Communion after liturgy or before. The sacrament is the gracious communion of the soul with eternal life

How important is this rite of Christianity? How to prepare for it? And how often can you receive communion? You will learn the answers to these questions and many others from this article.

What is communion?

The Eucharist is communion, in other words, the most important rite of Christianity, thanks to which bread and wine are sanctified and served as the Body and Blood of the Lord. Thanks to communion, the Orthodox unites with God. The need for this Sacrament in the life of a believer can hardly be overestimated. It occupies the most important, if not central, place in the Church. In this Sacrament everything is completed and consists: prayers, church chants, ceremonies, bows, the preaching of the Word of God.

Prehistory of the Sacrament

If we turn to prehistory, then the Sacrament of the Sacrament was established by Jesus at the Last Supper before his death on the cross. He, having gathered with the disciples, blessed the bread and, having broken it, distributed it to the apostles with the words that it was His Body. After that he took a cup of wine and gave it to them, saying that it was His Blood. The Savior commanded his disciples to always perform the sacrament of communion in remembrance of Him. And the Orthodox Church follows the commandment of the Lord. At the central service of the Liturgy, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is performed daily.

The Church has a history that confirms the importance of communion. In one of the deserts of Egypt, in the ancient city of Diolka, many monks lived. Elder Ammon, who stood out among all for his outstanding holiness, during one of the services saw an angel who was writing something near the sacrificial bowl. As it turned out, the angel wrote down the names of the monks present at the service, and crossed out the names of those who were absent during the Eucharist. Three days later, all those who were deleted by the angel died. Is this story so untrue? Perhaps many people die prematurely because of their unwillingness to take communion? After all, he even said that many people are sick, weak because of unworthy communion.

The need for Holy Communion

Communion is a necessary rite for the believer. The Christian who neglects the Sacrament voluntarily turns away from Jesus. And thereby deprives himself of the possibility of eternal life. The one who regularly receives communion, on the contrary, unites with God, becomes strengthened in faith, becomes a partaker of eternal life. Hence, we can conclude that for a church-going person, communion is undoubtedly an important event in life.

Sometimes, after accepting the Holy Mysteries of Christ, even serious illnesses recede, willpower increases, and the spirit is strengthened. It becomes easier for the believer to fight his passions. But once you step back from the sacrament for a long time, everything in life starts to go awry. Ailments return, the soul begins to torment, seemingly receding passions, irritability appears. And this is not a complete list. It follows from this that a believer, a churchgoer, tries to receive communion at least once a month.

Preparation for Holy Communion

You should properly prepare for the Sacrament of Holy Communion, namely:

By prayer. It is necessary to pray more and more diligently before communion. Do not miss a few days By the way, a rule is added to the Holy Communion. There is also a pious tradition to read the penitential to the Lord, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel. On the eve of Communion, attend an evening service.

Fasting. He must be not only carnal, but also spiritual. You need to come to terms with everyone with whom you were in the litter, pray more, read the Word of God, refrain from watching entertainment programs and listening to secular music. Spouses need to give up bodily affection. Strict fasting begins on the eve of Communion, from 12 o'clock in the morning you can neither eat nor drink. However, the confessor (priest) can establish an additional fast for 3-7 days. Such fasting is usually prescribed for novices and those who did not observe one-day and many-day fasts.

Confession. It is necessary to confess your sins to the priest.

Repentance (confession)

Confession and Communion play an important role in the fulfillment of the Sacrament. Communion is the acknowledgment of one's absolute sinfulness. You should understand your sin and sincerely repent of it with a firm conviction never to commit it again. The believer must realize that sin is incompatible with Christ. By committing a sin, a person seems to be telling Jesus that His death was in vain. Of course, this is only possible through faith. Because it is faith in the Holy God that illuminates the dark spots of sins. Before repentance, one should reconcile with the offenders and offended, read the canon of repentance to the Lord, pray harder, if necessary, then take a fast. For your own convenience, it is better to write out sins on paper so that you do not forget anything during confession. Especially grave sins that torment the conscience need to be told to the priest separately. Also, a believer must remember that when he reveals his sins to a clergyman, he first of all reveals them to God, since God is invisibly present at confession. Therefore, in no case should you hide any sins. Father, however, sacredly keeps the secret of confession. In general, both confession and communion are separate sacraments. However, they are closely related to each other, because, without receiving the forgiveness of his sins, a Christian cannot approach the Holy Chalice.

There are times when a seriously ill person sincerely repents of his sins, makes a promise to regularly go to church, if only healing occurs. The priest forgives sins, allows communion. The Lord grants healing. But the person afterwards never fulfills his promise. Why it happens? Perhaps human weakness of the soul does not allow you to step over yourself, over your pride. After all, lying on your deathbed can promise anything. But in no case should we forget about the promises made to the Lord Himself.

Communion. rules

In the Russian Orthodox Church, there are rules that must be followed before approaching the Holy Chalice. First, you need to come to the church at the beginning of the service, without being late. An earthly bow is made before the Chalice. If there are many who wish to receive the Holy Communion, then one can bow beforehand. When the gates open, then you should overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross: put your hands on your chest with a cross, right on top of left. Thus, partake of the Holy Communion, walk away without removing your hands. Approach from the right side, and leave the left free. The ministers of the altar must first receive communion, then the monks, then the children, then all the rest. It is necessary to observe politeness with each other, let the elderly and the weak pass forward. Women are not allowed to enter the sacrament with painted lips. The head should be covered with a scarf. Not a hat, a bandage, but a handkerchief. In general, dressing in the temple of God should always be decorous, not provocative and not vulgar, so as not to attract attention and not to distract other believers.

Approaching the Chalice, it is necessary to say loudly and clearly your name, accept chew and immediately swallow the Holy Gifts. Attach to the bottom of the Bowl. It is forbidden to touch the Cup. Also, you cannot make the sign of the cross near the Chalice. At a table with a wash down, you need to eat antidor and drink warmth. Only then can you talk and kiss the icons. You cannot receive communion twice a day.

Communion of the sick

On the First, it was determined that a seriously ill person should not be deprived of communion. If a person is unable to receive communion in church, this is easily resolved, because the church allows the sick to receive communion at home.
The priest is ready to come to the sick at any time, except for the time from the Cherubic song to the end of the liturgy. At any other service, the priest is obliged to stop the service for the sake of the sufferer and hasten to him. Psalms are read in the church at this time for the edification of believers.

The sick are allowed to be allowed to receive the Holy Mysteries without any preparation, prayer, or fasting. But they still need to confess their sins. Also, seriously ill patients are allowed to receive communion after eating.

Miracles often happen when seemingly incurable people got up on their feet after receiving communion. Priests often go to the hospital to support the seriously ill, accept confession, and give them Communion. But many refuse. Some because of disgust, others do not want to bring trouble into the ward. However, those who have not succumbed to all doubts and superstitions can be granted miraculous healing.

Communion of children

When a child meets God, this is a very important event both in the life of the child himself and his parents. Communion from an early age is also recommended because the baby gets used to the Church. It is imperative to commune the child. With faith. Regularly. This plays an important role in his spiritual development, and the Holy Gifts have a beneficial effect on well-being and health. And sometimes even serious diseases recede. So how should children receive communion? Children under seven years of age before the Eucharist are not prepared in a special way and do not confess, because they cannot realize the following to Communion.

They also partake only with the Blood (wine), since babies cannot eat solid food. If a child is able to eat solid food, then he can also receive communion with the Body (bread). Children who have been baptized receive the Holy Gifts on the same day or the next day.

After accepting the Holy Gifts

The day when the Sacrament of Communion is performed is, of course, a significant time for every believer. And you need to spend it in a special way, as a great holiday of the soul and spirit. During the Sacrament, the one who receives the Communion receives the Grace of God, which should be treasured and tried not to sin. If possible, it is better to abstain from worldly affairs and spend the day in silence, peace and prayer. Pay attention to the spiritual side of your life, pray, read the Word of God. These post-communion prayers are of great importance - they are joyful and energetic. They are also able to increase gratitude to the Lord, generate in the prayer a desire to receive communion more often. It is not customary to kneel down after communion in the church. Exceptions are admiration for the Shroud and kneeling prayers on the day of the Holy Trinity. There is unfounded reasoning that, allegedly, after Communion it is forbidden to kiss and kiss icons. However, the clergy themselves, after accepting the Holy Mysteries, are blessed by the bishop, kissing the hand.

How often can you receive Holy Communion?

Every believer is interested in the question of how often it is possible to take communion in the church. And there is no single answer to this question. Someone believes that it is not worth abusing communion, while others, on the contrary, recommend starting to receive the Holy Gifts as often as possible, but not more than once a day. What do the holy fathers of the church say to this? John of Kronstadt called to remember the practice of the first Christians, who had a custom to excommunicate those who had not received Communion for more than three weeks. Seraphim Sarovsky bequeathed to the sisters from Diveyevo to receive communion as often as possible. And for those who consider themselves unworthy of Communion, but have repentance in their hearts, in no case should they refuse to accept the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Because, when partaking, it is purified and brightens, and the more often one partakes, the more likely it is for salvation.

It is very favorable to receive communion on name days and birthdays, for spouses on their anniversary.

At the same time, how can one explain the eternal debate about how often one can receive Holy Communion? There is an opinion that both monks and ordinary laity should not receive communion more than once a month. Once a week is already a sin, the so-called "delusion" coming from the evil one. Is it true? The priest in his book gave a detailed explanation of this. He claims that the number of people who receive communion more than once a month is negligible, they are churchgoers, or those who have above them. Many clergymen agree that if a person is ready for this in his heart of hearts, then he can receive communion even every day, there is nothing wrong with that. The whole sin consists in the fact that a person without due repentance approaches the cup, without properly preparing for this, not forgiving all his offenders.

Of course, everyone decides for himself with his confessor how often he should approach the Holy Chalice. This depends primarily on the preparedness of the soul, love for the Lord and the power of repentance. In any case, for a churchly, righteous life, it is worth taking communion at least once a month. Some of the Christians are blessed by priests for communion more often.

Instead of an afterword

There are many books, manuals and simple advice on how to receive communion, the rules for preparing the soul and body. This information may differ in some way, it may define different approaches to the frequency of communion and strictness in preparation, but such information does exist. And it is numerous. However, you will not find literature that teaches a person how to behave after accepting the Holy Mysteries, how to preserve this gift and how to use it. Both everyday and spiritual experience suggests that it is much easier to accept than to keep. And this is really true. Andrei Tkachev, archpriest of the Orthodox Church, says that inept use of the Holy Gifts can turn into a curse for a person who has accepted them. He cites the history of Israel as an example. On the one hand, there is a huge number of miracles happening, God's wonderful relationship with the people, His patronage. The other side of the coin is heavy punishments and even executions of people who behave unworthily after receiving communion. Yes, and the apostles spoke about the illnesses of the partakers who behave in an inappropriate manner. Therefore, the observance of the rules after Holy Communion is extremely important for a person.

Communion is one of the most important and significant rites in Christianity. At this moment, there is a union with Jesus Christ - the Son of God. Preparing for an ordinance is a difficult and time-consuming process. For the believer who has the first communion, it is important to know how the sacrament goes in the church, what needs to be done before and after the ceremony. This is necessary not only in order to avoid mistakes, but also to gain awareness of the future union with Christ.

What is participle

The first ordinance of the sacrament was performed by Jesus Christ, sharing bread and wine among his disciples. He commanded his followers to repeat this. The ceremony was first performed at the Last Supper, shortly before the crucifixion of God's Son.

Before the celebration, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, also called the Eucharist, which in Greek means "thanksgiving." Preparation for the sacrament rite must necessarily include the memory of this great ancient event. This will allow you to know the mystery deeply, will touch the soul and mind.

Participle frequency

How often should you receive Holy Communion? The acceptance of the sacrament is a purely individual matter; you cannot force yourself to do it just because the ceremony seems necessary. It is very important to receive communion at the call of the heart. If in doubt, it is better to talk to the holy father. The priests advise to start the sacrament only in case of complete inner readiness.

Orthodox Christians, in whose hearts love and faith for God live, are allowed to perform the ceremony without any restrictions. If there are doubts in the heart, then you can take communion no more than once a week or once a month. As a last resort, during the periods of every big fast. The main thing is regularity.

In the ancient literature it is indicated that it is good to carry out communion daily on weekdays and weekends, but it is also beneficial to perform the rite 4 times a week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

The only day when communion is required is Maundy Thursday. This is a manifestation of respect for the ancient tradition that stands at the origins.

Some priests argue that too frequent communion is wrong. In truth, according to the laws of the canon, this opinion is incorrect. However, you need to see and feel a person well in order to understand whether he needs to perform this action or not.

The sacrament should not pass by inertia. Therefore, with its frequent performance, a Christian must constantly be ready to receive the Gifts, maintain the correct attitude. Few are capable of this. Especially considering the training that has to be done on a regular basis. It is not so easy to observe all the fasts, to constantly confess and pray. The priest sees what kind of life a layman leads, you cannot hide it.

Prayer rule for communion

Home prayer is essential in preparing for the sacrament. In the Orthodox prayer book there is a succession that is involved in the sacred rite. It is read on the eve of the Sacrament.

The preparation includes not only prayer read at home, but also church prayers. Just before the service, you need to attend a service... Also it is necessary to read three canons: the Mother of God, and the Guardian Angel.

This preparation will allow you to consciously approach confession and communion, to feel the value of the Sacrament.

The need for fasting

Observance of the fast is a prerequisite and indisputable condition before communion.

Christians who constantly observe one-day and many-day fasts should only observe the liturgical fast. This means that you cannot eat or drink from midnight before the sacrament. Fasting continues immediately until the moment of the Sacrament.

Parishioners who have recently joined the church and do not observe any fasts must complete a three-day or seven-day fast. The terms of abstinence must be set by the priest. Such moments need to be discussed in the temple, do not be afraid to ask questions.

The inner state before the Eucharist

You need to fully realize your sins before the sacrament. What should be done besides this? So that sins do not multiply, it is worth refraining from amusements. Husband and wife should refuse close bodily contact one day before and on the day of communion.

You need to pay attention to the birth of your thoughts, control them. There should be no anger, envy, condemnation.

It is better to spend personal time alone, studying the Holy Scriptures and the lives of the saints, or in prayer.

The most important thing for accepting the Holy Gifts is repentance. The layman must absolutely sincerely repent of his sinful deeds. It is for this that all the preparation is carried out. Fasting, reading the Bible, prayer are ways to achieve the desired state.

Actions before confession

Confession before a sacrament is very important. It is necessary to ask the priest of the church in which the Sacrament will take place.

Preparation for the rituals of communion and confession is the process of examining one's behavior and thoughts, getting rid of sinful actions. Everything that has been noticed and consciously needs to be confessed. But don't just list your sins as a list. The main thing is to be sincere. Otherwise, why was such a serious preparation carried out?

It should be understood that the priest is only an intermediary between God and people. You should speak freely. All that has been said will remain only between the person, the priest and the Lord. This is necessary in order to feel the freedom of life, to achieve purity.

Day of the acceptance of the Holy Gifts

On the day of the Sacrament, certain rules must be observed. You can only accept gifts on an empty stomach.... A person who smokes should refrain from his habit until the body and blood of Christ are received.

During the removal of the Chalice, you need to go to the altar. If children come, you should let them go ahead, they always receive communion first.

You do not need to be baptized near the cup, you need to bow with your arms crossed over your chest. Before accepting the Gifts, you need to say your Christian name, and then immediately taste them.

Actions after the sacrament

You should also know about what needs to be done after the sacred rite has been performed. It is necessary to kiss the edge of the Bowl and go to the table with to eat a piece... No need to rush to leave the church, you still need kiss the altar cross in the hands of the priest... Yet prayers of gratitude are read in the church, which also need to be listened to... In case of extreme lack of time, prayers can be read at home. But this must be done.

Communion of children and the sick

There are the following points regarding the communion of children and sick people:

• Children under the age of seven do not need to undergo training (confession, fasting, prayer, repentance).
• Babies who have been baptized receive communion on the same day or during the next liturgy.
• Seriously ill people also may not prepare, however, if there is such an opportunity, it is worth going through a confession. If the patient is unable to do this, the priest should say the phrase "I believe, Lord, and I confess." Then immediately give the Holy Communion.
• People who are excommunicated from communion for a while, but are in a dying state or in a state of danger, are not denied the sacred service. But in case of recovery, the ban will take effect again.

Not all people can accept the gifts of Christ. Who cannot do this:

• Those who did not come to confession (except for small children and seriously ill people);
• Parishioners who are forbidden to receive the Holy Sacraments;
• Insane, in the event that they blaspheme while in seizures. If they do not have this inclination, they are allowed to receive communion, but not every day;
• Spouses who had intimate contact shortly before the Sacrament;
• Women who have their period at that moment.

In order not to forget anything, you should familiarize yourself with the memo compiled on the basis of all of the above:

About what should be the behavior in the church during communion:

1. Come to the liturgy on time.
2. When opening the Royal Doors, cross yourself, then fold your arms crosswise. In the same way, approach the Cup and move away from it.
3. You need to approach from the right, and the left side should be free. Do not push other parishioners.
4. Observe the order of communion: bishop, elders, deacons, subdeacons, readers, children, adults.
5. Women cannot come to church with painted lips.
6. Before accepting the Sacred Gifts, you must state your name given at baptism.
7. You don't need to be baptized before the Chalice.
8. If the Holy Gifts will be placed in two or more bowls, you only need to choose one of them. Communion more than once a day is a sin.
9. If the prayer of thanksgiving was not heard in the church, you need to read them at home.

Preparing for communion is a very serious sequence. All advice must be strictly followed in order to be ready to receive the Sacred Gifts. Prayer is needed for awareness, fasting for bodily cleansing, and confession for spiritual cleansing.

Meaningful preparation will help to discern the deep meaning of the Sacrament. This is really a contact with God, after which the life of the believer changes. But it should be remembered that religions who have recently embarked on the path will not be able to receive communion and radically correct everything at once. This is natural, because sins accumulate over the years, and you also need to get rid of them consistently. Communion is the first step on this difficult path.

Sacrament Communion established by the Lord Himself on last supper- the last meal with the disciples on Easter night before His arrest and crucifixion.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, before teaching the Sacrament of Communion, said: “But the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). That is, the food that I want to give you is My Flesh, which I want to give for the revitalization of the whole world. This means that Divine Communion for believers is a necessary component of the spiritual and Christ-like life.

If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you.
Jn. 6:53

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
Jn. 6: 56

With these words, the Lord pointed out the absolute necessity for all Christians to participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The most was established by the Lord at the Last Supper. “Jesus took the bread and, having blessed it, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is my body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ”(Matt. 26: 26-28). As the Holy Church teaches, a Christian, taking Holy Communion, mysteriously unites with Christ, for in every particle of the shattered Lamb the whole of Christ is contained. The significance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is immeasurable, the comprehension of which surpasses our reason. It kindles the love of Christ in us, raises the heart to God, engenders virtues in it, restrains the attack of dark forces on us, gives strength against temptations, revives the soul and body, heals them, gives them strength, cultivates virtues - restores that purity of the soul in us , which was with the firstborn Adam before the Fall.

In reflections on the Divine Liturgy of St. Seraphim of Zvezdinsky, there is a description of the vision of an ascetic elder, which clearly characterizes the significance for a Christian of the communion of the Holy Mysteries. The ascetic saw “a fiery sea, the waves of which heaved and seethed, representing a terrible sight. There was a beautiful garden on the opposite bank. From there came the singing of birds, the fragrance of flowers was carried. The ascetic hears the voice "Cross this sea!" But there was no way to go. For a long time he stood pondering how to cross, and again hears the voice “Take the two wings that the Divine Eucharist gave: one wing is the Divine Flesh of Christ, the second wing is His Life-giving Blood. Without them, no matter how great the feat, it is impossible to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven ”. Elder Parthenius of Kiev once, in a reverent feeling of fiery love for the Lord, repeated the prayer in himself for a long time: "Lord Jesus, live in me and let me live in you," and heard a quiet, sweet voice, "Poison my flesh and drink my blood abides in me and I am in him ”(John 6, 56).

In some spiritual illnesses, the Sacrament of Communion is the most effective medicine: for example, when a person is attacked by so-called “blasphemous thoughts,” the spiritual fathers propose to fight them by frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Righteous John of Kronstadt writes about the significance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the struggle against strong temptations: “If you feel the heaviness of the struggle and see that you cannot cope with evil alone, run to your spiritual father and ask him to commune you with the Holy Mysteries. This is a great and all-powerful weapon in the struggle. " For a mentally ill person, Father John recommended living at home as a cure and more often partaking of the Holy Mysteries.

According to the custom of the Church, the Sacraments of Penance (confession) and Communion follow directly one after the other. The Monk Seraphim says that the rebirth of the soul is accomplished through two Sacraments: "through repentance and complete cleansing from all sinful filth by the Most Pure and Life-giving Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ."

Repentance alone is not enough to preserve the purity of our hearts and strengthen our spirit in piety and virtue. The Lord said: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and, not finding, he says: I will return to my house from whence I left; and, having come, finds him swept and tucked away; Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits, who are more wicked than himself, and when they enter, they dwell there - and for that man the last is worse than the first ”(Luke 11, 24-26).

So, if repentance cleanses us from the defilement of our soul, then the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord will fill us with grace and block the return of the wicked spirit to our soul, driven out by repentance. At the same time, no matter how necessary the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ may be for us, it cannot take place if repentance does not precede it. The Apostle Paul writes: “... whoever eats this bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let a man test himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink from this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord. For this reason many of you are weak and sick, and many die ”(1 Cor. 11: 27-30). As we see from the words of the Apostle Paul, the Sacrament of Communion will be effective only with proper preparation for it, with prior self-examination and repentance of sins. And if the latter was not, then the person is doomed to weakness, illness, and even.

What could be an indicator for us that we have properly prepared for the Sacrament of Communion? Here is the opinion of the Monk Simeon the New Theologian on this matter: “Once, when the inspired words of our holy father Simeon of Studios were read:“ Brother, never partake without tears ... ”- then the listeners, hearing this, - and there were many of them here, not only lay people, but also monks from famous and glorious in virtue, - were surprised at this word and, looking at each other, smiling, said unanimously, as if in one voice, “So we will never receive communion, but we must all be left without communion ...”. Further, the Monk Simeon examines the features of an active life, full of labors of repentance, that those passing through such a life receive a tender, sensitive heart and tenderness, and their tears will always accompany communion. Those who spend their lives in self-gratification, who are lazy, careless, do not repent and do not humble themselves, they constantly remain with a callous, cruel heart and will not know what tears are during communion.

As Archbishop Arseny (Chudovskaya) writes, “It is a great thing to receive the Holy Mysteries and the fruits are great: renewal of our hearts with the Holy Spirit, a blissful mood of spirit. And how great this business is, so thorough it requires preparation from us. Therefore, if you want to receive the grace of God from Holy Communion, do your best to correct your heart. " However, here one should also remember the words of St. Theophan the Recluse: "The action of the Sacraments is not always reflected in feeling, but also acts in secret."

How often should one partake of the Holy Mysteries?

In the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer "Our Father" we ask for the daily grant of "our daily bread" to us. According to the interpretation of many Church Fathers, these words should most likely not mean ordinary bread and food that God gives us in abundance without our request (see Matt. 6, 31-32). Thus, Saint Cyprian writes: “We call Christ our Bread, because He is the Bread of those who partake of His Body ... But this Bread is to be given to us every day, who are in the Church and the Eucharist every day we receive salvation in the food of salvation, in the sense that what a grievous sin did not happen and we were not forbidden to partake of this Heavenly Bread ... That is why we ask every day to give us our Bread, that is, Christ, so that we who abide in Christ never depart from sanctification by His Body. "

Saint John Cassian the Roman writes in this way on the same issue, "" Give us this day our daily bread. " "Daily", that is, "over-essential" - the highest of all essences, which can only be the Bread that came down from heaven. When it says “today,” it is shown that yesterday's eating of it is not enough, if it is also not taught to us now, in convincing us of this daily need to pour out this prayer at all times, since there is no day in which it would not be necessary to strengthen the heart of our inner man by accepting and eating this bread. " And here is the opinion of St. Basil the Great. In a letter to Caesarea, he writes: “It is good and useful to partake and receive the Holy Body and Blood of Christ every day. We receive communion four times a week: on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, as well as those days when there is a memory of a saint. " The Monk Nil Sorsk daily communed with the Holy Mysteries and said that this "apparently supports the strength of the soul and body." Saint Ambrose of Mediolansky thought the same way. In the book about the Sacraments, he writes: “If the Blood is poured out many times, which is poured out for the remission of our sins, then we must always accept it so that my sins will be forgiven; and if I always sin, then healing is always necessary for me ... Take every day that which can heal you. So live so that you will always be worthy of this acceptance (that is, communion). "

Saint Theophan the Recluse also blessed one of the spiritual children to receive communion every day from the spare Holy Gifts. Righteous John of Kronstadt pointed to the forgotten apostolic rule to excommunicate those who have not been to Holy Communion for three weeks.

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov commanded the Diveyevo sisters to “inadmissibly confess and participate in all and, in addition, the twelve and great feasts: the more often, the better, without tormenting themselves with the thought that they are unworthy; and one should not miss the opportunity to use the grace given by the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible. The grace given by communion is so great that no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person is, but only in a humble consciousness of his great sinfulness he approaches the Lord, who redeems all of us, even from head to toe covered with ulcers of sins, it will be to be cleansed by the grace of Christ, brightens more and more, brightens completely, and will be saved. "

Of course, it is very good to receive communion on the days of their name days and births, and for spouses - on the day of their marriage. The Monk Alexy Zosimovsky recommended that his spiritual children take the sacrament also on the memorable days of their departed loved ones - on the days of their death and name day. This contributes to the unity in Christ of the living and those who have departed to another world.

If you wish to receive Communion even more often (maybe even every day), you need to follow the instruction of the Monk Simeon the New Theologian: “Whoever does not open the secrets of his heart every day, who does not bring due repentance in them and in what he has done through ignorance, who does not walk about crying and complaining always and before said with care does not pass, he is truly unworthy [of daily communion]. And whoever does all this and in sighs and tears completes the course of his life, he is very worthy to be a partaker of the Divine Mysteries, and not only on a holiday, but also every day, and even - although I will boldly say - from the very beginning of his repentance and conversion ” ...

As Archbishop Arseny (Chudovskaya) writes, “constant communion should be the ideal of all Christians. But the enemy of the human race immediately understood what power the Lord had given us in the Holy Mysteries. And he began the work of turning Christians away from Holy Communion. From the history of Christianity, we know that at first Christians received communion daily, then four times a week, then on Sundays and holidays, and there - in all, that is, four times a year, finally barely once a year, and others even less often. " “A Christian must always be ready for both death and communion,” said one of the spiritual fathers. So, frequent participation in the Last Supper of Christ and acceptance at it of the great grace of the Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ depends on us. And if the heart lives entirely by God - both in deeds, and in words, and in thoughts, if a Christian weeps in his soul for every sin and has the goal of his life to please God and the acquisition of the Holy Spirit of God, then he has no obstacles to the daily communion of the Holy Mysteries how the Christians of the first centuries did it and how Simeon the New Theologian writes about it. One of the wise modern shepherds, Fr. Valentin Sventsitsky writes: “Spiritual life is not an abstract theology, but a real and most undoubted life in Christ. But how can it begin if you do not receive in this terrible and great Sacrament the fullness of the Spirit of Christ? How, without receiving the flesh and blood of Christ, will you be in Him? And here, as in repentance, the enemy will not leave you without attacks. And here he will build all sorts of intrigues for you. He will erect many both external and internal barriers, Then you will have no time, then you will feel unhealthy, then you will want to. postpone for a while, "to better prepare." Do not listen. Go. Confess. Communion. You don’t know when the Lord will call you ”.

Let each soul listen keenly in its heart and be afraid to listen to the knock on its door of the hand of the Honorable Guest; let her be afraid that her hearing will become coarse from the bustle of the world and will not be able to hear the quiet and gentle calls coming from the Kingdom of Light. Let the soul fear to replace the experiences of the heavenly joy of union with the Lord with the muddy entertainments of the world or the base consolations of the bodily nature. And when she is able to break away from the world and everything sensual, when she longs for the light of the heavenly world and reaches out to the Lord, let her dare to unite with Him in the great Sacrament, dressing herself at the same time in the spiritual clothes of sincere repentance and deepest humility and the unchanging fullness of spiritual poverty. Let the soul also not be embarrassed because, with all its repentance, it is still unworthy of communion. The righteous Alexy Mechev says about it this way: “Take Communion more often and do not say that you are unworthy. If you say that, you will never receive communion, because you will never be worthy. Do you think that there is at least one person on earth who is worthy of the communion of the Holy Mysteries? No one is worthy of this, and if we do partake, then only by the special mercy of God. We are not created for the Sacrament, but the Sacrament for us. It is we - sinners, unworthy, weak - more than anyone else, in need of this saving source. "

Why do we still not receive the blessings of our spiritual fathers for more frequent communion? Only because of our hardheartedness and negligence, because with our sinful life and the absence of constant repentance and sobriety, we would begin to accept the Body and Blood of the Lord unworthily.

If the Christians of the first centuries tried to approach the Holy Chalice every day, then in the 19th century many Christians in Russia considered the sacrament to be a dying parting word. In our time, the desire to receive frequent communion has been revived again. However, knowing that the Chalice must be started after careful preparation - fasting, many cannot find the energy and time for fasting (which thereby turns into an end in itself).

The solution to the question of how often we need to receive communion is based on the degree of preparedness of the soul, its zeal, its love for the Lord, its power of repentance. Therefore, the Church leaves this issue to the priests, confessors. It is with the spiritual father that it is necessary to agree on how often to receive communion, how long and how strictly to fast before this. Different priests bless in different ways, but to each according to his ability. Many modern shepherds recommend people who seek to church their lives to receive communion from one to two times a month. Sometimes priests bless even more frequent communion, but this is more the exception than the rule. Of course, one cannot take communion “for show”, for the sake of fulfilling certain quantitative norms. The sacrament of the Eucharist should become for the Orthodox Christian the need of the soul, without the realization of which it is impossible to live.

Preparation for Communion of the Holy Mysteries

Anyone who wants to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must prayerfully prepare himself for this in two or three days: pray at home in the morning and evening, attend church services. Before the day of communion, it is imperative to be at the evening service. A rule for Holy Communion is added to the evening home prayers (from the prayer book). Its size is determined by the spiritual father. Usually it includes canons: repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, Guardian Angel, as well as Follow-up to Holy Communion.

At the same time, the following instructions of the righteous John of Kronstadt should be taken into account: “some place all their well-being and serviceability before God in reading all the prescribed prayers, not paying attention to the readiness of the heart for God - to their inner correction; for example, many read the rule for Communion in this way. Meanwhile, here, first of all, we must look at the correction of our life and the readiness of the heart to receive the Holy Mysteries. If your heart has become right in your womb, by the grace of God, if it is ready to meet the Bridegroom, then thank God, although you did not have time to read all the prayers. The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power ”(1 Cor. 4:20). Good obedience in all things to the Mother Church, but with prudence; and, if possible, “may be able to contain” the long prayer “may he contain”. But “not all can contain with this word” (Matthew 19:11; see also v. 12); if prolonged prayer is incompatible with the fervor of the spirit, it is better to create a short but fervent prayer. Remember that one word of the publican, spoken from a warm heart, justified him. God looks not at many words, but at the disposition of the heart. The main thing is the living faith of the heart and the warmth of repentance for sins. " With prayer, abstinence from meager food is combined - meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, with and from fish. The rest of the food must be kept in moderation.

Those who wish to receive communion should, best of all, on the eve, before or after the evening service, bring sincere repentance for their sins before the priest, openly revealing their souls and not hiding a single sin. Before confession, you must certainly come to terms with both your offenders and those whom you yourself have offended. At confession, it is better not to wait for the priest's questions, but to express to him everything that is on the conscience, without justifying oneself in anything and without shifting the blame onto others. In no case should you condemn someone in confession or talk about other people's sins. If it is not possible to confess in the evening, you need to do it before the beginning of the Liturgy, in extreme cases - before the Cherubic song. Without confession, no one, except infants under seven years of age, can be admitted to Holy Communion. After midnight, it is forbidden to eat and drink; you must come to Communion strictly on an empty stomach. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion.

How to approach the Holy Chalice?

Each partaker needs to know well how to approach the Holy Chalice so that communion can take place decorously and without fuss.

These are the rules.
• One must bow down to the earth before the Chalice. If there are many participants, then, in order not to disturb others, you need to bow in advance.
• When the royal doors are opened, one must cross and fold his hands crosswise on the chest, the right hand over the left, and commune with this folding of hands; you need to leave the Chalice without separating your hands
• It is necessary to approach from the right side of the temple, and leave the left free.
• The ministers of the altar are the first to receive communion, then the monks, children, and only then everyone else. You need to give way to your neighbors, in no case push.
• Women need to wipe off lipstick before communion.
• Approaching the Chalice, you should loudly and clearly call your name, accept the Holy Gifts, chew (if necessary) and immediately swallow Them, and kiss the lower edge of the Chalice like the rib of Christ.
• You cannot touch the Chalice with your hands or kiss the priest's hand.
• It is forbidden to be baptized at the Chalice! Raising your hand for the sign of the cross, you can accidentally push the priest and spill the Holy Gifts.
• Going to the table with a wash down, you need to eat the antidor and drink the warmth. Only after that you can kiss the icons and talk.
• If the Holy Gifts are taught from several Cups, they can only be received from one. You cannot receive communion twice a day.
• On the day of Communion, it is not customary to kneel, with the exception of bows during reading, bows before the Shroud of Christ on Holy Saturday and kneeling prayers on the day of the Holy Trinity.
• Arriving home, you should first of all read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion; if they are read in church at the end of the service, one should listen to the prayers there. After communion until the morning, you should also not spit out anything and rinse your mouth. Participants should try to keep themselves from idle conversations, especially from condemnation, and in order to avoid idle conversations, one must read the Gospel, the Jesus Prayer, akathists, and Holy Scripture.

Communion of the sick

This adherence is a special type of teaching the Sacrament of the Eucharist to people who, due to a serious illness, cannot be in the church when the Sacrament is performed at the full liturgy and participate in the reception of it. In this case, the ancient Church, condescending to the sickness of the sick and looking at the Sacrament as the best and surest healing of the soul and body, sent the Holy Gifts to the faithful at home. The Church is doing the same now. According to the custom of the Orthodox Church, the Holy Gifts for the sick are prepared on the Great Four, but they can be prepared at any other time during the full liturgy. For this purpose, a second lamb is being prepared, and in those churches where the liturgy is celebrated daily, only a part of the liturgical lamb is deposited. The whole lamb or part of the lamb is prepared for the teaching of the sick in the same way as for the liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, according to the instruction of the teaching message.

The very sequence of the communion of the sick has the following order. The priest takes a part of the Holy Mysteries, places it in the chalice and pours in as much wine as the patient is comfortable with. After the usual beginning, they read: "Come, let us bow down" three times, the Symbol of Faith and Prayer to Holy Communion. Then the patient prepared in this way confesses and receives permission from sins, if he was not confessed, and otherwise he directly receives communion. After communion reads: Now let go ", the Trisagion," Our Father ", the troparion of the day, the Theotokos and there is a release of the present day.

Follow-up to Holy Communion

Through the prayers of the saints, our Father, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

To the Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfill everything, Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save our souls, Beloved.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquity; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for your name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also leave our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Come, let us worship our Tsar God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down on Christ, our King our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down on Christ Himself, the Tsar and our God. (Bow)

"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day "
(John 6, 54)

The transmission of Christ's Holy Mysteries is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took the bread and blessed it, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ”(Matthew Gospel, ch. 26, verses 26-28).

During the Divine Liturgy, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated - bread and wine are mysteriously transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ and the partakers, receiving Them during communion, mysteriously, incomprehensible to the human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in every Part Communion.

The transmission of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary in order to enter into eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks of this: “Truly, truly, I say to you: if you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day ... ”(Gospel of John, ch. 6, verses 53 - 54).

In the Sacrament of the Flesh and Blood of the Lord (the Eucharist - Greek "thanksgiving"), there is a restoration of that unity between the nature of the Creator and creation, which existed before the Fall; this is our return to the lost paradise. We can say that in Communion we receive, as it were, the embryos of the future life in the Kingdom of Heaven. The mystical mystery of the Eucharist is rooted in the Savior's sacrifice on the Cross. Having crucified His Flesh on the Cross and shedding His Blood, the God-man Jesus brought the Sacrifice of Love for us to the Creator and restored the fallen human nature. Thus, the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Savior becomes our participation in this restoration. “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs; and giving us an eternal belly .. "

How can we at least approximately understand the meaning of what is happening in the Sacrament of the Sacrament? The nature of creation was created by the Creator, akin to Himself: not only permeable, but also, as it were, inseparable from the Creator. This is natural given the holiness of created nature - its initial state of free union and submission to the Creator. The angelic worlds are in this state. However, the nature of our world is distorted and perverted by the fall of its guardian and leader - man. Nevertheless, she did not lose the opportunity to reunite with the nature of the Creator: the clearest evidence of this is the incarnation of the Savior. But man fell away from God at will, and he can also be reunited with Him only in free expression of will (even the incarnation of Christ required the consent of a man - the Virgin Mary!). At the same time, the deification of an inanimate, lacking free will, nature, God can accomplish in a natural way, arbitrarily. Thus, in the divinely-established Sacrament of the Sacrament, the grace of the Holy Spirit at the instituted moment of worship (and also at the request of a person!) Descends on the substance of bread and wine and transforms them into a substance of a different, higher nature: the Body and Blood of Christ. And now a person can accept these highest Gifts of Life only by showing his free will! The Lord gives Himself to all, but those who believe Him and love Him - the children of His Church - accept Him.

And so, Communion is the gracious communion of the soul with the higher nature and, in it, with eternal life. Reducing this greatest mystery to the realm of the ordinary image, we can compare the Sacrament with the “nourishment” of the soul, which it should receive after its “birth” in the Sacrament of Baptism. And just as a person is born with the flesh into the world once, and then feeds until the end of his life, so Baptism is a one-time event, and we must resort to Communion regularly, preferably at least once a month, possibly more often. Communion once a year is the minimum acceptable, but such a "hungry" regime can put the soul on the brink of survival.

2. How to prepare for the Sacrament of the Sacrament

Yes, man tempts himself,
and tacos from bread and food and from a bowl and drink.
(1 Cor. 11:28)

To participate in the Eucharist, it is necessary to properly prepare. An encounter with God is an event that shocks the soul and transforms the body. Worthy communion requires a conscious and reverent attitude towards this event. There must be a sincere faith in Christ and an understanding of the meaning of the Sacrament. We must have reverence for the Savior's Sacrifice and the awareness of our unworthiness of accepting this great Gift (we accept Him not as a deserved reward, but as a manifestation of the grace of a loving Father). There should be peace of mind: you need to sincerely forgive in your heart everyone who somehow “grieved us” (remembering the words of the prayer “Our Father”: “And leave our debts to us, as we also leave our debtors”) and try to reconcile with them as much as possible ; even more so, it concerns those who, for one reason or another, consider themselves offended by us.

Conception takes place during the Divine Liturgy - a service performed in churches in the morning. In order to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, one should properly prepare for this. For a certain time before the sacrament (at least three days), you need to fast - not eat light food, - refrain from entertainment and worldly pleasures; this time should be devoted to thinking about your life, about the sins you have to confess. On the eve of communion, it is advisable to attend the evening service and read the Prayer Book (this book, which is necessary for every believer, can be purchased in every church), the Rule for Communion. On the morning of the sacrament day, you should come to the temple in advance, before the start of the service. On the eve of communion - from midnight and in the morning - you must not eat, drink and smoke (for those who are prone to this bad habit). Before the sacrament, adults and children, starting from the age of 7, need to confess; confession in the church usually begins before the Divine Liturgy.

Conception takes place at the end of the Liturgy. Believers, admitted to the sacrament by the priest, take turns approaching the pulpit (an elevated place in front of the iconostasis), on which the priest stands with the Chalice. Approaching the sacrament, you should fold your hands crosswise on your chest, say your name; after you have received the Holy Communion and wiped your lips with a cloth, you need to kiss the lower part of the Chalice and go to the place where the “wash down” is handed out to the sacraments - particles of antidor or prosphora and wine diluted with hot water.

When an infant takes communion, he must be placed on his right hand (as in breastfeeding), face up. The deacon will support with a cloth (a special handkerchief for wiping the lips) under the chin so that drops of the Blood of Christ do not spill on the clothes.

You can leave the church after communion only after you kiss the cross, carried out by the priest at the end of the Divine Liturgy. After the sacrament, one should read (or listen to in the Church) prayers of thanksgiving, and in the future, one should be especially diligent in ensuring that the spiritual gifts given in the Sacrament of Communion are properly preserved in oneself. If possible, you should move away from everyday conversations, not engage in everyday activities; it is best for those who have received the communion to devote the day of the sacrament to godly deeds, reading spiritual books, deeds of mercy and love for others.

3. How often should you receive communion?

This question can be solved by every believer only by consulting a priest. There is a pious custom to partake of Communion at least five times a year - on each of the four many-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of remembrance of the saint whose name you bear).

4. How to give the Holy Communion to a sick person?

What needs to be done for the communion of a sick person who cannot go to church on his own?

In this case, you need to invite the priest home to the sick person in order to commune him at home with Spare Holy Gifts.

Before communion, the patient should not eat or drink from midnight. It is certainly desirable that the patient himself or with the help of others read the rule for communion. For the arrival of the priest at his bedside, you need to prepare a table on which the icon and a lighted lamp or candle should be located. After the arrival of the priest and the preparation of everything necessary for communion, relatives or friends should provide for the opportunity for some time to leave the room where the patient is located in order to give him the opportunity to confess in a calm atmosphere.

Many of us are looking for signs and wonders, unaware that the greatest miracle in the world is happening every day, and anyone can feel it on their own experience. This miracle is the most important, central Sacrament of the Church - Holy Communion. It is for him that churches are built, icons are painted and prayers are raised to God in churches. Having purified their souls by confession, Christians receive communion, uniting in this Sacrament with the Lord, healing souls and bodies, strengthening their strength in spiritual struggle and receiving great grace.

Healing Sacrament

This story a few years ago shocked the parishioners of one of the temples near Moscow. 34-year-old Andrei B. was dying painfully, and the doctors were sure that the hours of his earthly life were numbered. A priest from a nearby church came to the hospital. After the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the patient suddenly began to recover ...

The recovered Andrey became a regular parishioner of this church. And six months later, the former "suicide bomber" came to marry his young wife.

A no less amazing case of healing after accepting the holy ordinances was told by my acquaintance father. The newborn Irochka was diagnosed with a serious illness, and the doctors told the grief-stricken parents: "The chances of recovery are minimal, we will do our best, but usually such children do not survive." The baby's mother managed to persuade the doctors to allow the dying baby to be baptized with a small rank. Father Alexander, who baptized her in intensive care, came to the hospital several times to commune the baby. And every time the girl was getting better! Ira survived, now she is a healthy, cheerful 4-year-old child. Her hitherto unbelieving father was baptized and became a Christian.

Any experienced priest can recall such real cases of healing. The history of the Church knows a great many miracles associated with this greatest Sacrament, sanctified I am giving the life of believers.

While partaking, a person on a spiritual level accepts God into himself, becomes strengthened in goodness and love, and is cleansed of evil. It becomes more sensitive and wise, it is easier to cope with sorrows and devilish temptations that haunt each of us all our lives. And, of course, it is strengthened in faith and finds peace and harmony in the soul.

History of the Eucharist

The Holy Communion or the Eucharist (in Greek - "thanksgiving") was commanded by Jesus Christ. It was He who created the Sacrament of union with Him through bread and wine, which are transformed into the Body and Blood of the Lord. At the Last Supper, he blessed and broke bread, and gave it to the disciples with the words: "Take, taste: this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins!" Then he gave the cup: "Drink from it all: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins!"

But why did the Savior choose exactly this way of receiving the Holy Sacrament of union with God?

The answer to the question can be obtained by remembering history. The custom of “eating God” through ritual food or drink has existed among many pagan peoples since ancient times. Echoes of one of these traditions - our usual Russian pancake on Shrovetide, which once symbolized the image of the "sun god", which had to be baked and eaten.

Christ used images and customs understandable to people. We eat bread and wine, consecrated by prayers, transformed from Above - and not symbolically, but quite realistically, God penetrates into us and unites with us on the spiritual and physical levels, having a beneficial effect on the soul and body. The human mind is not able to fully fully understand and appreciate the depth and grandeur of this action of God, which surpasses all worldly understanding.

The very word "Sacrament" indicates joining the Whole, the partaker becomes part of the one Church and part of God. Christians of the first centuries received Communion at every church service, sometimes almost every day. The strength of their faith was such that they easily and without hesitation went to any torment, so as not to betray Christ in times of persecution. They were so incredible examples of true holiness, the highest morality and decency, that modern Christians can only dream of such heights.

Over time, the power of faith and the piety of the people weakened and degenerated. Many believers have ceased to feel themselves as a single Church, and living communion and unity with God, in fact, has turned for them into some familiar religious ceremonies and rituals. Already in Xvi century, the "norm" for most Christians has become a very rare communion. The substitution of a deep, full-fledged spiritual life with a superficial external religiosity gave rise to a "magical" attitude towards the sacraments, breakdowns into grave sins and unjustified cruelty, for which the Middle Ages were especially famous.

And what about the situation in Russia? As usual in our country, even the most sacred cause, falling into the hands of the bureaucracy, is vulgarized and distorted. Look: in the time of Peter I a decree was issued - all civil servants are obliged take communion annually. Many understood it this way: once a year is enough! And the Communion performed by duty loses its meaning.

In the 19th century, churches also issued a certificate, like a receipt for a technical inspection: it is hereby confirmed that this citizen passed the rite of Communion in such and such a year. It was a kind of certificate of trustworthiness. It was this absurd obligation that became one of the main reasons for the falling away of the majority of Russian people from Orthodoxy. When the obligatory communion was canceled in 1905, according to the recollections of Metropolitan Veniamin Fedchenkov, only 2-5 percent of the military and officials began to go to church. And this is instead of the former 90 percent!

Only after the vicious practice of coercion, which bore a lot of poisonous fruits, was done away with, did the Church Fathers begin to explain to people the true deep essence of Christianity and the holy sacraments. Voluntary frequent communion gradually began to revive.

Modern confessors recommend that believers begin the great Sacrament of the Sacrament regularly and as often as possible. Those who have the desire and opportunities can receive communion weekly. Or at least at least once every 1-2 months.

If a modern Christian takes communion very rarely, then something is wrong in his spiritual life. Worldly vanity obscures Heaven from him.

Miracle of transformation

The main church service - the liturgy is traditionally held in the morning, and only on special holidays (Easter, Christmas, Epiphany) is it performed at night. The Liturgy includes all the wealth of the Church - theological, aesthetic, cultural and historical.

According to the canons, for the preparation of Holy Communion, high-quality red grape wine is taken, which by its very appearance resembles blood. In Serbian and some other Churches, dry wine is used, and in Russia - Cahors. When performing the Sacrament, whole wine is diluted with hot water a little (it is called "warmth"), because Christ Himself, according to the testimony of Tradition, according to the Eastern custom, used wine diluted with water at the Last Supper. In addition, the combination of wine with water also has a symbolic meaning, recalling that during the suffering of the Savior on the Cross, blood and water flowed out of his chest pierced by a spear.

Eucharistic bread is made from leavened dough, for which the best wheat flour is taken without the addition of salt and sugar, blessed water and leaven (or yeast). From the largest prosphora, the priest carves out the future Body of Christ. After the proclamation "Holy of Holies" it is divided into parts and immersed in a cup of wine - the Blood of Christ.

During the liturgy, at the moment of the culminating prayers, the consecration of the Holy Gifts takes place. Bread and wine at the spiritual-mystical level are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Many holy fathers believed that at the physical level, bread and wine become the most real divine flesh and blood, however, so that people would not be embarrassed, according to the external and taste characteristics, Holy Communion continues to seem to them like bread and wine.

In the final part of the church service, the Royal Doors of the iconostasis are opened and with the words "Come with the fear of God and faith!" the priest brings out the Cup, and with a special spoon he gives communion to people.

Fears of some people of little faith that, through a common a liar you can get infected with diseases - far-fetched and completely untenable. No pathogenic microbes are able to survive in Holy Communion! As a thousand-year practice shows, those who regularly receive Communion are much less vulnerable to diseases than those who avoid Communion, and have an order of magnitude more chances to survive even during the most terrible epidemics.

One of my friends, doctor Nikolai D. shared a vivid example: his patient O. was constantly catching colds and pains, and besides, she suffered from seizures that could not be cured in any way. After, on the advice of a believing doctor, she began to regularly go to church, confess and receive communion, the seizures disappeared, and her body's immunity improved noticeably. Now O. is ill rarely - no more often than any normal healthy person.

So that not a drop of the sacred thing is spoiled, at the end of the service the priest or the deacon helping him finishes and eats up everything that is left in the bowl, and this happens a lot - on average, the volume of the vessel for communion is from one to several liters!

And here's what's interesting. Many priests and deacons sincerely believe that the transformed wine no longer contains any alcohol, and after the service they calmly sit behind the wheel. More than once, such priests happened to be caught by strict traffic police officers and “breathe into the tube”. Surprisingly, the devices did not show the presence of alcohol in the blood of the priests who consumed the Eucharistic wine! Unless, of course, they then washed down the Communion with ordinary wine.

My friend, a Ural priest, Father Peter, is intolerant of alcohol. As soon as he drinks at least a glass of wine, he becomes ill. But he calmly tastes the cup with the remains of Holy Communion, and after that he feels only wondrous peace and grace in his soul.

I also know priests who in the past, before coming to the Church, were alcoholics, and were forever tied up with a pernicious passion. Even a glass of wine could provoke them to break down. However, they calmly partake of Holy Communion, believing that this is precisely the Body and Blood of Christ, and in no way does this lead them to return to their former passion, but on the contrary, only strengthens their will and spirit.

However, I cannot remain silent about those priests who believe that alcohol is still present in the bowl with the Holy Gifts. Some of them confessed to me that when they consumed the cup with the Sacrament after the service on an empty stomach, they felt a slight intoxication. One of them, fearing breakdowns in drunkenness, was even forced to specially hire a deacon in his little church - so that he would eat and drink up everything that remained in the cup after the Eucharist.

But how is it that some priests get drunk with the Communion consumed in large quantities, while others do not? It seems that both are right in their own way. We must assume that their examples are a clear confirmation of the gospel truth - "according to your faith, let it be to you!" After all, sincere strong faith and a special spiritual self-alignment are capable of working miracles ...

After the transformation of bread and wine in the sacrament of the Eucharist into Body and Blood, they will forever preserve their new nature. In each church, spare Holy Gifts are kept in consecrated vessels. They are used by priests to give communion to those who cannot appear in the temple - the sick, the dying, prisoners, etc.

Real Christians try to receive communion more often. Uniting with God, they acquire the highest meaning of life. Many saints called the Communion the medicine of immortality, helping to overcome the mundane sinful human nature and gain Eternal Life.

Payback for blasphemy

Late XIX - early XX centuries in Russia, blasphemous antics of the atheists provoked by "forced Orthodoxy" happened. ordinary bread. If it were the Body of God, the Lord would punish me. "

You should never boast like that. The punishment was delayed for decades, but Bukharin's end was terrible. Transformed in Stalin's dungeons into a downtrodden trembling creature, he begged to save his life and slander himself and his family and friends. A similar unenviable fate befell most of the other blasphemers, some earlier, others later.

Sometimes reckoning for desecration of a shrine comes pretty quickly. An acquaintance novice told me about the fate of five young Satanists, one of whom, having entered a large church, fraudulently received the Holy Communion and immediately fled, carrying the Holy Communion behind his cheek. After that, five friends staged a blasphemous ritual of desecration of the shrine, which I will not describe for ethical reasons.

The next night, the thief of the Holy Gifts was hit by a car and died. Another Satanist addicted to drugs soon died of an overdose. The third - hanged himself, unable to cope with a terrible attack of hangover melancholy. The remaining two went to jail for selling drugs. One of them died in the "zone", the other came to confession in the prison church and repented. After serving his sentence, he went to a monastery, where he now works as a humble novice, begging God for forgiveness and dreaming of becoming a monk.

When Blood and Flesh become visible

History also knows amazing cases of the complete transformation of a shrine, turning into a real Body and Blood at a visible, tangible level.

In 1194, a resident of the city of Augsburg, without swallowing Holy Communion, brought it home, wrapped in a scarf. The shrine was laid and locked by it in a relic box. A few years later, she repented of what she had done to the priest and gave him the reliquary. Opening it in the temple, the priests were amazed to find a dried-up piece of human flesh in it!

Medieval Jews-radicals more than once made attempts to outrage the Christian Holy Gifts. In 1213, in France, the Jew Aaron bought the shrine from his Christian maid and threw it into a mug of money with silver coins. Looking into the mug the next day, he was horrified to see there a piece of bloody meat. He was very frightened, repented of everything to the priest and converted to Christianity. And in 1591 in Prague the Jew Levek stole the Holy Gifts from the church and sold them to his comrades. Mocking the shrine, they said: "If you really are God, then show your might!" Suddenly, drops of blood came out of the Sacrament. Immediately, a strong thunderstorm broke out and lightning struck the house of the blasphemers, burning it to the ground. After that, all those responsible for the sacrilege repented and were baptized.

And the most famous visible miracle of transformation took place in the 8th century under completely peaceful circumstances in the Italian city of Lanciano. The priest from the Church of San Legontius was gnawed by doubts: are the Body and Blood of the Lord, hidden under the guise of bread and wine, true ?! During the celebration of the Sacrament, a miracle happened: the Eucharistic bread suddenly turned into flesh, and the wine into real blood! The priest confessed to the brethren his doubts, resolved in such an incredible way. Since then, in Lanciano, in a special ark, the Flesh and Blood that materialized during the Eucharist are still kept.

In the period from 1970 to 1981, scientists have repeatedly investigated this miracle. The body turned out to be a fragment of the human heart that did not have any traces of conservation, containing the myocardium, endocardium, left ventricle and vagus nerve. Incredibly preserved for 12 centuries without artificial protection and preservatives, Blood contains proteins and minerals in percentages normal for human blood. It is curled up into five solidified balls, each of which individually weighs as much as ... all five together! Scientists still cannot explain this paradox, which contradicts the elementary laws of physics. Moreover, according to the findings of scientists, Blood can be liquidated and used for transfusion, since it has all the properties of fresh blood. And the Lancha shrine also has a single group: AB - exactly the same as on the Shroud of Turin, in which the Savior was wrapped after the crucifixion.

Preparation and communion

Several years ago, my friend Anya, on the advice of her friends, came to receive communion in the church, in fact, she did not really understand why she needed it. She did not prepare in advance, but she knew that it was "useful" and hoped to receive some "magical help" from this sacrament. All this was clarified in confession, at which the girl, instead of repentance, said that, on the whole, she was a positive lady, and she had nothing to repent of. Of course, the priest did not allow her before Communion, offering to communicate after the service and presenting a book about the essence of Orthodox sacraments. But Anya was a proud lady and left without waiting for the end of the service, and threw the book on the far shelf and did not read.

Only a few years later, having pretty much prayed up and broke a lot of firewood, having survived a divorce, the death of loved ones and a serious illness, she suddenly realized that she was wrong then, and again came to church, confessed worthily, took communion and began a new life - in Christ ...

Any baptized person who wishes can take Communion, but for this one needs to work spiritually and physically. Only children under 7 years old can begin this Sacrament without fasting and confession. It is advisable for adults to observe moderation in everything for three days, refrain from animal products and from carnal relationships. If a person receives Communion once a year, or even less often, and does not observe fasts in ordinary life, the fast before Communion increases to 5-7 days. For those who receive communion on a weekly basis, a 1-2-day fast is sufficient. You don't need to fast on Easter Sunday. In the morning before communion, you need (if health permits) nothing to eat or drink.

Inner preparation for the Sacrament is very important. We must try to come to terms with everyone and forgive everyone, and drive out bad thoughts from ourselves in order to accept the shrine with a pure kind soul. And if there is an opportunity - to create a peaceful mood in yourself, expecting communion as the great joy of communion and union with Christ.

In any prayer book there are three canons (to Jesus Christ, the Theotokos and the Guardian Angel), as well as the Follow-up to Holy Communion. It is advisable to read all these prayers the day before. Having attended the evening service, the next morning a person comes to the Liturgy and prays with everyone, confesses and takes communion, if the priest blessed him in confession.

Those whose repentance is not sincere and formal, and those who are not going to decisively break with mortal sins in the future, may not be admitted to Holy Communion. For example, if a lover of a prodigal life plans to continue indulging in his favorite sinful "fun", or, say, a thief and robber does not want to tie up with his criminal profession.

Small children are usually given communion first, then men, then women. You should approach one by one, not crowding, and not trying to get ahead of each other. Having received communion, the Orthodox come to a special table with a wash down. It is customary to wash down the Communion with holy water, fruit drink or diluted wine, and seize it with a piece of prosphora - so that every drop and crumb of the shrine is consumed.