Is it possible to read the canon while sitting? Is it obligatory to read the canons and the Consequence before communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ?

You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion through prayer, fasting and repentance.

Preparation for Communion includes:

Fasting before Communion;

Attendance at the evening service on the eve of Communion;

Reading a specific prayer rule;

Abstinence from food and drink on the day of Communion itself, from midnight until Communion itself;

Admission to Communion by a priest at confession;

Presence at the entire Divine Liturgy.

This preparation (in church practice it is called fasting) lasts several days and concerns both the physical and spiritual life of a person.

The body is prescribed abstinence, i.e. bodily purity (abstinence from marital relations) and food restriction (fasting). On fasting days, food of animal origin is excluded - meat, milk, eggs and, if strict fasting, fish. Bread, vegetables, fruits are consumed in moderation. The mind should not be distracted by the trifles of everyday life and have fun.

On the days of fasting, one should attend services in the church, if circumstances permit, and more diligently follow the home prayer rule: whoever usually does not read everything, let him read everything in full; whoever does not read the canons, let him read at least one canon on these days.

For prayer preparation for Holy Communion you need to read:

On the eve of Communion, you must be at the evening service. If this did not happen for reasons beyond your control, then try to tell the priest about it in confession.

After midnight they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach. Read in the morning morning prayers and Follow-up to Holy Communion, except for the canon read the day before.

Those preparing for Holy Communion must make peace with everyone and protect themselves from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation and all indecent thoughts and conversations, spending time, as far as possible, in solitude, reading the Word of God (Gospel) and books of spiritual content.

Before Communion, confession is necessary - either in the evening or in the morning, before the liturgy.

Without confession, no one can be admitted to Holy Communion, except for children under 7 years of age and in cases of mortal danger.

Anyone preparing to receive communion must come to church in advance, before the start of the Liturgy.

The Apostolic Decrees clearly speak about the procedure for receiving the Holy Gifts:
“... let the bishop receive communion, then the presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, ascetics, and among the women - deaconesses, virgins, widows, then children, and then all the people in order, with modesty and reverence, without noise.”

Having received the Holy Mysteries, you should kiss the edge of the Chalice without crossing yourself and immediately go to the table to taste a particle of the antidor and wash it down with warmth. It is not customary to leave the church before kissing the altar cross in the hands of a priest. After that, you need to listen (or read them when you get home).

On the day of Holy Communion, one must behave reverently and decorously in order to “worthily preserve within oneself the Christ received.”

Hegumen Paisiy (Savosin) answers the question:

– Is it necessary to strictly prepare for communion, reading all the canons and fasting, during Bright Week?

As an example of a prayer rule, I can cite the practice of the St. John the Theologian Monastery in Poshchupovo, according to which for Compline with the canons and for evening prayers the Easter hour is sung (read out) twice (found in the canons and many prayer books), and then the actual passage to Holy Communion. Regarding fasting... As the Savior says in the Gospel, “ the sons of the bridal chamber cannot fast when the bridegroom is with them"... And Bright Week... isn't this the time? But, if a person is embarrassed, he can have a plant-based dinner on the eve of Communion.

Features of preparation for Communion for children

The Church does not forbid making significant concessions to children. It would be most correct in each specific case to consult with a priest - while keeping in mind the main thing: visiting church, prayer, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ should bring joy to the child, and not become a difficult and unwanted duty.

In the latter case, upon reaching a certain age, the internal protest raised in the child by overly zealous parents can spill out in the most unexpected and unpleasant forms.

Hieromonk Dorotheos (Baranov):

“First of all, a person who wants to receive Communion must clearly understand for himself what Communion is, what kind of event it is in his life. So that it doesn’t turn out like this: a person will do everything correctly, prepare, fast, read all the prescribed prayers, confess, but the most important thing is will not know, or will not want to find out. Therefore, if you have any perplexed questions about what happens during the liturgy, what is in the Holy Chalice and is taught to the believers, then they must be resolved with the priest in advance, before Communion. Even If a person has been going to church for a long time and has taken communion more than once, you still need to honestly ask yourself the question: Do we understand the meaning correctly? church sacraments(Communion and Confession) to which we proceed.

Correct preparation for the sacrament of Communion in tradition Orthodox Church called "fasting". It usually lasts for three or more (up to a week) days before Communion. These days, a person prepares himself for the meeting with God, which will occur during Communion. God can only move into a pure heart, so the main goal of preparation is awareness of one’s sins, confessing them before God and one’s spiritual father, and the determination to leave sins (passions), or at least begin to fight them. To do this, it is necessary for the duration of the fast to resolutely move away from everything that fills the soul with unnecessary vanity. This does not mean that a person should not go to work or do anything at home. No! But: do not watch TV, do not go to noisy companies, do not meet unnecessarily with numerous acquaintances. This is all quite within the power of anyone and is necessary in order to carefully look into your heart and, with the help of such an “instrument” as conscience, cleanse it of everything that is called by the general word - sin.

The most effective means of preparing for a meeting with God is prayer. Prayer is a conversation, communication with God, consisting of turning to Him with requests: for forgiveness of sins, for help in the fight against one’s vices and passions, for mercy in various spiritual and everyday needs. Before Communion, three canons must be read, which are found in almost all prayer books, as well as the Rule for Holy Communion. If you were unable to find these prayers on your own, then you need to go directly to the priest in the temple with the prayer book and ask him to indicate what exactly needs to be read.

It takes time to calmly and carefully read all the prayers prescribed before Communion. If the three canons and the Rule for Holy Communion are read at once together, it will take at least one and a half, even up to two hours, especially if a person does not read them often and is not familiar with the text. If we add morning or evening prayers to this, then such prayerful tension can deprive a person of both physical and spiritual strength. Therefore, there is a practice that the three canons are read gradually over the course of several days before Communion, the canon for Communion (from the Rule for Communion) is read the night before and after it prayers for bedtime, and prayers before Communion (from the Rule for Communion) in the morning of the day Communion after the usual morning prayers.

In general, all “technical” questions regarding preparation for Communion should only be learned from the priest in the church. This may be hindered by your timidity, indecisiveness, or the priest’s lack of time, but one way or another, with some persistence, you can find out everything. The main thing is not to pay attention to all the confusion and bewilderment (or, in church terms, temptations) that will certainly arise, but to trust in God. We need to pray that He will bring us to the sacrament of Communion, and thus fulfill our main purpose, the goal of our life - union with God."

About the frequency of Communion

The first Christians took communion every Sunday, but now not everyone has such purity of life to take communion so often. In the 19th and 20th centuries, St. The Church commanded us to take communion every Lent and no less than once a year.

St. Theophan the Recluse writes about how often one should receive communion:

“God's mercy be with you!
Having fasted during this Lent, you wrote that you are dissatisfied with your fasting, although you love fasting and would like to do this work of Christian piety more often. - Since you didn’t indicate why you are dissatisfied with your fasting, I won’t say anything about it, I’ll just add: try to bring your fasting to the point that it satisfies you. You can ask your confessor how to improve your fasting. As for more often, there is no need to increase the frequency, because this frequency will take away no small part of the reverence for this greatest work, I mean fasting and communion. It seems that I have already written to you that it is enough to talk and take communion in every major post out of 4. And in the fasts before Easter and Christmas twice. And look no more. Try to better organize and perfect your inner self.”

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin):

“Already Theophan the Recluse, in a letter to one of his spiritual daughters, wrote that irregularities had crept into parish life, and as the most dangerous example of such irregularities, he cited the vicious practice of priests who prevent Christians from frequently receiving communion. The reason why this is done, first of all, , personal lack of spirituality, when the priest himself does not feel the inner need to receive communion as often as possible, and looks at communion as his professional duty. The second reason is theological ignorance and reluctance to become familiar with the unanimous teaching of the holy fathers about frequent communion as the Heavenly Bread necessary for the soul person. The third reason is laziness and the desire to shorten the time needed for confession and communion. There is another reason: this is a false, Pharisaic reverence. The Pharisees, in order to show their special respect for the name of God - Jehovah, forbade saying it at all. Thus, they they distorted the commandment: “Do not take the name of your Lord in vain (in vain).’ The liturgy itself is a divine service, during which the sacrament of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts is performed and the sacrament is given to the people. When the liturgy is served, then you can receive communion. In liturgical prayers, the Church calls on everyone in the church to accept the Body and Blood of Christ (of course, if they have prepared for this). During Easter week and Christmastide, and in the several weeks preceding Great and Petrine Lents, one can without a doubt receive communion, since otherwise the Church would not serve the liturgy on these days. The life of St. Macarius the Great tells how a priest, who arbitrarily excluded people from communion, was severely punished with many years of paralysis, and was healed only through the prayers of the saint. Macaria. St. John of Kronstadt especially sharply denounced this vicious practice of communion. On Bright Week, before communion, it is enough to abstain from meat food, but it is better to coordinate this issue with your confessor.. Archpriest Belotsvetov in famous collection wrote in his sermons that in his time Christians tried to take communion on Bright Week every day."

Currently, the Church leaves the issue to priests and spiritual fathers to decide. It is with the spiritual father that one must agree on how often to take communion, for how long and how strictly to fast before it.

Follow-up to Holy Communion with translation into Russian

Saint Theophan the Recluse. What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it:

Teaching about. John on Communion. - I.K. Sursky. Father John of Kronstadt

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Ascetic sermon:

Patriarch Pavel of Serbia. Can a woman come to church for prayer, kiss icons and receive communion when she is “unclean” (during her period)?

Spiritual life is built according to certain rules. There are also rules for those preparing for Holy Communion. What are these rules?

Preparation for communion usually takes 3–7 days. During this time, it is necessary to awaken in your heart those feelings that we talked about in previous chapters. The Church also commands that during the days of spiritual preparation for receiving the Holy Mysteries, we pay special attention to our prayer rules. It is recommended to add reading of canons, akathists or Psalms to morning and evening prayers. Of course, the duration of the prayer rule must be proportionate to your strengths and capabilities. If in doubt, it is better to seek advice from your confessor or parish priest.

On the days of preparation for communion, it is necessary to visit as often as possible church services. In the evening, on the eve of communion, you must be present at the church service. Arriving home, before praying for bedtime, you need to read the canons corresponding to the day of the week. They are distributed as follows: on Saturday evening one should read the canons to the Sweetest Jesus, a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel; on Sunday - canons to the Sweetest Jesus, prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and the archangels, and also, whoever wishes, to the Guardian Angel; on Monday - canons of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, St. John the Baptist and Guardian Angel; on Tuesday - canons to the Sweetest Jesus, the Mother of God Hodegetria or a prayer service to the Guardian Angel; on Wednesday - canons of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos, Guardian Angel, holy apostles and, whoever wishes, to St. Nicholas; on Thursday - canons of the Holy Cross, prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos and Guardian Angel; on Friday - the canon to the Sweetest Jesus, the canon and akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canons to the guardian angel, all the saints and, whoever wishes, the funeral canon.

Although the church charter requires that the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos be read only on the eve of Saturday, there is a pious custom of reading akathists to the Sweetest Jesus and the Mother of God daily, changing them every other day.

Do canons and akathists necessarily need to be read immediately before prayers for the future? No, not necessarily. Thus, the famous Athonite ascetic Hieroschemamonk Tikhon († 1968) did not wait for the evening to read the rule for Holy Communion, but began to read it already at noon.

In the evening, before the day of communion, the canon for Holy Communion must certainly be read. In the morning, on the day of communion, the morning prayers and the Follow-up to Holy Communion are read, in addition to the canon already read the day before.

The Venerable Nectarius of Optina († 1928), when preparing his spiritual children for communion, especially strictly demanded that the entire rule be read before Holy Communion. He told how one of the deceased Optina hieromonks appeared to him, who told him that after his death he was delivered from ordeals, since he always performed the liturgy in peace with everyone and read all the prescribed rules.

In what frame of mind should we begin to perform the prayer rule? Of course, reading the prayer rule should not be formal. The prayers contained in it are the fruit of the spiritual insight of many righteous people. We need to be imbued with their holy feelings and godly thoughts. The Church has established a prayer rule before communion in order to help people who have not yet achieved spiritual perfection to bring their souls into a state of grace that corresponds to the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Of course, the rule before communion is the minimum that we have no right to reduce. Some people think this rule is too long. This opinion comes from a lack of zeal for the salvation of one’s own soul. Many ascetics, ardent in spirit, were not content with the usual prayer rule before communion and spent several hours in prayer. The daily prayer rule of the Belgorod elder Archimandrite Seraphim (Tyapochkin; 1894–1982) lasted 7–8 hours. Archbishop Joseph of Voronezh and Zadonsk († 1892), on the eve of communion of the Holy Mysteries, stood in prayer all night, resting only for an hour before the liturgy. His hands were calloused from leaning on them while making numerous prostrations. Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky, while still a deacon, spent all nights before Sunday and holidays spent in prayer, standing motionless until the liturgy.

The Glinsky Elder Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash; 1888–1974) before celebrating the Liturgy, stayed overnight in the church in the evening. Here he prayed without closing his eyes until the morning. One day, instead of a watchman at the temple, the headman of the temple had to be on duty. Having settled down on the left choir, he fell asleep peacefully. When I woke up, I saw that the temple was already crowded with people. He was overcome with vexation: he had to sleep for so long! Probably, Father Andronik himself had to open the church instead. That's it, headman! What example to the parishioners?! I looked at the clock - it showed two o'clock, and the darkness of night was still standing outside the windows. The headman, in confusion, rushed to look for the keys and found them in the usual place. Fear gripped his soul. He looked inside the temple again. There, the elder, surrounded by a dense crowd of people, bowed before the festive icon. For some time, the elder watched with reverent awe as the heavenly Church prayed with the great ascetic. When Schema-Archimandrite Andronik finished the rule, the people disappeared and the temple again plunged into the silence of the night.

The Rule for Holy Communion is a prayerful preparation for the Eucharist. During the celebration of the sacrament itself, we need to completely renounce everything worldly and immerse our whole being in the atmosphere of the sacred rite. At this moment our prayer should be especially focused and fervent.

During the service of the liturgy, the prayer tension of Father John of Kronstadt, according to the recollections of contemporaries, was so great that he was sweating, like Christ praying before suffering on the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. He even had to change his clothes and change his shirt.

Prayerful preparation for communion is accompanied by spiritual and physical abstinence. In the days preceding communion, one must beware of filling one's soul with everyday worries, and various entertainments must be completely excluded. At this time, animal products are not consumed: meat, milk, eggs and, during strict fasting, fish. It is customary to start communion on an empty stomach, so after midnight they do not eat or drink anything.

The significance of abstinence before communion can be judged by an incident that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. Bishop Innokenty (Yastrebov), vicar of the Kyiv diocese, received a call from Governor General Trepov and said that in Vinnitsa mysterious circumstances the archpriest died. He is not buried, waiting for representatives of the highest church authorities.

Bishop Innocent hastily arrived in Vinnitsa. The late archpriest turned out to be a middle-aged man. During the autopsy of his body, all organs were found intact, except for the stomach. This organ appeared to be black and completely charred. When it was taken out, it crumbled into small black coals.

The doctors who participated in the autopsy were unable to establish the cause of death of the archpriest. Then they began to question the wife of the deceased. She said with tears that over the past year her husband began to show strange behavior: every morning, before going to celebrate the liturgy, he ate and drank. At first the archpriest did not complain about anything, then he began to feel a burning sensation in his stomach, then a constant burning sensation. Because of this, he stopped eating, and before his death he continuously screamed:

Fire, fire inside!!!

After listening to the story of the archpriest’s wife, Bishop Innocent said:

The Divine Eucharist was apparently celebrated by an angel instead of the deceased, and the Holy Gifts were burned by the blasphemer.

Despite the importance of abstinence before communion, a Christian must balance the physical feat with his state of health and spiritual structure. The severity of fasting should not exceed the strength of a person. Every Christian needs to know that extremes in spiritual life are unacceptable. The Monk Pimen the Great said: “Everything that is above measure is from demons.”

The Monk Sebastian of Karaganda did severe reprimands to those who arbitrarily, without blessing, did not eat food at all for one or several days before communion. He sometimes did not even allow such unauthorized people to take communion. The monk blessed the weak and sick the night before communion (of course, before midnight) to drink a cup of boiling water and eat a piece of bread, so that they would not feel ill by the morning.

During Lent, the Monk Sebastian allowed people who had stomach or lung diseases to relax their abstinence after receiving the Holy Mysteries. He blessed them to drink milk or tea with milk as medicine. At the same time, the monk always ordered the sick, despite a good reason, to repent of breaking the fast before God and be sure to say so in confession.

Married people must abstain from marital communication before receiving communion. Obstacles to communion with the Holy Mysteries are also nighttime desecrations and menstruation in women.

Of course, it is completely unacceptable to begin the sacrament with an unrepentant sin on your conscience. No matter how unimportant this sin may seem to us, it is precisely it that can serve as an obstacle to worthy participation in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

In the Egyptian Skete, when the liturgy was being celebrated, the Spirit of God descended on the Holy Gifts in the form of an eagle. This phenomenon was observed only by clergy. It happened that during one of the services the likeness of an eagle did not appear to the eyes of the clergy. The serving hieromonk, puzzled by this, said to the hierodeacon:

We have sinned in something, either you or I. Step back from the holy throne, and if the likeness of an eagle appears, it will be clear that it did not appear because of you.

The deacon departed, and the Spirit of God in the form of an eagle immediately descended on the Holy Offering. After the end of the Liturgy, the hieromonk asked the hierodeacon who served him:

What did you do?

“I don’t know of any sin,” answered the hierodeacon. - Is it just that one of the brethren came to me and asked for something, and I refused him, saying that I didn’t have time.

The eagle did not come down because the brother was upset with you, the hieromonk reasoned.

Realizing his guilt, the deacon went to the monk he had offended and, asking for his forgiveness, reconciled with him.

A similar incident occurred in late XVIII centuries in Valaam Monastery. At that time, Elder Xenophon lived there. Before he long years was an Old Believer mentor, but one day, coming to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra for the liturgy, he was awarded a vision Heavenly Powers who served the hieromonk. After this, Xenophon turned to Orthodoxy and, settling on Valaam, began to lead an ascetic lifestyle. For his piety, Xenophon was honored to be a spectator of the grace of God, manifested in various ways during the celebration of the liturgy. Once during the service, Finns with a very unkempt appearance entered the temple. The elder condemned them to himself and because of this he immediately stopped seeing the grace of God with his spiritual gaze. Immediately repenting, he began to ask God for forgiveness. However, he began to contemplate the blessed visions again only a month later.

Passions are very harmful to prayerful preparation for communion. They rob prayer of its power, and make the soul unworthy for the Lord to enter into it. Here's an example harmful effects on a person of sinful desires.

In the altar of the church, in which St. Basil the Great usually celebrated the liturgy, there hung above the altar. golden image The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. When the saint offered up the Holy Gifts during the service, the golden dove, moved by the power of God, shook three times. During one of the services, the usual sign indicating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the bread and wine did not occur. Saint Basil, reflecting on the reason for what happened, looked around at the clergy who served him and noticed that one of the deacons was looking with passion at the woman standing in the church. Immediately the saint ordered the deacon to step away from the throne and assigned him strict penance. After this incident, he ordered a partition with a curtain to be erected in front of the altar, so that nothing could distract the clergy from attentive prayer and spiritual contemplation of the great sacrament.

It is not only unrepentant sins and passions that we are overwhelmed by that are an obstacle to worthy communion. The general spiritual and moral state of our soul, which often manifests itself in absent-minded and frivolous behavior, may not correspond to the great gift of Divine love given to us in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Monk Sebastian of Karaganda was strict with those who were late for services without a good reason and demanded that they confess and receive communion without proper preparation. Not allowing such people to receive communion, the elder gave them the following instruction:

So only the sick can be given communion, but you are in good health and have many sins behind you. Can’t you really choose the time to get ready, cleanse yourself with repentance, come to church on time, listen to the rule and service and, having confessed, approach the cup with the fear of God?! Approaching the cup of the Holy Mysteries is not the same as approaching a cup of soup or a cup of tea!

What did the Monk Sebastian want to convey to the hearts of careless Christians?

God is love. God's love for us was revealed in the fact that God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might receive life through Him (1 John 4:8-9). God's love for us is so great that His Son, saving us, gave Himself to suffer on the cross. Same selfless love God also expects from us. She waits not because she needs it, but because our salvation lies in this selfless love for God.

From the book "The Miracle of Holy Communion"

M hi to you, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!

TO What should be the daily prayer rule of an Orthodox Christian? Is it possible to read akathists according to personal spiritual desire, or are akathists read only with a blessing and on certain days? How to read akathists correctly - out loud or silently, in a chant, and in what order? How to read the canons correctly at home? Sitting or standing?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Fontrier) answers these questions:

"P There is a rule and it is mandatory for everyone. These are morning and evening prayers, one chapter from the Gospel, (...) if possible, you can read the kathisma from the Psalter, and also read the canon.

I once asked one person:

– Do I need to have lunch and dinner every day?

“It is necessary,” he replies, “but besides this, I can grab something else and drink some tea.”

- What about praying? If our body requires food, isn’t it even more important for our soul? We feed the body so that the soul can be kept in the body and be cleansed, sanctified, freed from sin, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in us. It is necessary for her to unite with God here already. And the body is the clothing of the soul, which ages, dies and crumbles into the dust of the earth. And we pay special attention to this temporary, perishable thing. We really care about him! And we feed, and water, and paint, and dress in fashionable rags, and give peace - we pay a lot of attention. And sometimes there is no care left for our soul. Have you read your morning prayers?

- So you can’t have breakfast. And if you’re not going to read in the evening, then you can’t have dinner. And you can't drink tea.

- I'll die of hunger!

- So your soul is dying of hunger!

Now, when a person makes this rule the norm of his life, then he has peace, quiet and quiet in his soul. The Lord sends grace, and the Mother of God and the Angel of the Lord pray. In addition to this, Christians also pray to the saints, read other akathists, the soul is nourished, contented and glad, peaceful, the person is saved.

But you don’t have to read like some people do, proofreading. They read it, rattled it off, through the air, but it didn’t hit the soul. Touch this one a little and it bursts into flames! But he considers himself a great man of prayer—he “prays” very well. The Apostle Paul says: “It is better to speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”(1 Cor.14:19) It is better that five words penetrate the soul than ten thousand words that miss the soul.

— You can read akathists at least every day. I knew one woman (her name was Pelagia), she read 15 akathists every day. The Lord gave her special grace. Some Orthodox Christians have collected many akathists - 200 or 500. They usually read a certain akathist every holiday celebrated by the Church. For example, tomorrow is a holiday Vladimir icon Mother of God. People who have an akathist for this holiday will read it.

— Akathists are good to read from a fresh memory, i.e. in the morning, when the mind is not burdened with everyday affairs. In general, it is very good to pray from morning until lunch, while the body is not burdened with food. Then there is an opportunity to feel every word from the akathists and canons.

All prayers and akathists are best read aloud. Why? Because words enter the soul through the ear and are better remembered. I constantly hear: “We can’t learn prayers...” But you don’t need to learn them - you just need to read them constantly, every day - morning and evening, and they are remembered by themselves. If “Our Father” is not remembered, then we need to attach a piece of paper with this prayer where our dining table is.

Many refer to poor memory due to old age, but when you start asking them, asking various everyday questions, everyone remembers. They remember who was born when, in what year, everyone remembers their birthdays. They know how much everything is now in the store and on the market - but prices are constantly changing! They know how much bread, salt and butter cost. Everyone remembers it perfectly. You ask: “What street do you live on?” - everyone will say. Very good memory. But they just can’t remember the prayers. And this is because our flesh comes first. And we care so much about the flesh, we all remember what it needs. But we don’t care about the soul, that’s why we have a bad memory for everything good. We are masters of bad things...

— The Holy Fathers say that those who read the canons daily to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, and the saints are especially protected by the Lord from all demonic misfortunes and evil people.

If you come to any boss for a reception, you will see a sign on his door “Reception hours from... to...” You can turn to God at any time. Night prayer is especially valuable. When a person prays at night, then, as the holy fathers say, this prayer is, as it were, paid for in gold. But in order to pray at night, you need to take a blessing from the priest, because there is a danger: a person may become proud that he prays at night and fall into delusion, or he will be especially attacked by demons. Through blessing, the Lord will protect this person.

Sitting or standing? If your legs can’t hold you up, you can kneel down and read. If your knees are tired, you can read while sitting. It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing. And one more thing: prayer without bowing is a premature fetus. Fans are a must.”

You don't always have the strength and ability to stand. The work involves hard physical labor, and by the evening a person is so tired that his legs ache. By virtue of advanced years Age-related diseases open up. A pregnant woman who has lower back pain and swollen legs. There are many reasons, but a person feels the need for prayer.

What now, not to pray at all? Of course not. Be sure to pray while sitting. And this can be done, despite the indignation of the grandmothers from the church.

What is prayer?

This is direct communication with God. Conversation with Him. This is a conversation between a child and his Father. But we won’t explain ourselves in lofty words, but will talk about it more simply.

When we pray, we meet God. We meet the Mother of God and the saints, to whom we fall in prayer. We ask them for something, and after some time we realize that our request has been fulfilled. And thanks to this, comes the awareness of the participation of saints in our lives, as well as the participation of God. He is always there, always ready to help and patiently waiting for us to turn to him.

There is another type of prayer. This prayer is a dialogue. When a person is having a conversation, it is important for him not only to speak out, but also to hear the opinion of the interlocutor. The moment we offer prayers to God, we need to be prepared for Him to reveal Himself to us. Sometimes not the way we imagine Him. Therefore, you cannot invent an image of God for yourself, or somehow imagine him. We see God in icons, we see the Mother of God, saints. It's enough.

Is it possible to read prayers while sitting? Imagine that a man came to his father. I came after work, I really want to talk to him, but my legs hurt and I’m so tired that I just don’t have the strength to stand. Will the father, seeing this, not talk to his child? Or will he make him stand as a sign of respect for his parent? Of course not. Quite the contrary: seeing how tired the son is, he will suggest that he sit down, drink a cup of tea and talk.

So, will God, seeing a person’s zeal, not accept sincere prayer just because the person praying is sitting?

When do we pray?

Most often, when something happens in life and help is urgently needed. Then the person begins to pray and ask God for this help. He simply has no other hope. Help is coming happy man rejoices, forgets to thank and moves away from God until the next emergency. Is it correct? Hardly.

Ideally, we should live our lives prayerfully. Live with it the same way we live with air. People do not forget to breathe, because without oxygen we will simply die in a few minutes. Without prayer, the soul dies; this is its “oxygen”.

Given our busy schedule and living conditions, it is extremely difficult to constantly be in prayer. The hustle and bustle at work, the hustle and bustle in everyday life, the people around you - it’s all too much. And it's too noisy around us. However, we wake up in the morning. And what do we think about first? About what you have to do today. We get up, wash, get dressed, have breakfast and forward - towards the new bustle. But you need to adjust your morning a little. Get up and thank God for another day given to you. Ask for His intercession during the day. Of course, the best option is to read morning prayers. But no one has yet canceled gratitude from the heart.

Prayer throughout the day

Is this possible given our workload? Why not, everything is possible. Is it possible to pray while sitting, for example, in a car? Certainly. You can go to work and mentally pray to God.

A man sat down to eat - before the meal he needed to pray mentally, read the Lord's Prayer. No one will hear this, but what is the benefit for the one praying! He ate, thanked the Lord for the meal, and went back to work.

Prayer in the temple

Is it possible for an Orthodox person to pray while sitting? Especially in the temple, where everyone is standing? Due to weakness - it is possible. There is such a wonderful phrase from Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow: “It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing.”

Some illnesses make it difficult for a person to stand. And with other weaknesses it is not always easy. Therefore, you should not be embarrassed by sitting on a bench in a temple. There are certain places in the service where you must stand when proclaiming them. This is the Cherubic Hymn, the reading of the Gospel, the prayers “I Believe” and “Our Father,” and the removal of the Chalice. In other cases, if you feel that you cannot stand the service, sit down.

Home prayer

Is it possible to sit and pray in front of icons at home? There is nothing wrong with this if a person does it due to illness or other valid reasons. If it’s just laziness, it’s better not to be lazy and get up and pray while standing.

In the case when the person praying is very tired, it is quite acceptable to sit on a chair or on a sofa near the icons, pick up a prayer book and pray from the heart.

What should sick people do?

What if a person is so sick that he cannot get up on his own? Or bedridden? Or is it due to very old age? He can’t even pick up a prayer book. How then to pray? And in general, is it possible to pray lying down or sitting?

In this case, you can ask one of the household members to submit a prayer book. Keep it close to the bed so that the patient can reach it independently. More precisely, reach out and take it. As for reading the Gospel, family members may well take a couple of minutes and read an excerpt from it at the request of the patient.

In addition, a bedridden person is able to pray mentally. There is nothing reprehensible about turning to God in your own words. In a prayer that comes from the depths of the heart, from the whole soul, how can there be anything offensive to God? Even if it is read in an “unidentified” position. The Lord sees the heart of the one who prays and knows his thoughts. And accepts the prayer of the sick or infirm.

Is it possible to pray at home, sitting or lying down? Yes. And it’s not just possible, but necessary. “Those who are healthy don’t call for a doctor, but those who are sick really need a doctor.” And not only in the literal sense of these words.

Can prayer be objectionable?

Complex issue. She may not be heard, rather. Why? Everything depends on the quality of prayer. If a person reads it in a formulaic manner in 15 minutes, without thinking about the words and their meaning, closes the prayer book - and that’s the end of it, what kind of prayer is this? It is not clear to a person what and why he read. But God doesn’t need a template, He needs sincerity.

Who can you pray to while sitting at home? And to God, and the Mother of God, and the saints. Let the prayer be performed in a sitting position, but from the heart. This is better than standing in front of the icons and simply reading the rule without understanding anything in it and without trying to do it.

Children's prayer

Is it possible for a child to pray while sitting? Children's prayer is considered the most sincere. Because children are innocent, naive and trust God. It’s not for nothing that the Lord himself said: be like children.

There are concessions for children. Including in the prayer rule. The most important thing is not to force the child to read long and incomprehensible prayers. Let the baby read, for example, “Our Father” before going to bed and talk to God in his own words. This is much more useful than reading out the rules with a cold heart, because mom said so, that is, according to the principle “adults should.” And it’s not for adults, it’s for the child himself.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

We often ask without thanking. The latter must not be forgotten. It would be unpleasant for us to fulfill someone's request and not hear thank you in return. Why should God give us something, knowing our ingratitude?

Is it possible to pray while sitting, read a thanksgiving akathist, or offer a prayer? Are you tired? You feel sick? Sore feet? Then sit and don't worry about it. Sit down, take an akathist or prayer book in your hands, and read calmly, slowly, thoughtfully. Great benefit for the person praying. And God is glad to see such sincere gratitude.

When you don't have the strength to pray

It happens that you don’t have the strength to pray. No way. Neither standing, nor sitting, nor lying down. Prayer doesn’t work, the person doesn’t want to do it.

What to do then? Force yourself to get up, stand in front of the icons, pick up a prayer book and read at least one prayer. Through force. Because we don’t always want to pray, no matter how surprising it may sound. How can you not want to communicate with God? It’s wild, strange, incomprehensible, but such states do exist. And when they appear, you need to force yourself to pray.

But it probably won’t be from the heart? And here everything depends on the person praying. You can read every word with utmost attention, even if it is just one prayer. Such a prayerful attitude will be much more useful than if you do not pray at all or read the rule with just your lips, when your thoughts are hovering somewhere far, far away.

How long does it take? 20 minutes, no more. This is because a person quickly reads it, and that’s it. So it’s better to spend these 20 minutes reading two prayers, but with sense and concentration, than to scold them somehow, because that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Important addition

What do you need to know when starting to pray? Just an answer to the question, is it possible to pray while sitting or lying down? No. The main thing to remember is that you need to pray thoughtfully. Try to understand every word of the prayer. And the latter must come from the heart. This is why you need to not only read the rules, but also pray in your own words.

Conclusion

From the article we learned whether it is possible to pray while sitting. When serious illness, senile infirmity, pregnancy or very severe fatigue, this is not prohibited. Children are allowed to pray while sitting.

As for bedridden patients, in their case it is quite appropriate to offer prayers to God in the usual position.

It's not the position that matters, although it doesn't matter last role. The most important thing is the heart and soul of a person, sincere, burning and striving for God.

Fasting and prayers before Communion

Until this year, I had confessed and received communion only once in my life, in adolescence. I recently decided to take communion again, but forgot about fasting, prayers, confession... What should I do now?

According to the canons of the Church, before communion it is obligatory to abstain from intimate life and communion on an empty stomach. All the canons, prayers, fasting are simply means to tune yourself into prayer, repentance and the desire to improve. Even confession, strictly speaking, is not obligatory before communion, but this is the case if a person regularly confesses to one priest, if he has no canonical obstacles to communion (abortion, murder, going to fortune-tellers and psychics...) and there is the blessing of the confessor is not always necessary to confess before communion (for example, Bright Week). So in your case, nothing particularly terrible happened, and in the future you can use all these means of preparing for communion.

How long should you fast before communion?

Strictly speaking, the Typikon (rules) states that those who wish to receive communion must fast for a week. But, firstly, this is a monastic charter, and the “Book of Rules” (canons) contains only two necessary conditions for those wishing to receive communion: 1) the absence of intimate marital relations (not to mention fornication) on the eve of communion; 2) the sacrament must be taken on an empty stomach. Thus, it turns out that fasting before communion, reading the canons and prayers, and confession are recommended for those preparing for communion to more fully induce a repentant mood. Nowadays on round tables dedicated to the topic of communion, the priests came to the conclusion that if a person observes all four major fasts during the year, fasting on Wednesday and Friday (and this time takes at least six months a year), then the Eucharistic fast is sufficient for such a person, i.e. ... take communion on an empty stomach. But if a person has not gone to church for 10 years and has decided to take communion, then he will need a completely different format for preparing for communion. All these nuances must be agreed upon with your confessor.

Can I continue to prepare for communion if I had to break my fast on Friday: I was asked to remember a person and was given non-fast food?

You can say this in confession, but this should not serve as an obstacle to communion. For breaking the fast was forced and in this situation justified.

Why are kakons written in Church Slavonic? After all, they are so difficult to read. My husband doesn't understand anything he reads and gets angry. Maybe I should read it out loud?

It is customary in the Church to hold services on Church Slavonic language. We pray in the same language at home. This is not Russian, not Ukrainian or any other language. This is the language of the Church. There are no obscenities or swear words in this language, and in fact, you can learn to understand it in just a few days. After all, he has Slavic roots. This is to the question of why we use this particular language. If your husband is more comfortable listening when you read, you can do that. The main thing is that he listens carefully. I advise you to sit down in your free time and analyze the text with a Church Slavonic dictionary in order to better understand the meaning of the prayers.

My husband believes in God, but somehow in his own way. He believes that it is not necessary to read prayers before confession and communion; it is enough to recognize your sins and repent. Isn't this a sin?

If a person considers himself so perfect, almost a saint, that he does not need any help in preparing for communion, and prayers are such help, then let him take communion. But he remembers the words of the Holy Fathers that we then receive communion with dignity when we consider ourselves unworthy. And if a person denies the need for prayers before communion, it turns out that he already considers himself worthy. Let your husband think about all this and with heartfelt attention, reading prayers for communion, prepare to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Is it possible to attend an evening service in one church and attend communion in the morning in another?

There are no canonical prohibitions against such practices.

Is it possible to read the canons and the order of communion during the week?

It is better to carefully, pondering the meaning of what you read, so that it is truly a prayer, distribute the recommended rule for communion over a week, starting with the canons and ending with prayers for communion on the eve of receiving the Mysteries of Christ, than to read it thoughtlessly in one day.

How to fast and prepare for communion while living in a 1-room apartment with non-believers?

The Holy Fathers teach that you can live in the desert, but have a noisy city in your heart. Or you can live in a noisy city, but there will be peace and quiet in your heart. So, if we want to pray, we will pray in any conditions. People prayed in sinking ships and in trenches under bombing, and this was the most pleasing to God prayer. He who searches finds opportunities.

Children's Communion

When to give communion to a baby?

If the Blood of Christ is left in a special Chalice in churches, then such babies can be given Holy Communion at any moment, at any time, as long as there is a priest. This is especially practiced in big cities. If there is no such practice, then the child can be given communion only when the liturgy is celebrated in the church, as a rule, on Sundays and on major holidays. With babies you can come to the end of the service and give him communion in general procedure. If you bring babies to the beginning of the service, they will begin to cry and thereby interfere with the prayer of the rest of the believers, who will grumble and be indignant at their unreasonable parents. Small amounts of drinking water can be given to a baby of any age. Antidor, prosphora is given when the child is able to consume it. As a rule, infants are not given communion on an empty stomach until they are 3-4 years old, and then they are taught to take communion on an empty stomach. But if a 5-6 year old child, out of forgetfulness, drank or ate something, then he can also be given communion.

The daughter has been receiving the Body and Blood of Christ since she was one year old. Now she is almost three, we have moved, and in the new temple the priest gives her only Blood. In response to my request to give her a piece, he made a remark about the lack of humility. Resign yourself?

At the level of custom, indeed, in our Church, infants under 7 years of age receive communion only with the Blood of Christ. But if a child is taught to receive communion from the very cradle, the priest, seeing the adequacy of the baby when he grows up, can already give the Body of Christ. But you need to be very careful and control so that the child does not spit out a particle. Usually, full Communion is given to infants when the priest and the baby get used to each other, and the priest is confident that the child will fully consume Communion. Try to talk with the priest once on this topic, motivating your request by the fact that the child is already accustomed to receiving both the Body and Blood of Christ, and then humbly accept any reaction from the priest.

What to do with clothes that a child has burped on after communion?

Part of the clothing on which the sacrament came into contact is cut out and burned. We patch the hole with some kind of decorative patch.

My daughter is seven years old and will have to confess before communion. How can I prepare her for this? What prayers should she read before communion, what should she do with the three-day fast?

The main rule in preparing for the reception of the Holy Sacraments in relation to young children can be concluded in two words: do no harm. Therefore, parents, especially the mother, must explain to the child why to confess and for what purpose to receive communion. And the prescribed prayers and canons should be read gradually, not immediately, perhaps even with the child. Start with one prayer, so that the child does not overwork, so that this does not become a burden to him, so that this coercion does not push him away. In the same way, with regard to fasting, limit both the time and the list of prohibited foods, for example, give up only meat. In general, first the mother needs to understand the meaning of the preparation, and then, without fanaticism, gradually teach her child step by step.

The child has been prescribed a course of vaccinations against rabies. He cannot drink alcohol for a whole year. What to do with the sacrament?

Believing that the sacrament is the best medicine in the universe, when we approach it, we forget about all restrictions. And according to our faith we will heal both soul and body.

The child was prescribed a gluten-free diet (no bread allowed). I understand that we eat the Blood and Body of Christ, but the physical characteristics of the products remain wine and bread. Is Communion possible without partaking of the Body? What does wine contain?

Once again I repeat that communion is the best medicine in the world. But, given the age of your child, you can, of course, ask that he be communed only with the Blood of Christ. The wine used for communion may be real wine, made from grapes with added sugar for strength, or it may be a wine product consisting of grapes with the addition of ethyl alcohol. You can ask the priest what kind of wine is used in the church where you receive communion.

Every Sunday they gave the child communion, but the last time, when approaching the Chalice, he began to have a terrible hysteria. The next time, in another temple, everything happened again. I'm desperate.

In order not to aggravate the child’s negative reaction to communion, you can try simply entering the church without receiving communion. You can try to introduce the child to the priest, so that this communication will smooth out the child’s fear, and over time he will again begin to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Communion on Easter, Bright Week, and last weeks

Is it necessary to observe a three-day fast, read the canons and follow in order to receive communion on Bright Week?

Starting from the night liturgy and throughout all the days of Bright Week, communion is not only permitted, but also commanded by the 66th rule of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. Preparation these days consists of reading the Easter Canon and going to Holy Communion. Starting from the week of Antipascha, one prepares for communion as during the whole year (three canons and succession).

How to prepare for communion during continuous weeks?

Church like loving mother takes care not only of our soul, but also of our body. Therefore, on the eve of, for example, the rather difficult Lent, it gives us some relief in food through a continuous week. But this does not mean that we are forced to eat more fast food these days. That is, we have a right, but not an obligation. So, prepare as you wish for communion. But remember the main thing: first of all, we prepare our soul and heart, cleansing them with repentance, prayer, reconciliation, and the stomach comes last.

I heard that one can receive communion on Easter, even if one has not fasted. Is it true?

There is no special rule that allows communion on Easter without fasting and without preparation. By this issue the answer must be given by the priest after direct communication with the person.

I want to take communion on Easter, but I ate soup with non-Lenten broth. Now I'm afraid that I can't receive communion. What do you think?

Remembering the words of John Chrysostom, which are read in Easter night, that those who fast do not condemn those who do not fast, but we all rejoice, you can boldly approach the sacrament of communion on Easter night, deeply and sincerely realizing your unworthiness. And most importantly, bring to God not the contents of your stomach, but the contents of your heart. And for the future, of course, we must strive to fulfill the commandments of the Church, including fasting.

During communion, the priest in our church scolded me for not coming to communion on the days of fasting, but coming on Easter. What is the difference between communion at Easter service and “ordinary” Sunday?

You need to ask your father about this. For even the canons of the Church welcome communion not only on Easter, but throughout Holy Week. No priest has the right to prohibit a person from receiving communion at any liturgy, if there are no canonical obstacles to doing so.

Communion of the elderly and sick people, pregnant and nursing mothers

How to properly approach communion for the elderly at home?

It is advisable to invite a priest to visit sick people at least Lent. It wouldn't hurt to add it to other posts either. Mandatory during an exacerbation of the disease, especially if it is clear that things are heading towards death, without waiting for the patient to fall into unconsciousness, his swallowing reflex disappears or vomiting. He must be of sound mind and memory.

My mother-in-law recently fell ill. I suggested inviting the priest home for confession and communion. Something was stopping her. Now she is not always conscious. Please advise what to do.

The Church accepts a person’s conscious choice without forcing his will. If a person, being in memory, wanted to begin the sacraments of the Church, but for some reason did not do this, then in case of clouding of his mind, remembering his desire and consent, it is still possible to make such a compromise as communion and unction (this is how we give communion infants or the insane). But if a person, being of sound consciousness, did not want to accept the sacraments of the church, then even in the event of loss of consciousness, the Church does not force the choice of this person and cannot give him communion or unction. Alas, it is his choice. Such cases are considered by the confessor, directly communicating with the patient and his relatives, after which a final decision is made. In general, of course, it is best to clarify your relationship with God in a conscious and adequate state.

I am diabetic. Can I take communion if I took a pill and ate in the morning?

In principle, it is possible, but if you wish, you can limit yourself to a pill and take communion at the first services, which end early in the morning. Then eat to your health. If you absolutely cannot go without food for health reasons, then discuss this in confession and take communion.

I have a thyroid disease, I can’t go to church without drinking water and having a snack. If I go on an empty stomach, it will become bad. I live in the provinces, the priests are strict. It turns out I can’t take communion?

If this is required for medical reasons, there are no prohibitions. In the end, the Lord looks not into the stomach, but into the heart of a person, and any competent, sane priest should understand this perfectly well.

For several weeks now I have not been able to take communion due to bleeding. What to do?

This period can no longer be called a normal female cycle. Therefore it is already a disease. And there are women who experience similar phenomena for months. Moreover, not necessarily for this reason, but for some other reason, during such a phenomenon, the death of a woman may occur. Therefore, even the rule of Timothy of Alexandria, prohibiting a woman from receiving communion during “ Women's Day”, however, for the sake of mortal fear (threat to life) the sacrament is allowed. There is an episode in the Gospel when a woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years, wanting healing, touched the robe of Christ. The Lord did not condemn her, but on the contrary, she received recovery. Considering all of the above, a wise confessor will bless you to receive communion. It is quite possible that after such Medicine your bodily ailment will be healed.

Is preparation for confession and communion different for pregnant women?

For military personnel participating in hostilities, their service life is considered to be three years. And during the Great Patriotic War V Soviet army soldiers were even given front-line 100 grams, although in Peaceful time vodka and the army were incompatible. For a pregnant woman, the time of bearing a child is also “ war time“, and the Holy Fathers understood this very well when they allowed relaxation in fasting and prayer for pregnant and lactating women. Pregnant women can also be compared to sick women - toxicosis, etc. And the rules of the church (29th rule of the holy apostles) for the sick also allow a relaxation of fasting, up to its complete abolition. In general, each pregnant woman, according to her conscience, based on her state of health, determines the extent of fasting and prayer. I would recommend taking communion as often as possible during pregnancy. The prayer rule for communion can also be done while sitting. You can also sit in the church; you can come before the beginning of the service.

General questions about the sacrament

In recent years, after Sunday liturgy, I have started to have severe headaches, especially on communion days. With what it can be connected?

Similar cases in various variations occur quite often. Look at all this as a temptation in a good deed and, naturally, continue to go to church for services without succumbing to these temptations.

How often can you receive communion? Is it necessary to read all the canons before communion, fast and confess?

The purpose of the Divine Liturgy is the communion of believers, that is, bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ so that they can be eaten by people, and not just by the serving priest. In ancient times, a person who was at the liturgy and did not take communion was then obliged to give an explanation to the priest why he did not do so. At the end of each liturgy, the priest, appearing at the Royal Doors with the Chalice, says: “Approach with the fear of God and faith.” If a person receives communion once a year, then he needs a preliminary week-long fast in food, and canons with prayers, and if a person observes all four major fasts, fasting every Wednesday and Friday, then he can receive communion without additional fasting, fasting the so-called Eucharistic fast , i.e., take communion on an empty stomach. As for the rule for communion, we must realize that it is given in order to evoke repentant feelings in us. If we often take communion and we have this feeling of repentance and it is difficult for us to read the rule before each communion, then we can omit the canons, but it is advisable to still read the prayers for communion. At the same time, we must remember the words of St. Ephraim the Syrian: “I am afraid to receive communion, realizing my unworthiness, but even more so - to be left without communion.”

Is it possible to receive communion on Sunday if you did not attend the all-night vigil on Saturday because of obedience to your parents? Is it a sin not to go to church on Sunday if your family needs help?

The best answer to such a question will be given by a person’s conscience: was there really no other way out not to go to service, or is this an excuse to skip prayer on Sunday? In general, of course, it is desirable for an Orthodox person, according to God’s commandment, to attend divine services every Sunday. Before Sunday, it is generally advisable to be at the Saturday evening service, and especially before communion. But if for some reason you were unable to attend the service, and your soul longs for communion, then, realizing your unworthiness, you can receive communion with the blessing of your confessor.

Is it possible to take communion on a weekday, that is, after communion, go to work?

You can, at the same time, protect the purity of your heart as much as possible.

How many days after communion do you not make bows or bows to the ground?

If the liturgical regulations (during Lent) prescribe prostrations to the ground, then starting from the evening service they can and should be made. And if the charter does not provide for bows, then on the day of communion only bows from the waist are performed.

I want to take communion, but my father’s anniversary falls on the day of communion. How to congratulate your father without offending him?

For the sake of peace and love, you can congratulate your father, but do not stay long at the holiday, so as not to “spill” the grace of the sacrament.

Father refused to give me communion because I had makeup on my eyes. Is he right?

Probably, the priest considered that you are already a mature enough Christian to realize that they go to church not to emphasize the beauty of their body, but to heal the soul. But if a beginner has come, then under such a pretext it is impossible to deprive him of communion, so as not to scare him away from the Church forever.

Is it possible, by taking communion, to receive a blessing from God for some matter? A successful job interview, IVF procedure...

People take communion for the healing of soul and body, expecting to receive some kind of help through communion and God's blessing V good deeds. And IVF, according to church teaching, is sinful and unacceptable. Therefore, you can take communion, but this does not mean at all that this communion will help in the unpleasing task you have planned. Communion cannot automatically guarantee that our requests will be fulfilled. But if we try to lead at all Christian image life, then, of course, the Lord will help us, including in earthly matters.

My husband and I go to confession and communion in different churches. How important is it for spouses to receive communion from the same Chalice?

No matter in which Orthodox canonical church we receive communion, all the same, by and large, we all receive communion from the same Chalice, consuming the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It follows from this that it does not matter at all whether spouses receive communion in the same church or in different ones, for the Body and Blood of the Savior are the same everywhere.

Prohibitions for communion

Can I go to communion without reconciliation, for which I have neither the strength nor the desire?

In the prayers before communion there is a kind of announcement: “Although, O man, the Lord’s Body, first reconcile you to those who have grieved you.” That is, without reconciliation, a priest cannot allow a person to receive communion, and if a person decides to arbitrarily receive communion, then receiving communion will be his own condemnation.

Is it possible to receive communion after desecration?

You can’t, you are only allowed to taste the prosphora.

Can I receive communion if I live in an unmarried civil marriage and confessed my sins on the eve of communion? I intend to continue such a relationship, I’m afraid, otherwise my beloved will not understand me.

It is important for a believer to be understood by God. But God will not understand us, seeing that people’s opinions are more important to us. God wrote to us that fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and according to the canons of the Church, such a sin excludes a person from communion for many years, even if he reforms. And the cohabitation of a man and a woman without registration in the registry office is called fornication, this is not a marriage. People who live in such “marriages” and take advantage of the condescension and kindness of their confessor actually expose them very much to God, because the priest has to take on their sin if he allows them to receive communion. Unfortunately, such a disorderly sex life has become the norm of our time, and shepherds no longer know where to go, what to do with such flocks. Therefore, have pity on your priests (this is an appeal to all such prodigal cohabitants) and legitimize your relationship at least in the registry office, and if you are mature, then receive a blessing for marriage through the sacrament of wedding. You need to make a choice what is more important to you: the eternal fate of your soul or temporary bodily consolations. After all, even confession without the intention to improve in advance is hypocritical and resembles going to the hospital without the desire to be treated. Let your confessor decide whether to admit you to communion or not.

The priest imposed penance on me and excommunicated me from communion for three months because I had an affair with a man. Can I confess to another priest and receive communion with his permission?

For fornication (intimacy outside of marriage), according to the rules of the Church, a person can be excommunicated from communion not for three months, but for several years. You do not have the right to cancel the imposed penance from another priest.

My aunt read her fortune on a nut and then confessed. The priest forbade her to receive communion for three years! What should she do?

According to the canons of the Church, for such actions (in fact, involvement in the occult), a person is excommunicated from communion for several years. So everything that the priest you mentioned did was within his competence. But, seeing sincere repentance and a desire not to repeat anything like this again, he has the right to reduce the period of penance (punishment).

I have not yet completely gotten rid of my sympathy for Baptistism, but I want to go to confession and receive communion. Or should I wait until I am completely confident in the truth of Orthodoxy?

Anyone who doubts the truth of Orthodoxy cannot begin the sacraments. So try to be completely established. For the Gospel says that “it will be given to you according to your faith,” and not according to formal participation in the sacraments and rites of the church.

Communion and other sacraments of the Church

I was invited to be the child's godmother. How long before baptism should I take communion?

These are not related sacraments. In principle, you should receive communion constantly. And before baptism, think more about how to be a worthy godmother who cares about the Orthodox upbringing of the person being baptized.

Is it necessary to confess and receive communion before unction?

In principle, these are unrelated sacraments. But since it is believed that in unction, forgotten and unconscious sins that are the cause of human illnesses are forgiven, there is a tradition that requires us to repent of those sins that we remember and know, and then collect unction.

Superstitions about the sacrament of communion

Is it possible to eat meat on the day of communion?

A person, when going to see a doctor, takes a shower, changes his underwear... Like this Orthodox Christian When preparing for communion, you fast, read the rules, come to Divine services more often, and after communion, if it is not a fast day, you can eat any food, including meat.

I heard that on the day of communion you should not spit anything out or kiss anyone.

On the day of communion, any person eats food and does it with a spoon. That is, in fact, and, oddly enough, by licking the spoon many times while eating, a person does not eat it with food :). Many people are afraid to kiss the cross or icons after communion, but they “kiss” the spoon. I think you already understand that all the actions that you mentioned can be performed after drinking the sacrament.

Recently, in one of the churches, before communion, the priest instructed those confessing: “Do not dare to approach communion for those who brushed their teeth or chewed gum this morning.”

I also brush my teeth before service. And you really don’t need to chew gum. When we brush our teeth, we take care not only of ourselves, but also that those around us do not smell an unpleasant odor from our breath.

I always approach communion with a bag. The temple worker told her to leave her. I got irritated, left my bag and took communion in a state of anger. Is it possible to approach the Chalice with a bag?

Probably the demon sent that grandmother. After all, the Lord does not care what we have in our hands when we approach the Holy Chalice, for He looks into a person’s heart. But, nevertheless, there was no need to be angry. Repent of this in confession.

Is it possible to contract any disease after taking communion? In the temple where I went, it was required not to lick the spoon; the priest himself threw the particle into his wide open mouth. At another church they corrected me that I was taking the sacrament incorrectly. But this is very dangerous!

At the end of the service, the priest or deacon consumes (eats) the remaining communion in the Chalice. And this despite the fact that in the absolute majority of cases (about what you wrote, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a priest “loading” the sacrament into his mouth, like an excavator), people take communion by taking the sacrament with their lips and touching the spoon. I myself have been using the remaining Gifts for more than 30 years, and neither I nor any of the other priests have ever suffered from any infectious diseases after that. When going to the Chalice, we must understand that this is a Sacrament, and not an ordinary plate of food from which many people eat. Communion is not ordinary food, it is the Body and Blood of Christ, which in fact initially cannot be sources of infection, just as icons and holy relics cannot be the same source.

My relative says that communion on the day of the feast of St. Sergius of Radonezh is equal to 40 sacraments. Can the Sacrament of Communion be stronger on one day than on another?

Communion for any Divine Liturgy has the same force and meaning. And there can be no arithmetic in this matter. He who receives the Mysteries of Christ must always be equally aware of his unworthiness and be grateful to God, who allows him to receive communion.