Holy Communion is the most important rite in the Orthodox Church. Another name for the sacrament of the Eucharist. To receive communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a person must confess. But many are interested in the question, how often can one receive communion? Let's look at this in more detail.
In the first centuries of Christianity, people received the Body of Christ every day. And many holy fathers even call for communion more often. But from about the 18th century in Russia, many began to receive communion very rarely.
This is probably due to the fact that not many people now believe in God. But what is the right way to do it? What time should you take communion?
You need to take communion at least four times a year - this is the most common point of view
It was believed that it was enough to take communion once during the four great Lents, that is, four times a year. And also on name day. Some still received communion on major holidays. And others receive communion once or twice a week.
But surprisingly, even absurd opinions appeared about the harmfulness of frequent communion. Let's consider what righteous people and priests said about this.
Righteous John of Kronstadt writes:
“Some people say that it is sinful for the laity to receive communion often,
that young people are supposed to only receive communion once a year,
and only to the old during all fasts, because those who frequently receive communion go crazy.
How absurd! What blasphemy, blasphemy! What foolishness!
And why is the voice of the Savior heard every day during the liturgy, calling for communion?..
Is it really possible to remain stuck in sins all year and only once be cleansed by repentance and communion?
Don’t we sin every day, become corrupted, become defiled by sins, don’t we need cleansing, sanctification, renewal every day?
Is it really just to accumulate sins every day and only to cleanse yourself once a year?
Is this stupid...?”
“...Don’t you often wash your face and body in the bathhouse, and your face every morning?
Should we not wash our soul, which is constantly defiled by sins, every day?
Ridiculous, senseless people who think and even speak insanely; They are ignorant, not understanding the needs of the human soul.
They are cruel! They did not know the spirit of Christ...”
John of Kronstadt
priest
“No more than once a day, and no less than once a year,” says Father Dimitri.
How often can the laity receive communion, answers priest Dimitry Smirnov:
“No more than once a day, and no less than once a year.
If more than once a day, that’s crazy; less than once a year - this is no longer Christianity.
It depends on many reasons. A deeply churched person strives to receive communion as often as possible.
A person who lives one and a half thousand kilometers from an Orthodox church, and if once a year, having saved money,
will arrive or fly to that place, to that city where there is a temple, and first of all from the station he will go to the temple in order to
to receive communion - glory to God, and for this he will thank God.
Therefore, what is the opportunity.”
Dmitry Smirnov
clergyman
But to the question of whether it would be a sin to take communion too often, the priest answers:
“It can be a sin only if a person, for example,
often swears, or often picks someone's pocket. But it can be considered a sin if, for example, a person often prays, or often reads the Holy Scriptures,
or often visits the temple, or very often takes care of the sick, or very often donates money to someone? Of course not.
Therefore, if a person often receives communion, this is precisely the highest degree of realization of his Christian faith,
because in Communion a person unites with God Himself. So could this be common...?”
These words of Dimitry Smirnov can be heard on the recording:
Chapter 29. How often should one receive Holy Communion?
You have come under attack because you have not received Holy Communion for five weeks. St. Macarius the Great In the 4th petition of the Lord's Prayer “Our Father” we ask for the daily gift of “daily bread”. According to the interpretation of many Church Fathers, what should most likely be understood here is not the ordinary bread and food that God gives us in abundance without our asking (Matthew 6
:31-32)
.
Yes, St. Cyprian writes: “We call Christ our bread, because He is the Bread of those who eat His Body... We ask this bread to be given to us every day, being in the temple and receiving the Eucharist every day as food for salvation, in the sense that it does not exceed what a grave sin, and we were not forbidden to partake of this Heavenly Bread... That is why we ask to give us our Bread, that is, Christ, every day, so that we, who are alive in Christ, may never retreat from the sanctification of His Body.”
Saint John Cassian the Roman writes on this same issue:
“Give us this day our daily bread.” “Essential”, i.e. “super-essential” - the highest of all essences, which can only be the Bread that came down from heaven. When it is said “today”, it is shown that eating it yesterday is not enough if it is not also taught to us now - in convincing us of such an everyday need for it to pour out this prayer at all times, since there is no day on which it would not be necessary strengthen the heart of our inner man by accepting and eating this Bread.”
Here are some more opinions of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church on this issue. St. Anthony of Egypt urged frequent communion and said that “a hermit monk, as far as he can, should approach the Holy Mysteries daily for fear that, moving away from the Holy Meal, he will not be able to move away from God.” Abba Apollos of Egypt taught his disciples this way: “Monks should, if they can, partake of the Holy Mysteries every day, because whoever moves away from the Holy Mysteries moves away from God, and whoever constantly partakes always receives the Savior into himself...” And here is the opinion about that St. Basil the Great:
“It is good and useful to partake and receive the Holy Body and Blood of Christ every day. We receive communion four times a week: on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, as well as on those days when there is a memory of a saint.”
For the last ten years of his life, the Venerable Nil of Sorsky took communion of the Holy Mysteries daily and said that their communion “apparently supports the strength of the soul and body.” Saint Ambrose of Milan thought the same. In his book on the Sacraments he writes:
“If the Blood is shed many times, which is poured out for the remission of our sins, then we must always accept it so that my sins are forgiven; and if I always sin, then I always need healing... Take every day what can heal you. Live so that you will always be worthy of this (i.e. Communion) acceptance.”
Also considered necessary was frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries Tertullian, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Blessed Augustine, Maximus the Confessor. Our contemporary Bishop Theophan the Recluse also blessed one of his spiritual children to receive communion from the reserve Holy Gifts every day. In the biography of St. Macarius the Great has his words to one woman who suffered cruelly from the spell of a sorcerer: “You have been exposed to misfortune because you have not received the Holy Mysteries for five weeks.” Shepherd Fr. John S. pointed to the forgotten apostolic rule - to excommunicate from the Church those who have not been to Holy Communion for three weeks. St. Seraphim of Sarov commanded the Diveyevo sisters:
“It is unacceptable to confess and partake of all fasts and, in addition, twelve and major holidays: the more often, the better - without tormenting yourself with the thought that you are unworthy, and you should not miss the opportunity to use the grace bestowed by communing the Holy Mysteries of Christ as often as possible. The grace bestowed by communion is so great that, no matter how unworthy and no matter how sinful a person may be, if only in the humble consciousness of his great sinfulness he approaches the Lord, who redeems us all, even if covered from head to toe with the sores of sins, then will be purified by the grace of Christ, will become more and more bright, will be completely enlightened and saved.”
Of course, it is very good to take communion on your name day and birthday, and for spouses on their wedding day. Fr. Alexy Zosimovsky recommended that his spiritual children also take Communion on memorable days for their deceased loved ones - on the days of their death and name day: this unites the souls of the living with the dead. If you want to receive communion even more often (maybe even every day), you need to follow this instruction from St. Simeon the New Theologian: “Whoever does not reveal the secrets of his heart every day, who does not bring due repentance for them and for what he has done out of ignorance, who does not always walk around weeping and lamenting, and does not pass diligently before what has been said, he is truly unworthy (of daily communion) . And whoever does all this and carries out the course of his life in sighs and tears is very worthy to be a partaker of the Divine Mysteries, and not only on a holiday, but also every day and even - although I will boldly say - from the very beginning of his repentance and conversion.” . As the archbishop writes: Arseny (Chudovskoy):
“Continuous communion should be the ideal of all Christians. But the enemy of the human race immediately understood what power the Lord had given us in the Holy Mysteries. And he began the Work of rejecting Christians from Holy Communion. From the history of Christianity we know that at first Christians received communion daily, then 4 times a week, then on Sundays and holidays, and then during all fasts, i.e. 4 times a year, finally, barely once a year, and others even less often.”
“A Christian must always be ready for both death and communion,” said one of the spiritual fathers. So, it is up to us to frequently participate in the Last Supper of Christ and to receive at it the great grace of the Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. And if the heart lives entirely in God - both in deeds and in words and thoughts, if a Christian cries in his soul for every sin and has the goal of his life to please God and to acquire the Holy Spirit of God, then he has no obstacles to daily communion of the Holy Mysteries, as Christians of the first centuries did this, and as Simeon the New Theologian writes about this. One of the spiritual daughters of the elder Fr. Alexia M. once told him: “Sometimes your soul longs to unite with the Lord through communion, but the thought that you recently received communion holds you back.” “This means that the Lord touches the heart,” the elder answered her, “so all these cold reasonings are unnecessary and inappropriate here - I give you communion often, I proceed from the purpose of introducing you to the Lord, so that you feel how good it is - abide with Christ." O. Valentin Sventsitsky writes:
“Without frequent communion, spiritual life in the world is impossible. After all, your body dries up and becomes powerless when you do not give it food. And the soul demands its heavenly food. Otherwise, it will dry out and become weak. Without communion, the spiritual fire in you will die out. It will be filled with worldly rubbish. To free ourselves from this rubbish, we need fire to burn the thorns of our sins. Spiritual life is not abstract theology, but real and most undoubted life in Christ. But how can it begin if you do not accept the fullness of the Spirit of Christ in this terrible and great Sacrament? How can you be in Him without accepting the Flesh and Blood of Christ? And here, as if in repentance, the enemy will not leave you without attacks. And here he will plot all sorts of intrigues for you. He will erect many external and internal barriers. Either you will have no time, then you will feel unwell, or you will want to put it off for a while, “to better prepare.” Do not listen. Go and confess. Take communion. You don’t know when the Lord will call you.”
Let every soul listen sensitively in its heart and be afraid to hear the hand of the Distinguished Guest knocking on its door; let her be afraid that her hearing will become coarse from the vanity of the world and will not be able to hear the quiet and gentle calls coming from the Kingdom of Light. Let the soul be afraid of replacing the experience of heavenly joy of unity with the Lord with the muddy entertainments of the world or the base consolations of bodily nature. And when she is able to tear herself away from the world and everything sensory, when she yearns for the light of the heavenly world and reaches out to the Lord, let her dare to unite with Him in the great Sacrament, while dressing herself in the spiritual clothes of sincere repentance, and the deepest humility, and the unchanging fullness of poverty spiritual. Let also not the soul be embarrassed by the fact that, despite all its repentance, it is still unworthy of communion. Elder Fr. says this about it. Alexy M.:
“Take Communion more often and do not say that you are unworthy. If you talk like that, you will never receive communion, because you will never be worthy. Do you think that there is at least one person on earth worthy of receiving the Holy Mysteries? No one deserves this, and if we do receive communion, it is only by the special mercy of God. We are not created for communion, but communion is for us. It is we, sinners, unworthy, weak, who more than anyone else need this saving source.”
And here is what the famous Moscow pastor Fr. says about frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries. Valentin Amfitheatrov:
“You need to be ready every day for communion, as if you were ready for death... Those who receive communion often are my friends. Ancient Christians took communion every day. We must approach the Holy Chalice and think that we are unworthy, and cry out with humility: everything is here, in You, Lord: mother, father, and husband - you are all, Lord, and joy and consolation.”
So, both the Lord Himself and St. the fathers and elders call us to communion every day. Why don’t we do this and why don’t we receive the blessing of our spiritual fathers for this? Only because of our “hardness of heart” and negligence, because with our sinful life and lack of constant repentance and sobriety, we would begin to accept the Body and Blood of the Lord unworthily. The basis for deciding the question of how often we need to receive communion is the degree of preparedness of the soul, its zeal, its love for the Lord, its strength of repentance. If there is a spiritual father, he also sets the dates for communion. “Take, eat: this is My Body, which was broken for you for the remission of sins. Drink from it, all of you: this is My Blood, the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins,” - this is the call of the Lord to us every day at the Divine Liturgy. “But how different our services and liturgies are,” writes Fr. Alexander Elchaninov, - with the Holy Cup carried out in vain and a stubborn refusal to “proceed” - to the liturgical meetings of the apostolic age and the period of martyrdom.” And if we do not go to this call of Christ - to His Last Supper, we do not go to the “wedding feast” at which the Innocent Lamb - the Lord Jesus Christ Himself - is slaughtered for us every day, then let us condemn ourselves as slaves who neglected this call and with this feast they went “some to their field, and some to their trade” (Matthew 22
:2-5).
You can receive communion every day with the blessing of the priest
Therefore, to answer the question, is it possible to receive communion every day? The answer is yes, you can. You just need to get a blessing from the priest.
Usually, people who are sick with some kind of disease or small children receive communion every day.
Father John of Kronstadt warns those who receive communion often, so that frequent communion does not become a habit:
“My so-called spiritual children,
have been receiving communion for several years now
daily the holy mysteries of Christ,
have not learned obedience,
kindness and long-suffering love
and indulge in bitterness and disobedience..."
John of Kronstadt
priest
That is, it is necessary for a person to receive communion with the fear of God. And this must be preserved during each reception of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Therefore, if any question arises about holy communion, whether it is possible to receive communion once a month or once a week will be enough, you can contact the priest, he will tell you how best to do this.
And also, if necessary, it is obligatory to receive a blessing.
Metropolitan Pavel talks very interestingly about how often one should receive communion. You can watch the video by following the link:
I want to take communion at every liturgy, but my friends say that this is not possible, that I get “accustomed” to the shrine and reverence disappears. What should I do?
Archpriest Valentin Makarov answers
– If we consider the goal of a Christian’s life as fulfilling the commandments for the acquisition of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, then the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ can be expressed as a means to achieve this goal. To better understand this, let us give the following analogy: “If we consider the purpose of a person’s stay in a hospital as the desire for healing, then the analogue of Divine Communion will be medicine.” Here is a very well-known comparison of the Church with a hospital, Christ with a doctor, and Communion of Christ with a medicine prescribed by a doctor. Writes: spzh.news
It is no secret that man is seriously ill with sin. As God scolded the old Israel: “Why should we beat you again, you who continue your stubbornness? The whole head is full of ulcers, and the whole heart is withered. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there is no healthy place: ulcers, spots, festering wounds, uncleansed and unbandaged and not softened with oil” (Isa. 1: 5-7), so in every person there is not a part of the soul undefiled, nor days of life without sin.
Glory to God, who left us in the healing Church the main medicine - His Flesh and Blood, and reminds us of them in the words of the Gospel: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53- 56). And since each medicine has its own long course of taking, Communion should be taken regularly. One, two or four doses of medication per year are unlikely to help the patient. It is also true that a high dose of medicine can poison the patient. So where is the optimal frequency for taking the heavenly Medicine?
The main rhythm of church life is set on Sunday, or rather the Sunday liturgy, at which we all have the opportunity to take the Medicine against death. Should I take communion every time or every other time? One sees himself as the main sinner and with tears repeats the words of the apostle: “From them I am first,” the other is more inclined to the words “I am not like other men.” If you sincerely find yourself among the first, then proceed to the Cup more often; if not, then give way to others in line.
Let me explain my idea. There are people in our churches who take communion regularly, almost “saints.” At the same time, they like to express their vision of this or that sin in confession and object to something. Sometimes it can even come to an argument with the confessing priest. If you try to prevent such a person from receiving Communion like this, because of a trifle, for the sake of an experiment, then he will be very indignant and may even complain about you. And there are others who bitterly report that they drank water at night or accidentally ate a piece of prosphora while half asleep, and consider themselves unworthy of Communion. If you don't allow them, they will never object, because... According to the canons, they broke the fast. And if, despite these little things, you bless them to approach with fear and trembling, then these “sinners” rejoice, and you get from their joy.
He who loves Him who gave Himself to the faithful loves the Church, the liturgy, and Communion itself. Like someone bitten by a poisonous snake, he rather seeks to taste the antidote in order to neutralize the poison. For such people, the Church even has a multi-day feast - Holy Easter with Bright Week and Christmastide. The opportunity arises, without fasting at the table, but also without sinning, to begin the Holy Sacrament every day for a week. Easter has arrived, where there is no fasting. Life has come, where there is no death. It is very important for every Christian, after a long fast, to feel the words of the Easter canon: “Yesterday I crucified myself with You - I rise with You today!” This experience is reflected in every Sunday - Little Easter. If you have the fear of God and faith, proceed!
We have a request for you...
The articles on our website cover all parishes of the Gagauz autonomy. To continue the fruitful operation of the site, we need your help!
Please support the website "Orthodox Gagauzia" .
You can send us any donation to keep the site running. We can't do it without your help! Donate
Before communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, you need to properly prepare
Before confessing and taking communion, you need to read prayers. This is a kind of preparation for communion.
If you take any prayer book, you can find a separate part - following to Holy Communion.
Prayer book
church collection of prayers
Before communion, you must read every single one of them.
Before communion, prayers for Holy Communion are read. This takes no more than one hour
And the next morning you can go to the temple. When going to confession, you need to talk about your sins and what worries you.
The priest will listen to you and give advice on your problem, and most importantly, God will forgive all your sins. But only those that were mentioned.
It is believed that if a person deliberately conceals sins, then this will be an even greater sin for the person.
Therefore, everyone who goes to confession must name all their sins. Some people prefer to write them down on a piece of paper so as not to forget.
Priest Father Arkady tells how to confess correctly for the first time, what to say:
Orthodox Life
Archpriest Vladimir Puchkov answers.
Unfortunately, our Church has established a practice of extremely rare communion. Over the years, supporters of this, so to speak, tradition have developed a logically verified argument for their position and, on occasion, will readily tell you that “frequent communion can become addictive,” “Seraphim of Sarov and John of Kronstadt lived in this tradition, had nothing against it, and Who are we to dispute it”, “monks take communion once a month, and schema-monks once every two weeks, how can we dare to do more”, “frequent communion forces us to sacrifice the rigor of preparation” and so on. They even came up with an expression: “extra-frequent communion”...
Well, indeed, this practice is over two hundred years old, so many perceive it as a “time-honored” tradition. But to be honest, here it would be most correct to recall the famous expression of the holy martyr Cyprian of Carthage, “Custom without truth is an inveterate delusion.” Moreover, if the above arguments are suitable for anything, it is only for a dialogue between a priest and a parishioner, when the first speaks without thinking about the consistency of the arguments, and the second listens and accepts what is said on faith, regardless of its meaning. In fact, frequent communion can indeed be addictive. Frequent confession, frequent visits to church, frequent reading of prayers can also cause addiction... Do you think it makes sense to continue?
Seraphim of Sarov, John of Kronstadt, and also Ignatius Brianchaninov, Theophan the Recluse and the Optina elders really lived in the reality of tradition, when employees, military personnel, high school students and students were ordered to receive communion once a year, which they and many other Orthodox Christians did. The logic of the situation was, as they say, as simple as three pounds of smoke: if it is impossible to receive communion less than once a year, then we will receive communion once a year. And more often, why, if they don’t require it? However, those who were pious not formally, but sincerely, still received communion more often, but hardly more often than once during each multi-day fast. The saints listed, indeed, did not speak out against this practice. However, this means absolutely nothing. The saints did not oppose much. For example, in their time the population of the Russian Empire was widely illiterate. In an ordinary city church, only 10-20 percent of parishioners could read and write: people of noble birth, officials, officers, merchants and members of their families. The rest of the parishioners: laborers, small shopkeepers, artisans and other commoners were illiterate. Was this normal? No. Did the saints speak out against this? Also no. The church of that time was humiliated by the state to the level of a kind of “ministry of religious affairs”, governed by the Synod, headed by the chief prosecutor - a government official accountable to secular authorities. Was this normal? Definitely not. Did the saints speak out against this? Of course no. Until 1861, serfdom existed in the Russian Empire and one Orthodox Christian, a serf, for another Orthodox Christian, a landowner, was “like a sheep or a chicken.” Was this normal? In no case. Did the saints speak out against this? As we know, no. The saints were wise people. They actively fought against sin in themselves, against vices in society and in people. But they were not quixotic from boredom and did not fight against the established state of affairs and the ingrained norms of their time. Which, however, should not whitewash the vicious practices of the past in our eyes.
Monks and schema-monks, like residents of monasteries in general, receive communion as often as the order established in their monasteries tells them. Actually, this is why they take a vow of obedience, in order to be obedient to their abbots and elders. The frequency of communion among the monastic brethren cannot in any way be an indicator for the laity, even if the laity like to think differently.
But I agree with the argument about the rigor of preparation. It is difficult to read the three canons and the order for communion several times a week. It is even more difficult to observe a three-day fast if you receive communion weekly or more often. But let's be honest: such strict preparation entered into the practice of our Church only because at the end of the 18th century the vicious practice of rare communion became firmly established as the norm. And when a person approaches the Chalice of Christ only once a year, then it seems quite natural to force him to exert his spiritual and physical strength as much as possible for proper preparation. In our time, thank God, such rare communion remains the lot of a few parishioners who strive to receive communion more out of tradition than out of urgent need. However, as often happens, the realities that shaped the practice faded into oblivion, but the practice itself remained. Each individual confessor and each individual parishioner finds a way out of this situation independently. However, if we try to provide a basis for the proposed general approach, then it is worth remembering that it is not communion for the sake of preparation, but preparation for the sake of communion. Therefore, if for the sake of regular and frequent communion the severity of preparation is somewhat softened, then this is not at all reprehensible.
So, how often should one take communion? Ideally - at every Liturgy. It is no longer a secret to anyone that participation in the Liturgy involves participation in the Eucharist. In fact, the Liturgy is performed not only by the priest, but by the entire congregation, which the priest simply heads. Hence, at the Liturgy there are no “those present and those praying,” since all those present are concelebrants. Each in his place and each to the extent of his service. However, an ideal is only an ideal because it cannot be the norm. The norm should be to take communion every Sunday. Of course, with proper preparation, with observance of the Eucharistic fast, with obligatory presence at the Liturgy from the very beginning to the very end. In practice, everyone decides for themselves. Those who can, receive communion weekly, those who cannot, once every two to three weeks. In any case, this should be done at least once a month.
The main thing is to realize and remember that communion is not a practice of piety and not a component of church life. Communion is a vital necessity for a Christian. Therefore, it is natural to always desire it and to begin to do it as often as possible.
Before communion itself, you need to behave quietly, modestly and not jostle
Before communion begins, people come closer to the royal doors. This needs to be done in advance so that you don’t rush or push things later.
In the temple, everyone knows that they need to behave quietly and as modestly as possible.
When the royal doors open, the deacon or priest comes out with the cup.
Before communion begins, the priest reads a prayer, which it is advisable to memorize
The priest exclaims: “Come with the fear of God and faith,” you need to bow to the ground as much as possible and fold your arms crosswise on your chest.
The right hand is placed on top of the left - this position of the hands during communion is considered correct
Then the priest reads aloud the prayer: “I believe, Lord, and I confess...” and the communicants repeat it to themselves.
People approach the holy chalice one by one, usually babies, children and the infirm are allowed through first. Approaching the cup, you need to clearly state your name, received in holy baptism, and open your lips wide.
After communion, you should kiss the bottom edge of the holy cup; it symbolizes the rib of the Savior, from which blood and water flowed.
The priest's hand is not kissed during communion.
Moving away from the bowl, without taking your hands off, you need to go to the table where they hand out pieces of prosphora and drink.
You should also not crowd here, but slowly wait for your turn. It will be much better after communion.
After the communicant has drunk, he prays until the end of the Divine Liturgy and, together with everyone else, approaches the cross
After the Divine Liturgy, the communicant must come home and read prayers for Holy Communion.
That is, after communion, prayers of gratitude are read. They also need to be read, as before communion.
After communion, you must thank the Lord for deigning you to receive His Holy Mysteries of Christ.
Does the sacrament really often harm a person?
Listen:
O. Dmitry : - Good evening, brothers and sisters. We congratulate you on the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on Sunday. Father Alexander and I are starting our program live on Radonezh. Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov is at the microphone.
O. Alexander : - Good evening, dear listeners.
Question : - Tell me how to understand the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Is it possible to receive communion on earth and remain uncommuned in Heaven?”
O. Dmitry : - We know, and in the Gospel such a case is described, about the Apostle Judas, who took communion, but the result was not the one that Orthodox Christian believers usually expect. Therefore, as the apostle says, many receive communion to their own judgment or condemnation, if they do not discern what they partake of, if without reverence, but the main thing is the consciousness of what we are touching.
O. Alexander : - And if a person approaches the sacrament in an offense, a quarrel, an unpeaceful spirit?
O. Dmitry : - If he deeply realizes with repentance his wrongness, and asks God for the Holy Mysteries to burn this sin in him, then it is possible. And if he persists in his rightness, then it is better to abstain.
O. Alexander : - Often someone advises people in serious illness to take communion, and now they call the priest, without preparing a person who does not understand anything about this. Could such a sacrament be a condemnation for him?
O. Dmitry : - The fact is that the very conversation of the priest at the patient’s bedside can set him in the necessary mood. If he is completely distant, then the priest, I think, will realize that there is no need to give communion, it is better to read a prayer for health.
O. Alexander : - And sometimes a person is in such a state that you can’t even talk to him.
O. Dmitry : - Then it is on the shepherd’s conscience, as he decides.
Question : — I came across a strange situation: the priest did not allow me to receive communion only because I had received communion the day before. The reason was this: you cannot take communion often, because it harms a person. He said that he knew of no examples where frequent communion would lead to good spiritual results. Does the sacrament really often harm a person?
O. Dmitry : - This is certainly not true. The main example for us is what our Holiness Patriarch does. He serves more often than any priest, and receives communion more often than anyone else. Why does he have a negative spiritual result? Let this priest then write a letter and warn our Saint that he is wrong. This is some kind of malicious superstition.
O. Alexander : - It is very common even among people who are even trying to hold each other back. Where are you going, you took communion yesterday?
O. Dmitry : - That’s where I’m going, but what’s wrong? It's out of envy. That is, I’m not going, and you don’t go. The position is wild, unchurchly, contrary to the canons adopted by us at the Ecumenical Councils.
O. Alexander : - They appeal to pre-revolutionary traditions.
O. Dmitry : - This tradition led to the revolution. We don't need this anymore. We already had this.
O. Alexander : — That is, the situation that developed in the church environment before the revolution..?
O. Dmitry : - Yes, it led directly to the revolution. This is a direct consequence. The priest came out with the cup, said, “Come with fear and faith,” and took it away and consumed it himself, and the people stood like a pillar. I talked with one woman who was young during the revolutionary period. She says that immediately after the revolution everyone began to take communion. The situation has changed dramatically. But there was no stopping it. Hostile forces have already seized power.
O. Alexander : - Father, what if we return again to the benefits of Communion. What if a person is seriously ill and wants to take communion every day?
O. Dmitry : - Excellent. Let him go to church, take communion, confess, read the rule. Everything is great.
O. Alexander : - Some refuse to go to doctors, believing that the Lord sent the disease, and He, when He wants, will take it away Himself. How correct is this?
O. Dmitry : - Very simple. If you get hit by a bus, don't you need to see a doctor? Just lie there? What if it rains and snows? You won't last long. But there are different kinds of eccentrics. They even brought the paralytic down to Christ through the roof. And He did not tell them that God sent the disease and let him be sick. And He took him and healed him: take up the bed and walk. A lot of weird stuff, unfortunately. Man's mind is corrupted by sin. Therefore, a person often directs his creativity towards opposite goals. Promotes the enemy of the human race.
O. Alexander : - And with good intentions.
O. Dmitry : - Hell is paved in four layers with these intentions.
O. Alexander : - They want to please God, to serve.
O. Dmitry : - But it turns out that they are paving the underworld.
O. Alexander : - It seems to me that because of the discrepancies that people hear, sometimes even in the Church, when one priest says “yes, yes, of course,” and another says “in no case.” And a man between two opposing opinions of two people he respects.
O. Dmitry : - But you need to read the Scriptures yourself, the Holy Fathers, in the book about the canons of the Church, you need to be enlightened.
O. Alexander : - Basil the Great said wonderful things about Communion. We receive communion four times a week.
O. Dmitry : - I remember, of course. I even wrote it down in my notebook; I didn’t know that the time would come when I would have books by Basil the Great.
Question : - Why do we commemorate many outstanding saints, for example, Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, Matrona of Moscow and Xenia of St. Petersburg, and at the same service we call the Patriarch the Most Holy, why are they saints, and he is the Most Holy, this is a superlative degree?
O. Dmitry : - Yes, because it is a title, and not what happened to a person as a result of canonization.
O. Alexander : - This is simply an acquired title of the primate of the Russian Church. For some, it is called the most blessed.
Question : — I heard the statement that if you don’t believe in something, then you won’t succeed. How true is this?
O. Dmitry : - Sometimes it works out, but the Lord, by His mercy, can strengthen a person to faith, guide him, but as a rule, lack of faith manifests itself in such a way that a person does not receive what he would like.
O. Alexander : — Lack of faith is accompanied by fear.
O. Dmitry : — Often so. Therefore, anyone who takes up the plow and turns back is untrustworthy for the Kingdom of Heaven.
O. Alexander : - But sometimes a person does not pray, as he seems to believe, and asks for good, but God is slow to answer.
O. Dmitry : - And this happens because the Lord has His own goal and plan for everyone.
O. Alexander : — We see examples in the history of the Church of very quick help and the Lord’s answer to prayers.
O. Dmitry : - And it is. And there is one more moment. I've been noticing this a lot lately. You ask God for something important, but He doesn’t give it. And such a thought flashed about something insignificant, and the Lord was right there. And so He shows - I hear, I remember, but be patient.
O. Alexander : - The most striking example of patient prayer is Joachim and Anna. They asked for 50 years, being righteous before God.
O. Dmitry : - But this is the result of their prayer. With their prayer they blessed us all that such a Girl was raised and born.
O. Alexander : - At first this long-suffering created in them such a...
O. Dmitry : - .. flower, the purest flower of Israel.
Question : Why is it impossible to form a Christian republic on Orthodox lands, just as an Islamic republic was formed earlier?
O. Dmitry : - It’s possible. Let's get educated starting Monday. Buy some land. Not everything can be sold to the Chinese. In the Far East, they give you two hectares, so let’s do it.
O. Alexander : - Usually they want to throw out an idea so that someone will take up it.
O. Dmitry : - That's understandable. Another nobleman, Manilov, loved to talk about these topics.
Question : - Why doesn’t the Church do this or that, such a favorite question of people who believe that the Church should be more involved in some issues.
O. Dmitry : - I always answer like that - because you don’t go to Church. That's why she doesn't. Waiting for you to go to Church. Otherwise, they want to rule the Church out of pride and all the time point out what is needed, and yet this cannot be prohibited.
Question : - If you take communion twice a week, how to fast, how to read the canons? So the whole week is fast?
O. Dmitry : - Well, yes, but what’s wrong?
Question : - What if it’s like this every week?
O. Dmitry : - Who is forcing you? If a person wants to receive communion, then he will fast and read the canons. Otherwise they want to read once and take communion seven times. It's not fair.
O. Alexander : - But many people ask about this.
O. Dmitry : - Yes, is it possible for free?
Question : - Sometimes, in transport or on the street, you want to cross yourself, is this appropriate, or is it better to mentally not confuse others?
O. Dmitry : - What embarrassment is there in this? I’m driving along Ilyinskaya Street, going straight to the Intercession Cathedral, and it’s all covered in crosses and domes, and I was so embarrassed, right? If a person is embarrassed by the sign of the cross, and we want to protect him, how can we travel around Moscow if the sign of the cross is everywhere, and even with gold? So you walk around confused. Or put a padded jacket on your head? I came to an Orthodox country, and here people are baptized, go to church, bells are ringing, crosses are on churches. Under Soviet rule, if the temple was not blown up, at least the bell tower and domes were demolished, the stump stands and does not bother anyone. It was a miracle of architecture, but now it’s a stump. Any confusion is from the devil.
O. Alexander : - But it defeats the believer.
O. Dmitry : - Let him win if he likes it that way. For some reason, they don’t hesitate to spit on the ground, they don’t hesitate to throw cigarette butts out of windows, they don’t hesitate to put unfinished bottles on the sidewalk - no one is embarrassed, and in general all sorts of rudeness. And to cross yourself is an embarrassment. And to confuse others. Ah, the poor others. Caring for your neighbor. You'll die laughing.
O. Alexander : - This is how they understand the apostle, who says, if I tempt my brother, I will not eat meat.
O. Dmitry : - Well, don’t eat. Meat - a person may think that we are talking about something sacrificed to idols. What's going on here?
O. Alexander : — Rather, how I look in the eyes of those who look at me.
O. Dmitry : - Okay, we looked. The man crossed himself—what next? What if he vomited on the threshold of GUM?...
Question : - My husband is a mama's boy. Lives in two houses. With family and mother. Even my mother has more. The mother-in-law says that she gave birth to a son for herself. I know that I should have looked at who I married. I endured it. But that would be okay. But the mother-in-law is engaged in some kind of demonic affairs. All the time rituals against the evil eye and damage, my husband also began to do this. Divorced. And my conscience torments me. Have I committed a sin?
O. Dmitry : - This is not a question for me. There will be a Judgment. The Lord will judge.
O. Alexander : - The man has made a decision and his conscience is tormenting him. Does this mean the person made a mistake?
O. Dmitry : - Or maybe this is a sign of a sick conscience? Imagine. The man stopped drinking. And then they offered him a beer. And he says he doesn't drink. And he was offended. And this one now has remorse. Should I have a drink with him? What to do? A tragic unresolved problem.
O. Alexander : - They described it very vitally, father.
O. Dmitry : - I take everything from life. That's what a nice woman is. My real student. Quotes me, acts as we discussed it. It’s just wonderful, I have no embarrassment about this. Marriage for what? Create a paradise, which is called the home Church, and here there is one possessed witch and her disciple. Why build something with them? Useless. Let the husband fall to his mother’s breast and feed on this enormous demonic power. Since I didn’t pay attention when I got married...
O. Alexander : - People are afraid of destroying their marriage. Some have no fear of anything at all.
O. Dmitry : - This always happens. One is not afraid to cross the street, covering his ears with headphones, his eyes fixed on his iPhone and with a hood on his head. He walks and is not afraid of anything. And the other cannot step on the zebra because he is afraid that he will be run over. Some are more timid, while others are more frivolous.
O. Alexander : - And some have a stopper - the marriage cannot be destroyed.
O. Dmitry : - Stopper - wait, think, what's the rush?
O. Alexander : - And if a person thinks that God has united, let not a person separate.
O. Dmitry : - So everything has already fallen apart. My husband lives with my mother. She is doing demonic things. Hubby is included too.
O. Alexander : - In fact, there is no family?
O. Dmitry : - Here the synagogue of Satan is evident. And he admits that these rituals hold great power for him. Just don't tell me what kind of power it is. This is not the power of God's Grace, but demonic power. It’s a pity for those who don’t think about whose powers they resort to. And I feel sorry for those around them.
O. Alexander : - People rejoice at their special abilities.
O. Dmitry : - It is as futile as if someone has a million. This is an illusion. Today you have it, and tomorrow they hit you in the head and took it away.
O. Alexander : - Life is diverse...
Question : - How to overcome the sins of masturbation and lustful thoughts? At a young age I acquired skill in these sins, and now I am married, but the sins continue to torment me.
O. Dmitry : — The priest will teach you how to go to confession.
Question : - My wife wants us to move to another city, because our environment is bad, it’s an old boring city, she feels bad here. And my mother here is elderly. Is it worth sacrificing good work and communication with loved ones for the sake of your spouse’s request? This issue even leads to quarrels.
O. Dmitry : - And it depends on how a person loves his wife. If he agrees to look for his wife to the distant kingdom in order to do something for her, then he will do something for her. And if he loves his mother more, he will stay with his mother.
O. Alexander : - And if mommy has one son, then how can you leave her?
O. Dmitry : - What does it mean to quit? To throw, you must first lift. Both mothers and sons are getting old. Then you can always take mommy with you if she is very old.
O. Alexander : - This is when a mother knows how to live in the family of her children.
O. Dmitry : - Always any innovation, movement, so he wanted to adopt 5 children, so this requires reasoning, effort, living space and so on. Any action. Or maybe he wanted to have a gorilla. She needs a separate room, a cage. Ask your neighbors. We need to organize and choose the best options. People change, they sell housing, buy another, they change cars, they change countries.
O. Alexander : - Some are easy to climb, while others are not at all.
O. Dmitry : - Just imagine, some are bald, and others are blond. Can you imagine?
Question : - It all started with slander against me at school. I was very envied because of my success. My classmates slandered me and vilified me. I am psychologically depressed, what should I do, how to resist?
O. Dmitry : - If there is slander, then you can sue. There is an article for libel.
O. Alexander : - Troublesome.
O. Dmitry : - But everything is troublesome. Fighting is troublesome. Stand up for someone too. Help someone in need. Life is all about troubles.
O. Alexander : - What other way?
O. Dmitry : - I bought a bus ticket and left. And went to another school.
O. Alexander : - Should I be patient?
O. Dmitry : - This is according to strength. Sometimes this exceeds a person’s strength and is to his detriment. He is depressed. Despondency has set in. Where are the parents looking? If this happened to my children, I would not tolerate it. Nothing is said about the parents - it’s not clear.
O. Alexander : - When does a person undertake the feat of patience and feel that he lacks strength?
O. Dmitry : - Yes, you don’t need to take on any feat. You have to be patient and that's it. I arrived in Voronezh yesterday, and it greeted me with snow, rain, snow and wind. By the time we got to the car, we were all wet to the bones. Well, so what? Don't go?
Question : - How to overcome shyness and self-doubt? I observe children from large families - how brave and confident they are. But what about those who are deprived of this, who go through life alone and have to cope with everything themselves?
O. Dmitry : - Sign up for the sports section. And develop your communication skills.
O. Alexander : - With age, a person only begins to feel that there are no brothers around.
O. Dmitry : - The ancient Hellenic philosopher said that man is a social animal.
O. Alexander : - There are a lot of people around us, but who could help and advise in a kindred way.
O. Dmitry : - To do this, you need to be ready to wait and help. If you sit at a bus stop and wait for your real friend to come... You need to become a friend to someone. And then one person will turn out to be like that.
O. Alexander : - When a person goes to meet others halfway, I have not heard that he needs anything. There is always a response, even if only one.
O. Dmitry : - Of course! Everyone needs love, help, participation, everything! And when a person encounters this, there is always an echo in the heart.
O. Alexander : - One woman complained about the most difficult situation, she comes home angry, no one will support her. And who will support the evil one? Come home with a smile, and it will be for you. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are. Don't judge, don't teach, don't treat...
O. Dmitry : - There is such a saying, although it’s not very elegant. There's no harm in dreaming. In general, it is harmful. That’s why I say it’s not elegant.
O. Alexander : — Often a person wanders into such wilds in his dreams, and then disaster strikes.
Question : - I’ve been sick for four years, doctors can’t establish a diagnosis and prescribe treatment, I pray, take communion, I hope, but sometimes I get discouraged and hope fades, maybe I can turn to the elder, help!
O. Dmitry : - You can contact the elder, but the elder must have a diploma in general medicine.
O. Alexander : - Is there a need to consult a doctor here?
O. Dmitry : - What if the elder is not a doctor? And he will say something...
O. Alexander : - But when, as she writes, nothing works out, there is an impenetrable wall everywhere. Doctors do not understand what is happening, they withdraw and the person is left alone with the situation.
O. Dmitry : - You can write to the Minister of Health, describe the situation, ask for help. There are centers, Moscow, St. Petersburg, they say the situation has changed in Kazan. If the doctors where you live do not have enough qualifications, you can look elsewhere.
Question : — Should there be proportionality in observing the commandment to love your neighbor? Sometimes my neighbor asks for more than I can handle.
O. Dmitry : - Sometimes yes. And sometimes they don’t ask for anything at all, but want it or outright need it. What is your question for me?
O. Alexander : — About proportionality in service. How is it determined?
O. Dmitry : - Opportunity. The neighbor has a suitcase of 200 kilograms. It's hard for me to lift. No matter how much he expects this from me, I can at most hire two porters, but I cannot do it myself. The question is simple. This is where it all comes down to how much I have in my pocket.
O. Alexander : - When it comes to a suitcase, yes.
O. Dmitry : - But this is an image.
O. Alexander : - The man is lonely, he is very bored, he really wants me to pay attention to him. He came, visited, called, answered his calls 15 times.
O. Dmitry : - Limit yourself to as much as you can. Once every two weeks or every day for 5 minutes. And just say that you can’t do 40 minutes every day. Give as much as you can. I’m not quitting, I’m here, but I have my own life. If you don’t want such conditions, then don’t, but on the contrary, agree. Simple and open, and without deception.
O. Alexander : - But I feel sorry for the man.
O. Dmitry : - Then let's go from morning to night. I know all about it myself. You stand with a person, and he tells you the same thing 5 times. How many times is it possible?
Question : - How can a layman fulfill the commandment - go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Or was this addressed exclusively to the apostles?
O. Dmitry : - Of course, to the apostles.
O. Alexander : — Shouldn’t a layman take it?
O. Dmitry : - No, if he has a calling, he can graduate from missionary school and begin to engage in missionary work, attracting people to the confession of Christ, teaching them the faith, he can educate teenagers.
O. Alexander : — That is, in general, every believer is called to engage in missionary work.
O. Dmitry : - Yes, but you need to start with your family, so that the grandmothers do not engage in witchcraft, but go and pray.
O. Alexander : - There is no prophet in our fatherland. The family is sometimes deaf.
O. Dmitry : - Sometimes yes. And sometimes not. According to the canons, if a priest has not converted his family to Christ, he cannot be ordained.
O. Alexander : - That is, a person should have...
O. Dmitry : - To witness. What kind of shepherd are you if you cannot become an example for your own?
O. Alexander : — Precisely due to the fact that even one’s own father is not such an authority for a child as a stranger.
O. Dmitry : - If you are not an authority, then you have shortcomings in your upbringing. This cannot be explained in any way, only by this.
O. Alexander : - It seems to me that it is easier to educate strangers than your own.
O. Dmitry : — There’s just less responsibility. You will not be as responsible for strangers as you are for your own. The Lord gave you exactly these.
O. Alexander : - And how different they are sometimes.
O. Dmitry : - Everyone is different.
O. Alexander : - Even we once had a question: the same parents, the same conditions, circumstances, everything is the same, and one is obedient, kind, attentive, caring, the other is the opposite of the first.
O. Dmitry : - All the leaves on the ficus are different. Externally identical. The sizes and curvature are all different. To the point where one is already yellow and the other is still green.
O. Alexander : - And the parents are horrified that they did something wrong, that the second one turned out like this.
O. Dmitry : - You need to take note every day. Then we’ll see what’s wrong, and when you don’t think about it for a month, you can miss a lot in a month.
Question : - Should I leave my husband or stay and help. He's a drug addict. Together for five years. He won’t give up, he’ll be patient for a while and then he’ll do it again. When he’s not a drug addict, everything is fine, he loves his daughter, me, and works. He started taking drugs when he was 15. I knew about them, but I hoped to help him. Married for three years. I want to understand what to do next.
O. Dmitry : - How can we intervene here from the outside? You say, stay, he might end up getting stabbed. We had such a case in our parish. And if you say run away, he will say that you have deprived me of my beloved husband. This is a no-win lottery for those who give advice. If it were my daughter, I would tell her exactly what to do. And then you have to do it yourself.
Question : - Is it possible for an Orthodox man to grow long hair in likeness to our Lord Jesus Christ or is this the prerogative of a priest?
O. Dmitry : - Only the prerogative of the clergy. A simple layman does not need to do this. Why take over something that doesn't belong to you?
Question : - Why doesn’t the Orthodox Church restore empty, destroyed churches scattered throughout the country, especially in Central Russia? It is painful to look at the beauty built by our ancestors, which inevitably fades.
O. Dmitry : - Well, because you are not our ancestor, but a contemporary, and a baptized person, it hurts you, but you still have not restored a single temple. Therefore, I advise you to sell your apartment and buy a tent, and for the rest, buy bricks and start restoring one temple, because of which you are in pain. And when they ask who is restoring, you answer that the Church is restoring, and you are a member of the Church, and here is the cross on your neck, as a sign that you belong to the Church. This is how you need to act, and not shout, let’s go build her and help her.
O. Alexander : - It’s a bit of a pity for my apartment.
O. Dmitry : - The more expensive the sacrifice will be.
O. Alexander : - As the Apostle Peter said - behold, we have left everything, Lord, what will happen to us? And we know what they were. Persecution. But an unfading crown is in Heaven. And a person has to choose.
O. Dmitry : - Well, we’re telling him. Something hurts him. Take it and restore it. Have we restored Mitrofanievsky? Restored. Boniface built? Built. Has Blagoveshchensky been restored? Restored. Was Vladimirsky built? Built. Ioannovsky was built? Did Georgievsky get help with the restoration? They helped. Was Uspensky restored? Trinity and Garetovsky... Look how many churches! And that's not all. Now there are the Royal Martyrs. Why is he sitting? Why Church? The Church alone has restored so many churches.
O. Alexander : — People somehow don’t identify with the Church.
O. Dmitry : - Well, let them go somewhere further away. If a person does not identify himself with the Church, then who does he identify with? From a pub?
O. Alexander : - I am a parishioner.
O. Dmitry : - So parishioner - all Christians should work for the glory of God.
O. Alexander : - People like to criticize how everything in the church is wrong or wrong. Or they sing differently, the priest is not like that, the icons are not like that.
O. Dmitry : - Take a boy from an orphanage, raise him to be a good father, and weight. Just the way it should be. They are doing their best, but they are demanding something from someone.
O. Alexander : - This is the mentality of a Soviet person.
O. Dmitry : - I don’t know how it is in Poland or Argentina...
O. Alexander : - There are amazing people, they are not afraid of anything. They go and do the restoration.
O. Dmitry : - Yes, there are so many of them!
O. Alexander : - And someone is just embarrassed that something is wrong.
Question : - Why is betrayal the main reason for divorce, as the Lord says, and the rest are not?
O. Dmitry : - Chronic alcoholism is the same reason for divorce.
O. Alexander : - This is already a mental illness.
O. Dmitry : - Of course. He has already changed the appearance that he had before.
O. Alexander : - We are approaching the end of our program.
O. Dmitry : - All the best to you, brothers and sisters!
It is not recommended to do many things after communion
On the day of communion, prostrations are not performed. After communion, you need to be especially attentive to your soul, keep yourself from empty entertainment and conversations, remain in prayer, reading spiritual books, and doing good deeds.
Only in this way will a person have life with faith in Christ. After all, the basis of our spiritual life is our relationship with God. And it is very important to understand that the most important thing to which all our ascetic deeds lead is life in the feeling of the presence of God, and more precisely, life with God.
By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement
