How to prepare for the Eucharist. What are the rules for prayer preparation for communion? Is it possible to say not all sins in confession
Religious rites - an expression of a person's faith in. Since we cannot imagine a material God to approach and communicate with him, we come up with the sacraments of rites and rituals that help us convey this or that appeal to him. There are many such rites in the Orthodox religion: baptism, confession, wedding, prayer, communion. Let's consider the last one. What should be read before communion and confession in order for the ceremony to take place?
What are the sacraments for?
Participle - a Christian ritual of uniting God with a parishioner. It is held in the church only a few times a year. The concept of the word "Communion" is explained as "involvement" - belonging to something, in this case, to the church and higher powers. The ritual itself helps to cleanse the body and soul.
Three days before must be abandoned from:
- alcohol.
- smoking.
- Sex.
- Visits to entertainment events.
- Animal products (meat, fish, eggs and milk).
On the day of the sacrament, it is forbidden to eat at all. On the eve of the ritual, a person striving for self-purification and enlightenment should pray and attend church services. It is necessary to perform the rite of communion with a clear conscience and thoughts: measure with whom you quarreled, apologize to those who could be offended. After all, keeping irritability, anger or envy inside you will not receive a real rite, no matter how much you would like it.
You need to know exactly why are you doing it: for your own calm or actual purification of your spiritual world, bringing it closer to perfection, that is, to God. After all, that is why we ask for participation. Confession is required before communion.
sacrament of confession
In Christianity and some other religions, confession is a confession of one's sins before God in the presence of a priest. It implies complete repentance and the decision of a person to sin no more. By repenting, a person receives the forgiveness of sins from the Almighty. All believing Christians should go to confession from time to time. How to do it right?
- It is necessary to really realize everything that you want to confess. Reread the commandments and the parable of the Last Judgment, where Jesus Christ teaches that our earthly life will be judged by how we relate to loved ones.
- Recently, believers have become extremely practical, they come to confession with a list of their sins, like in a store. It is not right. Purification of the soul must be sincere. What you really worries, for which they wanted to ask for forgiveness, do not carry too much. Do not apologize for minor everyday mistakes, there will not be enough life to list them all. Only sins against one's neighbor deserve forgiveness.
- Do not be shy, nothing will surprise the Holy Father. Speak simply and clearly, as you communicate with friends. Do not try to hide, God knows everything and even more about your transgressions.
- Confession does not mean returning home to the old life. If you have been forgiven today, this does not give you reason to think that another time you will come and you will be forgiven again. To confess means to realize and change.
After confession, believers proceed to communion.
communion ritual
You must come to church to receive communion. in the morning. It is desirable for women to appear in long skirts, a scarf on their heads, as usual. Men can be bareheaded.
Small children are the first to be admitted to the ceremony. Despite their age, they, along with adults, are given a little wine to drink and a piece of special church bread to eat - prosphora.
In order to make the wine more like the blood of Christ, a little warm water is added to it. After the children, men are allowed to the ritual, and only then only women. The communicants take turns approaching the chalice and identifying themselves. The priest wipes the man's lips and allows him to kiss the cup, drink a sip of wine and eat bread. Since it is "the blood of Jesus Christ" - not a single drop should fall by, for this, the priest rubs his lips again after.
Under various circumstances, communion can also be held at home, if, for example, a person is very sick and cannot come to church himself.
What to do after communion?
After the end of the communion ritual, you cannot leave the church immediately, you must defend the service to the end. What other rules need to be followed?
- Find the icon of Jesus Christ and bow to it as a token of gratitude and repentance.
- You have to be humble. Try to help people more, avoid noisy companies and a fun feast. Do not forget that you have just completed the Christian rite of communion with God.
- After the Holy Father gave you the blood of Jesus Christ to drink and treated you to church bread, you can kiss any icons and pray to them, ask for help and support. Maybe someone close to you is sick, ask for their healing. Now your spirit is pure and bright, you will soon be heard.
Communion should not be once in a lifetime, but regularly, just like confession. Only our Lord is sinless, but we are sinners all the time. It is necessary to wash away our earthly misdeeds in the same way constantly. So try to do it more often. Be happier, God is next to a happy person, gives him faith and hope.
What can you eat before communion?
As mentioned above, before the ritual of spiritual purification, it is necessary cleanse and physically i.e. diet. What can a person eat before communion?
- Vegetables and fruits.
- Herbal teas and decoctions.
- Sweet products that do not contain eggs.
- Bread and cereals.
- Kasha boiled in water.
- Mushrooms.
- Pasta.
- Honey, halva, marmalade.
- Nuts, seeds.
- Lean chocolate and cookies.
Today, there is a large selection of diet food in stores, and for strictly fasting, you can choose products from these shelves. Sick people, pregnant women and young children are allowed not to change their diet.
This diet will be useful not only for those people who want to perform a ritual, we everyone sometimes it doesn't hurt to fast.
What to read before communion and confession?
In order to prepare for confession or communion, believers need to attend services and read prayers. During prayer, we can think, realize ourselves, rethink everything. Texts can be taken from the Holy Canon, but if this is not possible, you can read from yourself. Here are examples of some of them:
- Prayer before Holy Communion: Our Holy Father Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Come and dwell in me, cleanse me of all filth. Save our souls Holy God. Cleanse our sins, forgive iniquity and deceit. Lord, heal and drive away all ailments, heal infirmities and forgive us our debts. Lord have mercy (3 times). I bow to the King and my God. ".
- Prayer before confession: “Lord our God, hear my prayers, the accursed sinner and the serpent and the great villain sitting in me. God forbid humility in my heart and cleanse my thoughts, save a sinful soul from the evil one. Accept my sincere confession, Master. Amen"
Pray from your heart and soul.
Communion - the same, which helps believers get closer to God. If you have decided that you are ready to repent and take communion with the Holy Father, now you will know how the ritual goes and what you need to read before communion the day before.
Video: we read a prayer before communion
Church life is filled with different rules and rituals. But there is one most important - this is the Sacrament of Communion. However, it is necessary to know exactly how to take communion in church. Otherwise, you can violate the strict church orders. It is believed that this offends God, one should not allow such a sin. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously.
What is Communion
Before you take communion in church, you need to devote several days to preparation. This is the most important Sacrament of the seven that are in Orthodoxy. Catholics have similar sacraments. Protestant churches have different views on this issue.
During the Last Supper, Christ for the first time communed his disciples, we will offer them bread and wine. Until the moment of the Savior's death on the cross, people sacrificed animals as a prototype of the future trials of the Son of God. After He was resurrected, there was no need for other offerings. Therefore, now prayers are read over bread and wine. They also take Communion.
Why does the church demand that parishioners take communion and confess? How to do it right? It is a symbol of the unity of God with man. Christ Himself commanded people to do this. The sacrament turns bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. By accepting them, the believer receives the Lord into himself. He maintains his spiritual strength at the proper level.
Communion gives a great "charge" of spirituality. It is especially important that this Sacrament be performed over the sick and dying. The living must come to it regularly. At least once a fast, preferably on every big holiday.
How to Prepare for Communion
Everyone is not allowed to the sacrament in the Orthodox Church. A number of conditions must be met:
- be an Orthodox Christian;
- maintain a strict fast (at least 3 days);
- read all the necessary prayers;
- go to confession after the All-Night Vigil;
- come to Liturgy in the morning.
Only if all these conditions are fulfilled, the parishioner will be able to properly take communion in the Church. In some churches, confession is not received the night before, but in the morning during the service. But then it turns out that during the Divine service people are distracted by standing in lines. Still, it is better to confess when there is no need to rush and there is no pandemonium around.
Without confession, the following are allowed to the Sacrament:
- infants (children under 6 years old) - however, it is undesirable to feed them before the service;
- those who received Baptism the day before - but they also need to fast and also read prayers.
Fasting must be strict - it is required to give up all animal food (meat, fish, all dairy, eggs). The church calendar will help you navigate. It indicates which products are allowed. On some days, vegetable oil may be banned. For the sick and the elderly, the priest can make an exception, but in general it is not customary to relax the fast. Also, you can not drink after 12 at night and until the very moment of Communion.
How to Confess in Church
Many are also concerned about the question of how to properly confess in church - embarrassment and inexperience interfere. But in order to prove to God your firm desire to improve, you will have to overcome your fears. The priest is only a witness, he has seen and heard a lot, so it is unlikely that he will be very surprised. But before you approach the confessor, you need to prepare.
Since many are overwhelmed at confession, there is a tradition to write down their sins on a piece of paper. At the end of the confession, the priest takes this “list” and tears it up, as a sign that the Lord forgives everything. To compose a confession, you can use a special brochure, or simply take 10 commandments and think about what you have sinned against each.
- Do not blame others in confession, thereby justifying your negative behavior. Example: the wife yelled at her husband and says that he is “to blame” because he came drunk. So be it, but in any situation one must restrain oneself, act with love, without insults. As well as confessing in the church, it is necessary, talking only about yourself, and not about others.
- There is also no need to boast that there are no sins against some commandments. Yes, and is it? Adultery is considered not only physical adultery, but even the thought of it. Smoking is a slow form of suicide, and it is the gravest sin. In addition, the smoker harms others, aggravating guilt. It is necessary to repent of this sin, because a Christian must maintain order not only in the soul, but also monitor the health of the body.
- No need to argue with the priest. This is a pure sin, for which they can generally be excommunicated from communion. Most likely, there are things that you still do not understand. You should reflect on what has been said.
There are no strict rules governing what to say in church during confession. It is important to show a sincere desire to improve. Confessors usually help those who are having difficulty by asking questions. There is no need to enumerate every sin whose name is read in the books. Many have a common root - pride, greed, unwillingness to work on themselves, dislike for others.
Prayers and worship
After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip), and read a special prayer. During it, you will need to give your name. After that, take a blessing from the priest, listen to instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.
Before taking communion, one should read the daily prayer rule and special sacramental canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a kind of church poetry that sets the soul in the right mood. You can read them in church before going to confession.
After the canons, prayers follow, they can be read in the morning, if there is time, only not during the Liturgy, but before it. The sacramental rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over the course of three days. But then the necessary mood is not reached. In case of doubt, you should ask the priest for advice - he will tell you how best to proceed.
We must try to maintain peace of mind during fasting days, not to quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstaining from certain foods is not as important as abstaining from anger, bad deeds.
- You must come to the Liturgy without delay.
- Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.
- Women should not put on much perfume and make up - the Church is not a secular party, but the Temple of God.
- If a remark was made in the church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.
- If after confession they committed some kind of sin, you should try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.
- Before you go to the Cup, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Make earthly bows in advance!
If a person has just accepted Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be admitted to Communion without confession. Otherwise, the "Christian" demonstrates a complete disregard for everything on which the spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation, for this it is necessary to constantly improve.
Now you know how to take communion and confess in church. Over time, most questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's newcomer becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!
How to Confess for the First Time
How to Communion and Confess in Church was last modified: July 8th, 2017 by Bogolub
How to prepare for the first confession? This question worries many beginning Orthodox Christians. You will find out the answer to this question if you read the article!
With the help of the following simple tips, you can take the first steps.
How to confess and receive communion for the first time?
Confession in the church
The only exception may be the most concise "reminder" of major sins, which are often not recognized as such.
An example of such a note:
A. Sins against the Lord God:
- disbelief in God, recognition of any significance for other "spiritual forces", religious doctrines, in addition to the Christian faith; participation in other religious practices or rituals, even “for company”, as a joke, etc.;
- nominal faith, not expressed in any way in life, that is, practical atheism (you can recognize the existence of God with your mind, but live like a non-believer);
- the creation of "idols", that is, putting in the first place among the values of life something other than God. Anything that a person really "serves" can become an idol: money, power, career, health, knowledge, hobbies - all this can be good when it takes the appropriate place in the personal "hierarchy of values", but, becoming in the first place, turns into an idol;
- an appeal to various kinds of fortune-tellers, soothsayers, sorcerers, psychics, etc. - an attempt to "subdue" spiritual forces in a magical way, without repentance and personal effort to change life in accordance with the commandments.
b. Sins against neighbor:
- neglect of people, resulting from pride and selfishness, inattention to the needs of the neighbor (the neighbor is not necessarily a relative or acquaintance, it is every person who is next to us at the moment);
– condemnation and discussion of the shortcomings of others (“From your words you will be justified and from your words you will be condemned,” says the Lord);
- fornication sins of various kinds, especially adultery (violation of marital fidelity) and unnatural sexual intercourse, which is incompatible with being in the Church. Prodigal cohabitation also includes the so-called common today. "civil marriage", that is, cohabitation without registration of marriage. However, it should be remembered that a registered but unmarried marriage cannot be regarded as fornication and is not an obstacle to being in the Church;
– abortion is the deprivation of the life of a human being, in fact, murder. You should repent even if the abortion was made for medical reasons. It is also a serious sin to persuade a woman to have an abortion (by her husband, for example). Repentance for this sin implies that the penitent will never consciously repeat it again.
- appropriation of someone else's property, refusal to pay the labor of other people (ticketless travel), withholding the wages of subordinates or hired workers;
- lies of various kinds, especially - slandering one's neighbor, spreading rumors (as a rule, we cannot be sure of the veracity of rumors), incontinence of the word.
This is an approximate list of the most common sins, but we emphasize once again that such "lists" should not be carried away. It is best to use the ten commandments of God in further preparation for confession and listen to your own conscience.
- Talk only about sins, and your own.
It is necessary to speak at confession about your sins, not trying to minimize them or show them as excusable. It would seem that this is obvious, but how often priests, when taking confession, hear life stories about all relatives, neighbors and acquaintances instead of confessing sins. When in confession a person talks about the offenses caused to him, he evaluates and condemns his neighbors, in fact, justifying himself. Often in such stories, personal transgressions are presented in such a way that it would seem impossible to avoid them at all. But sin is always the fruit of personal choice. It is extremely rare that we find ourselves in such collisions when we are forced to choose between two kinds of sin.
- Do not invent a special language.
Speaking about your sins, you should not worry about how they would be called “correctly” or “according to the church”. It is necessary to call a spade a spade, in the usual language. You are confessing to God, who knows even more about your sins than you do, and by naming the sin as it is, you certainly will not surprise God.
Do not surprise you and the priest. Sometimes penitents are ashamed to tell the priest this or that sin, or there is a fear that the priest, having heard the sin, will condemn you. In fact, a priest has to listen to a lot of confessions over the years of service, and it is not easy to surprise him. And besides, the sins are not all original: they have not changed much over the millennia. Being a witness of sincere repentance for serious sins, the priest will never condemn, but will rejoice in the conversion of a person from sin to the path of righteousness.
- Talk about the big things, not the little things.
It is not necessary to start confession with such sins as breaking the fast, not attending the temple, working on holidays, watching TV, wearing/not wearing certain types of clothing, etc. Firstly, these are definitely not your most serious sins. Secondly, it may not be a sin at all: if a person has not come to God for many years, then why repent of non-observance of fasts, if the “vector” of life itself was directed in the wrong direction? Thirdly, who needs endless digging into everyday minutiae? The Lord expects from us love and giving of heart, and we to him: “I ate a fish on fasting day” and “embroidered it on a holiday.”
The main attention should be paid to the relationship with God and neighbors. Moreover, according to the Gospel, neighbors are understood not only as people who are pleasant to us, but all who we meet on the path of life. And above all, our family members. The Christian life for family people begins in the family and is tested by it. Here is the best field for cultivating Christian qualities in oneself: love, patience, forgiveness, acceptance.
- Start changing your life even before confession.
Repentance in Greek sounds like "metanoia", literally - "change of mind". It is not enough to admit that in life you have committed such and such misdeeds. God is not a prosecutor, and confession is not a confession. Repentance should be a change of life: the penitent intends not to return to sins and tries with all his might to keep himself from them. Such repentance begins some time before confession, and coming to the temple to see a priest already “captures” the change taking place in life. This is extremely important. If a person intends to continue sinning after confession, then maybe it is worth postponing confession?
It should be noted that when we talk about changing one's life and renouncing sin, we mean first of all the so-called "mortal" sins, according to the words of the Apostle John, that is, incompatible with being in the Church. Since ancient times, the Christian Church considered such sins as renunciation of the faith, murder and adultery. Sins of this kind can also include the extreme degree of other human passions: anger at one's neighbor, theft, cruelty, and so on, which can be stopped once and for all by an effort of the will, combined with God's help. As for petty sins, the so-called “everyday” ones, they will be repeated in many ways even after confession. One must be ready for this and accept it humbly as an inoculation against spiritual exaltation: there are no perfect people among people, only God is sinless.
- To be at peace with everyone.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven,” says the Lord. “With what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” And even more strongly: “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” If we ask God for forgiveness, then we ourselves must first forgive the offenders. Of course, there are situations when it is physically impossible to ask for forgiveness directly from a person, or this will lead to an aggravation of an already difficult relationship. Then it is important, at least, to forgive on your part and not have anything in your heart against your neighbor.
A few practical recommendations. Before you come to confession, it would be nice to find out when confession is usually held in the temple. In many churches they serve not only on Sundays and holidays, but also on Saturdays, and in large churches and monasteries - on weekdays. The greatest influx of confessors occurs during Great Lent. Of course, the Lenten period is mainly a time of repentance, but for those who come for the first time or after a very long break, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy. It may turn out that they confess in the temple on Friday evening or on Saturday morning - these days there will certainly be fewer people than during the Sunday service. It is good if you have the opportunity to personally contact the priest and ask him to appoint a convenient time for confession.
There are special prayers expressing a repentant "mood". It is good to read them the day before confession. The repentant canon to the Lord Jesus Christ is printed in almost any prayer book, except for the shortest ones. If you are not used to praying in Church Slavonic, you can use the translation into Russian.
During confession, the priest can assign you a penance: refraining from communion for a while, reading special prayers, bowing down to the ground, or deeds of mercy. This is not a punishment, but a means to get rid of sin and receive full forgiveness. Penance can be appointed when the priest does not meet the proper attitude towards serious sins on the part of the penitent, or, conversely, when he sees that a person has a need to do something practically to "get rid" of sin. Penance cannot be indefinite: it is appointed for a certain time, and then must be terminated.
As a rule, after confession, believers receive communion. Although confession and communion are two different sacraments, it is better to combine the preparation for confession with the preparation for communion. What this preparation is, we will tell in a separate article.
If these little tips have helped you prepare for confession, thank God. Do not forget that this sacrament must be regular. Don't put off your next confession for years. Confession at least once a month helps us to always be “in good shape”, to treat our daily life attentively and responsibly, in which, in fact, our Christian faith should be expressed.
Have you read the article?
Confession and communion are important religious rites in Christianity. Believers purify their souls from sins, passing through blessed repentance, and join in the sacred service, which traces its origin to the Last Supper. However, it is necessary to properly prepare for these rituals. It is known that if the penitent is not completely sincere, confession will have no effect, even if the priest reads all the necessary texts. Communication with the Lord through the holy sacraments changes lives and brings peace. Prayers before confession and communion set the soul in the appropriate mood.
Even holy and righteous people regularly go through the rite of repentance. There is a popular belief that a person needs such rituals only if he has committed severe sins. According to the apt comparison of Abbot Isaac, if you leave the table in an empty closed room for a week, then after a while a layer of dust will be found on the table top. So and.
Preparation for rituals: canons before confession and communion
Holy rites are combined with a three-day fast, during which you can not eat meat and dairy products. It would not be superfluous to read the Bible: in the Old Testament, having reread the Ten Commandments (Exodus, 20: 2-17), and in the New - the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, 5-7), which is revered by many Christians.
What prayers to read before confession: the liberation of the soul from the sinful burden
Repentance requires sincere faith and focus. However, preparatory prayers must be given no less time. It is best to read them within three days before confession. The pronunciation of holy words on the night before the day appointed by the priest is especially useful for the spiritual body.
- The prayer "Before Confession" was inspired by the Lord to St. Simeon the New Theologian, who lived in the 10th century. The saint was of the opinion that the leading role in the life of a Christian is played by communication with God through prayer.
- The prayer "For the forgiveness of forgotten sins" is short, but capacious. The Creator set forth these simple words by the hand of the Monk Barsanuphius the Great, a holy monk and ascetic of the 6th century, originally from the sinful Egyptian land.
- "Following to Holy Communion" includes many texts of prayers, canons, kontakions, troparia, psalms. For the correct reading of the holy words, it is necessary to consult with the priest.
How to read prayers and canons correctly
Before turning to the Lord through holy texts, it is necessary to cleanse thoughts from temptations and pride. Subdue your "ego", feel like humble servants of God. Retire or gather the family if they also wish to receive communion or confession. Joint prayers strengthen the bonds of marriage and protect children's souls from sinful thoughts. Turn off phones and other electrical appliances so that they do not distract you from your righteous pastime.
Sins fall on a person imperceptibly: the soul is covered with “dust” and a heavy burden presses on the spiritual shell, causing depression and health problems. What, every Christian to know is no less important than the list of canons used to prepare for repentance and communion.
Confession is considered a Christian rite, in which the confessing person repents and repents of his sins in the hope of forgiveness by God Christ. The Savior himself established this sacrament and told the disciples the words that are recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 18, verse 18. This is also mentioned in the Gospel of John, ch. 20, verses 22-23.
sacrament of confession
According to the holy fathers, repentance is also considered a second baptism. Man during baptism cleansed from sin the firstborn, which was transmitted to everyone from the first ancestors of Adam and Eve. And after the rite of baptism, during repentance, personal washing occurs. When a person performs the sacrament of repentance, he must be honest and aware of his sins, sincerely repenting of them, and not repeat the sin, believing in the hope of salvation by Jesus Christ and His mercy. The priest reads a prayer and cleansing from sins takes place.
Many who do not want to repent of their sins often say that they have no sins: “I didn’t kill, I didn’t steal, I didn’t commit adultery, so I have nothing to repent of?” This is stated in the first Epistle of John in the first chapter, verse 17 - "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This means that sinful events happen every day, if you delve into the essence of God's commandments. There are three categories of sin: sin against the Lord God, sin against loved ones, and sin against oneself.
List of sins against Jesus Christ
List of sins against loved ones
List of sins against yourself
All of the above sins are divided into three categories, in the final analysis, all this is against the Lord God. After all, the transgression of the commandments created by Him is carried out, therefore, there is a direct insult to God. All these sins do not give positive results, but on the contrary, the soul will not be saved from this.
Proper Preparation for Confession
It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of confession with all seriousness; for this, one should engage in premature preparation. Enough remember and write down on a piece of paper all the sins committed, as well as read detailed information about the sacrament of confession. You should take a piece of paper for the ceremony and read everything again before the process. The same sheet can be given to the confessor, but grave sins must be spoken aloud. It is enough to talk about the sin itself, and not list long stories, for example, if there is enmity in the family, and with neighbors, repentance for the main sin should be carried out - condemnation of neighbors and loved ones.
In this rite, the confessor and God are not interested in numerous sins, the meaning itself is important - sincere repentance for the sins committed, the sincere feeling of a person, a contrite heart. Confession is not just an awareness of one's sinful past deeds, but also the desire to wash them off. Justifying oneself in sins is not a cleansing, it is unacceptable. Elder Silouan of Athos said that if a person hates sin, then God asks for these sins.
It will be great if a person from each past day draws conclusions, and each time truly repents of sins, writing them down on paper, and for serious sins, it is necessary to confess to a confessor in the church. You should immediately ask for forgiveness from people who have been offended by word or deed. There is a rule in the Orthodox prayer book - the Penitential Canon, which must be read intensively in the evenings before the sacrament of confession itself.
It is important to find out the schedule of the temple, on what day you can confess. There are many churches in which daily services are held, and the daily sacrament of confession also takes place there. And in the rest learn about the schedule of church services.
How to confess to children
Children under the age of seven are considered infants, they can receive communion without prior confession. But it is important to accustom them from childhood to the feeling of incense. Without the necessary preparation, frequent communion causes a reluctance to engage in this work. Desirable in a few days set up children for the sacrament, an example is the reading of the Holy Scriptures and children's Orthodox literature. Reduce TV viewing time. Supervise the fulfillment of morning and evening prayers. If a child has done bad deeds in the past days, then you should talk to him and instill in him a sense of shame for what he has done. But you always need to know: the child takes an example from his parents.
After the age of seven, one can begin confession on an equal footing with adults, but without a preliminary sacrament. The sins listed above are performed in large numbers by children, so children's communion has its own nuances.
To help children sincerely confess, it is necessary to give a list of sins:
This is a superficial list of possible sins. There are many personal sins for each child, based on their thoughts and actions. An important goal of parents is to prepare the child for repentance. Need a child he himself wrote down all his sins without the fate of his parents- You don't have to write for it. He must understand that it is necessary to sincerely confess and repent of bad deeds.
How to confess in church
Confession falls on morning and evening time days. Being late for such an event is considered unacceptable. A group of repentant begins to complete the process by reading the rites. When the priest begins to ask the names of the participants who came to confession, one should answer neither loudly nor quietly. Latecomers are not accepted for confession. At the end of the confession, the priest re-reads the rites, accepting the sacrament. Women during the natural monthly cleansing are not allowed to such an event.
It is necessary to behave in the temple with dignity and not interfere with the rest of the confessors and the priest. It is not allowed to embarrass the people who came to this work. There is no need to confess one category of sins and leave another for later. Those sins that were named last time are not reread again. It is desirable to perform the sacrament with the same priest. In the sacrament, a person repents not before the confessor, but before the Lord God.
In large churches, many penitents gather and in this case they use "general confession". The bottom line is that the priest pronounces common sins, and those who confess repent. Further, everyone must come under the permissive prayer. When confession takes place for the first time, you should not come to such a general procedure.
First time visit private confession, if there is none, then at a general confession it is necessary to take the last place in line and listen to what they say to the priest at confession. It is advisable to explain the whole situation to the priest, he will tell you how to confess for the first time. Then comes true repentance. If in the process of repentance a person kept silent about a grave sin, then he will not be forgiven. At the end of the sacrament, a person is obliged, after reading the permissive prayer, to kiss the Gospel and the cross, which lie on the lectern.
Proper preparation for the sacrament
On fasting days, which last seven days, fasting is established. Diet should not include fish, dairy, meat and egg products. On such days, sexual intercourse should not be performed. Must go to church frequently. Read the Penitential Canon and observe the rules of prayer. On the eve of the sacrament, you must arrive at the service in the evening. Before going to bed, you should read the canons of the Archangel Michael, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. If this is not possible, such prayer rules can be shifted for several days during fasting.
Children have a hard time remembering and perceiving prayer rules, so you should choose the amount that you can afford, but you need to discuss this with the confessor. To prepare gradually 
increase the number of prayer rules. Most people confuse the rules of confession and communion. Here it is necessary to prepare in stages. To do this, you should ask the priest for advice, who will tell you about more accurate preparation.
sacrament of communion carried out on an empty stomach, you should not eat food and water from 12 o'clock, you should also not smoke. This does not apply to children under seven years of age. But they need to be accustomed to this a year before the adult sacrament. Morning prayers should also be read for Holy Communion. During the morning confession, it is necessary to arrive at the right time without delay.
Participle
The sacrament was established by the Lord God at the Last Supper, when Christ broke bread with the disciples and drank wine with them. Participle helps to enter the kingdom of heaven and therefore incomprehensible to the human mind. Women are not allowed to attend communion in makeup, and on ordinary Sundays, they should wipe their lips from their lips. On menstrual days, women are not allowed to the Sacrament., as well as those who have recently given birth, for the latter, you need to read the prayer of the fortieth day.
When the priest comes out with the Sacred Gifts, participants are required to bow. Next, you need to carefully listen to the prayers, repeating to yourself. Then you should fold your arms in a cross on your chest and go to the bowl. Children should go first, then men, and then women. Near the cup, one's name is pronounced, and thus, the communicant accepts the Gifts of the Lord. After Communion, the deacon processes his lips with the help of a plate, then you need to kiss the edge of the bowl and go to the table. Here a person takes a drink and uses the prosphora part.
At the end, the participants listen to prayers and pray until the end of the service. Then you should go to the cross and carefully listen to the prayer of thanksgiving. In the end, everyone goes home, but in the church one cannot speak empty words and interfere with each other. On this day, you need to behave with dignity and not defile your purity with sinful deeds.
