Why do we need confession and communion? What kinds of sins are there? How to prepare to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ

The great Day is approaching when the Great God will sit to judge all His creation. All people will be resurrected: their immortal souls will forever be united with their bodies. And the fiery angels will carry everyone to God’s judgment, to give an account for all our deeds done on Earth. Complete justice will be restored. - The righteous will receive an eternal reward in the Kingdom of Heaven, and for all their atrocities, sinners will have to bear eternal retribution in the flames of hell.

There is only one way to avoid punishment for your atrocities - to repent to God for your sins and receive forgiveness in the sacrament of Confession and Communion. Perhaps this is because Jesus Christ died for our sins and took our punishment upon Himself. And therefore God forgives sins only to those who are members of the Orthodox Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ. The priest of the Church in the sacrament of Ordination (ordination to the priesthood) receives from God the power to forgive and retain the sins of people.

Anyone who wants to receive forgiveness of sins and be saved needs the following:

You must be an Orthodox Christian who has received the sacrament of Baptism from a legitimate priest (those baptized by grandmothers or someone else must resolve this issue with the priest). We must firmly believe and accept the Revelation of God given to the Church - the Bible. Its essence is summarized in the Creed, which we must know by heart. An explanation of our faith can be found in the book "Catechism". It is always available in the church store or library.
You need to remember (and if you need to write down) your evil deeds, starting from the age of 7 (or from the moment of Baptism - who was baptized as an adult) and admit that only you are to blame for all your evil deeds, and no one else. Those who, in confession, talk about the sins of others do great evil.
You must promise God that with His help you will make every effort not to repeat the sin, but to do the opposite good deed.
If sin has led to damage to your neighbor, you must make every effort before confession to make amends for this damage (give back what was stolen, make peace with the offended person).
We must forgive all offenses ourselves for the sake of the blood of Christ, then God will forgive us our sin.

After this, one must go to the priest for confession and tell without concealment all one’s evil deeds, which Christ, through the priest, will forgive the repentant. There is no need to be afraid that the priest will be shocked by your confession. During his ministry, every shepherd hears almost every conceivable sin. You won’t surprise or upset him with anything, except for an attempt to shift the blame onto someone else. We must remember that confession remains only between the priest and you. For disclosing the secret of confession, a priest can be defrocked.

To make it easier to prepare, here is a short list of sins that must be fought mercilessly, in accordance with the 10 Commandments.

I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me. Sins: atheism, false teachings, communism, magic, going to grandmothers and healers, astrology (including reading horoscopes), participation in sects, pride, boasting, careerism, arrogance, self-love.
Do not make an idol for yourself, do not worship or serve them. Sins: idolatry, invoking spirits, feeding brownies, fortune telling, man-pleasing, love of money.
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Sins: blasphemy, mockery of a sacred thing, swearing, desecration, breaking a promise to God, swearing, not reading the Bible every day.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; You shall work six days, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Sins: missing Sunday services, working on holidays, parasitism, breaking fast.
Honor your father and your mother. Sins: insulting parents, not honoring them and not remembering them in prayers, cursing at the priesthood and authorities, not respecting elders and teachers, not inviting a priest to visit relatives before death.
Dont kill. Sins: murder, abortion, anger, swearing, fighting, hatred, resentment, rancor, irritability.
Don't commit adultery. Sins: adultery, sex outside marriage, homosexuality, masturbation, watching pornography.
Don't steal. Sins: theft, robbery, fraud, usury, stinginess.
Do not bear false testimony. Sins: perjury, lies, slander, gossip, betrayal, deception.
Don't covet someone else's. Sins: envy, dissatisfaction with one's position, grumbling.

If you have repented of these sins, then you should prepare for the greatest Miracle of Holy Communion, when, under the guise of bread and wine, the faithful partake of the Body and Blood of Christ for cleansing from sins and eternal life. Communion is celebrated in the morning during the Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy.

In order to receive communion worthily, one must prepare oneself by fasting (usually 3 days) and prayer. During fasting, one does not eat eggs, meat or dairy products. They read the Bible more than usual. On the evening before Communion, they must come to church for the evening service and confess their sins. During preparation, the “Rule for Holy Communion” and 3 canons are read - to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel. All these texts are in the Prayer Book. If some word in the prayers is not clear, you need to ask the priest about it.

On the day of communion they do not eat or drink anything from midnight. In the morning they come to the temple and during the Liturgy they reverently approach St. Remembering more often the Death and Resurrection of Christ. At the end of the Liturgy, they thank God and go out into the world to do good deeds.

May God give salvation to everyone who reads!

Repentance or confession is a sacrament in which a person confessing his sins to a priest, through his forgiveness, is absolved from sins by the Lord Himself. This question, Father, is asked by many people who join church life. Preliminary confession prepares the soul of the penitent for the Great Meal - the Sacrament of Communion.

The essence of confession

The Holy Fathers call the Sacrament of Repentance the second baptism. In the first case, at Baptism, a person receives cleansing from the original sin of the ancestors Adam and Eve, and in the second, the repentant is washed from his sins committed after baptism. However, due to the weakness of their human nature, people continue to sin, and these sins separate them from God, standing between them as a barrier. They are unable to overcome this barrier on their own. But the Sacrament of Repentance helps to be saved and to acquire that unity with God acquired at Baptism.

The Gospel says about repentance that it is a necessary condition for the salvation of the soul. A person must continuously struggle with his sins throughout his life. And, despite any defeats and falls, he should not become discouraged, despair and grumble, but repent all the time and continue to carry his life’s cross, which the Lord Jesus Christ laid on him.

Awareness of your sins

In this matter, the main thing is to understand that in the Sacrament of Confession, a repentant person is forgiven all his sins, and the soul is freed from sinful bonds. The ten commandments received by Moses from God, and the nine received from the Lord Jesus Christ, contain the entire moral and spiritual law of life.

Therefore, before confessing, you need to turn to your conscience and remember all your sins since childhood in order to prepare a real confession. Not everyone knows how it goes, and even rejects it, but a true Orthodox Christian, overcoming his pride and false shame, begins to spiritually crucify himself, honestly and sincerely admit his spiritual imperfection. And here it is important to understand that unconfessed sins will lead to eternal condemnation for a person, and repentance means victory over oneself.

What is real confession? How does this sacrament work?

Before confessing to a priest, you need to seriously prepare and understand the necessity of cleansing your soul from sins. To do this, you need to reconcile with all the offenders and with those who were offended, refrain from gossip and condemnation, any indecent thoughts, watching numerous entertainment programs and reading lightweight literature. It is better to devote your free time to reading the Holy Scriptures and other spiritual literature. It is advisable to confess a little in advance at the evening service, so that during the morning Liturgy you will no longer be distracted from the service and devote time to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. But, as a last resort, you can confess in the morning (mostly everyone does this).

For the first time, not everyone knows how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, etc. In this case, you need to warn the priest about this, and he will direct everything in the right direction. Confession, first of all, presupposes the ability to see and realize one’s sins; at the moment of expressing them, the priest should not justify himself and shift the blame onto another.

Children under 7 years of age and all newly baptized people receive communion on this day without confession; only women who are in purification (when they are menstruating or after childbirth until the 40th day) cannot do this. The text of the confession can be written on a piece of paper so that you don’t get lost later and remember everything.

Confession procedure

In church, a lot of people usually gather for confession, and before approaching the priest, you need to turn your face to the people and say out loud: “Forgive me, a sinner,” and they will answer: “God will forgive, and we forgive.” And then it is necessary to go to the confessor. Having approached the lectern (a high stand for a book), crossed yourself and bowed at the waist, without kissing the Cross and the Gospel, bowing your head, you can begin confession.

There is no need to repeat previously confessed sins, because, as the Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if they were repeated again, then they must be repented of again. At the end of your confession, you must listen to the words of the priest and when he finishes, cross yourself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, and then, having crossed yourself and bowed again, accept the blessing of your priest and go to your place.

What do you need to repent about?

Summing up the topic “Confession. How does this sacrament work?” it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the most common sins in our modern world.

Sins against God - pride, lack of faith or unbelief, renunciation of God and the Church, careless performance of the sign of the cross, failure to wear a cross, violation of the commandments of God, taking the name of the Lord in vain, careless performance, failure to attend church, prayer without diligence, talking and going to church on time services, belief in superstitions, turning to psychics and fortune tellers, thoughts of suicide, etc.

Sins against one's neighbor - grief of parents, robbery and extortion, stinginess in alms, hard-heartedness, slander, bribery, insults, barbs and evil jokes, irritation, anger, gossip, gossip, greed, scandals, hysteria, resentment, betrayal, treason, etc. d.

Sins against oneself - vanity, arrogance, anxiety, envy, vindictiveness, desire for earthly glory and honors, addiction to money, gluttony, smoking, drunkenness, gambling, masturbation, fornication, excessive attention to one's flesh, despondency, melancholy, sadness etc.

God will forgive any sin, nothing is impossible for him, a person only needs to truly realize his sinful deeds and sincerely repent of them.

Participle

They usually confess in order to receive communion, and for this they need to pray for several days, which means prayer and fasting, attending evening services and reading at home, in addition to evening and morning prayers, the canons: Theotokos, Guardian Angel, Repentant, for Communion, and, if possible , or rather, at will - Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. After midnight they no longer eat or drink; they begin the sacrament on an empty stomach. After receiving the Sacrament of Communion, you must read prayers for Holy Communion.

Don't be afraid to go to confession. How is it going? You can read accurate information about this in special brochures that are sold in every church; everything is described in great detail in them. And then the main thing is to tune in to this true and saving work, because an Orthodox Christian always needs to think about death so that it does not take him by surprise - without even communion.

Anyone wishing to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must prayerfully Prepare yourself for this: pray more and more diligently at home, attend church services. Preparation time To called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Meal food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses refrain from physical intimacy. If circumstances permit, you should attend church services on these days. The morning and evening prayer rules are followed more diligently, with the addition of the reading of the Penitential Canon.

On the eve of communion, it is customary to attend an evening temple service (if it is scheduled) or in the morning at the beginning of the morning service.

For prayer preparation for Holy Communion On the eve of communion, you need to read the following prayer rule at home:

three canons:

canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ
prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
canon to the Guardian Angel
Following to Holy Communion

All this is in the Orthodox prayer book.

It is possible and even advisable to read the prayers mentioned above gradually, adding to the daily prayer rule (morning and evening prayers, reading the Gospel, Psalms and patristic works) according to the canon on the day, and on the eve of Communion the very Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Fast

Placed before Communion liturgical fast. For newcomers who have fallen away and have not observed the multi-day and one-day (Wednesday and Friday) fasts established by the Church, a 7-day fast is required before Communion. If certain conditions and necessity exist, with the blessing of the priest, you can fast before Communion at other times.

Fasting, in addition to food restrictions, also consists of eating and drinking less than usual, and also refraining from visiting the theater, watching entertaining films and programs, and listening to secular music. It is necessary to maintain bodily and mental purity. Spouses should abstain from physical contact on the day before and after communion.

On the eve of communion, from 12 o'clock at night, a strict fast begins - complete abstinence from drinking and food (in the morning, going to church for communion, you are not allowed to eat or drink anything; those suffering from tobacco addiction must also abstain from their passion).

Mood and behavior

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.

Those who wish to receive communion must, on the eve, before or after the evening service, confess their sins to God in the presence of a witness - a priest, sincerely opening their soul and not hiding a single sin they have committed and have a sincere intention to correct themselves.

Before You must certainly reconcile with both the offenders and the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. The task of preparing for confession is to find specific qualities of your soul, character traits, actions, events or conditions that violate the Commandments of God, preventing communication with God.

During confession, it is better not to wait for the priest’s questions, but to tell him (with written preparation) everything that weighs on your soul, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame to others.

It is more correct to confess in the evening on the eve of communion in order to participate in the liturgy in the morning. ( Important! It is better to come to confession for the first time in your life or after a long break not on a Sunday or holiday, when churches are full of parishioners. The priest simply will not have time to confess you in detail. It is necessary to approach the priest outside of the service, talk with him and, preferably, make a separate special confession outside of connection with Communion, and then, based on the results of this confession, with the blessing of the priest, prepare for Communion.) As a last resort, you can confess in the morning, before the start of the liturgy. Coming to confession when the liturgy has already begun is an extreme neglect of the Sacrament. Having confessed, you need to make a firm decision not to repeat your previous sins again. Without confession, no one can be admitted to Holy Communion, except for children under 7 years of age. Women should not receive communion during the period of monthly cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the cleansing prayer of the fortieth day is read over them.

Before Holy Communion and during Holy Communion

Even before the opening of the Royal Doors and the removal of the Holy Gifts, it is best soon after singing “Our Father,” you need to approach the altar and wait for the removal of the Holy Gifts with the exclamation “Come with the fear of God and faith.” In this case, it is necessary to let the children who receive communion first go ahead, before the adults. When approaching the Chalice, you need to bow in advance, from afar, and fold your arms crosswise on your chest (right over left). There is no need to cross yourself in front of the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Approaching the Chalice, you need to clearly pronounce your full Christian name, open your lips (mouth) wide and reverently, with full consciousness of the holiness of the great Sacrament, accept the Body and Blood of Christ and immediately swallow.

If a child is noisy and crying, you should leave the church and not disturb the worship and prayer of others; you can stay in another room (church store) or on the street and go to the beginning of Communion.

Small children should be placed on their right hand before communion. Hold their arms and legs from moving, help open their mouth. After Communion, you need to give them a drink of water, and only after that give them a pacifier.

Older children should be taught to fold their arms crosswise and say their full name. In general, in order for a child not to be afraid and not make noise in church, it is necessary to be with him in church more often, even during non-liturgical times, to accustom him to church and prayers. It is necessary to remember: the spiritual state of a child depends on the spiritual state of parents and loved ones; the child’s behavior in general and in church is evidence of the churchliness of his family. So the first and “golden” rule of raising a person: start with yourself, and the second rule: set an example! Education, both secular and, of course, primarily spiritual, is based on this.

After Holy Communion

After communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the communicant’s mouth with a special cloth, after which, without crossing himself, the edge of the Holy Chalice is kissed and the communicant goes to a special table, where he takes the drink (warmth) and eats a piece of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting the warmth, you cannot venerate either the icons, the Cross, or the Gospel.

It is not customary to leave the church before kissing the altar cross in the hands of a priest. After this, you need to listen to prayers of gratitude (or read them when you come home).

On the day of Holy Communion - behave reverently and decorously, in order to “honestly keep Christ accepted within you.” The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoid verbosity (it is better to remain silent in general), watch TV, exclude marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to abstain from smoking. It is advisable to read prayers of thanksgiving at home after Holy Communion. Under no circumstances should you receive communion several times in one day.

An integral part of fasting is confession, that is, repentance. This is one of the Orthodox sacraments, when a person tells a church minister about his sins that he committed during his life. It is important to know how to prepare for confession, since without this it will be impossible to begin communion.

How to prepare for confession and communion?

There are several requirements that clergy speak about to people who want to receive communion.

The person must be an Orthodox Christian who has been baptized by a legitimate priest. In addition, it is important to believe and accept the Holy Scriptures. There are various books through which a person can learn about faith, for example, the Catechism.
When figuring out what you need to know before confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that it is necessary to remember evil deeds starting from the age of seven or from the moment of baptism, if this happened in adulthood. It is important to point out that you cannot mention the sins of others to justify your own actions.
A believer must make a promise to the Lord that every effort will be made to no longer make mistakes and do good.
In a situation where sin has caused damage to loved ones, then before confession it is important to make every possible effort to make amends for the committed act.
It is equally important to forgive existing grievances to people yourself, otherwise you should not count on the Lord’s condescension.
It is recommended to develop a habit for yourself every day, for example, before going to bed, to analyze the past day, bringing repentance before the Lord.

Fasting before confession

There are no direct prohibitions regarding whether it is possible to eat food before the sacrament of confession, but it is recommended to abstain from food for 6-8 hours. If you are interested in how to fast before confession and communion, then you must adhere to a three-day fast, as permitted products include: vegetables and fruits, cereals, fish, baked goods, dried fruits and nuts.

Prayers before confession

One of the important stages of preparation is reading prayer texts, and this can be done both at home and in church. With their help, a person carries out spiritual cleansing and prepares for an important event. Many Orthodox believers assure that in order to prepare for confession, it is important to read prayers, the text of which is clear and known, thanks to which you can get rid of disturbing thoughts and gain understanding of the upcoming ritual. The clergy assure that you can even ask for your loved ones who are about to confess and receive communion.

How to write down sins before confession?

Many people misunderstand the need to list their own sins, even using “lists.” As a result, confession turns into a formal listing of one’s own mistakes. The clergy allow the use of notes, but these should only be reminders and only if a person is really afraid of forgetting something. When figuring out how to prepare for confession, it is worth pointing out that it is important to understand the term “sin” as an act that is contrary to the will of the Lord.

There are several tips on how to write sins before confession in order to fulfill everything according to the existing canons.

First, you need to remember the offenses that concern the Lord, for example, lack of faith, using superstitions in life, turning to fortune-tellers and creating idols for yourself.
Rules before confession include indicating sins committed against oneself and other people. This group includes condemnation of others, neglect, bad habits, envy, and so on.
It is important when talking with clergy to discuss only your own sins, without inventing special church language.
When confessing, a person should talk about really serious things, and not about trifles.
When figuring out how to properly prepare for confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that a believer should try to change his life before going to an individual conversation in church. In addition, you need to try to live in peace with the people around you.

Is it possible to drink water before confession?

There are many prohibitions regarding such important and responsible events in the life of a believer, such as confession and. It is believed that, as a preparation, it is necessary to refrain from taking food and liquid for at least 6-8 hours. It is important to note that before confession, only people who need to wash down medications important for life are allowed to drink water. If a person drank water before communion, he should tell the clergyman about it.

Is it possible to smoke before communion and confession?

There are different opinions expressed by clergy on this topic.

Some believe that if a person smokes for a long time, it will be difficult for him to quit the bad habit, and there are cases when this is dangerous. In their opinion, cigarette addiction cannot be a reason for denial of confession and communion.
Other clergy, answering the question regarding whether it is possible to smoke before confession and communion, are categorical, arguing that if it is difficult for a person to abstain from tobacco before this important event, then it is difficult to talk about the triumph of the spirit over the body.

Is it possible to have sex before confession?

Many believers misunderstand it, considering it something dirty and sinful. In fact, sex is an integral part of a marital relationship. Many priests are of the opinion that husband and wife are free individuals, and no one has the right to enter their bedroom with their advice. Sex before confession is not strictly prohibited, but if possible, abstinence will be useful to maintain the purity of body and soul.

One of the most important sacraments in Orthodoxy can be called Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the moment when the believer is united with the Son of God. However, you should know how preparation for communion occurs, especially for those who decide to receive it for the first time (for example, you need to confess, pray, etc.). This is necessary in order for the right attitude to appear, awareness of future unity with Christ.

Preparing for confession and communion is not a one-day procedure, so you need to know exactly what to do and when. This is exactly what the article will discuss.

What is the Sacrament of Communion?

Before you figure out where the preparation for communion begins (this is especially important for beginners), you should know what kind of sacrament it is in general. Christ first accepted it and commanded his followers to repeat it. The first communion took place at the Last Supper on the eve of his crucifixion.

Before the sacrament, a divine service is necessarily performed, which is called the Divine Liturgy, or Eucharist, which is translated from Greek as “thanksgiving.” This is exactly the action that Christ performed in the distant past before giving communion to his disciples.

Thus, preparation for communion should include memories of these distant ancient events. All this allows you to tune in to the right mood, which will undoubtedly lead to a deeper acceptance of the Sacrament.

How often should you take communion?

Preparation for communion (especially for those who do it infrequently or for the first time) should include the concept of how many times you can participate in this sacrament. Here you should know that this action is voluntary, so you should in no way force yourself to do it. The main thing is to come to communion with a pure and light heart, when you want to join the Mystery of Christ. Those who are in any doubt should consult a priest.

It is recommended to start communion if you are internally ready for it. That Christian who lives with faith in God can perform this sacrament at every liturgy. If there are still doubts in your heart, but you believe in God and are on this path, then you can receive communion once a week or month. As a last resort during every major post. However, all this must be regular.

It should also be noted that, according to ancient sources, it was advisable to perform communion daily, but it would be good to do it four times a week (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday). Those who are just embarking on the path of the Christian faith should know that there is one day in the year - Maundy Thursday (before Easter), when communion is simply necessary, this is a tribute to the ancient tradition with which it all began. It is also written about in the article above.

Some clergy believe that frequent reception of the sacrament is unacceptable. However, it should immediately be said that, according to canonical laws, they are wrong. Here you need to look very deeply into a person and see how much he really needs this action. In addition, communion should not be mechanical. Therefore, if it is performed frequently, then the layman must constantly keep himself in good shape and be ready to accept the Gifts. Not everyone can do this, so what is described in this article about preparation should happen regularly. Constant prayers, confession and observance of all fasts. The priest should know about all this, since such a life cannot really be hidden.

Prayer rule before communion

So, now we will take a more specific look at all the points that need to be taken into account before preparing for the sacrament. First of all, it should be noted that home prayer before the Sacrament is very important. In the Orthodox Prayer Book there is a special sequence that is read before communion. This is preparation for communion. The prayers that are read before this, not only at home, but also in church, are also included in the preparation for the Sacrament. It is imperative to attend the service immediately before the Sacrament, but in general it is advisable to do this every day.

prayer canon of the Mother of God;
penitential canon to Jesus Christ;
canon to the Guardian Angel.

Thus, conscious preparation for communion and confession, prayers from the heart can help the believer to understand the importance of the Sacrament and spiritually prepare for this miracle.

Fasting before communion

It is equally important to fast before communion. This is a must. After all, Holy Communion, preparation for which must take place consciously, is a very important rite, and it should not be mechanical, otherwise there will be no benefit from it.

So, those believers who regularly observe multi-day and one-day fasts are entitled only to the so-called liturgical fast. Its meaning is not to eat food or drink from twelve o'clock at night before receiving the Sacrament. This fast continues in the morning (i.e., communion occurs on an empty stomach).

For those parishioners who do not observe any fasts, as well as those who have just joined Orthodoxy, the priest can establish a seven-day or three-day fast before communion. All such nuances should be additionally agreed upon in the church and you should not be afraid to ask about them.

How to behave, what thoughts to avoid before the Sacrament

When preparation for communion begins, one must realize one’s sins in full. But in addition to this, to prevent them from becoming more numerous, you need to refrain from various amusements, for example, visiting the theater or watching TV. Spouses must renounce physical contact the day before communion and on the day of taking it.

Particular attention should be paid to your mood, behavior and thoughts. Make sure not to judge anyone, discard obscene and evil thoughts. Do not give in to a bad mood or irritation. Free time should be spent in solitude, indulging in reading spiritual books or prayer (as far as possible).

It should be noted that the most important thing for accepting the Holy Gifts of Christ is repentance. A person must sincerely repent of his actions. This is exactly what you need to focus your attention on. Fasting, prayer, reading scriptures are just means to achieve this state. And we need to remember this.

How to prepare for confession

Confession before communion is very important. Make this request to the priest of the church in which you are going to receive the Sacrament. Preparing for communion and confession is a special mindset aimed at correcting one’s sins, one’s bad behavior and unclean thoughts, as well as keeping track of everything that contradicts and violates the Commandments of the Lord. Everything that was found and consciously should be confessed. But remember to be sincere, do not turn the conversation with the priest into simply a formal listing of sins on a list.

So, why is such serious preparation for confession and communion necessary? You should realize your sins in advance in order to know what to tell the priest about. It often happens that a believer comes, but does not know what to say, where to start. You also need to tune in to the fact that the priest is just a guide; the Sacrament of Repentance remains with him and the Lord. Therefore, there is no need to feel embarrassed when talking about your sins. This is necessary to cleanse yourself and continue living freely.

Confession before communion: awareness of sins

So, the preparation for confession and communion is over. But the hardest part is yet to come. When you come to confession, open your heart without waiting for the priest’s questions. Tell us everything that weighs on your soul. It is better to perform this action in the evening, on the eve of the liturgy, although it would not be a mistake to do it in the morning before it.

If you are going to receive communion for the first time, it is better to confess the day before. This is necessary so that the priest has time to listen to you. If you want to confess in the morning, then choose a day when there are few people. For example, on Sunday there are a lot of parishioners in the church, so the priest will not be able to listen to you in detail. After confessing your sins, you should adhere to the right path and strive with all your might not to commit them in the future, otherwise what was the meaning of this spiritual conversation?

Communion day. What to do?

On the day of communion, you need to follow some rules. As mentioned above, you need to go to the temple on an empty stomach. If you smoke, then you need to abstain from cigarettes until you accept the Gifts of Christ. In church, when the moment comes for them to be taken out, you need to approach the altar, but let the children go ahead if they have come, since they receive communion first.

There is no need to be baptized near the Chalice; you just need to bow in advance, crossing your arms over your chest. Before accepting gifts, you need to say your Christian name, and then eat them immediately.

What should be done after a person has received communion?

The rules for preparing for communion also include knowledge of what needs to be done after the Sacrament has taken place. Kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table with prosphora to eat a piece. Do not leave the church until you kiss the altar cross that the priest will hold.

Also in the temple there are prayers of thanksgiving that need to be heard. As a last resort, you can read them at home yourself. Keep the purity you have received inside your soul. Each time this will happen easier and easier.

What you should know about giving communion to children and the sick

It should be said that young children (up to the age of seven) receive communion without confession. Also, they do not need to prepare the way an adult does (fasting, prayer, repentance). Those infants who have received baptism receive communion on the same day or during the nearest liturgy that follows their baptism.

Exceptions are also made for patients. They don’t have to prepare the way healthy people do, but if possible, they should at least confess. But if the patient cannot do this, then the priest reads “I believe, Lord, and I confess.” After which he immediately gives communion.

In church practice, parishioners who are temporarily excommunicated from communion, but are on their deathbed or in danger, are not denied the reception of the Holy Gifts. However, upon recovery (if this happens), the ban continues to apply.

Who cannot take communion

Preparation for communion for beginners includes knowing who cannot receive it. This will be discussed below:

those who have not confessed cannot receive communion (with the exception of children under seven years of age);
parishioners who have been excommunicated from receiving the Holy Sacraments also cannot receive communion;
those who are insensible;
parishioners who are insane and possessed if they blaspheme in their fits (if this does not happen, then you can give communion, but this should not happen every day);
spouses who had an intimate life on the eve of receiving the Sacraments;
Women who are menstruating cannot receive communion.

A brief reminder for those taking communion and confessing

So, now let’s summarize all the moments that arise when preparing for confession and communion. The reminder will help you not to forget all the steps.

Consciousness of sin.
Repentance is perfect, a special state when you have forgiven everyone and do not feel evil.
Preparing for confession. Here you need to reconsider what sins there may be: in relation to God, loved ones, to yourself (smoking, for example), carnal sins, those that relate to the family (infidelity and the like).
Correct and sincere, without concealment, confession.
Post if necessary.
Prayers.
Direct communion.
Further retention of purity and Christ in the body.

Separately, it is necessary to say about how to behave in church during communion.

Don't be late for the liturgy.
You need to cross yourself when opening the royal doors, then fold your hands crosswise. Approach and move away from the Chalice in the same way.
Approach from the right side, and the left should be free. Don't push.
Communion should take place in turn: bishop, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, children, adults.
Women are required to come to the temple without lipstick.
Before accepting the Gifts of Christ, do not forget to say your name.
People do not cross themselves directly before the Chalice.
It happens that the Holy Gifts are given from two or more Chalices. In this case, you should choose one, since receiving communion more than once a day is considered a sin.
At home, after communion, you need to read prayers of thanksgiving, if you did not listen to them in church.

Now, perhaps, you know all the stages that include communion in church and preparation for it. It is very important to approach this consciously, with deep faith in your heart. The most important thing is repentance for your sins, which must be true, and not just in words. But you shouldn’t stop there either. You need to reject sin from life as something alien, understand that it is impossible to live like this, realize that lightness can only come with purity.

Finally

So, as we see, preparation for communion is a serious stage before the Sacrament itself. All recommendations must be followed in order to come ready to receive the Gifts of Christ. It is necessary to realize in advance the importance of this moment, which is why more diligent prayer is required. Fasting will help a believer cleanse his body, and confession to a priest will help him cleanse his soul. Conscious preparation for communion and confession will help the parishioner understand that this Sacrament is not at all one of the many rites, but something deeper. This is a special communication with the Lord, as a result of which the life of a Christian changes dramatically.

However, it should be taken into account (this is important primarily for those parishioners who have just set out on the path of repentance) that it is impossible to fix everything at once. If you have been building up a sinful burden for decades, then you need to get rid of it gradually. And taking communion is the first step on this path.