Orthodox prayers before communion and confession. Preparation and reading of prayers before confession and communion

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 of the 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 great 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 Holy Myrrh - a special mixture of oils, which is created many times 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 at the All-Night Vigil (an evening service that takes place every Saturday and before church holidays) and is a symbolic blessing of the Church. They gather everyone, even those who are healthy in body, usually during Great Lent, and those who are seriously ill 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 gives visibly 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 confess once or twice a week, that is, quite often, is called 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 our 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 is at this time that a child growing up in an Orthodox family, according to church tradition, comes to the first confession, that is, he can be clearly responsible 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: taking sweets saved for a holiday without asking, getting angry and yelling at a friend, leaving 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 things encouraged by the modern world are sins: an affair or relationship with a married woman is adultery, sex outside of marriage is fornication, a clever deal where you get a benefit and give another a poor-quality thing - deceit and theft. All this also needs to be written down and promised to God not to sin again.




Read Orthodox literature on 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 review your day on a daily basis. 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. With the help of such prayers and the 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 clothing: 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 of 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 down 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 epitrachel.




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 Communion is a blessing of God and the transformation of man

The most powerful prayer is any commemoration and being 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 receive great power and grace from God.

That is why every person needs to attend the Liturgy from time to time - to submit a note for themselves and loved ones, to 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 transformed 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 attend the evening service - the 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, due to 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 the Heavenly Powers, because 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). Let the children and parents with babies go ahead - they receive 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, fold your hands crosswise 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!

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What prayers to read before Communion?
Immediately on the eve of communion, the believer must attend the evening service, after which at home read all the prayers and canons for Holy Communion, namely:

- the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ;

- canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos;
- canon to the Guardian Angel;
- canon for Holy Communion and prayers for Holy Communion;
- Evening prayers.
Prayers for Holy Communion move to morning. You will find all these canons and prayers in almost every prayer book sold in any Orthodox church.It is quite possible that when preparing for Holy Communion, you will not be able to read all these prayers. However, try to make the most of what you can. After midnight, they no longer eat or drink, smoking is strictly prohibited - they start Holy Communion on an empty stomach.

On the morning of the day of communion, it is necessary to read the morning prayers.

How to fast?
Since ancient times, preparation for communion is called fasting. In preparing to unite with Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion), the Orthodox must prepare his soul and body for a worthy meeting with the Lord. Preparing the body, a person for a week or three days (depending on the frequency of communion, age, health) abstains from fast food (meat, eggs, dairy products), eats vegetables, fruits, cereals, pasta. We also abstain from marital (intimate) life, from various kinds of entertainment and amusements. It is not customary for women to begin the Holy Mysteries during purification (monthly cycles). To prepare his soul, a Christian often visits church these days, reads spiritual literature. It is necessary to make peace if you are in a quarrel, to forgive all insults.

Is there any relaxation in fasting?
If for health reasons you are practically unable to fast (illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding) or for good reasons you cannot attend evening worship or read all the required prayers (for example, you are a mother with small children), this should not be for you an obstacle to Holy Communion. It is advisable to consult a priest about relaxation in fasting.

How to take communion?
The communicants must approach the holy Chalice in deep humility. After the priest has read the prayers: “I believe, Lord,” “Thy secret Supper ...” and “Let not go to court ...”, which the laity repeat to themselves or quietly aloud, we bow to the ground with all fear and tenderness. After that, folding our arms crosswise on our chest so that the right hand is on top of the left, we approach the holy Chalice.
After Communion, the deacon wipes the mouth of the communicant with a special cloth, after which the communicant kisses the edge of the holy Chalice as the very rib of Christ, from which blood and water flowed, and, retreating a little, makes a bow, but not to the ground for the sake of the received Holy Mysteries. Then he drinks the Communion with warmth and antidoron.
How to Communion Babies?
As a precaution, so that during the Communion of the infant the Holy Mysteries do not remain unswallowed by him, you need to bring him to the Chalice face up on his right hand and in this position take communion, then give him to drink warmth with antidoron. Within a few minutes after communion, a pacifier should not be given.
At the end of the service, prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion are read for those who have received Communion.

How to receive communion at home?
Seriously ill people who cannot come to church and do not hope to recover soon can receive communion at home. To do this, relatives must invite a priest to the house. Holy sacraments are performed only on a person who is conscious. Parting words cannot be postponed until the last hour.
Communion at home is celebrated with reserve holy gifts. They are prepared once a year, on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week, and are kept in a special tabernacle, which stands on the holy throne in the altar.
Sick people also commune at home on an empty stomach (not on an empty stomach, you can only commune only “for the sake of death”.
Before visiting the priest in the room where the patient is, you need to prepare a table (there should be no foreign objects on it), cover it with a clean tablecloth or napkin, and put an icon. Warm boiled water, a cup and a teaspoon are also prepared.
After communion, the sick person should be given a piece of prosphora or antidoron and warm water. If the sick person cannot read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion himself, you need to read them aloud to him.

Can pregnant women take communion?
One should prepare for Confession and Communion during pregnancy in the same way as at any other time, taking into account only the physical infirmity of the woman. In the same way, one should examine one's conscience and repent of one's sins at Confession. In the same way, if possible, one should limit oneself in food - not in dairy or other protein foods necessary during pregnancy, but in sweets or treats; entertainment should be limited. He will ask for forgiveness from those who are offended by us, and reconcile with those against whom we are offended.

Compiled by priest Vitaly Simora

Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which a penitent who confesses his sins to a priest, with a visible forgiveness of sins (reading a permissive prayer), is invisibly resolved from them. by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was instituted by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (untie) on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, ch. 18, verse 18). And in another place: “Receive the Holy Spirit: to whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain ”(Gospel of John, ch. 20, verses 22-23). The apostles, however, transferred the power to "bind and loose" to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if at baptism a person is cleansed from the power of original sin, transferred to him at birth from our forefathers Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.

In order for the Sacrament of Repentance to take place, the penitent needs: awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance for his sins, a desire to leave sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to purify and wash away, through the prayer of a priest, sincerely confessed sins.

The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1st Epistle of John, ch. 1, verse 7). At the same time, we hear from many people: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t

I commit adultery, so why should I repent? But if we carefully study God's commandments, we will find that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.

Ingratitude to God.

Disbelief. Doubt in faith. Justifying your disbelief with an atheistic upbringing.

Apostasy, cowardly silence, when they blaspheme the faith of Christ, not wearing a pectoral cross, visiting various sects.

Mentioning the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer and not in pious conversation about Him).

Oath in the name of the Lord.

Divination, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.

Thoughts of suicide.

Playing cards and other games of chance.

Failure to fulfill the morning and evening prayer rule.

Not visiting the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.

Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.

Reckless (non-daily) reading of the Holy Scriptures, soulful literature.

Breaking vows to God.

Despair in difficult situations and disbelief in the Providence of God, fear of old age, poverty, illness.

Absent-mindedness at prayer, thoughts about worldly things during worship.

Condemnation of the Church and her ministers.

Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.

The continuation of a sinful life in one hope of God's mercy, i.e., excessive hope in God.

A waste of time watching TV, reading entertainment books at the expense of time for prayer, reading the gospel and spiritual literature.

Concealment of sins at confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Self-confidence, human-confidence, that is, excessive hope in one's own strength and in someone else's help, without hope that everything is in the hands of God.

Raising children outside the Christian faith.

Irritability, anger, irritability.

Arrogance.

Perjury.

mockery.

Avarice.

Non-repayment of debts.

Non-payment for hard earned money.

Failure to help those in need.

Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.

Disrespect for elders.

Restlessness in your work.

Condemnation.

Taking someone else's is theft.

Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.

Killing one's child in the womb (abortion), persuading others to commit murder (abortion).

Murder with a word - bringing a person by slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.

Drinking alcohol at the commemoration of the dead instead of intensified prayer for them.

Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,

Unreasonable laughter.

Foul language.

self-love.

Doing good deeds for show.

Vanity.

Desire to get rich.

Love of money.

Envy.

Drunkenness, drug use.

Gluttony.

Fornication - inciting fornication thoughts, impure desires, fornication touches, watching erotic films and reading similar books.

Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons who are not bound by marriage.

Adultery is adultery.

Fornication is unnatural - the physical proximity of persons of the same sex, masturbation.

Incest - physical intimacy with relatives or nepotism.

Although the above sins are conditionally divided into three parts, in the end they are all sins against God (because they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against neighbors (because they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed). ), and against themselves (because they hinder the salvific dispensation of the soul).

Whoever wants to bring repentance before God for his sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read the literature devoted to the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them out on

a separate piece of paper to review it before confession. Sometimes a sheet with the listed sins is given to the confessor for reading, but sins that especially weigh on the soul must be told aloud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories, it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of condemning relatives or neighbors. It is not the list of sins that is important to God and the confessor, but the repentant feeling of the confessed, not detailed stories, but a contrite heart. It must be remembered that confession is not only an awareness of one's own shortcomings, but above all, a thirst to be cleansed of them. In no case is it unacceptable to justify oneself - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan of Athos explains what real repentance is: “Here is the sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hated sin, then the Lord forgave you your sins.”

It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance before God, writing down serious sins for future confession with a confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with your neighbors and ask for forgiveness from all those who have offended. When preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading the Penitential Canon, which is found in the Orthodox prayer book.

In order to confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession takes place in the temple. In those churches where the service is performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also performed every day. In those churches where there is no daily service, you must first familiarize yourself with the schedule of services.

Children up to seven years old (in the Church they are called babies) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great

Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an undesirable sense of the routine of what is happening. It is advisable to prepare babies for the upcoming Communion 2-3 days in advance: read the Gospel, the lives of the saints, other soulful books with them, reduce, or better, completely exclude watching TV (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with the preparation for Communion ), follow their prayer in the morning and before bedtime, talk with the child about the past days and bring him to a sense of shame for his own misdeeds. The main thing to remember is that there is nothing more effective for a child than a personal example of parents.

Starting from the age of seven, children (youths) already begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after the preliminary celebration of the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are also inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. To set the children up for sincere repentance, it is pleaded that they be given the following list of possible sins to read:

Did you lie in bed in the morning and did you miss the morning prayer rule in connection with this?

Didn't he sit down at the table without praying and didn't he go to bed without prayer?

Do you know by heart the most important Orthodox prayers: “Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”, a prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name you bear?

Did you go to church every Sunday?

Didn't he get carried away with various amusements on church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?

Did he behave properly in the church service, didn’t he run around the temple, didn’t he conduct empty conversations with his peers, thereby introducing them into temptation?

Did he not pronounce the name of God unnecessarily?

Are you making the sign of the cross correctly, are you in no hurry to do so, are you not distorting the sign of the cross?

Did you get distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?

Do you read the Gospel, other spiritual books?

Do you wear a pectoral cross and are you not ashamed of it?

Do you use a cross as a decoration, which is a sin?

Do you wear various amulets, for example, signs of the zodiac?

Didn't he guess, didn't he tell?

Didn’t he hide his sins before the priest at confession because of false shame, and then take communion unworthily?

Was he not proud of himself and others of his successes and abilities?

Have you argued with anyone - just to get the upper hand in the argument?

Did you lie to your parents out of fear of being punished?

Didn’t you eat fast food, for example, ice cream, without the permission of your parents?

Did he listen to his parents, argue with them, demand an expensive purchase from them?

Did he hit anyone? Have you encouraged others to do so?

Did he offend the younger ones?

Have you tortured animals?

Didn't he gossip about anyone, didn't he snitch on anyone?

Have you laughed at people who have any physical handicaps?

Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue, or using drugs?

Didn't he swear?

Have you played cards?

Did you do any handicraft?

Did you take someone else's for yourself?

Have you been in the habit of taking without asking what does not belong to you?

Are you too lazy to help your parents around the house?

Was he pretending to be sick to avoid his duties?

Did you envy others?

The above list is only a general scheme of possible sins. Each child may have their own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of parents is to set the child up for repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but this should not be done for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, subject to sincere, sincere repentance and the desire not to repeat them again.

Confession is made in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the start of the liturgy. In no case should one be late for the beginning of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rites, in which everyone who wishes to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rites, the priest addresses the penitents so that they give their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the beginning of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of the confession, reads the rites again for them and accepts the confession, or appoints it for another day. It is impossible for women to start the Sacrament of Repentance during the period of monthly cleansing.

Confession usually takes place in a church with a confluence of people, so you need to respect the secrecy of confession, not crowd around the priest who is receiving confession, and not embarrass the confessor who reveals his sins to the priest. The confession must be complete. It is impossible to confess some sins first, and leave others for the next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in pre-

previous confessions and which have already been released to him are not named again. If possible, you need to confess to the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which a sense of false shame prevents a familiar confessor from revealing. Those who do this are trying to deceive God Himself by their actions: at confession we confess our sins not to the confessor, but together with him - to the Savior Himself.

In large churches, due to the large number of penitents and the impossibility of the priest to accept confession from everyone, a “general confession” is usually practiced, when the priest lists the most common sins aloud and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone in turn comes under the permissive prayer . Those who have never been to confession or have not confessed for several years should avoid general confession. Such people need to go through private confession - for which you need to choose either a weekday, when there are not so many confessors in the church, or find a parish where only private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest at a general confession for permissive prayer among the last, so as not to detain anyone, and, having explained the situation, open yourself to him in the sins you have committed. The same should be done by those who have grave sin.

Many ascetics of piety warn that a grave sin, about which the confessor kept silent at the general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.

After confessing sins and reading the prayer of permissiveness by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern and, if he was preparing for communion, takes a blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent - spiritual exercises intended to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be treated as the will of God, spoken through a priest, requiring obligatory fulfillment in order to heal the soul of the penitent. If it is impossible for various reasons to fulfill the penance, one should turn to the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties that have arisen.

Those wishing not only to confess, but also to take communion, must adequately and in accordance with the requirements of the Church prepare for the Sacrament of Communion. This preparation is called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Modest food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses abstain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and TV viewing. If circumstances permit, these days one should attend services in the temple. The morning and evening prayer rules are more diligently carried out, with the addition of reading the Penitential Canon to them.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is performed in the temple - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading the prayers for the future, three canons are read: Penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read until the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to make such a prayer rule in

one day, they take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for the sacrament. Parents, together with the confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child will be able to do, then gradually increase the number of necessary prayers needed to prepare for Communion, up to the full prayer rule for Holy Communion.

For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, some do not go to confession and do not receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers to be read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing sins, ask your confessor for advice. It is necessary to pray to the Lord that He will help to overcome difficulties and give strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.

Since it is customary to start the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock in the morning they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5-6 years old, and if possible even earlier) must be accustomed to the existing rule.

In the morning they also do not eat or drink anything and, of course, do not smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading the morning prayers, prayers for Holy Communion are read. If it is difficult to read the prayers for Holy Communion in the morning, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, it is necessary to arrive on time, before the start of confession. If confession was made the night before, then the confessor comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took bread and, blessing, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is My Body. And, taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ”(Gospel of Matthew, ch. 26, verses 26-28).

During the Divine Liturgy, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated - bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and the communicants, taking Them during Communion, mysteriously, incomprehensibly to the human mind, unite with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in each Particle of Communion .

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary in order to enter eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks of this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day ... ”(Gospel of John, ch. 6, verses 53-54).

The Sacrament of Communion is incomprehensibly great, and therefore requires preliminary purification by the Sacrament of Penance; the only exceptions are infants under seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation prescribed for the laity. Women need to wipe lipstick off their lips. It is forbidden for women to receive communion during the month of cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the fortieth day prayer of cleansing has been read over them.

During the exit of the priest with the Holy Gifts, the communicants make one earthly (if it is a weekday) or waist (if it is a Sunday or holiday) bow and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers

private traders, with their hands crossed on their chests (the right over the left), decorously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. A pious custom has developed to let the children go first to the Chalice, then the men come up, after them the women. One should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having called his name aloud, the communicant, opening his mouth, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After Communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the mouth of the communicant with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes a drink (warmth) and eats a particle of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting warmth, one cannot venerate either icons, or the Cross, or the Gospel.

After receiving the warmth, the communicants do not leave the temple and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the dismissal (the final words of the service), the communicants approach the Cross and carefully listen to the prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the communicants sedately disperse, trying to keep the purity of their soul cleansed of sins for as long as possible, not exchanging for empty talk and deeds that are not useful for the soul. On the day after communion of the Holy Mysteries, prostrations are not performed; with the blessing of the priest, they are not applied to the hand. You can apply only to icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoiding verbosity (it is better to be silent more generally), watching TV, excluding marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to refrain from smoking. It is advisable to read thanksgiving prayers at home after Holy Communion. The fact that on the day of the sacrament one cannot shake hands is a prejudice. Under no circumstances should you take communion several times in one day.

In cases of illness and infirmity, communion can be done at home. For this, a priest is invited to the house. Depending on

Depending on his condition, the sick person is properly prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can take communion only on an empty stomach (with the exception of the dying). Children under the age of seven do not receive communion at home, since, unlike adults, they can only partake of the Blood of Christ, and the spare Gifts that a priest communes at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ saturated with His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

Each Christian either determines the time when he needs to confess and take communion, or does it with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom to take communion at least five times a year - on each of the four multi-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of memory of the saint whose name you bear).

How often it is necessary to take communion, the Monk Nikodim the Holy Mountaineer gives pious advice: The heart then partakes of the Lord spiritually.

But just as we are constrained by the body, and surrounded by external affairs and relationships, in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual tasting of the Lord, due to the bifurcation of our attention and feelings, is weakened day by day, obscured and hidden ...

Therefore, the zealots, sensing its impoverishment, hasten to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are, as it were, eating the Lord again.

Published by the Orthodox parish in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Novosibirsk.

Communion is the sacrament of the Orthodox Church, which helps to purify the soul and unite with God. To purify your soul, you need to sincerely repent of your sins - this will help the rite of Confession.

These sacraments, connected with each other, should be performed with a serious attitude of the believer towards them. They require a certain spiritual preparation. Fasting, reading prayers and repentance are indispensable conditions for the celebration of the sacrament.

Prayers before confession and communion purify the soul and help a person tune in to the sacrament. To correctly select and read the necessary texts, you need to read the article below.

General Principles of Preparing for Communion

A believer is admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting, and repentance.

1. The preparation for Communion is called fasting by the Church.
2. Fasting usually takes 3-7 days and is directly related to both the spiritual and physical life of a person.
3. During the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will take place during the sacrament of Communion.

In general, the preparation for Communion consists of the following steps:

• fasting immediately before Communion;
• attending the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
• reciting a specific set of prayers;
• abstinence from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the very sacrament;
• confession with a clergyman, during which he decides on the admission of a person to Communion;
• stay at the Divine Liturgy.

Fasting is aimed at a person's awareness of his sins, their confession before a spiritual person and God, at the beginning of the struggle with sinful passions. The believer, while preparing for Communion, must move away from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary fuss. The Lord dwells only in a pure heart, so fasting must be approached with the utmost seriousness and concentration.

Post and its features

On the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily cleanliness - in other words, refrain from intimacy and marital relations. Restriction in food (fasting) is mandatory.

A few words about the post:

• the duration of the fast must be at least 3 days;
• these days, any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs) should be abandoned. If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
• plant products (vegetables, fruits, grains, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.

If a person has only recently joined the Church, or has not turned to her for a long time, forgetting about God, or has not observed all the established fasts, the clergyman in this case can assign him an additional fast of 3-7 days.

1. Strict restriction in food at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with abstinence from visiting establishments and entertainment events (theaters, cinema, clubs, etc.), with refraining from watching entertainment TV shows, films and from listening to popular secular music. .
2. The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be entertained and exchanged for everyday trifles.

The strictest fast falls on the day before the sacrament of Communion, starting at midnight. During this time, abstinence from food and drink should be absolute.

You should go to Communion on an empty stomach. Also, for this period, a person should completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Women are not allowed to take Communion on the days of atonement (during menstruation).

Behavior and mood before communion

A person who is preparing for Communion should let go of all negative feelings and emotions (hatred, anger, irritation, anger, etc.).

You also need to forgive your offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were once offended by you, reconcile with those with whom the relationship was at odds. Consciousness should be free from condemnation, obscene thoughts. Arguments, empty talk should also be discarded. Time is best spent in silence and solitude, reading the Gospel and spiritual books. If possible, you should definitely attend the services held in the church.

What is repentance

Many do not understand why go to confession at all - the Lord sees everything, why can't you do it at home? But the Orthodox do this every day, reading the words of repentance that are on the list of daily prayers.

The appearance in the temple is intended to demonstrate not so much sinfulness as the determination of a person to leave his bad deeds. Indeed, in order to speak about them in front of a witness, one needs courage, repentance, a certain detachment from the former self. These are all signs of spiritual work.

Prayers read before confession help very well to recognize among the usual actions those that are sinful. People are so used to them that often they don't even notice them. Sins are divided into two main types:

• Against God. He did not attend the temple, was late for the service, listened inattentively. He missed home prayers, broke fasts. He hid his belonging to the Church, was embarrassed to wear a cross or make the sign of the cross on himself.
• Against neighbor. I envied a friend. Discussing someone behind his back. He condemned in his heart the actions of other people. He succumbed to sinful passions. Pride, rudeness - everything belongs to this category. Careless attitude towards work.

Repentance should not be limited to a declaration of one's sinfulness. First of all, it is the right thing to do. Hurt your wife? Come apologize. Did you owe a neighbor? Bring money. Are you eating too much? Restrain yourself, impose a post on yourself.

At the same time, it is better for the Lord not to promise anything, but simply to ask for His grace-filled help. After all, a person is very weakened by sins, he can take on too heavy obligations, not fulfill them, and then fall into despondency. It is better to fall and rise than not confess at all.

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Conjugation of Repentance and Communion

The rule that one must confess before participating in the Eucharist is not really canonical. For example, priests do not follow it and commune freely on any day. This causes controversy in the church environment, bewilderment among the parishioners.

• In the first centuries of Christianity there was only one repentance - before being baptized. Then everyone freely participated in the Lord's Supper without any preparation. However, one must understand how seriously people then took the adoption of the Christian faith. The preparation lasted for years - from 3 to 10 years. Becoming full members of the Church, people already behaved differently.
• There were cases when baptism was delayed in order not to “accumulate” sins before death. These are, of course, extremes. Over time, they began to practice confession for those who had already been baptized and stumbled. After all, many confessed their misdeeds and asked to return to the community.

• In the modern practice of the Greek Church, attending confession before Communion is not required. And in the Russian Orthodox Church, some priests allow their spiritual children to the Chalice without preparation - however, this is not advertised. Yes, and they do this, basically, only bishops or abbots of temples, who know very well the spiritual state of a particular person.

What about ordinary parishioners who want to begin the Sacrament? You will have to read all Orthodox prayers before confession, attend services. Perhaps, having appreciated your efforts, the priest will eventually become less demanding in matters of fasting and the frequency of repentance. However, services and prayers remain unchanged. Unfortunately, this burden is not for everyone. Many, frightened by such a serious preparation, refuse to attend the temple at all, which is very sad.

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On the day of Holy Communion

On the day of Communion, after reading the “Our Father”, the believer should go to the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out.

1. You should not rush forward - the first to let the Chalice pass are children, the elderly and sick people.
2. Having waited for your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should still bow from a distance and cross your arms over your chest (put the right one on the left).
3. It is not necessary to overshadow oneself with the banner of the Cross in front of the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it.
4. In front of the Cup, you need to name your full name received at baptism, and then with reverence in your soul accept the Body and Blood of Christ, swallow it.
5. When the Holy Mysteries are received, one should kiss the edge of the Chalice without making the sign of the cross and go to the table, eat the prosphora and drink it with warmth.

After receiving Communion, you cannot immediately leave the church - you need to wait until the priest walks with the altar cross and kiss this cross. It is highly desirable to be present at the prayers of thanksgiving, but in extreme cases they can be read at home.

On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person who takes communion must remain decent and reverent.

Prayers before Confession and Communion

Prayer is a personal conversation of a person with God, which consists in turning to Him with requests for the forgiveness of sins, for assistance in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in worldly and spiritual needs.

A person preparing for Communion during the days of fasting should more carefully and diligently observe the daily home prayer rule. Morning and evening prayers must be said in full force. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.

Prayer preparation for Communion includes the following prayers:

• morning prayer rule;
• prayers for a dream to come;
• “Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos”;
• "Canon to the Guardian Angel";
• "Following Holy Communion".

The utterance of all prayers before the sacrament of Communion requires calmness, attentiveness, concentration and considerable time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all the canons to be distributed over several days.

morning prayer rule

The lay prayer rule consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the life of prayer, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult task, inspiration, mood and improvisation alone are not enough.

There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced laity, which is printed in the Orthodox Prayer Book.

However, for those who are just beginning to get used to prayer, it is difficult to immediately begin to read the entire rule. Usually confessors advise to start with several prayers, and then add one prayer to the rule every 7-10 days, so that the ability to read the rule develops gradually and naturally.

In addition, situations sometimes arise among the laity when there is little time left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read a short rule with attention and reverence than hastily and superficially, without a prayerful mood, mechanically read out the full rule.

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Rules for morning prayers for beginners

To date, there are many prayers that should be chosen depending on the circumstances. The first and most important action is to renounce Satan.

There are no specific strict rules for reading prayer texts, and a spiritual attitude is very important to a greater extent. During the appeal to God, the believer should be calm, not experience any negative feelings and not think about anything other than the Lord. Only thanks to sincere faith can one count on the fact that the Higher powers will hear the prayer and respond to it.

• Morning prayer rules are very simple.
• First, you should wash yourself and put on worthy clothes.
• It is best to turn to God when you are alone, so that nothing interferes or distracts you.
• You need to read a prayer in front of the image, after placing a lit candle or lamp next to it.
• You can learn the text by heart, but for beginners it is difficult, so use a prayer book.

Prayer for beginners

Before reading the prayer text, you need to thank God that last night went well, and then you can say a short morning prayer for beginners, and the publican's text is as follows:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

Do not underestimate this short prayer, which has great power. It is read not only in the morning, but also before leaving the house or any important events. After that, you can turn to God in your own words, telling about what is in your soul, what goals and desires you have. Sincere appeal will allow you to get rid of the burden and tune in to a good wave.

Prayer can also be said in the church, which you should go to without breakfast, this rule does not apply to sick people. It is worth paying attention to clothing, so a woman should have a long skirt and a head covered with a scarf. Entering the temple, you should cross yourself three times and bow.

Prayer "Our Father"

1. The morning prayer "Our Father" is ideal for turning to God, both in the temple and at home, in general, it is considered universal.
2. Reading this prayer, a person, as it were, pays tribute to the Higher powers, sending gratitude for the fact that they allowed him to wake up and gave him another day of life.
3. People who have just converted to faith should know that you can also read it in difficult moments of life, when you need support and help.

The text of the prayer is as follows:

Each person has a guardian angel who is nearby and helps to cope with various problems. You can contact him with various questions. There is a special morning prayer to the guardian angel, which should be read to thank, ask for forgiveness and receive protection.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

The text of the prayer is:

“King of Heaven, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed One, our souls.”

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Evening prayers for the coming dream

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain daily prayer rule: morning prayers are read in the morning, and prayers for the coming dream must be read in the evening.

Why you need to read prayers before bed

1. There is a certain rhythm of prayer reserved for monastics and spiritually advanced laymen.
2. But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is rather difficult to read it in its entirety. Yes, and it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity, when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.
3. In this case, it is better to read a short rule than to thoughtlessly and without reverence chatter the full text.

Often confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the habit of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer appeal will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activity to serve God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, a short rule is read by the laity - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who hope in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos

“Good Tsar, good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and guide me with your prayers to good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without a blemish and I will find paradise with You, Virgin Mother of God, one Pure and Blessed."

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning today, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy, so that I will not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Theotokos

“To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as if we had got rid of the evil ones, gratefully we will write down Ti Thy servants, Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may our souls be saved by You.

I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.

Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of St. Joannicius
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen."

Interpretation of individual prayers

• King of Heaven.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, as God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and to this day comforts those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

• Trisagion.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The angels of heaven sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is Holy God, God the Son is Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell.

During the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

• Lord's Prayer.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as to the Father, we stand before Him as children before our mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His might, we implore you to manage human spiritual forces and guide them on the true path, so that after death you will be honored to be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, ordained by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, will help to live holy and will patronize the soul and body.

In prayer, the danger of attacks by bodily enemies (people pushing them to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions) is emphasized.

The nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants in an audio recording?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it doesn’t matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his deeds be done for the glory of God.

Important! It must be understood that it is impossible to replace prayers for a dream to come by listening to Orthodox songs.

Prayer should be started before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has been given for the whole day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of each spoken word.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• the living and the dead;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil's army, he is visited by sinful thoughts, bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered the time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious, they can send nightmares in a dream vision.

That is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances turn out well, one should not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are predetermined in Heaven from the very beginning. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This male monastic monastery is famous for miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is transmitted through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards watching Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching, it is recommended to postpone secular activities.
3. The clergy advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders in the evening rule. Their texts have evolved over the centuries, and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom capable of explaining the foundations of the Orthodox faith and knowing all their depth.

Prayer appeal is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are also difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! The ascension of a prayer before going to bed is the acquisition of protection and support by an Orthodox Christian. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

prayer-info.ru

Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ

There are liturgical traditions in the Orthodox world. They are of several types. One of them is the canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ. But before talking about it, you need to understand what this concept means.

A canon is a complex church multi-line work, which is dedicated to the glorification of a church holiday or a saint.

It is part of the morning and evening services. The whole canon is divided into the following components:

• song,
• Irmis,
• Troptaria.

The number of such songs in one canon can be from two to nine.

When to read the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ

It should be noted that the canon to the Lord Jesus is included in any prayer book. This is one of the three canons, which is mandatory read before preparing for the Sacrament of Communion. From the name it is clear that it is he who is aimed at softening the soul of the believer and attuning him to a repentant wave.

Also, his reading is connected with the sacrament of Penance. As you know, it is this sacrament that precedes communion.

1. It should be noted that very often people who are just starting to go to church are frustrated and upset by the very preparation for the sacrament.
2. It involves special training for three days.
3. These days you need to fast and limit yourself to fatty and dairy foods.
4. In addition, if possible, it is necessary to attend church all three days and pray fervently.

Direct preparation begins at the church service on the eve of the rite itself. Namely, at the evening service. And only after strict observance of such preparation, the clergyman can conduct the rite of Communion.

But it is worth remembering that Repentance is not just a canon and church tradition, it is an independent prayer that must be read at any time when the human soul is disposed to this.

Penitential canon to the Lord Jesus Christ in Russian

As you know, all prayers are written in Old Slavonic. Sometimes people who do not have special education either cannot read the prayer correctly, or when reading it they cannot understand its meaning and essence. It is clear that such a reading will not be of any use.

Therefore, for the convenience of the majority of Orthodox believers, the penitential canon to the Lord Jesus Christ was translated into Russian. Now it can be read not only by clergy, but also by Orthodox believers. At the same time, they understand the whole deep meaning of prayer.

Canto 1

“Like Israel, walking through the abyss with their feet on dry land, seeing the persecutor of Pharaoh drowned, we sing and proclaim to God a song of victory.

Now I, sinful and burdened, come to Thee, Lord and my God! I do not dare to look at the sky, but only ask, saying: give me reason, Lord, so that I bitterly mourn my deeds!
Chorus: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me!

Oh, woe to me, a sinner! I am more unfortunate than all people, There is no repentance in me! Oh, give me tears, Lord, so that I bitterly mourn my deeds!

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Oh foolish, unfortunate man! You're wasting your time in laziness! Imagine your life and turn to the Lord God and weep bitterly about your deeds!

And now, and always, and forever! Amen.
Holy Mother of God! Turn your eyes on me, a sinner, and deliver me from the net of the devil. and put me on the path of repentance, so that I bitterly mourn my deeds!

Canto 3

In holiness there is none like Thee, O Lord my God, who lifted up the horn of Thy faithful, O Good One, and established us on the rock of Thy confession.

When the thrones of the Last Judgment are set up, then the deeds of all people will be revealed! There will be woe for sinners sent to torment! And knowing this, my soul, turn from your evil deeds! The righteous will rejoice, but the sinners will weep! Then no one will be able to help us, but our very deeds will condemn us! Therefore, before the end, turn from your evil deeds!

Glory: Alas, to me, a sinful one, defiled by deeds and thoughts: I don’t have a drop of tears from hardness of heart! Now rise from the earth, my soul, and turn from your evil deeds!

And now: Oh, Lady! Your Son calls to you and teaches us good things, but I, a sinner, always shy away from good! You, merciful one, have mercy on me, may I turn from my evil deeds!

Sedalen, tone 6

I reflect on the terrible day and mourn my evil deeds. How will I answer the immortal King, or with what boldness will I, the prodigal, look at the Judge? Merciful Father, Only Begotten Son and Holy Spirit, have mercy on me!

Glory, and now: Theotokos:

Now, being bound by many fetters of sins and surrounded by many sufferings and troubles, I resort to You, my salvation, and cry out: Help me, Virgin Mother of God!

Song 4

Christ is my strength, my God and Lord!, The worthy Church sings so magnificently, crying out from pure meaning and rejoicing in the Lord.
Here the path is wide and convenient for enjoyment, but how bitter it will be on the last day, when the soul will be separated from the body! Oh man, keep yourself from them, for the sake of the Kingdom of God!

Why do you offend the wretched, appropriate the salary of the worker, do not love your brother, show fornication and pride? So, my soul, leave it and correct yourself for the sake of the Kingdom of God!

Glory: Oh, foolish person! How long will you wallow, collecting your wealth like a bee? Soon it will perish, becoming dust and ashes, and you look more for the Kingdom of God!

And now: Lady Mother of God! Have mercy on me, a sinner, and strengthen and preserve me in virtue, so that impudent death does not steal me unprepared, and bring me, Virgin, to the Kingdom of God!

Canto 5

O Good One, illumine with Your Divine light the souls of those who come to You with love in the morning, so that You, the Word of God, may be known as the true God! So I pray, crying out from sinful darkness.

Remember, unfortunate person, how you are enslaved by your sins to lies, slander, robbery, infirmities, fierce beasts! My sinful soul, is that what you wanted?
My members tremble, for I have been guilty of all of them: looking with my eyes, listening with my ears, speaking evil with my tongue, committing myself to hell! My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?

Glory: Oh, Savior, You accepted the already repentant fornicator and robber, but I am still weighed down by sinful laziness and enslaved to evil deeds! My sinful soul, is this what you wanted?

And now: Mother of God, wonderful and quick helper to all people! Help me, unworthy, for my sinful soul already wanted it!

Canto 6

Seeing the sea of ​​life disturbed by the storm of temptations, I ran to Your quiet haven, crying out to You: O Many-merciful One, raise my life from decay!
I lived my life on earth as a fornicator, and betrayed my soul into darkness, but now, merciful Master, I implore You: free me from this slavery of the enemy and give me reason to do Your will!

Who does things like me? For as a pig lies in the mud, so do I serve sin. But You, Lord, tear me out of this vileness and give me such a heart to fulfill Your commandments!

Glory: Unfortunate man! Remember your sins, rise up to God, falling down to the Creator, shedding tears and groaning! He is merciful, He will give you the understanding to know His will!
And now: Virgin Mary! Save me, Most Pure One, from visible and invisible evil and take my petitions and pass them on to Your Son, may He give me the understanding to do His will!

Kontakion

My soul! Why are you rich in sins, Why do you fulfill the devil's will, in what do you place hope? Stop and turn to God with weeping, crying out: merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Ikos

Imagine, my soul, the bitter hour of death and the terrible judgment of your Creator and God, when formidable forces will catch you, soul, and lead you into eternal fire! Therefore, before death, correct yourself, crying out: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Canto 7

The angel watered the furnace for the holy youths, but scorched the Chaldeans by the command of God, forcing the tormentor to cry out: Blessed be the God of our fathers!
Do not hope, my soul, for bodily wealth and for collecting earthly goods, because you do not know to whom you will leave all this, but rather cry out: Christ God, have mercy on me, unworthy!

Do not rely, my soul, on bodily health and fleeting beauty, because you see that both the strong and the young are dying, but rather cry out: Christ God, have mercy on me, unworthy!

Glory: Remember, my soul, eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for the saints, and outer darkness and the wrath of God to the evil, and cry out: Christ God, have mercy on me, unworthy!
And now: Fall, my soul, to the Mother of God, and ask her, and She, the ambulance of those who turn, will beg the Son, Christ God, and He will have mercy on me, unworthy!

Canto 8

The saints poured out moisture from the fire and burned the righteous sacrifice with water. You, Christ, do whatever you want! We praise you at all times.
How can I not cry when I imagine death, For I saw my brother lying in the coffin, inglorious and ugly? What do I expect and what do I hope for? Lord, give me only repentance before the end! (Twice).

Glory: I believe that You will come to judge the living and the dead! Then everyone will stand in their rank: old and young, lords and princes, virgins and priests, but where will I be? Therefore, I cry out: Lord, give me repentance before the end!

And now: Most Pure Theotokos! Accept my unworthy petition, and save me from impudent death, and give me repentance before the end!

Canto 9

It is impossible for people to see God, whom even the orders of angels do not dare to look at! Through You, O All-Pure One, the incarnate Word appeared to people, magnifying Which, we, with the heavenly powers, please You.
Now I am turning to you, angels, archangels and all the heavenly powers standing at the Throne of God! Ask your Creator to deliver my soul from eternal torment!

Now I cry before you, holy forefathers, kings and prophets, apostles and saints and all the chosen ones of Christ! Help me in court so that He saves my soul from the enemy's power!

Glory: Now I raise my hands to you, holy martyrs, hermits, virgins, the righteous and all the saints, asking the Lord for the whole world, so that He has mercy on me at the hour of my death.

And now: Mother of God! Help me, who strongly hopes in You, beg Your Son, so that when He sits down to judge the living and the dead, He will put me, unworthy, on His right hand! Amen.

ikona-i-prayer.info

Orthodox Canon of the Most Holy Theotokos

From time immemorial, the Orthodox people have venerated the Most Holy Theotokos as “The Blessed and Immaculate Mother of our God, as the Most Honorable Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison”, the great Intercessor and Intercessor in the affairs of believing Christians. The veneration of the Mother of God is based on the word of God and on faith in Her special virtues. Icon-painting creations, prayer works in the form of akathists, troparia and canons of the Mother of God are dedicated to the beloved image of the Most Pure.

Her greatness became genuine, since she alone happened to receive the grace of God, to become blessed among all women, to hear from the Heavenly Messenger: "The Lord is with you."

• The prayerful veneration of the Ever-Virgin among Orthodox Christians is very great.
• Ordinary Christians associate every day with Her name and prayer appeal to Her.
• In the reposed canon of the Most Holy Theotokos All-Tsaritsa, believing Christians, having repented of their sins, ask the Mother of God to “have mercy” on them and save them from many sins.

The meaning of the Canon of the Most Holy Theotokos

Reverence for the Mother of God is one of the best means, effective forces for true repentance, correction and prosperity in spiritual life. Through her all-powerful prayers, Orthodox believers will be vouchsafed eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The canon of prayer for the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most characteristic prayers, emphasizing the importance of the Mother of God for the common people. Christians do not see a more powerful protector, deliverer from many troubles than their Lady.

Between glory and irmos, throughout the entire Orthodox canon of the Most Holy Theotokos, the main phrase is a prayer for salvation: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us." The Most Pure is called the "Mother of the Word, the originator of blessings and the support of the believers", which is resorted to as "a reliable wall and a single quick defender."

The entire Christian canon of the Mother of God consists of zealous appeals to the Mother of God - "a warm prayer book, an impregnable wall, mercy to the source and the world of refuge." Perhaps there are few prayers in Orthodox worship in which the Most Pure One has so many exact names.

sudba.info

Canon to the Guardian Angel

The canon consists of nine songs, which are read all together only in the canon of Andrew of Crete and in the canons of the parental Sabbath. In other cases, two, three, four or eight songs are used more often in canons.

1. Canons that do not use the second canto are eight cantos.
2. On the days of Great Lent, canons of three or four songs are used, which are “three songs” and “four songs”, and canons consisting of two songs are “two songs”.

The Byzantine and modern Greek canons are metrically similar to each other. In the Slavic translation, it is impossible to copy the exact poetic content of the Greek metric, which in this case allows the irmos to sing, and the troparia to read. The Easter canon is an exception; it must be sung in its entirety. Such a canon is sung in one of eight voices.

• The basis of the canon are Old Testament songs.
• When the canon is sung, it should be that all the texts of biblical songs and troparia are distributed equally among the faces, so the number of songs and troparia is always even.
• In order to facilitate the listening of the canon and to draw new attention to the listeners, it has been divided into three parts.
• Between parts of the canon something is read that is opposite in meaning to the canon.
• Kanon is a song of praise with a complex melody.

How to read canon

The intersong allows prayer instead of praise, the song is replaced by reading, and the complex chant is replaced by a simple one. This allows the inter-songs in the canon to be divided into three groups: reading, prayer and singing. Following the Charter, it is necessary to unite several canons every day (three canons on weekdays, and four canons on holidays and weekends).

1. Following the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, the canon is read along with the prayers that are read before communion.
2. Following modern church books, which say that the canon is to the guardian angel before communion.
3. Before communion, it is necessary to attend the evening service, and then, while reading prayers at home before going to bed, three canons are also read: the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the prayer canon to the Holy Mother of God, and at the end only the canon to the Guardian Angel is read.

At the conclusion of the home prayer service, before communion, it is necessary to read the follow-up to Holy Communion. After reading all the necessary prayers at home, it is already forbidden to eat and even drink water, since the sacrament of Communion takes place on an empty stomach. Morning prayers are read from early in the morning, and if prayers for Holy Communion were not read in the evening, these prayers must be read in the morning.

The canon of repentance to the guardian angel can be read if a person finds himself in a difficult situation and he needs the support of the Guardian Angel. This canon is read if necessary, both for oneself and for relatives and friends, taking care of them.

magictheory.ru

Follow-up to Holy Communion

What are these canons?

• Canon to the Guardian Angel
• Canon of the penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ
• Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

During the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, these canons are replaced by the Paschal canon. If you do not have free time to read them, then do not be discouraged, as this is not necessary. And if you do this, you will only benefit your spiritual state.

Its main task: to eat less food and drink, to reduce the viewing of entertainment programs, music, theater. At this time, it is necessary to adhere not only to spiritual, but also to bodily purity. The day before and after the ceremony, it is necessary to refrain from physical intimacy. 12 hours before Communion, a strict fast must be observed.

1. The mood before the ceremony is considered important.
2. Refrain from negative emotions, feelings of anger and irritability.
3. Try not to judge anyone.
4. Better spend your free time reading the Gospel or other spiritual books.

Before Communion, you must go to confession. And until this moment, it is necessary to try on the offenders and the offended, and also ask for forgiveness. Confession is the bringing of your sins to the Lord in the presence of a witness - a priest. Just tell him what weighs on your soul.

You can do this in any temple, for example, in the Optina Monastery. Follow-up to Holy Communion in Optina Pustyn can be heard quite often. This is a male monastery in the Kaluga region, which keeps certain secrets.

The Instruction to Holy Communion in Russian is written so that people who do not speak Church Slavonic can read it without difficulty.

ikona-i-prayer.info

Communion Frequency

The first Christians took Communion every Sunday.

Now, due to the change in people's way of life, the Church recommends taking communion, if possible, during each Lent, but at least once a year.