Participle. Someone for years does not dare to start it, someone is stopped by complex preparation, someone considers it no more obligatory than “bathing” in an ice hole for Baptism, someone decides to take communion only during a serious illness or when death is approaching ... Meanwhile, this is what the earthly Church exists for. About Communion, or the Eucharist, the center and focus of Christian life, questions and perplexities that arise around this Sacrament, we speak with Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Explain the inexplicable

- Vladyka Hilarion, do you personally remember your first communion, and has your attitude towards it changed over the years?

I do not remember the first communion, but I can say that my life changed radically after I began to take communion, at about the age of thirteen. I was baptized at the age of 11, started taking communion regularly at about thirteen, and I think that this radically changed me: it was this that ultimately led me to the decision to devote my whole life to the Church and God.

They say that unbaptized people should not reveal the essence of the Sacraments, especially the Sacraments of the Sacraments - Communion. How much truth is in this? And if so, where does this secrecy come from?

Let's start with the fact that in the ancient Church there was a tradition of catechumens (by the way, today it is being revived), that is, the preparation of people who want to become Christians (catechumens) for the sacrament of Baptism. For some time, he set out in a certain order the foundations of faith: they talked about God the Father, about the incarnation of God the Son, about the action of God the Holy Spirit, and explained the rite of Baptism itself. The other sacraments of the Church, and especially the Eucharist, were told after Baptism. For example, in the cycle of catechumens of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. IV century, along with the eighteen catechetical teachings, there are also five secret teachings, that is, revealing the meaning of the Sacraments - this was taught to a person who had already been baptized.

- Why was the main sacrament of the Church told only after Baptism?

Because otherwise a person will not understand anything: the nature of the Sacraments in general is beyond the limits of human reason and human comprehension. Their meaning cannot be understood from books, from conversations - only from personal experience. Therefore, until a person himself begins to live the mystical life of the Church - and this is available only to those who have received Baptism - there is no point in talking to him about the Sacraments: any conversations will be an empty sound for him.

This is especially true of the Eucharist. How to explain in words the nature of this union between God and man, which begins when the Body of Christ becomes part of our body and His Blood begins to flow in our veins?

Today, not all baptized people have an idea about this. Could you tell us what Communion is and why it is called the Sacrament of Sacraments?

The Eucharist is the closest possible union of a person with God here on earth, and the union is not only intellectual and emotional, but even physical. The Lord gave it to us through the usual way for a person - a meal. And just as in an ordinary meal, the food we eat, in the process of assimilation, is transformed into the tissues of our body, so that human nature is united with the nature of food, so in the Eucharist: we invisibly unite with Christ, partake of Him.

And that's what makes Orthodox theology not an abstract theory, but a living experience, real communion with God, and the Christian Church - a unique phenomenon, without which the existence of our world would have no meaning and justification. Christ is with people not as a memory or an abstract idea, He is with us in the full sense of the word, through the Eucharist. Therefore, it is precisely in it that the main value and core of the existence of the Church.

- How did this sacrament develop historically? Did Christ Himself establish it?

Historically, it replaced the Hebrew Passover meal: Jews gathered as a family and slaughtered a lamb as a sacrifice, and ate it on the night before Passover. And Christ is called in Scripture the Lamb, because, as it were, He replaced that sacrificial lamb from which the Jews ate in memory of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery.

The Eucharist as we know it appeared even before the Savior's suffering, at the Last Supper, where the apostles gathered to fulfill the Old Testament Easter custom. Jesus Christ, giving them bread and wine, said: Take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you; drink of it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

(Luke 22:19-20, Mt 26:26-28). These meetings-meals were continued by His disciples: every first day of the week - the day when Christ arose - they gathered to “break bread”. Gradually, as Christian communities grew, the Eucharist was transformed from a meal into the divine service we know today.

Why is the Sacrament scary?

- In prayers we read that Communion is a terrible Sacrament. Why terrible? Why be afraid?

We should be afraid not of some kind of punishment, but of the fact that, having received a great treasure, we will immediately lose it, that it will not bear fruit! We forget that Communion obliges us to a great deal: a person, having received God within himself, must live differently from how he lived before. His union with God does not end with Communion: what follows after the dismissal of the Liturgy when a person returns to the world is very important. He returns to bring people the light and the grace that he received!

But it also happens differently. There are people who, misperceiving this Sacrament (as a tradition, ritual, or “religious duty”), commune as if in vain: their life does not change. That's what you should be afraid of, it's scary.

- Could it be a habit? Man, as they say, gets used to everything.

You know, I think in this sense you can compare the life of a believer with the life of a musician. The musician performs the same works from year to year. Imagine, for example, a pianist who plays Brahms' Rhapsody for the first time at the age of 20 and plays it for the 455th time at the age of 70. If he gets used to it, if after the hundredth time he starts performing it as a work that is not interesting for him, which personally does not say anything to him, this will be instantly transmitted to the audience: they will simply stop going to his concerts. But after all, all the great performers for decades played the same things, while neither they got tired, nor the audience. What is the secret here?

The secret is that in every serious piece of music there is a certain spiritual and moral truth and certain vital forces that are set in motion every time it is performed. If the musician ceases to feel this, then the problem is not in the work, but in himself.

The same thing happens in the religious life. After all, worship in its main parts is unchanged, and there is great power in this. Unlike a concert, to which a person often goes to listen to something new, when we come to the Liturgy, we know what will happen and in what sequence. But at the same time, Communion is a meeting with God, which is new for a person every time.

What does it mean to "take communion in condemnation"? What are we talking about here?

Judas was the first person to receive communion in condemnation. He participated in the Last Supper, he, like all the apostles, received the Body and Blood of Christ. And after that, he committed a crime that was the result of his internal split, a consequence of the fact that he approached the Eucharist, plotting betrayal, and not with a pure heart and not with pure thoughts. Therefore, the Sacrament did not turn out to be saving for him.

For us, too, it may not be saving? Communion "for condemnation" means some kind of punishment - as the apostle says, for whoever eats and drinks unworthily, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not discussing the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick and many are dying (1 Cor 11:29-30).

These words should not be understood as a call to refrain from communion out of fear of one's unworthiness. On the contrary, it is a call to take communion, but at the same time to live not in a relaxed and somehow, but in constant spiritual tension.

- Is there an objective effect of Communion that we should feel?

Yes, it lies in the fact that a person should become better with each communion. But he does not have to feel this, on the contrary: the better he becomes spiritually, the more clearly he sees his shortcomings and realizes his unworthiness. But on the other hand, the people around him understand that his religious life has a transforming effect both on himself and on everyone around him.

What is required of us is not an assessment of our successes, but the desire to always live at such a height of spiritual life that the craving for worship, the craving for Communion does not go anywhere, does not disappear, but, on the contrary, grows.

It often happens that the relatives of a dying or seriously ill person want to give communion to him, despite the fact that he has never gone to Church and does not understand why this is necessary. What is the best way to act in such a situation?

When a person approaches death, he undergoes a reassessment of values: he begins to remember his life, many years of earthly worries fade into the background, and all prejudices can disappear. And I myself have often come across situations when I was invited to give communion to a seriously ill or dying person who had never received communion before, had never gone to confession, maybe even went to church only once in his life. But he approached Communion quite consciously, because he already felt the nearness of death, and a very important work of reassessment of values ​​was going on in his soul. Let it be only on his deathbed, but the person finally understood: the most important thing that he needs to do for this short segment of his earthly life left to him is to unite with God before the line separating life from death is passed.

Therefore, of course, it is necessary to give communion to the dying. But there is no need to wait for the moment when a person becomes incapacitated: he will not be able to confess or even take Communion. I was always very bitter and hurt when I was invited to give communion to a dying person, I came and saw in front of me a person who no longer spoke, was unaware of anything and was not even able to swallow. In such cases, I asked people: “Why did you wait so long?” “We were afraid to upset him.”

This shouldn't be! It often happens that relatives are afraid to invite a priest to a seriously ill person, so as not to upset this person - the approach of a priest in mass consciousness associated with the approach of death. But a dying person should never be told, as people often do, that he will never die! Even if he does not die now, he will still die, sooner or later, and it is better to give him the opportunity to prepare for death, to consciously meet this most important event in life, than to leave him to live with illusions.

One should not be afraid to upset a person by the arrival of a priest and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Because the best thing we can do for a seriously ill or dying person is just to give him communion.

- Who can take communion today? Any baptized person, even if he does not realize what he is starting to do?

One may not understand the greatness and meaning of this Sacrament, one may feel unprepared inwardly, but if a person has confidence in the Church, a desire to open himself to meet God, he can proceed to this Sacrament. Because it just promotes spiritual growth. Those who constantly take communion begin to undergo some internal changes that are very difficult to describe or convey to other people. And over time, simple trust is replaced by religious experience, there comes a moment when a Christian says: “I am convinced that this is the Body and Blood of Christ - and not only because the Church says so, but because I experienced it, experienced it, and I I know for sure that I do not partake of simple bread and I do not receive simple wine from the Chalice.

Intense preparation?

Is there such a thing as unpreparedness for Communion? And can a person make such a “diagnosis” for himself?

Yes, such a concept exists. A person can be evaluated in this regard by his confessor. He may say, "I don't think you're ready for Communion." There are sins for which a Christian should be excommunicated from Communion, at least for a while. A person can evaluate himself. But if, nevertheless, he feels that he is not in a very good spiritual condition, there is the Sacrament of Confession - God accepts everyone.

Does confession make a person worthy of Communion?

An imperfect person will never be worthy of union with a perfect God. Our human nature will always be inadequate in relation to this Sacrament. True preparation is not in testing one's readiness, but in realizing one's unworthiness, one's sinfulness, and in deep repentance.

If a person does not see his own shortcomings, there is a very good way: ask others - the confessor, relatives. The next step will be the determination to get rid of these shortcomings, work on yourself. Moreover, when it is produced only on its own, then, as a rule, it does not bring tangible results. But it must be done with the help of God, and such synergy (co-operation) will be successful. And a person receives this help through the Eucharist, through conscious communion with God.

Vladyka, the result is a set of unpleasant sensations: the realization of one’s “badness” and the fear of taking communion and then not keeping this sacred thing in oneself. Is it supposed to be like that?

You forget about the joy of a person who has found God. It defies definition, description, one can only enter into it, and the Eucharist is precisely the entry into this joy.

There is a paradox and mystery of the Eucharist here: we partake with a sense of our sinfulness and at the same time with the joy that God descends to us, purifies us, sanctifies us, gives us spiritual strength, despite all our unworthiness. This is a gift and mercy of God, first of all.

Quite often, the preparation for the Eucharist becomes an obstacle for her: it is difficult for someone to fast, it is difficult to “read” the canons. How to deal with it?

I categorically disagree with those confessors who impose excessive demands on people related to the preparation for Communion. For example, three days of fasting, reading not only the following, but also three canons, and an akathist, sometimes on each of the three days. This can really push a person away from Communion. And most importantly, these requirements are not based on church tradition. There are more than enough fast days in the calendar - about half a year, and the Church has established them very clearly: these are four big fasts, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays. I consider it absolutely unjustified to add additional fasting days to this.

Where did the tradition of fasting before communion come from? And for what? Does food defile a person?

In itself, not eating a particular food is not an end in itself. Fasting, bodily abstinence should lead to the strengthening of the spirit, this is an element of spiritual preparation. We know that Christ began His ministry after a forty-day fast in the wilderness. The meaning and purpose of our fasting lies in the fact that, imitating Christ, purifying our soul and body, we would be more able to perceive God, His grace sent to us. Communion on an empty stomach is an ancient tradition dating back to the era when the Liturgy began to be served in the morning hours. Another thing is that fasting for several days before each Communion is a Russian tradition related to the fact that during the synodal period (XVII-XIX centuries) we had a custom to take communion extremely rarely. When the future Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, who lived in the 19th century, told his confessor about his desire to take communion every Sunday, this led him to extreme confusion. Communion at that time began to be perceived as an extraordinary event, performed, for example, four times a year, in each fast, or even once a year. Therefore, fasting before Communion was obligatory. For example, before the revolution, in the first week of Great Lent, everyone fasted, then communed on Saturday after 5 days of strict fasting, and that was it: it was believed that the “religious duty” had been fulfilled. Communion was a formal confirmation of a person's belonging to the Orthodox Church.

- Does the confession before each Communion have the same roots?

Yes. And today, the vast majority of our parishioners confess before each communion, although initially these Sacraments - Confession and Communion - were divorced, and in many Local Orthodox Churches they are still not directly related.

But our Russian practice is very correct in itself: it is an opportunity for a person to evaluate his life over the period that has passed since the previous confession, perhaps to take on some moral obligations, an opportunity to clear his conscience, to be reconciled with God before proceeding to Communion. Unless confession turns into a formality, into what one 20th-century theologian called a "ticket to Communion"...

- “A ticket to Communion”, a binding… It seems that nothing prevents today from perceiving Communion as a religious duty?

Communion is not a religious duty; it should be desirable, not burdensome. The Christian must strive for it, thirst for it. If we love a person, and they say to us: “That's good! And meet him once a year”, shall we be satisfied with this advice? Of course not! I don't think you have to force yourself to love your children or your parents. They just need to be loved. It is the same in the religious life: you cannot force yourself to love God. You need to learn to love Him, to live in such a way that love for God permeates your whole life. Then the union with Him will become a need, and not a heavy duty.

- Is there a place to work on oneself, some kind of obligation, constancy, or is love a matter of impulse?

A person, in addition to desires and impulses coming from his heart, must also have self-discipline - otherwise he will lose his spiritual form! Just as an athlete must always be in good physical shape, or just as a musician needs an appropriate emotional mood so that he can convey the feelings inherent in music, so a believer must always be in a state of “combat readiness” in order to build all his thoughts, words and actions according to the gospel.

This is what we call achievement. When secular people talk about a feat, something extraordinary is meant: a feat is what a hero does, whose name remains for centuries. And in Christian ascetic language, this means the daily imperceptible work of a person, asceticism, for which they will not erect a monument to him, they will not give bouquets of flowers. Every Christian is called to this work.

- What exactly?

In order not to live in relaxation, dreaming about tomorrow, but to fully and fully experience the present moment, experience your connection with God and His presence in this world. There is no stronger means for this than the Eucharist. Neither the reading of the Gospel, nor prayers, nor fasting can replace it.

Christ directly says: Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you (John 6:54). Therefore, our meeting with the Savior should not be an episodic date. This is a constant intense aspiration to God, a desire to live with Him.

About the frequency of communion

Each person must determine for himself the rhythm of his spiritual life and the rhythm of communion. Ideally, one should commune at every Liturgy. After all, the entire Liturgy is a preparation for this Sacrament, just like the Vespers celebrated the day before. Many times during the service, Christ, through the priest, calls the assembled people to take communion: Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you. Drink from it all, this is My Blood…. After all, it is not said “those who have prepared themselves drink from it”, “only the most worthy drink from it”, “drink from it only once a year”. And - drink everything from her. This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many. That is, "for you, who are present here." Therefore, in the ancient Church there was no such thing at all for a person to come to the Liturgy, defend the service and not take communion. Only catechumens and penitents who stood in the porch were not allowed to the Chalice, but they left before Communion itself began. And the members of the community participated in the Sacrament, and each community had its own internal rhythm, the same for its members. For example, in Caesarea Cappadocia in IV century, they approached the Sacrament four times a week.

- Are the differences in Eucharistic traditions in different Local Churches related to these different rhythms?

They are really connected with the different history of churches: as a result, somewhere people receive communion regularly, and somewhere they do not receive communion at all, or very rarely. I participated in a divine service in one of the Local Churches, where only priests took communion at the divine service on the patronal feast. The chalice for the laity was not even taken out, the part of the Liturgy, where the priest says: “Come with the fear of God and faith”, was generally omitted.

But the Liturgy has always been a common cause ("Liturgy" - "common cause" in Greek. - Ed.): Communion of Christ, we are united with all members of the community. And separate local Churches are united into one Body through the Eucharist.

Today, community in church life is weakened, and, of course, in modern conditions it is difficult to find a single standard, to determine the frequency of communion for everyone: each person must feel his own inner rhythm and determine how often he should receive communion.

- Despite all the differences, what is the most important thing, in your opinion?

It is important that Communion does not turn into a rare occurrence, an exceptional case. It must be understood that the Eucharist is the pinnacle. There can be no closer union with God in earthly life. It depends only on us how we experience this connection, how deeply we feel it. We do not know how a person will partake of God in the life to come. There are such words in the Paschal canon of John of Damascus: "Give us the truth to partake of You in the never-ending days of Your Kingdom." "Easier" means "more complete". Does this simply mean that the matter of bread and wine will disappear, or does it mean some kind of even more complete union of man with Christ? We live by faith and hope that beyond the threshold of death, full communion with God and the Creator awaits us. But the closest union with Him in our earthly life is that which we receive in Communion. And for a Christian there can be nothing more valuable and more joyful.

Communion, Communion, Confession: What is it and how to properly prepare for them?

What is confession and communion?

Confession is the punishment for sins.

Confession is the "second Baptism." Baptism by fire, in which, thanks to shame and repentance, we regain spiritual purity and receive forgiveness of sin from the Lord God Himself.

Confession is a great sacrament.

Confession is the scourging of one's own sins through their open, frank recognition in order to feel a sense of deep disgust for them and for one's sinful life and not repeat them in the future.

Confession is the purification of the soul, and a healthy spirit bestows a healthy body.

Why confess in church to a priest? Isn't it enough that I repented?

No, not enough. After all, sin is a crime that must be punished. And if we punish ourselves with our own repentance (which, of course, is very important and necessary), it is clear that we will not be too strict with ourselves.

Therefore, for the final and complete reconciliation of a person with the Lord, there is a mediator - a priest (and earlier - the apostles, on whom the Holy Spirit descended).

Agree, it is much more difficult and shameful to tell a stranger about all of your many sins in all their glory than to yourself.

This is the punishment and the meaning of confession - a person finally realizes the full depth of his sinful life, understands his wrongness in many situations, sincerely repents of his deed, tells the priest about his sins, receives the remission of sins and the next time he himself will be afraid of the extra sin once.

After all, it is easy, pleasant and even joyful to sin, but to repent of your own sins and confess is a heavy cross. And the meaning of confession lies in the fact that each time our cross becomes lighter - and lighter.

We all sin when we are young - it is important to stop in time, before it is too late.

How to prepare for confession and confess?

1. It is necessary to post (fast) at least 3 days, because. do not eat fast food - eggs, meat, dairy products and even fish. Eat bread, vegetables, fruits, cereals should be in moderation.

You should also try to sin less, not to have intimate relationships, not to watch TV, the Internet, not to read newspapers, not to have fun.

Be sure to ask for forgiveness from those you offended. Make peace with your enemies if not in real life then at least in your soul forgive them.

It is impossible to proceed to confession and communion, having anger or hatred towards someone in the soul - this is a great sin.

2. Write down all your sins on a piece of paper.

3. It is necessary to visit and stand the whole evening service in the church on Saturday, go through the rite of unction, when the priest with oil (oil) puts a cross on each believer's forehead.

Women are not allowed to go to church in trousers, with painted lips and generally with makeup, in short skirts well above the knees, with bare shoulders, back and neckline, without a scarf covering their heads.

Men are not allowed to enter the church in shorts, with bare shoulders, chest and back, in a hat, with cigarettes, booze.

4. After the church evening service, it is necessary to subtract evening prayers for the night for the future, 3 canons - the Penitent One, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, and also read the canon located inside the Follow-up to Holy Communion and consisting of 9 songs.

Optionally, you can read an akathist to Jesus the Sweetest.

After 12 at night, you can not eat or drink anything until the very communion.

6. It is necessary to be in time for the beginning of the morning service in the temple by 7-30 or 8-00 o'clock in the morning, put a candle to God, the Mother of God or the saints, take a line at the confessional and confess.

Entering the temple, bow to the ground (bend down and reach the floor with your hand), ask the Lord, "God, be merciful to me a sinner."

7. It is necessary to confess aloud so that the priest hears your sins and can understand whether you repent or not. It is best if you tell about your sins from memory, but if there are a lot of them and you are afraid not to remember them all, you can read from a note, but the priests do not really like this.

8. During confession, one must speak sincerely and frankly about one's sins, remembering that the priest is also a man and also a sinner, and that he is forbidden to divulge the secret of confession under pain of deprivation of dignity.

9. During confession, you cannot justify yourself and engage in self-apology, all the more sinful to blame other people for your sins - you are only responsible for yourself, and condemnation is a sin.

10. Do not expect questions from the priest - tell yourself honestly and sincerely about what torments your conscience, but do not indulge in long stories about yourself and justify your shortcomings.

Say - “guilty of deceiving the mother, insulting the father, stole 200 rubles”, i.e. be specific and short.

If after committing a sin you have corrected yourself, say so: “In childhood and youth I did not believe in God, but now I believe”, “I used to use drugs, but I have corrected for 3 years already.”

Those. let the priest know whether this sin of yours was committed in the past or recently, whether you actively repented of it or not yet.

Check yourself on or just talk about what you have done and what is now tormenting your soul.

Try to honestly and openly tell about all your sins. If you forgot about which one or you can’t remember everything, say so - guilty of other sins, but I won’t remember all of which ones.

11. After confession, sincerely try not to repeat those sins in which you repented, otherwise the Lord may be angry with you.

12. Remember: you need to confess and receive communion once every 3 weeks, although the more often, the better, most importantly, with a clear conscience and sincere repentance.

13. Remember: the presence of a physical or mental illness is a sign of great unrepentant sin.

14. Remember: during confession, the person of the priest is not important, what is important is you and your repentance before the Lord.

15. Remember: those sins that you told in confession will not be repeated at the next confessions, for they have already been forgiven.

Exception: if, after confessing a certain sin, your conscience still continues to torment you and you feel that this sin has not been forgiven you. Then you can once again confess this sin.

But this does not mean that one can forget about these sins and sin again. Sin is a scar that, even when healed, forever leaves a mark on a person's soul.

16. Remember: the Lord is merciful and able to forgive us everything. The main thing is that we ourselves do not forgive our sins, remember them and correct ourselves.

17. Remember: tears, as a sign of repentance, please both the priest and the Lord. The main thing is that they are not crocodiles.

18. Remember: a weak memory, forgetfulness is not an excuse for confession. Pick up a pen and get ready for confession in accordance with all the rules, so that you don’t forget anything later.

Sins are debts, and debts must be paid. Don't forget about it!

19. It is possible and necessary for children from the age of 7 to confess and take communion. From the same age, one must remember all one's sins and repent of them at confession.

How to properly prepare for communion and receive communion?

Preparation for confession is the same preparation for Holy Communion. After confession, you must stay in the temple.

Do not be afraid of communion, because. all of us people are unworthy of holy communion, but the Lord God created communion for us, and not us for communion. That is why none of us is worthy of these holy mysteries, and that is why we need him so much.

Communion is not allowed:

1) people who do not wear a pectoral cross all the time;

2) who have malice, enmity or hatred towards someone;

3) those who did not fast the day before, were not at the evening service the day before, did not confess, did not read the Rules for Holy Communion, ate in the morning on the day of Communion, were late for the Divine Liturgy;

4) women during menstruation and after the expiration of 40 days after the birth of a child;

5) women and men in open clothes with bare shoulders, chest, back;

6) men in shorts;

7) women with lipstick, cosmetics, without a scarf on their heads, in trousers;

8) sectarians, heretics and schismatics and those who attend such meetings.

Before Communion:

1. You can not eat and drink from 12 o'clock at night.

2. You need to brush your teeth.

3. Do not be late for the morning service.

4. When the priest takes out the Holy Gifts before the rite of Communion, one must bow to the ground (bend over and reach the floor with his hand).

5. Once again make a prostration after the prayer that the priest reads “I believe, Lord, and I confess ...”

6. When the Royal Doors open and communion begins, one must cross oneself, and then put the left hand on the right shoulder, and the right hand on the left shoulder. Those. you should get a cross, the right hand is on top.

7. Remember: ministers of the church, monks, children, and then everyone else always receive communion first.

8. You can’t arrange a crush and a brawl in line in front of the Holy Chalice, a showdown, otherwise your entire post, reading the canons and confession will go down the drain!

9. Approaching the Chalice, say the Jesus Prayer to yourself, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or sing a song with everyone in the temple.

10. Before the Holy Chalice, you need to bow to the ground, if there are a lot of people, you need to do it in advance so as not to disturb anyone.

11. Women need to wipe lipstick off their faces!!!

12. Approaching the Chalice with the Holy Gifts - the Blood and the Body of Christ, say your name loudly and distinctly, open your mouth, chew and swallow the Holy Gifts, be sure to kiss the lower edge of the Chalice (the symbol of the rib of Jesus pierced by a soldier, from which water and blood flowed).

14. You can not kiss the hand of the priest at the Chalice and touch the Chalice with your hands. It is impossible to be baptized at the Chalice!!!

15. After the Cup you can not kiss the icons!

After Communion, you must:

1. Make a bow before the icon of Jesus Christ.

2. Go to a table with cups and finely chopped prosphora (antidor), you need to take one cup and drink warmth - warm tea, then eat antidor. If desired and possible, you can put money in a special saucer.

3. Only after that you can talk and kiss the icons.

4. It is impossible to leave the church before the end of the service - it is necessary to listen to prayers of thanksgiving.

If the thanksgiving prayers for Communion were not read in your church after the Eucharist, you should read them yourself when you return home.

5. On the day of Communion, they do not kneel, except for special fasting days (when reading the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian and prostrations on Great Saturday before the Shroud of Christ) and the day of the Holy Trinity.

6. After Communion, one should try to behave modestly, not to sin - especially the first 2 hours after receiving the Holy Gifts, not to eat or drink too much, avoid loud entertainment.

7. After communion, you can kiss each other, kiss the icons.

Of course, it is not desirable to break all these rules, but it would be better if you do not intentionally, do not forget them, but in the end, sincerely confess and take communion.

Only the Lord is sinless, and we, because we are sinners, must not forget about the need for regular confession and communion.

As a rule, after a good confession, a person feels a little better in his soul, he somehow elusively feels that all or part of his sins have been forgiven him. And after communion, a feeling of strength and inspiration usually arises even in a very tired and weak body.

Try to go to confession and communion more often, get sick less and be happier thanks to God and faith in Him!

After the release of the Jews from Egyptian slavery, the Lord gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai and ordered Moses to build a tabernacle from expensive materials, a kind of portable temple, one of the first schools of piety. “When Moses entered the tabernacle, then a pillar of cloud descended and stood at the entrance to the tabernacle, and [the Lord] spoke to Moses. And all the people saw a pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tabernacle; and all the people stood up, and each one worshiped at the entrance to his tent. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:9-11).

Thus the Lord determined the place of His special presence. Later, at the command of God, the wise King Solomon built a majestic stone temple in Jerusalem. At this temple was brought up Holy Mother of God and then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself entered this temple. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the majority of the Jews did not accept the Savior and crucified Him, the temple, like the whole city, was destroyed during the Jewish uprising in 70 AD. From this temple, only part of the wall remains, which is now called the Wailing Wall.

Now, following the example of the Temple in Jerusalem, many majestic and beautiful Christian churches have been built all over the world, and we, like the ancient Jews, believe that they have a special place for the presence of God. All our Orthodox churches are modeled on the ancient tabernacle, that is, they consist of three parts: the Holy of Holies - the altar, the main part where the people stand, and the vestibule ...

—Father, how does our Orthodox church differ from the Old Testament one?

- Perhaps the most significant difference is that in an Orthodox church, unlike the Old Testament, where innocent animals were sacrificed, a bloodless sacrifice is made - the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed, when simple bread and wine, through the prayers of the upcoming priest and people, by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit are transformed into the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we approach in faith the communion of the Saints Mysteries of Christ we invisibly unite with God Himself.

- Many people on a subconscious level are drawn to the temple, they feel that the Lord is here, and they try to go in and at least light a candle and briefly pray for themselves and their loved ones, but they are limited only to this. How important is it also to participate in the Sacraments that are performed here?

- If a person with tears of repentance and a prayer came to the temple and limited himself only to lighting a candle, then no one has the right to condemn such a person for not staying here for a longer time, not proceeding to the Sacraments. Perhaps this is his first small experience of familiarization with the spiritual life. Some time will pass, and this person will have a need to deepen their relationship with God.

But such a need may never arise! It is no secret that today, despite the abundance of necessary information, many people have no idea about the Church Sacraments, no one told them about it either in the family or at school.

– Yes, now most people are baptized in the Orthodox faith, but they are not enlightened, that is, they do not have elementary knowledge about faith, and even more so about the Church Sacraments. But when a person does not participate in the sacraments of the Church, it is very difficult or, it would not be an exaggeration to say, impossible for him to resist those temptations and temptations into which worldly fuss constantly plunges him.

- For people who live in the world, although they constantly step on the same rake, this is not obvious. Can you give any specific example?

For example, a man got married. At first, everything went well, there was love and harmony, but as they got to know each other more deeply, the relationship in marriage began to get upset and ended up on the verge of a complete break. What to do? In most cases, as official statistics show, such a marriage breaks up, because in a heated conflict, usually each of the parties blames the other side and there is no end to these mutual accusations. If, however, faith in God is at least a little warm in a person’s heart and he tries to constantly support and ignite it through prayer, confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, then in the light of faith he sees the cause of the conflict not in another person, but first of all in himself. and tries to do everything, to make any sacrifices and concessions, so that the conflict exhausts itself. No one can do this without faith and without participation in the Sacraments. Or take another example: someone has a very harsh and picky boss who is not easy to tolerate. And so the constant squabbles and scandals begin. If a person has faith, then he is calm, for he is not afraid of a stern boss, but of God and tries to do everything in the best way in order to please Him first of all.

– However, there are many cases when people regularly go to church, go to confession, take communion, but do not become better or become even worse than they were. Why does it happen?

– Perhaps the main reason for the lack of change is not the inactivity of the Sacraments, but the wrong attitude towards them. Often people, approaching Communion, are looking for some special sensations and delights. It happens that they even brag to each other about their feelings after receiving the Sacrament, but at the same time they forget about its main essence. The essence of the Sacrament is not to experience delight, but to God's help conquer yourself, your sins and passions and become closer to the Lord and other people.

– Should there really be no sensations at all after Communion?

- There can be only one feeling - the realization of one's unworthiness before God. This is stated in the prayer before Holy Communion: “I believe, Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, but from them I am the first.” Sometimes even from the feeling of their unworthiness, tears appear in the eyes of people. I know some priests and laity who never take communion without tears. But the main thing during Communion, I repeat, is not special feelings, but spiritual closeness with the Lord and with other people.

– Can’t Communion have a beneficial effect not only on the soul, but also on the body of a person, heal him from illnesses?

– Yes, in the prayer before Communion there are the words: “Let communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ be not for judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.” This means that Communion can also bestow bodily health. It is no coincidence that believers in the event of a serious illness, and especially before an operation, try to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Many cases are known when Communion acted beneficially, when doctors have long since lost all hope.

– Why do believers take communion from one cup and one spoon (spoon)?

– An essential aspect of Communion is the unity of all people in Christ. In the ancient Christian monument Didache (the teaching of the twelve apostles), the Eucharistic prayer is given, in which there are such words: “As this broken bread was scattered over the hills and, gathered together, became one, so may Thy Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into Thy kingdom, for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever” (9:4). Through Communion, a crowd of people, where everyone worries only about themselves, turns into a Church, where all people become close and dear, ready to perceive someone else's pain as their own, other people's joys as their own. And just as everything in a family is common and people often do not disdain to eat from one dish, so during Communion we become one great family, and therefore we partake of one cup and one spoon.

– How often do you need to take communion? In the 19th century, according to the Catechism of St. Philaret (Drozdov), the laity were recommended to take communion 4 times a year, that is, during the Great, Petrov, Assumption and Christmas fasts. And now we see that some people take communion at every liturgy. How to find the golden mean?

- I think that in the 19th century such a recommendation - to take communion four times a year - was dictated by force, because of the impoverishment of faith and piety among part of the intelligentsia and the people. Almost all the pastors of that period testify to this in their sermons and publicistic speeches. At that time, many people completely stopped going to church and taking communion. Hence the recommendation in the Catechism: better rarely than never. But now the situation is different. Today, we priests recommend that people take communion at least once a month, and always on the Twelfth Feasts. For those who want to receive communion more often, such as seminary students, novices, monks, or people who go to church more than once a week and try to lead an active spiritual life, we do not prohibit this. On the contrary, it is joyful that in our time there are still people who, first of all, try not to please themselves, not their bliss, relaxation and passions, but God.

– Now people travel a lot and end up in places where there are no Orthodox churches. Can they take communion in a Catholic or schismatic church?

– It is better not to do this, because these religious meetings, although they preserve the ancient rites, have lost their essence. This is a topic for a separate discussion. The most terrible thing is that they have fallen away from the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which we confess with the whole church at every divine service in the Creed. And a branch on a tree that has broken off can retain its beautiful greenery and fragrance only for the time being, but later, without moisture, it completely dries up.

Hello dear readers!

How to prepare for confession and communion? Preparing for confession and communion, especially for the first time, raises many, many questions. I remember my first communion. How hard it was for me to figure everything out. In this article you will get answers to the questions: what to say in confession to a priest - an example? how to take communion and confession? communion rules in the church? how to confess for the first time? how to prepare for communion? The answer to these questions is given by the modern Greek preacher Archimandrite Andrew (Konanos) and other priests.

Communion rules in the church. How to Prepare for Communion?

Communion was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself at his last meal with the Apostles. The modern Greek preacher and theologian Archimandrite Andrew (Konanos) says, if people would realize what a Gift of unity with God they receive during communion, because now Christ's blood flows in their veins ... if they fully realized this, their life would change a lot!

But, unfortunately, most people during communion are like children playing with precious stones and not understanding their value.

Communion rules can be found in any Temple. Usually they are set out in a small book called "HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNICATION". Here are the simple rules:

• Before Communion you need 3 days to fast- eat only plant foods (avoid meat, dairy products and eggs).
• Need to be at evening service the day before the day of communion.
• Need to confess either at the evening service or on the day of the sacrament at the very beginning of the liturgy (the morning service, during which the sacrament takes place).
• Need a few more days pray hard- for this, read morning and evening prayers and read the canons: Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ ,
  Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos,
  Canon to the Guardian Angel,
  Follow-up to Holy Communion *. * If you have never read the Canons (in Church Slavonic), you can listen to the audio (available on the prayer-book sites at the links indicated).
• You need to take communion on an empty stomach (do not eat or drink anything in the morning). An exception is made for sick people, such as diabetics, for whom food and medicine are vital.

If you begin to take communion at every liturgy, every Sunday, your confessor will be able to allow you to fast less and not read all the indicated prayers. Do not be afraid to ask the priest and consult with him.

How is communion in church?

Suppose you decide to take communion on Sunday. So, the night before (Saturday) you need to come to the evening service. Usually the evening service in the Temples begins at 17:00. Find out what time the liturgy (morning service) begins on Sunday, at which the sacrament itself will take place. Usually, the morning service in the Temples begins at 9:00. If there was no confession at the evening service, then you confess at the beginning of the morning service.

Approximately in the middle of the service, the Priest will take out the Chalice from the altar. Everyone who was preparing for communion gather near the bowl and fold their hands on their right chest over the left. Approach the bowl carefully so as not to turn it over. The priest with a spoon gives the communicants the Holy Gifts - a piece of the body and blood of Christ under the guise of bread and wine.

After that, you need to go to the end of the Temple, where you will be given a drink. This is water diluted with wine. It is necessary to drink it down so that not a single drop or crumb of the Eucharist is wasted. Only then can you cross yourself. At the end of the service, you need to listen to prayers of thanksgiving.

How to prepare for confession? What to say in confession to a priest - an example? List of sins

The main rule at confession, which priests always remind about, is not to retell sins. Because if you start retelling the story of how you committed a sin, then you will involuntarily begin to justify yourself and blame others. Therefore, in confession, sins are simply called. For example: pride, envy, foul language, etc. And in order not to forget anything, use a list of sins against God, against neighbors, against oneself(usually such a list is in the book "HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNICATION".

Write down your sins on a piece of paper so you don't forget anything. Come to the Temple early in the morning so as not to be late for confession and for the common prayer before confession. Before confession, go to the priest, cross yourself, venerate the Gospel and the cross, and start listing the sins that have been recorded in advance. After confession, the priest will read the permissive prayer and say whether you are allowed to receive communion.

It very rarely happens when a priest for your correction does not allow you to take communion. This is also a test of your pride.

It is important during confession, when naming a sin, to give yourself a promise not to repeat it. It is very important on the eve of communion to reconcile with enemies and forgive your offenders.

How to confess for the first time?

The first confession is often called the general confession. As a rule, almost all sins from the list of sins against God, neighbor and oneself fall into the leaflet with the list of sins. The priest will surely understand that you have come to confession for the first time and will help you with advice on how to try not to repeat your sins and mistakes.

I hope the article “How to Prepare for Confession and Communion?” will help you decide and go to confession and communion. This is important for your soul, because confession is the purification of the soul. We wash our body every day, but we don’t care about the purity of the soul!

If you have never confessed or received communion and it seems to you that it is very difficult to prepare, I recommend that you still perform this feat. The reward will be great. I assure you you have never experienced anything like it before. After communion, you will feel an extraordinary and incomparable spiritual joy.

The most difficult thing usually seems to be reading the canons and following Holy Communion. It's really hard to read at first. Use the audio recording and listen to all these prayers for 2-3 evenings.

Listen in this video to the story of priest Andrey Tkachev about how much time (usually several years) separates a person from the desire to go to the first confession until the moment of the first confession.

I wish everyone to enjoy life and thank God for everything!

Alena Kraeva

Sacrament Communions established by the Lord Himself last supper- the last meal with the disciples on Easter night before His arrest and crucifixion.

“And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said, Take, eat: this is my body. And, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink all of it from it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28), “…do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). In the Sacrament of the Flesh and Blood of the Lord ( Eucharist - Greek. “thanksgiving”), there is a restoration of that unity between the nature of the Creator and creation, which existed before the fall; this is our return to the lost paradise. It can be said that in Communion we receive, as it were, the germs of a future life in the Kingdom of Heaven. The mystical mystery of the Eucharist is rooted in the Sacrifice of the Cross of the Savior. Crucifying His Flesh on the Cross and shedding His Blood, the God-man Jesus brought the Sacrifice of Love for us to the Creator and restored the fallen human nature. Thus, the communion of the Body and Blood of the Savior becomes our participation in this restoration. « Christ is risen from the dead, death by death correcting, and bestowing life on those in the tombs; and gave us eternal life..

The partaking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is not a symbolic action (as Protestants believe), but quite real. Not everyone can accommodate this mystery.

« Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you.”

Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink.

Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him.

As the living Father sent me, and I live by the Father, so the one who eats me will live by me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers ate manna and died: he who eats this bread will live forever.

…………………………………………

Many of His disciples, hearing this, said, What strange words! who can listen to it?

…………………………………………

From that time on, many of His disciples departed from Him and no longer walked with Him” (John 6:53-58, 60, 66).

Rationalists try to "get around" the mystery by reducing mysticism to a symbol. The proud perceive what is inaccessible to their minds as an insult: Leo Tolstoy blasphemously called the sacrament "cannibalism." For others, this is a wild superstition, for someone an anachronism. But the children of the Church of Christ know that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, under the guise of bread and wine, they truly partake of the Body and Blood of Christ in Their essence. Indeed, it is not common for a person to eat raw flesh and blood, and therefore, at Communion, the Gifts of Christ are hidden under the image of bread and wine. Nevertheless, under the outer shell of corruptible matter, the imperishable substance of the Divine nature is hidden. Sometimes, by special permission, the Lord reveals this veil of mystery, and makes it possible for those who doubt to see the true nature of the Holy Gifts. In particular, in my personal practice there were two cases when the Lord wanted to let those who communicant see His Body and Blood in their true form. Both times these were first communions; in one case, psychics sent a person to the Church for their own reasons. In another, the reason for coming to the temple was a very superficial curiosity. After such a miraculous event, both became faithful children of the Orthodox Church.

How can we at least roughly understand the meaning of what is happening in the Sacrament of Communion? The nature of creation was created by the Creator to be related to Himself: not only permeable, but also, as it were, inseparable from the Creator. This is natural given the sanctity of the created nature - its initial state of free unity and submission to the Creator. In such a state are the angelic worlds. However, nature our of the world is distorted and perverted by the fall of its guardian and leader - man. Nevertheless, she did not lose the opportunity to reunite with the nature of the Creator: the clearest evidence of this is the incarnation of the Savior. But a person fell away from God voluntarily, and he can also reunite with Him only in free will (even the incarnation of Christ required the consent of a person - the Virgin Mary!). In the same time deification inanimate, free-willed nature, God can do in a natural way, arbitrarily . Thus, in the God-established Sacrament of Communion, the grace of the Holy Spirit at the established moment of worship (and also at the request of a person!) descends on the substance of bread and wine and proposes them into a substance of a different, higher nature: the Body and Blood of Christ. And now a person can accept these highest Gifts of Life only by demonstrating his free will! The Lord gives Himself to everyone, but those who believe in Him and love Him, the children of His Church, accept Him.

Thus, Communion is the gracious communion of the soul with the higher nature and in it with eternal life. Relegating this greatest mystery to the realm of an everyday image, we can compare Communion with the "nourishment" of the soul, which it must receive after its "birth" in the Sacrament of Baptism. And just as a person is born in the flesh once into the world, and then eats until the end of his life, so Baptism is a one-time event, and we must resort to Communion regularly, preferably at least once a month, possibly more often. Communion once a year is the minimum acceptable, but such a “hungry” regimen can put the soul on the brink of survival.

How is Communion in the Church?

To participate in the Eucharist, it is necessary to properly prepare. Meeting with God is an event that shakes the soul and transforms the body. Worthy communion requires a conscious and reverent attitude to this event. There must be a sincere faith in Christ and an understanding of the meaning of the Sacrament. We must have reverence for the Sacrifice of the Savior and awareness of our unworthiness to accept this great Gift (we accept Him not as a well-deserved reward, but as a manifestation of the mercy of a loving Father). There must be pacification of the soul: you need to sincerely forgive everyone in your heart who in one way or another “sad us” (remembering the words of the prayer “Our Father”: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”) and try, if possible, to reconcile with them ; even more so for those who, for one reason or another, consider themselves offended by us. Before Communion, one should read the prayers determined by the Church and compiled by the holy fathers, which are called: “Following to Holy Communion”; these prayer texts are present, as a rule, in all editions of Orthodox prayer books (collections of prayers). It is advisable to discuss the exact amount of reading of these texts with the priest to whom you turn for advice and who knows the specifics of your life. After the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion, it is necessary to read the "Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion." Finally, preparing to receive into oneself - into one's flesh and into one's soul - the Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, terrible in their grandeur, must be cleansed in body and soul. Fasting and confession serve this purpose.

Bodily fasting involves abstaining from eating fast food. The duration of fasting before Communion is usually up to three days. Directly on the eve of Communion, one should refrain from marital relations and from midnight it is not supposed to eat any food (in fact, do not eat or drink anything in the morning before the service). However, in specific cases, significant deviations from these norms are possible; they should be discussed, again, individually.

Communion in the Church

The Sacrament of Communion itself takes place in the Church at a divine service called liturgy . As a rule, the liturgy is performed in the first half of the day; the exact time of the beginning of the services and the days of their performance should be found out directly in the temple where you are going to go. Services usually begin between seven and ten in the morning; the duration of the liturgy, depending on the nature of the service and partly on the number of communicants, is from one and a half to four to five hours. In cathedrals and monasteries, liturgies are served daily; in parish churches on Sundays and in church holidays. It is advisable for those preparing for Communion to be present at the service from its beginning (for this is a single spiritual action), and also to be at the evening service the day before, which is a prayerful preparation for the Liturgy and the Eucharist.

During the liturgy, you need to stay in the temple without a way out, prayerfully participating in the service until the priest leaves the altar with a cup and proclaims: “Come with the fear of God and faith.” Then the communicants line up one by one in front of the pulpit (first the children and the infirm, then the men and then the women). Hands should be folded crosswise on the chest; it is not supposed to be baptized in front of the cup. When the turn comes, you need to stand in front of the priest, give your name and open your mouth so that you can put in a liar with a particle of the Body and Blood of Christ. The liar must be carefully licked with the lips, and after the lips are wet with the board, with reverence kiss the edge of the bowl. Then, without touching the icons and without talking, you need to move away from the pulpit and take a “drink” - St. water with wine and a particle of prosphora (in this way, the oral cavity is washed, so that the smallest particles of the Gifts are not accidentally expelled from oneself, for example, when sneezing). After communion, you need to read (or listen to in the Church) prayers of thanksgiving and in the future carefully keep your soul from sins and passions.