home Drugs Eucharist. Orthodox faith - Eucharist

Eucharist. Orthodox faith - Eucharist

The Eucharist (literally "thanksgiving") is the greatest Christian sacrament in which bread and wine are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the true Body and true Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then believers partake of them for the closest union with Christ and eternal life.

This sacrament is called the Eucharist; Lord's Supper; The Lord's Table; The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. The Body and Blood of Christ in this sacrament are called the Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Life, or the Cup of Salvation; holy mysteries; bloodless Sacrifice.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself during the Last Last Supper, on the eve of His suffering and death (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-24; 1 Cor. 11, 23-25).

Having included the disciples, the Lord commanded: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). This sacrifice must be performed until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26), as the apostle instructs. Pavel, i.e. until the second coming of the Lord.

In the sacrament of the Eucharist - at the very time when the clergyman, calling on the Holy Spirit for the offered gifts - bread and wine are actually transformed (transubstantiated) into the Body and Blood by the influx of the Holy Spirit, as the Savior said: “My flesh is truly food, and blood Mine truly is drink” (John 6:55). After this moment, although our eyes see bread and wine on St. meal, but in the very essence, invisible to sensory eyes, this is the true Body and true Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, only under the “forms” of bread and wine.

This teaching about the holy sacrament of Communion is contained in all the Holy Fathers, starting from the most ancient.

Although bread and wine are transformed in the sacrament into the Body and Blood of the Lord, He is in this sacrament with His whole being, i.e. His soul and His very Divinity, which is inseparable from His humanity.

Although, further, the Body and Blood of the Lord are crushed in the sacrament of Communion and separated, we believe that in every part - and in the smallest particle - St. The Mystery is received by those who partake of the whole Christ according to His essence, i.e. with soul and divinity, as perfect God and perfect Man.

Since the God-Man Christ is due one indivisible Divine worship both in Divinity and humanity, due to their inseparable union, then the holy mysteries of the Eucharist should be given the same honor and worship that we owe to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

The Eucharistic sacrifice is not a repetition of the Savior’s sacrifice on the cross, but is the offering of the sacrificial Body and Blood, once lifted up by our Redeemer on the cross. These sacrifices are inseparable: they are one and the same grace-filled tree of life, planted by God on Calvary. But they also differ: the sacrifice offered in the Eucharist is called bloodless and passionless, since it takes place after the resurrection of the Savior, who, having risen from the dead, no longer dies: death no longer has power over Him (Rom. 6:9); it is offered without suffering, without shedding blood, without death, although it is performed in remembrance of the suffering and death of the Divine Lamb.

The Eucharist is also a propitiatory sacrifice for all members of the Church. From the beginning of Christianity, a bloodless sacrifice was made in memory and remission of sins of both the living and the dead.

The Divine Eucharist is the foundation of the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church of Christ, and it is also the foundation of the spiritual life of every Orthodox person. It is impossible to be a member of the Church without partaking of the Blood and Body of Christ.

Our spiritual life is inseparable from the Eucharist, for the Eucharist is the surest path to salvation. To partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord is an essential, necessary, saving and comforting duty of every Christian. This is clear from the words of the Savior: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you” (John 6:53-54).

The Eucharist makes us partakers of the Resurrection of Christ and heirs of eternal life.

Saving fruits or actions of the sacrament of the Eucharist, with worthy inclusion, the following:

It most closely connects us with the Lord: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).

It nourishes our soul and body and contributes to our strengthening, elevation, and growth in spiritual life: “Whoever eats Me will live by Me” (John 6:57).

It serves for us as a guarantee of future resurrection and eternally blessed life: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58).

St. Ignatius of Antioch calls the Body and Blood of Christ “the medicine of immortality, the antidote so as not to die.”

Saint Philaret, the Metropolitan of Moscow wrote about the grace-filled effect of the Eucharist:

“By the manifold power of Divine Food and Drink, by the manifold wisdom and goodness of the Divine Nourisher, the tangible fruit of partaking of the Lord’s Table appears to the believer as indescribable joy in the heart, now as sweet silence in the soul, now as serenity in the mind, now as deep peace in the conscience, now as a calming of the overwhelmed temptations, then the cessation of mental and physical suffering, and sometimes complete healing, then a lively feeling of love for the Lord or an increase in zeal and strength for spiritual achievements and virtues. But whatever our own experiences in this Mystery may be, I will say with Saint Chrysostom: “Let the word of our Lord be truer both in our thoughts and in our vision.” After He said: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him; whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood will have eternal life (John 6:56, 54) - how we dare, even though we are unworthy partakers of His Flesh and Blood, how we dare to deny that He is in us, and we in Him, and that in Him we “have eternal life,” unless we ourselves depart from Him, unless we plunge ourselves again into the death of sin?”

The prayers compiled by the holy fathers deeply reveal the saving significance of this great sacrament. Follow-up to Holy Communion And thanksgiving prayers, reading which, every Christian asks:

“May Thy Most Pure Body and Divine Blood be with me for the forgiveness of sins, the communion of the Holy Spirit, and for eternal life, Lover of mankind, and alienation from passions and sorrows.
May I be sanctified in soul and body, Master, may I be enlightened, may I be saved, may Thy house be the Communion of the sacred Mysteries, having You living within me with the Father and the Spirit, O Great Benefactor.”
(Canon of Follow-up to Holy Communion)

“But may the coal of Your Most Holy Body, and Your honorable Blood, be for me, for the sanctification and enlightenment and health of my humble soul and body, for the relief of the burden of many of my sins, for the protection from every devilish action, for the driving away and prohibition of my evil and evil custom , for the mortification of passions, for the supply of Thy commandments, for the application of Thy Divine grace, and the appropriation of Thy Kingdom."
(Prayer 2, St. John Chrysostom)

“Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God... grant me without condemnation to partake of Your Divine, and glorious, and most pure, and life-giving Mysteries, not in heaviness, nor in torment, nor in the addition of sins, but in the purification, and sanctification, and betrothal of the future Life and kingdoms, for the wall and help, and for the objection of those who resist, for the destruction of many of my sins."
(Prayer 4, St. John of Damascus)

Message of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith (1723):

“We believe that the all-holy sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which we have placed fourth among the sacraments above, is mysteriously commanded by the Lord on that night on which He gave himself for the life of the world. For, having taken bread and blessed, He gave it to His disciples and Apostles, saying : “Take, eat, this is My body.” And, taking the cup, giving praise, he said: “Drink of it, all of you: this is My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins.”

We believe that in Our Lord Jesus Christ is present at this sacred rite not symbolically, not figuratively (tipikos, eikonikos), not by an excess of grace, as in other sacraments, not by influx alone, as some Fathers spoke of baptism, and not through the penetration of bread (kat Enartismon - per impanationem), so that the Divinity of the Word included in the bread offered for the Eucharist, essentially (ipostatikos), as the followers of Luther rather ineptly and unworthily explain; but truly and truly, so that after the consecration of bread and wine, the bread is broken, transubstantiated, transformed, transformed into the very true body of the Lord, which was born in Bethlehem of the Ever-Virgin, baptized in the Jordan, suffered, buried, resurrected, ascended, sits at the right hand of God the Father, has to appear on the clouds of heaven; and the wine is transformed and transubstantiated into the very true blood of the Lord, which during His suffering on the cross was shed for the life of the world.

We also believe that after the consecration of bread and wine, what remains is not the bread and wine itself, but the very body and blood of the Lord under the form and image of bread and wine.

We also believe that this most pure body and blood of the Lord is distributed and enters the mouths and bellies of those who partake, both pious and ungodly. Only to the pious and those who accept it worthily are they granted remission of sins and eternal life, but to the wicked and those who accept it unworthily are they prepared for condemnation and eternal torment.

We also believe that although the body and blood of the Lord are separated and fragmented, this happens in the sacrament of communion only with the types of bread and wine, in which they can be both visible and tangible, but in themselves they are completely whole and inseparable. Why does the Universal Church say: “He who is fragmented and divided is fragmented, but not divided, always poisoned and never consumed, but communing (of course, worthily) sanctifying.”

We also believe that in each part, down to the smallest particle of the bread and wine offered, there is not any separate part of the body and blood of the Lord, but the body of Christ, always whole and in all parts one, and the Lord Jesus Christ is present in His essence, then is with soul and Divinity, or perfect God and perfect man. Therefore, although at the same time there are many sacred rites in the universe, there are not many bodies of Christ, but one and the same Christ is truly and truly present, one His body and one blood in all the individual Churches of the faithful. And this is not because the body of the Lord, which is in heaven, descends on the altars, but because the showbread, which is prepared separately in all churches and, after consecration, is translated and transmuted, is done in the same way with the body that is in heaven. For the Lord always has one body, and not many in many places. Therefore, this sacrament, according to the general opinion, is the most wonderful, comprehended by faith alone, and not by the speculations of human wisdom, by which this holy and divinely appointed sacrifice for us rejects vanity and insane sophistication regarding Divine things.”

We must, therefore, remember that the Eucharist brings these saving fruits only to those who approach them with faith and repentance; unworthy partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ will bring even greater condemnation: “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. This is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying” (1 Cor. 11:29-30).

Venerable John of Damascus:

“The body and blood of Christ enter into the composition of our soul and body, not being exhausted, not decaying and not being thrown out (let it not be!), but (enter) into our essence to protect, reflect (from us) all harm, cleanse all filth ; if they find (in us) counterfeit gold, then they cleanse (it) with the fire of judgment, “lest we be condemned with the world" in the next century. They cleanse us with illnesses and all kinds of disasters, as the divine Apostle says: “If we had reasoned with ourselves, we would not "We were condemned. We are judged, we are punished by the Lord, lest we be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:31 - 32). And this is what it means that he says: he who partakes of the body and blood of the Lord “eats and drinks judgment unworthily.” (1 Cor. 11:29) Purifying ourselves through this, we are united with the body of the Lord and with His Spirit and become the body of Christ.”

Christians must prepare themselves for the sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting which consists of fasting, prayer, reconciliation with everyone, and then confession, that is, cleansing one’s conscience in the sacrament of repentance.

The Sacrament of Communion is performed during the liturgy.

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. Currently, the Church leaves the issue of the frequency of Communion 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.

Communion is a real communion with the Divine, which, as Simeon of Thessaloniki wrote (XV century), is the goal of the Liturgy and “the pinnacle of all blessings and desires” .

In his treatise “On the Mystical Body of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Patriarch Gennady Scholarius of Constantinople placed the sacrament of the Eucharist above the sacrament of baptism:

There are a number of doctrinal differences between various Christian denominations in the understanding of the Eucharist (in Eucharistology) and in practical implementation.

Conditions for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist

At the same time, neither Orthodoxy nor Catholicism reduces the sacramental action to certain words (although similar attempts have been made in the past) and does not try to determine the exact moment of the transfusion of the Holy Gifts, but emphasizes the significance of the entire Eucharistic canon (anaphora) as a single act.

Substances of the Sacrament

For the Eucharist, the Orthodox, Copts, Syro-Jacobites and the Assyrian Church of the East use leavened bread - prosphora. In Orthodoxy of the Byzantine tradition, after transubstantiation into the Blood of Christ, wine is necessarily diluted with hot water (“warmth”, “zeon”). Leavened bread and “warmth” in the Orthodox Church symbolize the complete deification of Christ’s human nature throughout His entire earthly “economy of our salvation”: from the incarnation, on the cross, in death, in resurrection, in ascension.

In Western Rite Orthodox parishes, unleavened bread (unleavened bread) is used.

Latin Rite Catholics use unleavened bread (hostia), while Eastern Rite Catholics use leavened bread. Communion of the laity under two types became possible among Catholics after the Second Vatican Council.

Orthodox Christians can receive communion after the sacrament of baptism has been performed on them, which is combined with confirmation and, according to different traditions, can be performed either on the 8th day after birth, or on the 40th day after birth (this is how, according to the life, Sergius of Radonezh was baptized ). In the event of a threat to the baby's life, baptism can and should be performed immediately.

Frequency of Communion

There is currently no consensus on how often an Orthodox Christian should receive communion. During the Synodal period of the history of the Russian Church, the practice was typical rare communion. Currently, in the Russian Orthodox Church, one of the most typical recommendations about the frequency of communion is monthly communion for adults, weekly communion for babies.

One of their supporters of frequent communion was the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain, who advocated that the laity, like priests, receive communion at every liturgy at which they are present. The Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain and St. Macarius of Corinth wrote “The most soul-helping book on the unceasing communion of the holy mysteries of Christ,” which contains many sayings of the ancient great saints about the benefits of frequent communion and says: “ Ah, my brothers, if we could at least once see with the mental eyes of our souls what lofty and great blessings we are depriving ourselves of by not constantly receiving communion, then, of course, we would make every effort to prepare and receive communion if there were opportunity, every day».

In Catholicism

Communion of newlyweds in the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ is really present under every type in every particle of the Holy Gifts, therefore it believes that by communing both under one type (Bread only) and under two (Bread and Wine), a person communes with Christ in all its fullness. This teaching was the basis for the medieval church practice of communion for the laity under one form, and for the clergy under two. The Constitution of the Second Vatican Council, Sacrosanctum Concilium, permitted communion under two types and for the laity. In modern liturgical practice of the Catholic Church, both methods of communion for the laity are used, depending on the decision of the local Conference of Catholic Bishops and the conditions for the celebration of the Eucharist. First communion in the Latin rite is traditionally celebrated between the ages of 7 and 12 and is celebrated with special solemnity.

In Catholicism, there are a number of non-liturgical types of veneration of the Holy Gifts, into which bread and wine are transubstantiated in the Eucharist. One of them is adoration - the display of the Holy Gifts in a special type of monstrance (monstrance) for worship and prayer in front of them. On the Thursday following the Day of the Holy Trinity, that is, on the eleventh day after Pentecost, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated (lat. Corpus Christi - Body of Christ ), during which solemn processions with the Holy Gifts take place through the streets of cities.

Ancient Eastern churches

Communion in the Armenian Church

In other church directions

However, a metaphorical understanding of these words, as well as the continuation of the apostle’s thought, is also possible: “Therefore, my brethren, when you gather together to supper, wait for one another. And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not gather for condemnation.”(1 Cor.). By "everyone" could be meant various factions in the Corinthian church - ““I am Pavlov”; “I am Apollosov”; “I am Kifin”; "And I am Christ's"(1 Cor.), - each of which sought to have its own Supper: “For, first of all, I hear that when you gather together for church, there are divisions among you (σχίσματα)”(1 Cor.).

One way or another, the Lord's Supper is viewed here not only as a sacrament of communion with the divine nature through partaking of the Body of Christ, but first of all as an act of reunification, the actualization of the Church as the Body of Christ: “When you are going to Church...”(1 Cor.) Therefore, its necessary condition is the unity of believers - members of a single Body. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the Blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a communion of the Body of Christ? There is one bread, and we, many, are one body; for we all partake of one bread"(1 Cor.). “And you are the body of Christ, and separately you are members”(1 Cor.).

Jehovah witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that on the evening of Nisan 14, 33 AD. e. Jesus instituted the "Lord's Supper." He had just finished celebrating Passover with his disciples, so they thought the date was known for sure. Based on this date, Jehovah's Witnesses can celebrate this event every year on the appropriate day, just as the Jewish Passover is celebrated.

Other versions of the origin of the Eucharist

The custom of eating human flesh in animism was based on the belief that the strength and other properties of the killed are transferred to the eater. Primitive man could not reach the idea of eternity; gods had to die, just like people. Therefore, the incarnate god or his priest, as well as the king, were killed among some peoples, so that their souls could pass on in full strength to the souls of other mortals. Later, eating the god is replaced by eating an animal or bread dedicated to him.

Some Western scientists associate the origin of the Christian Eucharist with the ancient rites of ritual-magical cannibalism (theophagy). Influenced by the mythological school, a similar point of view is present in TSB. According to TSB, in one form or another, these ideas have entered many religions (Mithraism, Christianity).

Early Christians were persecuted by the authorities of the Roman Empire due to some similarities between the rite of the Eucharist and ritual cannibalism.

Notes

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

What is communion?

The Eucharist is communion, in other words, the most important rite of Christianity, thanks to which bread and wine are consecrated and served as the Body and Blood of the Lord. Thanks to communion, the Orthodox are united with God. The need for this Sacrament in the life of a believer cannot be overestimated. It occupies the most important, if not the central, place in the Church. In this Sacrament everything ends and is concluded: prayers, church hymns, rituals, bows, preaching the Word of God.

Background of the Sacrament

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

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

The Necessity of Holy Communion

Communion is a necessary rite for a believer. A Christian who neglects Communion voluntarily turns away from Jesus. And thereby deprives himself of the possibility of eternal life. He who regularly receives communion, on the contrary, unites with God, strengthens in faith, and becomes a partaker of eternal life. From this we can conclude that for a churchgoer, communion is undoubtedly an important event in life.

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

Preparation for Holy Communion

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

By prayer. Before communion, you need to pray more and more diligently. Don’t miss a few days. By the way, a rule for Holy Communion is added to it. There is also a pious tradition of reading the repentance to the Lord, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel. On the eve of Communion, attend an evening service.

Posting. It must be not only carnal, but also spiritual. We need to reconcile with everyone with whom we were in disagreement, pray more, read the Word of God, refrain from watching entertainment programs and listening to secular music. Spouses need to give up physical affection. Strict fasting begins on the eve of Communion; from 12 o'clock at night you can neither eat nor drink. However, the confessor (priest) can establish an additional fast of 3-7 days. Such a fast is usually prescribed for beginners and those who have not observed one-day or multi-day fasts.

Confession. It is necessary to confess your sins to a clergyman.

Repentance (confession)

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

There are cases when a seriously ill person sincerely repents of his sins and promises to go to church regularly so that healing occurs. The priest absolves sins and allows you to take communion. The Lord grants healing. But the person subsequently never fulfills his promise. Why is this happening? Perhaps human spiritual weakness does not allow one to step over oneself, through one’s pride. After all, lying on your deathbed, you can promise anything. But in no case should we forget about the promises given to the Lord himself.

Communion. Rules

In the Russian Orthodox Church there are rules that must be followed before approaching the Holy Chalice. First, you need to come to the temple at the beginning of the service without being late. A prostration is made in front of the Chalice. If there are many people who want to receive communion, then you can bow in advance. When the gates open, you should make the sign of the cross: place your hands on your chest in a cross, your right hand on top of your left. Thus, take communion and leave without removing your hands. Approach from the right side and leave the left free. The altar servers should receive communion first, then the monks, after them the children, then everyone else. We need to be polite to each other and let the elderly and infirm pass ahead. Women should not take communion with lipstick on. The head should be covered with a scarf. Not with a hat or bandage, but with a scarf. In general, one should always dress decorously in the temple of God, not provocatively or vulgarly, so as not to attract attention or distract other believers.

When approaching the Chalice, you must say your name loudly and clearly, chew and immediately swallow the Holy Gifts. Place your mouth on the bottom edge of the Chalice. It is forbidden to touch the Cup. You also cannot make the sign of the cross near the Chalice. At the table with a drink, you need to eat antidor and drink the warmth. Only then can you talk and kiss the icons. You cannot receive communion twice a day.

Communion to the Sick

At the First, it was determined that a seriously ill person would not be deprived of communion. If a person is unable to receive communion in church, this can be easily resolved, because the church allows you to give communion to the sick at home.
The priest is ready to come to the sick at any time, except for the time from the Cherubic Song to the end of the Liturgy. During any other service, the priest is obliged to stop the service for the sake of the sufferer and rush to him. At this time, psalms are read in the church for the edification of believers.

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

Miracles often happen when seemingly incurable people rose to their feet after receiving communion. Clergymen often go to the hospital to support the seriously ill, take confession, and give them communion. But many refuse. Some are disgusted, others do not want to bring trouble to the ward. However, those who do not succumb to all doubts and superstitions can be granted miraculous healing.

Communion of children

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

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

After receiving the Holy Gifts

The day when the Sacrament of Communion is performed is, of course, a significant time for every believer. And it needs to be celebrated in a special way, as a great holiday of soul and spirit. During the Sacrament, the person receiving communion receives the Grace of God, which should be guarded with trepidation and try not to sin. If possible, it is better to abstain from worldly affairs and spend the day in peace, quiet and prayer. Pay attention to the spiritual side of your life, pray, read the Word of God. These prayers after communion are of great significance - they are joyful and energetic. They are also capable of increasing gratitude to the Lord and instilling in the person praying a desire to receive communion more often. It is not customary to kneel after communion in church. Exceptions are veneration before the Shroud and kneeling prayers on the day of the Holy Trinity. There is an unfounded argument that, supposedly, after Communion it is forbidden to venerate icons and kiss. However, the clergy themselves, after receiving the Holy Mysteries, are blessed by the bishop, kissing their hand.

How often can you receive communion?

Every believer is interested in the question of how often one can take communion in church. And there is no single answer to this question. Some people believe that it is not worth abusing communion, while others, on the contrary, recommend starting to receive the Holy Gifts as often as possible, but no more than once a day. What do the holy fathers of the church say to this? John of Kronstadt called to remember the practice of the first Christians, who adopted the practice of excommunicating from the Church those who had not received communion for more than three weeks. Seraphim of Sarov commanded the sisters from Diveevo to receive communion as often as possible. And for those who consider themselves unworthy of Communion, but have repentance in their hearts, under no circumstances should they refuse to accept the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Because when you receive communion, you become cleansed and brightened, and the more often you receive communion, the greater the likelihood of salvation.

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

At the same time, how to explain the eternal debate about how often one can receive communion? There is an opinion that both monks and ordinary laymen should not receive communion more than once a month. Once a week is already a sin, the so-called “delusion” coming from the evil one. Is it true? The priest in his book gave a detailed explanation of this. He claims that the number of people who receive communion more than once a month is negligible; these are churchgoers, or those who have control over themselves. Many clergy agree that if a person in the depths of his soul is ready for this, then he can take communion at least every day, there is nothing wrong with that. The whole sin is if a person approaches the cup without proper repentance, without properly preparing for this, without forgiving all his offenders.

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

Instead of an afterword

There are many books, manuals and simply advice on how to take communion, rules for preparing the soul and body. This information may differ in some ways, it may define different approaches to the frequency of communion and the severity of preparation, but such information exists. And it is numerous. However, you will not find literature that will teach a person how to behave after receiving the Holy Mysteries, how to preserve this gift and how to use it. Both everyday and spiritual experience suggests that it is much easier to accept than to hold on to. And this is really true. Andrei Tkachev, an archpriest of the Orthodox Church, says that inept use of the Holy Gifts can turn into a curse for the person who receives them. He uses the history of Israel as an example. On the one hand, there is a huge number of miracles happening, God’s wonderful relationship with the people, His protection. The other side of the coin is severe punishments and even executions of people who behave unworthily after communion. Yes, and the apostles spoke about the illnesses of participants who behaved inappropriately. Therefore, observing the rules after Holy Communion is extremely important for a person.

Communion is a real communion with the Divine, which, as Simeon of Thessaloniki wrote (XV century), is the goal of the Liturgy and “the pinnacle of all blessings and desires” .

In his treatise “On the Mystical Body of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Patriarch Gennady Scholarius of Constantinople placed the sacrament of the Eucharist above the sacrament of baptism:

There are a number of doctrinal differences between various Christian denominations in the understanding of the Eucharist (in Eucharistology) and in practical implementation.

Conditions for the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist