Orthodox Christians have one of the divine Sacraments - Communion. During the celebration of Communion, a person takes into himself the Body and Blood of the Lord, under the guise of bread and wine.
According to Holy Scripture, believers will be able to unite with Christ through Communion, who will give them eternal life.
Communion of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is a necessary and saving duty of a Christian, bringing comfort and grace to the soul.
How often to take part in the Sacrament of Communion, each person decides for himself, or listens to the words and recommendations of his spiritual mentor. But the Sacrament must be performed at least once a year.
The first communion, like all subsequent ones, requires preparation. So how do you prepare for communion the right way? First of all, a person must firmly decide that he is ready for the Sacrament. You can never act at the request, someone's order or because it is necessary. Such a Communion cannot be of benefit to a Christian.
It is necessary to prepare for the Eucharist a week in advance. Preparation is called fasting, which includesfasting, repentance and prayers.
Fasting before Communion is one of the conditions for admission to the Sacrament. During the fast you can not eat meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish. Eating and drinking is prohibited on the eve of Communion after midnight.
You also need to know that having lost gastronomic pleasures, a person only partially fulfills the conditions of fast food. During this period, you can not smoke, take alcohol, have fun, listen to music. In addition, you need to drown out anger in yourself, get rid of bad thoughts. Sexual relations are also unacceptable.
Enemies must be reconciled, and offended ones should be asked for forgiveness. Particular attention is paid to charity, the study of issues of worship, behavior in the church.
The second condition for fasting before Communion is prayer. It will prepare the soul for the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries, and will also help to realize the importance of the Sacrament itself. Pray every day in the morning and in the evening. On the eve of Communion itself, penitential canons from the Prayer Book are read.
Without confession how? It is impossible to prepare for Communion without repentance. A person will simply not be allowed to receive the Blood and Flesh of Christ. During confession, a person must sincerely repent of all sins. Hiding sins or minimizing them will only hurt. And instead of remission of sins, a Christian will earn even more sin in his piggy bank.
Thus, the answer to the question of how to prepare for Communion is, in principle, clear. Now let us dwell a little on the rite of the Eucharist itself. A Christian who desires to taste the Flesh and Blood of Christ must attend the evening service, after which he must confess.
The next morning, come to the Temple in advance, bow to the icons, put candles. During the morning service, think only about prayers and purification of the soul.
At the end of the service, when the Holy Gifts will be brought out, you should approach the altar with your arms crossed over your chest so that the right one is on top of the left, and approach the priest in turn.
Near the bowl, say your name, take the Body and Blood of Christ and go to the table with warmth and prosvirka. You can leave the temple only after the end of the service.
The article describes only the most basic points regarding the Eucharist. For detailed information on how to prepare for Communion, it is better to ask your spiritual mentor, who will direct the Christian on the true path, suggest the necessary literature, the necessary prayers, and also explain all the subtleties of the Great Sacrament.
