How to spend the day after the Sacrament of Communion? Can anyone take communion and how should one receive communion? great post? Archimandrite Sylvester (Stoichev) tells in detail.
– Father, is Communion a gift or a medicine?
- Communion is at the same time the greatest gift and, of course, a medicine, because, as it is said in the prayers, “for the healing of the soul and body.” The writings of the holy fathers often say that Communion is a medicine that is given to us so that we have grace-filled strength for life in Christ. Many Byzantine authors consider Holy Communion within the framework of the scheme: Baptism-Anointing-Communion, where Baptism is adoption in Christ, a new birth in Him; Confirmation is the receipt of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the Eucharist is the strengthening of a renewed person. This is how, for example, Saint Nicholas Cabasilas thinks, although, of course, one must understand that the Eucharist is the "forming" Sacrament of the Church. One of the famous religious Russian philosophers, Aleksey Khomyakov, even once said that the Church is the walls erected around the Eucharistic chalice. Christians come together for worship joint prayer.
– When and for whom was the Sacrament of Communion instituted?
– The Sacrament of Communion was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself during the Last Supper, the participants of which, according to the gospel text, were the apostles. The Eucharist is for all Christians for all time: "Do this in remembrance of me." Based on the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, we can say that already in those days there were recommendations for the correct approach to this Sacrament: “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat from this bread and drink from this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord. Because of this, many of you are weak and sick, and many die” (1 Cor. 11:30).
– How often can you take communion?
– Complex issue. I must say that for a long time there was such a practice that it was necessary to take communion 4 times a year - every fast. We will not go into details of the historical factors that led to the emergence of this practice, one thing is clear: church life suggests more frequent participation in the Sacraments.
In the 20th-21st century, a certain Eucharistic revival took place in our Church, and in most parishes the clergy say that we should take communion often: every Sunday or, as St. Seraphim of Sarov, every twelfth holiday.
“But doesn’t frequent communion cause a danger of cooling off towards the shrine?”
It depends on the person, confessor, parish. Everything is very individual. Life Orthodox Christian impossible without constant communion. I am glad that most of our parishioners often take communion. In some Orthodox Churches, this is not observed, for example, in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, where parishioners rarely receive communion. My friend from Bulgaria told me that she visits a church where the priest recommends frequent communion, but he adopted this practice from the priests of the Russian Church he knew. But such a parish is the only one in their diocese.
– Can anyone take communion?
- No one can boldly say that he is worthy of the Sacrament of Communion. Everyone should understand that there are obstacles.
What are the major obstacles?
- Deadly sins. We are all sinners: every day we get irritated, offended, and fussy, but this is not a radical obstacle to Communion. If a person commits serious sins: murder, fornication, then he should not be allowed to the Chalice without going through a certain field, which the confessor will appoint him in the form of penance. According to the tradition of confessorship, the priest decides whether to bless the coming to Communion or not. Our confessors know all the subtleties of our soul. We must follow their advice.
– How should and can one take communion during Great Lent?
– Considering that Great Lent is a special time for repentance, communion should be every week, if there are no serious obstacles.
– How should one spend the day after the Sacrament of Communion? They say that you can not beat bows. Is it possible to kiss the hand of a priest, icons after Communion?
There are many myths associated with this. I even heard that you can not take a shower (smiles). Logic in such statements, of course, no. The time after Communion should be spent in chastity, silence, in reading spiritual literature. The day of the Lord must be dedicated to Him. Everyone has daily worries, but try to cope with things in advance or on the day of Communion to spend a minimum of time on them. Communion is a day of joy, spiritual celebration, and should not be exchanged for fussy everyday affairs.
As for the practice of not kissing a hand or an icon. After Communion, the Blood of Christ may remain on the lips. The priest who gives communion, or the deacons who hold the headscarf, keep an eye on it, but anything can happen. Until you have taken a drink, it is customary not to kiss either the cross, or the hand, or the icon, so that there is no temptation. Others pure practical advice no. On Sunday, bowing to the ground is not supposed by the charter.
– What would you advise a person before the first Communion?
– Much depends on the initial preparation of a person: one visits the Church for six months and only then comes to the Chalice, the other does not go to the temple, but decides to take communion in Clean Thursday because that's how it's done. You need to consult with the priest who confesses you. As a rule, for beginners, a detailed confession is needed, during which the depth of his intentions and the degree of churching are established. Also, the priest must explain how to fold his hands, how to approach the Chalice. A prayerful mood is very important: some are accustomed to doing morning and evening prayers and it will not be a burden for them to read 3 canons and the canon, and prayers for Communion, others can only say “Our Father” once a year. Such people should be divided prayer rule for a few days, so that they do not lose the desire to pray. It is customary to fast for several days before Communion. Communion must be received with reverence. If a person has this moment if there is no reverence, it is better to explain to him that Communion should be postponed so that there is no sin either on this person or on the priest, who, seeing such a state, nevertheless blessed to come to Communion.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova
In the design of the material, fragments of the Eucharist mosaic from St. Sophia of Kyiv were used
Many Orthodox Christians, especially those who have only recently become church members, ask priests and believers a question: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” It is impossible to answer unequivocally and categorically, but, nevertheless, it will be more likely "no" than "yes". Why? To not be tempted.
Why did you come up with confession?
Usually, when answering such a question, the clergy begin their introduction by quoting Old Testament, where we are talking about Adam and Eve. Initially, our forefathers lived without sin in Eden, communicated with each other and with God. But the Serpent (devil) lived in, who tempted Eve, then Adam also sinned. Since that time, man and God have been separated from each other. To be reconciled to God again, people need to repent of their actions.
What is the point of this episode? Remember, God, having created a man and a woman, said something like this: "Live, use the gifts, but do not eat the fruit from this tree." When Eve was next to the forbidden tree, the Serpent-tempter told her that she would learn a lot if she ate the fruit. She disobeyed God, but agreed with the devil. After such a tragic incident, a person was forever expelled from paradise.
Let's see how this story relates to the contemporary. Is it possible to take communion without confession and what is Communion? After the fall in Eden for many thousands of years, the righteous knew God, but lived according to other laws that Moses wrote. After a while, the Son of God - Jesus Christ - came to earth and established new law- gospel ( New Testament). On the eve of the day of the crucifixion, He gathered His disciples and said: "In memory of Me you will eat bread and drink wine, for this is My body and blood." By these words the Lord meant Communion.
Unfortunately, each of us (even the saints) have sinned and continue to sin. Only Jesus Christ was sinless. In order to be reconciled with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, you need to sincerely repent of your actions, cleanse your soul of dirt.
On the sacrament of the Eucharist
It is not given to ordinary people to see how the preparation of Communion takes place in the altar after the common singing of the Our Father. They do not see what is happening, even the priests themselves, they only know what kind of sacrament this is, therefore they pray for the transformation of wine and bread into the body and blood of Christ. There is evidence of how some holy people saw the Baby on the altar, many angels, Mother of God. So, invisible to the human eye, a real miracle happens, for which you need to seriously prepare. After such stories, as a rule, people no longer ask the question: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” After all, every Christian in this case feels his unworthiness before communion.
Great Lent and Christmas
There is such a church rule about Great Lent: if you fasted all the days, took communion at least once, went to church regularly, then you can take communion in Easter night. On Great Saturday, after the sacrament of confession, they are allowed to take communion in the morning at the liturgy. If a person did not sin during the day, prayed, prepared for night service, then he can receive communion without confession again. The same rule applies on Christmas Eve.
And if before death he did not take communion?
Often people ask with excitement: "A loved one died, but he did not take communion. Where will his soul be?"
There is a story about a nun who succumbed to temptation and went into the world. She lived there with men, had fun. But the time came, she came to her senses, realized what she had done, and decided to return. While she was going to her native monastery, she cried, repented, approaching almost the gates of the monastery, she died. As the nuns of the monastery later found out by a miracle, their erring sister went to heaven, she was forgiven by God, because she cried about her sins, sincerely asked the Lord for forgiveness. This case will answer the question: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” But it must be remembered that this is allowed only in exceptional cases, for example, a soldier dies during a battle in a war, or a seriously ill person who cannot be visited by a priest.
Unction, Confession and Communion
Does this happen during Lent, before Christmas? During this sacrament, the seven Gospels are read and believers are anointed with the cross. What is this action? The priests pray for the health of the congregation. Many priests say that it is necessary to take unction in case of illness.
“Is it possible to take communion after unction without confession, because all sins are removed with this sacrament?” - often hear such a question of the priest. A competent priest will ask the counter: “Who told you that with unction all your sins are washed away?” In fact, in the rite of unction, practically nothing is said about the forgiveness of sins in general, there is only a prayer for health. Usually you can hear the answer before the unction: "You can come to confession after the unction, if you do not have time before it." Nothing is said here about the sacrament.
So we sorted out the questions about whether it is possible to take communion without confession during Great Lent, whether it is possible to proceed to the Eucharist after the unction. Any such questions should be discussed only with the priest to whom you are confessing.
The menstrual cycle is laid down by nature. Women experience a lot of inconvenience, some severe pain. Believers perceive such a ban as unfair.
There is a consensus on why you can’t go to church with menstruation, the Russian Orthodox Church no. All priests interpret the ban at their discretion.
Reasons for the ban
To determine whether it is possible to attend church during menstruation, you need to read the Bible and try to find the answer in it. The ban on entering the church in Old Testament times was physical disturbances in the human body:
- Infectious diseases;
- Inflammatory processes in the active phase;
- Discharge from the urethra in men;
- Menstruation in women.
In addition, it was forbidden to visit the temples who had physical contact with the deceased (washing, preparing for burial). For young mothers to attend church 40 days after the birth of a son and 80 days after the birth of a daughter.
The ban on women with a menstrual cycle is associated with the fact that blood cannot be shed in the church. Priests or parishioners, injured, must leave the temple and stop the bleeding outside. Blood on the floor, icons or sacred books is unacceptable, because after that it must be re-consecrated.
With the advent of the New Testament, the list of conditions forbidding church attendance has been reduced. It still has 40 days since the birth of children and menstruation. The latter is considered a sin. Offensive menstrual cycle, according to some interpretations, indicates a dead egg and spontaneous abortion.
There is evidence in the New Testament of Jesus healing a woman with uterine bleeding. During the ceremony, she touched him with her hand and the bleeding stopped. Some clergymen associated such a state of a woman with the possibility of the birth of a new life, with which the Almighty awarded women to her. Others considered bleeding as a punishment for the sins of the first woman - Eve.
The attitude of the modern church
Is it possible to go to church with menstruation?! With this question, young women come to the clergy and ask for advice. To allow or not is a personal matter of the minister.
Priests are allowed to be present in the church, but you can not:
- Put candles;
- Touch the images.
It is allowed to enter and pray in the temple. The priests are indulgent towards the sick. Some women and girls are concerned about uterine bleeding during the establishment of the menstrual cycle and its completion. Unfortunately, medicine is not able to stop them at once. Periodic treatment does not bring results. Then they go with a prayer to the Lord and the saints for health.
In such situations, the first prayer must be said in the church by lighting a candle. Before prayer, it is customary to go through the rite of confession and communion. Before him, the holy father is warned about his situation and asked for blessings.
Is it possible to take communion during menstruation
Confession, communion and baptism are not carried out for girls, girls and women during menstruation. The church is a place of bloodless sacrifice and, according to the laws, people with bleeding wounds cannot visit it.
On the subject of baptism
The sacrament of baptism consists in the death of sinful flesh and its rebirth by the Holy Spirit. A person is cleansed of sins and reborn according to church customs. During baptism, prayers are read, washed with holy water.
Infants are completely dipped, adults are washed head and face. After the person is dressed in clean clothes. In spite of modern facilities hygiene, a woman with a period is pure in soul, but not pure in body. Therefore, the sacrament of Baptism is not performed during the period of the cycle.
They prepare for baptism in advance, and if suddenly menstruation began earlier and fell on this day, then it is better to reschedule it to another date. The priest is notified in advance f. When a child is baptized, the clergyman may forbid the mother from participating in the baptism because of the menstrual cycle.
Possibility of confession
Every believer goes through the ritual of confession. It is aimed at spiritual purification. With worldly problems, misdeeds, people turn to the clergyman.
The priest releases sinful thoughts and deeds to a person, gives advice and instructions on righteous life. In addition to spiritual cleansing, bodily cleanliness is also necessary. During menstruation, this is impossible, therefore, they do not go to confession on such days.
sacrament of communion
This is the sacrament of union with the Lord, established by him before suffering. Then he divided the bread and wine among the apostles as his own flesh and blood. The rite has much in common with the actions of Christ.
After the service and prayer, people come to the altar in anticipation of the bowl. Children are skipped ahead. They do not drink from the cup, but open their mouths to receive a church drink and kiss its bases. Prosphora are used as bread.
The sacrament of communion is prohibited during menstruation, an exception is made for diseases in which there are uterine bleeding. For communion, a person purifies the soul and must be clean in body. This condition cannot be fulfilled with the physiological characteristics of the female body.
Sincerely believing women are sympathetic to the covenants and canons of the Gospel and with dignity accept the will of the clergy. Therefore, it is not difficult for them to refuse the sacrament or prayer in the church.
There is a purely technical exclusion from communion, if a person is really not prepared. That is, this is one situation when, in principle, it is not forbidden for a person to take communion due to his spiritual state and for some canonical reasons, and the priest can say: “Listen, you are not ready now and therefore do not take communion.”
And the actual non-admission to communion, the ban on communion - this is already a situation when a person is in a state of sin or has committed some serious sin that forbids him to receive communion for a certain time.
From the point of view of the application of the canons, a priest is not allowed for a long time, more than a year, to excommunicate a person from communion. Although canonical norms they sometimes prescribe a very long excommunication from communion.
change the situation
Most often in contemporary practice to be excommunicated either for fornication or adultery, or for abortion.
It is necessary to distinguish: if a person continues to be in sin, then we are not talking about excommunication from communion for a certain period. If, for example, a person lives in fornication and understands that this is wrong, he comes to confession, repents of this, but does not change the situation. That is, repentance as a change not only of the mind, but also of the situation, does not occur. The priest, as a rule, does not allow such a person to receive communion. And this is not excommunication from communion for a certain period, but until repentance. And it can be long - a person can stay in sin for years.
There are also difficult situations when, for example, people live unscheduled for many years, perhaps they already have a child, and now, let's say, the wife has come to faith, is ready to enter into an official marriage, but her husband does not want to. It is clear that in general the situation is not normal, but it is no coincidence that, according to the census, married women much more than men.
But how the priest will act in each specific such situation depends on the nuances. And there are a lot of them - the nuances of feelings, relationships. Very often people completely misunderstand themselves, and their feelings, and the situation in which they themselves find themselves. By by and large, the task of the priest is not to excommunicate them from communion, but to try to help people get out of these wrong circumstances.
But if it doesn’t work out, it seems to me that in most cases for the party that is ready to both sign and get married, there will be no excommunication from communion. Although everything is possible. Sometimes, even in this situation, excommunication from communion is possible.
In general, the acting fornicator or adulterer is excommunicated from communion not for a certain period, but until correction. Although it is possible to assign probation. For example, two months. If a person could not stand it, then he could not stand it, which means that he will not take communion for the time being. If he breaks down regularly, he won't take communion.
If the sin is old
If an elderly woman takes her first steps in the Church and repents that she once had an abortion in her youth, she will not be excommunicated from communion. It's hard for me to even imagine it. If the fact of coming to the Church speaks in itself about the repentance suffered, not only in these sins, but in general in life, then no one will excommunicate her from communion.
The most common penance in this situation is reading penitential canon or bows with a prayer: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." And bows - also not three hundred or three thousand, but five or ten. That is, now such sparing penances are prescribed ... But this kind of penance can be for life, and not for a certain period. The priest says: "You know, mother, since you had five abortions, here's three bows a day for your whole life."
A means of enlightenment
Excommunication from communion as a penance is often chosen by the priest as a measure not of punishment, but of feeling, admonishing that a person has committed a grave sin.
For example, a woman comes and says that she recently had an abortion. Unfortunately, often women do not understand that they have committed a serious sin, and are very surprised when they are excommunicated for this. It happens. In order for a person to understand this, to feel it, he may be prescribed abstinence from communion and something else additionally. For example, reading the Penitential Canon or additional fasting, or something else, prostrations to the ground, maybe additional prayers.
There are no formal "methods" for excommunication from communion. A person confesses, at confession the priest says to him: “You know what, brother, I forbid you to take communion within the next month.” In some situations, if there is no repentance of a person, then the priest does not read permissive prayers.
In order for the prohibition to be lifted, the person must again come to confession and receive this permission to receive communion. To remove the prohibition, a special prayer is read.
Who will remove the penance?
If a person at confession received a prohibition to take communion, no other priest has the right to allow this person to receive communion until the penance is lifted. A ban can only be lifted by the person who imposed it. Or a bishop.
Sometimes there are difficulties of a different kind. For example, a person went on a pilgrimage trip, confessed in another city, the priest said to him: “Come on, you now repent, do not take communion, but come to me in half a year, I will read a prayer that removes the prohibition on taking communion.” Six months later, a person arrives, but this priest is no longer there. Then - either look for this priest, or contact the bishop. Because it’s just not possible – one priest forbade it, another allowed it – this is generally nonsense from the point of view of organizing a normal spiritual life.
So it is more correct to confess to one priest. Even if a person does not have any serious sins, the confessor in one way or another helps him build his spiritual life in a certain way. And the serious intervention of another priest, who will offer other ways, other medicines, other methods, can complicate a person's spiritual life. Therefore, I always say that if you are not going to specifically consult with an elder, but simply go on a pilgrimage trip, then you need to confess there like this: “Forgive me, Lord, I have sinned in deed, word, thought.” And to the question of the priest: “What other serious sins do you have?” - gently and carefully, so as not to offend the questioner, say: “You know, I told my confessor everything a long time ago.”
And then, it happens, a person comes somewhere and gets hit on the head so that then he does not know how to live on. And at home, the confessor needs great and serious work to return a person to a normal spiritual channel.
Let's see the document
Now just work in progress over the document of the Inter-Council Presence on clergy. An appropriate questionnaire was sent to the dioceses, which should record the existing spiritual practice in this matter. And then to determine, among other things, regarding excommunication from communion - what, how and when, in what situations.
Especially now some new sins have appeared that are not in traditional questionnaires. And it just seems to me that the nuances associated with “civil marriage” can be determined there.
About sorcerers
So, such sins can excommunicate from communion - murder, fornication or adultery, turning to sorcerers, psychics, witchcraft, all divination, and so on. A person, again, may not understand how bad it is that he was with the "grandmother". Excommunication from communion for a while makes it possible to feel this.
For what we call passions, such as love of money, gluttony and pride - only in some very rare individual cases of pastoral practice, when some highly experienced priest, well knowing man, maybe such a surgical measure to some of his flock, probably apply.
Prepared by Oksana Golovko
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The first inhabitants of the Earth, the forefathers Adam and Eve, lived in Paradise, not knowing the need for anything. According to the persuasion of the crafty Serpent, they tasted the forbidden fruit - they sinned and were expelled to Earth. Modern man succumbs to other temptations, like Adam and Eve, by his deeds he becomes ineligible for Paradise. It is never too late to ask God for forgiveness, being in earthly life, one must have a firm desire not to sin - to confess and take communion. What is communion in the church and how it is performed - requires clarification, because not everyone knows about it.
What does it mean to take communion in church?
Awareness of one's own sinfulness entails a desire to repent, that is, to admit a wrong deed and the intention not to commit such a thing in the future. Ask forgiveness for committed sins- confess, and reunite with him in soul - take communion in the church, feel like a part of a big God's grace. Communion is prepared from bread and wine, which are the blood and flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How is the sacrament?
The main condition for taking communion is confession with a priest, spiritual rebirth, in which a person admits his mistakes, sincerely asks for forgiveness not from a priest, but from God himself. During the service in the church, bread and wine invisibly turn into church communion. Taking communion is a sacrament, through which a person becomes an heir to the kingdom of God, an inhabitant of paradise.
What is communion for?
For a believer, communion gives deliverance from bad thoughts, helps to fight the attacks of evil in everyday affairs, serves as spiritual reinforcement, and leads to inner spiritual rebirth. The unequivocal answer regarding reflections on whether it is necessary to take communion is yes. The human soul is the creation of the Lord, his spiritual child. Every person, coming to an earthly parent, rejoices if he has not seen him for a long time, so every soul rejoices, coming to God, the heavenly father, through this ritual.
What days can you take communion in church?
They accept it on the days when the Divine Service is taking place in the church. A person decides how often he can receive communion on his own. The Church recommends that in every fast, and there are 4 fasts, to come to confession and receive communion, preferably annually. If a person has not come to church for a long time - he has not taken communion, and the soul requires repentance, there is no need to be afraid of condemnation from the priest, it is better to come to confession right away.
How to take communion in church?
It is customary to follow the rules indicating. After confession, the priest blesses for the acceptance of Holy Communion, which is performed on the same day. At the liturgy, after the prayer "Our Father", the communicants approach the steps leading to the altar and wait for the priest to take out the Chalice. It is not appropriate to be baptized in front of the chalice; one must carefully listen to the prayer.
At such a moment, there is no need to fuss, create a crowd - slowly approach communion, letting children and old people go ahead. In front of the Holy Chalice, cross your arms over your chest, say your name, open your mouth and swallow a piece, kiss the edge of the bowl, then go to the table with warm tea and prosphora, drink the sacrament. After such actions, it is allowed to kiss the icons, to talk. It is forbidden to receive communion twice on the same day.
How to Prepare for Communion?
Preparation for the communion of an adult is to endure fasting, reconcile with enemies, not harbor feelings of hatred or anger, realize sinful offenses, regret what was done wrong, refrain from bodily pleasures for several days, make penitential prayers, confess. The decision to receive communion for the seriously ill is made by the priest without much preparation.
People who are in mortal danger, if they do not have the opportunity to prepare for the reception of the Holy Mysteries, are not deprived of the opportunity to receive communion. Baptized children under 7 years of age are allowed to take communion without confession and fasting. Infants after the Sacrament of Baptism can be communed very often, they are given a small particle - a drop under the guise of Blood.
Fasting before communion
Before communion, it is customary to fast, to refrain from taking meat, dairy, fish products for 3-7 days, if the same fast established by the church for everyone does not fall on this period, for example, Christmas, Great. Make a decision whether it is possible to take communion if you have not fasted physical condition human health, it is necessary only on the advice of a clergyman. An exception to the rule is children under the age of seven and people whose health does not allow adherence to such a nutrition system.
The answer to the question of whether it is possible for a repentant person to receive communion without confession is no. The priest listens to the sins of the penitent not out of curiosity, he is a mediator who testifies to God that a person who repented came to church, regretted, expressed a desire to start life from a new leaf. The priest who confesses a person makes a decision on admission to communion, gives a blessing based on specific rules, and not personal motives.
Prayers Before Communion
On the day preceding Communion, from the evening until the very reception of the Sacraments, they refuse to eat and drink water, do not smoke cigarettes, do not allow intimate relationships. You should first read - appeals to God, in which he expresses his sinfulness in words and asks for forgiveness. Before confessing, they read penitential prayers called canons:
- canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ;
- prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos;
- canon to the Guardian Angel;
- adherence to Holy Communion.
It is difficult to read the prayers set before communion in one evening; it is allowed to divide the reading of their rules into 2-3 days. The Canon for Communion (the Rule for Communion) is read the evening before, after which there are prayers for the coming dream. Prayers before Communion (the Rule for Communion) are read in the morning on the day of Communion, after morning prayers.
Is it possible to take communion during menstruation?
It is impossible to take church communion if a woman has her period. Communion among Orthodox Christians is a celebration of the triumph of the soul, it is customary to prepare for it in advance, not to postpone the possibility of repentance until later. Coming to the temple, a person brings the soul to a living source - by taking communion, he renews his spiritual strength, and through the healed soul, bodily weaknesses are healed.
