How to prepare for communion on Easter days. About Communion on Bright Week
The Orthodox Church does not recognize communion on Easter without repentance of sins. However, this does not mean that Easter communion should be attended by random church parishioners. Many priests are afraid to meet people unprepared for it. After all, before going to receive communion, a person must prepare: go through Lent (the central fast in all historical churches) and confess. There is no talk at all about persons who do not belong to the Orthodox Church.
The inadmissibility of unprepared people to receive communion has been known since ancient times. The question boiled down to the confessor’s decision as to whether a person was generally worthy of uniting with Christ. However, according to historical data, confession was tied to communion not so long ago and rather became a forced measure. This happened due to the fact that the Christian spirit cooled: people previously took communion every weekend, and then began to do it only 4 times a year during multi-day fasts.
In order for people who rarely visit church to receive communion, the Orthodox religion decided to make it mandatory to first confess the person. At the moment, this measure is still justified, however, not always. This happens due to the fact that people go to confession not for the purpose of repentance, but rather as a necessary event, without which the priest will not allow them to participate in the church sacrament.
Many spiritual mentors are categorically against receiving communion without confession.
He brings to the temple not only baptized, but also unbaptized people. Also in church you can meet those who have no idea about church canons, but still want to take communion. On Holy holiday control has to be tightened to prevent unprepared people from accessing the Chalice (a vessel for Christian worship used when receiving Holy Communion). Often on this great holiday an unpleasant sight occurs when parishioners who are intoxicated come to bless Easter cakes during the night service.
How to prepare for confession on the eve of Easter
Confession is understood as a person’s repentance sins committed, where the priest acts as a witness as a conductor between the penitent and God. It is important to be able to distinguish this sacrament from a confidential conversation with a spiritual mentor. During it, of course, you can also get answers to your pressing questions, but this will take a lot of time. That is why it would be better to contact the priest with a request to schedule another time for a long conversation.
To prepare for confession you need to know the following.
Preparation |
Explanation |
Repentance begins with awareness of sins. | A person thinking about confession admits that he has done or continues to do something wrong in his life. |
There is no need to prepare a “list of sins” in advance. | Communication with the Lord must come from the heart. |
You need to talk only about your own actions, and not about the fact that they were committed because of a relative or neighbor. | Every sin is the result of a person's personal choice. |
When addressing God, one should not worry about the correctness of the chosen words. | You need to speak in simple, accessible language, and not come up with complex terms. |
Don't talk about little things like "watched TV" or "wore the wrong clothes." | The topics of conversation should be serious: about the Lord and neighbors (we are talking not only about family, relatives, but also people encountered throughout life). |
Repentance should not be simply a story about one's actions. | It should change a person's mind and not return him to past actions. |
You need to learn to forgive people. | And not just ask God for forgiveness. |
To express a “repentant” state, you need to read the Canon of Repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ. | One of the greatest liturgical texts that can be found in almost every prayer book. |
The priest may ask you to refrain from reading special prayers or receiving communion for a while. This process is called penance and is carried out not for the purpose of punishment, but for the elimination of sin and its complete forgiveness. After confession, believers must receive communion.
How to prepare for Easter Communion
Despite the fact that confession and communion are different sacraments of the church, you should still prepare for them at the same time. Communion on Easter assumes that a believer who has repented of his sins has come to the sacrament. Parishioners who come to receive communion after confession must first of all understand the meaning of the sacrament: it is not simply performed religious rite, and the communicant is reunited with God.
In addition, the following points are important:
- a person must, without hypocrisy, sincerely seek to unite with God;
- a person’s spiritual world must be pure (no malice, hatred, enmity);
- violation of the arch is unacceptable church rules(Canon of the Church);
- compulsory confession before communion;
- You can receive communion only after liturgical fasting;
- fasting (fasting) for several days, abstaining from dairy and meat foods;
- prayers at worship services and at home.
An integral part of the festive matins is the singing of the prayer of John of Damascus (). In addition to the usual morning and evening prayers, believers need to read “Proceedings to Holy Communion.” Also, according to the ancients church traditions, you should go to the sacrament on an empty stomach (on the eve of communion on Easter, they do not drink or eat from midnight). However, for sick people, for example, people with diabetes, fasting is prohibited: the sick person needs to take medications and eat according to their daily diet.
When receiving communion before Easter, one must remember that a worthy sacrament is always connected with the state of the soul and heart of a believer. Moreover, fasting and confession are preparation for communion, and not an obstacle on the way to it.
Each time you will have to resolve this issue individually. There is no consensus in the Church. Some priests do not give communion on Easter, and some, on the contrary, believe that, according to the word of St. John Chrysostom, both the worthy and the unworthy should approach the Chalice. So what's right?
Are you baptized?
Master of Theology, Rector of the Church Life-Giving Trinity in Troitsky-Golenishchev, Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov does not give communion on Easter to those whom he sees for the first time before the Chalice: “When I give communion on Easter, I will not give communion to a single stranger. I have no right to give him communion. What if he is not baptized? Where did he confess? You need to know that he is baptized, a believer and fasting. In our parish, approximately 700 people have received communion on Easter for 20 years. I know them all by sight and name, I know their families, their difficulties.” Of course, you can ask such people, strangers to the priest, before the cup: are you baptized, have you confessed? But this is not very convenient for Easter: there are too many communicants. In addition, there are misunderstandings. Father Sergius talks about one of these misunderstandings with a laugh: “Once it turned out that I asked Prince Zurab Chavchavadze whether he had been baptized. I didn’t know his face! It seems to me that he was offended by me for quite a long time.”Long dispute
“According to the recollections of my father, grandfather and great-grandfather, none of the people in the 19th century received communion on Easter. Only the priests are in the altar. It is not right. – says Father Sergius. — For me personally, the opinion of Father John Krestyankin is a serious reason for receiving communion on Easter. He said that we should take communion once every two weeks. Sick and pregnant women can do it once a week. These are the words of Father John, who was never a modernist.”Senior lecturer at the Department of Practical Theology at PSTGU Ilya Krasovitsky says on this matter: “During the synodal period, church life in Russia largely lost its “Eucharistic” nature, that is, it became detached from the Eucharist. It was believed that the Holiday is one thing, and Communion is something completely different, something very sad, associated with the need to fast, confess, pray a lot and give up entertainment. The majority took communion once a year, and only the very zealous - once every Lent. The whole country lived, one might say, almost without full participation in the Eucharist. And we know how it all ended. The revival of frequent communion is associated with the name of St. John of Kronstadt. He called for communion very often, and all the crowds of thousands that gathered at his service received communion every time.”
Now many fathers judge this differently. Some are in favor of taking communion often and obligatory on Easter, others are against it. But these disputes are not new. In the 18th century, there was an opinion that one should take communion no more than once every forty days. “For what reason do we fast these forty days? In the past, many approached the Mysteries simply as it happened. And this happened mainly at the time when Christ gave us this Sacrament. The Holy Fathers, realizing the harm that comes from careless Communion, gathered together and determined forty days of fasting, prayer, listening to the Scriptures and attending church, so that on these days we all, having been cleansed through diligence, and prayers, and almsgiving, and fasting, and all-night vigils, and tears, and confession, and all other virtues, as far as it is in our power, thus with a clear conscience we approached the Sacrament,” these words of St. John Chrysostom are cited by supporters of rare communion, and they are quoted in their “Most soul-helping book on unceasing communion Holy Mysteries of Christ" Saint Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. In response, he proposes not to take patristic quotations out of context, but to think about what will happen if the supporters of the “forty days” themselves begin to fulfill these words exactly: “Therefore, they should not only say what Chrysostom says about the definition of forty days by the divine fathers, in which we, while fasting, receive communion, but we should consider both what precedes these words and what follows them, and what this divine father cites in the same word, and on what occasion and to whom his conversation is addressed. Those who object to us assert and prove that the divine Chrysostom limited the use of Divine Communion only to the day of Easter. If these defenders of the forty-day period want to justify this, then they must, in accordance with their opinion, either take communion only once a year, that is, on the holiday of Easter, and become like those to whom Chrysostom then spoke, or must perform ten Great Lents a year - so many , how many times do they take communion.”
It is unlikely that the practice of rare communion can be substantiated by the words of St. John Chrysostom, because it is known that as a shepherd he himself was upset when he saw that his parishioners and his flock rarely received communion. In his sermons, John Chrysostom complains about those parishioners who listen to the sermon and immediately after that go home without waiting for Communion. At the same time, his creations prove that the trend towards rare communion arose not in Russia in the 18th century, but in Byzantium in the 4th century.
On Svetlaya
If there is no consensus in the Church about communion on Easter, then everything is even more confused about frequent communion on Bright Week. After all, before communion you need to prepare. How to prepare if everyone eats everything, celebrates and prayers are kept to a minimum?Father Sergius believes that one should not receive communion often during Bright Week: “You cannot mechanically transfer early Christianity to the 21st century. After all, even the clergy, who take communion every time they serve, suffer from this. One must have such spiritual trepidation and fear of God not to get used to receiving the Sacrament, and a layman can even get used to it: he simply does not have enough time, opportunity and mental strength to constantly realize what Communion is. And it will turn out according to the Apostle Paul: as a judgment I will drink for myself, without judgment, the Body and Blood of our Lord. And many of them get sick, and many die. This is a very serious thing and there is no need to take such risks. Only saints can live like this, but even schema-monks do not receive communion every day. What are we, worldly people? Moreover, there can be no normal preparation for communion on Bright Week. And it is difficult for young people to follow the rule of abstinence from married life on Bright Week.”
“These issues must be resolved by each person separately with the priest to whom he comes. What is not possible for one person may be possible for another. In our prayer books and canons, which we usually read in preparation for communion, it is indicated that on the days of Bright Week, instead of the three canons, the canon of Easter should be read. This means that such a practice is provided for by the Church, says the head of the department of pastoral and moral theology at PSTGU, priest Pavel Khondzinsky. – Historically, fasting and communion, apparently, became so inseparable from each other due to the fact that, according to tradition, communion had to be preceded by a long period of preparation for it. And since this tradition is quite ancient, we have no reason to say that in the 16th century they took communion more often than in the 19th century. But to 19th century, or rather after the reforms of Peter, the life of the Church changed significantly, and then the understanding gradually arose that frequent communion is necessary for Christians in these new conditions more than anything else. At the same time, according to the priest. Sergius Mechev, even such a consistent supporter of frequent communion as his father, St. Alexey Mechev believed that everyone here should have their own norm, determined by their confessor. Of course, receiving communion on Easter is wonderful. In any case, there are no special obstacles to this, and it is possible not to give communion to a person on this day only for the same reasons for which he cannot be given communion on any other day of the church year - that is, if he has grave sins in which he I’m not ready to bring active repentance.”
Irina SECHINA
About Communion on Bright Week
In modern life, Bright Week is a time of sharp reduction in church and home prayer. Anyone who is not lazy and goes to every service for the entire week spends 3 days in church - at most 3.5! - an hour, an hour and a half in the evening, an hour and a half in the morning. Home prayer is limited to 10-15 minutes a day: the Easter hour is sung in the morning and again before bed. Accordingly, they usually do not receive communion on Holy Week. I am strongly opposed to parishioners - without special need! - took communion on Bright Week. An exception is allowed for those who were preparing to receive communion on Holy Week, but for some reason I couldn’t. Also for those who are undergoing surgery and, of course, for the dying.
IN Lately some priests, referring to the 66th Rule of the VI Council of Constantinople (Trullo), give communion on Holy Week every day and without confession. This innovation makes us understand the true meaning of the 66th rule. Here is its text: “From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God - until New Week, throughout the entire week, the faithful in the holy churches should continually practice psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphant in Christ and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the Holy Mysteries (that is, we must spend every day of Bright Week as it should be according to the charter in Holy Saturday, when after the Liturgy, without leaving the church, we are obliged to listen to the Acts of the Holy Apostles before the start of the Easter service) ... For this reason, on the said days, there should be no horse riding or other folk spectacle.”
Speaking modern language, on Bright Week we should not watch TV or engage in other entertainment - we must continuously glorify the Risen Lord. “For in this way we will rise with Christ and be exalted.” Maybe our descendants will learn to spend Bright Week this way. Then it will be possible to raise the question of daily communion. But not without Confession, since we sin every day. Anyone who does not notice this has not yet begun the Christian life. If a Christian has not learned to track daily sins (at least some) and repent of them, he should not receive communion. In the meantime, full implementation of Rule 66 is unrealistic. We can only perceive it as an ideal to which we should strive.
But from this rule, the neo-renovationists snatched the words “Enjoy the Holy Mysteries” - and take communion on Easter without abstinence in food and entertainment and, of course, without confession. And there’s no talk of “continuous psalms and singing and spiritual songs” and the reading of the Divine Scriptures, which this rule requires! The canon is only an excuse to violate the established practice (in particular, the Psalter is not read on Easter) and thereby create confusion, or even a split, in the souls of believers. This is how the canonical rules work for neo-renovationists!
Priests should be warned - it happens that people who have not received communion for many years or even their entire lives come to ask for communion. Practice shows that such sudden impulses occur in a completely healthy person before death - God calls for repentance. It is better not to refuse Confession and Communion to such people (even if the priest is very exhausted - at the limit of his strength).
But the same must be kept in mind at other times of the year. At confession, you need to impress upon yourself that you need to take communion every year. In addition, pray every day in the morning and evening, and every week - preferably on Sunday - come to church for service, standing idle for the entire service. This is the minimum of churching.
From the article by Archpriest Vladimir Pravdolyubov “On preparation for Holy Communion”
In the Ascension Cathedral on Easter, lay people do not receive communion, only children. It is an ancient Russian tradition for the laity to abstain from communion on Easter night. Church people who strive for spiritual life know that they could receive communion throughout Lent, and on Easter the Orthodox break their fast.
Those who strive to receive communion on Easter are, as a rule, people who lack humility. They want to be higher in spiritual life than they actually are. Moreover, in some places it is already becoming fashionable to be sure to receive communion on Easter, even among completely unchurched people who did not even fast during Lent. They say it is a special grace to receive communion on this day. To be a spiritual person, you need to carry the cross of Christian life throughout your life, live according to the commandments, and observe the Church Rules. There are many conditions for saving the soul, but some people think: he took communion on Easter and was sanctified for the whole year. We must remember that communion can be used not only for healing the soul and body, but also for judgment and condemnation.
If a priest in his parish allows the laity to receive communion on Easter, then he does not sin in anything, and that is why the Liturgy is celebrated. And those laity who decide to take communion on this holy day must take a blessing from their confessor.
Archbishop of Novosibirsk and Berdsk Tikhon. Church Bulletin, No. 9 (334), May 2006
Holy Fire
Comments:
Village foreman 05/03/2016 at 12:37:40
Elena
@He in his famous Word for EASTER generally says that in Easter night Even those who have not fasted can receive communion. ... I don’t know when the 69th Apostolic Canon was written. I only know that researchers believe that not all the rules were written by the apostles personally. John lived in the period 347 - 407 AD. The Sixth Ecumenical Council, which approved 85 Apostolic Rules, took place in the 7th century. So, I don’t know whether the Saint, when he wrote his Word for Easter, knew about rule 69.@
Any apostolic rule does not need subsequent consolidation, neither conciliar nor patristic. The Holy Ecumenical Councils and Holy Fathers only referred to the apostolic canons as the inviolable foundations of the faith, occasionally giving them explanations, but did not carry out their reception, which was the case with the Ecumenical Councils.
Words of St. John Chrysostom could not contradict the Spirit of the Church: both St. John Chrysostom and the 6th Ecumenical Council, which was convened centuries after his death, spoke in the same Spirit. For the Great Teacher of the Church, St. John was moved by the same Spirit as the holy apostles and the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils that followed him. If you do not admit this, then you are not an Orthodox person.
And therefore St. John could not call those who did not observe Lent to receive communion on Easter.
Rural foreman 02/05/2016 at 23:59:34
Elena.
@if a Christian comes to the liturgy, then he must receive communion.@
Where did you get this from? The bishops of the ancient Church developed rules of church life, which were later canonized by the Councils. The Institute of Penitents was created with in different forms reprimands and excommunication. The practice of distributing and eating ANTIDORA (“antidor” literally means “instead of a gift”) at the end of the liturgy, instead of the Holy Gifts, has been introduced for those NOT PREPARED for communion at this liturgy. The faithful were not forced to take communion every time they visited church, since not everyone was ready to receive communion - either due to the dictates of their conscience, or due to some other reasons, personal or social. Precisely in order to oblige, in accordance with the 9th Apostolic Canon, to remain in church until the end Divine Liturgy and for those who, for one reason or another, cannot or do not want to receive communion at this liturgy, the distribution of antidoron was instituted, which was accepted from the hands of the priest at the end of the liturgy for the consumption and consecration of those who did not partake. This is exactly how the famous canonist Bishop Nikodim (Milash) interprets the 9th Apostolic Canon, and not at all in the sense of the obligatory communion of all those present at the liturgy, as modern renovationists invent. Consequently, not all the faithful received communion in the ancient Church.
Benjamin, Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, writes in the “New Tablet”: “The Antidoron is given mainly to those who have not prepared themselves for communion.” Referring to St. Simeon of Thessaloniki, Bishop Benjamin notes: “Antidor... this bread, marked by a copy, and over which Divine verbs are pronounced, is taught instead of the terrible Sacraments to those who have not received communion.”
Let me also remind you that in the ancient Church there was a rank of penitents - “those who are worth a purchase”, i.e. those who could stand with the faithful and not go out with the catechumens, but did not partake of the Holy Mysteries. This practice is spoken about by the 3rd century saint St. Gregory of Neocaesarea, the Wonderworker (12th rule of St. Gregory: “the order of those standing in public is when the penitent stands in public with the faithful, and does not go out with the catechumens”).
In the Word of St. John Chrysostom under the “fat calf”, of course, we can only talk about the triumph of Easter joy, about the “feast of faith”. All other interpretations and wisdom are the essence of renovationist-Schmemann inventions.
Elena 02/05/2016 at 22:27:17
To the village foreman.
The fact that one must take communion with a clear conscience and with proper preparation is not even discussed. Of course, that’s the only way. And I know and remember the words of St. John Chrysostom about this very well. But we are talking about something else. Let us not examine cases of improper preparation, without reverence for the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This is another topic. The point is that if a Christian comes to the liturgy, then he must take communion. How often should he go to liturgy? According to the rules of the Ecumenical Councils, at least once every 3 weeks. Do you agree with this or not? I don't know. how can one interpret the 2nd rule of the Council of Antioch differently? No interpreters are needed here. It is clearly and clearly written about everyone “entering the church,” i.e. and laymen.
Now about the Word for Easter by John Chrysostom. Of course, this word refers to the Eucharist: “The meal is plentiful, enjoy, everyone! Taurus is well-fed, no one leaves hungry!” What is it about? Do you really think that this is just a festive feast where people eat and drink? Yes, I foresee that you will now give me the following words of the Saint in the same paragraph: “Everyone enjoy the feast of faith, everyone receive the wealth of goodness!” Well, without faith it is generally impossible to accept this great and “terrible” sacrament, which for heterodox, atheists is simply insane. I don’t know when Apostolic Canon 69 was written. I only know that researchers believe that not all the rules were written by the apostles personally. John lived in the period 347 - 407 AD. The Sixth Ecumenical Council, which approved 85 Apostolic Rules, took place in the 7th century. So, I don’t know whether the Saint knew about the 69th rule when he wrote his Word for Easter.
Rural foreman 02/05/2016 at 21:29:57
Elena.
Here are other words of St. John Chrysostom:
“Who should we approve? Are those who receive communion once, or those who often, or those who rarely? Neither one nor the other, nor the third, but those who partake with a clear conscience, with with a pure heart, with an impeccable life” (St. Petersburg D.A., 1906, volume XII, p. 153).
You write:
@In his famous Word for EASTER, he generally says that even those who have not fasted can receive communion on Easter night.@
This is slander against the Saint. These are his words: “You who have fasted and those who have not fasted, rejoice today.” Here we are talking only about Easter joy, and not about communion of the Holy Mysteries. There is the 69th Apostolic Canon, which excommunicates from church communion all those WHO DO NOT KEEP GREAT LENT. It turns out that St. John Chrysostom affirms the exact opposite of the 69th Apostolic Canon? Or do you think that he did not know this Rule? Do not blaspheme the name of the Great Teacher of the Church.
Now regarding your incorrect interpretation of the 2nd rule of the Antioch Council and the 80th rule of the VI Ecumenical Council. This is what the famous shepherd Rev. writes about this. Andrey Pravdolyubov:
“Supporters of ultra-frequent communion demonstrate a double standard in relation to the canons. They are silent about the majority, but only three are mentioned: the 8th and 9th Apostolic Councils and the 2nd Council of Antioch - and they are reinterpreted, following in this “Book of the most beneficial” (pp. 28–31), especially the 9th, which, in their opinion, he commands everyone standing at the liturgy to receive communion. To see that they are wrong, it is enough to compare the beginnings of the 8th Apostolic Canon and the 80th Canon of the VI Ecumenical Council. 8th Apostolic Canon: “If a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or anyone from the sacred list...” and 80th: “If anyone, a bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, or anyone of those numbered among the clergy , or layman...” In the 8th rule the word “layman” (or the corresponding word from the 9th rule “faithful”) is missing! If the apostolic canons imposed the same requirements on the laity as on members of the clergy, then there would be no need for the 9th canon; it would be enough to insert the words “or someone from the faithful” at the beginning of the 8th canon. And according to the erroneous interpretation of the 9th rule, even stricter requirements are imposed on the laity, since nothing is said about those who present reasons why they do not receive communion, as is done in the 8th. So, no matter what ancient and modern interpreters may say, the 8th and 9th Apostolic Canons clearly separate clergy from laity. If the former, while present at the Liturgy, are obliged to take communion (8th rule), then the latter are obliged to remain at the Liturgy until the end - and nothing more!
Let's consider the 2nd rule of the Council of Antioch. They are excommunicated from the Church: secondly, “those who turn away from communion of the Holy Eucharist,” and firstly, “those who do not participate in prayer with the people.” So here we are not talking about reverence or humility (as Zonara says), but about the beginning of separation from church communion, “deviation” from it.
A similar thing happened in our parish when it was headed by Fr. John (Peasant). He noticed that one pious girl - a reader of the left choir - did not receive communion post after post. He asked her why? She is silent. Then he told her - either take communion during the next Lent, or leave the choir. It turned out that her mother considers all priests (including Father John) “red.” Afterwards, when the fame of Fr. John as a saint and seer, she returned to the Church, repented, took communion, and still sings and reads in the choir. So the reference to these rules in order to justify super-frequent communion is unauthorized... Why is frequent communion scary? Loss of reverence and zeal in preparation for Communion. They say no matter how much you prepare, you still won’t be ready. Therefore, there is no need to fast, no need to confess. This is completely wrong! It is quite clear that if the Tsar wants to be in the house of a beggar, He will see all his squalor - and the beggar understands this. But still he tries to do everything possible - wash the floor, wipe off the dust, sweep away the cobwebs, and lay out the tablecloth, although worn and stained, but washed. Otherwise, he risks incurring the wrath of the Distinguished Guest...
A terrible misfortune is the habit of shrines.”
Elena 02/05/2016 at 20:49:57
Well, what will opponents of communion on Easter, Holy Week and, in general, opponents of the so-called say? frequent communion to the following words of St. John Chrysostom? “Anyone who does not partake of St. secrets, stands shamelessly and boldly..."
And also from him: “If someone, having been invited to a feast, expressed consent to this, appeared, and would have already started the meal, but then did not participate in it, then - tell me - would he not offend by this who called him? And wouldn’t it be better for such a person not to come at all? In exactly the same way you came and sang a song, as if recognizing yourself along with all those worthy (of the Holy Mysteries), because you did not go out with the unworthy. Why did you stay and yet not take part in the meal? I'm not worthy, you say. This means: you are unworthy of communication in prayers, because the Spirit descends not only when (gifts) are offered, but also when (sacred) songs are sung.”
Well, who can object to these words of such an authority of the Church as John Chrysostom? In his famous Word for EASTER, he generally says that even those who have not fasted can receive communion on Easter night. And all this, coupled with the rules of the Ecumenical Councils (this is especially clearly stated in the 2nd rule of the Antioch Council: “All who enter the church and listen to the sacred scriptures, but due to some deviation from order, do not participate in prayer with the people, or turn away from communion Saints of the Eucharist, may they be excommunicated from the church until they confess, show the fruits of repentance, and ask for forgiveness and thus be able to receive it") indicates that it is necessary to receive communion no less than once every 3 weeks (80 rule of the VI Ecumenical Council , 11 rule of the Sardician Council).
Village foreman 02/05/2016 at 15:30:00
David.
I categorically disagree with the articles of Father Georgy Maksimov. Even when he wrote these articles several years ago, I personally expressed to him all my comments and disagreements. But each of us remained unconvinced.
Of course, Father George is a good shepherd and not a renovationist at all.
Truly Christ is risen!
David 02/05/2016 at 13:45:55
To the village foreman
Thanks for the detailed answer. I can say about this, but Father Georgy (Maksimov) will do it for me much better; he responded in his article to almost all such quotes, and explained in detail what the error and groundlessness of these quotes taken out of context is. I think Father George also cannot be considered a renovationist, just like Father Raphael (like Theophan the Recluse, John of Kronstadt and many others). Here, dear brother, check out this article. (I really don’t know if it’s possible to provide links to other sites here, it’s just not possible otherwise) http://www.pravoslavie.ru/5783.html - part 1 http://www.pravoslavie.ru/5784.html - part 2 If you don’t agree with this, then I’ll just shut up).
May the Lord God enlighten us all! Amen. Christ is Risen!
Village foreman 02/05/2016 at 10:21:15
David.
I'll start answering from the end.
@And in general, what does “frequent” communion mean? After all, this is a relative thing.@
Frequent communion is when a lay person receives communion at every liturgy at which he is present. Because Usually the laity attend church once a week (for Sunday services), then communion ONCE A WEEK is frequent communion, which has no basis in the thousand-year tradition of the Russian Church.
From the time of the adoption of Christianity in Rus' and up to the 14th century, the laity received communion three times a year, and after the 14th century - four times a year, with mandatory confession before Communion. Over the following centuries, a certain practice of frequency of communion for the laity was established in the Russian Church. In the 19th century it was recorded in the Orthodox Christian Catechism of St. Philareta.
@- If it’s not too much trouble, at least a little.@
- In the "Orthodox Confession" of St. Peter's Mogila says: “Ancient Christians took communion every Sunday; but now few have such purity of life as to always be ready to begin such a great Sacrament. The Church, with a maternal voice, exhorts those who strive for a reverent life to confess to their spiritual father and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ - four times a year or every month, and for everyone necessarily once a year" (Orthodox Confession, part 1, question 90).
The same thing is stated in the lengthy Orthodox Catechism of St. Filireta (Drozdova): four times a year or every month.
- I quote the answer of St. Demetrius of Rostov (†1709).
"Question: How many times Orthodox Christian Is it appropriate to take communion a year?
Answer: The Holy Church has legalized communion during all four fasts; but she commanded the illiterate - villagers and laymen who work with their own hands, under fear of mortal sin for disobedience and non-communion, to receive communion without fail once a year, around Holy Easter, that is, during Great Lent" (from answers about faith and other things necessary for knowledge Christian).
- St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote about the frequency of communion for the laity as follows: “One must receive communion at least during all four fasts, four times a year. If, unfortunately and misfortune, everyday worries do not allow this to happen, then you should certainly partake of it once a year” (vol. IV, p. 370).
In a letter to his ill sister Elizaveta Alexandrovna, St. Ignatius writes: “Church service nourishes the soul, and solitude is extremely conducive to self-examination and repentance. That is why many holy fathers withdrew into the deep deserts... I would advise you to spend Great Lent alone at home for the benefit of your soul and body, sometimes invite a priest to perform some of the most important services, and postpone fasting and communion of the Holy Mysteries until the Fast of Peter. It is not important to receive communion often, but to prepare substantially for communion and therefore reap abundant benefits. Throughout her many years of life in the desert, Saint Mary of Egypt never received communion: this life was a preparation for communion, which she received before the end of her life” (letter dated February 16, 1847, vol. VIII, Collected Letters, p. 366, paragraph 299).
- The hermit elder of the Gethsemane skete, Hieroschemamonk Alexander (†1878), taught: “Frequent communion without internal spiritual activity is not considered a virtue for the communicant” (Conversations of the Great Russian Elders. M., 2003. P. 170).
- Here is the statement of Rev. Macarius of Optina: “In the first centuries of Christianity, everyone began to partake of the Sacraments at every service of the liturgy, but after that the Church decreed that it was mandatory for free people to partake of the Sacraments four times a year, and for those busy with work at least once” (vol. I, p. 156 –157).
- The first great Optina elder Leonid received communion once every three weeks, the second great Optina elder Macarius, and the third great Optina elder Ambrose received communion once a month.
- The frequency of communion for the laity is also spoken of in the writings of St. Theophan the Recluse: “You must take communion during all four fasts. You can also add more, take Holy Communion and the Holy Communion twice... You can add more, but not too much, so as not to be indifferent” (vol. I, paragraph 185, p. 206).
He: “As for “more often,” there is no need to make it more frequent, because this frequency takes away not a small part of the reverence for this greatest work... I mean fasting and communion. I, it seems, have already written that it is enough to speak and take communion during each of the four major fasts” (vol. III, paragraph 500, p. 177).
And also St. Theophanes writes the following: “a measure per month once, or twice the most measured” (vol. IV, paragraph 757, p. 255).
- Approximately the same instructions are contained in the commandment of St. Seraphim of Sarov to the nuns of the Diveyevo Monastery: “... It is unacceptable for everyone to commune with everything holy. fasts, and, if desired, on all twelfth holidays" (from " Brief biography Elder Seraphim of Sarov", 3rd ed. Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery. Kazan, 1900. pp. 80–81). But this rule was given by Father Seraphim for nuns, and not for lay people.
- The Monk Barnabas of Gethsemane (†1906) in his letters advised the sisters of the Iverskaya Vyksa monastery: “to take communion at all holy fasts, and also if any illness happens, as often as possible.” As can be seen from this instruction, Elder Barnabas associated the frequency of communion only with illness.
- Optina Elder Rev. Barsanuphius wrote: “In the first century, the followers of Christ the Savior received communion every day, but they also led a life equal to the angels, they were ready every minute to appear before the face of God. No Christian was safe. It often happened that in the morning a Christian received communion, and in the evening he was grabbed and taken to the Colosseum. Being in constant danger, Christians vigilantly monitored their spiritual world and lived their lives in purity and holiness. But the first centuries have passed, persecution from the infidels has ceased, and the constant danger has passed. Then, instead of daily communion, they began to receive communion once a week, then once a month, and now even once a year. In our monastery we adhere to the Rule of Mount Athos, compiled by the holy elders and handed down to us for our edification. All monks receive communion six times a year, but sometimes more often with blessing. They are so accustomed to this that more frequent communion attracts everyone’s attention...” (From a conversation on April 12, 1911).
- I have already cited the teaching of the famous Glinsk elder of the twentieth century, Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash), which all Orthodox Christians should remember: “Those who take communion every day are people in delusion. This is not necessary, it is from the evil one. You only need to take communion once a month. We must prepare for Communion, cut off self-will, so that Communion may be for salvation and not for condemnation. Every day a schema-monk, a sick monk, a seven-day priest can receive communion...” (From the book of Schema-Archimandrite John (Maslov) “Glinskaya Hermitage.” M., 1994. P. 467).
- And finally, I will cite an excerpt from the book “Spiritual Diary” by Bishop Arseny Zhadanovsky (†1937), numbered among the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia, the spiritual son of St. right John of Kronstadt: “Once, the following incident was conveyed to me regarding frequent communion. One person was accustomed to taking communion every day. The spiritual authorities drew attention to her. They instructed the confessor to check her. The confessor, taking into account the arrangement of this person, invited her to confess every time and, when he considered it inconvenient, advised her not to approach the Holy Chalice. But it was too late for her to receive such spiritual guidance. She was not embarrassed and continued to receive communion every day, moving from one church to another. She was then followed and was not allowed to receive communion anywhere. And this person did not strive to receive communion in church, but imagined that she had already been given the divine right to bless the bread and wine herself, and took communion at home every day, supposedly performing the liturgy over prosphora and wine. However, her case ended sadly. She has gone crazy and is currently in a mental hospital. So, one must treat Holy Communion with deep reverence, otherwise self-delusion may arise due to the frequent and unworthy reception of the Holy Mysteries.”
David 02/05/2016 at 04:45:08
To the village foreman
***I can give you quotes from other holy fathers, primarily the holy ascetics of the Russian Church, who were AGAINST this practice (frequent communion).***
- If it doesn’t bother you, at least a little.
***But I don’t agree here. In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a thousand-year-old tradition of giving communion to the laity. It was expressed by many saints of our Church. Even almost EVERYTHING! This tradition of the Russian Church DOES NOT KNOW the practice of frequent communion for the laity.***
- Sorry, but this is not convincing. What does even almost everything mean? And in general, what does “frequent” communion mean? After all, this is a relative thing. What are you comparing to? If a person receives Communion once a month, this is often compared to a person who receives Communion once a year, but this is rare compared to a person who receives Communion 2 times a week... And someone who receives Communion once every 5 years is very “often” for him and the one who receives communion once a year... What is the criterion? and what is it justified by? after all, once every 5 years you can also take communion in condemnation... and in this state you can die and not live to see the next communion. The fact that there should be no “getting used to” the Holy Mysteries is what all the saints talk about - and this is absolutely true!
Village foreman 02/05/2016 at 01:45:50
David
@gives an example (in my comment) of the holy fathers who were FOR this practice.@
I can give you quotes from other holy fathers, primarily the holy ascetics of the Russian Church, who were AGAINST this practice (frequent communion).
@And everyone is called to receive communion, both priests and laity@
But unlike the laity, the priest MUST perform the liturgy. Sometimes as a weekly worker for the whole week in a row. For a layman there is absolutely no need to receive communion at every liturgy all week.
This is what the 20th-century ascetic, the famous Glinsk elder Reverend Andronik (Lukash), writes: “Those who take communion every day are people in delusion. This is not necessary, it is from the evil one. You only need to take communion once a month. We must prepare for Communion, cut off self-will, so that Communion may be for salvation and not for condemnation. A schema-monk, a sick monk, a weekly priest can receive communion every day...”
@Everywhere you need reasoning, and to each his own, but in my opinion there cannot be general rules here, because we are all different and each has our own level and experience of knowledge of God and communication with God. The main thing is not to go to extremes @
Here I agree with you.
@And if there is no single answer regarding the frequency of communion in the Holy Church, then one should not condemn the opposite opinion, because it is not reasonable.@
But I don’t agree with this. In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a thousand-year-old tradition of giving communion to the laity. It was expressed by many saints of our Church. Even almost EVERYTHING! This tradition of the Russian Church DOES NOT KNOW the practice of frequent communion for the laity.
This tradition, in particular, is set out in the Orthodox Christian Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow, who was accepted by the WHOLE fullness of Orthodoxy: “Ancient Christians took communion every Sunday; but few of today have such purity of life as to always be ready to begin such a great sacrament. The Church, with a maternal voice, commands those who are zealous for a reverent life to confess to their spiritual father and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ - four times a year or every month, and for everyone - certainly once a year” (Part 1. On Faith).
David 02/05/2016 at 00:46:38
To the village foreman
— Obedience to your spiritual father who gave just such a blessing (once every 2 weeks) is one thing; only he can know the reasons for this. The spiritual father could give another person the blessing to receive communion often, say several times a week. Everything here is individual, and the confessor himself decides. In both quotes, Archimandrite Raphael says that everything should be done with the blessing of the confessor. Quote: “I think that the question of Communion should be approached individually, taking into account personal needs and life circumstances.” - and I agree with this. But if a confessor has given a blessing that a person can, say, take communion every day on Bright Week, does he really sin by doing so? we're talking about it. And maybe not only on Bright Week, maybe at some other moments, that’s up to him to decide. That's why he is a confessor. Father Raphael says that there is no general church opinion about this. But he also gives an example (in my commentary) of the holy fathers who were FOR this practice. I hope that when you say “Here’s another quote from Father Raphael,” you don’t look for a contradiction in this... because there isn’t one.
- You write about the Divine grace of the priesthood... as a priest, he is appointed to serve, service is expressed in many things, this is the Liturgy, confession, sacraments, and much more... and ONLY a priest can do this (you write about this and you say about these duties), and for this he was given grace from God, and this is the only difference between us because everyone must be in their place (and naturally a layman should not read the prayers assigned to the priest... and mixing everything into one is extremely dangerous, in than I agree with you). But everyone is called to receive communion, both priests and laity (and in order to receive communion you do not need to have the “grace of the priesthood”) and no one has any special privileges before God, for everyone is unworthy of communion, the patriarch and the abbot, the layman and the monk, and even holy people and righteous people! since we are human and ALL have sin in us, for there is no sinless person! and Whom do we commune with? Creator of everything visible and invisible, Sinless and Immaculate, True Light! everything compared to By the Infinite God not worthy.. This is His love for us, that He allows us to touch Him and, moreover, comes to us and we to Him, can anyone say that “I am worthy of this”? be he even a patriarch or a layman. And here the point is not in the frequency of communion, but in the spirit and heart with which a person receives communion. It is possible and rare, once a year, to receive communion and each time “to condemnation.” There are people who approach the Holy Sacrament without thinking, saying “the more often, the more grace,” and this will also be a condemnation...
Everywhere you need reasoning, and to each his own, but in my opinion there cannot be general rules here, because we are all different and each has our own level and experience of knowledge of God and communication with God. The main thing is not to go to the extremes of negligence and carelessness on the one hand, and pharisaism and legalism on the other, and for this reason it is extremely advisable to have a confessor and act obediently without judging others who do differently. And if there is no single answer regarding the frequency of communion in the Holy Church, then one should not condemn the opposite opinion, for this is not reasonable.
Village foreman 01/05/2016 at 23:45:52
David.
You quoted Father Raphael (Karelin) about the frequency of communion for the laity. Here is another quote from Father Raphael:
R.b. Vladimir asks:
Dear Father Raphael! My question concerns the frequency of communion of the Holy Mysteries. My spiritual father, schema-abbot Alexy, who died several years ago, did not bless me to receive communion more often than once every two weeks. I completely trusted my father in matters of saving my soul, and now that he is no longer around, this trust has not disappeared. Moreover, I pray to him! I try to hold on to his blessings. My inner feeling confirms this... Now I am a novice, and my confessor, the hieromonk, advises me to receive communion at every liturgy, but at the same time he stipulated that he does not insist on this. I treat him well, I don’t want to upset him. Now, as you know, the entire Renovationist army insists on frequent communion. I don’t accept this, like all their “modernism”. I really ask for your advice, how will you bless? I'm about 72 years old, it's too late to make mistakes. God bless you!
Pray for me, Vladimir.
Archimandrite Raphael answers:
Vladimir! In no cathedral rules you will find exact instructions on how many times and when to receive communion. In the 19th century, a long debate arose in the Church of Constantinople about whether frequent, daily communion was permissible. It lasted for many years and did not lead to final results. Patriarch of Constantinople Gregory wrote on this occasion: “It is good and saving to receive communion daily, but we need time to prepare and perform penances,” and recommended that the laity receive communion once every forty days. Currently, confessors solve this in different ways. I think that the question of Communion must be approached individually, taking into account personal needs and life circumstances. A person must fulfill that measure of prayer rule and fasting, even the minimum, which has become part of the tradition of the Church, therefore one should receive communion with a blessing spiritual father. I ask for your prayers. God help you.
You write:
***Please tell me, is a priest more worthy than a layman? does he have some kind of special permission to receive communion, but a layman does not?***
This question is asked by many neophytes and parishioners of renovationist communities: “Why can serving clergy receive communion at every liturgy and not confess before each communion, but the laity cannot?”
Unlike the clergy, the laity do not have the Divine grace of the priesthood, “healing the weak and replenishing the poor,” taught at ordination from the bishop. What is included in the official duties of a bishop, priest and deacon has absolutely nothing to do with the laity and ordinary monks. In the sacrament of ordination, clergy receive a special gift of grace to serve the Altar of the Lord. And therefore, what is permissible for a clergyman can be extremely dangerous, both spiritually and physically, for an ordinary layman who is not protected by the priestly grace. For example, a layman, while in the altar, is strictly forbidden to touch the Holy See, the Holy Chalice (with the exception of kissing its lower edge during communion), and therefore, in particular, we consider it extremely harmful to the soul to read the secret prayers from the Missal during the Eucharistic Canon by the laity , which is practiced in renovationist communities of priests, for example priest. G. Kochetkova.
So, blurring the boundaries between the priesthood and the laity represents pure Protestantism.
Village foreman 01/05/2016 at 22:45:05
Natalia Msk
I think 10 years earlier. In the 1990s, the movement of neo-renovationists began to rise in Moscow - priest-reformers who dreamed of reviving in practice some of what was proposed by the renovation movement after the revolution. Books by Archpriest Schmemann began to be published. Since then, reformer priests began to call for communion on Bright Week.
David 01/05/2016 at 22:40:35
This is what the respected Father Rafail (Karelin) writes, answering a question on this topic on his website:
“Already Theophan the Recluse, in a letter to one of his spiritual daughters, wrote that irregularities had crept into parish life, and as the most dangerous example of such irregularities he cited the vicious practice of priests who prevent Christians from frequently receiving communion. The reason why this is done, first of all, is personal lack of spirituality, when the priest himself does not feel the inner need to receive communion as often as possible, and looks at communion as his professional duty. The second reason is theological ignorance and reluctance to become acquainted with the unanimous teaching of the holy fathers on frequent communion as the Heavenly Bread necessary for the human soul. The third reason is laziness and the desire to shorten the time needed for confession and communion. There is another reason: this is a false, Pharisaic reverence. The Pharisees, in order to show their special respect for the name of God - Jehovah, forbade saying it at all. Thus, they distorted the commandment: “You shall not take the name of your Lord in vain (in vain).”
The liturgy itself is a divine service during which the sacrament of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts is performed and the sacrament is given to the people. When the liturgy is served, then you can receive communion. In liturgical prayers, the Church calls on everyone in the church to receive the Body and Blood of Christ (of course, if they have prepared for this). During Easter week and Christmastide, and in the several weeks preceding Great and Petrine Lents, one can without a doubt receive communion, since otherwise the Church would not serve the liturgy on these days.
In life St. Macarius The Great tells how a priest, who arbitrarily excluded people from communion, was cruelly punished with many years of paralysis, and was healed only through the prayers of St. Makaria. St. John of Kronstadt especially sharply denounced this vicious practice of communion.
On Bright Week, before communion, it is enough to abstain from meat food, but it is better to discuss this issue with your confessor. Archpriest Belotsvetov wrote in a well-known collection of his sermons that in his time Christians tried to take communion on Bright Week every day.
On my own behalf, I can say that it’s strange that the magazine I also respect “ Holy Fire”, posts statements such as “the argument that the laity should receive communion at every Liturgy, because that’s what the priests do.” Tell me please, is a priest more worthy than a layman? does he have some kind of special permission to receive communion, but a layman does not have this? I think about who, but Father Raphael can hardly be accused of some kind of modernist views, and personally I agree with his answer to this topic, and the fact that one cannot approach the cup without preparation and reverence, I think this should be for all ORTHODOX Christians It's clear. The meaning of our life is Christ, and by His Body and Blood we are saved and transformed!
The words “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for YOU for the remission of sins! ... drink from it ALL, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for YOU and for many for the remission of sins!” Do not the words “YOU” and “ALL” refer to all the faithful? or to someone special?
Natalia Msk 01/05/2016 at 22:36:23
To the village foreman
Christ is Risen!
I wrote about communion on Easter and also quoted from the Typikon, but I did not mention communion on Bright Week. I sat and remembered when they started talking about communion on Bright Week. I can’t say for sure, but not earlier than 2000-2001. It turns out that not taking communion on Svetlaya is even more than a thousand-year-old tradition.
Truly Christ is Risen!
Rural foreman 01/05/2016 at 21:57:52
Natalia Msk
@the tradition of not taking communion on Easter is Soviet@
Christ is Risen!
The tradition of not receiving communion on Bright Week is a thousand-year-old tradition of the Russian Church. Frequent communion, including communion at Svetlaya, appeared in the wake of the modernist teaching of the “Eucharistic revival,” which has Catholic roots. The apologist for this modernist theory in the twentieth century were the Renovationists and Protopresbyter A. Schmemann.
Natalia Msk 01/05/2016 at 21:19:16
Frankly, I thought that the tradition of not taking communion on Easter was Soviet, since in the Typikon, in the chapter “From the rules of the Saints, the Apostle and the Holy Father, on the Holy Great Pentecost, which every Christian should guard dangerously” it is stated: “And if a monk If he ruins with his delicacy, if he eats fish, except for the Feast of the Annunciation and the Flower-Bearing Week, then he will not partake of the Holy Mysteries even on Holy Pascha: but the friends will repent for two weeks, and bow down for 300 days and nights.”
Vladimir Yurganov 01/05/2016 at 16:29:45
At the Easter night service we usually receive communion, but confession... in one church they accepted it before Easter, but in another it is categorically prohibited. It was Lent for confession.
Dmitry 01/05/2016 at 14:41:56
“From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until the new week, throughout the entire week, the faithful in the holy churches must unceasingly practice psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphant in Christ, listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and enjoying the holy mysteries. For in this way we will be resurrected together with Christ and ascended. For this reason, on the said days, let there not be a horse parade or any other popular spectacle” (Rule 66 of the Council of Trullo) “those who, although they fast before Easter, do not receive communion on Easter, such people do not celebrate Easter... because these people do not have within themselves the reasons and occasions for the holiday, which is the Sweetest Jesus Christ, and do not have that spiritual joy that is born from Divine Communion. Those who believe that Easter and holidays consist of rich meals, many candles, fragrant incense, and silver and gold jewelry with which they decorate churches are seduced. For God does not require this from us, because it is not paramount and not the main thing” (The most soul-helping book about the unceasing communion of the holy Mysteries of Christ. pp. 54-55).
From the editor: “The most soul-helping book about the unceasing communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ” is of Catholic origin and therefore not useful for reading by Orthodox believers. This book was compiled by St. Nicodemus the Svyatogorets together with St. Macarius of Corinth, but the ideas on which this book is based belong to the Catholic author Miguel de Molinos (1628–1696), who wrote in 1675 “ Brief treatise about daily Communion." From this work of Miguel de Molinos into the book of St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain and St. Macarius of Corinth “On the constant (frequent) communion of the Divine Sacraments” went over the argument that the laity should receive communion at every Liturgy, because that’s what the priests do. This argument persists to this day among priests and publicists of liberal-renovationist views. Already during the life of St. Nicodemus told him that his book was related to the book of Miguel de Molinos. He did not deny this, but argued that, while condemning Catholics, we should not reject from them what is good and canonical.
Lydia 01/05/2016 at 14:38:51
What are the different points of view in the Church today. Many people call for communion as often as possible, especially during Bright Week. Some people say: once a month is enough. And everyone has their own “arguments” and reasons. But it is clear that without confession, repentance and trembling one cannot approach the Chalice.
I have been asked the following question several times:
Can we receive communion on Easter? And on Bright Week? To receive communion, do we need to continue fasting?
Good question. However, it betrays a lack of clear understanding of things. On Easter it is not only possible, but even necessary to receive communion. In favor of this statement, I would like to summarize a number of arguments:
1. In the first centuries of the history of the Church, as we see in the canons and patristic works, participation in the Liturgy without communion of the Holy Mysteries was simply unthinkable. (I advise you to read the article about this: " When and how should we receive communion" .) However, over time, especially in our area, the level of piety and understanding among Christians began to fall, and the rules for preparing for communion became stricter, in some places even excessive (including double standards for clergy and laity). Despite this, communion on Easter was a common practice, continuing to this day in all Orthodox countries. However, some put off communion until Easter itself, as if someone is stopping them from taking the Chalice every Sunday of Lent and throughout the year. Thus, ideally we should receive communion at every liturgy, especially on Maundy Thursday, when the Eucharist was instituted, at Easter and at Pentecost, when the Church was born.
2. For those who are entrusted with penance due to some serious sin, some confessors allow them to receive communion (only) on Easter, after which, for some time, they continue to bear their penance. This practice, which, however, is not and should not be generally accepted, took place in ancient times, to help penitents, to strengthen them spiritually, allowing them to join in the joy of the holiday. On the other hand, allowing penitents to receive communion on Easter indicates that the mere passage of time and even the personal efforts of the penitent are not enough to save a person from sin and death. Indeed, for this it is necessary that the risen Christ Himself send light and strengthening to the soul of the repentant (just like the Venerable Mary of Egypt, who led a dissolute life until last day during her stay in the world, she was able to take the path of repentance in the desert only after communion with Christ). This is where the erroneous idea arose and spread in some places that only robbers and fornicators receive communion on Easter. But does the Church have a separate communion for robbers and fornicators, and another for those who lead a Christian life? Isn't Christ the same at every liturgy throughout the year? Doesn’t everyone commune with Him - priests, kings, beggars, robbers, and children? By the way, the word of St. John Chrysostom (at the end of Easter Matins) calls everyone without division to communion with Christ. His call "Those who fasted and those who did not fast, rejoice now! The meal is plentiful: be satisfied, everyone! Taurus is big and well-fed: no one will leave hungry!” clearly refers to the communion of the Holy Mysteries. It is surprising that some read or listen to this word without realizing that we are not called to a table with meat dishes, but to communion with Christ.
3. The dogmatic aspect of this problem is also extremely important. People are jostling in lines to buy and eat lamb for Easter - for some, this is the only “biblical commandment” that they observe in their lives (since the other commandments do not suit them!). However, when the book of Exodus speaks of the slaughter of the Passover lamb, it refers to the Jewish Passover, where the lamb was a type of Christ the Lamb slain for us. Therefore, eating the Passover lamb without communion with Christ means returning to Old Testament and refusal to acknowledge Christ"The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). In addition, people bake all kinds of Easter cakes or other dishes, which we call "Passover". But don't we know that "Our Easter is Christ"(1 Cor 5:7)? Therefore, all these Easter dishes should be a continuation, but not a replacement, for the sacrament of the Holy Mysteries. This is not particularly talked about in churches, but we should all know that Easter is, first of all, Liturgy and communion with the Risen Christ.
4. Some also say that you cannot take communion on Easter, because then you will eat the savory meal. But doesn't the priest do the same thing? Why then is the Easter Liturgy celebrated, and after it it is blessed to eat dairy and meat? Isn’t it clear that after communion you can eat everything? Or maybe someone perceives the Liturgy as a theatrical performance, and not as a call to communion with Christ? If eating the humble meal were incompatible with communion, then the Liturgy would not be celebrated on Easter and Christmas, or there would be no breaking of the fast. Moreover, this applies to the entire liturgical year.
5. And now about communion on Holy Week. Canon 66 of the Council of Trullo (691) stipulates that Christians" enjoyed the Holy Mysteries"during the entire Holy Week, despite the fact that it is continuous. Thus, they begin communion without fasting. Otherwise there would be no liturgy, or fasting would continue. The idea of the need to fast before communion concerns, first of all, the Eucharistic fast before receiving the Holy Mysteries. Such a strict Eucharistic fast is prescribed for at least six, or even nine hours (not like Catholics, who receive communion an hour after the meal). If we are talking about a multi-day fast, then the seven-week fast that we kept is quite enough, and there is no need - moreover, it is even forbidden - to continue fasting. At the end of Bright Week, we will fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as during three other multi-day fasts. After all, priests do not fast on Holy Week before communion, and then it is unclear where the idea came from that the laity should fast on these days! However, in my opinion, only those who have observed the entire Great Lent, who lead an integral, balanced Christian life, always strive for Christ (and not just through fasting) and perceive Communion not as a reward for their works, but as a cure for spiritual illnesses.
Thus, every Christian is called to prepare for communion and ask the priest for it, especially at Easter. If the priest refuses without any reason (in the event that the person does not have such sins for which penance is imposed), but uses various kinds of excuses, then, in my opinion, the believer can go to another temple, to another priest ( only if the reason for leaving for another parish is valid and is not deceit). This state of affairs, which is especially widespread in the Republic of Moldova, needs to be corrected as soon as possible, especially since the highest hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church has given clear instructions to priests not to deny the faithful communion without obvious canonical grounds (see Resolutions of the Councils of Bishops 2011 and 2013 ). Thus, we should look for wise confessors, and if we have found them, we must obey them and, under their guidance, receive communion as often as possible. You shouldn't entrust your soul to just anyone.
There have been cases when some Christians began to take communion on Easter, and the priest laughed at them in front of the entire church meeting, saying: “Wasn’t seven weeks enough for you to take communion? Why are you violating the customs of the village?” I would like to ask such a priest: “Wasn’t four or five years of study at a religious institution enough for you to decide: either you will become a serious priest, or you will go to herd cows, because you are “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4:1) They can’t say such nonsense...” And we must talk about this not for the sake of ridicule, but with pain about the Church of Christ, in which such incompetent people serve. A real priest not only does not forbid people to receive communion, but also encourages them to do so and teaches them to live so that they can approach the Chalice at every liturgy. And then the priest himself rejoices at how different he becomes Christian life his flock. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!".
Therefore, “let us approach Christ with the fear of God, faith and love” in order to better understand what “Christ is risen!” means! and “Truly he is risen!” After all, He Himself says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day"(John 6:53-54).
Translation by Elena-Alina Patrakova
Communion is one of the main and obligatory rites for every Orthodox Christian. Its other name is Eucharist, and if translated from Greek, this word means “thanksgiving.” Its deepest essence lies in the communion of a person with God, union with him spiritually and physically: having drunk wine and tasted bread, a Christian seems to taste the very blood and body of Christ. This is a demonstration of readiness to accept the Lord with all your soul. But in order to confirm the sincerity of his intentions, a layman must undergo purification by fasting and prayers of repentance. The practice of preparing for the sacrament on Bright Week constitutes a special case.
Charter Orthodox Church Before the Eucharist, it prescribes the fulfillment of certain rules, which include:
- observing spiritual and physical fasting for three days;
- reconciliation with those who offended and asking for forgiveness from the offended;
- abstaining from slander and condemnation;
- attending the evening service on the eve of the Eucharist;
- repentance of sins and receiving a blessing from the priest for communion;
- reading the prayer rule for communion;
- observing the Eucharistic fast (not eating or drinking after midnight).
Until recently, there was controversy surrounding the issue of communion with the holy sacraments on Bright Week. Operated in different parishes various practices, based mainly on the thesis that without repentance there is no communion. Easter fills the soul of every believer with rejoicing, and the sacrament of the Eucharist is always associated with confession of committed sins. According to established tradition, repentance and a joyful mood on the day of the Resurrection of the Lord were considered incompatible.
The document “On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist,” approved by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, defines the believer’s need to receive the holy gifts as a special spiritual and moral state, the desire to unite with the Savior, forming one body with him. In this way, all apparent contradictions between the content of the great holiday and the essence of communion on Easter week are eliminated.
The same document also stipulates some aspects of the rite of communion during the Easter period. Bearing in mind that the church charter does not provide for fasting during Bright Week, and the day of Easter itself was preceded by the seven-week feat of Great Lent. Christians who observe it can begin communion, limiting themselves only to the Eucharistic fast.
A blessing by a confessor of a lay person for the communion of the holy gifts can occur without confession, except in those cases when the communicant himself experiences a special need for it.
How to prepare for communion on Bright Week
Every Christian believer should also know how the Easter procession for Holy Communion takes place. Prayerful preparation for the Eucharist on ordinary days includes morning and evening prayer rules, following the Holy Communion, as well as canons.
Those who wish to receive communion should
wives lead these prayers privately and in church. During Bright Week, the order of prayer preparation changes, so you should know what to read before communion. In a day Happy Resurrection the canons of the regular participle are replaced by before the participle . This is the central chant of the festive matins, the main idea of which is associated with the Resurrection of Christ.
The souls of believers should be filled with bright, enthusiastic feelings, therefore the church charter replaces the prayers of repentance with the Easter canon for holy communion. Another feature of the sacrament celebrated on Bright Week is that the passage to Holy Communion is read without psalms, and the morning and evening rules replaced by the Holy Easter clock.
The prayers of thanksgiving for the Eucharist remain unshakable and must be read at the end of the service. After the completion of the sacrament, it is necessary to maintain spiritual purity in order to preserve in thoughts the grace of the most important holiday - Easter.