Church life is filled with different rules and rituals. But there is one most important one - this is the Sacrament of Communion. However, you need to know exactly how to take communion in church. Otherwise, strict church orders can be violated. It is believed that this is an insult to God; such a sin should not be allowed. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously.
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What is Communion
Before taking communion in church, you need to devote several days to preparation. This is the most important Sacrament of the seven that exist in Orthodoxy. Catholics have similar sacraments. Protestant churches have different views on this issue.
During the Last Supper, Christ gave communion to his disciples for the first time and offered them bread and wine. Until the moment of the Savior’s death on the cross, people sacrificed animals as a prototype of future trials of the Son of God. After He was resurrected, there was no longer any need for other offerings. Therefore, prayers are now read over bread and wine. They also administer Communion.
Why do the churches demand that parishioners take communion and confess? How to do it right? This is a symbol of the unity of God with man. Christ Himself commanded that people do this. The sacrament transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. By accepting them, the believer accepts the Lord into himself. He maintains his spiritual strength at the proper level.
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Communion gives a great “charge” of spirituality. It is especially important that this Sacrament be performed on the sick and dying. The living should start it regularly. At least once during Lent, preferably on every major holiday.
What do you need to repent about?
Summing up the topic “Confession. How does this sacrament work?” it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the most common sins in our modern world.
Sins against God - pride, lack of faith or unbelief, renunciation of God and the Church, careless performance of the sign of the cross, failure to wear a cross, violation of the commandments of God, taking the name of the Lord in vain, careless fulfillment of prayer rules, failure to attend church, prayer without zeal, talking and walking in church during services, belief in superstitions, turning to psychics and fortune tellers, thoughts of suicide, etc.
Sins against one's neighbor - grief of parents, robbery and extortion, stinginess in alms, hard-heartedness, slander, bribery, insults, barbs and evil jokes, irritation, anger, gossip, gossip, greed, scandals, hysteria, resentment, betrayal, betrayal, etc. d.
Sins against oneself - vanity, arrogance, anxiety, envy, vindictiveness, desire for earthly glory and honors, addiction to money, gluttony, smoking, drunkenness, gambling, masturbation, fornication, excessive attention to one's own flesh, despondency, melancholy, sadness etc.
God will forgive any sin, nothing is impossible for him, a person only needs to truly realize his sinful deeds and sincerely repent of them.
How to prepare for communion
In the Orthodox Church, everyone is not allowed to participate in the sacrament. A number of conditions must be met:
- be an Orthodox Christian;
- maintain strict fasting (at least 3 days);
- read all the necessary prayers;
- go to confession after the All-Night Vigil;
- come to Liturgy in the morning.
Only if all these conditions are fulfilled will a parishioner be able to properly receive communion in the Church. In some churches, confession is not accepted the night before, but in the morning during the service. But then it turns out that during the Divine service people are distracted by standing in lines. It is still better to confess when there is no need to rush and there is no crowd around.
The following are allowed to the Sacrament without confession:
- infants (children under 6 years old) - however, it is not advisable to feed them before the service;
- those who received Baptism the day before - but they also need to fast and also read prayers.
The fast must be strict - you must give up all animal food (meat, fish, all dairy, eggs). The church calendar will help you find your way. It indicates which products are allowed. On some days, vegetable oil may also be prohibited. For sick and elderly people, the priest can make an exception, but in general it is not customary to relax the fast. You should also not drink after 12 midnight until the very moment of Communion.
Confession procedure
In church, a lot of people usually gather for confession, and before approaching the priest, you need to turn your face to the people and say out loud: “Forgive me, a sinner,” and they will answer: “God will forgive, and we forgive.” And then it is necessary to go to the confessor. Having approached the lectern (a high stand for a book), crossed yourself and bowed at the waist, without kissing the Cross and the Gospel, bowing your head, you can begin confession.
There is no need to repeat previously confessed sins, because, as the Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if they were repeated again, then they must be repented of again. At the end of your confession, you must listen to the words of the priest and a prayer of permission. When he finishes, cross himself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, and then, having crossed himself and bowed again, accept the blessing of his priest and go to his place.
How to confess in church correctly
Many are also concerned about the question of how to properly confess in church - embarrassment and inexperience get in the way. But in order to prove to God your firm desire to improve, you will have to overcome your fears. The priest is only a witness, he has seen and heard a lot, so it is unlikely that he will be greatly surprised. But before you approach your confessor, you need to prepare.
Since many people feel nervous during confession, there is a tradition of writing down their sins on a piece of paper. At the end of confession, the priest takes this “list” and tears it up, as a sign that the Lord forgives everything. To compose a confession, you can use a special brochure, or simply take the 10 commandments and think about how you sinned against each.
- During confession, you should not blame others, thereby justifying your negative behavior. Example: a wife yelled at her husband and said that it was “himself to blame” because he came drunk. Let it be so, but in any situation you must restrain yourself, act with love, without insults. Just like confessing in church, it is necessary to talk only about yourself, and not about others.
- There is also no need to boast that there are no sins against some commandments. And is this so? Adultery is considered not only physical betrayal, but even thoughts about it. Smoking is a slow form of suicide, and this is the gravest sin. In addition, the smoker harms those around him, aggravating his guilt. It is necessary to repent of this sin, because a Christian must maintain order not only in the soul, but also monitor the health of the body.
- There is no need to argue with the priest. This is a serious sin, for which one can be excommunicated from communion altogether. Most likely, there are things that are still unclear to you. You should reflect on what has been said.
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There are no strict rules governing what to say in church during confession. It is important to show a sincere desire to improve. Confessors usually help those who are experiencing difficulties by asking questions. There is no need to list every sin whose name is found in the books. Many have a common root - pride, greed, unwillingness to work on oneself, dislike for neighbors.
Awareness of your sins
In this matter, the main thing is to understand that in the Sacrament of Confession, a repentant person is forgiven all his sins, and the soul is freed from sinful bonds. The ten commandments received by Moses from God, and the nine Beatitudes received from the Lord Jesus Christ, contain the entire moral and spiritual law of life.
Therefore, before confessing, you need to turn to your conscience and remember all your sins since childhood in order to prepare a real confession. Not everyone knows how it goes, and even rejects it, but a true Orthodox Christian, overcoming his pride and false shame, begins to spiritually crucify himself, honestly and sincerely admit his spiritual imperfection. And here it is important to understand that unconfessed sins will lead to eternal condemnation for a person, and repentance means victory over oneself.
Prayers and Worship
After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip) and read a special prayer. During this you will have to say your name. After this, take the blessing from the priest, listen to the instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.
Before taking communion, you should read the daily prayer rule and special sacramental canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a type of church poetry that tunes the soul in the right way. You can read them in church before confessing.
The canons are followed by prayers; they can be read in the morning, if there is time, but not during the Liturgy, but before it. The participle rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over three days. But then the necessary mood is not achieved. If in doubt, you need to ask the priest for advice - he will tell you what is best to do.
We must try to maintain peace of mind during the days of fasting and not quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstaining from certain foods is not as important as abstaining from anger and bad deeds.
- You must come to the Liturgy without delay.
- Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.
- Women should not wear too much perfume or makeup - the Church is not a secular get-together, but the Temple of God.
- If a remark was made in church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.
- If after confession you have committed some sin, you must try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.
- Before going to the Chalice, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Make prostrations in advance!
If a person has just received Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be allowed to receive Communion without confession. Otherwise, the “Christian” demonstrates complete disregard for everything on which spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation; for this it is necessary to constantly improve.
About the author About the book
- How to confess in church correctly
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Now you know how to properly receive communion and confess in church. Over time, most of the questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's beginner becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!
The essence of confession
The Holy Fathers call the Sacrament of Repentance the second baptism. In the first case, at Baptism, a person receives cleansing from the original sin of the ancestors Adam and Eve, and in the second, the repentant is washed from his sins committed after baptism. However, due to the weakness of their human nature, people continue to sin, and these sins separate them from God, standing between them as a barrier. They are unable to overcome this barrier on their own. But the Sacrament of Repentance helps to be saved and to acquire that unity with God acquired at Baptism.
The Gospel says about repentance that it is a necessary condition for the salvation of the soul. A person must continuously struggle with his sins throughout his life. And, despite any defeats and falls, he should not become discouraged, despair and grumble, but repent all the time and continue to carry his life’s cross, which the Lord Jesus Christ laid on him.
