The priest often has to, at the lectern with the Cross and the Gospel, not to accept the confession of the penitents, but to listen to speeches of self-justification and condemnation of their neighbors (relatives, employees, neighbors, etc.). This happens partly because the Orthodox do not understand the meaning of the sacrament of Confession, partly because unwillingness to talk with your conscience, to bring out the filth of sin and wash it with repentance.
Confession- this is not a conversation about your shortcomings, doubts, and not a story to the confessor about your life. Confession is the repentance of the heart, born of the thirst for cleansing from the filth of sin. We come to confession with the intention of receiving forgiveness of sins from the Lord God through a priest. So know that your confession can be empty, fruitless, invalid and even insulting to the Lord, if you go to confession without any preparation, without examining your conscience, hide your sins for shame or some other reason, confess formally, coldly, mechanically, without having a firm intention to improve.
Here is what you need to do when preparing for the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist (Communion):
3 days - post(excluded food of animal origin, abstinence from entertainment).
Do the following prayer rule :
- MORNING PRAYERS
- PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP
CANONS:
- REPENTENT TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
- PRAYER TO THE Blessed Mother of God
- TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL
According to the book EXPERIENCE OF BUILDING A CONFESSION, make a confession on paper.
On the days of preparation for confession, one should attend worship in the temple, read the GOSPEL.
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP
CANON FOR HOLY COMMUNICATION.
After midnight, they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to start the MYSTERY OF COMMUNICATION on an empty stomach (no smoking).
Read in the morning:
MORNING PRAYERS
FOLLOWING TO HOLY COMMUNICATION, except for the canon read the day before.
At the end of the service, you need to hurry home, read the GRATITUDE PRAYERS FOR HOLY COMMUNICATION and spend the rest of the day reading spiritual books and helping others, protecting yourself from empty talk and entertainment.
Prayer book
"Experience in building a confession". I. Krestyankin.
New Testament
communion- mysterious, incomprehensible to the mind, the deepest and closest connection with God possible for a person through the tasting of the greatest shrine - the Eucharistic Gifts, Bread and Wine - the true Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Get to it the most holy Sacrament it is necessary, if possible, monthly, but in no way less than 4 times a year. It must be carefully prepared for, so that Communion is not a judgment or a condemnation.
When preparing for communion, be sure to reconcile with everyone with whom you had a conflict or quarrel. Communion in enmity is a grave sin.
On the eve of the day of communion, you must attend the evening service. This is an indispensable condition for preparing for the sacrament of Communion.
The sacrament of Communion must necessarily be preceded by the sacrament of Confession.
The communicant must have a pectoral cross.
One should approach the holy Chalice with reverence, without pushing anyone, realizing one's unworthiness. Fold your arms crosswise on your chest, right to left. Don't be baptized before the Chalice . name your full name given at baptism. Take care of St. Dara, kiss the edge of the Chalice and calmly move away. Gifts immediately, if necessary, chew and swallow. Then drink the Gifts with “warmth” and eat a piece of prosphora.
Usually people who are inexperienced in spiritual life do not see either the multiplicity of their sins or their vileness - "I did not do anything special, I only have minor sins, like everyone else - I did not steal, I did not kill." What about self-love? Intolerance of reproaches? Callousness? Human pleasing, weakness of faith, lack of love for one's neighbor? Are these all minor sins? Let's take a closer look at ourselves, remember what our relatives and friends usually reproach us for. Very often their accusations and reproaches are justified. Have we achieved meekness, without anger, humility? Do we love each person as commanded by the Savior?
Knowing your sins does not mean repenting of them. True, the Lord accepts confession: - sincere and conscientious, even if it is not accompanied by strong feeling repentance, if even this sin of ours—the petrified insensitivity of the heart—we confess courageously and frankly, without hypocrisy. And yet, contrition of heart, sorrow for our sins is the most important thing that we can bring to confession. To soften our hearts and sharpen our feelings of repentance, we need prayerful preparations for confession and fasting. Fasting violates bodily well-being and complacency that is disastrous for spiritual life, loosens the soil of our heart, which after that will be able to absorb prayer, the word of God, the lives of saints, the creations of the Holy Fathers, and this, in turn, will give us strength to fight sin and do good deeds. .
You don’t need to wait for questions during confession, you need to make efforts yourself, because confession is a feat and self-compulsion. It is necessary to speak precisely, without obscuring the ugliness of sin with general expressions. It is necessary to abandon attempts to justify oneself by “extenuating circumstances”, to abandon references to others who allegedly led one into sin. Confession must be complete, that is, we must confess all our sins, without hiding anything and not postponing “for later”. Unrepentant sins constantly burden the soul and prepare for it eternal condemnation. One should be ashamed to commit a sin, and not repent of it. Do not dare to think that your sins are so great that it is not worth repenting. Who accepts our repentance? Who heals our sinful ulcers? Almighty God. Almighty Physician! And as such, He makes forgiveness possible for all the most grievous sins.
It is wrong to think that after confessing our many sins the priest will neglect us as sinners. On the contrary, any priest rejoices at the sincere repentance of a sinner, as a good shepherd rejoices at finding a lost sheep. Knowing our ailments, he is more likely to be able to help us, to indicate the way of healing from our sinful ulcers.
It is necessary to confess as often as possible, the gaps between confessions must be filled internal struggle with sinful temptations, efforts to a righteous life, supported by the previous confession, expectation and preparation for the next one.
List of the most common spiritual diseases, sins, evil habits, passions:
This list is given so that those preparing for confession can take a deeper look at themselves, more precisely find expressions, names of their illnesses. It is useful at the same time to draw up a rough plan for yourself - what sins to confess, so as not to forget later in confession; but it will be necessary not only to read the paper about your ulcers, but with a sense of guilt and repentance to open them before God, take them out of your soul like nasty snakes and get rid of them with a feeling of disgust.
LITTLE BELIEVE. Doubt in the omnipotence and mercy of the Creator. Thanksgiving to God for everything that happens to us. Attributing successes to oneself and grumbling for failures against God. A look at Orthodoxy as a national tradition, a set of external rites. The discrepancy between our words and deeds in the temple and outside the church fence.
SUPERSTITATION AND HERESY. Belief in signs, dreams, horoscopes, astrological forecasts. Seeking help from intermediaries of demonic power - occultists, psychics, bioenergetics, non-contact massage therapists, hypnotists, traditional healers, sorcerers, fortune tellers, healers, fortune tellers, astrologers, parapsychologists, scientologists. Watching and listening to TV and radio programs with their participation, reading occult literature. (“White” sorcerers and healers does not exist. Even if they read prayers, hang icons on the stage and assure them of their love for the Church, don't believe it! According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, these are wolves in sheep's clothing). Participation in sessions of coding, removal of "damage and evil eye", spiritualism. Contact with UFOs and “ higher intelligence". Connecting to “ cosmic energies". study of theosophy, martial arts and religious cults, yoga, meditation, dousing according to the system of Porfiry Ivanov. The study of the "living ethics" of the Roerichs, Dianetics and Scientology (Hubbard's teaching) and participation in sessions of auditing and Dr.
Attendance at speeches by Protestant preachers, participation in meetings of Baptists, Evangelists, Adventists, Pentecostals (charismatics), “Word of Life Church”, Moonies (“unification church”), “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, “Mother of God Center”, “white brotherhood” and others non-Orthodox religious organizations. Watching and listening to TV and radio programs with their participation. Participation in non-Orthodox services, acceptance of baptism by sectarians. Attending services and participating in the Sacraments of schismatics, many of whom call themselves Orthodox, but are not in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church: Old Believers, Uniates (Greek Catholics) and others (“Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Kyiv Patriarchate”, “Free Orthodox Church”, “True Orthodox Church”, etc.). Agitation and dissemination of the ideas of the mentioned sects, "churches" and organizations. one
blasphemy and blasphemy. Murmuring against God for suffering that seems undeserved to us. Irreverent attitude towards God, church shrines, Sacraments. Disrespect for the clergy. The mention of the name of God or Holy Mother of God in vain (in everyday conversations as interjections: “Oh, you, Lord!”, “God is with him”, “All we have is not glory to God”, etc.). The mention of sacred words in jest, in anger, along with insults. Prayer for the punishment of another person. It is also sinful to threaten your enemies with the wrath of the Lord. invocation evil spirits in anger or simple conversation (swearing). The use of swear words.
SILENTNESS. Disregard for church service. Not attending church on Sundays and public holidays. Late for church service due to negligence and leaving the temple before the end of the service. Inattention and distraction at home and church prayer. Conversations during worship. Infrequent confession and communion without proper preparation. Lack of understanding of the meaning of the sacraments performed and lack of interest in this knowledge. Failure to fulfill the morning and evening prayer rules. Failure to perform prayer before and after meals.
PRIDE AND VANITY. self-love. A high opinion of oneself, of one's imaginary virtues. Arrogance, loss of simplicity. Willfulness, disobedience. Self-justification, condemnation of one's neighbor. Desire to teach and save others. Seeking fame, praise from people. Unequal attitude towards others (personality). The creation of good deeds, almsgiving and prayer in plain sight, to show people (hypocrisy). Humanity, cunning, flattery. Anger, irritability. Hot temper, rudeness. Selfishness. Envy. Stubbornness.
SPIRITUAL CHARM. Opinion about one's chosenness, veneration of oneself worthy and having achieved special spiritual perfection. Taking dreams as divine "revelations". Confidence in the waking phenomena of visions and signs.
DESCRIPTION. The fading of love for others, indifference to the suffering of others, the inability to rejoice in the joy of others. Doubt in the possibility of forgiveness of their sins. Waste of time, "killing time". Laziness. Excessive sleep. TV omnivorous. Reading empty books.
CELEBRATION. Empty, useless conversations. Gossip, retelling rumors. Love for controversy. Empty laughter, jokes, witticisms.
FALSE. Misleading one's neighbor by word, deed, or silence. Failure to fulfill these promises. Gossip, fiction and exaggeration in idle talk. Slander. Bold reasoning about obscure things. Jokes based on deceit.
LOVE OF MONEY. Addiction to money, things, all kinds of material goods, which manifests itself both in the form of extravagance, and in the opposite form - stinginess. Desire for wealth. Envy. Unmercifulness, contempt for the poor. Excessive concern for one's well-being and fear of losing it. Gambling.
THEFT. Misappropriation of another's property (private or public). Failure to return money debts or things given for a while. Parasitism, begging without extreme necessity. Causing damage to the property of a neighbor. Taking payment for one's own work in excess of what is due (extortion).
GLUTTONY. Attitude to food as a source of pleasure. Consolidation. Drunkenness. Smoking. Non-observance of fasts (multi-day - Veliky, Petrov, Assumption and Rozhdestvensky (Filippov), one-day - on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on special, established by the Church, days). Eating from boredom, from despondency, from idleness. Dissatisfaction with food.
fornication. Fornication (unconsecrated by the sacrament of Marriage, the carnal relationship of a single man and unmarried woman). Adultery (adultery). Incest. Sodomy, bestiality, masturbation. Viewing seductive spectacles, dissolute films, paintings, books. Seductive talk, obscene stories. Wicked dreams. Intemperance in married life on fast days.
MURDER. Taking the life of another person. Suicide attempt. Abortion (equivalent to murder). Assault, beatings, wounds, mutilations. Inciting to fight, pitting people with gossip, slander, slander. Failure to help the sick, dying, homeless, hungry, drowning before your eyes, beaten or robbed, injured by fire or flood. Killing animals needlessly, torturing them. Not raising children Orthodox faith. A cruel word, abuse, mockery, mockery of someone else's grief.
Confession and communion are important religious rites in Christianity. Believers purify their souls from sins, passing through blessed repentance, and join in the sacred service, which traces its origin to the Last Supper. However, it is necessary to properly prepare for these rituals. It is known that if the penitent is not completely sincere, confession will have no effect, even if the priest reads all the necessary texts. Communication with the Lord through the holy sacraments changes lives and brings peace. Prayers before confession and communion set the soul in the appropriate mood.
Even holy and righteous people regularly go through the rite of repentance. It is widely known that in similar rituals a person needs only if he has committed serious sins. According to the apt comparison of Abbot Isaac, if you leave the table in an empty closed room for a week, then after a while a layer of dust will be found on the tabletop. So and.
Preparation for rituals: canons before confession and communion
Holy rites are combined with a three-day fast, during which you can not eat meat and dairy products. It is not superfluous to read the Bible: in Old Testament having reread the Ten Commandments (Exodus, 20:2-17), and in the New - the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, 5-7), which is revered by many Christians.
What prayers to read before confession: the liberation of the soul from the sinful burden
Repentance requires sincere faith and focus. However, preparatory prayers must be given no less time. It is best to read them within three days before confession. Particularly useful for spiritual body pronunciation of holy words on the night before the day appointed by the priest.
- Prayer "Before Confession" is inspired by the Lord Saint Simeon New Theologian, who lived in the X century. The saint was of the opinion that the leading role in the life of a Christian is played by communication with God through prayer.
- The prayer "For the forgiveness of forgotten sins" is short, but capacious. The creator laid out these simple words by the hand of the Monk Barsanuphius the Great, a holy monk and ascetic of the 6th century, originally from the sinful Egyptian land.
- "Following to Holy Communion" includes many texts of prayers, canons, kontakions, troparia, psalms. For the correct reading of the holy words, it is necessary to consult with the priest.
How to read prayers and canons correctly
Before turning to the Lord through holy texts, it is necessary to cleanse thoughts from temptations and pride. Subdue your "ego", feel like humble servants of God. Retire or gather the family if they also wish to receive communion or confession. Joint prayers strengthen the bonds of marriage and protect children's souls from sinful thoughts. Turn off phones and other electrical appliances so that they do not distract you from your righteous pastime.
Sins fall on a person imperceptibly: the soul is covered with “dust” and a heavy burden presses on the spiritual shell, causing depression and health problems. What, every Christian to know is no less important than the list of canons used to prepare for repentance and communion.
Confession or repentance is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, during which the penitent confesses his sins to the priest, the representative of the Lord on earth, after which the forgiveness of sins is carried out. It is believed that these Sacraments were established by Jesus Christ himself. For achievement best result prayers are read before confession and communion, according to Orthodoxy, this allows the believer to tune in the right way.
In order for the ritual to go according to all the rules, you need to prepare before communion:
- It is necessary to realize one's sinfulness, sincerely, heartily repent of the sins committed.
- It is necessary to realize the desire to leave sin and not repeat it anymore, believing in Jesus Christ, hoping for his mercy.
- We must believe that confession has sufficient power to cleanse sins.
To receive absolution, you will need to undergo the Sacrament of baptism in the church before receiving communion, becoming an Orthodox Christian.
In addition, there are some simple rules:
- Remember all the evil words, starting from the age of 7 or the moment of baptism, admit only your guilt in having uttered them.
- Offer prayers to God, promise that with his help you will make every effort to exclude the repetition of sin, you will try to do good.
- If sin has resulted in harm to your neighbor, you need to make amends for the harm done.
- Forgive the sins of those who caused moral or material damage to you before communion occurs.
You must feel sincere remorse during confession, only then the Lord will be able to illuminate your soul with light. And if you decide to confess “for show”, it’s better not to do this at all. This is a great Sacrament, not a formality.
To pass the sacrament ritual you need:
- Understand the meaning of the ritual. Your goal is to become a partaker of the Divine, to unite with Christ, to be cleansed from sin.
- Recognize the need for ritual. Offer prayers, heartily desire to pass it.
- Find spiritual peace, a state opposite to malice, enmity, hatred.
- Do not violate church canons.
- Get confession on time.
- Stick to the post.
- Participate in worship services, pray at home.
- Keep body and spirit clean.
Prayers will help prepare for the Sacraments
It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of the holy confession and communion by repentance, fasting, in addition, prayers are also read at this time. There are several types of prayers, some of which can be read at home or in the temple. Reading a prayer for communion will help you cleanse yourself spiritually, prepare for the ritual, and make it much easier.
Orthodox Christians note that this kind of preparation really makes the process more enjoyable, allows you to better understand its meaning, frees you from disturbing thoughts, and gives understanding. You can even pray for your loved ones who will have a ritual, no doubt, this will allow them to go through it much easier.
Examples Orthodox prayers
Prayer "Following Holy Communion"
“Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen. Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls. Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake. Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen. Our Father, Who art in heaven! Yes, shine your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Lord have mercy. (12 times) Come, let us bow down to the King of our God. (Bow) Come, let us bow and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow) Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow) ”
Familiarize yourself with the three canons and akathists, they include "the canon of the penitent to the Lord", "the prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos", "the canon to the Guardian Angel".
Prayer of the "Penitent" to the Lord God
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Master Christ God, Who heals my passions with His passions and heals my ulcers with His ulcers, grant me, who have sinned much with You, tears of tenderness; dissolve my body from the smell of Your life-giving Body, and delight the soul My Thy Honest Blood from sorrow, drink me the enemy; raise my mind to Thee, drooping valley, and raise me from the abyss of perdition: as if I do not imam repentance, I do not imam tenderness, I do not imam tears of consolation, raising children to their inheritance. Darkened by the mind in worldly passions, I cannot look to You in illness, I cannot warm myself with tears, even if I love You. But, Lord Jesus Christ, treasure of the good, grant me wholehearted repentance and an industrious heart to seek Thy, grant me Thy grace and renew in me the signs of Thy image. Leave you, don't leave me; come out to my exaction, lead me to Your pasture and count me among the sheep of Your chosen flock, raise me with them from the cereal of Your Divine Sacraments, with the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen."
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
“Holy Mother of God, save me. My queen, my hope is the Mother of God, friend of orphans and strange representatives, grieving joy, offended patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me like a weak one, feed me like a strange one. Offend my weight, let me that, as if you will: as if there is no other imam of help to You, nor another representative, nor a good comforter, only to You, O Bogomati, as if you save me and cover me forever and ever. Amen. To whom shall I cry, Lady? To whom shall I resort in my sorrow, if not to Thee, Queen of Heaven? Who will receive my weeping and my sighing, if not You, Immaculate One, the hope of Christians and the refuge of us sinners? Who will protect you more in adversity? Hear my groaning, and incline Your ear to me, the Lady of the Mother of my God, and do not despise me, who requires Your help, and do not reject me, a sinner. Reason and teach me, Queen of Heaven; do not depart from me, Thy servant, Lady, for my murmuring, but wake me Mother and intercessor. I entrust myself to Your merciful protection: bring me, a sinner, to a quiet and serene life, let me cry over my sins. To whom shall I resort guilty, if not to Thee, the hope and refuge of sinners, with the hope of Thy unspeakable mercy and Thy bounty we enshrine? Oh, Lady Queen of Heaven! You are my hope and refuge, protection and intercession and help. My favored queen and ambulance intercessor! Cover my sins with Your intercession, protect me from enemies visible and invisible; soften hearts evil people who rise up against me. Oh, Mother of the Lord my Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh Mother of God! You give me help to those who are weak with carnal passions and who are sick of the heart, for Yours alone and with You Your Son and our God imam intercession; and by Your miraculous intercession, may I be delivered from all misfortune and misfortune, O immaculate and glorious Mother Mary of God. The same with hope, I say and cry: Rejoice, full of grace, rejoice, rejoiced; Rejoice, blessed one, the Lord is with you."
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
“Holy Angel of God, my guardian, pray to God for me. Holy Angel of Christ, falling down to you, I pray, my holy guardian, given to me to keep my sinful soul and body from holy baptism, but with my laziness and my evil habit, I angered your most pure lordship and drove away thee from yourself with all student deeds: lies, slander, envy, condemnation, contempt, disobedience, fraternal hatred, and rancor, love of money, adultery, rage, avarice, gluttony without satiety and drunkenness, verbosity, evil thoughts and crafty, proud custom and prodigal rage having self-desire for every carnal desire. Oh, my evil will, even the beasts of speechlessness do not create it! But how can you look at me, or come to me, like a stinking dog? Whose eyes, angel of Christ, look at me, entwined with evil in vile deeds? Yes, how can I ask forgiveness for my bitter and evil and crafty deed, I fall into it all day and night and at every hour? But I pray, falling down, my holy guardian, have mercy on me, your sinful and unworthy servant (name), be my helper and intercessor for the evil of my opponent, with your holy prayers, and make the Kingdom of God a partaker of me with all the saints, always, and now and forever and ever. Amen."
On the eve of Easter, it is recommended to read the Easter canon. There are several prayers that must be read before the Sacrament of Confession. It is recommended to read them at home or within the walls of the church, placing candles in front of the icon of Jesus Christ.
In life Orthodox Christian most an important event is the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It takes more than one day to prepare for it. Three days of fasting, as well as reading prayers before confession and Communion. This is how believers should prepare themselves to meet God.
Before proceeding to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, the believer must purify his soul with repentance. It's about about the sacrament of confession established by the church.
Fasting is not provided for before the sacrament of repentance. But, as the holy fathers say, every sin requires proportionate repentance, and if it is not, the corresponding torment will come.
If we have committed a serious sin, it means that we must especially cry and lament over what we have done, and refrain from any actions that led to the commission of this sin. It is also necessary to repent of small sins, not to neglect this. We must remember everything that we have done since the last confession.
In order not to forget all the sins committed during this time, the holy fathers recommend summing up the day before going to bed every day. Evaluate your actions, ask God for forgiveness if you have done something contrary to His commandments. In order to set yourself in the right mood, before confession, you need to read the canon of repentance. It helps bring the soul into a contrite state.
What do they read before confession?
The penitential canon, read by all Orthodox Christians in preparation for confession and Communion, was written by the great Russian man and commander A. Suvorov.
This happened in February 1800, undoubtedly under the influence of the canon of Andrew of Crete, read during the days of Great Lent.
The general wrote the canon with a weakened hand. He will be gone by May of this year. The dream of the great Russian commander to become a monk and take refuge in the Nile Desert, where for many years he aspired with all his soul, did not come true.
A. Suvorov was in life not only a soldier, but also a pilgrim. For his piety, he was named by his compatriots the Russian Archangel Michael. Suvorov was prominent representative Orthodox Russia.
The contradictions that he combined, the prayerful state of the soul and the need to shed someone's blood, may have led him to write the canon, which for several centuries has been calling all believers to realize their sins and high repentance.
The canon that is read before confession can be found in any Orthodox prayer book. It is needed to help the believer remember:
- transience of life;
- the coming terrible judgment;
- the need to seek the Kingdom of God by all means;
- repentance and purification of the soul from sins;
- awareness of their cruelty;
- the madness of a man holding on to temporary wealth;
- strengthening in virtue;
- much more.
According to the charter of the church, believers do not have the right to approach the Holy Chalice without being prepared and without purifying the soul with the sacrament of repentance. AT this case home repentance is not enough.
It is imperative to go through the sacrament of confession, at which the clergyman will forgive sins by the power given to him by God. An exception is made for children under 7 years of age. It is believed that this is the angelic age, when there are no sins yet or they are committed unconsciously due to age.
Attention! A lot of books have been written about what you need to pay attention to when preparing for confession. Somewhere detailed explanations are given, somewhere sins are simply listed. Prayers for preparing for this sacrament can be found in liturgical books or listened to online on the Internet.
Participle
Christ Himself commanded us to take communion. This must be done in order to be saved and have eternal life.
Mysteriously, the wine and bread in the Eucharist Cup during the liturgy are transformed into the Flesh and Blood of Christ.
Taking them inside, we unite with God, thereby receiving cleansing from sins and strength on further way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Communion is a very important and responsible moment in spiritual life. Orthodox person. A lot depends on how you prepare for it. An unworthy addition to the Gifts without proper preparation will entail an even worse punishment. The process itself consists of several steps:
- Compliance with a 3-day fast.
- Reading certain prayers.
- Passing confession in the temple where the sacrament will be performed.
- Participation in the Sacrament.
- Listening to prayers of thanks.
On the day of Communion, before the beginning of the Liturgy, and especially the moment when the Gifts are taken inside, do not drink anything and do not eat any food. The exception is people who are taking medications that are vital for them at this time.
If a delay in taking medications can lead to a sharp deterioration in health, then they are allowed to be used until the moment of Communion. But no more. All this is desirable to do with the blessing of the confessor.
How to Read Prayers Before Communion
Fasting and prayer help believers purify their souls and bodies in order to receive the Holy Gifts. The Church has established certain prayers that are necessary for every believer who wants to be united with Christ in the sacrament of Communion. So what to read:
- 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.
Priests, monastics and pious laymen daily read the three canons mentioned above in the list of prayers that must be read before accepting the Holy Gifts. But we ordinary believers, immersed in the vanity of numerous affairs, would not be able to do this prayer work.
Interesting! When is celebrated according to the church Orthodox calendar
Therefore, the reading of the three canons is prescribed to us only during the preparation for Communion, as a particularly important and responsible moment of our spiritual activity.
Seraphim Zvezdinsky, a preacher and church hierarch of the early 20th century, who later became a holy martyr, called them the three roses of Paradise, which everyone aspiring to the Kingdom of Heaven should smell.
And those who with attention and open heart will read the lines of the canons, will be able to feel the special spiritual aroma emanating from each of their words. Fragrant lines purify and inspire the soul of the one who prays, produce its mysterious spiritual transformation.
Adherence to Holy Communion is a cycle of texts compiled in a certain order and aimed at setting the soul of the believer to a worthy passage of the sacrament. We list which prayers they include:
- General start.
- Troparion Psalms.
- Canon.
- A cycle of ten or more prayer texts.
- Brief prayers pronounced directly at the moment of receiving the Holy Gifts.
- Thanksgiving Prayers, deducted after the end of the sacrament of Communion and the liturgy.
All these prayers, except for the last two, must be performed in advance, in the process of preparing for the Sacrament. Thanksgiving prayers can be listened to in the temple or pray on your own at home.
Attention! Prayers before Communion for children, as a rule, are reduced or abolished altogether, if the age of the attendant is conducive to such a relaxation of the charter. What to read before Communion and confession to children, the spiritual mentor will tell.
How and Why to Prepare for the Sacraments
The views of the clergy on the passage of the Divine Eucharist by believers at times do not coincide. Some confessors bless their children to take communion as often as possible.
But this is more appropriate during fasting or if the parishioner is at the monastery as a laborer.
Perhaps he simply lives in a monastery hotel long time and, of course, he goes to all services, performs any obediences that are not too burdensome for him.
In this case, the believer is immersed around the clock in a state of prayerful contemplation, constantly fasting, since lenten food is mainly served in the monastic refectories. He has all the conditions to partake of communion often and do it worthily.
Other Orthodox clergy believe that too active parishioners' participation in the Divine Eucharist may belittle the high significance of this Sacrament. First of all, the quality of preparation for communion and confession will suffer.
In the hustle and bustle of numerous affairs that surround a layman, it will be very difficult for him to often arrange fasts for himself, find additional time and energy for frequent reading of the obligatory prayer rule, which is quite voluminous.
There will be an emasculation, a devaluation in the minds of Christians of this high and holy Sacrament, since the preparation for it will be put on stream, done in a hurry and carelessly, without due reverence.
In Russia, before the revolution, there was a clearly established model of behavior of believing Christians in the church, which at that time was the majority of the country's population. Pious people were instructed to take communion at every fast for one simple reason. Communion was impossible without a weekly fast with all strictness. During fasting, this condition could be fulfilled much easier and simpler than on ordinary days.
Attention! Experienced clergy advise taking communion once a month. More often it is undesirable to do this, but it is not worth delaying too much.
Do children need special prayers before communion? The views of the clergy on this issue are also diametrically opposed. Someone believes that a child from an early age should be gradually taught to fast and read at least a few prayers, gradually increasing their number. Other confessors insist that it is enough at first during the preparation period to introduce restrictions on chocolate, ice cream, and cartoons.
In this way, the child will feel that something significant, out of the ordinary, is about to happen. The child should not avoid the temple and prayers, because they bore him. It will be enough for him to see how adults participate in the preparation for confession and Communion, to stand with them for several minutes while reading prayers.
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Summing up
If we want to approach the Eucharistic Chalice, then we must undergo confession. The priest will read a permissive prayer, placing an epitrachelion on our head. Thus, he testifies to the purity of the soul and conscience of the one who dares to approach the Holy Gifts. It is necessary to read prayers before Communion in order to prepare the soul for this sacrament.
Prayers before Communion and in preparation for Confession, before the Liturgy
How to prepare for Communion? How to prepare for Confession? Read the prayers before Communion in Russian. Learn how to partake properly
Prayers before Liturgy
The Sacrament of Communion or the Eucharist (from Greek - thanksgiving) is the main Sacrament of the Orthodox Church and, at the same time, the most frequently performed Sacrament: in any church, Communion is celebrated every Sunday and on holidays, and in churches where more than one priest serves - every day, with the exception of special days Church Charter.
Communion is celebrated only at the Liturgy, which is usually served in the morning. In this daily service and its very event - the Sacrament of Communion - there is a huge meaning, an ancient tradition and the strong grace of God, truly enlightening every Orthodox Christian.
Many people, realizing this, want to begin the Sacrament and take communion at the end of the Liturgy, but do not know what needs to be done to do this. But you really need to prepare for Communion. Of course, you can ask the employees of the church shop or priests - but often timidity and inexperience in church life interfere.
From our article, you will learn how to prepare by prayer, fasting and repentance for Confession and Communion, how to properly take communion and how to name sins in confession.
Sacrament of the Church - what does it mean?
The Orthodox Church has seven Sacraments. All of them are established by the Lord and have as their basis His words, preserved in the Gospel. The Sacrament of the Church is a sacrament, where with the help of external signs, rituals, invisibly, that is, mysteriously, hence the name, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to people. The saving power of God is true, in contrast to the "energy" and magic of the spirits of darkness, which only promise help, but actually destroy souls.
In addition, the Tradition of the Church says that in the Sacraments, unlike home prayers, prayer services or memorial services, grace is promised by God Himself and enlightenment is given to a person who has prepared for the Sacraments faithfully, who comes with sincere faith and repentance, understanding his sinfulness before our Sinless Savior.
The Lord blessed the apostles to perform seven Sacraments, which are usually named in order from birth to death of a person: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance (confession), Communion, Wedding (marriage), Priesthood, Consecration of the Unction (unction).
Baptism and Confirmation today are performed in succession, one after the other. That is, a person who has come to be baptized or a child who has been brought will be anointed with the Holy Myrrh - a special mixture of oils that is created in in large numbers once a year, in the presence of the Patriarch.
Communion follows only after Confession. You need to repent at least of those sins that you still see in yourself - at confession, the priest, if possible, will ask you about other sins, and help you confess.
Before being ordained to the priesthood, a priest must marry or become a monk (it is interesting that tonsure is not a Sacrament, a person himself makes vows to God and then asks Him to help in their fulfillment). In the Sacrament of the Wedding, God gives His grace, uniting people into one whole. Only then can a person, as it were, in the integrity of his nature, accept the Sacrament of the Priesthood.
The sacrament of Unction should not be confused with the anointing with oil, which is performed after the All-Night Vigil (an evening service that takes place every Saturday and before church holidays) and is a symbolic blessing of the Church. Collect everyone who wants to, even healthy body, usually in great post, and seriously ill patients all year - if necessary, even at home. This is the Sacrament of healing the soul and body. It aims at cleansing from unconfessed sins (this is especially important to do before death) and healing the disease.
Sacrament of Confession - cleansing from all mistakes and sins
Confession, as we have said, precedes Communion, so we will talk about the Sacrament of Confession at the beginning.
During Confession, a person names his sins to the priest - but, as it is said in the prayer before confession, which the priest will read, this is a confession to Christ Himself, and the priest is only a servant of God who visibly gives His grace. We receive forgiveness from the Lord: His words are preserved in the Gospel, by which Christ gives to the apostles, and through them to the priests, their successors, the power to forgive sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain.”
In Confession we receive the forgiveness of all the sins that we have named and those that we have forgotten. Under no circumstances should sins be concealed! If you are ashamed, name the sins, among others, briefly.
Confession, despite the fact that many Orthodox people they confess once or twice a week, that is, quite often, they call it the second baptism. During Baptism, a person is cleansed from original sin by the grace of Christ, who accepted the Crucifixion for the sake of delivering all people from sins. And during repentance at confession, we get rid of new sins that we have committed throughout life path.
Preparation rules: what sins should be named at confession and how to recognize them
You can come to Confession without preparing for Communion. That is, Confession is necessary before Communion, but you can come to Confession separately. Preparing for confession is basically reflecting on your life and repentance, that is, admitting that certain things you have done are sins. Before Confession:
If you have never confessed, start remembering your life from the age of seven (it was at this time that a child growing up in Orthodox family, on church tradition, comes to the first confession, that is, he can clearly answer for his actions). Realize what misconducts cause you remorse, because conscience, according to the word of the Holy Fathers, is the voice of God in a person. Think about how you can call these actions, for example: he took sweets saved for the holiday without asking, got angry and yelled at a friend, left a friend in trouble - this is theft, anger and anger, betrayal.
Write down all the sins that you remember, realizing your wrong and promising God not to repeat these mistakes.
Continue thinking as an adult. In confession, you cannot and should not tell the history of each sin, its name is enough. Remember that many encouraged modern world deeds are sins: romance or association with married woman- adultery, sex outside of marriage - fornication, a clever deal where you got a benefit, and gave another low-quality thing - deceit and theft. All this also needs to be written down and promised to God not to sin again.
Read Orthodox literature about Confession. An example of such a book is “The Experience of Building a Confession” by Archimandrite John Krestyankin, a contemporary elder who died in 2006. He knew the sins and sorrows of modern people.
A good habit is to analyze your daily life. The same advice is usually given by psychologists in order to form an adequate self-esteem of a person. Remember, or rather write down your sins, made by accident or on purpose (mentally ask God to forgive them and promise not to commit again), and your successes - thank God and His help for them.
There is a Canon of repentance to the Lord, which you can read standing in front of the icon on the eve of confession. It is also included in the number of prayers that are preparatory to Communion. There are also several Orthodox prayers with a list of sins and words of repentance. Through such prayers and penitential canon you will prepare for confession sooner, because it will be easy for you to understand what actions are called sins and what you need to repent of.
Here is one of the prayers of repentance - the daily confession of sins, which is read as part of the Orthodox evening prayer rule:
“I confess to You, the One Lord my God and Creator, glorified by all the Holy Trinity, Whom all people worship: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all my sins that I have committed all the days of my life, which I have sinned every hour, during today and in the past days and nights: deeds, words, thoughts, gluttony, drunkenness, eating in secret from others, idle discussion of people and things, despondency, laziness, disputes, disobedience and deceit of superiors, slander, condemnation, careless and inattentive attitude to affairs and people, pride and selfishness, greed, theft, lies, criminal gain, desire for easy gain, jealousy, envy, anger, remorse, rancor, hatred, bribery or extortion and all my senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, other sins of soul and body, with which I angered You, my God and Creator, and caused harm to my neighbor; I pity all this, I acknowledge my guilt before You, my God, and I repent myself: only, Lord my God, help me, I humbly implore you with tears: forgive me all my sins, according to Your mercy, and deliver me from all that I listed in prayer to You, according to Your good will and love for all people. Amen".
You should not look for a special spiritual uplift, strong emotions before and during Confession.
Repentance is:
Reconciliation with relatives and friends if you have seriously offended or deceived someone;
Understanding that a number of actions you have done intentionally or carelessly and the constant preservation of certain feelings are unrighteous and are sins;
A firm intention not to sin anymore, not to repeat sins, for example, to legitimize fornication, stop adultery, recover from drunkenness and drug addiction;
Faith in the Lord, His mercy and His grace-filled help;
Faith that the Sacrament of Confession, by Christ's grace and the power of His death on the Cross, will destroy all your sins.
How is confession and what to do in confession
Confession usually takes place half an hour before the start of each Liturgy (you need to find out about its time from the schedule) in any Orthodox church.
In the temple you need to be in appropriate clothes: men in trousers and shirts with at least short sleeves (not in shorts and T-shirts), without hats; women in a skirt below the knee and a scarf (kerchief, scarf) - by the way, skirts and scarves can be taken free of charge for the duration of your stay in the temple.
For confession, you only need to take a sheet with written down sins (it is needed so as not to forget to name the sins).
The priest will go to the place of confession - usually a group of confessors gather there, it is located on the left or right at the altar - and will read the prayers that begin the Sacrament. Then, in some temples, according to tradition, a list of sins is read - in case you have forgotten some sins - the priest calls for repentance for them (those that you have committed) and give your name. This is called a general confession.
Then, in turn, you go to the confessional table. The priest can (depending on the practice) take the sheet of sins from your hands to read it yourself, or then you yourself read aloud. If you want to tell the situation and repent of it in more detail, or if you have a question about this situation, about spiritual life in general, ask it after listing the sins, before remission.
After you have completed the dialogue with the priest: simply listed the sins and said: “I repent,” or asked a question, received an answer to it and thanked you, say your name. Then the priest performs absolution: you bend a little lower (some people kneel), puts on your head an epitrachelion (a piece of embroidered fabric with a slit for the neck, means the pastor of a priest), reads a short prayer and baptizes your head over the stole.
When the priest removes the stole from your head, you must immediately cross yourself, kiss the Cross first, then the Gospel, which lie in front of you on the confessional lectern (high table).
If you are going to Communion, take a blessing from the priest: put your palms in front of him in a “boat”, right to left, say: “Bless to take communion, I was preparing (preparing).” In many churches, priests simply bless everyone after confession: therefore, after kissing the Gospel, look at the priest - whether he calls the next confessor or waits for you to finish kissing and take the blessing.
The Sacrament of the Communion - the blessing of God and the transformation of man
The most strong prayer- this is any commemoration and stay at the Liturgy. During the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion), the whole Church prays for a person.
Preparing bread and wine, which during the Sacrament will become the Body and Blood of Christ, the priest takes a prosphora (small round unleavened bread with the seal of the Cross), cuts a piece in it and says: "Remember, Lord, Thy servants (names) ...". Names are taken from notes, all those praying at the Liturgy and all communicants are commemorated with separate prosphora. All parts of the prosphora become the Body of Christ in the Communion Chalice. This is how people get great power and grace from God.
That is why every person needs to sometimes attend the Liturgy - submit a note for himself and loved ones, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ - the Body and Blood of the Lord. This is especially important to do in difficult moments of life, despite the lack of time.
The sacrament of Communion was established by Christ Himself during the Last Supper before His death on the Cross and commanded the apostles to always partake for the sake of the memory of Him and life in eternity: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will resurrect him on the last day” . Christ spoke of the fact that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine would be constantly miraculously transfigured into His Body and Blood, and the people who eat (eat) them would unite with Himself. The Church blesses to take communion at least once a year: about once a month is better.
Preparation required before Communion
It is necessary to prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion, this is called "repentance", "retreat". Preparation includes reading special prayers according to the prayer book, fasting and repentance:
Prepare by fasting for 2-3 days. You need to be moderate in food, give up meat, ideally - from meat, milk, eggs, if you are not sick and not pregnant.
Try during these days to read the morning and evening prayer rule with attention and diligence. Read spiritual literature, especially necessary for preparing for Confession.
Give up entertainment, visiting noisy places of rest.
In a few days (you can do it in one evening, but you will get tired), read the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the canons of the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel (find the text where they are combined), as well as the Rule for Communion (it also includes in a small canon, several psalms and prayers).
Reconcile with people with whom you are in a serious quarrel.
It is better to visit the evening worship - All-night vigil. You can confess during it, if Confession will be carried out in the temple, or come to the temple for the morning Confession.
Before the morning Liturgy, do not eat or drink anything after midnight and in the morning.
Confession before Communion is a necessary part of the preparation for it. No one is allowed to take Communion without confession, except for people in mortal danger and children under seven years of age. There are a number of testimonies of people who came to Communion without Confession - after all, priests, because of the crowd, sometimes cannot track this. Such an act is a great sin. The Lord punished them for their boldness with difficulties, illnesses and sorrows.
Women should not receive communion during menstruation and immediately after childbirth: young mothers are allowed to take Communion only after the priest has read a prayer for cleansing over them.
Prayers before Communion - a means to true repentance and enlightenment
The Communion Prayers are a series of beautiful invocations to God, compiled over the centuries by saints. They are usually read in Church Slavonic and conclude with words of repentance and thanksgiving to God for His power given in the Sacrament of Communion.
The text of the prayer in Russian of St. John of Damascus - one of the prayers before Communion can be read online below:
“I stand before the doors of Your temple, but still I do not forget evil thoughts. However, You, Christ our God, justified the tax collector, and had mercy on the Canaanite, and opened the doors of paradise to the thief - open the abysses of Your Love for all people to me, accept me who comes and touches You, like a harlot and bleeding: only the edges of your robe touched and easily received healing, while the other held your most pure feet, and received the remission of sins. And I, a sinner, daring to accept Your whole Body, so that I will not be scorched by Your grace, like fire; but accept me, like those women, and enlighten my soul and feelings, scorching my sins with fire, prayers without the seed of the Mother who gave birth to you and Heavenly Forces for you are blessed by all forever. Amen".
How to behave during Communion?
People often learn everything about the preparation, but they do not know what to do during the Communion itself.
After singing the prayer “Our Father” and closing the Royal Doors, you need to go to the altar (or stand in line that gathers at the altar). Skip ahead children and parents with babies - they take communion at the beginning; in some temples, men are also allowed to go ahead.
When the priest takes out the Chalice and reads two prayers (sometimes they are read by the whole church), cross yourself, cross your arms to your shoulders - right to left - and go without lowering your hands until you take communion.
Do not cross yourself at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Say your name in Baptism, open your mouth wide. The priest himself will put a spoonful of Body and Blood into your mouth. Try to swallow them right away. Kiss the bottom of the Chalice, move away and only then cross yourself. Go to the table with "warmth" to drink and eat Communion with a piece of prosphora. It must not remain in your mouth so that you do not accidentally spit it out.
Do not leave the church until the end of the service. After Communion, you can listen to thanksgiving prayers in church or read them at home.
On the day of Communion, it is better not to spit (parts of the Communion could remain in the mouth), try not to have a lot of fun right away and behave with piety. It is better to spend the day in joy, communicating with loved ones, reading spiritual books, calm walks.
May the Lord bless you with His grace!
