Fasting is physical and mental restrictions. The wording is not entirely clear, we will explain in more detail.
Bodily restraint refers to abstaining from food. Soul fasting is entertainment avoidance.
In this article we will talk about whether it is necessary to fast before confession and communion.
What is confession?
Strange question, it would seem. This is repentance for your sins. We confess to the priest. And he, in turn, is a conductor between God and us.
Confession is contrition for sins. Firm intention to improve. Stop committing certain sins. That is, this is not a formal report on a piece of paper in which we list our sins. A person must fully realize all the abomination of the sinful state. And with all my heart want a fix.
Preparing for confession
Is it necessary to fast before confession? If a Christian does not take communion after it, then fasting is only spiritual. It is voluntary. The person himself decides whether to fast spiritually or not.
The fact is that before confession you need to tune in. To do this, it is not enough just to take a book with a list of sins, write out a part of it and bring your notes to the priest. This, as some experienced priests say, is a formal report.
You need to want to repent. And fix your life. For example, if a person smokes, he should desire with all his heart to give up this passion. And realize how disgusting smoking is before God. With the same lips, in which the cigarette was clamped, we kiss the Gospel, take communion, kiss the cross. And we don’t even think about how much we offend the Creator.
And idle talk? The very first ordeal that everyone has to go through is with a word. How much chatter and gossip comes out of our mouths? Girlfriends or relatives will gather - and it begins. The bones will be washed for everyone so that it will not seem small.
At least before confession, let's refrain from idle talk. From watching TV, sitting at the computer for a long time, listening to music. Let's leave for this time a visit to the theater and cinema. It is better to think about what and how we will say in confession. Without a book - hints, but on our own we will write out those sins that put the most pressure on us. And then dig into the depths of memory. If you leave the entertainment, delving into yourself, so much interesting things can be found.
Do they fast before confession? If you are not going to take communion, then fasting should be sincere. We talked about this above.
So, preparation for confession includes:
- Abstaining from entertainment.
- Striving inwards.
- Sincere repentance for your sins.
- Firm determination to improve.
What is the sacrament?
Is it necessary to fast before confession and communion? Yes, bodily fasting is necessary before communion. Three days is the minimum. To the avoidance of idle pastime is added the exclusion of some food. Animal origin, and on particularly strict days they do not eat fish either.
What is the sacrament? This is one of the main sacraments of the Church. The union of man with God through the acceptance of Christ's Mysteries. Jesus Christ at the Last Supper commanded his disciples to take communion. Bread is the Body of Christ, wine is His Blood. He gave us the sacrament as a great mercy and hope of salvation.
Why wine and bread?
Skeptics are often found among the unbelieving people. Like, the church is deceiving its parishioners. The Communion Cup contains only wine and bread. There is neither the Body of Christ nor His Blood.
Indeed, why exactly under the guise of bread and wine is the sacrament given to us? Imagine the reaction of people who would be offered to take in real blood and pieces of flesh. Just the thought makes it scary, doesn't it? And so that Christians would not be embarrassed, God commanded to partake of wine and bread.
Getting ready for communion bodily
How long to fast before confession and communion? The ancient Christians fasted for a week. In the modern world, these terms have been reduced to 3 days.
What can not be eaten during the preparation period?
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Meat products, including sausages and sausages.
- Offal.
- Eggs.
- Dairy.
- Cheese.
- Chocolate sweets and milk chocolate.
- Pastries containing eggs and milk.
- On the days of strict fasting, you can not eat fish.
Alcohol is excluded from the diet. It is advisable to refrain from your favorite treats.
You look at the list of bans and you get sad. But what can you eat? Hot food is allowed. It can be cereals, vegetables, lean soups, lean bread, s alty and sour dishes. From drinks tea, coffee, juices, mineral waters, compotes are allowed.
We fast sincerely
How to fast before confession and communion, we found out. Do not eat food of animal origin, refrain from recreational activities. If you are going to take communion, then you need to know the following:
- Physical intimacy between spouses is not allowed during fasting.
- If a woman has critical days, then it is impossible to receive communion. The practice of communion on the days of impurity is now popular. Young priests are fond of her. The elderly categorically forbid starting the sacrament during this period. If we are not talking about mortal danger or illness. Cleansing lasts for women for several days. In church practice, they stand for a week, only then they proceed to the sacrament of communion.
- BeforeCommunion is not to be smoked. When a person has long and firmly been friends with a "tobacco stick", he knows how hard it is to hold out for a day without it. We'll have to endure at least four days.
- There is an opinion that one should not brush one's teeth before communion. This is not true. Even priests are encouraged to brush their teeth. What can we say about a layman.
- On the day of the sacrament, you can not eat after midnight. And in the morning, before the sacrament, they do not eat. You can not drink holy water and eat prosphora.
- It is obligatory to read the canons and prayers before the sacrament. Three canons are read: to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. And attendance at Holy Communion. This rule is in every prayer book.
- Refrain from visiting guests. And other entertainment activities.
Weakening the fast
Do pregnant women, the sick and children need to fast before confession? If a person simply confesses, then fasting should be sincere. When it comes to communion, only the priest can weaken or cancel the fast. With this question, you need to approach the priest.
The meaning of the post
Is it necessary to fast before confession without communion, we found out. Soul fasting is needed.
Let's talk about the meaning of the post. There are four long fast periods. This is the Advent fast, which lasts from November 28 to January 6. It was installed in honor of the Nativity of Christ. This fast is joyful, awaiting the birth of the Savior.
Second post - Great. The longest and most difficult of the four. Lasts almost 50 days. Very strict in its rules. Fish is banned, and vegetable oil is only allowed on weekends.
Lent is established in memory of the Savior's fast in the desert. The Lord fasted for 40 days.
Petrov post. It starts after Trinity. Fasting is transitory, so its duration can vary from 1 week to 1.5 months. ends on the day of Peter and Paul - July 12.
Assumption post. Short, but as strict as the Great. Lasts only two weeks. People fast in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.
The meaning of fasting is in the fight against one's own passions and desires. By cutting off passions, both bodily and spiritual, we conquer ourselves. Lent is a time of great spiritual work, repentance and awareness of one's sins.
Appearance and rules of conduct
In the article, we talked about whether it is necessary to fast before confession. This question has been answered.
We offer a short talk about visiting the temple. How to behave, when to come, what to do.
Let's start with the rules of appearance and behavior:
- Dress modestly. It is clear that they don’t go to the temple in tops, with a neckline and bare shoulders. This applies to women. Men visit the temple in trousers and shirts. Shorts, wrestling shoes and T-shirts will have to be forgotten.
- A woman must wear a skirt or dress. We cover our heads with a scarf, hat or other headdress.
- A man, being in the temple, takes off his hat.
- Lovely women, don'tyou have to put on makeup when you go to church. This is not very appropriate in the house of God. Of course, the manicure cannot be hidden. And you can't get rid of eyelash extensions. But put off the shadows and lipstick until the "publication". With painted lips, you will not touch the icon, because you will stain it. Yes, and you won’t come to the Cup, taking communion, you will dirty the liar.
- If you are going to the temple with children, do not let them scream and run. Children must be calm. Do not rush around the temple, filling it with loud cries, do not distract parishioners from prayer. And even more so, do not try to go to the pulpit and look into the altar. Parents are responsible for the behavior of children in the temple.
- You can't talk in the temple. Especially screaming and laughing. They came, put candles, venerated the icons, and pray quietly.
We came to the temple
When to come to the temple? 15-20 minutes before the start of the service. Quietly write notes, buy candles. You can put candles in front of the icons, venerate the images. You will not interfere with anyone, and no one will bother you. If you are late for the service, you will have to wait until it ends. And only then put candles, kissing the icons.
When you go to confession, don't push. Quietly get in line. You don't need to enter into conversations. And to find out who was standing here is inappropriate. It looks very ridiculous when a showdown begins in line for confession. Parishioners hiss at each other, trying to figure out who was standing in front of whom. We came to God, and did not take a queue for sausage. If a zealous lady jumps up to you, loudly announcingthe fact that she "was standing behind this grandmother in a headscarf", skip it. Let it stand for itself, only silently. It was still not enough to enter into a conflict due to the clarification of the order.
Conclusion
So we figured out how to fast before confession: what you can eat, what foods you should refrain from. How to mentally "tame" yourself.
Now there is a Christmas post. It's time to look inside yourself. Digging into your own soul, you can find so many interesting things. Yes, such that we will run to confession.
