prosphora soaked in wine, people become familiar with the blood and flesh of Christ.
Preparation for Communion
On the eve of the day when you are preparing to take communion, it is better to abstain from carnal pleasures and fast, at least in the afternoon (an exception is made for the weak and children, and only until midnight). In the morning you need to go to church, you can’t eat or drink before that. 
Before communion, it is obligatory to receive absolution from the priest. Children under seven years of age and those who were baptized no more than a week ago can receive communion without confession.
First, the bishop, presbyters, deacons, and readers receive communion. Of those praying, the first to receive communion are infants and their parents, who are holding the children in their arms. After this, children approach the chalice with the Holy Gifts, then old people, and only then young people.
How does communion happen?
The chalice with the Holy Gifts is brought out to the believers. You need to fold your hands on your chest, approach the cup held by the priest, and say your baptized name. The priest, having scooped from the chalice, will hand you a spoon with the Holy Gifts, which must be swallowed without chewing. Two more priests standing in front of the bowl will wipe your mouth with a special towel.
After this, you need to kiss the bottom edge of the cup, symbolizing the rib of Christ. In some churches they do it differently: first the person receiving communion kisses the chalice, and after that they wipe his mouth. Next, you need to drink holy water and take the prosphora from a special table. On this day you are not supposed to behave indecently, swear or indulge in carnal pleasures.
Who should not receive communion?
In addition to adults who have not confessed before the sacrament, those who have been excommunicated from the Holy Mysteries, those possessed by demons and the insane, and those who blaspheme in fits of madness are not allowed to receive communion. 
A man and woman who had the day before are not allowed to take communion. marital intimacy, and women during menstruation. You cannot give communion to the dead.
Some rules for communion
You must not be late for the start of the liturgy. When bringing out the Holy Gifts and after the priest has finished reading the pre-Communion prayer, one must bow to the ground. When the royal doors are opened, the arms are folded crosswise on the chest, placing right palm to the left; This position of the hands is maintained during communion and when moving away from the cup after communion.
They approach the bowl with the Holy Gifts from the right side of the temple, without jostling or creating a crowd, observing order and sequence. Women should approach the bowl without wearing lipstick. After you have wiped your lips and before you drink the holy water, you must not kiss the icons.
The chalice is not touched with hands, and people do not cross themselves near it, so as not to push the priest and spill the contents of the chalice. The priest's hand is not kissed during communion.
On the way from the bowl to the table with holy water, you need to bow to the icon of the Savior. You cannot receive communion twice a day. If during Communion the Holy Gifts are served from several cups, you need to take only from one. You can kiss and talk with other parishioners only after you have washed your mouth with holy water (or berry juice), so that not a single particle of prosphora remains in your mouth. 
Must read when you get home prayer of thanksgiving(this rule is optional - you can listen to the prayer of thanks in church, at the end of the liturgy).