In the rules for the communion of a child, the Orthodox do not have any special restrictions related to age. Unlike the same Catholics, whose children begin to receive communion when they reach a certain age, or rather, 9 years old.
However, questions about whether a child can eat before communion are of interest to many parents. The baptized infant is given the opportunity by the Holy Church to receive the Lord's grace. But can small children eat before communion?
In order for this sacrament to be performed according to Orthodox canons, you still need to adhere to some rules that need to be taken into account. After all, a certain measure of responsibility for a worthy communion lies with the parents, who must be aware that this is not a rite or a ritual that is performed symbolically. And this is not some kind of magic or magical action in imitation of neighbors and friends.
Cautions
When taking communion, a person does not connect with some otherworldly force that we want to control, but reunites with the Lord Himself, who, according to our faith, will control us and reward us with what we deserve. This possibility of inner transformation leads a person to union with the Lord and to the incomprehensible mystery of communion. Therefore, it is explained by such a concept as a sacrament.
Now, paying attention to the fact that the Lord rewards us according to our faith, can we say about the realization of the fullness of faith when it comes to the sacrament of an infant? One might think that the communion of small children contains a different sacred nature. But this is not so, it is unchanged in nature and meaning, despite age.
Personal example
Dealing further with the question of whether a child can eat before communion, it is worth noting that while the baby is small, he is part of a single whole with those who take care of him. And everything that he lacks is made up for by his parents, that is, their faith and personal example of participation in church sacraments.
It becomes unacceptable that parents will commune the child regularly, but they themselves will not pray, not fast and sin in every possible way. The mere presence of a child at communion will not bear any fruit either. And unfortunately, such situations are not uncommon.
So, in order to properly and fully commune a child, parents must first of all prepare (through prayer, fasting and the sacrament of confession). To partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a person needs three days diligentlyto pray when, in addition to morning and evening prayers, the canons are read: repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel, and Follow-up to Holy Communion. This is important.
Can a child eat before communion
Before the sacrament, you must attend the evening service. With prayer, one should also abstain from food of animal origin - meat and fish, eggs, milk and dairy products.
Are children fed before communion? Of course, you don't need to starve your baby. Before communion, children can eat boiled and raw vegetables, cereals without oil, pasta, bread, decoctions and juices, as well as the fruits themselves, which can be used as the main dessert.
It is advisable to confess before or after the evening Divine Liturgy, in extreme cases - at the morning Liturgy before the Cherubic Hymn. In confession - to express everything in good conscience, while not making excuses and not blaming others. It must be borne in mind that without confession (except for children under 7 years old) no one is allowed to receive communion.
In the interval between confession and communion, an Orthodox person must completely abstain from food and water. This is not a categorical prescription, but after midnight the day before, these prohibitions become mandatory. And in the morning, after brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth, you need to go to the temple on an empty stomach.
Preparation
In simple terms, the preparation of an adult for the sacrament involves, above all, self-discipline and the utmost composure. For many this is enough.difficult.
Some parents, before preparing their child for communion, decide to choose the simplest and most uncomplicated way. They simply bring or bring the child to the priest. And then they ask him to take communion. But they themselves do not want to, hoping for later and for some other time when they are not busy or when it is convenient for them.
Communing a baby every day is not forbidden, but even welcomed, then parents can not take communion every day. However, such communion cannot be left for a long time - in this case, such behavior will mean a frank disregard for faith and at the same time for your child. In such a situation, the baby will not receive that full-fledged power of God's grace, since he will receive communion without spiritual complicity and support from his parents.
Cautions
Until the age of 7, children receive communion without prior preparation: confession and abstinence from food. Although food has its own characteristics: babies are not fed too tightly so that trouble does not happen. The same applies to older children.
However, at the same time, one should try to give communion to children under three years old on an empty stomach, but it is also not necessary to force them to fast. You can, for example, feed your child a light breakfast - sweet tea and a piece of bread.
A child cannot be tortured, by the age of 6, a conscious abstinence from food and drink may appear. Children are also different - they will endure one and three years, others will suffer even at seven. And here parents need to show special wisdom, kindness and affection. Then, when the goal is reached,the child will gain inner firmness and understanding. And if, of his own free will, for the sake of communion, he refuses breakfast, then he will act like a real Orthodox Christian.
An important point is that if a child takes part in church sacraments, this does not mean that he will become a real Christian.
Communion itself and the increasing severity of fasting is one of the main aspects of the Christian life. And parents are faced with the task of raising their child in the spirit of Orthodoxy and explaining to him as much as possible all the subtleties of religious life, taking into account age and general development.
Gospel teaching
Deeperly clarifying the question of whether children can eat before communion, we finally come to the most important thing - the fact that prayer is very important here. For example, a three-year-old child can memorize some short prayer. Then he, along with adults, can memorize more and more prayers. Mechanical cramming is also not welcome here. The child must have at least basic concepts and perceive the meaning of all prayer appeals to God.
The same applies to the fact that by the age of 3-4 the child needs to be told about Jesus Christ, about His Christmas and Resurrection, how He fed the hungry and healed the sick. About the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ knew that He would soon be crucified on the Cross and how he gathered his disciples for Easter. As parents grow older, they can introduce their child to the gospel text.
The forced simplification of the gospel information does not at all mean a distortion of the meaning, and better than somethingthen not to tell than to lie. When starting Communion, you also don’t need to tell the child that the priest wants to give you a delicious compote. This is blasphemy. I must say that now the priest will give you communion - it is holy and good.
Sin
After we found out whether the child can eat before communion, we need to talk good-naturedly with the baby and explain what sin is. And also, what commandments are there and for what it is necessary to ask God for forgiveness.
Children before communion must be explained that any sin harms not only others, all the bad things we have done come back to us.
The fear of confession also needs to be dispelled and the child explained that the priest only helps us confess before the Lord God Himself. And everything that is said to him, he will never tell anyone.
Temple visit
Some parents believe that their child does not sin until the age of seven, but this is a misconception. Such children's pranks are well known, which are a manifestation of childish cruelty and even a crime. Sin is ingrained in us from birth. However, a child can act badly due to the fact that he cannot be fully responsible for his actions, and the border of seven years is simply chosen conditionally. But at the same time, the child must by this time learn that for the bad deeds he has committed, he will have to answer both to people and to God.
A child with the same caution and gradually should be accustomed to visiting the temple. First, at least for 15 minutes, bring it in or bring it in beforecommunion. And then the time can be increased and accustomed to the fact that children are present at the Liturgy all the time.
The baby must be somehow adjusted in advance so that he does not cry and does not disturb other parishioners with his cry. Of course, this is not always achievable, but it is necessary to make every effort to achieve this. And the more often they take communion, the faster they can get used to the church environment.
Child behavior in the temple
Near the Holy Chalice, babies should be held in a horizontal position with the head on the right hand. The child's hands must be held so that he does not inadvertently push the thicket and touch the liar (spoon).
When a child takes communion for the first time, he may be frightened. First, let him see how others do it. Give him a piece of prosphora and offer it to the priest for blessing.
Parents can deserve a serious reproach that their children, already at a conscious age, make noise in the temple, play and run like on a playground. This is absolutely unacceptable. Children need to know such rules of behavior in public places, especially when it comes to the temple.
As for the frequency of communion, it should be noted that the baby should be communed once a week. Older children receive communion less frequently. It is better to consult a priest about this.
Conclusion
Church practice has a canonical basis for the communion of children. The Gospel of Matthew and Luke mentions several times a case when children were brought to Jesus Christ, and he hugged them, laid his hands on them, blessed andprayed. The disciples of the Lord forbade the children, but Jesus told them not to forbid them to come to Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven consists of them.
All this speaks of the importance of the communion of children and the highest responsibility that the Lord places on parents.
Now the burden of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the parents. And let them decide for themselves whether to feed the child before communion or not, and if so, how exactly.
