Communion: how to prepare for it. What should you read before communion? Why do you need communion and what does this rite consist of? Sins spoken in confession

Content

One of the main sacred rites of the Orthodox Church is the communion of the believer. The sacrament of the Eucharist, performed sincerely, at the call of the soul, is of great importance for a Christian. Going through a sacred ceremony with an understanding of the essence and importance of the ritual leads to sincere repentance, receiving forgiveness, and spiritual cleansing.

What is communion

Belonging to a religious denomination implies adherence to traditions. What is the Eucharist? The most important religious rite involves receiving from the hands of a clergyman and then eating bread and wine, symbolizing the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. The sacrament includes prayers, bows, chants, and preaching. Communion in church introduces a person to God and strengthens the spiritual connection with the Higher powers. To conduct a ceremony in a church, the purity of the believer, both physical and mental, is required. Communion must be preceded by confession and preparation.

Sacrament of Communion

The ritual originates from the Last Supper, which preceded the crucifixion of Christ. Having gathered with his disciples at the table, the Savior took the bread, divided it into parts and distributed it with the words that it was His Flesh. Then Christ blessed the cup of wine, calling its contents his Blood. The Savior commanded his followers to always perform a ceremony in memory of Him. This custom is followed by the Russian Orthodox Church, in which the rite of the Eucharist is celebrated daily. In pre-Petrine times, there was a decree according to which all laity were obliged to take communion in church at least once a year.

Why Holy Communion is Necessary

The sacrament of communion is of great importance for a believer. A layman who does not want to perform the rite of the Eucharist moves away from Jesus, who commanded to observe tradition. Disruption of communication with God leads to confusion and fear in the soul. A person who regularly receives communion in church, on the contrary, strengthens his religious faith, becomes more peaceful, and closer to the Lord.

How to take communion in church

The Eucharist is the first step taken by a person towards God. This act must be conscious and voluntary. To confirm the purity of his intention, a layman should prepare for communion in church. First you need to ask for forgiveness from those who may be offended by you. For several days before the ceremony, an adult needs:

• Observe fasting, refusing to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products. Dietary restrictions are imposed for a period of one to three days, depending on the physical condition.
• Give up the habit of “eating” yourself and others. Internal aggression should be kept to a minimum. You need to behave kindly to others; selfless help to your neighbors is useful.
• Eliminate foul language, tobacco, alcohol, and intimacy from everyday life.
• Do not attend entertainment events or watch entertaining television programs.
• Read evening and morning prayers.
• Attend Liturgies, listen to sermons. It is especially recommended to attend the evening service on the eve of the day of communion and read the Sermon.
• Study spiritual literature, read the Bible.
• Confess on the eve of communion in church. This requires understanding life, events, and actions. Sincere confession is needed not only as preparation for communion. Repentance makes a believer purer, gives a feeling of lightness and freedom.

Rite of Communion

On the day of the ceremony, you need to skip breakfast and come to the temple early, feel the atmosphere of the place, get ready, and tune in to the right mood. What is communion in church? The sacrament begins during the service, closer to its end. The Royal Doors open, and a relic is brought out to visitors - a bowl with consecrated gifts - Cahors and bread. The dishes are symbols of the Flesh and Blood of the Savior. The bowl is placed on a special platform called the pulpit. The priest reads the prayer of thanksgiving intended for communion.

How to take communion in church? The priest gives each parishioner who approaches the bowl a taste of the dish from a spoon. You need to get closer, cross your arms across your chest, say your name. Then you should kiss the base of the bowl. You can leave the temple after the end of the service. Before leaving you need to kiss the cross. A ritual performed sincerely and with all the heart brings the believer closer to Christ and gives the soul happiness and salvation. It is important to preserve holy grace in the heart after communion, and not to lose it outside the church.

How children receive communion

Communion of a child is important for his spiritual maturation. The ritual is necessary so that the baby is under the care of the guardian angel in whose honor he was baptized. The first communion in the church occurs after baptism. Children under seven years of age are not required to go to confession the day before. It doesn’t matter how often the baby’s parents take communion in church or whether they do it at all.

An important rule for children’s communion in church is to conduct the ceremony on an empty stomach. A very small child is allowed to have breakfast. It is better to feed the baby at least half an hour before the ceremony so that he does not burp. After three years, it is advisable to bring children to church on an empty stomach, but there is no strict rule. It is important that the child gradually gets used to the restrictions during preparation. For example, you can remove games, cartoons, meat, something very tasty. Children are not required to follow prayer rules.

You can come to communion with babies. You are allowed to arrive early with older children, depending on how long the child can stand standing in the temple. Children often lack patience; on the contrary, they have a lot of energy. This needs to be understood and not force the child to stand in one place, instilling a dislike for the ritual. During communion, an adult pronounces the name for a small child. When the baby grows up, he must identify himself.

How does communion occur for the sick?

If a person, for health reasons, is unable to listen to the liturgy or take communion within the walls of the church, this can easily be resolved by performing the ceremony at home. Seriously ill patients are allowed by the canons of Orthodoxy to undergo the procedure. It is not necessary to read prayers and fast. However, confession and repentance for sins are necessary. Patients are allowed to receive communion after eating. Clergy often visit hospitals to give confession and communion to people.

How often can you take communion?

The ritual must be performed when the soul desires it, when there is an internal need. The number of sacraments is not regulated by representatives of the Patriarchate. Most believers receive communion once or twice a month. The ritual is necessary for special occasions - weddings, baptisms, name days, and during great holidays. The only restriction is the ban on communion more than once a day. The holy gifts are served from two church vessels; you only need to try from one.

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Communion, communion, confession: What is it and how to properly prepare for them?

What are confession and communion?

Confession is punishment for sins.

Confession is the “second Baptism.” Baptism of fire, in which, thanks to shame and repentance, we regain spiritual purity and receive forgiveness of sin from the Lord God Himself.

Confession is a great sacrament.

Confession is the flagellation of one’s own sins through their open, frank recognition in order to feel a feeling of deep disgust towards them and towards one’s sinful life and not repeat them in the future.

Confession is a cleansing of the soul, and a healthy spirit gives a healthy body.

Why confess in church to a priest? Isn't it enough that I repented?

No, not enough. After all, sin is a crime for which one must be punished. And if we punish ourselves with our own repentance (which, of course, is very important and necessary), it is clear that we will not be too strict with ourselves.

Therefore, for the final and complete reconciliation of a person with the Lord, there is a mediator - a priest (and earlier - the apostles, on whom the Holy Spirit descended).

Agree, it is much more difficult and shameful to tell a stranger about all your many sins in all their glory than to tell yourself.

This is the punishment and the meaning of confession - a person finally realizes the full depth of his sinful life, understands his wrongness in many situations, sincerely repents of what he has done, tells the priest about his sins, receives remission of sins, and next time he himself will be afraid of unnecessary things sin once.

After all, sinning is easy, pleasant and even joyful, but repenting of one’s own sins and confessing is a heavy cross. And the point of confession is that each time our cross becomes lighter and lighter.

We all sin in our youth - it is important to stop in time before it is too late.

How to properly prepare for confession and confess?

1. You must fast (fast) for at least 3 days, because... do not eat fast food - eggs, meat, dairy products and even fish. You should eat bread, vegetables, fruits, and cereals in moderation.

You should also try to sin less, not to enter into intimate relationships, not to watch TV, the Internet, not to read newspapers, not to have fun.

Be sure to ask for forgiveness from those you have offended. Make peace with your enemies, if not in real life, then at least forgive them in your soul.

You cannot begin confession and communion with anger or hatred towards someone in your soul - this is a great sin.

2. You need to write down all your sins on a piece of paper.

3. You must attend and stand through the entire evening service in church on Saturday, go through the rite of unction, when the priest uses oil (oil) to place a cross on the forehead of each believer.

Women are not allowed to go to church in trousers, with lipstick or makeup in general, in short skirts that go well above the knees, with bare shoulders, back and neckline, without a headscarf covering their heads.

Men are not allowed to enter the church in shorts, with bare shoulders, chest and back, in a hat, with cigarettes or booze.

4. After the church evening service, you need to read the evening prayers for the night to come, 3 canons - the Penitential, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, and also read the canon located inside the Follow-up to Holy Communion and consisting of 9 songs.

If you wish, you can read an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus.

After 12 midnight you cannot eat or drink anything until communion.

6. You must be in time for the beginning of the morning service in the church at 7-30 or 8-00 in the morning, light a candle to God, the Mother of God or the saints, take a turn in the confessional and confess.

Upon entering the temple, bow to the ground (bend over and touch the floor with your hand), ask the Lord, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

7. You must confess out loud so that the priest hears your sins and can understand whether you repent or not. It’s best if you talk about your sins from memory, but if there are a lot of them and you’re afraid you won’t remember them all, you can read from a note, but the priests don’t really like that.

8. During confession, one must speak candidly and openly about one’s sins, remembering that the priest is also a human being and also a sinner, and that he is forbidden to divulge the secret of confession under pain of deprivation of the priesthood.

9. During confession, you cannot justify yourself and engage in self-apology; it is even more sinful to blame other people for your sins - you are only responsible for yourself, and condemnation is a sin.

10. Do not wait for questions from the priest - tell him honestly and sincerely about what torments your conscience, but do not indulge in long stories about yourself and justify your shortcomings.

Say - “guilty of deceiving his mother, insulting his father, stole 200 rubles,” i.e. be specific and concise.

If after committing a sin you have corrected yourself, say so: “In childhood and adolescence I did not believe in God, but now I believe,” “I used to use drugs, but it has been 3 years since I corrected myself.”

Those. Let the priest know whether this sin of yours was committed in the past or recently, whether you have actively repented of it or not yet.

Check yourself or just talk about what you have done and what is now tormenting your soul.

Try to tell honestly and without concealment about all your sins. If you forgot about one or can’t remember everything, say so - I’m guilty of other sins, but which ones exactly - I don’t remember them all.

11. After confession, sincerely try not to repeat the sins you repented of, otherwise the Lord may be angry with you.

12. Remember: you need to confess and receive communion once every 3 weeks, although the more often the better, the main thing is with a clear conscience and sincere repentance.

13. Remember: the presence of physical or mental illness is a sign of great unrepentant sin.

14. Remember: during confession, the person of the priest is not important, what is important is you and your repentance before the Lord.

15. Remember: those sins that you told in confession will not be repeated in subsequent confessions, for they have already been forgiven.

Exception: if, after confessing a certain sin, your conscience continues to torment you and you feel that this sin has not been forgiven you. Then you can confess this sin again.

But this does not mean that you can forget about these sins and sin again. Sin is a scar that, even when healed, forever leaves a mark on a person’s soul.

16. Remember: the Lord is merciful and able to forgive us everything. The main thing is that we do not forgive ourselves for our sins, remember them and correct ourselves.

17. Remember: tears, as a sign of repentance, bring joy to both the priest and the Lord. The main thing is that they are not crocodile.

18. Remember: weak memory and forgetfulness are not an excuse in confession. Pick up a pen and prepare for confession according to all the rules, so that you don’t forget anything later.

Sins are debts, and debts must be paid. Don't forget about it!

19. Children from 7 years of age can and should go to confession and receive communion. From this same age, you must remember all your sins and repent of them in confession.

How to properly prepare for communion and receive communion?

Preparation for confession is the same preparation for holy communion. After confession you must remain in church.

You should not be afraid of communion, because... We are all people - unworthy of holy communion, but the Lord God created communion for us, and not us for communion. Therefore, none of us is worthy of these holy mysteries, and that is why we need it so much.

You cannot receive communion:

1) people who do not wear a cross all the time;

2) who have anger, enmity or hatred towards someone;

3) those who did not fast the day before, who did not attend the evening service the day before, who did not confess, who did not read the Rules for Holy Communion, who ate in the morning on the day of communion, who were late for the Divine Liturgy;

4) women during menstruation and after 40 days after the birth of the child;

5) women and men in open clothes with bare shoulders, chest, back;

6) men in shorts;

7) women with lipstick, cosmetics, without a scarf on their heads, in trousers;

8) sectarians, heretics and schismatics and those who attend such meetings.

Before Communion:

1. You can’t eat or drink from 12 o’clock at night.

2. You need to brush your teeth.

3. Do not be late for the morning service.

4. When the priest brings out the Holy Gifts before the rite of Communion, you must bow to the ground (bend down and touch the floor with your hand).

5. Once again bow to the ground after the prayer read by the priest “I believe, Lord, and I confess...”

6. When the Royal Doors open and communion begins, you must cross yourself, and then place your left hand on your right shoulder, and your right hand on your left shoulder. Those. You should get a cross, with your right hand on top.

7. Remember: the first to receive communion are always church ministers, monks, children, and then everyone else.

8. You cannot arrange a stampede and a fight in the queue in front of the Holy Chalice, a showdown, otherwise your entire fast, reading the canons and confession will go down the drain!

9. As you approach the Chalice, say to yourself the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or sing a song with everyone in the temple.

10. Before the Holy Chalice, you need to bow to the ground; if there are a lot of people, you need to do it in advance so as not to disturb anyone.

11. Women need to wipe lipstick off their faces!!!

12. Approaching the Chalice with the Holy Gifts - the Blood and Body of Christ, say your name loudly and clearly, open your mouth, chew and swallow the Holy Gifts, be sure to kiss the lower edge of the Chalice (symbol of the rib of Jesus pierced by a warrior, from which water and blood flowed).

14. You cannot kiss the priest’s hand at the Chalice or touch the Chalice with your hands. You cannot be baptized at the Chalice!!!

15. After the Chalice, you cannot kiss icons!

After Communion you must:

1. Make a bow before the icon of Jesus Christ.

2. Go to the table with cups and finely chopped prosphora (antidor), you need to take one cup and drink warm tea, then eat antidor. If desired and possible, you can put money in a special saucer.

3. Only after this can you talk and kiss the icons.

4. You cannot leave the church before the end of the service - you must listen to the prayers of thanksgiving.

If your church did not read prayers of thanksgiving for Communion after the Eucharist, you should read them yourself when you return home.

5. On the day of Communion, one does not kneel, except for special fasting days (when reading the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian and bowing on Holy Saturday before the Shroud of Christ) and the day of the Holy Trinity.

6. After communion, you should try to behave modestly, not sin - especially the first 2 hours after receiving the Holy Gifts, not eat or drink too much, and avoid loud entertainment.

7. After communion, you can kiss each other and venerate the icons.

Of course, it is not advisable to break all these rules, but it will be better if you do not intentionally forget them, but in the end you sincerely confess and take communion.

Only the Lord is sinless, and we, because we are sinners, must not forget about the need for regular confession and communion.

As a rule, after a good confession, a person’s soul becomes a little easier; in some subtle way he feels that all or part of his sins have been forgiven. And after communion, even in a very tired and weak body, a feeling of strength and inspiration usually arises.

Try to go to confession and communion more often, get sick less and be happier thanks to God and faith in Him!

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 acceptance, prayers for Holy Communion must be read.

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.

Hello, dear readers!

How to prepare for confession and communion? Preparing for confession and communion, especially for the first time, raises many, many questions. I remember my first communion. How difficult it was for me to figure everything out. In this article you will get answers to the questions: what to say in confession to a priest - an example? How to take communion and confession correctly? rules for communion in church? How to confess for the first time? how to prepare for communion? The answer to these questions is given by the modern Greek preacher Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos) and other priests.

Other useful articles:

Rules for communion in church. How to prepare for communion?

Communion was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself at his last meal with the Apostles. The modern Greek preacher and theologian Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos) says, if people realized what a gift of unity with God they receive during communion, because now the blood of Christ flows in their veins... if they realized this fully, their lives would change a lot!

But, unfortunately, most people during communion are like children playing with precious stones and not understanding their value.

Rules for communion can be found in any Temple. They are usually presented in a small book called “HOW TO PREPARATE FOR HOLY COMMUNION.” These are the simple rules:

• Before communion you need Fast for 3 days- eat only plant foods (no meat, dairy products and eggs).
• Need to be at the evening service the day before communion.
• Need to confess either at the evening service or on the day of communion at the very beginning of the liturgy (the morning service, during which communion takes place).
• Need a few more days pray hard- for this, read morning and evening prayers and read the canons: Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ ,
  Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos,
  Canon to the Guardian Angel,
  Follow-up to Holy Communion *. * If you have never read the Canons (in Church Slavonic), you can listen to the audio (available on prayer book sites at the links provided).
• You need to take communion on an empty stomach (do not eat or drink anything in the morning). An exception is made for sick people, such as diabetics, for whom food and medicine are vital.

If you begin to receive communion at every liturgy, every Sunday, your confessor will be able to allow you to fast less and not read all the indicated prayers. Don’t be afraid to ask the priest and consult with him.

How is communion celebrated in church?

Suppose you decide to take communion on Sunday. This means that the night before (Saturday) you need to come to the evening service. Usually the evening service in Temples begins at 17:00. Find out what time the liturgy (morning service) begins on Sunday, at which the communion itself will take place. Usually, the morning service in Temples begins at 9:00. If there was no confession at the evening service, then you confess at the beginning of the morning service.

About halfway through the service, the Priest will remove the Chalice from the altar. Everyone who was preparing for communion gathers near the chalice and folds their hands on their chest, right over left. They approach the bowl carefully so as not to tip it over. The priest gives the communicants the Holy Gifts with a spoon - a piece of the body and blood of Christ under the guise of bread and wine.

After this, you need to go to the end of the Temple, where you will be given a drink. This is water diluted with wine. You need to drink it down so that not a single drop or crumb of the Eucharist is wasted. Only after this can you cross yourself. At the end of the service, prayers of thanksgiving should be heard.

How to prepare for confession? What to say to a priest in confession - an example? List of sins

The main rule in confession, which priests always remind us of, is not to recount sins. Because if you start retelling the story of how you committed a sin, then you will unwittingly begin to justify yourself and blame others. Therefore, in confession, sins are simply named. For example: pride, envy, foul language, etc. And so as not to forget anything, use a list of sins against God, against neighbors, against oneself(usually such a list is in the book “HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNION.”

Write down your sins on a piece of paper so you don’t forget anything. Come to the Temple early in the morning so as not to be late for confession and the general prayer before confession. Before confession, go to the priest, cross yourself, venerate the Gospel and the cross, and begin listing your pre-recorded sins. After confession, the priest will read a prayer of permission and tell you whether you are allowed to receive communion.

It very rarely happens when a priest, for your correction, does not allow you to take communion. This is also a test of your pride.

It is important during confession, naming a sin, to promise yourself not to repeat it. It is very important on the eve of communion to reconcile with your enemies and forgive your offenders.

How to confess for the first time?

The first confession is often called the general confession. As a rule, a piece of paper with a list of sins includes almost all the sins from the list of sins against God, one’s neighbor and oneself. The priest will probably understand that you have come to confession for the first time and will help you with advice on how to try not to repeat sins and mistakes.

I hope the article “How to prepare for confession and communion?” will help you decide and go to confession and communion. This is important for your soul, because confession is the cleansing of the soul. We wash our bodies every day, but we don’t care about the purity of our souls!

If you have never confessed or received communion and it seems to you that it is very difficult to prepare, I recommend that you still perform this feat. The reward will be great. I assure you that you have never experienced anything like this before. After communion, you will feel an extraordinary and incomparable spiritual joy.

The most difficult thing usually seems to be reading the canons and following to Holy Communion. Indeed, it is difficult to read the first time. Use the audio recording and listen to all these prayers over 2-3 evenings.

Listen in this video to the story of priest Andrei Tkachev about how much time (usually several years) separates a person from the desire to go to the first confession until the moment of the first confession.

I wish everyone to enjoy life and thank God for everything!

Alena Kraeva

Are you thinking about going to confession, but haven't decided to do it yet? Are you confused because you don't know how to properly prepare for this? With the following simple tips you can take your first steps.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR CONFESSION

Confession- the sacrament of reconciliation with God, when the penitent, in the presence of a witness-priest, reveals his sins to God and promises not to repeat them, and the priest prays for the forgiveness of the sins of the confessor. A confidential conversation with a priest, where you can discuss some details of your life and get answers to questions, should be distinguished from confession. Of course, some issues can be resolved during confession, but if there are a lot of questions or their discussion requires a long time, then it is better to ask the priest to set up a time for you to talk separately. Next, let's move directly to tips on preparing for confession.

1. Realize your sins. If you are thinking about confession, it means that you admit that in your life you did something wrong. It is with the awareness of one’s sins that repentance begins. What is sin and what is not? Sin is everything that contradicts God’s will, or, in other words, God’s plan for the world and man. God's plan for the world is revealed in Holy Scripture - the Bible. A partial, most “concise” expression of God’s plan for the practical life of man are the commandments - the famous Ten Commandments given to Moses at Sinai. Jesus Christ summarized the essence of these commandments as follows: “Love the Lord God with all your heart” And "love your neighbor as yourself". Before preparing for the first confession, it is useful to re-read the Savior's Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew) and the parable of the Last Judgment, where Jesus Christ says that our life will be assessed based on how we treated our neighbors.

2. Don’t use “sin lists.” Recently, among believers (as they say, “churched”, that is, more familiar with church tradition, and in practice, with parachurch superstitions), various kinds of “lists of sins” have been distributed. They rather harm the preparation for confession, because they very successfully help turn confession into a formal listing of “what-is-sin.” In fact, confession should not be formal under any circumstances. In addition, among the “lists of sins” there are some completely curious examples, so it is better not to consider brochures of this kind seriously at all.

The only exception may be the most a brief “memo” of the main sins , which are often not recognized as such. An example of such a memo:

A. Sins against the Lord God:

Disbelief in God, recognition of any significance for other “spiritual forces”, religious doctrines, in addition to the Christian faith; participation in other religious practices or rituals, even “for company,” as a joke, etc.;

Faith is nominal, not expressed in any way in life, that is, practical atheism (you can recognize the existence of God with your mind, but live as if you were an unbeliever);

The creation of “idols,” that is, placing something other than God in first place among life values. Anything that a person really “serves” can become an idol: money, power, career, health, knowledge, hobbies - all this can be good when it occupies the appropriate place in the personal “hierarchy of values”, but when it comes first , turns into an idol;

Turning to various kinds of fortune tellers, sorcerers, sorcerers, psychics, etc. is an attempt to “subdue” spiritual forces magically, without repentance and personal effort to change life in accordance with the commandments.

b. Sins against one's neighbor:

Neglect of people, resulting from pride and selfishness, inattention to the needs of one's neighbor (a neighbor is not necessarily a relative or acquaintance, but every person who happens to be next to us at the moment);

Condemnation and discussion of the shortcomings of others ( “By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned”, says the Lord);

Prodigal sins of various kinds, especially adultery (violation of marital fidelity) and unnatural sexual relations, which are incompatible with being in the Church. The so-called so-called, widespread today, also refers to prodigal cohabitation. “civil marriage”, that is, cohabitation without marriage registration. It should, however, be remembered that a registered but unmarried marriage cannot be regarded as fornication and is not an obstacle to remaining in the Church;

Abortion is the taking of the life of a human being, essentially murder. One should repent even if the abortion was done for medical reasons. Inducing a woman to have an abortion (by her husband, for example) is also a serious sin. Repentance for this sin implies that the repentant will never knowingly repeat it again.

Appropriation of someone else's property, refusal to pay other people (travel without a ticket), withholding the wages of subordinates or hired workers;

Lies of various kinds, especially slandering one’s neighbor, spreading rumors (as a rule, we cannot be sure of the veracity of rumors), and not keeping one’s word.

This is an approximate list of the most common sins, but we emphasize once again that you should not get carried away with such “lists”. When further preparing for confession, it is best to use the Ten Commandments of God and listen to your own conscience.

3. Talk only about sins, and your own. In confession you need to talk about your sins, without trying to minimize them or show them as excusable. It would seem that this is obvious, but how often do priests, when accepting confession, hear, instead of confessing sins, everyday stories about all their relatives, neighbors and acquaintances. When in confession a person talks about the grievances caused to him, he evaluates and condemns his neighbors, essentially justifying himself. Often in such stories, personal sins are presented in such a light that it would seem completely impossible to avoid them. But sin is always the fruit of personal choice. It is extremely rare that we find ourselves in such conflicts when we are forced to choose between two types of sin.

4. Don’t invent a special language. When talking about your sins, you shouldn’t worry about how to call them “correctly” or “church wise”. We must call things by their proper names, in ordinary language. You are confessing to God, who knows even more about your sins than you do, and calling sin as it is will definitely not surprise God.

You won't surprise the priest either. Sometimes penitents are ashamed to tell the priest this or that sin, or there is a fear that the priest, having heard the sin, will condemn you. In fact, over the years of ministry, a priest has to listen to a lot of confessions, and it is not easy to surprise him. And besides, all sins are not original: they have practically not changed over thousands of years. Being a witness to sincere repentance of serious sins, the priest will never condemn, but will rejoice at the person’s conversion from sin to the path of righteousness.

5. Talk about serious things, not trifles. There is no need to start confession with such sins as breaking the fast, not going to church, working on holidays, watching TV, wearing/not wearing certain types of clothes, etc. First of all, these are definitely not your most serious sins. Secondly, this may not be a sin at all: if a person has not come to God for many years, then why repent of not keeping fasts if the very “vector” of life was directed in the wrong direction? Thirdly, who needs endless digging into everyday minutiae? The Lord expects from us love and giving of the heart, and we told him: “I ate fish on a fast day” and “embroidered on a holiday.”

The main focus should be on our relationship with God and our neighbors. Moreover, by neighbors, according to the Gospel, we mean not only people who are pleasant to us, but everyone who has met us on the path of life. And above all, our family members. Christian life for family people begins in the family and is tested by it. Here is the best field for cultivating Christian qualities: love, patience, forgiveness, acceptance.

6. Start changing your life even before confession. Repentance in Greek is “metanoia,” literally “a change of mind.” It is not enough to admit that you have committed such and such offenses in life. God is not a prosecutor, and confession is not a confession. Repentance must be a change of life: the penitent intends not to return to sins and tries with all his might to keep himself from them. Such repentance begins some time before confession, and coming to church to see the priest already “captures” the change taking place in life. This is extremely important. If a person intends to continue sinning after confession, then maybe it’s worth postponing confession?

It is necessary to stipulate that when we talk about changing life and renouncing sin, we mean first of all the so-called “mortal” sins, according to the word of the Apostle John, that is, incompatible with being in the Church. Since ancient times, the Christian Church has considered renunciation of faith, murder and adultery to be such sins. Sins of this kind can also include the extreme degree of other human passions: anger towards one’s neighbor, theft, cruelty, etc., which can be stopped once and for all by an effort of will, combined with the help of God. As for small, so-called “everyday” sins, they will largely be repeated after confession. One must be prepared for this and accept it humbly as an inoculation against spiritual exaltation: there are no perfect people among people, only God alone is sinless.

7. Be at peace with everyone. "Forgive and you will be forgiven", says the Lord. — “By whatever court you judge, you will be judged.”. And even more powerfully: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” If we ask God for forgiveness, then we ourselves must first forgive the offenders. Of course, there are situations when asking for forgiveness directly from a person is physically impossible, or this will lead to an aggravation of an already difficult relationship. Then it is important to at least forgive on your part and not have anything against your neighbor in your heart.

Some practical recommendations. Before you come to confession, it would be a good idea to find out when confession is usually held in the church. In many churches they serve not only on Sundays and holidays, but also on Saturdays, and in large churches and monasteries - on weekdays. The greatest influx of confessors occurs during Lent. Of course, the Lenten period is primarily a time of repentance, but for those who come for the first time or after a very long break, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy. It may turn out that confession is held in the church on Friday evening or Saturday morning - on these days there will probably be fewer people than during Sunday services. It’s good if you have the opportunity to personally contact the priest and ask him to set a convenient time for you to confess.

There are special prayers that express a repentant “mood.” It is good to read them the day before confession. Canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ is printed in almost any prayer book, except the shortest ones.

During confession, the priest may assign you penance: abstaining from communion for a while, reading special prayers, prostrations or acts of mercy. This is not a punishment, but a means to overcome sin and receive complete forgiveness. Penance can be prescribed when the priest does not meet the proper attitude towards serious sins on the part of the penitent, or, conversely, when he sees that the person has a need to do something practically to “get rid of” the sin. Penance cannot be indefinite: it is appointed for a certain time, and then must be terminated.

As a rule, after confession, believers take communion. Although confession and communion are two different sacraments, it is better to combine preparation for confession with preparation for communion.

If these little tips helped you prepare for confession, thank God. Do not forget that this sacrament must be regular. Don't put off your next confession for many years. Confession at least once a month helps to always be “on our toes”, to be attentive and responsible in our daily life, in which, in fact, our Christian faith should be expressed.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLY COMMUNION

A reminder to a Christian who wishes to approach the Holy Chalice to receive communion of the life-giving Body and Blood of Christ the Lord.

An Orthodox Christian who wishes to begin the Holy Sacrament of Communion must remember that in order for Communion to the Lord not to be “in court and condemnation,” a Christian must fulfill a number of essential and disciplinary conditions. Disciplinary conditions are not strictly mandatory, and in the event of extraordinary circumstances (for example, in the event of a serious illness of a person or his dying condition) are not enforced. However, Orthodox Christians should remember that the development of these disciplinary conditions was based on the extensive experience of the life of the Church, and therefore, under normal circumstances, this external preparation (attendance at worship services, fasting, home prayer, etc.) is also mandatory.

1. Awareness of meaning. A person must be absolutely aware of where and why he has come. He came to enter into Communion with God, to become a partaker of the Divine, to unite with Christ, to taste the Lord’s Supper for his sanctification and cleansing from sins, and not to perform a religious ritual, “drink compote” or have dinner. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: “Next, you gather together in a way that does not mean eating the Lord’s supper; for everyone hastens to eat his food before others, so that some are hungry, and others get drunk. Have you no houses to eat and drink? Or do you neglect the church of God and humiliate the poor? What should I tell you? Should I praise you for this? I won’t praise you"(1 Cor. 11:20-22).

2. Sincere desire. A person must have a completely sincere desire to unite with Christ. This desire must be alien to all hypocrisy, and it must be combined with the Fear of God: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord”(Prov. 9:10). A person must remember that he “Whoever eats this Bread or drinks this Cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.”(1 Cor. 11:27).

3. Mental peace. A person approaching the Chalice must have peace of mind, that is, a state alien to malice, enmity or hatred against anyone. In such a state, it is impossible for a believer to approach the Sacrament. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “So if you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”(Matt. 5:23-24).

4. Churchness. And, finally, the last essential condition: a person must not violate the canons of the Church, excommunicating him from Communion and the Church, that is, be within the limits of faith and moral life permitted by the Church, since “Grace is given to those who do not violate the limits of faith and do not transgress the traditions of the fathers”(Message to Diognetus).

5. Confession. The tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church requires mandatory confession before Communion : “Let man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this Bread and drink from this Cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying.”(1 Cor. 11:28-29). Confession before Communion can take place either the night before or in the morning before the Liturgy. , and in necessary cases (holidays, priests’ workload due to large crowds of people, etc.), several days before Communion.

6. Liturgical fast. Before communion, according to the ancient tradition of the Church, a so-called liturgical fast, or fast before communion, is required, which consists of: from 24 o'clock on the night before communion they do not eat or drink anything, for it is customary to approach the Holy Chalice on an empty stomach. On holiday night services (Easter, Christmas, etc.), it should be remembered that the duration of liturgical fasting, as determined by the Holy Synod, cannot be less than 6 hours. The question arises: if someone, fasting for communion of the Holy Mysteries, while washing or being in the bathhouse, reluctantly swallowed a little water, should he receive communion? As St. Timothy of Alexandria answers in his canonical letter: "Must. For otherwise Satan, having found an opportunity to remove him from Communion, will more often do the same.”(answer 16). In doubtful cases, in the morning before the service, you should seek advice from the priest.

7. Body fasting. Anyone who wishes to receive communion must try to adequately prepare for this holy sacrament. The mind should not be overly distracted by the trifles of life and have fun. During the days of preparation, if circumstances permit, one should attend church services and more diligently follow the home prayer rule. The means to such a more focused spiritual life is fasting (in church practice it is called fasting): the body is prescribed abstinence and restriction in food (meat and dairy). Physical fasting before Communion usually lasts for several days. and the general rule here is this: the less often a person receives communion, the stricter and longer the physical fast should be, and vice versa. The amount of physical fasting is also determined by family and social circumstances (life in a non-church family, hard physical and intellectual work), and under these conditions it naturally decreases. Let us note that for Christians who observe one-day and multi-day fasts, during Bright Easter Week, physical fasting before communion is, as a rule, completely abolished.

8. Bodily cleanliness. There are certain requirements for bodily cleanliness for men and women. The first general requirement is renunciation of physical marital relations on the eve of Communion . The ancient ascetic tradition also prescribes, unless absolutely necessary, for men to abstain from Communion on the day after an overnight involuntary discharge, and for women during women's days And 40 day postpartum period : “It is not forbidden to pray, no matter what state someone is in and no matter how disposed they are, to remember the Lord and ask for help. But let him who is not entirely pure in soul and body be prohibited from approaching what is the Holy of Holies.”(Second canonical canon of St. Dionysius of Alexandria).

9. Attendance at worship services and home prayer. Since temple worship allows you to better prepare for the liturgy (common cause - Greek), on the eve of Communion, a healthy person must come to church and pray with everyone else at the evening service.

Home prayer includes in addition to the usual morning and evening prayers , reading Follow-up to Holy Communion (following morning prayers in the morning) .

The evening before Communion is also provided reading the three canons :

• Canon of repentance to the Lord,
• Prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, And
• Canon to the Guardian Angel

Those who wish, according to their personal zeal, can also read other prayers, for example, the Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus.

Alexander Bozhenov
Patriarchal Center for the Spiritual Development of Children and Youth