There are seven main sacraments of the Church. These include baptism, chrismation, confession, communion, marriage, priesthood, and unction. The most regular, which are constantly available to Christians, include confession and communion.
What is the sacrament? What is it for? What is behind the confession? How do you prepare for both sacraments? Necessary prayers before communion, are they? And if so, where and how to find them, how to read them correctly? What should be done after all the preparations? How to prepare a child for confession and communion? These questions are often asked by people who rarely attend church. And even those who have just started going to the temple still do not know everything. The article will help you get answers to the most important questions. Perhaps we should start from the distant Old Testament times and talk about how the sacrament arose and who its creator was.
A brief digression into historyoccurrence of the sacrament
Evening. Thursday. The eve of the feast of the Old Testament Passover. And the Lord is surrounded by his disciples - the apostles. The apostles eat Easter, not yet knowing what awaits their Divine Teacher. The teacher knows what is in store for him, so he tries to prepare the apostles for the upcoming terrible events. He tells that the son of man will be betrayed by one of his disciples. That student was Judas Iscariot.
During the Last Supper - the very last meal with his disciples - Jesus Christ approved the Eucharist, that is, the sacrament. He broke bread and gave it to the apostles with the words: "Come, eat. This is My Body."
Then, taking a cup of wine, he also gave it to his disciples, saying at the same time: "Drink everything from It. For this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
After the first communion in history was made, the Lord commanded the apostles around Him that the Eucharist be celebrated constantly, from age to age: "Do this in remembrance of me."
Since then, the Orthodox Church has strictly observed the will of the Savior. Communion is celebrated each time at the Divine Liturgy.
What is the sacrament and what is its meaning?
Communion is the union of man with God. For, approaching the Divine Mysteries, a person under the guise of bread and wine takes into himself a particle of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
The meaning of communion is in the union of man and God. The communicant is considered sinless, angelic after acceptancesacraments until he defiles himself with sin.
Confession story
Confession, or the sacrament of repentance, originates from the Old Testament times. Then it was public. Repentance was public, that is, before a large number of people. They prayed intensely that the Lord would grant the sinner the forgiveness of his sins.
Times have changed, what used to be considered the norm became unacceptable. In the end, if a woman had to bring repentance for treason, then her husband could hear it. And then the days of the traitor were numbered. The husband had the right to kill her for this sin. And not only the husband could kill the unfaithful wife. Lynching could well be applied to the criminal after his confession. High state officials could also incur the righteous wrath of the people for the commission of certain deeds. Therefore, in the 4th century, such a concept as secret penance (punishment from a priest for especially grave sins) was introduced. The priest imposed penance, she did not carry any physical violence, and even more so murder.
The confession that exists today appeared only in the 17th century. A person confesses individually, before a clergyman, and receives from him permission from sins.
What is confession and what is its meaning?
Confession is repentance for one's sins. Its meaning lies in the cleansing of the soul and conscience from the sinful burden, receiving forgiveness from the Lord. The penitent "washes away" sins from himself by sincere repentance and subsequent correction. "Guide" between the Savior and the penitentis the priest. He, endowed with special grace when taking the priesthood, also gives a prayer for remission of sins.
How to Prepare for Confession
First of all, you need to delve into the depths of memory and remember your sins. If a person believes that he lived like everyone else, and did not particularly sin, then you can remember those actions for which the conscience torments. For example, an adult man cannot forget that once, in early childhood, he kicked a homeless puppy. This childish deed weighs on him, and since his conscience convicts, it means that he needs to cleanse it. Or a woman in years lives with her husband, raised children. And she divorced her own son from his wife. Now the son drinks, the ex-daughter-in-law does not allow her to see her only grandson, and the grandmother is very worried about her act. This vital moment cannot be removed, but it is possible and necessary to repent of it.
For those who seem to know that they are sinners, but have no idea how to talk about their sins, there are special books - "helpers". These small books are called "To help the penitent. The list of sins." You can buy a book in any church shop. It is also suitable for those who cannot find sins in themselves, as it contains the most common misdeeds committed by people.
If in the depths of memory there were small and large sins, you need to do so as not to forget them. How? Write down. And with this note go to the temple.
To confess to those who wish to take communion, it is better on Saturday evening. Firstly, because according to church canons, the day beginsfrom the evening. Secondly, as a rule, the priest will have more time than on Sunday morning. Thirdly, it is better for future communicants to attend both the Sunday morning service and the Saturday evening one. You can find out the schedule of divine services of the nearest temple on its website or by calling there. Arriving at the temple, you should take a turn for confession, go up to the priest, say hello and give him a sheet with a list of your sins. If the embarrassment does not prevail, you can bring repentance orally. Particularly grave sins are stated orally.
After confession and reading the permissive prayer, you should take a blessing, that is, permission to take communion. The priest, based on the spiritual state of the confessor, admits or does not allow communion to the sacrament. In the latter case, the priest will explain the reason for the refusal and, possibly, give penance for any sins.
If the priest has blessed to take communion, then on Sunday, before the service, you need to read the necessary morning prayer before communion.
What does preparing for the sacrament involve
Mandatory fasting, both bodily - refraining from food of animal origin, and spiritual - refusing to attend various entertainment events, refusing to TV, computer and listening to music, reading inappropriate literature (for example, 18+ magazines). It is necessary to fast before communion for three days, if there is a desire and opportunity, it can be longer.
Rejection of marital intimacy while fasting.
Sabbath Evening Attendance and Repentancein front of the priest.
Receive the prayer of permission and the blessing of the sacrament.
Prayer at home before communion.
What is fasting
This is a voluntary abstinence from food of animal origin: milk and dairy products, meat and offal, and eggs.
Fasting is an essential rule for a communicant. Only a priest can allow a fast to be relaxed or expelled for a number of serious reasons, for example, due to a serious illness. In addition, relaxation of fasting is possible for pregnant women, very old people and small children.
The most important moment is the rule for communion
What prayers to read before communion? The main ones are the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the canon of the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon of the Guardian Angel and the Follow-up to Holy Communion.
Main prayers include:
- Prayer to the Mother of God before Communion.
- Prayer to the Guardian Angel before Communion.
These prayers are part of the canons to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel, respectively. You can find prayers before communion in Russian in the Orthodox prayer book.
Additional required prayers
What prayers to read before communion, other than the above? These are the prayers of Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and John of Damascus. There are eight in total. They are morning prayers before communion, so it is advisable to read them before Sunday service.
How to behave in the morningLiturgy
After completing the preparation, including reading the prayers before communion, the penitent goes to the Sunday service - Mass. It is advisable to come to the service ten to fifteen minutes before it starts, so that you can slowly put candles and venerate the icons. In the event that it was not possible to confess on Saturday evening, it is necessary to come to the beginning of Sunday confession. But it should be borne in mind that the priest does not have a lot of time, so talk about sins quickly and clearly, do not drag out confession. Liturgy must be defended in its entirety, from beginning to end. Women must wear headscarves and skirts below the knee or closed dresses. Men - without a headdress, in trousers. Shorts, open shoulders, cleavage, beach shoes - these things are not allowed in the temple. If for some reason the right skirt was not in the wardrobe and there was no scarf either, there are always special places in the temples where you can take a scarf and a skirt. You can ask about the availability of this place behind the candle box.
Communion happens at the end of the Liturgy. After the prayer "Our Father" is sung, the priest closes the Royal Doors. The most crucial moment is coming - preparation for the sacrament of communion. At this moment, canons and prayers are read before communion. Parishioners can both listen to the readers and read on their own, not aloud. Then the Royal Doors are opened, the priest comes out to the pulpit with a cup in his hands.
"Come with the fear of God and faith." At this exclamation, the believers make a prostration, i.e., having crossed themselves, kneel down and touch the floor with their foreheads. Then they risehands are folded crosswise on the chest - the left palm touches the right shoulder, the right palm touches the left shoulder. The right hand rests on the left. Parishioners line up in front of the chalice and listen to the priest's prayer before communion.
The communicants one by one approach the chalice, loudly and distinctly call the name given in baptism, and take communion from the spoon (a long gilded spoon, with which the priest takes the Divine Gifts from the chalice). There is no need to bow and baptize. Then they kiss the bottom of the bowl, move away and go to take a drink. Zapivka is warm wine diluted with water, or just warm water with jam. It is advisable for communicants to listen to a thanksgiving service after communion. It is read for about ten minutes, short, so you won’t have to stay long after the service. Those who are in a hurry should read the thanksgiving prayers on their own. This can be done at home.
What prayers does the priest read
There are only two of them. The prayer before the communion of John Chrysostom begins with the words "I believe, Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ …". He who approaches the Divine Mysteries testifies that he recognizes Christ as the Savior, who came into the world to save sinners and, first of all, the communicant himself. The communicant asks the Lord for mercy, forgiveness of his sins and worthy communion.
Second prayer - "Your Secret Supper is today, Son of God…". Here a promise is given that the communicant will never betray the Lord, will not become a Judas. He believes in Christ and asks Him to remember the sinner in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Whatsung during communion
The choir sings special Orthodox prayers before communion. These short prayers say that the communicant receives the Body of Christ, tastes the source of eternal life.
Preparing a child for confession and communion
Until the age of seven, special training for children is not required. According to church canons, such a child is considered a baby, and babies are sinless creatures. From the age of seven, the child enters the phase of adolescence. From this point on, admission to the bowl already requires preparation. Of course, that it does not compare with how an adult prepares. But there are still some nuances.
First of all, you need to explain to your son or daughter what sin is. How to explain this to a child? Sin is a bad deed. For example, he was rude to his mother, teacher, got into a fight with a friend. And sins are written down by angels and presented to God. In order for God to erase them, you need to repent and not do it again. Therefore, you need to go to confession to the priest. The priest is the conductor between the child and God. He should not be shy or afraid, the priest will not tell anyone anything. Yes, there is such a thing as the secret of confession. And the priest has no right to violate this secret.
Regarding spiritual preparation. There are no special prayers for children before communion. However, there are "shortened" versions of the rule specifically for children. It will be good if the child reads, for example, the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and the prayer after the repentant canon to the Savior. It all depends oncapabilities of the child, his spiritual state. One will be able to subtract almost the entire "adult" rule, and the second will read one prayer with difficulty, will be distracted. Parents know their children, so they can choose a feasible rule for them. If you wish, you can always purchase a prayer book for a child. Such prayer books are published by the Moscow Patriarchate, they contain all the necessary prayers of repentance before communion for children.
Giving up your favorite cartoons for at least one evening (on the eve of communion), from a computer or a fun walk will be enough spiritual abstinence for a child.
Bodily training is again individual. Considering the state of he alth and psychological capabilities of the child, mom or dad can adjust the bodily fast. Other children will survive a three-day rejection of meat and dairy products. And for someone it will be enough to give up sweets for one day. Everything is selected individually.
How to prepare a teenager for the sacrament
Perhaps teenagers are the most interesting part of humanity. Their emotional instability, constant inconsistency and pronounced "I" deserve a separate topic. What to do with such an individual? Is it possible to receive communion?
It all depends on the mood of the teenager. Of course, the story that angels write down human sins and give their records to God will not help here. A teenager will simply make the narrator laugh. If the younger generation is drawn to faith, is interested in everything thatit is connected, you can offer to go to the temple, confess and take communion, read the evening prayer together before communion and confession, and prepare. Although modern teenagers are not particularly drawn to God. They have different interests. And all the arguments that "you must", "it's necessary" and "through I don't want to" will break against the wall "I shouldn't", "I won't", "I don't want and won't do it". Alas, the pubertal comrade will be right.
Indeed, no one owes anything to anyone. Everyone decides for himself whether to be with God or not. It is impossible to give communion through "I don't want to", and it is unlikely that it will work - do not drag a malicious teenager to church by force. Perhaps among relatives and friends there is a believer or an Orthodox family with children. You can consult with them, but it is best to talk to the priest about this topic and leave the growing child alone for a while.
How to Prepare for Communion for Pregnant and Lactating Women
There are no concessions regarding the spiritual component of fasting. Without the permission of the priest, of course. How to read prayers before communion to a pregnant woman? Usually the prayer rule is read while standing. However, for the "non-idle" long standing is hard. You can read the rule while sitting.
As for eating prohibited foods, here you need to look at he alth reasons. The expectant mother will be able to completely exclude them for three days - very good. Will be able to exclude only meat, eating dairy products - also good. Can't refrain frommeat and milk, well, what can you do. Only communion without preparation is possible when it is really necessary and a pregnant woman, for he alth reasons, cannot abstain from any products even for a short time.
You can read prayers before communion in Russian or Church Slavonic.
During lactation, you can also refuse meat. Refraining from dairy products is unlikely, and meat can be replaced with seafood, for example. It is advisable for pregnant and lactating women to discuss the issue of bodily fasting with a priest. Only he has the right to allow weakening the fast or not fasting at all.
How to take communion for the elderly and sick people
If it is not possible to read the prayer rule, you can ask someone close to read it. The issue of not eating food of animal origin is decided with the priest. Seriously ill people, as well as bedridden patients, may be allowed to receive the Divine Mysteries without the prescribed preparation. The priest can bless them to read a certain amount of the Jesus Prayer or to perform some other feat according to the capabilities of a sick or elderly person.
Who should not proceed to the sacrament
First of all, those people who were not blessed by the priest. Women during the "red days of the calendar", women who have recently given birth until the priest reads a certain prayer over them.
The unbaptized are forbidden to confess and receive communion. Baptism is a sign that a person has become a "son ofGod's". The unbaptized did not receive this gift through the sacrament, therefore, they do not have the right to proceed to other church sacraments until they are baptized.
In conclusion
What should be remembered by those who want to receive the Body and Blood of Christ into themselves? First, the need for bodily and spiritual abstinence for three days before communion. Secondly, the obligatory reading of the canons and prayers. Thirdly, sincere repentance and obligatory confession before the sacrament. And lastly, do not forget to thank the Lord for His mercy and read thanksgiving prayers after communion.
Where can I find prayers before communion? In Orthodox Prayer. They are sold everywhere, even in bookstores. But it is better to buy in a church or in a church shop, there are definitely prayer books - Orthodox, without changed and missing prayers.
For those who do not have the opportunity to read prayers, there are videos and CDs with the necessary records. God sees the desire and possibilities of everyone and will surely help those who sincerely seek Him.
