home · On a note · Is it necessary to fast before Communion on continuous weeks? Preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Communion

Is it necessary to fast before Communion on continuous weeks? Preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Communion

A continuous week is a week in which there is no one-day posts on Wednesday and Friday, when you can eat all the products. The exception is the continuous Cheese Week before Lent, when by its Charter the Church gradually develops a person’s habituation to fasting, making his diet easier.

Continuous weeks are established to achieve several goals, so to speak, in a complex. On the one hand, in terms of food, to accumulate strength for fasting or, conversely, to console yourself a little after a long fast, such as on Bright Week or Christmastide. On the other hand, it is to give a person the opportunity to relax before a long and intense spiritual feat: a kind of rest before a campaign or battle. On the third hand, to prevent us from falling into delusion and imagining that we are “great” fasters and ascetics.

Have continuous weeks in the church yearly calendaronly five:

1. Christmas time - from Christmas to Epiphany , from 7 to 18 January (this, strictly speaking, is not a week, but 11 days).

2. The Publican and the Pharisee - two weeks before Lent.

3. Cheese (Maslenitsa) - the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat).

4. Easter (Light) - week after Easter.

5. Trinity - the week after Trinity (the week before Peter's Fast).

All such continuous weeks, except for the time of Christmastide at Christmas, are quite mobile in nature, since they are tied to the celebration of the Great Holiday of Easter.

Is it possible to receive communion during the continuous week? Of course, you can take communion. There is no Divine Liturgy during which believers cannot partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And in this sense no continuous week is a period when Orthodox man should not receive communion if he has the urge and desire to do so. The celebration of the Divine Liturgy by a priest presupposes the communion of those present. On those days when you cannot receive communion and the Liturgy is not served, for example, on Good Friday during Holy Week.

Regarding the question of Should I fast before communion during the whole week? , then, guided by the spirit and letter of the Typikon, it should be noted that to establish a fast for oneself at a time when the Church abolishes it means, at a minimum, to self-inflict and impose burdens that do not need to be imposed.

From the point of view of external preparation for communion, everything is simple: During the whole week, eat what is allowed, that is, modest, but do not arrange a feast for yourself “from the belly” on the eve of communion. After all, it is clear that even on a fast day you can eat three kilograms of fried potatoes until you then suffer from indigestion; this also will not be a proper way of preparing for the reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Moreover, you should refrain from inappropriate drinking of alcohol.

What obstacles may arise for those wishing to receive communion during the continuous week? There can only be one obstacle: It is unacceptable for someone to begin the Holy Mysteries who deliberately and slyly puts off communion for a whole week so as not to prepare for it. Suppose a person receives communion three or four times a year, and instead of waiting for Lent, talking, and getting together, he says: “I will take communion during the continuous week after the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, on Maslenitsa and on Bright Week - this way it will be possible not to fast before receiving the Holy Mysteries.” It is clear that if the idea of ​​communion during this period is not aspiration to Christ, but an escape from fasting, then a person who is guided by such thoughts is acting craftily; he can be advised, for the benefit of his spiritual and physical health, to think about himself and not take communion for now.

Every believer needs to know when there are continuous weeks, because this helps him correctly distribute his spiritual potential for further awareness of faith and everything connected with it. In other words, this is how he “tests” himself for fortitude, strong-willed qualities and moral priorities. But we should also not forget that everyone is free to make their own choice, the main thing is that it is closely connected with Orthodoxy, which is fundamental to everything that happens in the life of a devoted Christian.

Communion is the most serious and important thing for which it is worth coming to church. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that only those who eat His flesh and drink His blood will have eternal life. How to prepare yourself for this great Sacrament in order to accept it for the healing of soul and body will be discussed in this short article.

The way in which Christians unite with the Lord Jesus Christ through partaking of His Body and Blood under the guise of bread and wine is called the Sacrament of Communion (Communion), and the service in which this Sacrament is celebrated is the Eucharist, or Divine Liturgy.

According to the Gospel, Jesus Himself commanded His disciples to receive communion. The first Christians, according to the books of the New Testament, from the very beginning gathered weekly for the “breaking of bread” - as Communion was called in ancient times. This happened on the night of Saturday, the day on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. This first day of the week later received the name Sunday in the Christian tradition.

According to the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom, the Body of Christ, which we receive in Holy Communion, is the same body of Jesus Christ that suffered on the cross, was resurrected and was ascended to Heaven, and the Blood of Christ is the same that was shed for the sake of salvation peace.

Why take communion?

In the Sacrament of Communion, a Christian truly unites with God. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of Himself as the bread of life: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood 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. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live through the Father, so he who eats Me will also live through Me.”

According to the Monk John of Damascus, the Body and Blood of Christ cleanse a person from all filth and drive away all evil. We become “partakers of the Divine,” as the holy Apostle Peter writes, “our own” for God, His people. At the same time, we are united with each other, “for we all, who partake of the same bread, become one Body of Christ, one blood and members of one another,” writes Damascene, paraphrasing the words of the Apostle Paul from the Epistle to the Ephesians.

In the New Testament, the Church of God, that is, the collection of all Christians, is called the Body of Christ. It is possible to be in the Church of Jesus Christ only through a real union with Him, that is, with the help of Communion.

It is extremely necessary to receive communion in order to be saved and inherit eternal life. After all, salvation in the Orthodox Christian worldview is not an external event in relation to a person (as if God was first angry with us and then had mercy), but an internal rebirth, a person’s ability to live in the fullness of love and grace through union with God Himself.

Worthy and unworthy

“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. This is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying,” writes the Apostle Paul in chapter 11 of his First Epistle to the Corinthians. Communion should be approached consciously, understanding that not a single person in the world can be worthy of receiving the Body and Blood of God himself.

According to Chrysostom, worthy Communion is one that is accompanied by spiritual awe and ardent love, faith in the real presence of Christ in the Holy Gifts and awareness of the greatness of the shrine.

In order to test their conscience before Holy Communion, Christians confess their sins. You cannot approach the Chalice in a state of mortal sin, for example, after an abortion, visiting a fortune teller, adultery, or living in a so-called “civil marriage.” Such sins require sincere repentance and a change in life, and only then is communion possible. Confession before Communion is not only a pious tradition, but also a real help for a person to cleanse the soul. In addition, this is an opportunity to directly communicate with the priest about the most important things.

How often should I take communion?


The very rite of the Divine Liturgy, at which the Eucharist is celebrated, that is, bread and wine are consecrated, is performed so that all who take part in this service may receive communion. In the liturgy there can only be participants, and there cannot be spectators. Participation in the liturgy and communion have, unfortunately, become an “individual” matter for each Christian, while in essence it is a common matter, stemming from the very essence of the Church.

The outstanding theologian of the 20th century, Protopresbyter Nikolai Afanasyev, wrote: “Being a member of the Church meant taking part in the Eucharistic Assembly. To be a participant in the Meal means to “eat” from it. In the Eucharistic canon there are no prayers that non-communicants could offer...”

The joint communion of all believers during the liturgy was so self-evident that deviation from this principle is considered in the church canons as a falling away from the Church: “All the faithful who enter the church and listen to the scriptures, but do not remain in prayer and holy communion to the end, are considered disorder in the church those who produce, should be excommunicated from church communion,” says the 9th Apostolic Canon. And rule 80 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council says that those who, without a good reason, did not take communion 3 Sundays in a row, actually excommunicated themselves from the Church.

We should strive to receive communion every time we come to the liturgy. A feeling of unworthiness is not a reason for avoiding Communion. Here's what I wrote about it Rev. John Cassian:“We should not shy away from Holy Communion because we recognize ourselves as sinners; but with even more and more thirst we must rush to him for the healing of the soul and the purification of the spirit, but with such humility of spirit and faith that, considering ourselves unworthy of receiving such grace, we would desire more healing for our wounds. Otherwise, even once a year one cannot worthily receive communion, as some do, who value the dignity, sanctification and beneficence of the heavenly Sacraments in such a way that they think that only saints, not vicious, should receive them; but it is better to think that these Sacraments, through the communication of grace, make us pure and holy. They truly show more pride than humility, because when they accept them, they consider themselves worthy of accepting them. And it would be much more correct that we, with that humility of heart by which we believe and confess that we can never worthily touch the Holy Mysteries, should accept them on every Lord’s Day to heal our ailments, rather than, being exalted by the vain conviction of our hearts, to believe that After a year, we are worthy of accepting them...”

Indeed, there is such a false humility, which is actually a type of spiritual pride. Rare communion, writes the remarkable twentieth-century theologian Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann in his book “Holy of Holies,” arose, according to the unanimous testimony of the Church Fathers, out of negligence, but soon “began to be justified by pseudo-spiritual arguments and was gradually accepted as the norm.”

“Who should we praise? - asks John Chrysostom. —Those who take communion once a year, those who take communion often, or those who rarely? No, let us praise those who begin with a clear conscience, with with a pure heart, with an impeccable life. Let such people always begin; but never like that. Why? Because they bring upon themselves judgment, condemnation, punishment and torment... Do you become worthy of a spiritual meal, a royal meal, and then again defile your lips with uncleanness? Do you anoint yourself with myrrh, and then again become filled with the stench? When you start taking communion a year later, do you really think that forty days is enough for you to cleanse your sins for the entire time? And then a week goes by and you do the same thing again? Tell me: if you, having recovered for forty days from a long illness, then again took up the same food that caused the illness, would you not have lost the previous work? Obviously so. You spend forty days restoring the health of your soul, or maybe not even forty, and you think to appease God? You're kidding, man. I say this not to forbid you to begin once a year, but rather to desire that you continually approach the Holy Mysteries.”

How to prepare?

1. Understand the meaning and sincerely desire Communion. Those who come to Communion must understand what it is and why. We receive communion, as mentioned above, in order to unite with God Himself, enter into communion with Him, and accept the Body and Blood of Christ for sanctification and cleansing from sins. You must have a sincere personal desire for this, and not forced by some authority, “duty,” or the recommendation of a healer or “grandmother.”

2. Have peace with everyone. To take communion, you must be at peace with all people, at least not have a desire for revenge. You cannot accept the Sacrament in a state of hostility or hatred. The Lord Jesus said: “If you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” .

3. Do not commit mortal sins excommunicating from Communion. This is primarily murder (including abortion), violation of marital fidelity, betrayal of God with various fortune-tellers, healers, and psychics. In case of apostasy, it is necessary first of all to reunite with the Church through confession with a priest.

4. Live as a Christian every day. In order to take communion, it is better not to invent special periods of preparation, but to live in such a way that you everyday life was compatible with regular participation in the Lord's Table. The essential content of such a life is daily personal prayer, reading and studying the Bible - the Word of God, obligatory fulfillment God's commandments and a constant internal struggle with the “old man” living inside us, with our nature damaged by sin, which attracts us to sin. Important components of spiritual life are daily examination of conscience (for example, before going to bed) and regular confession. It is extremely important for a correct spiritual life to strive to live not for oneself, but for the sake of one’s neighbor, internal honesty, truthfulness and humility before each person. It is also important, as far as possible, to balance your life rhythm and schedule with the liturgical rhythm, observing generally accepted fasts (Wednesday and Friday, as well as multi-day fasts, of which the most important is the pre-Easter fast). Lent) and, if possible, participating in holiday services, which occur not only on Sundays.

5. Liturgical fast. For a long time in church tradition It is customary to approach Communion on an empty stomach. This disciplinary norm is called “liturgical fasting.” As a rule, one abstains from food and drink from midnight before Communion. According to the definition of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1969, the duration of liturgical fasting should be at least 6 hours. That is, if you drank water after midnight and are going to Liturgy at 9 o’clock in the morning, this is not a reason to refuse Communion. In the same way, there is no reason to refuse Communion if you swallowed a little water while washing your face in the morning. It should be remembered that the disciplinary norm applies to physically healthy people. For those who, for example, suffer from diabetes, they are allowed to eat in the morning. In the same way, you can take medications necessary for health reasons before Communion. After all, both the Last Supper and the Eucharistic meals of the first Christians were celebrated in the evening, after meals. And when preparing for Communion, what matters is the state of the heart and soul, not the state of the stomach.

6. Confession. As a rule, before Communion in churches they require mandatory confession. It can be performed either immediately before the liturgy, or the evening before or several days before. Those people whom the priest knows as conscientious Christians who live according to the faith and regularly receive communion may be allowed to receive communion without mandatory confession - this practice is generally accepted in the Greek Church, and we consider this issue in more detail, for example, in the article: Confession: about the important and the frivolous .

7. Prayer preparation before Communion includes reading the canon and prayers for Holy Communion - in the evening or in the morning before the liturgy. To a healthy person It is recommended to come to the temple the day before for the evening service. During the liturgy in church, you need to pray together with everyone, and not read your rule, which you did not have time to “read” at home. The reading of other prayers, such as the canons of repentance, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, and the akathist to the Sweetest Jesus, remains at the discretion of each believer.

8. Bodily abstinence. On the night before Communion, it is customary for spouses to abstain from physical marital relations.

"...don't you hear what the Lord says to us - accept, eat... - with this he not only allowed us, but commanded us to often approach His saving Cup, His Meal..." Sermon by Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany - On Holy Communion(see below)

For the sacrament of Holy Communion, one must prepare oneself in advance for several days in a proper manner (our sections “Confession”, “Fasting” and “Prayer” can help) both spiritually and physically:

fasting, keeping your body clean, reading Holy Scripture, internal focus on the Divine, and not on the earthly, refusal of entertainment that distracts the mind from God, reconciliation with all people, non-judgment of one’s neighbor, heartfelt contrition for one’s sins, intensified prayer, visiting everyone if possible church services, expansion of your home prayer rule (especially for those who do not have the opportunity to attend church), remembrance of the suffering on the cross for the sake of our salvation of the Son of God, His glorious Resurrection, His immeasurable love for us, and finally - reverent reflection on the incomprehensible greatness and grace strength.

You cannot approach the Chalice of Christ without confession. After confession, the priest gives a blessing for Communion.

You prepare for the sacrament of Confession by reflecting(s) on your past life. You can write down some things to say briefly in confession. But the main thing is complete sincerity and the desire to change your life so that Christ becomes your friend, leader, King and Lord. You can confess when the need arises. But it will be difficult for an attentive person to confess less than once a month. We have a lot of habits that you can’t change suddenly and immediately. So some sins may be repeated. Although the goal is not to repeat them, destroying bad habits and acquiring good skills.

It is necessary to confess before Communion- before you can approach the Chalice of Christ - immediate participation, acceptance of His whole life to heal your life - COMMUNION.

The best time to confess is before or after (or even during) evening service, or in the morning (living in another city), but certainly before the start of the Divine Liturgy. We have worship on Saturdays and Sundays church holidays starts at 17:00 and ends around 19:45, the so-called “Vespers” - it is clear that it is shortened. Confession begins at 16:30, and at the end All-night vigil Confessions continue if there are still confessors.

WHEN IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO PREPARE FOR COMMUNION:

Fasting is a necessary spiritual activity that precedes the sacraments of Confession and Communion. Therefore, in the Orthodox Church, according to tradition, during “continuous weeks” - these are weeks during the year in which there are no fast days- It is not customary to prepare for Communion.

Continuous weeks in which there are no fast days are as follows:
- week after the resurrection "On the Publican and the Pharisee"
- Maslenitsa,
- Bright Week, the first week after Easter
- the first week after Trinity, followed by Peter's Fast
- Christmastide, from the Feast of the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany Eve.

At this time, only in special circumstances (for example: before a major operation), believers, with the blessing of their spiritual father, prepare for the sacrament of Communion. IN Easter period There are different practices - here, too, it is better to consult individually with a priest.

PREPARATION ON THE EVE OF COMMUNION:

Usually they prepare for Holy Communion using the prayer “Rule”, what exactly is written in the Prayer Book. Before the Divine Liturgy or the day before, read the prayer book “Rule for Holy Communion.” But one can grow into prayerful practice gradually, so this is a separate topic that can be briefly discussed after confession.

Getting ready for Communionthree-day fasting(on days when there is no fast established by the church) without meat and dairy products, and more strictly: without fish; who wants it even stricter: without oil, that is, “vegetable oil” (without fried potatoes, for example). After confession the night before, you can still eat some light food, but - at the latest - from midnight onwards you won't eat anything: don't eat, don't drink, don't smoke, don't smoke, don't eat any sweets or chewing gum...

IN THE MORNING - COMMUNION.

The very first thing that we swallow into ourselves the next morning is the shrine of Christ, Communion from the Chalice at the end of the Liturgy.

Question: Is it possible to brush your teeth before Communion?

Answer: Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. However, no one will swallow toothpaste or eat a toothbrush even if you are hungry. All we have to do is not swallow the water we use to rinse our mouths. If you are inexperienced, a person may accidentally swallow a little - the fathers advise not to be embarrassed in this case, but this does not mean “drinking”. Still, vigilance and caution in this regard are good.

Adults who are late for the service should not begin the sacrament of Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Infants receive communion without confession until the age of 7 and are gradually accustomed to long services. Before the Liturgy, prayers called “The Hours” are read (these are two short services, 10 minutes each, which were once read separately during the day at certain hours). Now they are read from 09:40 to 10:00. If you stand on the Clock (like a sentry) and listen with all your heart, then this good cooking to the future. Anyone who is going to receive communion should stand attentively and reverently throughout the Liturgy., which starts on Sunday at 10:00 (on weekdays at 09:00, in our monasteries until 07:00).

DIVINE LITURGY

Beginning of the Liturgy. The cry “Blessed is the Kingdom, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...” - the very Kingdom of Christ is opened to our hearts.

First part, Word: two psalms are sung and then the verses of the “Blessedness...” of Christ’s gospel sermon (chapter 5 from the Gospel of Matthew), during which the book is brought out - the Gospel, the Word of God. There is a solemn ENTRANCE with the Gospel into the altar, into the “Holy of Holies.” The Word of God is read: the Epistle of the Apostle, and the Gospel itself. There may be several readings. And after the Gospel readings, we, as if “up a ladder”, ascended prayer requests(litany), we arrive at the second part.

Second part, It is no longer a word, but a reality - “The Word became flesh” - transfer of the Cup and blessing of gifts: ENTRANCE takes place again, but not “small”, but “great”. The Great Entrance with a Chalice containing wine and water, and a Paten on which bread is cooked. After placing the bread and wine on the Throne in the center of the altar, there follows again a “ladder” of petitions. This is how we leave behind the first 50-60 minutes of the Liturgy. The parish sings the “Creed” - about God the Trinity and creation, about the work of Christ the Savior, about the Church. Last words: “I am waiting (waiting, waiting) for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the next century.”

The work of Christ, His life, are indivisible. This is eternal life, revealed to us in time. But time has been surpassed here. This is exactly what happens at the Liturgy, the entrance into our eternity with Christ. They invite: “Let us become kind, let us become with fear (i.e., tremblingly, reverently), let us pay attention (i.e., let us listen, be attentive), and bring holy offerings to the world.” After the exclamation “We give thanks to the Lord,” we give thanks for “all the manifest and unmanifested blessings that have been upon us” - and for the greatest blessing, this very service given to us by Christ, who gave all of Himself and His whole life so that we too would live in His fullness love. He brought Himself, we offer ourselves to Him - and the prepared Gifts (bread and wine) become His inseparable life through the invocation of the Holy Spirit and blessing - new dimensions of a comprehensive life open up, together with all the saints.

The third part, sunrise to Holy Communion : Of course, the entire Liturgy is a “sunrise,” but this is the last stage. It ends with the communicant ascending the steps (usually there are three) to the “pulpit”, to the very altar doors, to the “Royal Doors”, so that here at the entrance to heaven, i.e. altar, to take into oneself the whole of heaven, the whole of Christ, the whole Kingdom of God. This is the heavenly food promised by Christ, about which He once said that if we do not take it, we will not “have life in us” (John 6:53) - of course, the life that He brought and in which He. And our temporary life will be wasted.
So, after another “ladder of petitions” we ascended to the prayer that Christ Himself said - “Our Father...”. Whole books have been written about this short prayer, so simple. After the “Our Father” the “Holy of Holies” is proclaimed, and - after the communion of the clergy in the altar at behind closed doors, as the Apostles once communed with Christ - the altar doors (“Royal Doors”) are opened and the Chalice of Christ is brought out for the communion of the believers.

HOW TO APPROACH THE BOWL:

The believers confessed, received a blessing, and approached with their hands folded on their chests (they do not make the sign of the cross before the Chalice itself, so as not to accidentally push the Chalice). There is no need to be ashamed to open your mouth wide, this will make it easier for the priest to insert the Holy Relic. In no case should you tilt your head down, because it is impossible to give the Gifts from bottom to top; it is better to slightly throw back your head, and for a tall person to bend his knees, as if sitting down, then the priest will not be worried that something might fall out. The accepted Shrine should be immediately swallowed, and then the edge of the Chalice should be kissed (as the myrrh-bearing women fell at the feet of the Risen One when they met the Savior on the day of the Resurrection early in the morning in the garden). Without being baptized, the communicant moves away from the Chalice. He can, having descended from the pulpit, turn to the Chalice, bow and cross himself with gratitude, but standing in front of the Chalice himself, he does not cross himself. Below, a warm drink awaits him to wash his mouth and mouth. Until the evening after Communion, you should not brush your teeth or spit, keeping your lips (including from unnecessary words). In practice, Holy Communion embraces the whole person - we are Christ's.

Completion of the Liturgy: After this moment, when the Chalice was taken to the altar, solemn, victorious chants follow, between which the priest blesses everyone in the temple with the Chalice - first in the altar, quietly pronouncing the words “Blessed is our God,” he takes it out, raising the Chalice, overshadows everyone in the temple with the words “ always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages." The cup is carried away. What follows is the “beyond the pulpit prayer,” which is so called because the priest descends from the pulpit. Usually after the “prayer behind the pulpit” a sermon is preached. And after the “dismissal”, believers come and kiss the Cross (they kiss the Savior’s feet on the Cross, and then the priest’s hand).

About the sign of the cross: When making the sign of the cross, you must first get used to consciously and tightly curling the small and ring fingers, so that their tips touch the palm and do not unravel: this number two says that Christ is one person, but in two natures there is both God and Man. The Son of God became the Son of Man. This is how He revealed to us God the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Only after His descent from heaven and appearance on earth, and only from Him - the Son in two natures - did we learn about the Trinity, three persons with one divine nature. So only by folding two fingers, with the other three, folding the middle index and thumb, we confess the Trinity, one and indivisible. So all five fingers - two and three - express our Orthodox faith in one God and Christ.

God bless you!
I'm waiting for you to confess!
Prot. Nikolay Artemov

The path of the Church is always the “golden” mean. Everything in Her is harmonious, everything in Her is verified to the smallest detail. Everything in Her leads, with God’s help, a person to salvation. So it is with continuous weeks (from the word “seven”, seven days of the week).

A continuous week is a week in which there are no one-day fasts on Wednesday and Friday, when you can eat all foods. The exception is the continuous Cheese Week before Lent, when by its Charter the Church gradually develops a person’s habituation to fasting, making his diet easier. Continuous weeks are established to achieve several goals, so to speak, in a complex. On the one hand, in terms of food, to accumulate strength for fasting or, conversely, to console yourself a little after a long fast, such as on Bright Week or Christmastide. On the other hand, it is to give a person the opportunity to relax before a long and intense spiritual feat: a kind of rest before a campaign or battle. On the third hand, to prevent us from falling into delusion and imagining that we are “great” fasters and ascetics.

There are only five continuous weeks in the church annual calendar:

1. Christmastide- from Christmas to Epiphany, from January 7 to January 18 (this, strictly speaking, is not a week, but 11 days).

2. Publican and Pharisee- two weeks before Lent.

3. Cheese (Maslenitsa)- the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat).

4. Easter (Light)- the week after Easter.

5. Trinity- the week after Trinity (the week before Peter's Lent) - this year falls in the interval from June 5 to June 11.

If we talk specifically about the continuous week after Trinity Day, it is also connected with the fact that Pentecost is compared in its meaning to Easter. We triumph and rejoice that to us, Orthodox Christians, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity has been revealed - the Holy Spirit, Who generously poured out on the apostles, establishing the Church, and continues to pour out on us sinners.

We find the prescription for a continuous week after Trinity Day in the apostolic decrees: “After Pentecost, celebrate one week, and then fast; justice requires both rejoicing after receiving gifts from God, and fasting after relieving the flesh.”

As for the practice of communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ during Trinity Week, they are regulated by the document “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist”, adopted at the Bishops’ Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox Church, held on February 2-3, 2015. It says the following: “A special occasion in relation to the practice of preparing for Holy Communion is Bright Week - the week after the holiday of Easter. The ancient canonical norm about the obligatory participation of all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharist in the 7th century was extended to the Divine Liturgy of all days of Bright Week: “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until New Week, throughout the entire week, the faithful must in the holy churches continually practice psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphant in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the Holy Mysteries. For in this way we will rise together with Christ and ascend” (66th canon of the Trullo Council). From this rule it clearly follows that the laity are called to receive communion at the liturgies of Bright Week. Bearing in mind that during Bright Week the Rules do not provide for fasting and that Bright Week is preceded by seven weeks of the feat of Great Lent and Holy Week, - it should be recognized that, in accordance with canonical tradition, the practice that has developed in many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church is when Christians observing Lent during Bright Week begin Holy Communion, limiting the fast to not eating food after midnight. A similar practice can be extended to the period between Christmas and Epiphany. Those preparing for communion these days should: special attention guard yourself from excessive consumption of food and drink.”

Approximately the same can be said about other continuous weeks, including Trinity.

Let us rejoice and be merry, and celebrate the birthday of the Mother of the Church, and glorify and glorify our Comforter. With God's help, let us accumulate strength for Peter's Fast, which this year begins on June 12 and lasts exactly a month until July 12. This post is not strict. You can eat fish except Wednesdays and Fridays. But the main thing, of course, is to confess, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, attend divine services, strengthen prayer rule, do good deeds. After all, fasting is a small step with which we get closer to God.

Sedmitsa (literally “seven”, from the glorious seven; Greek έβδομάς, from έπτά – “seven”) is the Church Slavonic name for the week, the seven-day calendar cycle.

A week is a week from Monday to Sunday. During continuous weeks there are no fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Solid weeks in 2019

There are five continuous weeks:
1. Christmastide– from Christmas to Epiphany, from 7 to 18 January.
2. Publican and Pharisee- two weeks before Lent - February 17 - 23.
3. Cheese (Maslenitsa)– the week before Lent (eggs, fish and dairy are allowed throughout the week, but without meat) – March 4 – 10.
4. Easter (Light)– week after Easter – April 28 – May 4.
5. Trinity– the week after Trinity (the week before Peter’s Lent) – June 16 – 22.

Is it possible to receive communion during the continuous week?

The continuous week is coming to an end - one of the preparatory weeks before Lent. In this regard, many parishioners have a question: how to receive communion on the coming Saturday and Sunday, since the usual preparation for receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ includes, among other things, bodily fasting? Should one dare to approach the Chalice without fasting, or vice versa, should one fast? in the usual way and at the same time ignore the provisions of the church charter, which presupposes the absence of fasting during the continuous week, even on Wednesday and Friday? Or maybe you shouldn’t start communion at all during this period?

For an explanation of this difficult point for many, we turn to several respected and authoritative clergy. They were asked to answer two questions: is it possible to receive communion during the whole week and on the following Sunday? If so, how should one prepare for communion on these days?

Deputy of the Solovetsky Stauropegial monastery Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov):

– In understanding this issue, we need to separate the abundance of pastoral practices and private opinions that may exist, and the requirements of the charter. There is a limit for private theological opinions and pastoral practices, and in this case it is that the Liturgy is celebrated on this day, which means that the Church blesses the communion of the faithful.

In my life I have had the opportunity to meet priests who are convinced that communion cannot be given on continuous weeks, and categorically deny this to believers. I had to see how painful this was often for people.

And it’s clear why, because they can be in different spiritual and mental states. For example, there is a period of some special sorrow for a person when he naturally fasts, therefore there will be no sin if during the continuous week he, due to the state of his soul and body, does not eat the sacramental food, but according to the disposition of his soul, he is directed towards communion and seeks Christ's help in difficult circumstances. Therefore, it is possible, necessary and necessary to receive communion in such cases, and the Church, as a loving Mother, in no case rejects her children from this strengthening - the greatest that she can give - through the communion of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

The wise church charter knows continuous weeks. At the same time, this does not mean that you can not prepare for communion during this period by fasting and prayer. During continuous weeks, as always, preparation for communion is necessary, but specific questions must be left to the discretion of the shepherd and his spiritual child: for example, name days can happen during this period - how can a believer fast in order to receive communion with dignity? When considering such issues, there are many individual, private circumstances that need to be taken into account.

Well, in general, if there is a relaxation of fasting and, in particular, its complete abolition on Wednesday and Friday during the continuous week, then it seems that a certain relaxation in this part of the preparation can be provided for. This is a matter of individual spiritual judgment between the shepherd and the flock.

Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, rector of the Moscow Church of the Resurrection on the Assumption Enemy, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov:

- Of course, you can take communion. On those days when you cannot receive communion and the Liturgy is not served, for example, on Good Friday during Holy Week.

Preparation for communion during the whole week depends on the person and how often he receives communion. I think that for those who receive communion often - say, every week - it is enough to observe established posts. This rule is basically followed by the clergy. How do you impose burdens on others that you yourself do not bear? I think this is bad and wrong. But for those who receive communion very rarely - say, once a year or even less often - and for some reason need the Sacrament precisely on these days, I would probably advise fasting for at least a few days, even though the week is continuous .

The main preparation, of course, is not in the diet, but in the examination of conscience, in the thirst for another life: “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup” (1 Cor. 11:28).

First Deputy Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Rector of the Patriarchal Metochion - Church St. Seraphim Sarovsky on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment in Moscow, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov:

– There is no Divine Liturgy during which believers cannot partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And in this sense, no continuous week is a period when an Orthodox person should not take communion if he has the urge and desire to do so.

Regarding the question of whether one should fast before communion during the whole week, then, guided by the spirit and letter of the Typikon, it should be noted that to establish a fast for oneself at a time when the Church abolishes it means, at a minimum, to be arbitrary and impose burdens , which do not need to be imposed.

From the point of view of external preparation for communion, everything is simple: during the whole week, eat what is allowed, that is, modest, but do not give yourself a feast “from the belly” on the eve of communion. After all, it is clear that even on a fast day you can eat three kilograms of fried potatoes until you then suffer from indigestion; this also will not be a proper way of preparing for the reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Moreover, you should refrain from inappropriate drinking of alcohol.

What obstacles may arise for those wishing to receive communion during the continuous week? From my point of view, there can only be one obstacle: it is unacceptable for someone to begin the Holy Mysteries who deliberately and slyly puts off communion for a whole week so as not to prepare for it. Suppose a person takes communion three or four times a year, and instead of waiting for Lent, talking, getting together, he says: “I’ll take communion during the whole week after the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, on Maslenitsa and on Bright Week - that’s possible.” will not fast before receiving the Holy Mysteries.” It is clear that if the idea of ​​communion during this period is not aspiration to Christ, but an escape from fasting, then a person who is guided by such thoughts is acting craftily; he can be advised, for the benefit of his spiritual and physical health, to think about himself and not take communion for now.

Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs, Abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow, Abbot Isidor (Tupikin):

– It is not only possible, but also necessary to receive communion during the continuous week. The celebration of the Divine Liturgy by a priest presupposes the communion of those present.

What about fasting before communion? If we are talking about the so-called “practicing” believers (who often take communion and understand the meaning of fasting), then with the individual blessing of the confessor it is possible to receive communion without fasting for many days - it will be enough just to abstain from fasting food and other pleasures the day before.

Participation in the Sacrament of Confession before communion, heartfelt repentance and awareness of our unworthiness before God opens up for us the opportunity to receive communion not only during the week of the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, but also on Bright Week and Christmastide.

Associate Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Chief Editor scientific theological portal "Bogoslov.ru" Archpriest Pavel Velikanov:

– Can there be such a situation in the Church that the Divine Liturgy is served “for no one”? After all, the priest does not serve for himself: “What is Yours from Yours is offered to You ABOUT EVERYONE AND FOR EVERYTHING.” Of course, you can take communion during the whole week, and it is especially useful on the eve of Great Lent, in order to protect yourself from opinions about the significance of our “deeds.” The All-Wise Church calls us to minimize all our exploits - even those usually performed in preparation for communion - and to boldly approach the Chalice, but not with an arrogant feeling - “and in this I am completely obedient to the Church!” - and with the opposite feeling of one’s own lewdness, with a heightened sense of need for God - exactly the same as the publican had.

The issue of preparing for communion requires an individual approach, but in general, as it seems to me, during this week it makes sense to preserve only that essential minimum, without which it would be simply arrogance to dare to approach the Chalice - namely, to preserve the prayerful reading of the Rule for Communion, without three canons and akathist - just as it happens on Bright Week. Only on Easter are we filled with the grace of the Risen Christ, but here we degrade ourselves to the extreme, not observing fasting, limiting ourselves not only in the choice of food, but in its quantity. After all, you can get up with a slight feeling of hunger even from the table with quick dishes.

And it is also very good, as a preparation for a meeting with the Seeker of the heart, to finally take and do that very good deed that has been put “on the back burner” for so long. And, having done it, do not think about yourself, but consider this act to be nothing more than the return of an old debt. And, bowing your eyes downwards, go towards Christ - to the Chalice with His Body and Blood.

Submit a church note (commemoration)

Brothers and sisters, now you can order requirements from the list offered to you right here on the website

Nowadays development information technologies allows you to submit memorial donations remotely. On the website of the Holy Resurrection Church (old) in Vichug, such an opportunity also appeared - submitting notes via the Internet. The process of submitting a note takes just a few minutes...

Viewed (34673) times