What can you eat before communion. Three days before Communion: how to fast if you have no strength

Orthodox fasting is those days when people are cleansed by the spirit. But at the same time, the body is also cleansed, because everything in each person must be pure - both the soul, and the body, and thoughts. On the days of fasting, you need to be attentive to your psychophysical state. A person who decides that he is ready to limit his diet, in principle, knows which foods are allowed to be consumed in a given period, and which are not.

The main canons of nutrition in fasting

It is necessary to figure out what you can still eat on fasting days, and what foods should be excluded from the diet. So, the mandatory exceptions are:

1. Meat products;
2. Milk, as well as butter, cottage cheese and cheeses;
3. Eggs and mayonnaise;
4. Fatty sweets and pastries;
5. Fish and vegetable oil (on strict days of fasting);
6. Alcohol and tobacco.

These foods should not be eaten during fasting. There is an opinion that if a person does not eat meat, eggs, does not drink milk, then he loses protein, which is so necessary for the body. But with the right approach to a lean diet, this is completely not the case.

There are many foods that are rich in protein. If you diversify the lean diet with mushrooms, eggplant, legumes and soy, you can get the required amount of protein. After all, even nutritionists have proven that soy may well replace fish and meat.

And yet, before fasting, you should find out if it will become dangerous for the body, because not everyone can benefit from abstaining from certain products.

What is allowed to eat in a strict fast

In Christianity, the days of fasting vary in severity. On one day, one thing may be allowed, on the second, another. And there are days when you can't eat at all. The strictest fast among Christians is Great.

It lasts 40 days, during which any recreational activities are prohibited. In addition, there are some canons that must be followed:

1. It is forbidden to take any food on Fridays, as well as on the day the Great Lent begins;
2. The first and last weeks are marked by the permission to eat vegetables, fruits and bread. Water is allowed as a drink.
3. On other days, honey, nuts and any plant foods are allowed.

What can you eat during fasting on non-strict days:

1. Eggplant;
2. Zucchini;
3. fish;
4. lentils;
5. oatmeal;
6. Any fruit salads, of course, without dressing them with sour cream.

The main food in fasting are plant foods. These are mainly cereals (of course, buckwheat, wheat, barley and oatmeal are the best, as these are primordially Russian types of cereals, besides they are rich in fiber and minerals).

Of course, do not forget about the vitamins contained in vegetables and fruits. The main thing is that fasting does not cause a violation of the diet. You should not skip breakfast, and you also need to remember that it is advisable to snack more often during fasting.

Due to the fact that there is no animal protein in the lean diet, which gives the feeling that a person is full for a long time, you want to eat something substantial, especially in the early days. But in this case, you can forget about purification.

The best option here is regular meals, as well as the inclusion of whole grains in the diet, and of course beans.

It is important to remember that for any restriction in food, you need to prepare your body. For him, the option will be the most severe stress, in which a person overeating every day, suddenly suddenly stops eating. There will be no benefit from such an attempt at purification.

Features of nutrition after fasting

Some people think that if the post is over, then you need to recoup all the days and eat everything at once, and even more.

At the same time, without thinking at all that in this case, not only will there be no benefit from abstinence, but on the contrary, there will be only harm. How to eat after the end of the post?

The first days should be like a gradual "fading" of fasting. It is not recommended to eat these days:

1. Meat (with the possible exception of chicken, turkey or fish);
2. Mushrooms, especially pickled;
3. You should not get involved in baking;
4. High-calorie sweets, such as cake, buttercream or buttercream cake;
5. Sausages and smoked meats.

Since the body, during the time the fast lasted, weaned from animal food, you need to start eating it little by little, as if re-accustoming yourself. Do not eat fried meat or fish. It is desirable that the food be boiled and eat it in small portions, little by little.

Salt in the first days after fasting is better to limit. Do not get carried away with flour products in butter and eggs. Much more useful will be dishes from cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet or oatmeal - it does not matter much) with fruits, in which it is desirable to add more greens. After all, the body needs vitamins during this period.

The Sacrament of Communion - how to prepare for it, what can you eat?

The shortest duration of fasting before Communion is three days. It happens that a person cannot withstand these restrictions due to illness or even hard, exhausting work, while the body requires a lot of calories.

In this case, at confession, which necessarily takes place before communion, you need to repent to the priest of this sin as well. What you can’t do is tell the priest that you fasted if the fast is not kept.

So what can you eat in this post? Almost the same is allowed as on the days of other fasts:

1. You can eat vegetables and fruits;
2. Cereals from cereals;
3. Boiled or baked fish;
4. Bread;
5. Nuts.

You can also eat sweets, such as dark chocolate, gozinaki, but it is better to limit the consumption of these products. The main thing is to remember that in the use of even those products that are allowed, you need to know when to stop, do not overeat.

The benefits of fasting for a person or “why to fast”

Eating in fasting according to all the rules is very beneficial for human health. Allowed food will give the body the necessary substances, and the absence of prohibited foods will not allow the body to spend energy on fighting toxins, etc.

Lenten nutrition inherently normalizes the work of the whole organism, but its main benefit is as follows:

1. Improved digestion;
2. Getting rid of dysbacteriosis;
3. Liver cleansing and normalization of its work;
4. Complete cleansing of the body. Slags and toxins are removed completely;
5. Eating by day will prevent set excess weight.

Some people, fearing excess weight, do not touch, for example, pies with potatoes fried in oil, albeit vegetable. If you pay attention to fasting days, then on weekends this food is completely permissible and is not at all harmful to health.

Why is this happening? Everything is simple. Even if you allow yourself to enjoy your favorite pies on a day off, all the substances that the body does not need will be removed from the body over the next five weekdays.

Little joys after fasting

Only those people who really held great post, after its completion, they can fully experience the pleasure of everyday food. In the first days, after forty days of abstinence, ordinary food tastes unusually "sweet".

Those foods that seemed ordinary before Lent seem to be the most delicate nectar. Not everyone can experience such feelings. Only those few who have truly abstained from forbidden food are capable of such a thing.

After all, you no longer need to ask yourself the question, is it possible for me today, now. After all, no matter how hard a person tries, there is not always enough time for cooking, and on fast days tomorrow it will not be possible to eat what they ate today.

Therefore, it turns out that all food often consists of water, nuts and dried fruits.

Fast or not?

In any case, regardless of whether a person fasts or not, you need to know the measure in everything. After all, if you exhaust yourself with constant hunger, the body will not receive the substances it needs, it will use internal resources that are not endless.

And in the end, it just “gets tired” of working and stops. Is there any benefit to such fasting? The answer is obvious - no. The same can be said about overeating. Excess will be deposited in the body, and as a result - obesity, heart disease and other internal organs.

So whether to fast or not is up to everyone. The main thing is not to go to extremes.

An integral part of fasting is confession, that is, repentance. This is one of Orthodox sacraments when a person tells a church minister about his sins that he committed during his life. It is important to know how to prepare for confession, because without this it will be impossible to proceed to the sacrament.

How to prepare for confession and communion?

There are several requirements that the clergy talk about to people who want to take communion.

1. The person must be Orthodox Christian who was baptized by a legal priest. In addition, it is important to believe and accept the Holy Scriptures. There are various books through which a person can learn about faith, such as the Catechism.
2. Understanding what you need to know before confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that it is necessary to remember evil deeds, starting from the age of seven or from the moment of baptism, if this happened in adulthood. It is important to point out that one should not mention other people's sins in order to justify one's own actions.
3. A believer must make a promise to the Lord that every effort will be made to make no more mistakes and do good.
4. In a situation where sin provoked damage to loved ones, then before confession it is important to make every possible effort to make amends for the committed act.
5. It is equally important to forgive the existing offenses to people yourself, otherwise you should not count on the Lord's indulgence.
6. It is recommended to develop a habit for yourself every day, for example, before going to bed, to analyze the past day, bringing repentance to the Lord.

Fasting before confession

There are no direct prohibitions regarding whether it is possible to eat food before the sacrament of confession, but it is recommended to refrain from eating for 6-8 hours. If you are interested in how to fast before confession and communion, then you must adhere to a three-day fast, so products include: vegetables and fruits, cereals, fish, pastries, dried fruits and nuts.

Prayers before confession

One of the important stages of preparation is the reading of prayer texts, and this can be done both at home and in church. With their help, a person conducts spiritual cleansing and prepares for an important event. Many Orthodox believers claim that in order to prepare for confession, it is important to read prayers, the text of which is understandable and known, thanks to which you can get rid of disturbing thoughts and gain understanding of the upcoming ritual. The clergy assure that you can even ask for your loved ones, who will have confession and communion.

How to write down sins before confession?

Many people misunderstand the need to list their own sins, even using "lists". As a result, confession turns into a formal enumeration of one's own mistakes. The clergy allow the use of records, but these should only be reminders and only if the person is really afraid of forgetting something. When figuring out how to prepare for confession, it is worth pointing out that it is important to understand the term “sin”, as it is an act that is contrary to the will of the Lord.

There are several tips on how to write sins before confession in order to fulfill everything according to the existing canons.

1. First, you need to remember the offenses that concern the Lord, for example, lack of faith, the use of superstition in life, turning to fortune-tellers and creating idols for yourself.
2. The rules before confession include an indication of the sins committed against oneself and other people. This group includes condemnation of others, neglect, bad habits, envy, and so on.
3. It is important when talking with the clergy to discuss only their own sins, without inventing a special church language.
4. When confessing, a person should talk about really serious things, and not about trifles.
5. When figuring out how to properly prepare for confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that a believer should try to change his life before going to an individual conversation in church. In addition, you need to try to live in peace with the people around you.

Can I drink water before confession?

There are many prohibitions regarding such important and responsible events in the life of a believer as confession and. It is believed that as a preparation, it is necessary to refrain from eating and drinking at least 6-8 hours before confession. It is important to note that only people who need to drink medicines important for life are allowed to drink water before confession. If a person drank water before communion, then the clergyman should be told about it.

Can I smoke before communion and confession?

For this topic, there is different opinions, which show the clergy.

1. Some believe that if a person smokes long time, then it will be difficult for him to quit bad habit, and there are cases when it is dangerous. In their opinion, cigarette addiction cannot be a reason for refusing confession and communion.
2. Other clergy, answering the question regarding whether it is possible to smoke before confession and communion, are categorical, arguing that if it is difficult for a person to refrain from tobacco before important event, then it is difficult to talk about the presence of the triumph of the spirit over the body.

Can I have sex before confession?

Many believing people misunderstand, considering it to be something dirty and sinful. In fact, sex is an integral part of the marital relationship. Many priests are of the opinion that husband and wife are free persons, and no one has the right to enter their bedroom with their advice. Sex before confession is not strictly forbidden, but if possible, abstinence will be useful to maintain purity of body and soul.

Communion is God's grace, the great Sacrament through which Christians can become involved in the Savior himself. It is important to know how to fast correctly so that after confession of sins and communion, you will receive God's anointing on faith, the power of love and patience.

What is fasting and why fast before communion

Communion is open door to receive God's grace into the lives of Christians. Through Communion, believers receive:

Each believer himself bears the responsibility for receiving the Divine Sacrament, for, as the Apostle Paul writes, whoever does this without reasoning, sinning, gets sick and even dies (Cor. 11:28-30).

Quite an ordeal for Christians, isn't it? If you don't take Communion, you don't receive blessings and grace, if you do, you can get sick and die. Where is the exit? And the way out is simple - in fasting and confession of sins.

Fasting is a time when a person, through pacification of the flesh, tries to cleanse himself of spiritually harmful attachments and habits in order to spiritually approach the Creator. Fasting is a time of prayers and reflections on the sacrifice of Christ, Her cleansing and blessing power . During the preparation for the sacrament, Christians try to review their lives, identify sins in it and repent of them.

It is difficult to resist the temptations when satiety and fun. It is difficult not to fall into temptation when drinking alcohol or at recreational activities. During fasting, people, by taming the flesh, tame their emotions and morals. According to John the Ladder, during repentance, the purity of prayer should take precedence, in silence, obedience, to give up pleasures, evil thoughts in order to receive pleasure in Heaven.

Some Christians may sit for hours in social networks, spend time in empty phone conversations, take part in gossip, but at the same time be in the strictest abstinence from food, proud of yourself. I would like to disappoint such believers - God does not look at the stomach, but at the soul.

Anything that separates a Christian from God is sin.

Important! Fasting is the only way to get closer to the Almighty. According to the priests, fasting and prayer are the wings that allow the believing soul to fly to Heaven.

The history of fasting before communion

The first Christians after the Ascension of Jesus took the sacrament daily, constantly being in fellowship. Of course, at that time there could be no question of fasting. The apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Christians of that time, reminding them of the importance of reflection before accepting the Holy Sacrifice of Christ.

Icon of Communion of the Apostles

During the time of the apostles, the Eucharist was celebrated in the evening, but over time, the Sacrament of Communion was moved to the morning, giving the faithful the opportunity to take the food of the Lord from the very morning, which purifies the blood and body.

The first appearance of fast days before the Eucharist dates back to the fourth century. Priests of that time note the cooling of faith and urge Christians to refrain from sexual pleasures and worldly amusements before accepting the Holy Gifts, but nothing was said about food.

The early Christians fasted three times a week and on the days of fasting established by the Church. Fasting or restriction in eating for three to seven days appears at the beginning of the ninth century due to the decline of spiritual life.

According to the metropolitan Volokolamsky Hilarion, there is no single requirement for a three-day abstinence before the Eucharist.

Each believer individually decides how long it will take him to come to purity and reverence for the Lord. Some Christians deal with this issue with their spiritual mentor.

Rules of conduct during preparation for Communion

Three days of abstinence before taking the sacrament is not a requirement, but only a wish. It concerns mainly people who participate in the Eucharist 2-3 times a year. There are no additional abstinence requirements during the four fasts.

In the church, believers and baptized people partake of the Body and Blood of Christ

According to the decree Orthodox Church during fasting it is forbidden to eat:

• products of animal origin;
• eggs;
• milk products;
• selectively - fish.

These days, food is prepared not for the pleasure of eating it, but as a means of maintaining health in the temple of God, i.e. in the Christian himself.

If fish is the main food, then it can be consumed.

Before the Eucharist, Christians do not take food, before that they spent the day in prayer, refusing amusements, drinking alcoholic beverages and sex.

Important! At the Mystery of Confession, one should honestly confess to the priest about all his misdeeds, so that he decides whether it is safe for a Christian to touch the Holy Gifts or whether he should return home and carefully prepare.

Before confession and communion, Christians go to the evening service in the temple, in the morning they are always present at the Liturgy. Sincere repentance at Confession opens the door to Communion.

Fasting before Communion: how to observe it correctly

Indulgence in fasting

Communion is a great power that grants healing, release from addictions, forgiveness of sins and abiding in joy. Christians of all ages are admitted to this sacrament, even infants.

Children under the age of 7 receive communion without observing abstinence before that, but this does not mean permissiveness in food and games. The seed of reverence for the Sacraments, planted in a child's soul, will bear good fruit as the child matures. In infancy, the feat of the shit of parents - best example for the rising generation.

Pregnant women, patients should carefully monitor their diet, for those there are no days of dry eating. This category of Christians clarifies the list of acceptable dishes with their spiritual mentor.

Modern cuisine is rich in all kinds of products, the skillful preparation of which according to ready-made recipes cannot harm either pregnant women, or the fetus, or the sick.

The Church is also merciful to that category of people who are outside the home and eat in canteens. These are the army, boarding schools, hospitals and places of detention. In this case, as far as possible, one should give up fast food for several days, intensifying prayer and staying in the Word.

Dying and seriously ill people are admitted to Communion without any preparation.

Fasting is not a diet and punishment, but a great blessing from the Creator himself, bringing us closer to God.

Constantly being in prayer, reading "Our Father" and the sinner's prayer, fasting people come closer to the next step towards the Savior, Healer and our hope for eternal life.

The sinner's prayer

My Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

My Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

My Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Lord, have mercy according to Your great mercy in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist) is impossible before the preliminary fasting, home prayer and confession. Fasting allows us to humble our bodily passions, renounce earthly pleasures, look deep into ourselves and come closer to the realization of sins. Prayer serves as a "bridge" between the physical and spiritual nature of man; it is an additional strengthening for preparing for sincere repentance, performed at confession. But it all starts with a post.

In Orthodoxy, in one calendar year there are four multi-day fasts (Great, Petrov, Assumption and Christmas) and a large number of one-day fasts (Wednesday, Friday, Epiphany Christmas Eve, Beheading of John the Baptist, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord). With strict observance of a multi-day fast, there is no need to specifically fast before communion. The only exception is fish - it must be abandoned three days before the sacrament.

Believers who do not observe the fasts established by the Church should first talk with the priest to whom they plan to confess. Admission to communion is carried out after confession - accordingly, this conversation cannot be avoided. Usually, priests set a strict diet (it is allowed to eat plant foods, fresh and boiled, seasoned). vegetable oil) a three-day fast, but depending on the capabilities of a person and other factors only known to him, this period can be extended to seven days.

Believers who strictly observe both multi-day and one-day fasts, in turn, can count on some indulgences, but they must also agree on them with the priest at the beginning. The same applies to people suffering from certain diseases and pregnant women: if, for health reasons, they cannot refuse to take certain foods and medicines, then at the beginning they must notify the priest about this and only then proceed to fast.

Medicines cannot be taken before communion, because communion itself is a medicine not only for the soul, but also for the body. Herbal teas, vitamin supplements, and ointments are allowed during fasting. Prohibited drugs include only drugs that are taken orally.

The minimum fast before communion lasts three days. It implies the rejection of food of animal origin - meat and dairy products, eggs, butter, alcohol. smoking people should give up cigarettes, or at least try to do so. During fasting, it is advisable to abstain not only from "forbidden" food, but also from everything that gives a person pleasure in earthly life - sex, entertainment (discotheques, theaters, concerts, watching TV, etc.) and any kind of excesses, in including in lean food (fasting and gluttony are incompatible things!).

On the eve of the Eucharist, starting from twelve o'clock at night, the use of any food and water is prohibited. Brushing your teeth after midnight is also not allowed. If communion falls on the night (Christmas, Easter), then strict fasting begins - at least eight hours before the sacrament (around five in the evening).

Many Orthodox go to communion on Sundays. In this case, fasting before communion actually lasts not three, but four days: Lenten Wednesday almost always joins Lenten Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the only difference being that fish is allowed during it. On continuous weeks (weeks when Lenten Wednesdays and Fridays are cancelled), Wednesday is not Lenten, but you still need to observe fasting before Communion.

Children up to seven years of age receive communion without fasting or confession, but the sooner their parents teach them to be abstinent and aware of their sins, the better. You can introduce your child to fasting by giving up their favorite sweets and cartoons.

Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which a penitent who confesses his sins to a priest, with a visible forgiveness of sins (reading a permissive prayer), is invisibly resolved from them. by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was instituted by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (untie) on earth, it will be loosed in heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, ch. 18, verse 18). on whom you leave, on that they will remain ”(Gospel of John, ch. 20, verses 22-23). The apostles, however, transferred the power to "bind and loose" to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if at baptism a person is cleansed from the power of original sin, transferred to him at birth from our forefathers Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.

In order for the Sacrament of Repentance to take place, the penitent needs: awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance for his sins, a desire to leave sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to purify and wash away, through the prayer of a priest, sincerely confessed sins.

The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1st Epistle of John, ch. 1, verse 7). At the same time, we hear from many people: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t

I commit adultery, so why should I repent? But if we carefully study God's commandments, we will find that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.

Ingratitude to God.

Disbelief. Doubt in faith. Justifying your disbelief with an atheistic upbringing.

Apostasy, cowardly silence, when they blaspheme the faith of Christ, non-bearing pectoral cross visiting various sects.

Mentioning the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer and not in pious conversation about Him).

Oath in the name of the Lord.

Divination, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.

Thoughts of suicide.

Playing cards and other games of chance.

Failure to do morning and evening prayer rule.

Not visiting the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.

Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.

Reckless (non-everyday) reading Holy Scripture, soulful literature.

Breaking vows to God.

Despair in difficult situations and unbelief in the Providence of God, fear of old age, poverty, illness.

Absent-mindedness at prayer, thoughts about worldly things during worship.

Condemnation of the Church and her ministers.

Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.

The continuation of a sinful life in one hope of God's mercy, i.e., excessive hope in God.

A waste of time watching TV, reading entertainment books at the expense of time for prayer, reading the gospel and spiritual literature.

Concealment of sins at confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Self-confidence, human-confidence, that is, excessive hope in one's own strength and in someone else's help, without hope that everything is in the hands of God.

Raising children outside the Christian faith.

Irritability, anger, irritability.

Arrogance.

Perjury.

mockery.

Avarice.

Non-repayment of debts.

Non-payment for hard earned money.

Failure to help those in need.

Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.

Disrespect for elders.

Restlessness in your work.

Condemnation.

Taking someone else's is theft.

Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.

Killing one's child in the womb (abortion), persuading others to commit murder (abortion).

Murder with a word - bringing a person by slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.

Drinking alcohol at the commemoration of the dead instead of intensified prayer for them.

Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,

Unreasonable laughter.

Foul language.

self-love.

Doing good deeds for show.

Vanity.

Desire to get rich.

Love of money.

Envy.

Drunkenness, drug use.

Gluttony.

Fornication - inciting fornication thoughts, impure desires, fornication touches, watching erotic films and reading similar books.

Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons who are not bound by marriage.

Adultery is adultery.

Fornication is unnatural - the physical proximity of persons of the same sex, masturbation.

Incest - physical intimacy with relatives or nepotism.

Although the above sins are conditionally divided into three parts, in the end they are all sins against God (because they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against neighbors (because they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed). ), and against themselves (because they hinder the salvific dispensation of the soul).

Whoever wants to bring repentance before God for his sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read the literature devoted to the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them out on

a separate piece of paper to review it before confession. Sometimes a sheet with the listed sins is given to the confessor for reading, but sins that especially weigh on the soul must be told aloud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories, it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of condemning relatives or neighbors. It is not the list of sins that is important to God and the confessor, but the repentant feeling of the confessed, not detailed stories, but a contrite heart. It must be remembered that confession is not only an awareness of one's own shortcomings, but above all, a thirst to be cleansed of them. In no case is it unacceptable to justify oneself - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan of Athos explains what real repentance is: “Here is the sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hated sin, then the Lord forgave you your sins.”

It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance before God, writing down serious sins for future confession with a confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with your neighbors and ask for forgiveness from all those who have offended. When preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading penitential canon, which is in the Orthodox prayer book.

In order to confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession takes place in the temple. In those churches where the service is performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also performed every day. In those churches where there is no daily service, you must first familiarize yourself with the schedule of services.

Children up to seven years old (in the Church they are called babies) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great

Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an undesirable sense of the routine of what is happening. It is advisable to prepare babies for the upcoming Communion 2-3 days in advance: read the Gospel, the lives of the saints, other soulful books with them, reduce, or better, completely exclude watching TV (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with the preparation for Communion ), follow their prayer in the morning and before bedtime, talk with the child about the past days and bring him to a sense of shame for his own misdeeds. The main thing to remember is that there is nothing more effective for a child than a personal example of parents.

Starting from the age of seven, children (youths) already begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after the preliminary celebration of the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are also inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. To set the children up for sincere repentance, it is pleaded that they be given the following list of possible sins to read:

Did you lie in bed in the morning and did you miss the morning prayer rule in connection with this?

Didn't he sit down at the table without praying and didn't he go to bed without prayer?

Do you know by heart the most important Orthodox prayers: “Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”, a prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name do you bear?

Did you go to church every Sunday?

Didn't he get carried away with various amusements on church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?

Did you behave properly church service, didn’t he run around the temple, didn’t he conduct empty conversations with his peers, thereby introducing them into temptation?

Did he not pronounce the name of God unnecessarily?

Are you making the sign of the cross correctly, are you in no hurry to do so, are you not distorting the sign of the cross?

Did you get distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?

Do you read the Gospel, other spiritual books?

Do you wear a pectoral cross and are you not ashamed of it?

Do you use a cross as a decoration, which is a sin?

Do you wear various amulets, for example, signs of the zodiac?

Didn't he guess, didn't he tell?

Didn’t he hide his sins before the priest at confession because of false shame, and then take communion unworthily?

Was he not proud of himself and others of his successes and abilities?

Have you argued with anyone - just to get the upper hand in the argument?

Did you lie to your parents out of fear of being punished?

Didn’t you eat fast food, for example, ice cream, without the permission of your parents?

Did he listen to his parents, argue with them, demand an expensive purchase from them?

Did he hit anyone? Have you encouraged others to do so?

Did he offend the younger ones?

Have you tortured animals?

Didn't he gossip about anyone, didn't he snitch on anyone?

Have you laughed at people who have any physical handicaps?

Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue, or using drugs?

Didn't he swear?

Have you played cards?

Did you do any handicraft?

Did you take someone else's for yourself?

Have you been in the habit of taking without asking what does not belong to you?

Are you too lazy to help your parents around the house?

Was he pretending to be sick to avoid his duties?

Did you envy others?

The above list is only a general scheme of possible sins. Each child may have their own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of parents is to set the child up for repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but this should not be done for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, subject to sincere, sincere repentance and the desire not to repeat them again.

Confession is made in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the start of the liturgy. In no case should one be late for the beginning of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rites, in which everyone who wishes to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rites, the priest addresses the penitents so that they give their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the beginning of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of the confession, reads the rites again for them and accepts the confession, or appoints it for another day. It is impossible for women to start the Sacrament of Repentance during the period of monthly cleansing.

Confession usually takes place in a church with a confluence of people, so you need to respect the secrecy of confession, not crowd around the priest who is taking confession, and not embarrass the confessor who reveals his sins to the priest. The confession must be complete. It is impossible to confess some sins first, and leave others for the next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in pre-

previous confessions and which have already been released to him are not named again. If possible, you need to confess to the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which a sense of false shame prevents a familiar confessor from revealing. Those who do this are trying to deceive God Himself by their actions: at confession we confess our sins not to the confessor, but together with him - to the Savior Himself.

In large churches, due to the large number of penitents and the impossibility of the priest to accept confession from everyone, a “general confession” is usually practiced, when the priest lists the most common sins aloud and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone in turn comes under the permissive prayer . Those who have never gone to confession or have not gone to confession for several years should avoid general confession. Such people need to go through private confession - for which you need to choose either a weekday, when there are not so many confessors in the church, or find a parish where only private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest at a general confession for permissive prayer among the last, so as not to detain anyone, and, having explained the situation, open yourself to him in the sins you have committed. So should those who have grave sin.

Many ascetics of piety warn that a grave sin, about which the confessor kept silent at the general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.

After confessing sins and reading the prayer of permissiveness by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern and, if he was preparing for communion, takes a blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent - spiritual exercises intended to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be treated as the will of God, spoken through a priest, requiring obligatory fulfillment in order to heal the soul of the penitent. If it is impossible for various reasons to fulfill the penance, one should turn to the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties that have arisen.

Those wishing not only to confess, but also to take communion, must adequately and in accordance with the requirements of the Church prepare for the Sacrament of Communion. This preparation is called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Modest food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses abstain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and TV viewing. If circumstances permit, these days one should attend services in the temple. The morning and evening prayer rules are more diligently carried out, with the addition of reading the Penitential Canon to them.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is performed in the temple - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading prayers for the future, three canons are read: Penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read until the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to make such a prayer rule in

one day, they take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for the sacrament. Parents, together with the confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child will be able to do, then gradually increase the number the right prayers necessary to prepare for Communion, up to the complete prayer rule for Holy Communion.

For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, some do not go to confession and do not receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers to be read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing sins, ask your confessor for advice. It is necessary to pray to the Lord that He will help to overcome difficulties and give strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.

Since it is customary to start the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock in the morning they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5-6 years old, and if possible even earlier) must be accustomed to the existing rule.

In the morning they also do not eat or drink anything and, of course, do not smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading morning prayers prayers for Holy Communion are read. If it is difficult to read the prayers for Holy Communion in the morning, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, it is necessary to arrive on time, before the start of confession. If confession was made the night before, then the confessor comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took bread and, blessing, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is My Body. And, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ”(Gospel of Matthew, ch. 26, verses 26-28).

During Divine Liturgy the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed - bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, and the communicants, accepting Them during Communion, mysteriously, incomprehensibly to the human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in each Particle of Communion.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary in order to enter eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks of this: “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. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day ... ”(Gospel of John, ch. 6, verses 53-54).

The Sacrament of Communion is incomprehensibly great, and therefore requires preliminary purification by the Sacrament of Penance; the only exceptions are infants under seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation prescribed for the laity. Women need to wipe lipstick off their lips. It is forbidden for women to receive communion during the month of cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the fortieth day prayer of cleansing has been read over them.

During the exit of the priest with the Holy Gifts, the communicants make one earthly (if it is a weekday) or waist (if it is a Sunday or holiday) bow and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers

private traders, with their hands crossed on their chests (the right over the left), decorously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. A pious custom has developed to let the children go first to the Chalice, then the men come up, after them the women. One should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having called his name aloud, the communicant, opening his mouth, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the mouth of the communicant with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes a drink (warmth) and eats a particle of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting warmth, one cannot venerate either icons, or the Cross, or the Gospel.

After receiving the warmth, the communicants do not leave the temple and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the dismissal (the final words of the service), the communicants approach the Cross and carefully listen to the prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the communicants sedately disperse, trying to keep the purity of their soul cleansed of sins for as long as possible, not exchanging for empty talk and deeds that are not useful for the soul. On the day after Communion, the Holy Mysteries are not performed prostrations, with the blessing of the priest, they are not applied to the hand. You can apply only to icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoiding verbosity (it is better to be silent more generally), watching TV, excluding marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to refrain from smoking. It is advisable to read thanksgiving prayers at home after Holy Communion. The fact that on the day of the sacrament one cannot shake hands is a prejudice. Under no circumstances should you take communion several times in one day.

In cases of illness and infirmity, communion can be done at home. For this, a priest is invited to the house. Depending on

Depending on his condition, the sick person is properly prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can take communion only on an empty stomach (with the exception of the dying). Children under the age of seven do not receive communion at home, since, unlike adults, they can only partake of the Blood of Christ, and the spare Gifts that a priest communes at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ saturated with His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

Each Christian either himself determines the time when he needs to confess and take communion, or does it with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom to take communion at least five times a year - on each of the four multi-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of memory of the saint whose name you bear).

How often it is necessary to take communion, the Monk Nikodim the Holy Mountaineer gives pious advice: The heart then partakes of the Lord spiritually.

But just as we are constrained by the body, and surrounded by external affairs and relationships, in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual tasting of the Lord, due to the bifurcation of our attention and feelings, is weakened day by day, obscured and hidden ...

Therefore, the zealots, sensing its impoverishment, hasten to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are, as it were, eating the Lord again.

Published Orthodox parish in the name of Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky, Novosibirsk.