In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beginning prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who exists everywhere and fills everything, Source of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Lord, forgive our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be it Your name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Lord, have mercy. (12 times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall before Christ, the King, our God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow and fall before Christ Himself, our King and God. (Bow)
Psalm 22
The Lord is my Shepherd; I will lack for nothing: He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters, He strengthens my soul, He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff - they calm me. Thou hast prepared a table before me in the sight of my enemies; anointed my head with oil; my cup is overflowing. Thus, may Thy goodness and mercy accompany me all the days of my life, and I will abide in the house of the Lord many days.
Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord's and the things that fill it, the universe and everything that lives in it, for He founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers. Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place? The one whose hands are innocent and whose heart is pure, who has not sworn with his soul in vain and has not sworn falsely to his neighbor, will receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God, his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, those who seek Your face, O God of Jacob! Lift up your heights, O gates, and be lifted up, O eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter! Who is this King of glory? - The Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord is mighty in battle. Lift up your heights, O gates, and be lifted up, O eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter! Who is this King of glory? - The Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory.
Psalm 115
I believed, and therefore I said: I am greatly broken. I said in my rashness: every man is a liar. What will I repay to the Lord for all His good deeds to me? I will accept the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord before all His people. The death of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord! Oh my God! I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer you a sacrifice of praise, and I will call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem! Hallelujah.
And troparia, tone 8:
Despise my iniquities, O Lord, born of a Virgin, and cleanse my heart, making it a temple of Your most pure Body and Blood; do not cast me away from Your face, for Your mercy is immeasurably great.
Glory: How can I, unworthy, dare to partake of Your holy things? After all, if I dare to approach You together with those worthy, my clothes convict me, for this is not what they wear to supper, and I will bring condemnation on my sinful soul. Cleanse, O Lord, the filth of my soul and save me, for You are a Lover of mankind.
And now: My many sins, Mother of God, are countless; I resort to You, Pure One, in need of salvation. Look mercifully at my weak soul and pray to Your Son and our God to give me forgiveness for the grave sins I have committed, O Blessed One.
During Lent we add the following troparion:
When the glorious disciples were enlightened during their washing at the evening, then the wicked Judas, sick with the love of money, became darkened and betrayed You, the righteous Judge, to the lawless judges. Look, collector of estates, at the one who hanged himself because of them. Flee from the insatiable soul that dealt so impudently with the Teacher. Merciful Lord to all, glory to You!
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, blot out my iniquities. Wash me often from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I am aware of my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. You, You alone, have I sinned and done evil in Your sight, so that You are righteous in Your judgment and pure in Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sin. Behold, Thou hast loved the truth in my heart, and hast shown me [Thy] wisdom within me. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, and the bones broken by You will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation and strengthen me with the sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from [the guilt of shedding] blood, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise: for You do not desire sacrifice, I would give it; You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; You will not despise a contrite and humble heart, O God. Bless, [Lord,] Zion according to Your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem: then the sacrifices of righteousness, the heave-hoist and the burnt offering will be acceptable to You; Then they will place bullocks on Your altar.
Canon, voice 2
Song 1
Irmos: Come people, let us sing a song to Christ God, who divided the sea and led the people through it, whom He brought out of slavery in Egypt, for He was glorified.
(At each song of the canon, after the irmos (before the first troparion) one should say: "The heart is pure create in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” , before the next troparion - “Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”. Before the Mother of God - « Holy Mother of God, save us!).
May Your holy Body, merciful Lord, be the bread of eternal life for me, and the precious Blood be healing from various ailments.
Defiled by obscene deeds, accursed, the communion of Your most pure Body and Divine Blood, I am unworthy, Christ, but make me worthy.
Good land, blessed Bride of God, who brought forth the saving ear of the world, vouchsafe me, by eating It, to be saved.
Song 3
Irmos: You have established me on the rock of faith, You have opened my mouth against my enemies; for my spirit rejoiced, singing, “There is none so holy as our God, and none is righteous except Thee, O Lord.”
Give me tears, Christ, drops that cleanse the filth of my heart, so that with a clear conscience, with faith and fear, I may begin to partake of Your Divine Gifts.
May Your most pure Body and divine Blood be for me for forgiveness of sins, for communion with the Holy Spirit and for eternal life, O Lover of Mankind, and for deliverance from passions and sorrows.
Theotokos: The Most Holy Table of the Bread of Life, who in His mercy came down from on high and gives to the world new life! Now deign me, unworthy, to taste it with fear and be alive.
Song 4
Irmos: Not an intercessor, not an angel, but You Yourself, Lord, came, incarnate from the Virgin, and saved all of me, a man; Therefore I cry to You: glory to Your power, O Lord!
You, having become incarnate for our sake, desired, O Most Merciful One, to be slain like a sheep for human sins. Therefore, I beg You: cleanse my sins too.
Heal the souls of my wounds, Lord, and sanctify me entirely, and grant me, O Lord, that I, the accursed one, may partake of Your mystical Divine Supper.
Theotokos: Pray to the One who was born of You, Lady, to be merciful to me, and keep me, Your servant, undefiled and immaculate, so that, having accepted Him as a spiritual pearl, I may be sanctified.
Song 5
Irmos: Lord, Giver of Light and Creator of Times! Guide us with the light of Your commandments; for we know no other God besides You.
What You Yourself predicted, Christ, be it to Your insignificant servant and, as You promised, abide in me; for behold, I eat Your Divine Body and drink Your Blood.
O Word of God the Father and God! May the burning coal of Your Body serve me, the darkened one, for enlightenment, and Your Blood - for the cleansing of my desecrated soul.
Theotokos: Mary, Mother of God, precious receptacle of fragrance! Through Your prayers make me a chosen vessel, so that I may be a partaker of the holy things of Your Son.
Song 6
Irmos: Having plunged into the abyss of sin, I call on the incomprehensible abyss of Your mercy, God, lead me out of destruction!
Sanctify my mind, soul, heart and body, O Savior, and deign, O Lord, to approach the terrible Mysteries without condemnation.
By communion of Your holy Mysteries, Christ, may I be freed from passions and receive an increase in Your grace and strengthening of life.
Theotokos: God, Holy Word God! Through the prayers of Your Holy Mother, sanctify me in all respects, as I now approach Your Divine Mysteries.
Kontakion
Do not forbid me, Christ, to accept today Bread - Your Body and Your divine Blood; Let the communion of Thy most pure, O Lord, and terrible Mysteries not be a judgment for me, a wretched one, but for eternal and immortal life.
Song 7
Irmos: The wise young men did not bow to the golden idol, but they themselves entered the flames, and their idols were ridiculed; They cried out in the midst of the flames, and an Angel watered them, announcing: “The prayer of your lips has already been heard!”
May the communion of Your immortal Mysteries, Christ, now be a source of blessings for me, light, life, victory over passions, and serve for the success and increase of divine virtue, so that I may glorify You, the only merciful one.
May I be delivered from passions, and enemies, and troubles, and all sorrow, now with trembling and love, coming with reverence to Thy, O Lover of Mankind, immortal and divine Mysteries, and grant me worthy to sing to Thee: blessed are Thou, God of our fathers!
Theotokos: Having incomprehensibly given birth to the Savior Christ, blessed by God, I now pray to You, Thy pure and unclean servant: cleanse me, who now wants to begin the most pure Mysteries, from the filth of flesh and spirit.
Song 8
Irmos: Glorify God as Lord into the fiery furnace among the Jewish youths and turn the flame into dew and exalt him to all ages.
Vouchsafe your heavenly, terrible, and holy Mysteries, O Christ, and your divine and mystical Supper to me, the despairing one, O God, my Savior!
Having resorted to Your mercy, O Good One, I appeal to You with fear: “Abide in me, Savior, and I, as You said, in You; for behold, daring in Thy mercy, I eat Thy Body and drink Thy Blood!”
Theotokos: I tremble, accepting the fire, lest I burn like wax and like grass. O terrible mystery! O mercy of God! How can I, insignificant, partake of the Divine Body and Blood and become incorruptible?
Song 9
Irmos: The Son of the Beginningless Parent, God and Lord, incarnate from the Virgin, appeared to us to enlighten the darkened, to gather the scattered. That is why we magnify the Mother of God who is glorified by everyone.
May I be sanctified in soul and body, Master, may I be enlightened, may I be saved, may I be Your house, through the communion of the sacred Sacraments, having You living in me with the Father and the Spirit, O most merciful Benefactor.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. May Your Body and Most Holy Blood, my Savior, be like fire and like light to me, burning up everything sinful in me and consuming the thorns of passions, and enlightening me all for the worship of Your Divinity.
And now and always, and forever and ever. God became incarnate from Your pure blood. Therefore, every generation sings praises to You, Lady, and multitudes of the Bodiless glorify You, for through You they clearly saw the Ruler over all, who took on human nature.
It is truly worthy to glorify You, Mother of God, always blessed and most immaculate, Mother of our God, more honorable than the cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim, who gave birth to the incorruptible God of the Word, we magnify You as the true Mother of God.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us! There is no justification for us, and we, sinners, offer this prayer to You, Master: have mercy on us!
Glory: God! Have mercy on us, for we trust in You. Do not be angry with us and do not remember our iniquities: but turn Your gaze on us now, for You are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies, for You are our God and we are Your people, we are all the work of Your hands and we call on Your name .
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, trusting in You, may we not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You, for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord, have mercy. (40) And bows as much as you want.
Then the following verses: Wanting to taste, man, the Body of the Lord, / approach in fear, so as not to be scorched, for this is fire. / When you drink the divine Blood for communion, / first make peace with those who grieve you. / Then boldly taste the mysterious food.
And other verses: Before communion of the terrible sacrifice, / the life-giving Body of the Lord, / pray in this way with trembling.
Prayer 1, St. Basil the Great.
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the source of life and immortality, the Creator of all creation, visible and invisible, the Son of the beginningless Father, together with Him, eternal and beginningless, in the last days, by immeasurable mercy, clothed in flesh, crucified and buried for us, the ungrateful and evil-willed. Who renewed our nature, damaged by sin, with His blood! Yourself, immortal King, accept repentance from me, a sinner, incline Your ear to me and hear my words: I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned before heaven and before You and I am not worthy to raise my eyes to the height of Your glory, for I have angered Your mercy by transgressing Your commandments and not listening to Your commands.
But You, Lord, gentle, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, did not leave me to perish with my iniquities, waiting in every possible way for my conversion. You, O Lover of Mankind, Yourself said through Your prophet: “I absolutely do not want the death of a sinner; but I want him to convert and live.” After all, You do not want, Lord, to destroy the creation of Your hands, You do not want the destruction of people. But you want everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, although I am unworthy of heaven and earth and this fleeting life, having subordinated myself entirely to sin, and enslaved myself to pleasures, and darkened Your image in myself, but, being Your creation and creation, I do not despair of my salvation, accursed, to I boldly come to Your immeasurable mercy. Accept me, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, as a harlot, as a thief, as a publican and as a prodigal son, and remove from me the heavy burden of sins; You, who lifts up the sin of the world and the infirmities of men, who heals, who calls those who labor and are burdened to Yourself and gives them peace, who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance, cleanse me from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and teach me to lead a holy life in fear of You. so that I, with a clear testimony of my conscience, accepting part of Your holy things, unite with Your holy Body and Blood and have You dwelling and abiding in me, with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Truly so, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, and may the communion of Your most pure and life-giving Sacraments not be a judgment against me, and may I not become weak in soul and body from their unworthy communion, but grant me, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept part of the holy things Yours - in communication with the Holy Spirit, in parting words of eternal life, in a favorable response to the Last Judgment Yours, so that I, along with all Your chosen ones, may become a participant in Your incorruptible blessings, which You have prepared for those who love You, O Lord, in which You are glorified forever. Amen.
Prayer 2, St. John Chrysostom
Lord my God! I know that I am unworthy and not suitable for You to enter under the roof of the house of my soul, because it is empty and collapsed, and you will not find in me a place worthy to lay your head. But how You from heavenly heights appeared on earth for us in a humble form; descend also now to my misery. And just as You deigned to lie down in the cave and in the manger of dumb beasts, enter also into the manger of my foolish soul and into my defiled body. Just as you did not disdain to enter and dine with sinners in the house of Simon the leper, deign also to enter the house of my humble soul, leper and sinner. And just as You did not reject a harlot and a sinner like me, who came and touched You, so have pity on me, a sinner, who comes and touches You. And just as you did not disdain the uncleanness of her defiled lips that kissed You, do not also disdain my even more unclean and foul lips and my disgusting, unclean and defiled lips, and my even more unclean tongue.
But may the burning coal of Your most holy Body and Your precious Blood be for me to sanctify, enlighten and strengthen my humble soul and body, to alleviate the burden of many of my sins, to preserve me from all the snares of the devil, to eliminate and curb my evil and vicious habits, in mortification of passions, to keep Your commandments, to increase Your divine grace and gain Your Kingdom. After all, I do not come to You negligently, Christ God, but with bold hope in Your ineffable goodness, so that I do not become the prey of a spiritual wolf if I avoid communication with You for a long time.
Therefore, I pray to You, for You alone are holy, Master, sanctify my soul and body, mind and heart, and all my inward parts, renew me entirely, root Your fear in my members, and make Your sanctification unchangeably be in me. And be my helper and intercessor, ruling my life in the world, so that I may become worthy of becoming right hand from You with Your saints through the prayers and intercessions of Your Most Pure Mother, Your immaterial servants and the Most Pure Powers, and all the saints who have pleased You from the ages. Amen.
Prayer 3, St. Simeon Metaphrastus
The only pure and incorruptible Lord, who, out of unspeakable compassion and love for mankind, took upon Himself all our nature from the pure and immaculate blood of the Virgin, who supernaturally gave birth to You by the Divine Spirit by the influx and favor of the eternal Father, Christ Jesus, the Wisdom of God, and peace, and power! You, who accepted the life-giving and saving sufferings of Your flesh: the Cross, nails, spear, death, kill my bodily passions that are harmful to the soul. By Your burial, having destroyed the kingdom of hell, bury my bad intentions with good thoughts and scatter the spirits of evil. By Your life-giving resurrection on the third day of the fallen forefather, raise up me too, who slipped through sin, offering me the means of repentance. By Your glorious Ascension, having deified the flesh and given it the honor of sitting at the right hand of the Father, grant me the communion of Your holy Mysteries to stand together with the saved on the right side. By the descent of the Comforter of the Spirit, having made Thy sacred disciples into precious vessels, show me also to be the receptacle of His coming. Coming again to righteously judge the universe, deign also for me to meet You, my Creator and Maker, on the clouds with all Your saints, so that I endlessly glorify and glorify You, with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always , and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 4, St. John of Damascus
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, merciful and philanthropic, who alone has the power to forgive the sins of people, despise all my sins, conscious and ignorant, and make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Your divine, glorious, most pure and life-giving Mysteries, not as a burden, not as torment. , not for the multiplication of sins, but for cleansing, sanctification, as a pledge of future life and kingdom, for protection, for protection, for the defeat of enemies, for the destruction of many of my sins. For You are the God of mercy and generosity and love for mankind, and to You we send up glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 5, St. Basil the Great
I know, Lord, that I unworthily partake of Your most pure Body and Your honest Blood, and I am guilty, and I eat and drink condemnation for myself, not realizing that this is Your Body and Blood, Christ and my God. But, trusting in Your mercies, I come to You, who said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood, he abides in Me, and I in him.” Be merciful, O Lord, and do not expose me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy, and may this Shrine serve me for healing, cleansing, enlightenment, for the protection, salvation and sanctification of soul and body, for driving away every dream and evil deed, and the influence of the devil, manifested through thoughts in my members; in boldness and love for You, in correcting life and strengthening it, in increasing virtue and perfection, in fulfilling the commandments, in communication with the Holy Spirit, in parting words eternal life, as a favorable response at Your Last Judgment, and not as a condemnation.
Prayer 6, St. John Chrysostom
God, weaken, let go, forgive me my sins that I have sinned before You: either in word, or in deed, or in thought, voluntarily or involuntarily, consciously or out of ignorance, forgive me everything, as a good and Lover of mankind. And through the prayers of Your most pure Mother, Your immaterial servants and holy Powers and all the saints who have pleased You from the ages, deign me to accept, not for condemnation, Your holy and most pure Body and precious Blood, but for the healing of soul and body, and for the cleansing of my evil thoughts , for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 7, St. John Chrysostom
I am not worthy, Lord Lord, for You to enter under the roof of my soul, but since You, as a Lover of mankind, want to live in me, I approach with boldness. You command that I open the gates created by You alone, and You would enter them with Your characteristic love for mankind and enlighten my darkened mind. I believe that You will do this, for You did not drive away the harlot who came to You with tears, and did not reject the publican who brought repentance, and did not drive away the thief who recognized the King in You; and the persecutor who turned to You did not leave what he was; but to all who came to You with repentance, You gave a place in the host of Your friends, the only Blessed One always, now and in endless centuries. Amen.
Prayer 8, St. John Chrysostom
Lord Jesus Christ, my God! Let go, resolve, cleanse and forgive me, Your servant, my mistakes, and sins, and my falls, which I have sinned against You from my youth to this day and hour: consciously or unconsciously, or in words, or deeds, or thoughts, or plans and habits, and all my feelings. And through the prayers of the Most Pure Ever-Virgin Mary, who gave birth to You without a husband, Your Mother, the only undoubted hope, intercession and salvation of me, grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure, immortal, life-giving, and terrible Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins, for eternal life, for sanctification and enlightenment , strengthening, healing and health of soul and body, into the destruction and complete elimination of my unclean thoughts and plans, intentions and night visions of dark and evil spirits. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, the honor and the worship, together with the Father and Your Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 9, St. John of Damascus
I stand before the gates of Your temple, but I do not abandon evil thoughts. But You, Christ God, Who justified the publican, and who had mercy on the Canaanite woman, and who opened the gates of paradise to the thief, open Your humane heart to me too and accept me, who comes and touches You, as a harlot and a bleeding woman: after all, having touched the hem of Your garment, I easily received healing; the other, having embraced Your most pure feet, acquired forgiveness of sins. I am the accursed one, daring to accept Your whole body, may I not be burned, but accept me like those two, and enlighten the feelings of my soul, burning my sins, through the prayers of She who immaculately gave birth to You and through the prayers of the heavenly Powers. For You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
(read by the priest when removing the chalice).
I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and that this is Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, which I have committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure Sacraments for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen.
Now, Son of God, accept me as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. For I will not tell secrets to Your enemies, I will not give You a kiss like Judas. But like a thief I confess You: “Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
When you begin communion, say to yourself the following verses of Symeon Metaphrastus.
Prayers for Holy Communion in Russian
(Translation from the Moscow Theological Academy.
Reprinted from a prayer book published in Moscow in 1874)
Prayers before Communion
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, the source of blessings and the giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and now (now), and ever (always), and forever and ever. Amen (truly so).
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins, Master, forgive our iniquities, Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy (three times). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily (necessary) bread today, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (the evil one is the evil one, the devil) For (because) Thine is the kingdom , and the power and glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Psalm 22
The Lord shepherds (leads) me and does not deprive me of anything. There, in a green place, He settled me and raised me by the still water. He converted my soul, directed me on the path of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even if I walk in the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff - they have comforted me. You have prepared a table for me in view of my oppressors, You have anointed my head with oil, and Your cup gives me drink as if it were excellent! And Your mercy follows me all the days of my life. And I will abide in the house of the Lord many days!
Psalm 23
The Lord's earth and everything that fills it, the universe and all who live in it. He founded it on the seas and built it on the rivers. Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in His holy place? The one who has blameless hands and a pure heart, who in his soul was not carried away by vanity and did not swear deceitfully to his neighbor. This one will receive a blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob! Princes, lift up your gates and stand up, everlasting gates! And the King of Glory will enter. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord is mighty and strong, the Lord is mighty in battle. Princes, lift up your gates and stand up, everlasting gates! And the King of Glory will enter. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Psalm 115
I believed and therefore said: I am very broken. I said in my frenzy: every man is a liar. What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has given me? I will accept the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. God! I am Your servant. I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid. You have broken my bonds. I will offer you a sacrifice of praise and call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, among you, O Jerusalem!
Tropari
Lord, born of a virgin! Despise my iniquities, cleanse my heart and make it a temple of Your most pure Body and Blood, and do not cast me away from Your face, O immeasurably merciful One!
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. How can I, unworthy, dare to partake of Your holy things? If I dare to approach You with those who are worthy, my clothes convict me, because they are not married, and I will deserve the condemnation of my many-sinful soul: cleanse, O Lord, the impurity of my soul and save me, because You love mankind.
And now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen. Our Lady is pure! I have many many sins. I ran to You, seeking salvation. The One Blessed One! Come to the aid of my weary soul and pray to Your Son and our God that He will forgive me for everything that I have done that is wicked.
On Holy Pentecost it is read:
When the glorious disciples were enlightened during their washing at the evening, then the wicked Judas, sick with the love of money, became darkened (in soul), and handed You over, the righteous Judge, to the lawless judges. Look, collector of estates, at the one who hanged himself because of them. Flee the insatiable soul that treated the Teacher so impudently. Merciful Lord to all, glory to You!
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Wash me often from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I am aware of my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. You alone have I sinned and done evil before You, so that You will be righteous in Your judgment and will be victorious when You judge. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. You loved the truth: You showed me the unknown and secret of Your wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop (an herb used in worship) and I will be cleansed, wash me and I will become whiter than snow.
Bring joy and gladness to my hearing, and humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from (shedding) blood, O God, God of my salvation! And my tongue will joyfully praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and they will declare Your praise. If You wanted a sacrifice, I would give it, (but) You do not favor a burnt offering. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart.
Bless Zion, O Lord, according to Your good pleasure, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering, then they will lay bulls on Your altar.
K A N O N (2nd voice)
Song 1
Irmos: Come people, let us sing a hymn to Christ God, who divided the sea and led through it the people whom He brought out of slavery in Egypt; for He is glorified.
Merciful Lord! May Thy Holy Body be to me the bread of life that has no end, and may Thy holy Blood be a cure for various diseases.
Christ! Desecrated by vile deeds, I, pitiful, become unworthy of communion of Your most pure Body and Divine Blood; honor me with it.
Blessed Bride of God, beautiful land, who has grown without cultivation the ear of salvation for the world, grant salvation to me, who partakes of it.
Song 3
Irmos: You who established me on the rock of faith, You have opened my mouth against my enemies; for my spirit rejoiced in singing: there is none so holy as our God, and none is righteous except Thee, O Lord.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Lord Christ! Give me drops of tears that cleanse the impurity of my heart, so that, purified by my conscience, with faith and fear I begin to partake of Your Divine Gifts.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
More humane! May Your Most Pure Body and Divine Blood serve me for the remission of sins, for the communion of the Holy Spirit, for eternal life and liberation from passions and sorrows.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
The most holy meal of living bread, which by His mercy came down from on high and gives new life to the world! Now deign me, unworthy, to taste it with fear in order to be alive.
Song 4
Irmos: Not an intercessor, not an angel, but You Yourself, Lord, came from the Virgin, taking flesh from Her, and saved all of me, a man; Therefore I cry to You: glory to Your power, O Lord!
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Most merciful! For our sake, having become incarnate, You wanted to be slain for the sins of people, like a sheep; Therefore, I humbly beg You: cleanse my sins.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
God! Heal the wounds of my soul and sanctify everything. Master! Honor me, unfortunate one, to partake of You, Your mystical Divine Supper.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Lady! Be merciful to me, who was born of You, and keep me, Your servant, undefiled and immaculate, so that, having accepted the pearl imagined in my mind, I may be sanctified.
Song 5
Irmos: Lord, Giver of Light and Creator of Times! Guide us with the light of Your commandments; for we do not recognize any other God besides You.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Christ! What You yourself said before, let it be done to Your insignificant servant and, as you promised, abide in me; for behold, I eat Your Divine Body and drink Your Blood.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
O Word of God (the Father) and God! May the coal of Your Body serve me, the darkened one, for enlightenment, and Your Blood for the cleansing of my desecrated soul.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Mary, Mother of God, precious receptacle of fragrance! Make me a chosen vessel of Your prayers, so that I may be a partaker of the sanctifications of Your Son.
Song 6
Irmos: Having plunged into the abyss of sin, I call upon the incomprehensible abyss of Your mercy. God, bring me out of destruction!
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Savior! Sanctify my mind, soul, heart and body and deign, Master, to approach terrible mysteries without condemnation.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Christ! Through the communion of Your holy mysteries, may I be freed from passions and receive an increase in Your grace and strengthening of life.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
God, Holy Word of God! Through the prayers of Your Holy Mother, sanctify me in all respects, as I now approach Your Divine mysteries.
Kontakion
Christ! Allow me to receive bread - Your Body, and do not deprive me, unfortunate Master, of the communion of Your Divine Blood - Your most pure and terrible secrets. Let communion not serve as a condemnation for me, but it will grant me eternal and immortal life.
Song 7
Irmos: The wise youths did not serve the golden image, they themselves went into the flames and laughed at their gods; They cried out in the midst of the flames, and an angel sprinkled them with dew: the prayer of your lips was heard.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Christ! May the communion of Your immortal mysteries now be a source of blessings for me, light, life, victory over passions, and serve for the success and increase of Divine virtue, so that I may glorify You, the only merciful one.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Philanthropic! With trembling, love and reverence, now approaching You, Your immortal and Divine mysteries, may I get rid of passions, enemies, needs and all sorrow in order to sing to You: blessed are You, God of our fathers!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Filled with Divine grace, incomprehensibly giving birth to Christ the Savior! I beg You, Pure One, I, Your unclean servant, cleanse all of me from the impurity of flesh and spirit, who now wants to begin the most pure mysteries.
Song 8
Irmos: Sing the creations of the Lord and extol to all ages God, Who descended to the Jewish youths into the fiery furnace and turned the flame into dew.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
My Savior, Christ God! Honor me, who have lost all hope of salvation, to now be a partaker of the heavenly, terrible and holy mysteries and Your Divine Mystical Supper.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Merciful! Running under Your mercy, I call upon You with fear: Savior, as You Yourself said, abide in me and I in You! Trusting in this mercy, here I eat Your Body and drink Your Blood.
When I receive fire, I tremble lest I should be burned like wax and grass. O terrible mystery! O mercy of God! How can I, clay, partake of the Divine Body and Blood and remain unharmed?
Song 9
Irmos: The Son of the Beginningless Father, God and Lord, incarnate from the Virgin, appeared among us to enlighten the darkened, to gather the scattered, therefore we magnify the glorious Mother of God.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness within me.
Taste and see - this is Christ. The Lord, who for our sake became like us, who once sacrificed Himself to His Father, always slaughters himself, sanctifying those who receive communion.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Master, most merciful benefactor! Through communion of the sacred mysteries, may I be sanctified in soul and body, may I be enlightened, may I be saved; may I be Your house, having You within me, together with the Father and the Spirit.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. May Your Body and Most Honorable Blood, my Savior, be like fire and like light to me, burning up everything sinful in me and consuming the thorns of passions, and may they always enlighten me so that I can worship Your Divinity.
And now and forever, and forever and ever. Lady! God became incarnate from Your pure blood; therefore, every race and multitude of intelligent (creatures) glorify You, because they clearly know that he who has received human nature from You is the Lord of all.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
It is truly worthy to glorify You, Mother of God, always blessed and immaculate, Mother of our God. You are more honorable (more honorable) than the cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the seraphim. We magnify You, who incorruptibly gave birth to God the Word.
Prayers before Communion
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the source of life and immortality, the Creator of all creation, visible and invisible, the Son of the beginningless Father, together with Him, eternal and beginningless, in the last days, out of excessive mercy, clothed in flesh, crucified and buried for us, the ungrateful and insensitive Who renewed our nature, damaged by sin, with His blood! Immortal King Himself, accept repentance from me, a sinner, incline Your ear to me and hear what I will say: I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned before heaven and before You and I am not worthy to raise my eyes to the height of Your glory, for I have angered Your mercy by transgressing Your commandments and not listening to Your commands.
But You, Lord, gentle, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, did not leave me to perish with my iniquities, waiting in every possible way for my conversion. You, O Lover of Mankind, Yourself said through Your prophet: “I absolutely do not want the death of a sinner; but I want him to convert and live.” So You, Lord, do not want to destroy the creation of Your hands; You do not want the destruction of people. But you want everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, even though I am unworthy of heaven and earth and this fleeting life, having given myself entirely into slavery to sin and sensual pleasures, I have desecrated Your image. But I, unfortunate one - Your creation and creation - do not lose hope for my salvation and approach, hoping for Your immeasurable mercy. And so, Lover of mankind, accept me as a harlot, as a thief, as a publican, as a prodigal son, and remove from me the heavy yoke of sin, You who take away the sins of the world, heal human infirmities, call to yourself the toiling and burdened and calm them , who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cleanse me from all impurity of body and spirit. Teach me to perform a holy work with reverence for You, so that I, with an impeccable testimony of conscience, accepting part of Your holy things, unite with Your holy Body and Blood and have You within me, living and abiding together with the Father and Your Holy Spirit.
Hey, Lord Jesus Christ my God! May the communion of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries not serve as a condemnation for me, and may I not become weak in soul and body from unworthy communion of them. Grant me, Lord, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept part of Your holy things into the communion of the Holy Spirit, as parting words of eternal life, as a favorable response to Your terrible judgment, so that with all Your chosen ones I can participate in Your incorruptible blessings that You have prepared for those who love You and for which You are blessed forever. Amen.
Lord my God! I know that I am unworthy and unsuitable for You to come under the roof of the house of my soul, because it is empty and fallen, and you will not find in me a place worthy to lay your head. But You, from heavenly heights, appeared on earth for us in a humble form; descend also now to my misery. And just as You deigned to lie down in the cave and in the manger of dumb beasts, enter also into the manger of my foolish soul and into my sinful body. Just as you did not disdain to enter and dine with sinners in the house of Simon the leper, deign also to enter the house of my wretched soul, leper and sinner. Just as You did not reject from Yourself a sinful harlot like me, who came and touched You, also have mercy on me, a sinner, who comes and touches You. And just as you did not disdain the uncleanness of her defiled lips that kissed You, do not also disdain my even more unclean and foul lips and my disgusting, unclean and defiled lips, and my even more unclean tongue.
But may the coal of Your most holy Body and Your honest Blood serve me in sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my wretched soul and body, in easing the severity of many of my sins, in preserving me from all devilish influence, in removing and liberating me from my evil and evil habit, to mortify passions, to preserve Your commandments, to increase Your Divine grace, to win Your Kingdom. I approach You, Christ God, not with negligence, but with boldness towards Your ineffable mercy, so that, turning aside to for a long time from communicating with You, I was not caught by a mental wolf, like a predatory beast.
Therefore, I pray to You: You, one holy Master, sanctify my soul and body, mind and heart, and all my insides, renew me entirely, root Your fear in my members, and make Your sanctification unchangeably be in me. And be my help and shield, ruling my life in silence, worthy of me standing on the right side with Your Angels, through the prayers and intercession of Your Most Pure Mother, Your incorporeal servants and most pure powers and all the saints who have pleased You from the beginning of the world. Amen.
One pure and incorruptible Lord, through unspeakable compassion and love for mankind, who took upon Himself our entire complex nature from the pure and immaculate blood of the Virgin, who supernaturally gave birth to You by the Divine Spirit by the influx and favor of the eternal Father, Christ Jesus, the Wisdom of God, and peace, and power! You, who have accepted life-giving and saving sufferings through Your flesh: the Cross, nails, spears, death, kill my bodily passions that are destructive to the soul. By Your burial You have devastated the kingdom of hell, bury my bad intentions with good thoughts and scatter the spirits of evil. By Your life-giving resurrection on the third day of the fallen forefather, raise up me too, who slipped through sin, offering me the means of repentance. By Thy glorious ascension, having deified the flesh and given it the honor of sitting at the right hand of the Father, grant me the communion of Thy holy Mysteries to reach the right side of those being saved. By the descent of the Comforter of the Spirit, having made Thy sacred disciples into precious vessels, show me also to be the receptacle of His coming. He who is coming again to judge the universe righteously! Deign me too to meet You, my Creator and Maker, on the clouds with all Your saints, so that I may endlessly glorify and sing Your praises, with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, merciful and humane, who alone has the power to forgive the sins of people, despise (forget), forgive all my sins, conscious and unconscious, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your divine, glorious, most pure and life-giving Mysteries not in punishment, not for the multiplication of sins, but for cleansing, sanctification, as a pledge of future life and kingdom, as a strong stronghold, for protection, for the defeat of enemies, for the destruction of many of my sins. For You are the God of mercy and generosity, and love for mankind, and we glorify You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
I know, Lord, that I unworthily partake of Your most pure Body and Your honorable Blood, and I am guilty, and I eat and drink condemnation for myself, not realizing that this is Your Body and Blood, Christ and my God. But, trusting in Your mercies, I come to You, who said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood, he abides in Me, and I in him.” Have mercy, O Lord, and do not expose me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy, and may this Holy Place serve me for healing, cleansing, enlightenment, for the protection, salvation and sanctification of soul and body, for driving away all dreams and evil deeds, and the attack of the devil, acting through thought in me - into boldness and love for You, into correcting life and strengthening it, into increasing virtue and perfection, into fulfilling the commandments, into communication with the Holy Spirit, into parting words into eternal life, into a favorable response at Your Last Judgment - not to condemnation.
From foul lips, from a vile heart, from an unclean tongue, from a defiled soul, accept this prayer, my Christ, and without rejecting my words, my character, or my shamelessness, let me freely say what I want, my Christ, but better and teach me what I should do and say. I have sinned more than the harlot, who, having learned where You are, having bought peace, dared to come to anoint Your feet, my Christ, my Lord and my God. Just as You did not reject her, who came from a pure heart, do not disdain me, O Word! Allow me to hold and kiss Your feet, and boldly anoint them with a stream of tears, like precious ointment. Wash me with your tears, cleanse me with them, Word! Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness. You know many vices, you know my wounds, and you see my ulcers, but you also know my faith, and you see my zeal, and you hear my groans. Not a drop of tears, not a drop of a certain part is hidden from You, my God, my Creator, my Redeemer. Your eyes have noticed what I have not completed, but in Your book there is also what has not yet been written down by You. Look at my humility, look at my suffering, and forgive me all my sins, O God of the universe, so that with a pure heart, a trembling thought and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your most pure and all-holy Mysteries, by which everyone who eats You and drinks with sincerity is revived and deified. heart. After all, You, my Lord, said: “Whoever eats My Flesh, as well as drinks My Blood, abides in Me, and I am in him.” In everything, the word of my Master and God is true: after all, partaking of the divine and deifying Gifts, I am truly not alone, but with You, my Christ, the Light, bright as three suns, enlightening the world. Therefore, so that I would not be left alone, without You, the Giver of my life, my breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world, I came to You, as You see, with tears and a contrite soul, begging for deliverance for me. from my sins and Your life-giving and immaculate Sacraments, receiving communion does not lead to condemnation; so that You may remain, as You said, with me, who am thrice unhappy; so that the deceiver, finding me deprived of Your grace, does not steal me insidiously and, having deceived me, does not lead me away from Your deifying words. Therefore, I fall at Your feet and fervently cry out to You: just as You accepted the prodigal son and the harlot who came to You, so, O Merciful One, accept me, the prodigal and the vile, who now comes to You with a contrite soul. I know, Savior, that no one else has sinned before You like I have, or done the deeds that I have done. But I also know that neither the severity of sins nor the multitude of sins exceeds my God’s great patience and great love for mankind, but with merciful compassion You cleanse and enlighten those who ardently repent, and introduce them to the light, generously making them partakers of Your Divinity; and - what is marvelous both to Angels and to human thoughts - You converse with them many times, as with Your true friends. It gives me courage, it inspires me, my Christ! And, boldly trusting in Your rich benefits to us, rejoicing and trembling together, I, the grass, partake of the fire, and am - a wondrous miracle - inexplicably watered, like in ancient times a thorn bush that burned without being consumed. So, with a grateful thought and a grateful heart, with all my grateful feelings, my soul and body, I worship, and magnify, and glorify You, my God, as blessed both now and forever.
God! Let go, resolve, forgive my sins that I have committed in word, deed, thought, voluntarily or involuntarily, consciously or unconsciously, and, as a merciful and humane person, grant me forgiveness in everything. And through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, Your intelligent servants and holy powers (angels) and all the saints who have pleased You from the beginning of the world, deign me, without condemnation, to accept Your holy and most pure Body and honorable Blood for the healing of soul and body and for the purification of my evil thoughts . For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer is his
Sovereign Lord! I am not worth it for You to enter under the roof of my soul, but since You, as a lover of mankind, want to live in me, I approach with boldness. You command that I open the doors created by You alone, and You should enter into them with Your characteristic love for mankind. You come in and enlighten my darkened thoughts. I believe that You will do this, for You did not withdraw from the harlot who came to You with tears, did not reject the publican who brought repentance, did not drive away the thief who knew Your kingdom, and the persecutor who turned to You, did not leave what he was , but You placed all those who turned to You through repentance among Your friends. You alone are blessed always, now and in endless ages. Amen.
Prayer is his
Lord Jesus Christ, my God! Let go, resolve, cleanse and forgive me, Thy servant, sins, crimes, falls and everything that I have sinned from my youth to this day and hour - consciously or unconsciously, in words, deeds, intentions, thoughts, activities and in all my feelings - and through the prayers of the Most Pure Ever-Virgin Mary, who gave birth to You without seed (without a husband), Your Mother, the only undoubted hope, intercessor and salvation of my, grant me without condemnation to partake of Your most pure, immortal, life-giving, and terrible sacraments for the forgiveness of sins, in eternal life, sanctification and enlightenment, strengthening, healing and health of soul and body, destruction and complete elimination of my unclean thoughts, thoughts, undertakings and night dreams, dark and evil spirits. For Thine is the kingdom, power, honor and worship, together with the Father and Thy Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
I am already standing before the doors of Your temple, and unclean thoughts do not leave me. But You, Christ God, Who justified the publican, who had mercy on the Canaanite woman and who opened (opened) the doors of paradise to the thief, open to me the doors of Your love for mankind and accept me, who comes and touches You, as a harlot and a bleeding woman. As soon as one touched the hem of Your garment, she immediately received healing; the other, grasping Your most pure feet, received remission of her sins. I am the accursed one, who dares to accept Your whole body, so that I will not be scorched (burnt). But accept me like those two, and enlighten the feelings of my soul, burning away sinful inclinations, through the prayers of She who immaculately gave birth to You and through the prayers of the heavenly powers. For You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
(read by the priest when removing the chalice)
I believe, Lord, and confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is your most pure Body, and this is your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, which (I have committed) in words and deeds, consciously and unconsciously, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure Sacraments for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen.
Son of God! Honor me today to be a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal the sacraments to Your enemies, and I will not give You a kiss like Judas, but like a thief I will confess You. Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom! May the communion of Your most pure Mysteries be not a condemnation for me, O Lord, but a healing of soul and body. Amen
When you begin communion, say to yourself the following verses of Symeon Metaphrastus.
Here I begin to receive Divine Communion,
Do not burn me, Creator, with this sacrament,
Because You are the fire that burns the unworthy;
But cleanse me from all uncleanness.
Then: As a participant in Your mystical Supper/ this day, Son of God, accept me./ For I will not tell Your secrets to Your enemies,/ I will not give You a kiss like Judas./ But as a thief I confess You:/ “Remember me, O Lord, in Your kingdom!
And poems: Tremble, man, seeing the deifying Blood:/ for it is a burning coal, scorching the unworthy./ The Body of God both deifies me and nourishes me:/ deifies the spirit, but nourishes the mind incomprehensibly.
And troparia: You attracted me with love, Christ, / and changed me with a divine desire for You. / But burn my sins with immaterial fire / and grant me the satisfaction of pleasure in You, / so that I, rejoicing, may magnify / Your two comings, O Good One.
How will I, unworthy, enter into the bright host of Your saints?/ After all, if I dare to enter the bridal chamber with them,/ my clothes will expose me,/ for this is not what they wear to marriage,/ and, bound, I will be expelled by the Angels./ Cleanse, Lord, defile my soul/ and save me, as a Lover of mankind.
And again: As a participant in Your mystical Supper/ this day, Son of God, accept me./ For I will not tell Your secrets to Your enemies,/ I will not give You a kiss like Judas./ But as a thief I confess You:/ “Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom!
Prayers after Communion
Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God!
First prayer
I thank You, Lord my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have made me worthy to be a participant in Your holy things. I thank You for making me, unworthy, worthy to partake of Your most pure and heavenly gifts. But, O philanthropic Master, for our sake you died and rose again, and gave us these terrible and life-giving sacraments of Yours for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies! Give them to me for the healing of soul and body, for the reflection of every enemy, for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, for the pacification of my spiritual strength, for unashamed faith, for unfeigned love, for the increase of wisdom, for the fulfillment of Your commandments, for the increase of Your grace and the assimilation of Your kingdoms, so that I, protected by them in Your sanctification, always remember Your grace and live not for myself, but for You, our Lord and benefactor. And so, having finished real life with the hope of eternal life, I have achieved eternal peace, where the unceasing voice of those enjoying bliss and the endless joy of those contemplating the indescribable beauty of Your face is heard, for You, Christ our God, are the true delight and inexpressible joy of those who love You, and You are praised by all creation forever. Amen.
Prayer of St. Basil the Great
Lord Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all! I thank You for all the benefits that You have given me in accepting Your most pure and life-giving sacraments. I beg You, merciful and humane, keep me under Your roof and in the shadow of Your wings and grant me, until my last breath, with a clear conscience, to worthily partake of Your holy things for the remission of sins and eternal life. For You are the bread of life, the source of holiness, the giver of blessings, and we send up glory to You together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Having given me Your flesh for food voluntarily, You are the fire that burns the unworthy! Do not burn me, my Creator, rather go into the members of my body, into all the joints, into the insides, into the heart, and burn up the thorns of all my sins. Cleanse my soul, sanctify my thoughts, strengthen my knees and bones, enlighten the five main feelings, nail me all with fear of You. Always protect, protect and protect me from every deed and word harmful to the soul. Cleanse, wash and arrange me; decorate, admonish and enlighten me. Show me to be Your abode, the one Spirit, and no longer the abode of sin, so that after receiving Communion every evildoer, every passion will flee from me, as from Your house, as from fire. As intercessors for myself, I present to You all the saints, the Commanders of the disembodied armies, Your Forerunner, the wise Apostles, and above them, Your immaculate, pure Mother. Accept their prayers, my merciful Christ, and make Your servant a son of light. For You, the only Good One, are the sanctification, as well as the radiance of our souls, and to You, as befits God and Master, we all send up glory every day.
Prayer four
Lord Jesus Christ, our God! May Your holy body be for me eternal life and Your holy blood for the remission of sins. May this (supper) thanksgiving be for me joy, health and joy. At Your terrible second coming, grant me, a sinner, to stand on the right side of Your glory through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, hope, protection, refuge, consolation, my joy! I thank You for deigning me, unworthy, to partake of the most pure Body and precious Blood of Your Son. But, having given birth to the true light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart! Producing the source of immortality, revive me, killed by sin! As the merciful Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me and grant to my heart tenderness and contrition, to my thoughts modesty and liberation from the captivity of my thoughts. Grant me, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept sanctification with the most pure sacraments for the healing of soul and body. And give me tears of repentance and confession, so that I can sing and glorify You all the days of my life; for You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
Now do You let Your servant go, O Lord, according to Your word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel (
We are all sinners before our Lord, but according to the Bible, everyone deserves forgiveness. Unfortunately, today you rarely meet honest, truthful and sinless people. But this does not mean that it is too late to fix everything.
By confessing and repenting of your Sins, you can truly earn forgiveness. After all, repentance and sincere regret for what you have done will help cleanse the soul. The only question is how to do it correctly?
Repentance and Confession
As is known, confession is a sacrament, occurring between the sinner and God through repentance before himself and the clergyman. Of course, as before any other rite, the ritual of repentance requires appropriate preparation.
For those who know nothing about confession or communion, it is recommended that they familiarize themselves with the very principle of this sacrament.
The very essence of confession lies in repentance, so before you go to church, you should think carefully about your sins.
You will have to remember and rethink your most terrible and sinful atrocities. The main sins requiring repentance include:
- Sins against God (anger at the Lord and his providence, doubts in faith...);
- Sins against your neighbor (theft, adultery, murder...);
- Sins against oneself (despondency, envy, pride, foul language...).
Some priests recommend writing down everything mentioned on a piece of paper. Such a sheet should be carefully re-read, each time repenting of every sin, and sincerely promising God and yourself to leave the unrighteous path.
As soon as a person manages to truly realize the injustice of his actions, repent of them and stop committing such acts, he can move on to the next part of preparation for confession and communion.
In addition to repentance, you should ask for forgiveness not only from the Lord, but also from yourself. A person must come to terms with his own sins and let them go, promise himself to follow faith and its laws, and never anger God and himself.
In addition to sincere atonement for sinful acts, those who ask God for mercy must necessarily believe in the remission of their sins and forgiveness, otherwise confession will not give the desired result.
Getting rid of sins means not only cleansing the spirit from filth , but also the body from everything aggravating. Before proceeding to confession, you should undergo a week-long (at most three-day) holy fast.
You should avoid eating foods of animal origin: dairy products, meat, eggs. Fish should also be excluded from the diet. The use of alcoholic beverages, drugs and tobacco is strictly prohibited.
Physical intimacy should be avoided. Women should not prepare for confession during menstruation.
In addition, fasting before the sacrament implies the exclusion of all entertainment (computer games, watching TV, gambling).
Fasting and repentance for sins, although the most important, are not the final stage of preparation for repentance. Preparation for the sacrament requires reading prayers. You should first familiarize yourself with what prayers to read before confession and communion before you begin to fast. Each stage of cleansing is accompanied by certain prayers or canons, which must be read with faith in the Lord’s forgiveness of you.
Prayer is a person’s personal appeal to God. It helps to turn to the Lord with a request for atonement and forgiveness of sinful actions and thoughts. Having sincerely repented and said a prayer, people ask for the gift of strength to fight against sinful passions and vices, as well as about mercy in simple human needs.
In preparation for Confession and Communion On days of fasting, a person must read the appropriate prayers, and they read them both in the morning and before going to bed. In addition to prayers, at least one of the canons is required for daily reading.
Penitential canons
Common preparation for communion for beginners includes reading:
Before the communion ritual itself, you should additionally read “Following to Holy Communion.” As for the morning and evening prayers- you can read any prayer of repentance. You can also read the “Our Father” with deep repentance and faith in forgiveness.
Before visiting the temple
The evening before confession and communion is one of the most difficult stages of preparation.
From midnight until the very end of the service in the Temple, you should refuse any food and water.
In addition to the usual reading of the canons of repentance and prayers, you should read the canons of repentance before confession and a prayer for repentance.
In the morning, after reading the canons and prayers, should go to the Temple to participate in the service. It is important to remember that until the end of Confession and Holy Communion, you cannot eat or drink. It is imperative to defend the entire service, carefully listening and perceiving every word of the clergyman. As soon as the service is over, you can turn to the priest for confession.
God should lay out all his sins and repent of them again. Precisely to God, because the priest is only a mediator and grants forgiveness exclusively on behalf of Our Lord.
Having made peace with yourself and God, you should also be sure to thank him for his forgiveness and ask for strength to lead an honest and Orthodox life. After you have confessed, you can start communion.
Central place in life Orthodox Christian takes part in common prayer and communion. It is performed at every Liturgy. But it is customary to partake of the sacrament several times a year - after serious preparation. Prayers read before Communion are an important part of the process.
What is Communion
This is a Sacrament that is recognized by all traditional churches, and not just a pious rite. Celebrated during the Eucharist. Communion is an opportunity for a person to unite with Christ Himself. Every Christian soul strives for this.
What dictates the need for communion for believers?
- This is the wish of Jesus Christ, given by Him before His crucifixion, during the Last Supper.
- During the sacrament, a merging of man and God occurs in an incomprehensible way that can only be known by faith.
- Any sins for which repentance is brought are forgiven and cleansed.
- Children also need Communion, but the preparation for them is more gentle.
Prayers before Communion are read during the entire preparation, which takes from three days to a week. The time limit is set by the priest, depending on how ready (or poorly prepared) he finds the believer. Usually, if a parishioner rarely appears at services and does not consider it necessary to adhere to fasts, he is blessed to fast for a week.
In church terms this period is called “fasting”. This concept includes not only bodily abstinence from certain types of food, but also spiritual struggle with sins.
What to do before communion
We need to delve into our internal state. Take control of your emotions so that your lips do not utter angry and condemning words. Read Scripture, dissect it. It is advisable to refuse watching TV, staying on entertainment sites, and generally any idle time.
Those who constantly live church life have problems of a different order. Everything is done out of habit - prayers are read before confession and communion, spiritual preparation can become something mechanical, without the participation of the soul. Wise shepherds advise such people to open the Holy Scriptures more often. In the first centuries of the Church, Christians devoted much more time to its study than is customary now. During Great Lent, the book of the prophet Isaiah is read in churches; this will be a very useful reading during fasting.
During Lent, there is no need to look for sins in those who live under the same roof with you, or demand that they follow church rules. Fasting should not become a reason for pride. If a person boasts about his abstinence, this is not what pleases the Lord. What can you do to receive a blessing?
- Feed the hungry.
- Give shelter to a traveler.
- Dress someone who needs it.
Of course, this also includes any other possible help that a Christian can provide to others. For example, today there are volunteer programs at various churches and monasteries that you can join. The Lord will definitely accept the prayers read before communion by such a person, because he will do the will of God.
Many people make the mistake of focusing on what foods they should not eat. They bring themselves to a state of powerlessness, lash out at their family and colleagues - these are already extremes that should be avoided. Such a fast will not do any good; it only multiplies sins.
What prayers to read
What prayers should you read before communion? This question is asked by many newbies. To avoid confusion, it is better to buy a special book with the necessary texts. It can be found in any church store. Since fasting includes mandatory participation in church services, you can carry it with you and read it when you have time. Usually, in line for confession, many people read the canons.
The most an important stage is repentance. If a priest can take into account bodily weakness and “count” a fast that was not performed according to all the rules, then without confession in any church they will not be allowed to the Chalice. The exception is infants and people who have been baptized the day before (but this only happens once).
Communion - visible sign invisible spiritual life, communion with God, into which a member of the Church enters. Without the desire for improvement, awareness of one's sins, such communication is impossible. The Lord expects us to actively participate in our own salvation. He had already done everything he could. Orthodox Christians must only read prayers before Communion, fast for several days, and go to confession.
Prayers read before communion
Psalm 22
The Lord shepherds me and deprives me of nothing. In a green place, there they settled me, on the water they brought me up in peace. Convert my soul, guide me on the path of righteousness, for Your name’s sake. Even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your club, that will comfort me. Thou hast prepared a table before me against those who were cold to me, Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup makes me drunken, like a mighty power. And Thy mercy will marry me all the days of my life, and make me dwell in the house of the Lord for many days.
Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord, and its fullness, the universe, and all who live on it. He founded food on the seas, and prepared food on the rivers. Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who will stand in the place of His saints? He is innocent in his hand and pure in heart, who does not accept his soul in vain, and does not swear to his sincere flattery. This one will receive blessings from the Lord, and alms from God, his Savior. This is the race of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up the gates, your princes, and lift up the eternal gates; and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord is strong and strong, the Lord is strong in battle. Lift up the gates, your princes, and lift up the eternal gates; and the King of Glory will come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.
Psalm 115
I believed, I also exclaimed, and I was greatly humbled. I said in my frenzy: every man is a lie. What shall I render to the Lord for all that we have rendered? I will accept the cup of salvation, and I will call on the name of the Lord; I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people. The death of His saints is honorable before the Lord. O Lord, I am Your servant, I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have torn my bonds to pieces. I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you, and in the name of the Lord I will call. I will offer my prayers to the Lord before all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you, Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Hallelujah. (Three times with three bows)
Real repentance
Before the ritual of repentance for sins, there are special prayers. But you don’t need to read them specifically. The priest will do this before starting individual confession. You should listen to her carefully when the priest says - say your name out loud. Then everyone approaches the lectern (the stand where the cross and the Gospel lie). The Holy Scriptures and the Crucifixion should remind the sinner that he is before the face of Christ Himself.
Many are overcome by understandable embarrassment, a reluctance to admit their sins to stranger. It should be overcome, call your mistakes briefly, indicating not the details, but the very essence. A priest is needed for several reasons:
- He is a witness of your repentance, but Christ accepts confession.
People often tend to minimize their guilt and denigrate others. An experienced priest will not let this happen, denouncing the person, leading to the awareness of his own, and not someone else’s, mistakes. Otherwise, the sacrament turns into another sin.
- The confessor also testifies that the Lord accepted repentance.
After the end of confession, the priest covers the Christian’s bowed head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment) and reads a prayer of permission. He also has the right to deny access to the sacrament if there are very serious sins - debauchery, murder (including abortion), blasphemy against God and parents. This is done so that a person does not receive communion to his own detriment, and not for the sake of punishment. Penance is given as a spiritual medicine - bitter, but necessary for recovery.
The salvation of the soul is the goal that every believer should desire. Achieving it is not easy, but it is possible. The means of salvation are available to everyone - prayer, participation in worship, repentance and Communion. Christ save you!
Prayer before confession (Reverend Simeon the New Theologian)
God and Lord of all! You who have the power of every breath and soul, who alone is able to heal me, hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the serpent nesting in me, by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, slaying: and my poverty and nakedness, all the virtues that exist, at the feet of my holy (spiritual) father with tears grant him the honor, and his holy soul, to be merciful, so that you may be merciful to me. And grant, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who has agreed to repent to You, and may you not completely abandon the one soul that united with You and confessed You, and instead of the whole world chose and preferred You: weigh for, Lord, as I want to be saved, even if my evil custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, what is impossible is of man. Amen.
Confession, as it is also called repentance, is a Christian sacrament (of which there are only seven). The essence is that the sinner repents of his sins to the priest, while reading a special prayer. After this, the penitent resolves his sins. Priests talk about confession as a second baptism.
In order for confession to take place, it is necessary to admit one’s sinfulness, sincere repentance and regret for what has been done, the will and willingness to leave everything in the past and not repeat it again, faith in God and his pity, and forbearance. The belief that the Sacrament cleanses must be present. Prayer should be said with hope and from a pure heart.
It is possible and necessary to prepare for confession. Special literature is read upon request. Sins are written out on a piece of paper and read to the Holy Father. Particularly serious and terrible sins are told out loud. The story should be clear, without unnecessary backstory and fluff.
What is communion?
Communion is a sacrament that gives the human soul unity with God. This ritual exists in every religion in its own form, but in every religion it is necessary on a regular basis to save a person’s soul.
Communion is the celebration of times and events of God's suffering, death and resurrection. At the same time, believers accept bread and wine as a symbol of the body and blood of the Lord God.
For communion, as for confession, you need to prepare accordingly. It shakes the soul and excites the flesh. Requires a conscious understanding of what is coming and conscious attitude. Understanding and faith are a must. Purifying your soul involves forgiving all those who have offended you and those whom you have offended. Communion in church is called liturgy. It takes place in the time interval from 7 to 10 am.
The connection between communion and confession.
Let's start with the fact that the most important thing is repentance. This is the guarantee of salvation. And it is important that these two concepts follow one another and are interconnected. Confession and communion bring a person into a pleasing state. The soul is ready to accept all divine gifts, all the Sacraments. Confession and communion are only increasing as other spiritual riches are used less and less. There is no need to neglect the sacrament. You need to strive for purity of soul and then life will become easier and simpler. Hypocrisy in the things of God is unforgivable. The Lord hears and sees a person’s aspirations, his requests and forgives him many sins. Confession and communion are necessary in order to forgive sins and receive grace-filled power, to prevent other and the same mistakes.
If you have any doubts, then come into faith, get used to it and start living in it! Do not judge and you will not be judged!
Why pray before communion and confession?
Prayer before communion and confession is mandatory, moreover, it must necessarily consist of three canons: the canon of repentance to our Lord, the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, the canon to the Guardian Angel. On the evening before communion, it is necessary to pray at home, observing all the rules of this ritual. You should not think that when praying before communion at home, there is no need to take communion in church. That's two different concepts, which can exist separately, however, which will not be able to free a person’s soul from sins in the face of God. When a person prays himself, the Lord undoubtedly hears him and forgives him his sins, however, when a person receives communion in church with the help of the celebrant, a completely different appeal to the Almighty occurs. This gives peace to the human soul.
You cannot neglect prayer before communion or before confession; this rite is necessary for every person who respects religion and who cares about the peace of his soul.
Prayer before confession
God and Lord of all! You who have the power of every breath and soul, who alone is able to heal me, hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the serpent nesting in me, by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, slaying: and my poverty and nakedness, all the virtues that exist, at the feet of my holy (spiritual) father with tears grant him the honor, and his holy soul, to be merciful, so that you may be merciful to me. And grant, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who has agreed to repent to You, and may you not completely abandon the one soul that united with You and confessed You, and instead of the whole world chose and preferred You: weigh for, Lord, as I want to be saved, even if my evil custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, what is impossible is of man. Amen.
Lord, help me to sincerely repent.
Prayers before communion
Prayer before Holy Communion Basil the Great.
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the source of life and immortality, the Creator of all creation, visible and invisible, the Son of the beginningless Father, together with Him, eternal and beginningless, in the last days, out of excessive mercy, clothed in flesh, crucified and buried for us, the ungrateful and insensitive Who renewed our nature, damaged by sin, with His blood! Immortal King Himself, accept repentance from me, a sinner, incline Your ear to me and hear what I will say: I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned before heaven and before You and I am not worthy to raise my eyes to the height of Your glory, for I have angered Your mercy by transgressing Your commandments and not listening to Your commands.
But You, Lord, gentle, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, did not leave me to perish with my iniquities, waiting in every possible way for my conversion. You, O Lover of Mankind, Yourself said through Your prophet: “I absolutely do not want the death of a sinner; but I want him to convert and live.” So You, Lord, do not want to destroy the creation of Your hands; You do not want the destruction of people. But you want everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, even though I am unworthy of heaven and earth and this fleeting life, having given myself entirely into slavery to sin and sensual pleasures, I have desecrated Your image. But I, unfortunate one - Your creation and creation - do not lose hope for my salvation and approach, hoping for Your immeasurable mercy. And so, Lover of mankind, accept me as a harlot, as a thief, as a publican, as a prodigal son, and remove from me the heavy yoke of sin, You who take away the sins of the world, heal human infirmities, call to yourself the toiling and burdened and calm them , who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Cleanse me from all impurity of body and spirit. Teach me to perform a holy work with reverence for You, so that I, with an impeccable testimony of conscience, accepting part of Your holy things, unite with Your holy Body and Blood and have You within me, living and abiding together with the Father and Your Holy Spirit.
Hey, Lord Jesus Christ my God! May the communion of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries not serve as a condemnation for me, and may I not become weak in soul and body from unworthy communion of them. Grant me, Lord, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept part of Your holy things into the communion of the Holy Spirit, as parting words of eternal life, as a favorable response to Your terrible judgment, so that with all Your chosen ones I can participate in Your incorruptible blessings that You have prepared for those who love You and for which You are blessed forever. Amen.
Prayer before Holy Communion John Chrysostom
Lord my God! I know that I am unworthy and unsuitable for You to come under the roof of the house of my soul, because it is empty and fallen, and you will not find in me a place worthy to lay your head. But You, from heavenly heights, appeared on earth for us in a humble form; descend also now to my misery. And just as You deigned to lie down in the cave and in the manger of dumb beasts, enter also into the manger of my foolish soul and into my sinful body. Just as you did not disdain to enter and dine with sinners in the house of Simon the leper, deign also to enter the house of my wretched soul, leper and sinner. Just as You did not reject from Yourself a sinful harlot like me, who came and touched You, also have mercy on me, a sinner, who comes and touches You. And just as you did not disdain the uncleanness of her defiled lips that kissed You, do not also disdain my even more unclean and foul lips and my disgusting, unclean and defiled lips, and my even more unclean tongue.
But may the coal of Your most holy Body and Your honest Blood serve me in sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my wretched soul and body, in easing the severity of many of my sins, in preserving me from all devilish influence, in removing and liberating me from my evil and evil habit, to mortify passions, to preserve Your commandments, to increase Your Divine grace, to win Your Kingdom. I approach You, Christ God, not with negligence, but with boldness in Your ineffable mercy, so that, avoiding communication with You for a long time, I would not be caught by a mental wolf, like a predatory beast.
Therefore, I pray to You: You, one holy Master, sanctify my soul and body, mind and heart, and all my insides, renew me entirely, root Your fear in my members, and make Your sanctification unchangeably be in me. And be my help and shield, ruling my life in silence, worthy of me standing on the right side with Your Angels, through the prayers and intercession of Your Most Pure Mother, Your incorporeal servants and most pure powers and all the saints who have pleased You from the beginning of the world. Amen.Prayer before Holy Communion John of Damascus
Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, merciful and humane, who alone has the power to forgive the sins of people, despise (forget), forgive all my sins, conscious and unconscious, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your divine, glorious, most pure and life-giving Mysteries not in punishment, not for the multiplication of sins, but for cleansing, sanctification, as a pledge of future life and kingdom, as a strong stronghold, for protection, for the defeat of enemies, for the destruction of many of my sins. For You are the God of mercy and generosity, and love for mankind, and we glorify You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer before Holy Communion Basil the Great
I know, Lord, that I unworthily partake of Your most pure Body and Your honorable Blood, and I am guilty, and I eat and drink condemnation for myself, not realizing that this is Your Body and Blood, Christ and my God. But, trusting in Your mercies, I come to You, who said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood, he abides in Me, and I in him.” Have mercy, O Lord, and do not expose me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy, and may this Holy Place serve me for healing, cleansing, enlightenment, for the protection, salvation and sanctification of soul and body, for driving away all dreams and evil deeds, and the attack of the devil, acting through thought in me - into boldness and love for You, into correcting life and strengthening it, into increasing virtue and perfection, into fulfilling the commandments, into communication with the Holy Spirit, into parting words into eternal life, into a favorable response at Your Last Judgment - not to condemnation.
Prayer before communion to St. John Chrysostom
God! Let go, resolve, forgive my sins that I have committed in word, deed, thought, voluntarily or involuntarily, consciously or unconsciously, and, as a merciful and humane person, grant me forgiveness in everything. And through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, Your intelligent servants and holy powers (angels) and all the saints who have pleased You from the beginning of the world, deign me, without condemnation, to accept Your holy and most pure Body and honorable Blood for the healing of soul and body and for the purification of my evil thoughts . For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Sovereign Lord! I am not worth it for You to enter under the roof of my soul, but since You, as a lover of mankind, want to live in me, I approach with boldness. You command that I open the doors created by You alone, and You should enter into them with Your characteristic love for mankind. You come in and enlighten my darkened thoughts. I believe that You will do this, for You did not withdraw from the harlot who came to You with tears, did not reject the publican who brought repentance, did not drive away the thief who knew Your kingdom, and the persecutor who turned to You, did not leave what he was , but You placed all those who turned to You through repentance among Your friends. You alone are blessed always, now and in endless ages. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God! Let go, resolve, cleanse and forgive me, Thy servant, sins, crimes, falls and everything that I have sinned from my youth to this day and hour - consciously or unconsciously, in words, deeds, intentions, thoughts, activities and in all my feelings - and through the prayers of the Most Pure Ever-Virgin Mary, who gave birth to You without seed (without a husband), Your Mother, the only undoubted hope, intercessor and salvation of my, grant me without condemnation to partake of Your most pure, immortal, life-giving, and terrible sacraments for the forgiveness of sins, in eternal life, sanctification and enlightenment, strengthening, healing and health of soul and body, destruction and complete elimination of my unclean thoughts, thoughts, undertakings and night dreams, dark and evil spirits. For Thine is the kingdom, power, honor and worship, together with the Father and Thy Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer before communion to St. John of Damascus
I am already standing before the doors of Your temple, and unclean thoughts do not leave me. But You, Christ God, Who justified the publican, who had mercy on the Canaanite woman and who opened (opened) the doors of paradise to the thief, open to me the doors of Your love for mankind and accept me, who comes and touches You, as a harlot and a bleeding woman. As soon as one touched the hem of Your garment, she immediately received healing; the other, grasping Your most pure feet, received remission of her sins. I am the accursed one, who dares to accept Your whole body, so that I will not be scorched (burnt). But accept me like those two, and enlighten the feelings of my soul, burning away sinful inclinations, through the prayers of She who immaculately gave birth to You and through the prayers of the heavenly powers. For You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Prayers after communion
Many people are interested in the question of why it is necessary to pray after Communion and whether it is necessary. Yes, this is one of the mandatory rules that must be followed after this ritual. How can we thank God, who accepted death for our sake and for his mercy unite with him in the sacrament of Communion? There are prayers for this.
It is not forbidden to give thanks in your own words, but this is what you are created for. prayers after communion, in which there is nothing superfluous. These are not just words, but something Divine that can work miracles. That is why a sincerely praying person feels himself to be in a special state. Prayer gives us the opportunity to meet with God and take care of our soul; this, one might say, is spiritual food.
This is direct access to the Lord, to his love, his help, his forgiveness. In some cases, His help is truly necessary, but this cannot be abused. The meaning of prayer should be gratitude and the meeting with Him itself. Everyone feels the touch of God differently, but this does not always happen. Many things can interfere with this, so only true righteous people are granted such meetings quite often.
Therefore, we should lead a life in which there are as few sins as possible, because they become the blank wall separating us from God. He is always near us, but we are far from Him, and it depends only on us whether the Meeting will take place. But this is not all that prayer gives. She also has several other actions.
This is a way of serving God, preparing us for important events, help in overcoming devilish temptations and illnesses, a means to help strengthen one’s faith. It is important to understand that after the Eucharist the sacrament does not end, but gradually fades away. And with your behavior it is important not to “scare off”, not to dissipate the Grace that was received during the ceremony. Prayer also helps with this.
Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God!
First prayer
I thank You, Lord my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have made me worthy to be a participant in Your holy things. I thank You for making me, unworthy, worthy to partake of Your most pure and heavenly gifts. But, O philanthropic Master, for our sake you died and rose again, and gave us these terrible and life-giving sacraments of Yours for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies! Give them to me for the healing of soul and body, for the reflection of every enemy, for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, for the pacification of my spiritual strength, for unashamed faith, for unfeigned love, for the increase of wisdom, for the fulfillment of Your commandments, for the increase of Your grace and the assimilation of Your kingdoms, so that I, protected by them in Your sanctification, always remember Your grace and live not for myself, but for You, our Lord and benefactor. And so, having ended this present life with the hope of eternal life, he reached eternal peace, where the unceasing voice of those enjoying bliss and the endless joy of those contemplating the indescribable beauty of Your face is heard, for You, Christ our God, are the true pleasure and inexpressible joy of those who love You, and You praise all creation forever. Amen.
Prayer of St. Basil the Great
Lord Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all! I thank You for all the benefits that You have given me in accepting Your most pure and life-giving sacraments. I beg You, merciful and humane, keep me under Your roof and in the shadow of Your wings and grant me, until my last breath, with a clear conscience, to worthily partake of Your holy things for the remission of sins and eternal life. For You are the bread of life, the source of holiness, the giver of blessings, and we send up glory to You together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer three
Lord Jesus Christ, our God! May Your holy body be for me eternal life and Your holy blood for the remission of sins. May this (supper) thanksgiving be for me joy, health and joy. At Your terrible second coming, grant me, a sinner, to stand on the right side of Your glory through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints.Prayer after communion with the Blessed Virgin Mary
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, hope, protection, refuge, consolation, my joy! I thank You for deigning me, unworthy, to partake of the most pure Body and precious Blood of Your Son. But, having given birth to the true light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart! Producing the source of immortality, revive me, killed by sin! As the merciful Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me and grant to my heart tenderness and contrition, to my thoughts modesty and liberation from the captivity of my thoughts. Grant me, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept sanctification with the most pure sacraments for the healing of soul and body. And give me tears of repentance and confession, so that I can sing and glorify You all the days of my life; for You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
Now do You let Your servant go, O Lord, according to Your word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel (Luke 2:29-32).
Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which the penitent, confessing his sins to the priest, with visible forgiveness of sins (reading a prayer of absolution), is invisibly absolved from them. By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was established by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (untie) on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 18). And in another place: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, their sins are forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him” (Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 22-23). The apostles transferred the power to “bind and loose” to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.
The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if at baptism a person is cleansed from the power of original sin, transmitted to him at birth from our first parents Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins, committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.
In order for the Sacrament of Repentance to be accomplished, the following are necessary on the part of the penitent: awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance for his sins, the desire to leave the sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to cleanse and wash away, through the prayer of the priest, sincerely confessed sins.
The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1st Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 7). At the same time, you hear from many: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t
I commit adultery, so what should I repent of?” But if we take a closer look at God's commandments, we will find that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.
Ingratitude to God.
Disbelief. Doubt in faith. Justifying one's disbelief through an atheistic upbringing.
Apostasy, cowardly silence when they blaspheme the faith of Christ, failure to wear pectoral cross, visiting various sects.
Taking the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer or in pious conversation about Him).
Oath in the name of the Lord.
Fortune telling, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.
Thoughts about suicide.
Playing cards and other gambling games.
Failure to comply with morning and evening prayer rule.
Failure to visit the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.
Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.
Light (non-daily) reading Holy Scripture, soulful literature.
Breaking vows made to God.
Despair in difficult situations and disbelief in God's Providence, fear of old age, poverty, illness.
Absent-mindedness during prayer, thoughts about everyday things during worship.
Condemnation of the Church and its ministers.
Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.
Continuation of a sinful life in the sole hope of God’s mercy, that is, excessive trust in God.
It’s a waste of time watching TV shows and reading entertaining books to the detriment of time for prayer, reading the Gospel and spiritual literature.
Concealing sins during confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.
Arrogance, philanthropy, i.e. excessive hope for own strength and on someone’s help, without trusting that everything is in God’s hands.
Raising children outside the Christian faith.
Hot temper, anger, irritability.
Arrogance.
Perjury.
Mockery.
Stinginess.
Non-repayment of debts.
Failure to pay money earned for work.
Failure to provide assistance to those in need.
Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.
Disrespect for elders.
Lack of diligence in your work.
Condemnation.
Appropriation of someone else's property is theft.
Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.
Killing your child in the womb (abortion), inducing others to commit murder (abortion).
Murder with words is bringing a person through slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.
Drinking alcohol at funerals for the dead instead of intense prayer for them.
Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,
Reasonless laughter.
Foul language.
Self-love.
Doing good deeds for show.
Vanity.
The desire to get rich.
Love of money.
Envy.
Drunkenness, drug use.
Gluttony.
Fornication - inciting lustful thoughts, unclean desires, lustful touching, watching erotic films and reading such books.
Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons not related by marriage.
Adultery is a violation of marital fidelity.
Unnatural fornication - physical intimacy between persons of the same sex, masturbation.
Incest is physical intimacy with close relatives or nepotism.
Although the above sins are conditionally divided into three parts, ultimately they are all sins both against God (since they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against their neighbors (since they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed ), and against themselves (because they interfere with the salvific dispensation of the soul).
Anyone who wants to repent before God for their sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read literature on the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them down on
a separate piece of paper to review before confession. Sometimes a piece of paper with the listed sins is given to the confessor to read, but the sins that especially burden the soul must be told out loud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories, it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of judging your relatives or neighbors. What is important to God and the confessor is not the list of sins, but the repentant feeling of the person being confessed, not detailed stories, but a contrite heart. We must remember that confession is not only an awareness of one’s own shortcomings, but, above all, a thirst to be cleansed of them. In no case is it acceptable to justify yourself - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan of Athos explains what real repentance is: “This is a sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hated sin, then the Lord forgave you your sins.”
It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance before God, writing down serious sins for future confession with your confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with your neighbors and ask for forgiveness from everyone who was offended. When preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading Canon of Penance, which is in the Orthodox prayer book.
To confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession takes place in the church. In those churches where services are performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also celebrated every day. In those churches where there are no daily services, you must first familiarize yourself with the service schedule.
Children under seven years of age (in the Church they are called babies) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great
Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an undesirable sense of the ordinariness of what is happening. It is advisable to prepare infants 2-3 days in advance for the upcoming Communion: read the Gospel, lives of saints, and other soul-helping books with them, reduce, or better yet completely eliminate, television viewing (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with preparation for Communion ), follow their prayer in the morning and before bed, talk with the child about the past days and lead him to a feeling of shame for his own misdeeds. The main thing to remember is that there is nothing more effective for a child than the personal example of parents.
Starting from the age of seven, children (adolescents) begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after first performing the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are also inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. To motivate children to sincere repentance, you can pray for them to read the following list of possible sins:
Did you lie in bed in the morning and therefore skip the morning prayer rule?
Did you not sit down at the table without praying and did you not go to bed without praying?
Do you know the most important ones by heart? orthodox prayers: “Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice”, a prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name you bear?
Did you go to church every Sunday?
Have you been interested in various amusements in church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?
Did you behave properly at church services, did you not run around the church, did you not have empty conversations with your peers, thereby leading them into temptation?
Did you pronounce the name of God unnecessarily?
Are you performing the sign of the cross correctly, are you not in a hurry, are you not distorting it? sign of the cross?
Were you distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?
Do you read the Gospel and other spiritual books?
Do you wear pectoral cross and aren't you ashamed of him?
Aren't you using a cross as a decoration, which is sinful?
Do you wear various amulets, for example, zodiac signs?
Didn’t you tell fortunes, didn’t you tell fortunes?
Didn’t you hide your sins before the priest in confession out of false shame, and then receive communion unworthily?
Were you not proud of yourself and others of your successes and abilities?
Have you ever argued with someone just to gain the upper hand in the argument?
Did you deceive your parents for fear of being punished?
During Lent, did you eat something like ice cream without your parents’ permission?
Did you listen to your parents, didn’t you argue with them, didn’t you demand an expensive purchase from them?
Have you ever beaten anyone? Did he incite others to do this?
Did you offend the younger ones?
Did you torture animals?
Did you gossip about anyone, did you snitch on anyone?
Have you laughed at people who have any physical disabilities?
Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue or using drugs?
Didn't you use foul language?
Have you played cards?
Have you ever engaged in handjobs?
Did you appropriate someone else's property for yourself?
Have you ever had the habit of taking without asking what does not belong to you?
Weren't you too lazy to help your parents around the house?
Was he pretending to be sick to evade his responsibilities?
Were you jealous of others?
The above list is only a general outline of possible sins. Each child may have his own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of parents is to prepare the child for repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but you should not do this for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, subject to sincere, sincere repentance and the desire not to repeat them again.
Confession is performed in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the start of the liturgy. Under no circumstances should you be late for the start of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rite, in which everyone who wishes to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rite, the priest turns to the penitents so that they say their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the start of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of confession reads the rite for them again and accepts confession, or schedules it for another day. Women cannot begin the Sacrament of Repentance during the period of monthly cleansing.
Confession usually takes place in a church with a crowd of people, so you need to respect the secret of confession, not crowd next to the priest receiving confession, and not embarrass the person confessing, revealing his sins to the priest. Confession must be complete. You cannot confess some sins first and leave others for next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in pre-
previous confessions and those that were already released to him are not mentioned again. If possible, you should confess to the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which a feeling of false shame prevents your familiar confessor from revealing. Those who do this by their actions try to deceive God Himself: in confession, we confess our sins not to our confessor, but together with him to the Savior Himself.
In large churches, due to the large number of penitents and the inability of the priest to accept confession from everyone, a “general confession” is usually practiced, when the priest lists out loud the most common sins and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone takes turns to come up for a prayer of absolution . Those who have never been to confession or have not gone to confession for several years should avoid general confession. Such people must undergo private confession - for which they need to choose either a weekday, when there are not many people confessing in the church, or find a parish where only private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest during a general confession for a prayer of permission, among the last, so as not to detain anyone, and, having explained the situation, open up to him about your sins. Those who have grave sins should do the same.
Many devotees of piety warn that a grave sin, which the confessor kept silent about during general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.
After confessing sins and reading the prayer of absolution by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern and, if he was preparing for communion, takes a blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent - spiritual exercises intended to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be treated as the will of God, spoken through a priest, requiring mandatory execution for healing the soul of the repentant. If it is impossible for various reasons to perform penance, you should contact the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties.
Those who wish not only to confess, but also to receive communion, must prepare worthily and in accordance with the requirements of the Church for the Sacrament of Communion. This preparation is called fasting.
The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Meal food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses refrain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and watching television. If circumstances permit, you should attend church services on these days. The morning and evening prayer rules are followed more diligently, with the addition of the reading of the Penitential Canon.
Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is celebrated in the church - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading prayers for bedtime, three canons are read: Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read before the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to perform such a prayer rule in
one day, take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.
It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for communion. Parents, together with their confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child can handle, then gradually increase the number of necessary prayers needed to prepare for communion, up to the full prayer rule for Holy Communion.
For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, others do not confess or receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to begin the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing your sins, ask your confessor for advice. We need to pray to the Lord to help us overcome difficulties and give us strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.
Since it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock at night they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years old). But children from a certain age (starting from 5-6 years, and if possible earlier) must be accustomed to the existing rule.
In the morning, they also don’t eat or drink anything and, of course, don’t smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading morning prayers prayers for Holy Communion are read. If reading prayers for Holy Communion in the morning is difficult, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, you must arrive on time, before confession begins. If confession was made the night before, then the person confessing comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.
Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took bread and, blessing it, broke it and, giving it to the disciples, said: Take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 26-28).
During Divine Liturgy The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed - bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and the participants, receiving Them during communion, mysteriously, incomprehensible to the human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in each Particle of the Sacrament.
Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary to enter eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks about this: “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 on the last day...” (Gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 53 - 54).
The Sacrament of Communion is incomprehensibly great, and therefore requires preliminary cleansing by the Sacrament of Repentance; the only exceptions are infants under seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation required for the laity. Women need to wipe off lipstick from their lips. Women should not receive communion during the period of monthly cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the cleansing prayer of the fortieth day is read over them.
When the priest comes out with the Holy Gifts, the communicants make one prostration (if it is a weekday) or a bow (if it is a Sunday or holiday) and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers
private traders, folding their hands on their chests crosswise (right over left), decorously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. A pious custom has developed to let children go to the Chalice first, then men come up, and then women. You should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having said his name out loud, the communicant, with his lips open, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the communicant’s mouth with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the Holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes the drink (warmth) and eats a piece of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting warmth, you cannot venerate either the icons, the Cross, or the Gospel.
After receiving the warmth, the communicants do not leave the church and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the emptiness (the final words of the service), the communicants approach the Cross and listen carefully to the prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the communicants ceremoniously disperse, trying to preserve the purity of their souls, cleansed of sins, for as long as possible, without wasting time on empty talk and deeds that are not good for the soul. On the day after communion of the Holy Mysteries, bows to the ground are not made, and when the priest gives a blessing, they are not applied to the hand. You can only venerate icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoid verbosity (it is better to remain silent in general), watch TV, exclude marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to abstain from smoking. It is advisable to read prayers of thanksgiving at home after Holy Communion. It is a prejudice that you cannot shake hands on the day of communion. Under no circumstances should you receive communion several times in one day.
In cases of illness and infirmity, you can receive communion at home. For this purpose, a priest is invited to the house. Depending
Depending on his condition, the sick person is adequately prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can receive communion only on an empty stomach (with the exception of dying people). Children under seven years of age do not receive communion at home, since they, unlike adults, can only receive communion with the Blood of Christ, and the reserve Gifts with which the priest administers communion at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated in weekdays during Great Lent.
Each Christian either himself determines the time when he needs to confess and receive communion, or does this with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom of receiving communion at least five times a year - on each of the four multi-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of remembrance of the saint whose name you bear).
How often it is necessary to receive communion is given by the pious advice of the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain: “True communicants are always, following Communion, in a tactile state of grace. The heart then tastes the Lord spiritually.
But just as we are constrained in body and surrounded by external affairs and relationships in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual taste of the Lord, due to the splitting of our attention and feelings, is weakened day by day, obscured and hidden...
Therefore, zealots, sensing its impoverishment, hasten to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are tasting the Lord again.”
Published by the Orthodox parish in the name of St. Seraphim Sarovsky, Novosibirsk.
