But children’s preparation for communion is special, individual.
As you know, you need to prepare for Communion and Confession, but children’s preparation and children’s confession are completely special, incomparable to adults. The task of a Christian, including a young Christian, is to benefit from Confession and Communion, therefore it is important that the preparation for the sacrament and the confession itself are effective and not overloaded. If the priest is experienced, this issue can be discussed individually, if the priest requires reading all the canons, strict fasting for the child, then the big question is whether this is useful... At this stage, in my opinion, an individual approach is important, if a child has been in the Temple since infancy - This is one thing, if from time to time it is another.
How to prepare a child for Communion
In Orthodoxy, a child under 7 years of age is considered an infant. The rules for Communion of infants have been significantly simplified. Very young children under 3 years of age can be brought directly to Communion, gradually increasing the time spent at the service. It is important that the child gets used to church singing and being in the temple of God, and is not afraid to begin the sacraments. The child may cry the first time before Communion. There's nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to participate with your child in the Sacrament as often as possible (preferably on Sundays). It’s even better if the parents take communion with the baby; for the baby this is the best example of the parents’ faith.
How to give Holy Communion to a child under 3 years old? Children of this age do not need to fast before communion and come to the service on an empty stomach. Directly in the temple, it is best for one of the parents to take the child in his arms and bring him to the Chalice, saying the name of the baby given at baptism. In most churches there is such a tradition as Communion of children out of turn.
Can a child eat before Communion? After 3 years, the child should be gradually accustomed to fasting and abstaining from food before Communion, and the meaning of participation in the sacraments and divine services should be explained to him. Communion for children under 7 years of age is carried out without confession and prayer rules, unless one has been established by the priest.
You need to talk to the child and explain, and not command and drag him by force.
It is important in advance, even before preparation, to explain to the child in simple language why he now needs to prepare for communion. And in fact, every parent should have a timely conversation with their child that when he turns 7 years old, his childhood is over, that adulthood has begun and all the sins and bad deeds of God and his Angels are taken into account and recorded on him. And in order to be cleansed of sins, he must independently confess and receive communion. What is supposed to be repented of at Confession, the child also needs and can be explained in advance, because you know all the bad deeds and inclinations of your child very well. There is no need for parents to write a note to their child or force him to stand over his soul until he writes this note. Leave the child his individual Confession and do not ask him about what he confessed or what the priest asked about. If the child wants, he will tell himself, if not, then no.
Baby and Sacrament: Holy Communion
Baptism is only the first step on the path of a Christian.
The most important sacrament of the Orthodox Church is communion. How to give communion to children, and especially infants? What rules and concessions exist for this? How not to overdo it when introducing your child to the Church and its sacraments? Read about this in today's story from the mother of an already baptized child. My husband and I are Orthodox parents, and therefore our decision to baptize our baby was mutual. His godparents are responsible for the spiritual education of the child. We understood this, so we paid special attention to choosing future godmothers and fathers for our child. And so, our baby is an Orthodox Christian.
Everything is gradual, and so are prayers.
Regarding all the points regarding prayer preparation, I will emphasize: the child needs to be accustomed to evening services, but if it is still difficult, you can first skip it, then come halfway, then stand completely. On the evening before Communion, just like adults, children do not need to watch cartoons, but need to read books about God and his Saints.
Next it is time for the question of prayers. I am convinced that a child should be introduced into prayer gradually. First, I think, it is permissible to read three prayers from the evening prayers, then after the “Canon to the Guardian Angel” read one prayer, after the “Canon to the Mother of God” read one prayer, after the “Canon to the Savior” read 1 prayer and then read 4 prayers from the “Canon to Holy Communion." I think this will be enough, but it is important to read them clearly, with attention, praying from the heart, but without developing a formal attitude to the matter of prayer. Gradually, the number of prayers needs to be increased. Look at the link to the prayer book published by the Moscow Patriarchate, everything is prepared there for children’s prayer.
This material is collected from the Patristic literature, which is freely available on the Internet, both separately (in excerpts) and in entire electronic books, the volumes of which are very large for the modern reader, who, as a rule, is accustomed to grasping only the superficial essence. The author of this project has systematized and selected the material as much as possible, highlighting the most important things, focusing on his point of view.
The creator of this project does not claim authorship of the presented materials and strongly recommends that interested readers purchase the full versions of the Patristic works in printed form. The sources used are listed in a special section of our website “Recommended Literature and Sources”; in addition, we accompanied each book with a short review, useful for all concerned readers.
How to explain the sacrament of Holy Communion to children
Only in the Orthodox Church are infants allowed to receive communion from the moment of baptism and confirmation. Among the Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans, “konkonBrought children to Him so that He would touch them; The disciples did not allow those who brought them. Seeing this, Jesus was indignant and said to them: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such is the kingdom of God... And having embraced them, he laid his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16). Jesus Christ showed that physical communication, physical closeness to Him, is just as real as intellectual or spiritual communication, and that infants’ lack of understanding of the “truths about God” does not prevent real closeness “with God.” For centuries, Orthodox mothers brought their babies to church and gave them communion, and no one was embarrassed when the squeaks and cries of babies were heard in the church. I remember how a young mother of three children told me that her three-month-old Tanya loves to go to church: “I always have no time at home, I’m always in a hurry, fussing, but in church for an hour or an hour and a half she calmly lies in my arms, and no one bothers us.” interferes..." But there comes a time, around the age of two, when the child, especially if he is not used to receiving communion, needs to be explained what communion is and how to begin the sacrament. It seems to me that there is no need to split hairs here, it’s enough to say: “Father will give you holy bread, delicious...” or “Father will give you communion - holy, good, tasty...” Gradually, thanks to the attitude of adults towards the child-communicant - how he is congratulated , praise, kiss, and because on this day they try to dress him in a festive way, he begins to understand that communion is a joyful, solemn, holy event. If a baby has never received communion, and when he is brought to the Chalice, he is frightened of communion as something incomprehensible, perhaps reminding him of the unpleasant sensations associated with taking medicine, it seems to me that there is no need to force him. It is better to let him watch how they receive communion other children, give him a piece of prosphora, bring it to the priest for a blessing when they venerate the cross, and tell him that he will receive communion next time. By the age of 3-4, it is possible and necessary to explain to children the meaning of the sacrament of communion. You can tell children about Jesus Christ, about His Nativity, about how He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and caressed little children. And so, when He learned that he would soon die, He wanted to gather with his disciple friends for the last time and have dinner with them. And when they sat down at the table, He took the bread, broke it and gave it to them, saying: “This bread is I myself, and when you eat this bread, I will be with you.” Then He took the cup of wine and said to them: “In this cup I give myself to you, and when you drink from it, I will be with you.” This is how Jesus Christ gave communion to people for the first time and bequeathed that all who love Him should also receive communion. Starting with a simple explanation, growing children can be taught about the Last Supper in more detail and more fully, following the Gospel text. During the liturgy they will hear the words: “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins” and “Drink of it, all of you, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” And they need to be prepared for this. But no matter how we simplify the gospel stories, it is important that their meaning is not distorted. As children grow older, it is important to explain to them not only the gospel events associated with the sacrament of the sacrament, but also what it means for us today. During the liturgy we bring our gifts - bread and wine. Bread and wine are our food and drink. A person cannot live without food and drink, and our simple gifts mean that we offer our very life to God in gratitude. By committing our lives to God, we are not alone: Jesus Christ Himself gives His life with us and for us. Explaining to children the meaning of the sacrament of holy communion, you can tell how the priest prepares our gifts: he cuts out particles from the brought prosphora bread: one “Lamb” particle for communion, another in honor of the Mother of God, particles in honor of all saints, as well as in memory of the dead and the living for whom he is asked to pray. Children should pay attention to how solemnly the prepared gifts are transferred to the throne while the prayer “Like the Cherubim” is chanted. To bring gifts means to give thanks, and the meaning of the liturgy is our gratitude to God for the gift of life, for our world, for the fact that God Jesus Christ became Man, entered our lives, and took upon ourselves our sins and suffering. Therefore, the sacrament of the liturgy is also called “Eucharist” - in Greek “gratitude”. Understanding the meaning of the liturgy comes as we delve deeper into every exclamation, every action of the service, every chant. This is the best school that lasts a lifetime, and the task of parents is to develop children’s interest in learning what they see and hear in the temple. We are entrusted with the responsibility to teach children how to begin the sacrament of holy communion. Of course, one must distinguish the most essential from the unimportant. The rules of behavior in the temple are determined to a certain extent by the conditions of our life. No rules apply to infants, but, starting from the age of seven, in the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church it is established to confess before receiving communion, to fast, that is, not to eat or drink in the morning before the liturgy. Pray the night before during the all-night vigil and try, if you have a prayer book, to read at least some prayers before communion. Usually the priest gives us instructions about the rules that we must try to follow. We, parents, are called to teach our children how to approach communion: fold their hands on their chest, and when approaching the cup, do not cross themselves, so as not to accidentally push the cup. You should tell the priest your name. After communion, we are given a piece of prosphora to eat and a little wine and water to drink - this is called “zapivoka.” All these are external rules, and they cannot be confused with the meaning and significance of the sacrament, but the behavior established by tradition in the temple is of considerable importance. It is important for children to feel in solemn moments that they know how to behave like adults. “I give myself to Christ, and Christ comes into my life.” His life in me is what the sacrament of Holy Communion consists of, and this is where the meaning and purpose of our life is revealed. From the book “Our Church and Our Children”
“Should a child fast before communion?”
– Again: if fasting is a burden for parents, then a problem arises with the child. And if this is the natural life of a family, then such questions do not even arise. The child eats what adults give him. Fasting is not a hunger strike. This is a change in your habits and lifestyle. The main thing in our life is not the number of prayers, not fasting - all this is just a means.
It is necessary not to prohibit, not to force, but for the child to voluntarily accept such a lifestyle. If he was forced, he will break out from under his parent’s wing and still do it his own way, that’s what’s terrible. The Holy Fathers advise raising a child in such a way that when he grows up, when at the age of 7 he goes to confession for the first time, he feels himself a Christian, so that he takes the yoke of Christ voluntarily.
It is impossible to force someone to do this. The beauty of such a life can only be shown. And when children become interested in spiritual life, they discover a wealth that is incomparable with all the riches of the world. As in the Gospel: I found a pearl, went and sold everything for it. So it is with spiritual life: if you find it, you will give up everything in order to live this life. We need to help the child discover this wealth within himself, so that he does not think that it is all just external.
Preparation for Communion after 7 years
How to prepare a child for Communion after 7 years? The age of 7 is the starting point, after which parents must explain to the child what confession is, what sins exist, what repentance is, what the meaning of fasting is and help prepare for it. Do not forget that a child at this age must take responsibility for his actions, and should not prepare a list of sins instead.
It is important to note that each child is individual. If he is not ready to confess at the age of 7, you should not force him. The same applies to the rule of prayer and fasting. By forcing a child to mechanically follow the rules, there is a chance for a long time to discourage him from any desire to participate in the Sacraments and worship. A fragile young soul requires a softer and more tactful approach. Whether children can eat before Communion after reaching the age of 7 should be checked with the priest. There is no single rule for all cases in this matter.
The main thing that parents and the adults around him must do is set a worthy example of Christian life. If you regularly bring your child to Communion, then you yourself must lead a meaningful church and spiritual life, regularly participate in the Sacraments and, first of all, receive communion.
How does children receive communion in church? There is an unspoken rule that children receive communion without waiting in line. Parents carry babies to the Chalice in their arms. Older children, folding their arms crosswise across their chests, walk on their own. Parents should explain that in line before Communion, the child should try not to talk, not push, and approach the Sacrament with reverence.
“Do parents have to somehow guide, suggest, or does the child decide for himself what to say to the priest?”
“Even before the age of seven, he must be prepared that the day will come when he will come to confession for the first time.” This is a holiday! This is the child's first meeting with a priest at confession. The parents hand the child from their hands to him. The priest also needs to be prepared for this. Godly parents warn me in advance.
I already know that the child came for the first time and I need to talk to him. Here there is another conversation - a conversation with a confessor, the spiritual care of the child begins. It’s not just that parents formally bring their child to church, but they need to bring him to the priest who will continue to care for him in the future.
How children receive communion in church
The first time the baby is brought to communion is 2 weeks after the baptism ceremony. Such mothers with babies are allowed to the sacrament first. If the baby is too capricious or is tormented by gas, it is permissible not to stand in the church throughout the liturgy, but to come directly to receive the bread and wine.
Children before they turn 7 years old receive communion without going through confession, from the age of 7 - only after a conversation with a priest, so that the sacrament does not turn into a formal procedure. Wine and bread are taken on an empty stomach, so children over 3 years old should exclude breakfast, but only if the baby is completely healthy. After the child reaches the age of 7 years, you can refuse dinner on the eve of communion.
As a rule, the sacrament occurs at liturgies, so parents need to know the schedule in advance so that the baby does not suffer for a long time waiting, since it is difficult for children with their energy to stand in one place for a long time. The communion itself in the temple occurs as follows:
How is the ceremony carried out in the church?
The Sacrament of Communion is celebrated every Sunday in all churches. And in places of service of more than one priest - every day, except for special days of the Church Charter. The ritual takes place after the Liturgy, held in the morning. At the end of the singing of the Lord's Prayer and the closing of the Royal Doors, a line forms at the altar. Children and parents with babies are allowed forward - they receive communion first.
When celebrating the Eucharist, some simple rules should be followed:
On the day of the sacrament, you should refrain from entertainment, behave piously, devote the rest of the day to pleasant communication with loved ones, reading spiritual literature, and quiet walks.
What is Communion
Communion (Eucharist) is the main Sacrament in Orthodoxy, during which a person, through partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, is united with God. “Body and Blood” is not a figurative expression.
“Eucharistic bread is the medicine of immortality, the guarantee of non-dying in eternal life in Jesus Christ” (Eph. 20).
According to the dogmas of the Orthodox faith, bread and wine are in an incomprehensible way to the human mind into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. For a Christian, spiritual life without the Eucharist is unthinkable. Therefore, every Orthodox parent tries to unite their children with Christ through Communion.
For a person far from the teachings of the Church, this seems incomprehensible and impossible. However, this is not a matter of rational knowledge and factual evidence. This is a matter of faith, it is through the eyes of faith that this Great Sacrament is revealed. The Sacrament of Communion was established by Jesus Christ himself at the Last Supper. The Lord took the bread, blessed it and, distributing it to the apostles, said: “Take, eat: this is My Body.” Then he took a cup of wine and, giving it to the apostles, said: “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Communion of a child
Why is Children Communion necessary?
Among baptized but unchurched parents there is a widespread belief that a child should be given communion “so that he doesn’t get sick,” “for healing,” “from the evil eye,” “so that everything is fine.” This is a deep misconception. Of course, God preserves and protects his beloved children, but Communion is a great Sacrament. By receiving communion, a child unites with God and is filled with joy, which in turn leads a person to true happiness. The sacrament can be seen as medicine and vital food. But medicine and food are not only for the body, but primarily for the soul. Communion is the unity of a person with God; it is vital for the spiritual healing of a person and the salvation of the soul.
“May the Lord forgive you your sins, just do not refuse to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often - this is the great help and mercy of God.” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).
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