How to properly prepare for Holy Communion. Behavior before Communion. How to prepare for communion as a young mother

Target Christian life- knowledge of God, unity with Him to the extent that it can be achieved on earth. But since here a person is burdened with sin and bodily weakness, the Lord provides miraculous help in Church Sacraments. This article explains in detail how to prepare for the main one - Communion.

Installation of the Sacrament

Everyone who has read the Gospel knows that on the eve of his death on the cross, Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. The plot has been depicted many times by different artists; this scene is present above the altar of any Orthodox church. That evening Jesus established a new bloodless sacrifice, replacing the sacrifices that existed among the Jews. That's why Easter is sometimes called New Testament Easter. There are significant differences, although the Jewish holiday is a prototype of the current Christian one.

• Instead of an innocent lamb, the Lamb of God was slain on the Cross. His blood redeemed Christians, who are the New Testament firstborn, by analogy with the Israelis.
• Going through sea ​​waters symbolizes Baptism, which frees Christians from subjection to sins.
• Walking in the desert is an analogy to earthly life filled with suffering.
• The prototype of Communion was manna from heaven. Instead, Christ gave the apostles consecrated bread and wine.

The Jews prepared themselves to receive God's gifts by spending their lives following His direct instructions given through Moses. They also observed many rituals. Modern people need to prepare for Communion according to different rules. Communion is available only to members of the Church, that is, to those who were baptized in Orthodox church. Baptism at home is only allowed if a person is dying. Sometimes a priest is called to the intensive care ward. Immediately after Baptism, Communion is served without preparation.

Abstinence of the body

Man consists of soul, spirit and body. It happens that the desires of the flesh become more important than spiritual needs. Such a life is no longer Christian. To avoid slavery to a weak body, members of the Church are obliged to keep this element of themselves under control. An important stage proper preparation Communion is accompanied by fasting. It will tell you exactly how to fast church calendar. It depends on the period - sometimes fish is allowed, sometimes only vegetable oil and uncooked food.

Number of days - no less than 3. To participate in the Eucharist on Sunday morning, you must begin your fast on Thursday. Although no official documents approved by the Church on this matter simply exist. In the Greek Orthodox Church they receive communion without any preparation at all. But in Russia this is widespread practice.

If a person is a regular parishioner, observes all existing fasts (and there are more than half of them in a year), then the highest church clergy recommends not imposing additional fasts on such Christians before the Sacrament. However, the final decision rests with the parish priest.

For people who visit the temple quite rarely, 3 or 7 days of fasting will only be beneficial. Difficulties can be caused by the need to fast on Saturday, when the whole family is at home and adheres to their usual diet. You should take care of your diet in advance - buy nuts and dried fruits, which help maintain the required level of energy. You can drink soy or coconut milk. But in everything you should adhere to moderation.

It is also highly advisable to abstain from marital relations during this period, at least before Communion. However, if the husband is not baptized, the situation should not lead to confrontation. If the spouse sharply objects, then you should tell the priest in confession - he should advise how to behave so as not to aggravate relations in the family.

How to prepare for confession

At the same time, it is necessary to prepare for confession. If it is coming for the first time, it is advisable to read special literature - it can be borrowed from the church library or from friends who have been visiting the temple for a long time. This sacrament is intended for cleansing from sins, sometimes it is compared to re-baptism. God's mercy is like the waters of Jordan.

Many people believe that without committing theft, adultery, etc. terrible sins, have no need for repentance. But this is self-deception. God's brief commandments must be understood fully. To prepare for confession and communion, you need to remember your sins well and write them down. Deviations from the commandments are divided into two types:

Against the Lord: murmuring against God, empty chatter, idleness, lack of faith, passion for magic, gambling, failure to attend church, failure to fast, rarely reading the Bible, despair, etc.

Against neighbors (all people, not just friends and relatives): irritation, neglect of Christian upbringing of children, pride, vindictiveness, quarrels, abortion, slander (gossip), greed, etc.

How to prepare a list of sins? There is no need to describe all the hurtful words that were said to your friend. Just writing is slandering your neighbor. You should not go into detail and describe all your misdeeds, much less justify yourself with various circumstances, or blame others for provoking you. Thus, another sin is committed - condemnation.

During Lent (including Lent), preparation for communion does not require any additions. You must fast according to church regulations and attend services. That is why most parishioners receive communion during the fasting weeks. But if you want to start the Chalice during the holidays, you need to consult with your confessor.

How to prepare children for communion?

A child under 7 years old does not have to fast; he simply cannot be fed in the morning before the Liturgy so that the sacrament can be taken on an empty stomach. But parents must prepare him mentally:

• read the Holy Scriptures together;
• reduce the amount of entertainment, including watching television;
• pray morning and evening;
• talk to your child about his behavior.

When a child turns 7 years old, he must go to confession while preparing for Communion. It is necessary to analyze his behavior in more detail. Does he miss services, Sunday school? Does he always pray morning and evening? Does he know the obligatory prayers - the Creed, the Lord's Prayer? You should not put too much pressure; the priest will conduct the Sacrament on his own. The task of parents is to lead the child, to set the right example.

For pregnant women, preparation for communion is the same as for everyone else. But expectant mothers do not have to fast - it is voluntary. The clergy advises in a special situation to approach the Sacrament as often as possible, although in general this is a purely individual issue that must be resolved with the confessor.

Prayers

The natural way to communicate with God is through prayer. Therefore, when preparing for communion, you need to devote more time to them than usual. What exactly should you read and when?

• 3 canons (Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel);
• Consequence (special prayers before communion);
• Morning and evening rule(as usual).

If you read everything on the day before the sacrament, it will seem like a very difficult test to an unprepared person. Not only is it a must visit evening service, go to confession, and also devote 2-3 hours to prayers! Therefore, the canons can be distributed over several days. Then they prepare as follows - after the evening service, the rule, the sacramental canon, is read. The remaining prayers are postponed until the morning.

Will they be allowed to take communion if it is not possible to attend the service the night before? The priest must be informed about this; if a person has prepared (confessed, fasted, prayed), then usually this does not become an obstacle.

Communion in the church takes place at the end of the Liturgy, a morning service that occurs on Sundays and Saturdays. It can also take place on other days; you can usually read about this in the temple schedule, which hangs at the entrance. All questions regarding participation in the Sacrament of Communion should be asked to the priest without hesitation.

May the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ lead to the salvation of the soul and eternal life!

How to prepare for confession and communion - video answer

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- this 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, abstinence from entertainment).

Do 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.

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. Krestyankin.

New Testament

Communion- a mysterious, incomprehensible to the mind, the deepest and closest union possible for a person with God through partaking of the greatest shrine - the Eucharistic Gifts, Bread and Wine - the true Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Get to it most holy sacrament It is necessary, if possible, monthly, but no 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 before the Chalice . name yours full name given at baptism. Take St. carefully. Gifts, kiss the edge of the Chalice and calmly move away. Chew the gifts immediately, if necessary, and swallow them. 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 by a strong feeling of repentance, even if this sin of ours - the stony insensibility of the heart - we confess 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 condemnation. 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.

One must confess as often as possible; the intervals between confessions must be filled with an internal struggle against sinful temptations, efforts towards a righteous life, supported by the previous confession, anticipation and preparation for the next one.

List of the most common spiritual diseases, sins, evil habits, passions:

This list is provided so that those preparing for confession can take a deeper look at themselves, more accurately find expressions and names of their illnesses. It is useful to draw up a rough plan for yourself - what sins to confess, so as not to forget later in confession; but you will have to not just read a piece of paper about your ulcers, but with a feeling of guilt and repentance open them before God, take them out of your soul like nasty snakes and get rid of them with a feeling of disgust.

LOW FAITH. Doubt about the omnipotence and mercy of the Creator. God's ingratitude for everything that happens to us. Attributing successes to yourself and grumbling at God for failures. A look at Orthodoxy as a national tradition, a set of external rituals. The discrepancy between our words and deeds in the church and outside the church fence.

SUPERSTITION AND HERESY. Belief in omens, dreams, horoscopes, astrological forecasts. Seeking help from intermediaries of demonic power - occultists, psychics, bioenergeticists, non-contact massage therapists, hypnotists, traditional healers, sorcerers, fortune tellers, healers, fortune tellers, astrologers, parapsychologists, Scientologists. Watching and listening to television and radio programs with their participation, reading occult literature. (“White” sorcerers and healers does not exist. Even if they read prayers, hang icons on the stage and assure of their love for the Church - do not believe it! According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, these are wolves in sheep's clothing). Participation in coding sessions, removal of “damage and evil eye”, spiritualism. Contacting UFOs and the “higher mind.” Connecting to “cosmic energies”. Study of theosophy, martial arts and religious cults, yoga, meditation, dousing according to the system of Porfiry Ivanov. Studying the “living ethics” of the Roerichs, Dianetics and Scientology (Hubbard’s teachings) and participating in auditing sessions, etc.

Attending speeches by Protestant preachers, participating in meetings of Baptists, evangelists, Adventists, Pentecostals (charismatics), “Word of Life” Church, Moonites (“unification church”), “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, “Virgin Center”, “White Brotherhood” and others non-Orthodox religious organizations. Watching and listening to television and radio programs with their participation. Participation in non-Orthodox services, acceptance of baptism by sectarians. Attending services and participating in the Sacraments of schismatics, many of whom call themselves Orthodox, but are not in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church: Old Believers, Uniates (Greek Catholics) and others (“Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Kiev Patriarchate”, “Free Orthodox Church”, “True Orthodox Church”, etc.). Propaganda and dissemination of the ideas of the mentioned sects, “churches” and organizations. 1

Blasphemy and Godhood. Murmuring at God for suffering that seems undeserved to us. An irreverent attitude towards God, church shrines, and the Sacraments. Disrespect for clergy. Mention of the name of God or Holy Mother of God in vain (in everyday conversations as interjections: “Oh, you, Lord!”, “God be with him,” “Everything with us is not a glory to God,” etc.). Mentioning sacred words jokingly, in anger, along with insults. Prayer for punishment of another person. It is also sinful to threaten your enemies with the wrath of the Lord. Summoning evil spirits in anger or simple conversation (cursing). Use of swear words.

PRAYERLESSNESS. Neglect of church services. Not attending church on Sundays and holidays. Being late for a church service due to negligence and leaving the church before the end of the service. Inattention and absent-mindedness during home and church prayer. Conversations during worship. Infrequent confession and communion without proper preparation. Lack of understanding of the meaning of the Sacraments being performed and lack of interest in this knowledge. Failure to comply with morning and evening prayers specific rules. Failure to pray before and after meals.

PRIDE AND VANITY. Self-love. A high opinion of oneself, of one’s imaginary merits. High-mindedness, loss of simplicity. Self-will, disobedience. Self-justification, condemnation of one's neighbor. The desire to teach and save others. Seeking fame, praise from people. Unequal treatment of others (personality). Doing good deeds, almsgiving and prayer in plain sight, for show to people (hypocrisy). People-pleasing, cunning, flattery. Anger, irritability. Hot temper, rudeness. Selfishness. Envy. Stubbornness.

SPIRITUAL CHARM. An opinion about one’s chosenness, considering oneself worthy and having achieved special spiritual perfection. Accepting dreams as divine “revelations”. A trusting attitude towards the waking phenomena of visions and signs.

DEPRESSION. The fading of love for others, indifference to the suffering of others, the inability to rejoice in the joy of one’s neighbor. Doubt about the possibility of forgiveness of one's sins. Empty pastime, “killing time.” Laziness. Excessive sleep. Television omnivorousness. Reading blank books.

CELEBRATION. Empty, useless talk. Gossip, retelling of rumors. Love of controversy. Empty laughter, jokes, witticisms.

LIE. Misleading a neighbor by word, deed or silence. Failure to keep promises. Gossip, fiction and exaggeration in idle conversations. Slander. Bold reasoning about obscure things. Jokes based on deception.

LOVE OF AVERAGE. Addiction to money, things, all kinds of material goods, manifested both in the form of wastefulness and in its opposite - stinginess. Desire for wealth. Envy. Unmercy, contempt for the poor. Excessive concern for one's well-being and fear of losing it. Gambling.

THEFT. Illegal appropriation of someone else's property (private or public). Non-return monetary debts or things given for a time. Parasitism, begging unless absolutely necessary. Damaging the property of a neighbor. Extortion of payment for one's labor in excess of what is due (extortion).

GLUTTONY. Treating food as a source of pleasure. Consolidation. Drunkenness. Smoking. Failure to observe fasts (multi-day fasts - Great, Petrov, Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky (Filippov), one-day fasts - on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on special days established by the Church). Eating food out of boredom, despondency, idleness. Dissatisfaction with food.

FORTURNING. Fornication (carnal relationship between a single man and unmarried woman). Adultery (marital fidelity). Incest. Sodomy, bestiality, masturbation. Watching seductive shows, lewd films, paintings, books. Seductive conversations, lewd stories. Prodigal dreams. Intemperance in married life on fasting days.

MURDER. Taking the life of another person. Suicide attempt. Abortion (equivalent to murder). Assault, beating, wounds, mutilation. Inciting a fight, pitting people against each other with gossip, slander, slander. Failure to provide assistance to a sick, dying, homeless, hungry, drowning before your eyes, beaten or robbed, victim of fire or flood. Killing animals unnecessarily, torturing them. Not raising children in the Orthodox faith. A cruel word, abuse, mockery, mockery of someone else's grief.

You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting, that is:

prayer, fasting, proper mood, behavior and confession.

Home and church prayer

Anyone who wishes to receive communion must prayerfully prepare himself for this at least a week in advance: pray more and more diligently at home in the morning and evening and, which is very desirable, attend morning and evening ceremonies every day. church services. If work interferes with regular attendance at Divine services, then one must go to church as far as circumstances allow, but in any case, one must certainly be at the evening Divine service on the eve of the day of Communion.

On the eve of Communion (in the evening), you must read the following canons and prayers from the “Rules for Holy Communion”:
canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ;
prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos;
canon to the Guardian Angel;
prayers for the coming sleep;

In the morning before Communion you must read:
morning prayers;
follow-up and prayers for Holy Communion.

Fast

1. It is necessary, to the best of your ability, to adhere to fasting throughout the fast, that is, abstaining from modest food: meat, milk and dairy products, eggs (and during strict fasting, fish), and in general, moderation in food is necessary. You need to fast before Holy Communion for a week (for the infirm and weak, with the blessing of your confessor, 2-3 days). You should eat less than usual, avoid holiday feasts, and refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages. As for smoking, it’s not only bad habit, but also a sin that needs to be gotten rid of.
2. From 12 o'clock on the night before Communion, it is not allowed to eat or drink, with the exception of taking mandatory medications prescribed by a doctor. In the morning before Communion, you cannot take prosphora or blessed water. Children should be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion from a very early age.

Mood and behavior

Those preparing for Holy Communion must:
realize the need to cleanse the soul from sins in the sacrament of Confession;
reconcile with everyone who offended him, protect himself from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation, all indecent thoughts and conversations;
refuse to visit places of entertainment and societies that can give rise to temptation and sin.
It is useful to reflect on the greatness of the sacraments of Communion, spending, as far as possible, time in solitude, reading the Gospel and books of spiritual content, especially about repentance and preparation for confession. You should refrain from watching television, reading secular literature, magazines, newspapers, and listening to entertainment music.

Confession

1. Anyone who wishes to receive communion must necessarily confess - bring sincere repentance for his sins to God in the presence of a priest, sincerely opening his soul and not hiding a single sin he has committed. Before confession, you must certainly reconcile with both the offenders and the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. Forgiveness is usually asked in the following form: “Forgive me, a sinner,” to which it is customary to respond: “God will forgive you, forgive me, a sinner.”
2. During confession, you should not wait for the priest’s questions, but express yourself everything that weighs on your soul, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame onto your neighbor.
3. It is more convenient to confess the day before, in the evening, in order to devote the entire morning to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. IN as a last resort, you can confess in the morning, but it is advisable to have time to confess before the start of the Liturgy.
4. When confessing, you must make a firm decision not to repeat your previous sins again.
5. Without confession they receive communion:
infants (children up to 7 years old);
newly baptized (those who received the sacrament of Baptism yesterday or today)
6. A woman who is in purification (during menstruation; after childbirth - before the priest reads cleansing prayers over the woman /read, as a rule, on the 40th day/), cannot begin the sacraments of Confession and Communion (except in special cases, such as for example, illness leading to death).

Confession - the ability to see your sins

Many consider themselves believers, go to church, pray, but do not know how to repent, do not see their sins. If, when we come to confession, we do not know what to say, this does not mean that we are sinless.

How to learn to repent?

To do this, you need to constantly control yourself, your actions, words and thoughts. As soon as we notice something unkind, we immediately turn to God with contrition: “Forgive me, Lord, and have mercy on me, the accursed one!” And then we confess the sin to the priest.
“In the morning, test yourself how you spent the night, and in the evening, how you spent the day,” advises the Monk Abba Dorotheos. “And in the middle of the day, when you are burdened with thoughts, look at yourself.” And the Monk Simeon the Theologian says: “Conduct judgment every evening with yourself, as you spent the day: have you not judged anyone? Have you annoyed anyone with a word? Did you look passionately at someone’s face?”

How to prepare for confession?

We must prepare for confession in advance: think through everything, remember all our sins, go through the convolutions of our soul, and be sure to write everything down, otherwise we will go to the priest for confession, and the enemy may darken our minds - we will forget everything. Better yet, develop the habit of writing down what you have sinned every day. Before going to bed, you can mentally imagine the past day, how we spent it: how we prayed in the morning, were we distracted, where were our thoughts - in the words of prayer or in the kitchen, in the store; Didn’t you offend anyone that day, didn’t you quarrel, weren’t you offended if someone scolded us, weren’t you envious, weren’t you vain? How were you sitting at the table? Surely you ate too much? Did you pray before every task, did you think at least a little about your soul? Or only about the flesh? How was your night? Maybe there were unclean dreams, because the day was spent in uncleanness...
And so, if we learn to control ourselves in this way, we will know what to say in confession. The penitent is required to:
awareness of one's sins
condemning yourself in them
self-accusation before the confessor
repentance not only in word, but also in deed. Repentance is correction - new life
contrition and tears
belief in forgiveness of sins
hatred of past sins.
According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, its members must begin confession starting at the age of seven.

Orthodox Christians can begin Holy Communion:

Those preparing to receive the Sacrament
those who confessed this morning or yesterday evening and received permission from the priest to begin Communion;
those who have not tasted anything (haven’t eaten or drunk) since 12 o’clock at night;
those who came to the temple at the beginning of the service (at most, no later than the reading of the Gospel).

They can't receive communion!

unbaptized (this includes those who were baptized by a schismatic priest);
heterodox (Roman and Greek Catholics);
schismatics (i.e. those who took part in services in churches that were in schism with the Orthodox Church);
sectarians (Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.)
All of them can begin Holy Communion only after they repent of this in confession and promise to remain faithful to the Holy Orthodox Church in the future.

Without pectoral cross It is indecent and unacceptable to approach Holy Communion.To Holy Communion also may not be allowed people who missed / were late (without good reason) for Evening service or late for the beginning of the reading of the Hours before the Divine Liturgy! If you missed or were late for the Evening Service or the reading of the Hours before the Divine Liturgy, ALWAYS tell the priest about it at confession.

Before and during Holy Communion you should:

1. When the Holy Chalice is brought out with the words “Approach with the fear of God and in faith,” the communicants, as well as everyone in the temple, bow to the ground. Then they fold their hands crosswise on their chest - right to left, and together with the priest say a silent prayer to themselves before Holy Communion.
2. Then they approach the Holy Chalice. The lips of the communicant must be clean. Bags, packages and other things for the time of communion must be handed over to friends or for the candle box for storage.
3. Monastics receive communion first, then children, then men and women.
4. There must be a distance of at least half a meter between the communicant who is at the Holy Chalice and the others, so as not to push the communicant onto the Holy Chalice.
5. Approaching the Holy Chalice, we clearly and distinctly pronounce our Christian name, i.e. the name that is given to us in Holy Baptism.
6. Do not cross yourself in front of the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it! Raising our heads, we open our mouths wide. The priest gives us Communion, we swallow the Communion, without chewing if possible, so that nothing remains in the mouth.
7. They wipe our lips with a cloth, we kiss only the Cup below (but not the priest’s hand), and, without crossing ourselves or bowing, we go to the table with a drink. After eating the prosphora and drinking it (that is, warm water with a small amount of wine), you can make a bow to the altar.
8. On the day of Communion prostrations not allowed to be done. Then the communicants return to their places and remain in the temple until the end of the service. They will listen thanksgiving prayers after Holy Communion, they venerate the cross in the hands of the priest, and then leave the church in peace and spiritual joy.
9. During Communion, you cannot walk around the church and you cannot talk.
On the day of Communion, you cannot kiss, spit, try not to drink alcohol, and in general, you should behave reverently and decorously in order to “honestly keep Christ accepted within you.” After the service, it is advisable to spend some time alone and in silence, focusing on thoughts about the Divine and preserving your feelings. It is customary to wear clothes on the day of communion best clothes like on the biggest holiday.
To help the repentant.
Sins confessed earlier should not be repeated in confession, for, as the Holy Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if we repeat them again, then we need to repent of them again.

List of sins common in our time

Sins against the Lord God:
pride;
not fulfilling the holy will of God, breaking a commandment;
not faith and lack of faith, doubt in faith;
lack of hope for God's mercy, despair;
excessive hope in the mercy of the Lord without the desire to stop sinning;
hypocritical worship of God;
lack of love and fear of God;
lack of gratitude to the Lord for all His blessings, for sorrows and illnesses;
turning to psychics, astrologers, fortune tellers, fortune tellers; practicing “black” and “white” magic, witchcraft, fortune telling, spiritualism;
belief in superstitions, belief in dreams, omens, talismans;
blasphemy and murmuring against the Lord in the soul and in words;
failure to fulfill vows made to God;
calling on the name of God in vain (unnecessarily), swearing in the name of the Lord;
blasphemous attitude without due reverence towards icons, relics, candles, saints, Holy Scripture, etc.;
reading heretical and sectarian books and keeping them at home, watching blasphemous television programs;
ashamed to be baptized and confess Orthodox faith;
not wearing a cross;
careless performance of the sign of the cross;
non-performance or poor performance prayer rules: morning and evening prayers, other prayers, bows, etc., did not read Holy Scripture, spiritual literature;
missed Sunday and holiday services without good reason;
visiting the temple without zeal and diligence;
was lazy to pray, prayer was scattered and cold;
talking, dozing, laughing, walking around the temple during church service; inattentive, absent-minded listening to readings and chants, being late for services and leaving church before dismissal;
visiting the temple in uncleanness, touching icons and candles in uncleanness (for women);
rare confession of sins, deliberate concealment of them;
communion without contrition and fear of God, without proper preparation, without looking at one’s neighbors;
disobedience to the spiritual father, condemnation of clergy and monastics, grumbling and resentment towards them, jealousy;
disrespect for the feasts of God, work in holidays;
violation of fasts, non-compliance fast days– Wednesdays and Fridays;
listening to Western preachers, sectarians, passion for Eastern religions;
thoughts of suicide or attempts to kill yourself.

Sins against one's neighbor:

Lack of love for neighbors, hatred of them, wishing harm to them;
lack of forgiveness, returning evil for evil;
disrespect for elders and superiors (superiors), for parents; parents' grief;
failure to fulfill what was promised;
non-payment of debts;
explicit or secret appropriation of someone else's property;
beating, attempt on someone else's life; killing babies in the womb (abortion), advising others to do them;
robbery, extortion, arson;
refusal to protect the weak and innocent, indifference to those who are drowning, freezing, burning, or in trouble;
laziness at work;
non-use of other people's work;
poor parenting: outside the Christian faith;
unmercifulness, contempt and condemnation of the poor, stinginess in alms;
failure to visit patients in hospitals and at home;
hardness of heart;
contradiction, intransigence in a dispute with neighbors;
slander, condemnation, slander, gossip, recounting the sins of others;
resentment, insult, enmity with neighbors;
scandals, hysterics, curses, insolence, arrogant and free behavior towards one's neighbor;
hypocrisy, evil jokes, barbs;
anger, irritation, suspicion of neighbors in unseemly actions;
deception, perjury;
the desire to seduce or seduce others;
jealousy;
profanity, telling indecent jokes;
reluctance to pray for mentors, relatives, enemies;
corruption of your neighbors by your actions;
selfishness in friendship, betrayal and betrayal of friends and loved ones;

Sins against yourself:

Pride, vanity, arrogance;
self-esteem;
desire for harm to one's neighbor, vindictiveness;
disobedience, disobedience, arrogance;
deceit, envy;
profanity, foul language;
irritation, indignation, remembrance of evil, obstinacy, resentment;
despondency, melancholy, sadness;
doing good deeds for show;
stinginess;
laziness;
idle pastime, desire to sleep, gluttony (polyeating, desire to feast);
failure to remember Christian humility, virtues, about death and hell, careless and careless pastime, lack of desire to improve;
preference for the earthly and material over the heavenly and spiritual;
addiction to money, things, luxury, pleasures;
excessive attention to the flesh;
desire for earthly honors and glory;
smoking, drug use, alcohol use (getting drunk);
playing cards, gambling;
decorating oneself for the sake of seducing others;
pimping, prostitution;
singing obscene songs, using foul language, telling jokes;
watching pornographic films, reading pornographic books, magazines;
perception of lustful thoughts, defilement in a dream;
committing fornication (not being married);
committing adultery (cheating while married);
allowing oneself liberties before marriage, and intemperance in married life;
masturbation (defilement of oneself with fornication touches), sin of sodomy, fornication in marriage;
cruelty to animals, birds, killing animals and birds unnecessarily, destruction of trees;
despondency, sadness, committing sins with sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, lust, uncleanness and all other feelings, thoughts, words, desires, deeds (here it is necessary to name sins that were not listed and burden the soul)

Sins according to the plan of the nine Beatitudes

Are you fulfilling the Gospel Commandments? Do you care to adorn yourself with gospel virtues?
1. Are you trying to cultivate a sense of humility, an awareness of your own unworthiness?
2. Do you mourn tearfully over your sins and weaknesses?
3. Have you always been and do you try to be meek in your dealings with your neighbors?
4. Do you thirst for holiness and supreme righteousness?
5. Are you attentive to the needs of your neighbors? Do you consider yourself obligated to help those in need, console the sad, visit the sick, admonish the foolish, and generally be merciful to everyone?
6. Are you making efforts to maintain purity of heart? Do you harbor envy and bad desires in your heart?
7. Do you care about pacifying the warring parties?
8. Are you ready to endure at least slight sorrows for the sake of truth?
9. Do you love the Lord Jesus so much that you would go to Him even to death:
Having named the sins, you need to listen carefully to the answer of the priest, who at the end will read a decisive prayer.

When the Sacrament of Confession is not performed:

If the priest is outside the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church (Ukrainian autocephaly, “Kiev Patriarchate”, Greek Catholic, etc.), he is under the ban of the bishop.
If we came to confession and did not mention a single sin, but only said our name, even if a prayer of permission was read over us.
If we said all our sins, but the prayer of permission was not read over us: “Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, by the grace and generosity of His love for mankind, forgive you, child...”.
If we said all our sins, but did not promise to God to correct ourselves.
If we have said all our sins, but have not made peace with our neighbors, we are at enmity with them.

Brief Confession of Dmitry Rostovsky

I confess to the Lord my God all my sins, which I have committed up to this day and hour in deed, word, and thought.
Every day and every hour I sin ingratitude to God for His great and countless good deeds and His all-good providence. I sin with idle talk, condemnation, contempt, disobedience, slander, inattention, negligence, despondency, carelessness, malicious intent, bitterness, disobedience, murmuring, arbitrariness, slander, lies, laughter, temptation, pride, ambition, gluttony, lust, gluttony, drunkenness, love of things. , vanity, laziness, acceptance of lustful, unclean and blasphemous thoughts, omission of the service of God, neglect of prayer, unclean confession, failure to fulfill penances and sinned with all my feelings, mental and physical, for which I repent to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.

EGGS WITH IMAGES

ABOUT a new type of iconoclasm

Lent is coming to an end. Approaching Easter . Orthodox believers are preparing according to tradition to meet herEaster cakes, Easter cottage cheese and colored eggs .

Let’s say one “Easter” online store offers us “in large assortment a variety of products for the Holy Easter holiday.” For example, “Easter stickers “With the faces of saints””

However, on the packaging with stickers you will not find instructions on how to dispose of them. It is unlikely that there will be anyone willing to supply natural chicken eggs with icon faces in the red corner and pray on them. Then what? Will the holy images, along with the shell, go into the trash bin? There is a compromise option - burn it in a clean place and bury the ashes as required. church rules deal with consecrated objects. In a metropolis, or just a city, this is difficult. And how many people are there who want to bother like this?fromfor some kind of shell with “stickers”?

How “joyful” it will be for the housewife to lay the festive table with such a work of applied art and conveniently arrange the dishes with eggs, Easter cake, sausage, and arrange the cutlery on the face of the Mother of God or the Savior Crucified for her inGood Friday , Who endured suffering, reproach and blasphemous death! After all, all this was a long time ago, and on this day she should rejoice at the Resurrection of Christ and cut sausage on His Face to break the fast after a long fast!..

True, the manufacturer has no idea that there was no Easter joy at the Last Supper.

I think that after all that has been said above, three questions arise: 1) how do we relate to the Easter holiday, 2) to God and His saints, and 3) to their sacred images (icons, frescoes, mosaics, etc.).

In my deep conviction, almost every Christian holiday is a “holiday with tears in our eyes,” including Easter. “For our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7) and we “were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20, 7:23). During Great Lent, the Church reminds its children of this almost every Sunday with special services: passions (in addition to the texts of the Lenten Triodion and the Octoechos). The service of the entire Holy Week is dedicated to this.

But onlyspiritually unreasonable person or, worse, devoid of the fear of God,can, with a fearless hand, stick on the egg the face of the Savior, or His Most Pure Mother, or the saints who served God(unlike us sinners) with his righteous life, full of sorrows, suffering for the truth of God, and many with painful death for their testimonyOChrist; stick,knowing in advance that in a couple of days he will throw them in the trash along with the shells . Even the image ordinary person worthybO More respect! Will we really allow ourselves to easily stick photos of our loved ones and loved ones on objects, tear them up, and throw them into waste? How should we then treat sacred images?

The cathedral oros says where, on what and for what purpose sacred images should be located and how they should be venerated by believers: “...we define: like the image of an honest and life-giving cross, put in God's holy churches, on sacred vessels and garments, on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths honest and holy icons, painted and madefrommosaics andfromanother substance suitable for this, an icon of the Lord and God and Our Savior Jesus Christ... the Mother of God... honest angels and all saints and reverend men. For the more often they are visible through the image on icons, the morelooking at them stimulated to remember O the prototypes themselves and the love for them and to honor them with kisses and reverent worship...veneration according to the same model as it is given to the image of the honest and life-giving Cross and the Holy Gospel, and other shrines,incense and candles ... For the honor given to the image goes back to the prototype, andone who worships an icon worships the hypostasis of the person depicted on it »

Fromconciliar definition it follows that sacred images must

1) be located in decent places;

2) be manufacturedfromdurable materials;

3) to be honored by kissing, burning incense (incense), and lighting candles;

4) they are intended to raise the human mind from the image (icon, fresco, mosaic) to the prototype - Christ, the Mother of God, angels and saints of God;

5) the honor given to the icon goes back to the person (hypostasis) depicted on it;

6) any ungodly and offensive action towards the icon also goes back to its prototype, that is, to the person (hypostasis) of Christ, the Mother of God, angels and saints.

Confession and communion are important religious rites in Christianity. Believers cleanse their souls of sins, undergoing blessed repentance, and participate in a sacred rite that traces its origins to the Last Supper. However, it is necessary to properly prepare for these rituals. It is known that if the penitent is not completely sincere, confession will not have any effect, even if the priest reads all the necessary texts. Communication with the Lord through the holy sacraments changes life and brings peace. Prayers before confession and communion set the soul in the appropriate mood.

Even holy and righteous people regularly go through the rite of repentance. There is a common opinion that a person needs such rituals only if he has committed strong sins. According to an apt comparison by Abbot Isaac, if you leave a table in an empty, closed room for a week, then after a while a layer of dust will appear on the tabletop. So it is.

Preparation for rituals: canons before confession and communion

Holy rites are combined with a three-day fast, during which you cannot eat meat and dairy products. It wouldn't hurt to read the Bible: Old Testament re-reading the Ten Commandments (Exodus, 20: 2-17), and in the New - the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, 5-7), which is revered by many Christians.

What prayers to read before confession: liberation of the soul from sinful burden

Repentance requires sincere faith and focus. However, no less time must be devoted to preparatory prayers. It is best to read them within three days before confession. It is especially beneficial for the spiritual body to pronounce holy words on the night before the day appointed by the priest.

• The prayer “Before Confession” was inspired by the Lord to St. Simeon the New Theologian, who lived in the 10th century. The saint was of the opinion that communication with God through prayer plays a leading role in the life of a Christian.
• Prayer "For Forgiveness" forgotten sins» short but succinct. The Creator outlined these simple words by the hand of the Monk Barsanuphius the Great, a holy monk and ascetic of the 6th century, originally from the sinful land of Egypt.
• “Following to Holy Communion” includes many texts of prayers, canons, kontakions, troparions, and psalms. For correct reading Holy words must be consulted with a priest.

How to read prayers and canons correctly

Before turning to the Lord through holy texts, it is necessary to cleanse your thoughts from temptations and pride. Humble your ego and feel like humble servants of God. Seclude yourself or gather your family if they also wish to receive communion or confession. Joint prayers strengthen the bonds of marriage and protect children's souls from sinful thoughts. Turn off phones and other electrical devices so that they do not distract from your righteous time.

Sins fall on a person unnoticed: the soul becomes covered with “dust” and a heavy burden presses on the spiritual shell, causing depression and health problems. Which ones are no less important for every Christian to know than the list of canons used to prepare for repentance and communion.