Questions about the Sacrament of Communion

HWhat is Communion?

This is the Sacrament in which, under the guise of bread and wine, the Orthodox Christian partakes of (partakes) of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and into eternal life, and through this mysteriously unites with Him, becoming a partaker of eternal life. Comprehension of this Sacrament surpasses human understanding.

This Sacrament is calledEvkhaChristianity, which means thanksgiving.

TOHow and for what purpose was the Sacrament of Communion established?

The Sacrament of Communion was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself at the Last Supper with the apostles on the eve of His suffering. He took the bread into His most pure hands, blessed it, broke and divided it to His disciples, saying: “Send, eat: this is my body” (Matt. 26:26). Then he took a cup of wine, blessed it and, giving it to the disciples, 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: 27-28). At the same time, the Apostles, and in their person and all believers, the Savior gave the commandment to perform this Sacrament until the end of the world in remembrance of His suffering, death and Resurrection for the unity of believers with Him. He said: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).

PWhy is it necessary to receive communion?

The Lord Himself speaks of the obligation of communion for all those who believe in Him: “Verily, verily, 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. For my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him ”(John 6: 53-56).

He who does not partake of the Holy Mysteries deprives himself of the source of life - Christ, puts himself outside of Him. A person who seeks union with God in his life can hope that he will be with Him in eternity.

TOHow to Prepare for Communion?

Anyone who wants to receive communion must have heartfelt repentance, humility, and a firm intention to reform. Several days are being prepared for the Sacrament of Communion. On these days, they prepare for Confession, try to pray more and more diligently at home, refrain from amusements and idle pastime. Fasting is combined with prayer - bodily abstinence from fast food and marriage.

On the eve of the day of Communion or in the morning before the Liturgy, one must confess, be at the evening service. Do not eat or drink after midnight.

The duration of preparation, the measure of fasting and prayer rules are negotiated with the priest. However, no matter how much we prepare for Communion, we cannot adequately prepare ourselves. And only looking at a broken and humble heart, the Lord, out of His love, accepts us into His fellowship.

TOWhat prayers should one prepare for Communion?

For prayer preparation for Communion, there is a common rule that is found in Orthodox prayer books. It consists of the reading of three canons: the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel and the Succession to Holy Communion, which consists of the canon and prayers. In the evening, you should also read prayers for the future sleep, and in the morning - morning prayers.

With the blessing of the confessor, this prayer rule before Communion can be reduced, increased, or replaced by another.

TOHow to approach Communion?

Before the beginning of Communion, those who partake in advance come closer to the pulpit, so that later they do not rush and do not create inconvenience to other worshipers. At the same time, it is necessary to let the children in front who receive communion first. When the Royal Doors are opened and the deacon comes out with the Holy Chalice with an exclamation: "Come with the fear of God and faith," you should, if possible, bow down to the ground and fold your hands crosswise across your chest (right over left). Approaching the Holy Chalice and before the Chalice itself, do not be baptized, so as not to accidentally push Her. One must approach the Holy Chalice with the fear of God and reverence. Approaching the Chalice, you should clearly pronounce your Christian name given at Baptism, open your mouth wide, reverently, with the awareness of the holiness of the Great Sacrament, accept the Holy Gifts and immediately swallow. Then kiss the base of the Chalice like the rib of Christ Himself. You cannot touch the Chalice with your hands or kiss the priest's hand. Then you should go to the table with warmth, drink Communion so that the shrine does not remain in your mouth.

TOHow often should you receive communion?

Many holy fathers call for communion as often as possible.

Usually believers confess and receive communion during all four multi-day fasting of the church year, on the twelve, great and temple holidays, on Sundays, on their name days and birthdays, spouses - on their wedding day.

The frequency of a Christian's participation in the Sacrament of Communion is set individually with the blessing of the confessor. More commonly - at least twice a month.

D Are we sinners worthy of frequent communion?

Some Christians receive communion extremely rarely, motivating this with their unworthiness. There is not a single person on earth who is worthy of Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. No matter how much a person tries to cleanse himself before God, all the same he will not be worthy of accepting such a greatest Shrine as the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God gave people the Holy Mysteries of Christ, not according to their dignity, but according to His great mercy and love for His fallen creation. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31). A Christian should accept the Holy Gifts not as a reward for his spiritual exploits, but as a Gift of the Loving Heavenly Father, as a saving means of sanctifying soul and body.

Is it possible to receive the Holy Communion several times on the same day?

No one, and in any case, should receive Communion twice on the same day. If the Holy Gifts are taught from several Cups, they can only be received from one.

Everyone is given communion from one spoon, is it possible to get sick?

There has never been a single case of someone getting infected through Communion: even when people receive Communion in hospital churches, no one ever gets sick. After the believers take Communion, the remaining Holy Gifts are used by a priest or deacon, but even during epidemics they do not fall ill. This is the greatest sacrament of the Church, given, including for the healing of soul and body.

Can you kiss the cross after Communion?

After the Liturgy, all those praying apply to the cross: both those who received Communion and those who did not.

Is it possible to kiss icons and the hand of a priest after Communion, to bow down to earth?

After Communion, before drinking, one should refrain from kissing the icons and the priest's hand, but there is no rule that those who received the Communion should not kiss the icons or the priest's hand on this day and should not bow down to earth. It is important to keep your tongue, thoughts and heart from all evil.

How to behave on the day of Communion?

The Day of Communion is a special day in the life of a Christian, when he mysteriously unites with Christ. On the day of Holy Communion, one should behave with reverence and decency, so as not to offend the sanctuary by one's actions. Thank the Lord for a great blessing. These days should be spent as great holidays, dedicating them as much as possible to concentration and spiritual work.

Is it possible to receive the Holy Communion on any day?

Communion is always given on Sunday morning, as well as on other days when the Divine Liturgy is served. See the schedule of services in your temple. In our church the Liturgy is served every day, except for the period of Great Lent.

During the period of Great Lent on some weekdays, as well as on Wednesday and Friday at Maslenitsa, Liturgy is not supposed

Is Communion paid?

No, in all churches the Sacrament of Communion is always performed free of charge.

Is it possible to receive the Holy Communion after the Unction without Confession?

Unction does not cancel Confession. Confession is needed. The sins that a person realizes must necessarily be confessed.

Is it possible to replace the Communion by eating Epiphany water with artos (or antidor)?

This erroneous opinion about the possibility of replacing the Communion with baptismal water with artos (or antidor) arose, perhaps, due to the fact that people who have canonical or other obstacles to Communion of the Holy Mysteries are allowed to consume baptismal water with antidor for consolation. However, this should not be understood as an equivalent substitution. There is no substitute for the sacrament.

Can an Orthodox Christian take communion in any heterodox church?

No, only in the Orthodox Church.

How to give communion to a one-year-old child?

If the child is not able to calmly stay in the church for the entire service, then he can be brought by the time of Communion.

Can a child under 7 eat before Communion? Is it possible for the sick not to take communion on an empty stomach?

This issue is decided individually on the advice of a priest.

Before Communion, young children are given food and drink as needed so as not to damage their nervous system and bodily health. Older children, from 4-5 years of age, are gradually accustomed to the Holy Communion on an empty stomach. Children from the age of 7 are taught, in addition to the communion on an empty stomach, also to preparee to communion through prayer, fasting and confession, but of course in a very light version.

In some exceptional cases, adults are blessed to receive communion on an empty stomach.

Can children under 14 years of age receive Holy Communion without Confession?

Only children under 7 years of age can receive Holy Communion without Confession. From the age of 7, children receive communion after Confession.

Can a pregnant woman take communion?

Can. It is advisable for pregnant women to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often, preparing for Communion by repentance, confession, prayer and fasting, which is weakened for pregnant women.

It is advisable to begin the churching of the child from the moment the parents learned that they will have a child. Even in the womb, the child perceives everything that happens to the mother and around her. At this time, participation in the Sacraments and prayer of parents is very important.

How can a sick person take communion at home?

The relatives of the sick person must first agree with the priest about the time of Communion and consult on how to prepare the sick person for this Sacrament.

When can you take communion during the week of Great Lent?

During Great Lent, children receive communion on Saturdays and Sundays. Adults, in addition to Saturday and Sunday, can receive Holy Communion on Wednesdays and Fridays, when the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Liturgy is not prescribed during Great Lent, with the exception of the days of great church holidays.

Why are babies not receiving communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?

At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Chalice contains only blessed wine, and the particles of the Lamb (the Bread laid into the Body of Christ) are previously impregnated with the Blood of Christ. Since infants, due to their physiology, cannot be given communion with a particle of the Body, and there is no Blood in the Chalice, they are not given Communion during the Presanctified Liturgy.

Can lay people partake of communion on a continuous week? How can they prepare for communion at this time? Can a priest forbid communion on Easter?

In preparation for communion on a continuous week, it is allowed to eat fast food. At this time, preparation for Communion consists in repentance, reconciliation with neighbors and reading the prayer rule for Communion.

Communion on Easter is a goal and a joy for every Orthodox Christian. All the Holy Forty-days prepares us for communion on Easter night: “let us rise to repentance, and purify our feelings, fight against them, create the entrance of fasting: the heart of the hope of grace is known, they are not brushed, we didn’t use them. And we will dream of the Lamb of God, in the sacred and luminous night of the Resurrection, for our sake the sacrifice brought by the disciple, joined in the evening of the sacrament, and devastating the darkness with the light of his resurrection "(stichera in verse, in the meat-eating week in the evening).

Rev. Nicodemus Svyatogorets says: “those who, although fast before Easter, do not receive Communion on Easter, such people do not celebrate Easter ... because these people do not have the reason and reason for the holiday, which is the Sweetest Jesus Christ that spiritual joy that is born from Divine Communion. "

When Christians began to shy away from communion on Bright Week, the Fathers of the Trull Council (the so-called Fifth-Sixth Council), by Canon 66, testified to the original tradition: “from the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God to the new week, throughout holy churches to constantly exercise in psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the holy mysteries. For in this way, with Christ, we will be resurrected and ascended. "

Thus, communion on Easter, on the days of Bright Week, and in general on continuous weeks, is not forbidden to any Orthodox Christian who can be admitted to Holy Communion on other days of the church year.

What are the rules for prayer preparation for communion?

The scope of the prayer rule before communion is not regulated by the canons of the Church. For the children of the Russian Orthodox Church, it should be no less than the Rule for Holy Communion available in our prayer books, which includes three psalms, a canon and prayers before communion.

In addition, there is a pious tradition of reading three canons and an akathist before accepting the Holy Mysteries of Christ: the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the canon to the Mother of God, and the canon to the Guardian Angel.

Is confession necessary before each communion?

The obligatory confession before communion is not regulated by the canons of the Church. Confession before each communion is a Russian tradition, caused by the extremely rare communion of Christians in the synodal period of the history of the Russian Church.

For those who have come for the first time or with grave sins, for new Christians, confession before communion is obligatory, since for them frequent confession and instructions from a priest are of great catechetical and pastoral significance.

Nowadays, “regular confession should be encouraged, but not every believer should be required to make a confession before every sacrament. By agreement with the confessor, an individual rhythm of confession and communion can be established for persons who regularly confess and receive communion, who observe church rules and the fasts established by the Church "(Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev)).

The Orthodox catechism gives the following definition of this sacrament: "Repentance is a sacrament in which he who confesses his sins, with a visible expression of forgiveness from the priest, is invisibly released from sins by Jesus Christ Himself."

Each of us, at least several times in our life, had to admit that we were wrong, saying a simple, but such, sometimes difficult to pronounce, word “forgive”. But if an unchurched person asks for forgiveness only from those whom he has offended, then a Christian still asks for forgiveness from God.

Confession is not a conversation about your shortcomings, doubts, and not a story to your confessor about your life, it is a sacrament, and not just a pious custom. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification.

What does the concept of confession mean, and how to prepare for it, we will try to figure it out with the help of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers.

Confession is a change of mind

The words "repentance" or "confession", unfortunately, do not quite accurately reflect the meaning of this sacrament. In Russian, confessing means revealing your sins. In the Greek language, the sacrament of confession is called "metanoia" - a change of mind. This means that her goal is not only to ask for forgiveness, but also to change her mind with the help of God.

The preaching of Christ calls for a change in the way of thinking and way of life, the rejection of sinful deeds and thoughts. A synonym for repentance is the word “conversion”, which is often found in the Bible: “Turn, each one from his evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds” (Jer. 18:11).

To turn, explains Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, “means to turn away from a multitude of things that had a price for us only because they were pleasant or useful to us. Conversion is manifested, first of all, in a change in the scale of values: when God is in the center of everything, everything else falls into new places, gets a new depth. Everything that is of God, everything that belongs to Him, is positive and real. Everything outside of Him has neither value nor meaning. It is an active, positive state of being going in the right direction. "

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) notes: “Repentance is not just repentance. Judas, having betrayed the Lord, subsequently repented, but did not bring repentance. He regretted what he had done, but did not find the strength to either ask for forgiveness from the Lord, or to correct the evil that he had committed with something good. He failed to change his life, to embark on a path on which he could atone for previous sins. This is the difference between him and the Apostle Peter: he denied Christ, but with all his subsequent life, the exploit of confession and martyrdom, he proved his love for God and atoned for his sin a thousandfold. "

Establishment of the sacrament of confession

Repentance to God, sometimes to all the people, is a widespread practice that was widespread during the time of the Old Testament. We can remember the righteous Noah, who called the people to repentance. We meet positive examples of bringing repentance: the prophet Jonah appealed to the Ninevites and announced their destruction. And the inhabitants heard his words and repented of their sins, they propitiated God with their prayers and received salvation (Jonah 3; 3).

The sacrament of confession in Christian understanding originates from apostolic times. The Acts of the Apostles says that “many of those who believed came, confessing and revealing their deeds” (Acts 19; 18).

In the Holy Scriptures, repentance is a necessary condition for salvation: “if you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way” (Luke 13; 3). And it is joyfully accepted by the Lord and pleasing to Him: “so in heaven there will be more joy over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent” (Luke 15; 7).

It was to the apostles and their successors - the bishops, and through them the priests the Lord gave the right and the opportunity to forgive human sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whoever (whom) forgive sins, they will be forgiven; and hold on to them, hold on (on whom you leave, on that one they will remain) ”(John 20: 22-23).

Confession in the first centuries was not strictly followed, like other sacraments. In different Churches, there were different practices related to local customs. But even then it was possible to distinguish several main components that were found almost everywhere. Among them, first of all, it is necessary to note a personal confession before a pastor or bishop and confession before the entire church community, which was practiced until the end of the 4th century, when the Patriarch of Constantinople Nektarios abolished the position of presbyter-confessor who was engaged in matters of public Repentance.

How to prepare?

A common mistake many Christians make is the vicious practice of remembering their sins while standing in line. Preparation for confession should begin long before the sacrament. For several days, the person preparing must analyze his life, remember all the deeds, thoughts, actions that confuse his soul.

The preparation for confession is not about remembering fully and even writing down your sin. It consists in reaching that state of concentration, seriousness and prayer, in which, as in the light, our sins will become clearly visible. The confessor should bring to the confessor not a list, but a feeling of repentance, not a detailed story about his life, but a broken heart.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh remarked in one of his sermons: “Sometimes people come and read a long list of sins - which I know from the list, because I have the same books that they have. And I stop them, I say: “You are not confessing your sins, you are confessing sins that can be found in the nomokanon, in prayer books. I need your confession, or rather, Christ needs your personal repentance, and not a general stereotyped repentance. You cannot feel that God has condemned you to eternal torment, because you did not read the evening prayers or read the canons, or did not fast like that. "

Metropolitan Anthony is echoed by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev): “Often in confession they talk not about their sins, but about the sins of other people: son-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter, son, parents, colleagues, neighbors. Sometimes the priest has to listen to stories with many characters, with stories about the sins and shortcomings of relatives and friends. All this has nothing to do with confession, because our relatives and friends will be responsible for their sins themselves, but we will have to answer for our sins. And if some of us do not have relations with relatives, colleagues, neighbors, then we must, preparing for confession, ask ourselves the question: what is my fault; what I have sinned; what could I have done to change the situation for the better, but didn’t? You should always first of all look for your own guilt, and not blame your neighbors. Sometimes people come to complain about life. Something in life did not work out, a failure befell, and a person comes to the priest to say how difficult it is for him. It must be remembered that a priest is not a psychotherapist, and a temple is not the place to go with a complaint. Of course, in some cases a priest must listen, comfort, encourage, but confession cannot be reduced to psychotherapy. "

The Monk Nikon of Optina, speaking about the preparation for confession, advises his children to “delve deeper into themselves and carefully follow their thoughts, feelings and weep about the passionate, sinful feelings, desires, thoughts that we have, we must certainly expel them, as God undesirable, and, having driven them out, no longer allow them into our hearts, for we cannot sing the song of the Lord in a passionate state. "

A clean heart is essential in preparation. Desiring to confess, a Christian must wholeheartedly ask forgiveness from those whom he has offended, and forgive his offenders. Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) says the following about this: “Before we begin to repent, we must forgive everyone! Forgive without delay, now! Forgive for real, and not like this: "I forgave you, only I can’t see you and I don’t want to talk to you!" We must immediately forgive everyone and everything, as if there were no offenses, griefs and hostility! Only then can we hope to receive forgiveness from the Lord. "

/ N. Losev. Prodigal son. 1882./

The Gospel parable of the prodigal son shows the image of "repentance" - changing oneself, renouncing sin. Confession (Sacrament of Repentance) is a sacrament of the Orthodox Church, during which one who confesses his sins with sincere repentance receives permission and forgiveness of sins from God.

Confessing sins

To bring repentance for sins, you need to understand and understand what sin is. The Catholic tradition, dating back to Anselm of Canterbury, defines sin on a legal plane. Sin is perceived as a violation of the law, the commission of a crime.

The Orthodox tradition has always treated sin as a disease, which was recorded in the decree of the VI Ecumenical Council. And in the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church, such an understanding of sin is expressed in numerous prayers, the most famous of which are in the rite of Confession. A person who confesses his sins is told: “Listen to you, you haven’t come to the doctor’s hospital, but you are not incurable”. And the Greek word amartia itself, translated as “sin,” has several other meanings, one of which is illness.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa speaks of sin as follows: “Sin is not an essential property of our nature, but a deviation from it. Just as illness and deformity are not inherent in our nature, but are unnatural, so activities directed towards evil must be recognized as a distortion of our innate good. "

The Monk Ephraim the Syrian echoes him: "Sin commits violence against nature."

“Repentance is born of love for God: this is standing before Someone, and not thinking about something. This is an appeal to the Personality, and not an impersonal assessment of what happened. The son in the parable of the prodigal son doesn't just talk about his sins - he repents. Here is love for the father, and not just hatred of oneself and one's deeds. In church language, repentance is the opposite of despair. You cannot go to God with the feeling “here I will repent and everything will be fine”. Repentance is associated with the expectation of outside healing help, from the loving grace of God. " Deacon Andrey Kuraev.

How often should you confess?

This question has no unambiguous answer. The frequency of confession should be determined by the Christian himself, in consultation with his confessor. Metropolitan of Saratov and Volsk Longin in one of the programs answered the question of the viewers in the following way: “As necessary, it is very individual. If you have a skill, then every time your heart hurts about some sin. Someone needs it several times a month, someone - once a week, someone more often, someone less often. It is necessary to confess so often that the voice of conscience always resounds loudly in the human heart. If it starts to fade, then something is wrong. "

If the confessed sin continues to torment, and the pain does not subside from it, you should not be embarrassed by this, Vladyka said. “Sin wounds the human soul. Any wound takes time to heal; it cannot just take and heal. We are human beings, we have a conscience, we have a soul, and after the wound inflicted on it, of course, it hurts. Sometimes all my life. There are situations, such sins, the wound from which remains in the human heart for a very long time, even if the person repented and received forgiveness from God. "

But if these sins were no longer repeated, then there is no need to name them again in confession, Metropolitan Longin noted. “Every sin, we know, is traditionally atoned for by penance. And this memory of sin, a sorrowful, painful memory, may well be perceived as a penance from God. "

Children's confession

At what age children need to confess, how to tell and prepare a baby for the first repentance - these questions concern many Orthodox parents. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov advises not to rush in such cases: “You cannot demand that from the age of seven all children come to confession. The rule that children should confess before the Sacrament from the age of seven has been established from the Synodal era and from earlier centuries. How, if I am not mistaken, Father Vladimir Vorobyov wrote in his book about the sacrament of Repentance, for many, many children today, physiological maturation is so much ahead of the spiritual and psychological that most of today's children are not ready to confess at the age of seven. Isn't it time to say that this age is set by the confessor and the parent absolutely individually in relation to the child?

At the age of seven, and some even a little earlier, they see the difference between good and bad deeds, but it is too early to say that this is a conscious repentance. Only a select few, delicate, delicate natures are able to experience this at such an early age. There are amazing kids who, at the age of five or six, have a responsible moral consciousness, but more often than not these are other things. Or the motives of the parents associated with the desire to have an additional educational tool (it often happens that when a small child misbehaves, a naive and kind mother asks the priest to confess him, thinking that if he repent, she will obey). Or some kind of monkey behavior towards adults on the part of the child himself: they stand, come up, the priest says something to them.

Nothing good comes of it. For the majority, moral consciousness awakens much later. But let yourself later. Let them come at nine or ten years old, when they have a greater degree of maturity and responsibility for their lives. In fact, the earlier the child confesses, the worse it is for him - apparently, it is not in vain that sins are not imputed to children up to seven years of age. Only from a fairly later age do they perceive confession as a confession, and not as a list of what is said by mom or dad and written down on paper. And this formalization taking place in a child is a rather dangerous thing in the modern practice of our church life. "

Why do you need a priest in confession?

Confession is not a conversation. The priest is not required to say anything. He is obliged to listen, he is obliged to understand whether a person is sincerely repenting. Giving advice is not always appropriate. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh said in one of his words about confession: “Sometimes an honest priest must say:“ I was ill with you with all my heart during your confession, but I can’t tell you anything about it. I will pray for you, but I can’t give you any advice. ”

Each confession is a promise to make every effort in order not to return to the confessed sin in the future. The priest is only a witness to this oath of your loyalty to God.

The priest is empowered by God to forgive those of our sins for which we truly repent. Christ gave this heavy burden of responsibility and authority to His apostles.

Why are they not admitted to Communion?

“You'd better not take communion today…” Such a penance imposed by a priest is often perceived as an undeserved punishment. What are some of the reasons why someone might not be allowed to participate in the sacrament? The rector of the Assumption Church in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, Dean of the Churches of the Krasnogorsk District of the Moscow Diocese, Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky, answers.

The most dangerous thing is formalism

Father Konstantin, sometimes priests do not admit to communion because a person fasted not for three days, but for two. Some refuse to receive communion on Bright Week or on Christmastide, because at this time the parishioners do not fast. On the other hand, there is an opinion that fasting before communion is not necessary at all - according to the church calendar, there are about half of the fasting days a year.

Breaking the fast does not in itself refer to such grave sins and conditions in which a person should be forbidden in the sacrament of Christ's Holy Mysteries. Church rules, including fasting, are a gift of the Church to her children, and not a burden that one has to bear with anguish so that the priest does not scold. If a person, for some reason beyond his control, is not able to use the gift of the Church, this is an object for patience and humility. If, through frivolity, or addiction, or forgetfulness, a person has violated a rule given by the Church, this is a reason for repentance, but not yet for prohibition. I advise all violators of fasting and other similar church institutions not to excommunicate themselves from the sacrament without permission, but to come to the service and bring the matter to the decision of the confessor. And the solutions can be different, but they should never be formal. The task of the priest is not to observe the rule, but to bring benefit to the person, or at least not to harm. It happens that a person is so scattered and overeat (even with lean food) on the eve of communion that he himself feels the need to postpone communion. Well, let him put it off, fast, and then take Communion. And it happens that someone out of forgetfulness put sour cream in the soup. I don't think strictness is appropriate in such cases.

As far as fasting before the sacrament is concerned, I believe that it should not be abolished at all, but the severity and duration of the fast should be appropriate for the situation: different people should be given different advice in different circumstances. It is one thing when a person, for some reason, takes Communion once a year, and quite another - when on all Sundays and holidays. Both health and a person's usual way of life matter. For some, the rejection of meat and dairy products is a real feat, but for others, sunflower oil in potatoes is a concession to gluttony.

The worst thing about fasting is formalism. Some demand scrupulous adherence to what they read in the Typicon, others demand the abolition of strict rules. But in fact, let the rules remain as a norm, a guideline, and how and to what extent to apply them, let the priest decide in each specific case especially, praying for a person, driven by love for him and a desire to help him on the path of salvation.

As for communion on Bright Week and on Holy days after Christmas, then, of course, if the Liturgy is served in the Church, then you can take communion. What about fasting? For those who ask me, I advise you to eat all kinds of food these days, but not overeat. But I don't want to impose anything on anyone; The worst thing, I think, in this area is the controversy over the letter. If someone wants to eat greens for Easter, there is nothing terrible in this, just do not be proud of it and do not condemn those who eat differently. And let those who are not fasting strictly, do not consider the fasting as backward and unspiritual.

Let me cite an extensive quote from the Apostle Paul: “... Someone is sure that you can eat everything, but the weak eats vegetables. Whoever eats, do not despise him who does not; and who does not eat, do not condemn the one who eats, because God has received him. Who are you, condemning someone else's slave? Before his Lord he stands or falls. And he will be raised, for God is powerful to raise him. Someone distinguishes day from day, and another judges every day equally. Everyone act according to the confirmation of his mind. He who discerns days, discerns for the Lord; and he who does not discern the days, for the Lord does not discern. He who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ... Why do you condemn your brother? Or you also, why do you humiliate your brother? We will all stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. … Let us no longer judge each other, but rather judge how not to give the brother a chance to stumble or tempt. I know and am confident in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; only he who thinks something unclean is unclean. But if your brother is upset for the food, then you are no longer acting out of love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. … For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit ”(Rom. 14: 2-6, 10, 13-15, 17).

The grounds for prohibiting communion for a longer or shorter period can only be either a grave sin (fornication, murder, theft, witchcraft, denial of Christ, obvious heresy, etc.), or a moral state that is completely incompatible with communion (for example, refusal to reconcile with repentant abuser).

Legalization of non-churches

In the nineties, many priests did not allow unmarried people to take the sacrament. Patriarch Alexy II pointed out the inadmissibility of this. But what about those living in the so-called civil marriage? Formally - fornication, but in fact it cannot always be called such.

Indeed, the late Patriarch Alexy II pointed out the inadmissibility of excommunicating people from the sacrament only on the grounds that they live in an unmarried marriage. Of course, pious Orthodox Christians will not begin a married life without a church blessing, which in our time is precisely taught in the sacrament of wedding. But there are many cases when unbaptized people entered into a legal marriage, have children, love each other, remain faithful. And so, say, the wife believed in Christ and was baptized, but the husband is not yet. What to do? Is now their marriage turned into fornication and must be destroyed? Of course not. And the Apostle Paul writes about this: “If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband and he agrees to live with her should not leave him ”(1 Cor. 7: 12-13). Should the fulfillment of the apostolic command really entail a prohibition in church communion? Moreover, in the first centuries of Christianity, church weddings did not exist at all. Christians entered into marriage with the knowledge of the bishop, but according to the laws of the country, and then, together with the entire community, they received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, this was the church's recognition of their marriage. The church rite of marriage took shape gradually over several centuries and became universally obligatory for Christians entering into marriage only at the end of the first millennium.

With regard to "civil marriage", let's clarify the terminology. A civil marriage (without any quotation marks) is a marriage entered into according to the customs and laws of the people or state, to which the husband and wife belong. It is no coincidence that I use here together in and of themselves the various terms "custom" and "law", "people" and "state", because at different times and in different places the legality of marriage can be defined in different ways. How to relate to people who live like a family, but have not legally formalized their relationship? Can they be allowed to participate in the Holy Mysteries of Christ? In the overwhelming majority of cases, such cohabitation is unacceptable from the church point of view, and people must either enter into a legal marriage, or part with their cohabitants, and only then receive permission for sins in the sacrament of confession and be accepted into church communion. But there are difficult situations when a lawless family was created by non-church people and their children were born. Here is an example from life: people have been living as spouses for many years, they consider themselves husband and wife, but the marriage has not been registered. They have three children. About two years ago, the wife believed in Christ and came to the Church, she was explained that the marriage must be registered. She agrees, tries to persuade her husband, but he refuses, says that he has all the friends who signed, divorced, and he does not want to get divorced. Of course, I do not agree with him, that is, I think that we must sign, but he does not come up to me for advice. And his wife cannot convince him. She goes to church, gives communion to the children (her husband even helps her in this), the children study in our Sunday school. Would it really be that in this situation it would be necessary to forbid this woman to receive communion or to demand from her to destroy her family, albeit an unregistered one? The rule requiring Christians to marry in accordance with state laws is wise and must, of course, be followed. But we must not forget that although the law is higher than lawlessness, love is still higher than the law.

For some grave sins (murder, occultism), excommunication is supposed to be almost 20 years. These rules have not been canceled, but today they are practically not applied.

It seems to me that today long-term penance cannot fulfill its functions - healing the soul, reconciling it with God. This was possible in Byzantium. All the people there lived a church life, and those who committed a grave sin remained a member of the community that was gathered around the Church. Just imagine: everyone goes to the service, and he remains on the porch. He does not go to the cinema or lie on the sofa in front of the TV, but stands on the porch and prays! After a while, he begins to enter the temple, but cannot receive communion. All these years of penance, he prayerfully repents, realizing his unworthiness. And what will happen today if we excommunicate a person for five years? Not a member of the community, but most likely someone who came to confession for the first time in his life at the age of 40-50-60. Just as he did not go to church before, so now he will not. And "legally" - he will say: Father did not allow me to receive communion, so I lie at home, drinking beer, and when the term of penance has passed, I will go to commune. It will be so, only not all will live to the end of the penance, and of those who will live, many will forget about God. That is, today, in modern conditions, imposing a long-term penance on a person who first came to church, we essentially legalize his non-churchness. Meaning? After all, a person who is in mortal sin and does not want to repent, change his life, and so cannot receive communion until repentance. If he has changed, regrets what he has done, I believe that even with the most serious sins, if you forbid him to receive communion, then not for long, especially for those who came for the first time.

The attitude towards church people should be more strict. Fortunately, church people do not so often fall into grave mortal sins, but I remember a case when a regular parishioner had an abortion, who had been going to church for more than one year and received communion. Here penance was appropriate, and the woman did not grumble when she was assigned to her, a man has a conscience. But when a pensioner comes, whom her grandmother took to communion as a child, then she became a pioneer, a Komsomol member, got lost, had an abortion, and after 40 years thought about God, what kind of penance could there be? And even if an abortion was recently made, but by a non-church woman who walked in the ways of this world, and now believed and repented, I also do not think that it is necessary to impose a penance on her. By the way, I note that a priest can impose even small penances only with the consent of the penitent himself. The right of an ecclesiastical court is only possessed by the ecclesiastical court proper and by the ruling bishop. As for long-term penances, this is all the more outside the competence of the parish priest.

Do not consider the sacrament a heroic deed

How often, in your opinion, should a layman receive communion? Is it possible to receive Holy Communion every day on Christmastide or Bright Week?

It is absolutely normal when the whole community gathers on Sunday or another holiday for the Liturgy and everyone partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. True, this norm has been forgotten by most of us. And the daily communion was just not the norm, because the liturgy was not served every day. But since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, church customs have changed, and not only due to a lack of spirituality among parishioners and clergy, there are also factors that do not depend on specific people. Now, I think, it is impossible to introduce or even recommend general rules for all.

There are people who recognize themselves as Orthodox, who do not fall into grave mortal sins, who, however, receive communion only three or four times a year and do not feel the need for more. I don’t think they should be forced or even persuaded to partake more often. Although, whenever possible, I try to explain to all Christians the meaning and salvation of the Sacrament of Body and Blood.

If an Orthodox person takes communion on all Sundays and holidays, this is natural for a Christian. If for some reason this does not work out, let it be as it turns out. Once a month, it seems to me, anyone can go to church for communion, but if this is impossible, what can you do. The Lord also welcomes the intention. Just do not consider the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ a heroic deed! If so, then it is better not to take communion at all. The Body and Blood of Christ is not our feat, but the mercy of God. If someone on Bright Week wants to receive Holy Communion several times in a row, not in the order of achievement, but in simplicity, then what's wrong with that? If the person is not hindered by anything, I usually do not mind. But in order to constantly receive communion every day, there must be good reasons. In itself, this has never been a church norm. Saint Theophan the Recluse took communion every day in the last years of his life. Let everyone see what really prompts him to receive extraordinary frequent communion: the grace of God or his own vain fantasies. It’s not bad to consult with a confessor.

The confessors themselves must approach human souls with great caution. I remember that I once had to confess an old woman (I was still a novice priest at that time), she said that she didn’t want to, but she takes communion every day. "How so?" I asked. She replied that her spiritual father had indicated this to her. I tried to dissuade the old woman from such an absurd, in my opinion, feat, but the authority of the spiritual father prevailed. I don’t know how it ended.

Dear Father Andrey, I heard somewhere that during Bright Week you can take communion without fasting. Is this true, and how to prepare for communion on Bright Week. Do I need to confess, can I receive the Holy Communion in any church. Thank you.

If a Christian has spent Great Lent in abstinence and prayer, then in Bright Week he can start communion on an empty stomach, but without fasting the day before. The rule for communion is the reading of the Passover Canon (which is already read at the Matins before the Liturgy), the hours of Easter and the Succession to Communion. As for confession: if you confessed for the last time not earlier than Lazarus Saturday or during Passion Week and did not commit serious sins, then it is better to determine the need for confession immediately before communion with the priest of your parish or confessor.

Of course, the practice of communion cannot be completely regulated. The general concept is as it is written above, but within some limits it may differ from parish to parish. Therefore, it is best to listen to what the confessor or the clergy of your parish says. Then it will become easier for you to decide on the regularity of communion and the days when it is better to start this Sacrament.
On February 2 and 3, 2015, the Bishops' Meeting held in Moscow approved. It says the following about communion on Bright Week:

“A special case in relation to the practice of preparing for holy communion is Bright week- a week after the Easter of Christ. The ancient canonical norm on the obligatory participation of all the faithful in the Sunday Eucharist in the 7th century was extended to the Divine Liturgies on all days of Bright Week: “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God to New Week, throughout the week, the faithful in the holy churches must constantly practice psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the Holy Mysteries. For in this way we will be resurrected with Christ, and we will ascend. "(Canon 66 of Trulli Council). It clearly follows from this rule that the laity are encouraged to receive communion at the liturgies of Bright Week. Bearing in mind that the Charter does not provide for fasting during Bright Week and that Bright Week is preceded by seven weeks of the feat of Great Lent and Holy Week, it should be recognized that the practice that has developed in many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church, when Christians observed Great Lent during the period of Bright Week, correspond to canonical tradition. begin Holy Communion, limiting the fast to not eating food after midnight. A similar practice can be extended to the period between Christmas and Epiphany. Those preparing for communion on these days should take special care to guard themselves from excessive consumption of food and drink. "

Christ is Risen!

I have been asked the following question on several occasions:

Can we take communion on Easter? And on Bright Week? Do we need to continue fasting to receive the Holy Communion?

It's a good question. However, he betrays a lack of a clear understanding of things. On Easter it is not only possible, but even necessary to receive communion. In support of this statement, I would like to summarize a number of arguments:

1. In the first centuries of the history of the Church, as we see in the canons and patristic writings, participation in the Liturgy without the communion of the Holy Mysteries was simply unthinkable. (I advise you to read the article about this: " When and how we should receive communion " .) However, over time, especially in our area, the level of piety and understanding among Christians began to fall, and the rules for preparing for the sacrament became stricter, sometimes even excessive (including double standards for clergy and laity). Despite this, communion at Easter was a common practice, continuing to this day in all Orthodox countries. However, some postpone the sacrament until Easter, as if someone is stopping them from approaching the Chalice every Sunday of Great Lent and throughout the year. Thus, ideally, we should take communion at every liturgy, especially on Maundy Thursday, when the Eucharist was established, at Easter, and at Pentecost, when the Church was born.

2. For those who have been entrusted with penance due to some serious sin, some confessors allow to receive communion (only) on Easter, after which, for a while, they continue to carry their penance. This practice, which, nevertheless, is not and should not be generally accepted, took place in ancient times, to help the repentant, to strengthen them spiritually, allowing them to share in the joy of the holiday. On the other hand, allowing the penitent to receive communion on Easter indicates that the simple passage of time and even the personal efforts of the penitent are not enough to deliver a person from sin and death. Indeed, for this it is necessary that the risen Christ Himself send light and strengthening to the soul of the repentant (just as the Monk Mary of Egypt, who led a dissolute life until the very last day of her stay in the world, was able to take the path of repentance in the wilderness only after communion with Christ) ... Hence, the erroneous idea that only robbers and fornicators receive communion on Easter has appeared and spread in some places. But does the Church have a separate sacrament for robbers and fornicators, and another for those who lead a Christian life? Isn't Christ the same at every liturgy throughout the year? Do not everyone partake of Him - priests, kings, beggars, robbers, and children? By the way, the word of St. John Chrysostom (at the end of Easter Matins) calls everyone, without division, to communion with Christ. His call "Those who have fasted and those who have not fasted - rejoice today! The meal is plentiful: all fill up! Taurus is big and well-fed: no one leaves hungry!»Explicitly refers to the sacrament of the Holy Mysteries. It is surprising that some people read or listen to this word, not realizing that we are not being called to a meal with meat dishes, but to communion with Christ.

3. The dogmatic aspect of this problem is also extremely important. People are jostling in lines to buy and taste lamb for Easter - for some, this is the only "biblical commandment" that they observe in their lives (since the rest of the commandments do not suit them!). However, when the book of Exodus speaks of the slaughter of the Passover lamb, it refers to the Jewish Passover, where the lamb was a type of Christ the Lamb who was slain for us. Therefore, eating the Passover lamb without communion with Christ means returning to the Old Testament and refusing to recognize Christ. "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"(John 1:29). In addition, people bake all kinds of cakes or other dishes we call" Easter. "But don't we know that"Our Easter is Christ"(1 Corinthians 5: 7)? Therefore, all these Easter meals should be a continuation, but not a substitute for the sacrament of the Holy Mysteries. This is not particularly said in the temples, but we should all know that Easter is firstly the Liturgy and communion of the Risen Christ.

4. Some also say that you cannot take communion on Easter, because then you will eat something meager. But doesn't the priest do the same? Why then is the Paschal Liturgy celebrated, and after it is blessed to eat milk and meat? Is it not clear that after the sacrament one can partake of everything? Or, perhaps, someone perceives the Liturgy as a theatrical performance, and not as a call to communion with Christ? If the eating of the fast was incompatible with communion, then the Liturgy would not be celebrated on Easter and Christmas, or there would be no fasting. Moreover, this applies to the entire liturgical year.

5. And now about communion on Bright Week... The 66th rule of the Council of Trull (691) prescribes that Christians " enjoyed the Holy Mysteries"throughout Bright Week despite the fact that it is solid. Thus, communion is started without fasting. Otherwise, there would have been no liturgy, or the fast would have continued. The idea of ​​the need to fast before the sacrament concerns, first of all, the Eucharistic fast before the reception of the Holy Mysteries. Such a strict Eucharistic fast is prescribed for at least six or even nine hours (not like Catholics, who receive communion an hour after a meal). If we are talking about fasting for many days, then the seven-week fast that we kept is quite enough, and there is no need - moreover, it is even forbidden - to continue fasting. At the end of Bright Week, we will fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as during three other fasts of many days. After all, priests do not fast on Bright Week before communion, and then it is not clear where the idea that lay people should fast on these days comes from! Nevertheless, in my opinion, only those who have observed the whole of Great Lent, who lead an integral, balanced Christian life, always strive for Christ (and not only by fasts) and take the sacrament not as a reward for their labors, but as a cure for spiritual illnesses.

Thus, every Christian is called to prepare for the sacrament and ask the priest for it, especially on Easter. If a priest refuses without any reason (in the event that a person does not have such sins for which penance is required), but uses all sorts of excuses, then, in my opinion, the believer can go to another temple, to another priest ( only if the reason for leaving for another parish is valid and not deceit). This state of affairs, which is especially widespread in the Republic of Moldova, must be corrected as soon as possible, especially since the higher hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church gave clear instructions to priests not to deny believers in communion without obvious canonical grounds (see Resolutions of the Councils of Bishops 2011 and 2013 ). Thus, we should look for wise confessors, and if we have found such, we must obey them and, under their guidance, take communion as often as possible. You should not entrust your soul to just anyone.

There were times when some Christians at Easter approached the sacrament, and the priest laughed at them in front of the entire church meeting, saying: "Wasn't seven weeks enough for you to receive communion? Why are you breaking the customs of the village?" I would like to ask such a priest: "Wasn't four or five years of study in a spiritual institution enough for you to decide: either you will become a serious priest, or you will go to graze the cows, because" stewards of the mysteries of God "(1 Cor 4: 1) cannot say such nonsense ... ". And one should speak about this not for the sake of ridicule, but with pain about the Church of Christ, in which such incompetent people also serve. A real priest not only does not forbid people to receive communion, but also encourages them to do so and teaches them to live so that they can approach the Chalice at every liturgy. And then the priest himself rejoices at how different the Christian life of his flock is. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!".

Therefore, "with the fear of God, faith and love, let us approach" to Christ in order to better understand what it means "Christ is risen!" and "Truly is risen!" After all, He Himself says: "truly, truly, I say to you, unless you 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 on the last day"(John 6: 53-54).

Translation by Elena-Alina Patrakova

“Our Easter is Christ, slain for us” (1 Cor. 5: 7) - says the Apostle Paul. And all the Christians of the universe gather together on this day to glorify the Risen Lord, waiting for His return. And the visible sign of this unity in Christ is the common Communion of the whole Church from the Chalice of the Lord.

Even in the Old Testament, God gave a commandment about this terrible night: "This is the night of the vigil of the Lord from generation to generation" (Ex. 12, 42). All the children of Israel were to gather in houses and eat of the Passover lamb, but whoever does not eat, that soul will be cut off from his people. - The destroying angel will destroy him (Num. 9, 13). Likewise now, the great vigil of the Passover night should be accompanied by the eating of the Passover Lamb - the Body and Blood of Christ. The beginning of this was laid by the Lord Himself, who revealed Himself to the apostles in the breaking of Bread (Luke 24). It is no coincidence that all the meetings of the Risen Christ with the disciples were accompanied by mysterious meals. So He made them feel the joy that is prepared for us in the Kingdom of Heavenly Father. And the holy apostles have established to celebrate Holy Easter with the Holy Communion. Already in Troas, the Apostle Paul, according to custom, celebrated the night liturgy on Sunday (Acts 20.7). All the ancient teachers of the Church, referring to the celebration of Easter, first of all spoke of Easter communion. So Chrysostom generally identified Easter and communion. For him (and for the entire church meeting) Easter is celebrated when a person takes communion. And “the catechuchman never celebrates the Passover, although he fasts annually, because he does not participate in the offering of the Eucharist” (Against the Jews. 3, 5).

But when many began to withdraw from the Spirit of Christ, and began to shy away from communion on Bright Week, the Fathers of the Trull Council (the so-called Fifth-Sixth Council) 66, with the rule, testified to the original tradition: “from the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until the new week, Throughout the week, the faithful in the holy churches must constantly exercise in psalms and singing and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the holy mysteries. For in this way, with Christ, we will be resurrected and ascended. For this, by no means on these days, let there be no horse rippling, or any other folk spectacle. "

The Council of 927 (the so-called Tomos of Unity) allows even triples to receive Holy Communion on Easter. Tain.

The same striving for the Passover union with the Lord can be traced in our worship. Indeed, according to Chrysostom, “we fast not for the Passover and not for the cross, but for the sake of our sins, because we intend to proceed to the mysteries” (Against the Jews. 3, 4).

All holy Forty-days prepares us to meet God on Easter night. It is no coincidence that even before the beginning of Lent, the Church sings: “Let us rise to repentance, and purify our feelings, fight against them, create the entrance of fasting: the heart knows the hope of grace, they are not brushed, they did not use them. And we will dream of the Lamb of God, in the sacred and luminous night of the Resurrection, for our sake the sacrifice brought by the disciple, joined in the evening of the sacrament, and devastating the darkness with the light of his resurrection "(stichera in verse, in the meat-eating week in the evening).

During fasting, we are cleansed of iniquity, we learn to keep the commandments. But what is the purpose of fasting? This goal is to participate in the banquet of the Kingdom. At the Easter Canon of St. John Damascene urges us: "Come, drink new drink, not from a barren stone a miracle-working, but an incorruptible source from the tomb of Christ who has given life";

At the end of the light-bearing Easter Matins we hear the words of Chrysostom: “The meal is complete, enjoy everything. A well-fed Taurus - let no one go hungry: all enjoy the feast of faith, all take in the riches of goodness. " And so that we do not think that Easter consists in breaking the fast, our Rule warns: “Easter is Christ Himself and the Lamb who took the sins of the world, on the altar in a bloodless sacrifice, in pure secrets, His Honest Body and His Life-giving Blood from the priest to God and the Father. and those who partake of the true eat Passover. " It is no coincidence that at Easter it sounds like this: "Receive the body of Christ, taste the source of the immortal." Just before the removal of St. Gifts of the Church calls on everyone to enjoy the Divine Mysteries.

And recent saints have continued to confirm this understanding of the greatest Feast. Rev. Nicodemus Svyatogorets says: “those who, although fast before Easter, do not receive Communion on Easter, such people do not celebrate Easter ... the joy that is born from Divine Communion. Those are deceived who believe that Easter and the holidays consist of rich meals, many candles, fragrant incense, silver and gold jewelry, with which they decorate churches. For God does not require this from us, because it is not the primary and not the main thing "(The book of the most soulful about the unceasing communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Pp. 54-55).

It is no coincidence that those who shy away from Holy Communion on Easter and on Bright Week feel a decline in spiritual strength. They are often attacked by despondency and relaxation. It is about this that the Lord warned us, saying: “Look after yourself, so that your hearts are not burdened with overeating and drunkenness and worldly cares, and that that day does not suddenly overtake you. For he, like a net, will suddenly find on all living according to the face of the earth ”(Luke 21: 34-35).

But, unfortunately, in recent years, not only some careless parishioners have shied away from Communion at St. Easter because of their gluttony, but some priests began to introduce novelty, forbidding devout Christians to fulfill the will of Christ. They say:

- There was a fast, and you could receive the Holy Communion. So why take communion on Easter?

This objection is absolutely insignificant. After all, St. The sacrament is not a sign of sorrow, but the predestination of the future Kingdom. It is no coincidence that in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great says that when we partake of the Sacrament, we proclaim the Lord's death, and we confess His resurrection. Yes, and if Easter were incompatible with the Eucharist, then why then celebrate the Liturgy in churches? Are modern fathers wiser than the Universal Church? I'm not even saying that during our consecration we all take an oath to follow the sacred canons. And the Ecumenical Council requires communion on Easter and on Bright Week. Specifically rejecting this argument, St. John Chrysostom says: “He who does not fast and approach with a clear conscience, celebrates Passover, whether today or tomorrow, or in general whenever he participates in communion. For worthy communion does not depend on the observation of time, but on a clear conscience ”(Against the Jews. 3, 5).

Others say that since Communion is performed for the remission of sins, then it has no place on Easter night .

To this we will answer with the words of the Lord, if the donkey and the ox are pulled out of the pit on Saturday, then it should not have been necessary to free a person from the burden of sin on Easter. Both Ancient Easter and the current canons indicate that the best time for the forgiveness of sins in the sacrament of Baptism is Easter night. Yes, not a place for confession at this time. But the post has already passed. People mourned their iniquity, received absolution at confession on Holy Thursday. So, on what basis can we prevent them from reaching the Holy Chalice on the day of Resurrection? I'm not even saying that the Sacrament is performed not only for the remission of sins, but also for eternal life. And when is it better to make a person a partaker of eternal life if not on Easter? Of course, if a person is in unrepentant mortal sin, then the road to the Cup is closed to him by his iniquity. But if this is not the case, then a person must resort to Christ.

Some people say:

- Here you will receive communion on Easter, and then you will go to eat meat. You can not do it this way.

This opinion is directly condemned by Canon 2 of the Gangres Cathedral. Anyone who considers meat to be unclean or makes a person incapable of receiving communion fell under the influence of the deceiving spirits of which the Apostle Paul prophesied (1 Tim. 4: 3). He is excommunicated from the holy Church. It must be remembered that at the Last Supper itself, Christ and the apostles ate the meat of the lamb, and this did not prevent them from receiving communion. Yes, you can't overeat to break the fast, you can't sin with gluttony. But it does not follow from this that one should not receive communion. Rather, the opposite is true. Out of reverence for the sacred, one must be moderate, and in this way we will preserve both the purity of the soul and the health of the stomach.

Likewise, some priests say:

- You overeat and get drunk, and then you may vomit, and so you defile St. Participle. Therefore, it is better not to take communion.

But this logic actually declares sin to be inevitable. It turns out that we are offered to exchange Christ the Savior for lawlessness, which is obviously impossible to avoid. And the holiday seems to be pushing us to this. But if so, then maybe it is worth canceling the holiday altogether? What is this holy day on which we withdraw from God and inevitably commit sin? Obviously, God did not establish Easter for gluttony and drunkenness, so why do abominations on this day and not partake of Communion on this basis? I think that it would be much wiser to partake of the Holy Gifts and then break the fast with moderation, taste a little wine and then not suffer either body or soul.

- Easter is a time of joy and therefore you cannot take communion.

We have already quoted the words of St. Nicodemus, who says that the true joy of Easter lies precisely in the Eucharistic union with Christ. Likewise, Chrysostom says that he who does not partake does not celebrate Easter. In fact, communion is especially pertinent on Easter in connection with the fact that, in accordance with the Liturgy, while performing the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we confess Christ's resurrection, and we see the image of His rising from the dead (the Eucharistic Canon and prayer after consumption). But the most important thing is that Christ Himself promised to give joy to His disciples, then He Himself will return from the depths of death, and modern confessors remove Christians from this joy.

And even if you think about it, what will the non-communist rejoice at on Easter - prayers, but they tell us about communion with God, and he refused it, the Liturgy - but it is served for the sake of the sacraments, singing - but Christ is the true Paschal Singer (Heb. 2:12 )? If the purpose of the divine service is lost, then only the “joy” of serving the womb remains of the greatest holiday. How could we not incur the bitter words of the Apostle Paul: “they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ, their end is destruction; their god is a womb, and their glory is in shame; they think about earthly things ”(Phil. 3: 18-19).

Another objection to the Passover communion is the statement that there is such a fuss before the holiday that it is virtually impossible to properly prepare for St. Communion ... But this is again an attempt to justify the violation of the commandment with "good purposes." The Lord said to one such bustling woman: “Martha! Martha! You bother and fuss about many things, but one is necessary. But Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her ”(Matthew 10:40). Of course, this primarily applies to Easter. It is not by chance that at the Liturgy of Great Saturday the words are sung: "Let all human flesh be silent, and let it stand with fear and trembling, and let nothing earthly think in itself." This is the correct spiritual dispensation before the holiday, which alone makes our souls capable of receiving grace. In Russia, all preparations for Easter were finished for the Great Four, and then they stayed in the temple. And this is very correct. And the current practice of postponing all cooking and cleaning on Holy Saturday is really soulful. It deprives us of the opportunity to experience the services of the Passion of the Lord, and often our churches are half-empty at the most beautiful Easter Vespers (Liturgy of Great Saturday), and Christians and Christians on this day off, instead of worshiping the Dead Lord, torment themselves in the kitchens. Then, on Easter night, instead of rejoicing, they peck their noses. We must not give up the Easter communion, but simply change the cleaning and cooking schedule. - To finish everything by the evening of Great Wednesday, fortunately, almost everyone has refrigerators, and to take care of your soul in the saving Trinity.

Finally, they claim that on Easter night there are a lot of outsiders who are not ready for communion, and there is no time to confess them .

Yes it is. But what was the fault of the regular parishioners, that because of those of little faith they are deprived of their connection with the Creator? We must not deny the Communion to everyone, but simply carefully look after those who commune, and those who are not ready to remove. Otherwise, no one will be able to commune in large parishes. After all, there are always those who, out of ignorance, are eager to "take communion at the same time."

But where did this practice come from, which contradicts both Scripture and St. canons and teachings of the saints? After all, many, out of ignorance, consider it to be almost a part of the sacred Tradition. We know of young pastors who say that the Church forbids communion on Easter! Its origin lies in the dark years of persecution of Christians in the USSR. If in Stalin's time they wanted to physically destroy the Church, then later, during Khrushchev's persecutions, the God-fighters decided to disintegrate it from the inside. A number of closed resolutions of the Central Committee of the CPSU were adopted on weakening the influence of the Church. In particular, it was proposed to prohibit the communion on Easter. The goal of this was the complete destruction of Christianity in the USSR by 1980. Unfortunately, many priests and bishops succumbed to pressure from the religious commissioners and stopped taking communion on Easter. But the most amazing thing is that this insane, anti-canonical practice, designed to destroy the Church, has survived to this day, and moreover, some grief - the zealots pass it off as an example of piety. Risen God! Rather, put down this evil custom, so that Your children can be partakers of Your Chalice on the holy night of Easter.