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Why then, when you receive communion, do the Holy Mysteries sometimes taste like bread, and sometimes like Flesh? Does this mean that at some time you partake of eternal life, and at another time you partake in condemnation?

When you take communion, you feel that your soul is light, but after a while (on the same day) this state passes, and your soul is heavy again. You feel the absence of God. The same passions arise again. What do we have to do?

Answers these questions Archimandrite Ambrose (Fontrier):

"TO When Righteous John of Kronstadt served in the cathedral, two young people came to him. They gathered to take communion. One read the rule, but the second, very tired, could not. And both came to church. The one who read it calmly approached Communion, and the righteous John of Kronstadt did not allow him. And the other with a contrite heart said to himself: “Lord, I so want to accept You; but I didn’t read the rule, I’m so vile, so disgusting...” Condemning himself, he approached the Chalice, and Righteous John of Kronstadt gave him communion. The most important thing for the Lord is our contrite heart, the awareness of our unworthiness. Saint John Chrysostom says: “If we prepare for a thousand years, we will never be worthy - we must hope for the mercy of God. If the Lord does not help, we will not be able to receive communion worthily.”

- Why then, when you receive communion, do the Holy Mysteries sometimes taste like bread, and sometimes like Flesh? Does this mean that at some time you partake of eternal life, and at another time you partake in condemnation?

— If a person feels that he accepts the Flesh, then the Lord gives it to strengthen faith. But it’s right to feel the taste of bread. The Lord Himself says: “I am the bread of Life” (John 6:35).

Many people told me about this. Just recently, one woman called from Kyiv and said: “Father, my faith is weak. When I went to Communion today, I was poorly prepared. Father gave me a small particle, and at the Chalice I thought: “What kind of Flesh can there be here? When I can’t even feel with my tongue that he put something in my mouth? He gave me a little, a tiny bit. And I couldn’t eat that piece. It stayed like that in my mouth. I came home and my mouth was full of meat. I just can't swallow it. For several hours I sobbed, cried, asked the Lord - it’s a pity to throw it away, but I just can’t swallow it! Then the Lord freed me - I swallowed it and now I’m calling. What, have I sinned terribly?” “Repent for doubting this,” I tell her.

We know that the Lord performed the first miracle when he transformed wine from water. It costs him nothing to transform His Blood from wine, or His Flesh from bread. A person does not receive part of the flesh, but the Living Christ enters entirely into each person who receives communion.

— When you take communion, you feel light in your soul, but after a while (on the same day) this state passes, and your soul is heavy again. You feel the absence of God. The same passions arise again. What do we have to do?

“We need to prepare ourselves the day before.” You need to fast well - “This same generation of demons is driven out only by prayer and fasting”(Matthew 17:21), so you need to pray well the day before, warm up your soul, fast - the passions will subside.

After Communion, we must try to remain in prayer and maintain peace of mind. Those who like to be arbitrary and rebel do not value Communion. They took communion - and immediately there was resentment, hysteria, and rebellion. This is because everything happens not according to their will. They need to rebel, completely break off everything, all relationships. There are still many such people, they are called rebels. They don't value anything, they don't value anything. The most important thing is that everything is according to their wishes. And if (God forbid) something is against them, everyone around them becomes enemies, and there will never be peace in the soul, until death. This is the most terrible state of the human soul. A person lives according to his own will, and no one has the right to say anything to him. And everything is fine with them, just don’t touch them - they’ll sting...”

How best to prepare for receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ?

Only Orthodox Christians approach the Sacrament of Holy Communion, those who constantly go to church, strictly observe all fasts, are married, pray, live in peace with everyone, repent of sins - such people, with the permission of their confessor, begin the Chalice.

It is necessary to prepare both soul and body in advance in order to unite with the Lord. Fast for 3-4 days, do not eat light food, abstain from dinner the day before, replace it with the rule: read two akathists - to the Savior and the Mother of God, four canons - to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel and the canon for Holy Communion. Those who do not have such an opportunity - 500 Jesus prayers and 150 times “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” But even after reading this rule, even if we had been preparing for a thousand years, we cannot think that we are worthy to receive the Body of Christ. We must rely only on the mercy of God and His great love for mankind.

Before Communion, you must repent sincerely in the presence of a priest. You must have a cross on your chest. Under no circumstances should you approach the Chalice if your confessor forbids it or if you are concealing a sin. In bodily and monthly uncleanness, you also cannot begin the Sacrament of Communion. Before and after Communion, one must abstain from marital relations.

We must remember that before or after Communion there will certainly be temptation. After Communion, no prostrations are made until the morning, lips are not rinsed, and nothing should be spit out. We must protect ourselves from idle talk, especially from condemnation, read the Gospel, the Jesus Prayer, akathists, and Divine books.

How often should you take communion? How do you know that you have received communion worthily and not to condemnation?

If a person is married, observes fasts, Wednesdays, Fridays, reads morning and evening prayers, lives in peace with everyone, if he reads all the rules before Communion and considers himself unworthy, approaching Communion with faith and fear, then he partakes of the Mysteries of Christ worthily . The soul will not immediately, suddenly feel worthy of receiving communion. Maybe the next day or the third the soul will feel peace and joy. Everything depends on our preparation. If we pray intensely, try to let every word of prayer penetrate our hearts, fast and consider ourselves sinful and unworthy, then we can immediately feel the presence of the Lord in us. After Communion we will have peace and joy. Temptation may come immediately. You must be prepared for it, having met it, not be tempted and not sin. This means the devil knows that we are prepared. But the most important thing is to consider yourself sinful and unworthy. Of course, if we live in such a way that we are forcibly forced to read the canons, morning and evening rules, and we do it carelessly, this feeling of sinfulness will not be born in our souls. We have enough time to chat, run around, see what is where, who is doing what. We have enough energy for this. Or we’ll hold out, beat the clock: “Oh, three minutes left until midnight! We need to go eat!” This is not the Orthodox spirit. This is the spirit of Satan. It should not be. An Orthodox person must do everything with reverence and fear of God. The soul of an Orthodox Christian feels God both after communion and between communions. The Lord is nearby, standing at the door of our hearts and knocking: what if they open it and hear His knock? The Holy Fathers honored reverence and fear in their souls and supported this grace with prayer. They, feeling that their prayer was weakening, confessed and approached the Chalice, and the Lord strengthened them! Again the soul was on fire. Communion is the only sacrament of the Church where a person’s soul can ignite with the flame of divine love; because in Communion we take into ourselves the Living Fire, the very Creator of the universe.

Is the infection transmitted through a cross, a communion spoon, or an icon?

In the church we are already dealing with Heaven. Here we are no longer on earth. The Church is a small piece of Heaven on earth. When we step over the threshold of the temple, we must forget about everything earthly, including disgust (disgust is usually lascivious, say the Holy Fathers). The infection is transmitted only through sinful means. Many people work in infectious diseases departments, in tuberculosis hospitals, but do not suffer from these diseases. The priests also come there and give communion. And no one has ever become infected. People become infected only through sin.

When they approach the Chalice, they accept from one small spoon - a liar - the Creator of the Universe, the Living Christ, the Body and Blood of Christ. Here there is Sami Cleanliness and Sterility. Everything here is so clean that believers don’t even think about infection. Through the hands of the priest, Christ Himself enters into man. Not a part of His Flesh and Blood, but as a whole, the Lord enters into each communicant. The angels are in trembling, present in fear. And what can we say about some kind of infection. There was a time, in 62-63, atheists came to church and taught that after each communicant a spoon should be dipped into a special solution. Well, this is for them... They don’t understand anything. And the fact that their soul has already become a vessel of Satan is normal, no big deal!

When Righteous John of Kronstadt served in the cathedral, two young people came to him. They gathered to take communion. One read the rule, but the second, very tired, could not. And both came to church. The one who read it calmly approached Communion, and the righteous John of Kronstadt did not allow him. And the other with a contrite heart said to himself: “Lord, I so want to receive You; but I didn’t read the rule, I’m so vile, so disgusting...” Condemning himself, he approached the Chalice, and Righteous John of Kronstadt gave him communion. The most important thing for the Lord is our contrite heart, the awareness of our unworthiness. St. John Chrysostom says: “If we prepare for a thousand years, we will never be worthy - we must hope for the mercy of God. If the Lord does not help, we will not be able to receive communion worthily.”

When you take communion, you feel light in your soul, but after a while (on the same day) this state passes, and your soul is heavy again. You feel the absence of God. The same passions arise again. What do we have to do?

You need to prepare yourself the day before. You need to fast well - “this kind of demons is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21), so you need to pray well the day before, warm up your soul, fast - the passions will subside. After Communion, we must try to remain in prayer and maintain peace of mind. Those who like to be arbitrary and rebel do not value Communion. They took communion - and immediately there was resentment, hysteria, and rebellion. This is because everything happens not according to their will. We need to deal with them, break everything completely, all relationships. There are still many such people, they are called bottlers. They don't value anything, they don't value anything. The most important thing is that everything is according to their wishes. And if (God forbid) something is against them, everyone around them becomes enemies, and there will never be peace in the soul, until death. This is the most terrible state of the human soul. A person lives according to his own will and no one has the right to say anything to him. And everything is fine with them, just don’t touch them - they’ll sting...

Why then, when you receive communion, do the Holy Mysteries sometimes taste like bread, and sometimes like Flesh? Does this mean that at some time you partake of eternal life, and at another time - into condemnation?

If a person feels that he accepts the Flesh, then the Lord gives it to strengthen faith. But it’s right to feel the taste of bread. The Lord Himself says: “I am the bread of Life” (John 6:35).

Many people told me about this. Just recently, one woman called from Kyiv and said: “Father, my faith is weak. When I went to Communion today, I was poorly prepared. Father gave me a small particle, and at the Chalice I thought: “What kind of Flesh can there be here? When I can’t even feel with my tongue that he put something in my mouth?" He gave me a little, a tiny bit. And I just couldn’t eat that piece. It stayed in my mouth like that. I came home - my mouth was full of meat. No way. I can swallow. For several hours I sobbed, cried, asked the Lord - it’s a pity to throw it away, but I just can’t swallow! Then the Lord freed me - I swallowed it and now I’m calling. What, have I sinned terribly?” “Repent for doubting this,” I tell her.

We know that the Lord performed the first miracle when he transformed wine from water. It costs him nothing to transform His Blood from wine, or His Flesh from bread. A person does not receive part of the flesh, but the Living Christ enters entirely into each person who receives communion.

We know the word of the Apostle Paul about receiving the Holy Gifts “without reasoning.” I would like to know whether it is possible to give such recommendations to a person who does not believe in God?

Only believers can approach the Chalice and receive communion; those who believe in the crucified Jesus Christ as the Son of God and sincerely confess their sins. And to the “raw material” who doesn’t go to church, doesn’t pray to God, doesn’t keep fasts and strives to take communion “just in case,” we usually say: “It’s too early for you to take communion. You need to get ready.” Some defend such “parishioners” and say: “If they are not allowed in, then who should be allowed in?” God does not need quantity, God needs quality. It is better for one person to receive communion worthily than twenty unworthily. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “I would rather give my body to be torn to pieces by dogs than the Body of Christ to the unworthy.”

You need to have reasoning. We know from experience: everyone who came to church to be baptized and did not prepare remains outside the Church. Therefore, we ask you to seriously prepare your soul for this Sacrament, go to church services, and pray. When such a prepared person is baptized, he will become a faithful member of the Church and will constantly be in the temple. These are the real Orthodox Christians. On the Day of the Last Judgment, on the left side of our Judge there will be a lot of baptized, “Orthodox” people. They will prove that they are believers, but the Lord will say: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

After communion I almost got hit by a car. I escaped with a bruise... I want to understand why this happened?

There may be various reasons for this. The Holy Fathers say that before or after communion, the enemy will certainly create a temptation: he will try to prevent communion, or after communion he will take revenge. He strives with all his demonic machinations to create an obstacle so that a person cannot receive communion worthily. A Christian prepares, prays, reads the rule for Holy Communion and suddenly... someone meets him on the way, scolds him, or his neighbors start a scandal at home, all so that the person sins and loses heart. These are obstacles from the devil.

It happens differently. The man is in enmity, has not reconciled, has not asked for forgiveness and goes to the Chalice. Or He has secret unrepentant sins in his soul.

If a person went through formal confession, did not repent of anything and approached the Chalice more than once, he received communion unworthily, to his own condemnation. About such the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that “... many of them are dying” (1 Cor. 11:30).

If we repented of everything, hid nothing, left nothing on our conscience, then we are under the special protection of God. Then, even if we are hit to death by a car, it’s not scary: on the day of communion all Orthodox Christians would like to die, because for the sake of the Holy Gifts the soul immediately admires the Angels in Heaven and it does not go through the ordeal. The soul will not go to hell on the day of communion.

And if such a nuisance happened, but the person “got away with fright” and remained alive, then this can be regarded as a reminder from God of the inevitable death that can come today or tomorrow. Life is short term. This means that we need to intensify our deeds and pay more attention to the spiritual side of our life. Any illness, any such case is news from the other world. The Lord constantly reminds us that our earthly refuge is temporary, that we do not live here forever and will go to another world.

No matter how well a person lives on earth, he will not build a kingdom here. Only once was he given the opportunity to live in paradise under the cover of God's grace. Man could not resist, fell into sin, and sin shortened the days of man’s life. Along with sin, death entered man's life. The devil has distorted consciousness so much that sin has become the norm, and virtue is trampled underfoot.

But we have hope of entering the Kingdom of Heaven through a righteous life in Christ and cleansing the soul through repentance. And in the Kingdom of Heaven there is no despondency, no illness, no despair, no sorrow. There is fullness of life, fullness of joy, and for this we must constantly prepare, remember every second: our whole life is only preparation for eternity. How many billions of people there were on earth, everyone moved into the world of the majority. And now we stand on the threshold into that world.

Is it possible for unmarried people to receive communion?

This issue is very complex, and it must be resolved with the confessor. An unmarried marriage is not blessed by God. For example, a woman lives in Moscow. She has an apartment. A man comes to her from the other end of Moscow and lives with her. Well, so how: can such people be allowed to receive communion?" Many will exclaim: "Father, this is fornication. They live illegally."

Fine. Then this man collects his things and moves over to her, thinking: “Why am I going to go back and forth.” He came, began to live, and registered with her. We registered with the registry office, in case of divorce, in order to divide the things we had acquired together. Did the marriage then become legal? Nothing of the kind, it is just as illegal. They just moved in together.

This marriage will be legal when they have strong faith, make a promise to God to maintain purity in marriage, that is, during fasting not to indulge infantry desires, not to commit adultery on the side, and get married. Then this marriage will be “registered” in Heaven. This marriage is blessed by God.

Now many people get married at the insistence of their parents. A mother says to her son or daughter: “You definitely need to get married!” And children, to please their parents, get married in church. The mother is calm, comforted. And they lived for two or three months, there was a scandal, and they fled. Soon they find another couple and begin to live as a new family. Thus they commit adultery and trample on the holy bonds of a married, God-blessed marriage.

By the law given by God, these people are bound by marriage as long as one of the spouses is alive. The husband died, the wife can get married, and vice versa. But if both spouses are alive, none of them can live with another person. And no priest has the right to marry them.

What God has joined together, let no man separate. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries one who is divorced from her husband commits adultery” (Luke 1b:18). “To those who are married, I do not command, but the Lord: a wife should not divorce her husband, and a husband should not leave his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10).

If it has become unbearable to live with your spouse and you separated, then you need to keep yourself pure; but it is better to reconcile with the one whom the Lord has given you.

We give communion to a baby, but for some reason he becomes irritable after communion.

Much depends on the parents. The child is sinless, holy, and the parents are often unrepentant, and this internal state is reflected in the child. It is mentioned in the life of Righteous John of Kronstadt: when babies were brought to him for communion, some of them did not want to accept the Holy Gifts - they waved their hands, spun, and twirled. And the righteous man prophetically said: “These are the future persecutors of the Church.” They were already opponents of God from birth.

A grandmother gives Holy Communion to a small child in secret from her parents; she is embarrassed by the fact that it is done in secret.

There's nothing wrong here. On the contrary, it is very good that someone in the family is doing a good deed for the soul of this child. A child must live a spiritual life. If he does not receive communion, his soul may die and the little man will grow up with a dead soul. Subsequently, he can be possessed by an evil force even to the point of mental illness, to the point of demonic possession. And if this, by the grace of God, does not happen, a person with an evil character will simply grow up.

A small planted flower requires care and attention. It needs watering, loosening and freeing from weeds. Likewise, a child must be given communion with the Holy Mysteries - the Blood and Body of Christ. Then his soul lives and develops. She falls under the special protection of the Lord's grace.

Many Orthodox Christians, especially those who have only recently joined the church, ask priests and believers: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” It is impossible to answer unequivocally and categorically, but, nevertheless, it will be more likely “no” than “yes”. Why? So that there is no temptation.

Why was confession invented?

Usually, when answering such a question, clergy begin their introduction by quoting the Old Testament, which talks about Adam and Eve. Initially, our first parents lived without sin in Eden, communicating with each other and with God. But in the Garden of Eden lived the Serpent (devil), who tempted Eve, then Adam sinned. Since that time, man and God have distanced themselves from each other. To be reconciled with God again, people need to repent of their actions.

What is the point of this episode? Remember, God, having created man and woman, said something like this: “Live, enjoy the gifts, but do not eat the fruit of this tree.” When Eve found herself next to the forbidden tree, the Serpent-tempter told her that she would learn a lot if she ate the fruit. She disobeyed God, but agreed with the devil. After such a tragic incident, the person was expelled from heaven forever.

What is Communion?

Let's see how this story relates to contemporary times. Is it possible to receive communion without confession and what is Communion? After the Fall in Eden, for many thousands of years the righteous knew God, but lived according to different laws that Moses wrote. After a while, the Son of God came to earth - Jesus Christ - and established a new law - the Gospel (New Testament). On the eve of the day of the crucifixion, He gathered His disciples and said: “In My memory you will eat bread and drink wine, for this is My body and blood.” By these words the Lord meant Communion.

Unfortunately, each of us (even the saints) has sinned and continues to sin. Only Jesus Christ was sinless. In order to be reconciled with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you need to sincerely repent of your actions and cleanse your soul of dirt.

About the sacrament of the Eucharist

Ordinary people are not given the opportunity to see how the preparation of Communion takes place in the altar after the general singing of the Lord's Prayer. Even the priests themselves do not see what is happening, they only know what kind of sacrament this is, so they pray for the transformation of wine and bread into the body and blood of Christ. There is evidence of how some holy people saw the Baby, many angels, and the Mother of God in the altar. This is how, invisible to the human eye, a real miracle occurs, for which you need to seriously prepare. After such stories, as a rule, people no longer ask the question: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” After all, every Christian in this case feels his unworthiness before communion.

Great Lent and Christmas

There is a church rule about Lent: if you fasted all days, took communion at least once, and went to church regularly, then you can take communion on Easter night. On Holy Saturday, after the sacrament of confession, one is allowed to take communion in the morning at the liturgy. If a person has not sinned during the day, prayed, and prepared for the night service, then he can receive communion without confession again. The same rule applies on Christmas Eve.

What if I didn’t receive communion before my death?

People often ask with excitement: “A loved one died, but he did not receive communion. Where will his soul be?”

There is one story about a nun who succumbed to temptation and went into the world. She lived there with men and had fun. But the time came, she came to her senses, realized what she had done, and decided to return. While she was on her way to her native monastery, she cried and repented, approaching almost the gates of the monastery, she died. As the nuns of the monastery later miraculously learned, their lost sister went to heaven, she was forgiven by God, because she cried about her sins and sincerely asked the Lord for forgiveness. This case will answer the question: “Is it possible to receive communion without confession?” But we must remember that this is allowed only in exceptional cases, for example, a soldier dies during a battle in a war, or a seriously ill person to whom a priest cannot come.

Unction, confession and communion

During Lent, before Christmas, unction takes place. What it is? During this sacrament, the seven Gospels are read and believers are anointed with the cross. What is this action? The priests pray for the health of those gathered. Many priests say that unction is necessary for illnesses.

“Is it possible to receive communion after unction without confession, since all sins are removed with this sacrament?” - priests often hear this question. A competent priest will ask the counter: “Who told you that with unction, all your sins are washed away?” In fact, the rite of unction says practically nothing about the forgiveness of sins in general; there is only a prayer for health. Usually you can hear the answer before the unction: “You can go to confession after the unction, if you don’t have time before it.” Nothing is said here about communion.

So we examined the questions about whether it is possible to receive communion without confession during Great Lent, and whether after unction one can proceed to the Eucharist. Any such questions should be discussed only with the priest with whom you are confessing.

The first inhabitants of the Earth, the ancestors Adam and Eve, lived in Paradise, not knowing the need for anything. According to the conviction of the evil Serpent, they tasted the forbidden fruit - they sinned and were expelled to Earth. Modern man succumbs to other temptations, like Adam and Eve, and through his actions becomes ineligible for Paradise. It is never too late to ask God for forgiveness, while in earthly life you must have a firm desire not to sin - to confess and take communion. What communion is in the church and how it is performed requires clarification, because not everyone knows about it.

What does it mean to take communion in church?

Awareness of one's own sinfulness entails a desire to repent, that is, to admit a wrong action and the intention not to commit such a thing in the future. To ask for forgiveness for sins committed is to confess, and to reunite with him in soul - to take communion in church, to feel like a part of God’s great grace. Communion is prepared from bread and wine, which are the blood and flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does communion work?

The main condition for receiving communion is confession with the priest, spiritual rebirth, in which a person admits the mistakes he has made and sincerely asks for forgiveness not from the priest, but from God himself. During church services, bread and wine are invisibly transformed into church communion. Taking communion is a Sacrament, through which a person becomes an heir to the kingdom of God, an inhabitant of paradise.

What is the sacrament for?

For a believer, the sacrament gives relief from bad thoughts, helps to fight the attacks of evil in everyday affairs, serves as spiritual reinforcement, and leads to internal spiritual rebirth. The unequivocal answer regarding thinking about whether it is necessary to take communion is yes. The human soul is the creation of the Lord, his spiritual child. Every person, coming to an earthly parent, rejoices if he has not seen him for a long time, and every soul rejoices when coming to God - the heavenly father, through this ritual.

On what days can you take communion in church?

It is taken on days when the Divine Service is held in the church. A person decides how often he can receive communion on his own. The Church recommends that at every fast, and there are 4 fasts, you come to confession and receive communion, preferably annually. If a person has not come to church for a long time - has not received communion, and the soul requires repentance, there is no need to be afraid of condemnation from the priest, it is better to come to confession right away.

How to properly take communion in church?

It is customary to follow the rules indicating. After confession, the priest gives his blessing to receive Holy Communion, which is celebrated on the same day. At the liturgy, after the Lord’s Prayer, the communicants approach the steps leading to the altar and wait for the priest to take out the Chalice. It is not appropriate to be baptized in front of the cup; you must listen carefully to the prayer.

At such a moment, there is no need to fuss, create a crowd - slowly approach the communion, letting children and the elderly pass first. In front of the Holy Chalice, fold your arms over your chest, say your name, open your mouth and swallow a piece, kiss the edge of the bowl, then go to the table with warm tea and prosphora, wash down the communion. After such actions, it is allowed to kiss icons and talk. It is prohibited to receive communion twice on the same day.

How to prepare for communion?

Preparation for the communion of an adult is to fast, make peace with enemies, not harbor feelings of hatred or malice, realize sinful offenses, regret what was done wrong, abstain from bodily pleasures for several days, perform repentant prayers, confess. The decision to give communion to seriously ill people is made by the priest without special preparation.

People who are in mortal danger, if they do not have the opportunity to prepare to receive the Holy Sacraments, are not deprived of the opportunity to receive communion. Church-baptized children under 7 years of age are allowed to receive communion without confession or fasting. After the Sacrament of Baptism, infants can receive communion very often; they are given a small particle - a drop in the guise of Blood.

Fasting before Communion

Before communion, it is customary to fast, to abstain from eating meat, dairy, and fish products for 3-7 days, unless this period includes the same fast established by the church for everyone, for example, Christmas or Great Lent. Deciding whether one can receive communion if one has not fasted due to the physical state of a person’s health must be done only on the advice of a clergyman. The exception to the rule is children under seven years of age and people whose health does not allow them to adhere to such a nutritional system.

The answer to the question whether it is possible for a repentant person to receive communion without confession is no. The priest listens to the sins of the repentant not out of curiosity, he is a mediator who testifies to God that the person repented, came to church, regretted, and expressed a desire to start life over a new leaf. The priest who confesses the person makes a decision on admission to communion and gives a blessing based on specific rules, and not personal motives.

Prayers before communion

On the day preceding communion, from the evening until the reception of the Sacraments, they refuse to eat and drink water, do not smoke cigarettes, and do not allow intimate relationships. You should first read - appeals to God, in which he expresses his sinfulness in words and asks for forgiveness. Before confessing, they read the prayers of repentance called 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.

It is difficult to read the prayers prescribed before communion in one evening; it is permissible to divide the reading of the rules into 2-3 days. The Canon for Communion (Rule for Communion) is read the night before, after which there are prayers for the coming sleep. Prayers before Communion (Rule for Communion) are read in the morning on the day of Communion, after morning prayers.

Is it possible to receive communion during menstruation?

You cannot take church communion if a woman is menstruating. For Orthodox Christians, communion is a holiday of spiritual triumph; it is customary to prepare for it in advance, and not to put off the possibility of repentance until later. Coming to the temple, a person leads his soul to a living source - by receiving communion he renews his spiritual strength, and through a healed soul, bodily weaknesses are cured.

1. About the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION

The Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist) is the most important of the Christian Sacraments, in which the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, receives (tastes) the very Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this is mysteriously united with God and becomes a partaker of eternal life.

The word “Communion” (“Communion”) comes from the word “part” and means participation, involvement, connection, communion, belonging to something.

The Sacrament of Communion is the greatest miracle on earth, which is performed constantly during the divine service called the Liturgy, during which bread and wine, by the power and action of the Holy Spirit, become the true Body and true Blood of Christ

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill:“We must remember that the most important thing we celebrate as a Church is the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. That is why it is important for believers to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often.

In ancient times, when one of the baptized, while at the Liturgy, did not receive communion, he had to publicly explain to the bishop why he was avoiding receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Today this tradition has left us due to our weak faith, due to our weak piety. But this tradition is sacred, and we should all strive to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible, first confessing our sins, preparing our souls for the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And we will believe that it is through this communion that the Lord will replenish our infirmities, our weaknesses and heal our ailments.”

Holy Righteous Alexy Mechev: “ Take communion more often and do not say that you are unworthy. If you talk like that, you will never receive communion, because you will never be worthy. Do you think that there is at least one person on earth worthy of receiving the Holy Mysteries? No one deserves this, and if we do receive communion, it is only by the special mercy of God. We are not created for communion, but communion is for us. It is we, sinners, unworthy, weak, who more than anyone else need this saving source... I give you communion often, I proceed from the purpose of introducing you to the Lord, so that you feel how good it is to be with Christ.”

Every Sunday and every holiday, unforgettably partaking of the Holy Mysteries, Venerable Seraphim of Sarov When asked how often one should start receiving Communion, he answered: “The more often, the better.” He said to the priest of the Diveyevo community Vasily Sadovsky: “The grace bestowed upon us by Communion is so great that no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person may be, if only in the humble consciousness of his total sinfulness he approaches the Lord, who redeems us all, at least from head to toe covered with sores of sins, and will be cleansed by the grace of Christ, become more and more bright, completely enlightened and saved.” You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion with prayer, fasting and repentance. In addition, it is very important to remember that preparation for Communion should be not only the fulfillment of certain instructions, but our entire life, built on Gospel principles.

How to prepare for the Sacrament of Holy 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. The time of preparation for Communion is called fasting.

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.

To prepare prayerfully for Holy Communion on the eve of communion, you need to read the following home prayer rule:

• Akathists to the Sweetest Christ or the Theotokos

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.

Confession

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.

When can you receive communion during the week of Lent?

– During Lent, adults can receive communion on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; small children - on Saturdays and Sundays.

Why are infants not given communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts?

– The fact is that at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Chalice contains only blessed wine, and the particles of the Lamb (the Bread transposed into the Body of Christ) are pre-saturated with the Blood of Christ. Since infants, due to their physiology, cannot be given communion with a part of the Body, and there is no Blood in the Chalice, they are not given communion during the Presanctified Liturgy.

Is it possible to take communion several times on one day?

- No one and under no circumstances should receive communion twice on the same day. If the Holy Gifts are given from several Chalice, they can only be received from one.

Is it possible to receive communion after Unction without Confession?

– Unction does not cancel Confession. At the Unction, not all sins are forgiven, but only forgotten and unconscious ones.

How to give communion to a sick person at home?

– The patient’s relatives must first agree with the priest about the time of Communion and about measures to prepare the sick person for this Sacrament.

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

– If a child is not able to remain calmly in church for the entire service, then he can be brought to the end of the Liturgy - to the beginning of the singing of the Lord’s Prayer and then given communion.

Is it possible for a child under 7 years old to eat before Communion? Is it possible for sick people to receive communion without an empty stomach?

– Only in exceptional cases is it allowed to receive communion without an empty stomach. This issue is resolved individually in consultation with a priest. Infants under 7 years of age are allowed to receive communion without an empty stomach. Children should be taught to abstain from food and drink before Communion from an early age.

Is it possible to receive communion if you have not attended the all-night vigil? Is it possible to receive communion if you have fasted, but have not read or did not finish reading the rule?

– Such issues can only be resolved with the priest individually. If the reasons for absence from the all-night vigil or failure to follow the prayer rules are valid, then the priest may allow communion. What is important is not the number of prayers read, but the disposition of the heart, living faith, repentance for sins, and the intention to correct one’s life.

Are we sinners worthy to receive communion often?

– “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick” (Luke 5:31). There is not a single person on earth worthy of Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and if people do receive communion, it is only by the special mercy of God. It is the sinners, the unworthy, the weak, who more than anyone else need this saving source - like the sick in treatment. And those who consider themselves unworthy and exclude themselves from Communion are like heretics and pagans.

With sincere repentance, God forgives a person’s sins, and Communion gradually corrects his shortcomings.

The basis for deciding the question of how often one should receive communion is the degree of preparedness of the soul, its love for the Lord, and the strength of its repentance. Therefore, the Church leaves this issue to priests and spiritual fathers to decide.

If you feel cold after Communion, does this mean that you received Communion unworthily?

– Coldness occurs in those who seek consolation from Communion, but who considers himself unworthy, grace remains with him. However, when after Communion there is no peace and joy in the soul, one must see this as a reason for deep humility and contrition for sins. But there is no need to despair and mourn: there should be no selfish attitude towards the Sacrament. In addition, the Sacraments are not always reflected in the feelings, but also act in secret.

How to behave on the day of Communion?

– The Day of Communion is a special day for the Christian soul, when it mysteriously unites with Christ. These days should be spent as great holidays, devoting them as much as possible to solitude, prayer, concentration and spiritual reading.

After Communion, we must ask the Lord to help us preserve the gift with dignity and not return back, that is, to previous sins.

It is necessary to especially protect yourself in the first hours after Communion: at this time, the enemy of the human race is trying in every possible way so that a person insults the shrine, and it would stop consecrating him. A shrine can be insulted by sight, a careless word, hearing, or condemnation. On the day of Communion, one must eat moderately, not have fun, and behave decently.

You should protect yourself from idle talk, and to avoid it, you need to read the Gospel, the Jesus Prayer, akathists, and the lives of saints.

Is it possible to kiss the cross after Communion?

– After the Liturgy, all those praying venerate the cross: both those who received communion and those who did not.

Is it possible to kiss icons and the priest’s hand after Communion and bow to the ground?

– After Communion, before drinking, you should refrain from kissing icons and the priest’s hand, but there is no such rule that those receiving communion should not kiss icons or the priest’s hand on this day and not bow to the ground. It is important to keep your tongue, thoughts and heart from all evil.

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

– This erroneous opinion about the possibility of replacing Communion with Epiphany water with artos (or antidor) arose, perhaps, due to the fact that people who have canonical or other obstacles to Communion of the Holy Mysteries are allowed to drink Epiphany water with antidor for consolation. However, this cannot be understood as an equivalent replacement. Communion cannot be replaced by anything.

Can children under 14 years of age receive communion without Confession?

– Without Confession, only children under 7 years old can receive communion. From the age of 7, children receive communion only after Confession.