About Communion on Bright and Continuous Weeks.
Liturgy is a divine service at which the Sacrament of the Transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts and the communion of believers are performed.You can receive communion whenever the liturgy is being served.. During Christmastide and Bright Week, modest food is allowed, but it is not at all prescribed to eat modest food, such as, for example, the obligatory fasting. If a person prefers communion to scrambled eggs or ham, is this really a sin and an anti-Orthodox act? The famous preacher priest Belotsvetov in his sermons called on Christians to take communion every day during Bright Week, pointing out that this is an ancient custom.
During the Eucharistic canon, the priest, in the name of Christ, says: “Drink of it, all of you, this is My Blood,” calling on all who are ready to receive the Sacrament to receive communion. And the priest, contrary to the words of Christ, says: “Do not eat the Body of Christ, do not drink His Blood, because Lent is over.” It seems to me that this is a mistake bordering on blasphemy. This error was pointed out by Saint Theophan the Recluse and especially righteous John Kronstadt, and among the modern elders - schema-abbot Savva.
Some ignorant clergy, having read in ancient breviaries that it was necessary to eat meat on Easter, decided that this was obligatory. In fact, such a rule had local and temporary significance, namely: in the Manichaean sects (Paulicians, Bogomils), whose members pretended to be Orthodox Christians and even formed their own cells in monasteries, meat was considered bad, and they tried never to violate this prohibition. Therefore, eating meat on Easter was evidence that the person secretly did not belong to Manichaeism. This rule, long abolished, in its mutilated form sounds like this: “Now is not the time to receive communion; go, my dear, eat cabbage soup with meat.”
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 familiar 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 reduce 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. The life of St. Macarius the Great tells how a priest, who arbitrarily excluded people from communion, was severely punished with many years of paralysis, and was healed only through the prayers of the saint. Macaria. St. especially sharply denounced John of Kronstadt 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.
Those who deny people communion of the Holy Mysteries, without cases of penance, cannot provide any grounds for this, except for such “folklore” expressions as “this is not porridge to eat often.” The liturgy itself is a divine service at which the sacrament of transmuting bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is performed for the communion of believers. If it were not possible to receive communion on Bright Week, then the Church would not bless to serve the liturgy on these days at all, and thereby turn them into some kind of empty flower.
Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)
2. The path to God - conversations with Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin).
During times of persecution, Christians lived in constant spiritual tension and were always ready to meet Christ. When the persecution stopped, the spiritual tension of Christians weakened, and they already needed more or less lengthy preparation for receiving the Sacraments of the Church, be it Baptism or Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
In our Russian Orthodox Church, over the course of several centuries, a pious tradition of fasting before Communion has developed. But not everyone knows that the First Apostolic patristic feeling of the need for frequent communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ was revived here in Russia only in late XIX century, thanks to pious shepherds calling people to unite at the Chalice of Christ.
For several centuries, our society has developed a rather deplorable tradition of rare Communion. Many of our ancestors considered it their Christian duty to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ once a year. Even such an attitude arose towards Communion as the fulfillment of Christian duty. In such a situation, it is quite natural to spend many days preparing for Communion. A person tried to attend church services a week in advance, prepare for confession, the day before he went to the bathhouse, washing himself physically, on the day of Communion he put on his best festive clothes, and thus went to church to receive communion.
Rare Communion is not the norm for the life of a Christian. A Christian person experiencedly understands and realizes the need to approach the Chalice of Christ as often as possible, drawing those spiritual and physical strengths that are necessary in the fight against the sinful aspirations of our fallen nature. Regarding preparation for Communion, I can offer you the practice that I have adopted and am guided by it in my pastoral work. When preparing to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a Christian must undoubtedly observe prayer rule, strive to read the prayers for Holy Communion. If a person is already quite a church member and has been living the life of an Orthodox Christian for many years, it is necessary to strive to read the canons prescribed by the Church Charter. Of course, on the eve of Communion one should refrain from marital communication. And the most important thing, the first thing you should pay attention to before Communion, is forgiveness of offenses and inner kindness. If this is not the case, then we can receive Communion only under condemnation.
Regarding bodily fasting in nutrition, I think that you can do this. If a person is Orthodox Christian, who has been going to church for several years, observes all four fasts prescribed by the Church Charter, tries to observe fast days (Wednesday and Friday), then in this case during the continuous weeks of Holy Week, on Christmastide, as well as during the continuous weeks of other church periods , you can receive communion without bodily fasting without restricting yourself in food, accordingly observing the Eucharistic fast - not eating anything after 12 o'clock at night.
All Christians know that the sacrament of communion is preceded by confession and fasting, but how to prepare for communion on Bright Week is not clear to everyone, because the whole next week after Happy Easter fasting is not observed, since all Orthodox Christians rejoice and have fun, celebrating the great day of the resurrection of Christ.
How to prepare for communion on Easter week?
A church minister can be allowed to take communion only if the Orthodox has observed. In addition, it is recommended to serve in the church the night before and not eat anything after midnight, that is, to come to the sacrament on an empty stomach. It is obligatory to confess, but if the parishioner has already confessed to Holy Week, the priest can free him from this duty. In any case, you should approach him and ask for a blessing for communion.
Instead of the canons for communion, on the days of preparation one should read the Easter canon, the stichera of Easter and the Follow-up to Holy Communion. It will be very good if a parishioner can visit the temple on Bright Week as often as possible in order to continually practice psalms and sing spiritual songs, rejoice and triumph in Christ, listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures.
Some nuancesIt is worth mentioning separately about those who already confess quite often and receive communion throughout the year. Some clergy believe that you should not take communion often, because you can get used to receiving the sacrament and cease to be aware of the spiritual trembling and fear of God. Even the schema-monks and the ministers of the church themselves do not receive communion every day, therefore, without special need, communion is not carried out on Bright Week. Those who come from an area where there is no church, those who are sick, those about to undergo surgery, etc. can attend the meeting. In general, out of great necessity, although much will depend on the confessor himself and on the order that has developed in a given 
specific temple.
In any case, all questions arising in this regard must be resolved with your confessor. To do this, you need to choose one temple and try to visit it, so that it is easier for the priest to decide and understand what to advise a person, whether to recommend communion or not. Everything is very relative and what is possible for one may be prohibited for another. Much depends on how many sins a person has accumulated during his life and whether he is ready to bear active repentance. Now it’s clear how to prepare for communion during the continuous week, and if something is unclear, you can always clarify it with your confessor.
The continuous week is coming to an end - one of the preparatory weeks before Lent. In this regard, many parishioners have a question: how to receive communion on the coming Saturday and Sunday, since the usual preparation for receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ includes, among other things, bodily fasting? Should one dare to approach the Chalice without fasting, or, on the contrary, should one fast in the usual manner and at the same time ignore the provisions of the church charter, which presupposes the absence of fasting during the entire week, even on Wednesday and Friday? Or maybe you shouldn’t start communion at all during this period?
For an explanation of this difficult moment for many, the website of the Moscow Church of St. Prophet Elijah in Cherkizovo addressed several respected and authoritative clergy. They were asked to answer two questions: is it possible to receive communion during the whole week and on the following Sunday? If so, how should one prepare for communion on these days?
Deputy of the Solovetsky Stauropegial monastery Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov):
– In understanding this issue, we need to separate the abundance of pastoral practices and private opinions that may exist, and the requirements of the charter. There is a limit to private theological opinions and pastoral practices, and in in this case it consists in the fact that the Liturgy is celebrated on this day, which means that the Church blesses the communion of believers.
In my life I have had the opportunity to meet priests who are convinced that communion cannot be given on continuous weeks, and categorically deny this to believers. I had to see how painful this was often for people.
And it’s clear why, because they can be in different spiritual and mental states. For example, there is a period of some special sorrow for a person when he naturally fasts, therefore there will be no sin if during the continuous week he, due to the state of his soul and body, does not eat the sacramental food, but according to the disposition of his soul, he is directed towards communion and seeks Christ's help in difficult circumstances. Therefore, it is possible, necessary and necessary to receive communion in such cases, and the Church, as a loving Mother, in no case rejects her children from this strengthening - the greatest that she can give - through the communion of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
The wise church charter knows continuous weeks. At the same time, this does not mean that you can not prepare for communion during this period by fasting and prayer. During continuous weeks, as always, preparation for communion is necessary, but specific questions must be left to the discretion of the shepherd and his spiritual child: for example, name days can happen during this period - how can a believer fast in order to receive communion with dignity? When considering such issues, there are many individual, private circumstances that need to be taken into account.
Well, in general, if there is a relaxation of fasting and, in particular, its complete abolition on Wednesday and Friday during the continuous week, then it seems that a certain relaxation in this part of the preparation can be provided for. This is a matter of individual spiritual judgment between the shepherd and the flock.
Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, rector of the Moscow Church of the Resurrection on the Assumption Enemy, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov:
- Of course, you can take communion. On those days when you cannot receive communion and the Liturgy is not served, for example, on Good Friday on Holy Week.
Preparation for communion during the whole week depends on the person and how often he receives communion. I think that for those who receive communion often—say, every week—it is enough to observe the established fasts. This rule is basically followed by the clergy. How do you impose burdens on others that you yourself do not bear? I think this is bad and wrong. But for those who receive communion very rarely - say, once a year or even less often - and for some reason need the Sacrament precisely on these days, I would probably advise fasting for at least a few days, even though the week is continuous .
The main preparation, of course, is not in the diet, but in the examination of conscience, in the thirst for another life: “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup” (1 Cor. 11:28).
First Deputy Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, Rector of the Patriarchal Compound - Church St. Seraphim Sarovsky on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment in Moscow, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov:
– There is no Divine Liturgy during which believers cannot partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And in this sense, no continuous week is a period when Orthodox man should not receive communion if he has the urge and desire to do so.
Regarding the question of whether one should fast before communion during the whole week, then, guided by the spirit and letter of the Typikon, it should be noted that to establish a fast for oneself at a time when the Church abolishes it means, at a minimum, to be selfish and impose burdens , which do not need to be imposed.
From the point of view of external preparation for communion, everything is simple: during the whole week, eat what is allowed, that is, modest, but do not give yourself a feast “from the belly” on the eve of communion. After all, it is clear that on a fast day you can eat three kilograms fried potatoes to the point of then suffering from indigestion, this will also not be a proper way of preparing for the reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Moreover, you should refrain from inappropriate drinking of alcohol.
What obstacles may arise for those wishing to receive communion during the continuous week? From my point of view, there can be only one obstacle: it is unacceptable for someone who deliberately and craftily postpones communion to begin the Holy Mysteries. whole week so as not to prepare for it. Suppose a person takes communion three or four times a year, and instead of waiting for Lent, talking, getting together, he says: “I’ll take communion during the whole week after the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, on Maslenitsa and on Bright Week - that’s possible.” will not fast before receiving the Holy Mysteries.” It is clear that if the idea of communion during this period is not aspiration to Christ, but an escape from fasting, then a person who is guided by such thoughts is acting craftily; he can be advised, for the benefit of his spiritual and physical health, to think about himself and not take communion for now.
Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs, Abbot of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Stavropegic Monastery in Moscow, Abbot Isidor (Tupikin):
– It is not only possible, but also necessary to receive communion during the continuous week. The celebration of the Divine Liturgy by a priest presupposes the communion of those present.
What about fasting before communion? If we are talking about the so-called “practicing” believers (who often take communion and understand the meaning of fasting), then with the individual blessing of the confessor it is possible to receive communion without fasting for many days - it will be enough just to abstain from fasting food and other pleasures the day before.
Participation in the Sacrament of Confession before communion, heartfelt repentance and awareness of our unworthiness before God opens up for us the opportunity to receive communion not only during the week of the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee, but also on Bright Week and Christmastide.
Associate Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, editor-in-chief of the scientific theological portal “Bogoslov.ru” Archpriest Pavel Velikanov:
– Can there be such a situation in the Church that Divine Liturgy served “for no one”? After all, the priest does not serve for himself: “What is Yours from Yours is offered to You ABOUT EVERYONE AND FOR EVERYTHING.” Of course, you can take communion during the whole week, and it is especially useful on the eve of Great Lent, in order to protect yourself from opinions about the significance of our “deeds.” The All-Wise Church calls us to minimize all our exploits - even those usually performed in preparation for communion - and to boldly approach the Chalice, but not with an arrogant feeling - “and in this I am completely obedient to the Church!” - and with the opposite feeling of one’s own lewdness, with a heightened sense of need for God - exactly the same as the publican had.
The issue of preparing for communion requires an individual approach, but in general, as it seems to me, during this week it makes sense to preserve only that essential minimum, without which it would be simply arrogance to dare to approach the Chalice - namely, to preserve the prayerful reading of the Rule for Communion, without three canons and akathist - just as it happens on Bright Week. Only on Easter are we filled with the grace of the Risen Christ, but here we degrade ourselves to the extreme, not observing fasting, limiting ourselves not only in the choice of food, but in its quantity. After all, you can get up with a slight feeling of hunger even from the table with quick dishes.
And it is also very good, as a preparation for a meeting with the Seeker of the heart, to finally take and do that very good deed that has been put “on the back burner” for so long. And, having done it, do not think about yourself, but consider this act to be nothing more than the return of an old debt. And, bowing your eyes downwards, go towards Christ - to the Chalice with His Body and Blood.
Prepared by the editors of the website Hramilii.ru
From the editor " Kievan Rus" comments Fr. Andrey Dudchenko: It is certainly possible and necessary to receive communion on continuous weeks, just as on other days church year. However, too often, when answering such questions, we focus on the confessor, on whose conscience we place responsibility for admitting a layman to the Chalice. Yes, the priest is called to teach and guide his flock - both by word and by personal example. But the laity should also grow and take responsibility. Of course, when a person receives communion rarely, he must first ask the priest for advice on how to prepare. A confessor is an advisor, but not a “steward” of the Holy Gifts! Ultimately, the question is the frequency of communion, preparation for it, etc. should be on the conscience of every conscious Christian. Let us especially stipulate that the issue of abstaining from fast food on the eve of communion should also be left on the conscience of each believer - this is not required by canonical rules, and clergy do not apply such a requirement to themselves. And what you don’t observe yourself, don’t demand from others.
In the Orthodox world, the calendar year begins with the Nativity Fast, which continues until the Nativity of Christ. On January 7, a continuous week begins, called the Christmastide Church, and among the people simply called Christmastide.
Traditionally, multi-day fasts are intended for introspection, prayer and spiritual deeds. During fasting, there are special rules that cannot be broken. As a rule, the week is divided into Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when only food is allowed, Tuesday and Thursday, when hot food without oil is allowed, and Saturday and Sunday, when it is permissible to add vegetable oil into dishes.
Continuous weeks serve as a consolation after many days of fasting, help to stock up on strength before the upcoming spiritual test (after all, there are several fasts), and do not allow one to imagine oneself as “eternally limiting oneself as a faster.”
A continuous week is the week from Monday to Sunday, when even weekly fasts on Wednesday and Friday are canceled, and it is allowed to eat any food.
Such weeks are often preparatory to the 4 main Lents (Great, Petrov, Dormition and Nativity) and are tied to church holidays.
Types of weeks
During the year in Orthodox calendar The Church has established five continuous weeks before one or another fast.
Holy Week
The end of the Nativity Fast will mark the beginning of Holy Week. Strictly speaking, it lasts not seven days, but 11. The week covers the period from the Birthday of Christ, who came into our world in the name of the salvation of mankind, until the Baptism of the Lord - from 7 to 18 January.
“Holy days” or “Holy evenings” have been revered in the Church since ancient times. These days, by Charter Pr. Savva the Sanctified was forbidden to fast, genuflect and marry.
The sanctity of the continuous week was violated by remnants of pagan holidays: for example, fortune telling.
Week of the Publican and Pharisee
The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee received its name thanks to the parable of the same name from the Gospel of Luke, which talks about the need for humility, not pride and exaltation of one’s virtues.
The Publican and the Pharisee are the heroes of the parable who came to repentance. The second convinced himself of his own exaltation and closeness to God so much that he stopped noticing his own pride, and the first sincerely admitted his sins and asked for forgiveness.
This Week is one of a series of preparatory weeks on the eve of Great Lent.
The Church Charter does not establish the exact date of the continuous week, because it is tied to the date of Easter. Such a week must take place 14 days before the start of the fast.
Week of the Prodigal Son
Before Great Lent there is another preparatory week - the Week of the Prodigal Son. The Gospel of Luke contains a parable that tells the story of a father and son. A son wandering around the world, having squandered everything that was in his soul and given by his father, returns home to sincerely beg for forgiveness, and receives it.
Drawing an analogy, before Great Lent it is necessary to repent of sins and return to the bosom of the church, hoping for His mercy.
Week of the Last Judgment
The last 7 days before Great Lent in Orthodoxy, the Parable of the Last Judgment, and the whole week is dedicated to the memory of the deceased, inveterate and not inveterate by the church. These days we should remember that God is a fair judge, and not only merciful.
Carnival
Pagan Maslenitsa actually merged with the last preparatory week before Lent, the continuous Cheese Week, which is revered Orthodox churches. In the Christian sense, during Cheese Week it is necessary to devote oneself to communication with neighbors and reconciliation with them.
The emergence of such a church tradition is associated with the vow of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius I, who waged a grueling war with the Persians. He made a vow not to eat meat a week before the start of Lent, and when the victory was won, the Church included such a rule in the Charter.
A distinctive feature of Cheese Week is food restrictions associated with the proximity of fasting. This week you can eat fish, dairy products, cheese and eggs, but meat dishes are no longer allowed.
Bright Week
During Easter week, Jesus met with his disciples several times until they finally believed what had happened. The Savior’s last meeting was with the Apostle Thomas, who for the longest time refused to believe in the resurrection of the Lord and wanted to see the wounds and be convinced of the miracle.
Christ gave him such a chance by personally visiting Thomas, returning the student to true path. The example of the apostle shows that the Church does not close the door to a person who wants to believe, but does not have the inner strength to do so.
The first week after Easter is called Bright Week - a time of joy, happiness, and a great miracle.
At this time, all services will be similar to Easter.
It is strictly forbidden to observe fasting, asceticism, and even kneel. Throughout the whole week, people celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord: they rejoice and have fun. You can eat any food on all days.
Trinity Week
The last continuous week in the calendar year is Trinity, following the feast of the Holy Trinity - the Birthday of the Church. According to legend, it was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them the knowledge of languages.
In total, according to the Bible, there were 9 such gifts, including the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit descended on believers, giving them the opportunity to attract those who do not have faith to the Church and edify themselves and others.
During the week you will be able to eat whatever you want - the restrictions of Lent are ahead.
The end of Trinity Week is also the beginning of the summer Petrov (Apostolic) fast, which has different durations, but always ends on July 12 - the Day of Peter and Paul.
Orthodox fasts and weeks are inseparable from each other: the former provide an opportunity to accomplish a spiritual feat, purify oneself and engage in introspection, while the latter provide time to take a break from asceticism and experience the other side of life. It is important to remember that continuous weeks are not given for continuous fun, but for thoughtful fun - each of them is filled with inner meaning, open to believers.
If you don’t understand something, your faith is not strong, or you are looking for a mentor, go to church. Pray to God or talk to a minister.
