The most important sacraments in the life of an Orthodox Christian are confession and communion, which help the human soul to cleanse itself and draw closer to God. From our article you will learn what prayers should be read before confession and communion.

General information

In daily prayers, Orthodox Christians turn to the Savior with requests to forgive the human race for their sins. The culmination of the repentance of a believer is the forgiveness and remission of sins, which is called the sacrament of confession.

The clergy call the confession of a believer in the Savior Jesus Christ a second baptism. During the sacrament of baptism, the baby is cleansed of original sin, the second baptism makes it possible to atone, repent and be cleansed of the offenses committed during life path.

Sin is not only actions, but also thoughts that contradict the commandments of God. There are sins against God, condemning the Holy Spirit, against one's neighbor, against oneself, and mortals. Sin is called spiritual dirt, generated by passion, which is located in the depths of the human soul. According to the clergy, committing atrocities, speaking out against the Lord God and the Holy Spirit, a person becomes an accomplice in the crucifixion of Christ on the cross.

Confession helps the soul to be cleansed of the offenses committed. A believer who believes in God and repents becomes closer to the Savior, receives His mercy and grace.

In Orthodoxy, confession is held in a church, but if necessary, confession to a clergyman can be done in any other place. Before the sacred rite, an Orthodox Christian reads:

• morning and evening prayer rule;
• canon of repentance to our Savior Jesus Christ;
• the prayer of Simeon the New Theologian.

There is no need to be embarrassed and afraid of your sinfulness. All offenses in which a person sincerely repents will be heard and forgiven by God. As the Scripture says, some saints used to be sinners. Sincere repentance and sincere faith helped them purify themselves, take the path of righteousness and draw closer to the Lord.

The Eucharist, or the sacrament of communion, is the opportunity for a believing Christian to touch the most intimate, having tasted bread and wine in the temple, with which they partake of those who have repented of their sins and confessed the righteous, and which personify the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Some parishioners consider themselves unworthy of communion, forgetting that this sacrament exists specifically for people who were previously unworthy, but who realized their sinfulness.

Women should not take communion during their menstrual cycle. Also, a woman who has recently become a mother is not allowed into the church. Before entering the temple and performing the sacrament of communion of a woman in labor, the clergyman must read a special prayer over her.

Before Communion, an Orthodox Christian reads:

• morning prayer rule;
• evening prayer rule;
• canon of repentance to the Savior;
• prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos;
• canon to the Guardian Angel;
• akathist to Jesus the Sweetest;
• attendance at Holy Communion.

The Orthodox Church allows the reading of all the canons to be distributed over several days preceding the celebration of the sacrament of communion.

At the end of the ceremony, a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ, a prayer to St. Basil the Great and a prayer after communion with the Most Holy Theotokos are said. Reading the sacred texts gives the believer spiritual food and the opportunity to meet God.

Video "Preparing for Confession and Communion"

How to properly prepare for the most important Sacraments in life, what prayers to read, and how to repent in confession.

What prayers to read

Confession and Communion are important sacraments for an Orthodox Christian. The main point is the correct preparation for the purification of the soul and the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is very important to know and read the prayers before confession and communion.

Before confession

God and Lord of all, who has power of every breath and soul, alone heal me! Hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the snake nesting in me, by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, having killed the consumer. And me, poor and naked of all virtues, at the feet of my holy father (spiritual) with tears, vouchsafe, and attract his holy soul to mercy, to have mercy on me.

And give, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who agreed to repent of You; and may not completely leave the soul alone, united to Thee and confessing Thee, and choosing and preferring Thee instead of the world. Weigh bo, Lord, as if I want to be saved, even if my crafty custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, the spruce is impossible, the essence is from a person. Amen.

Before Communion

Master Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, merciful and philanthropic, who alone has the power to forgive the sins of people, despise (forget), forgive all my sins, conscious and unconscious, and vouchsafe me without condemnation to partake of Your divine, glorious, pure and life-giving Mysteries not in punishment, not in the multiplication of sins, but in cleansing, sanctification, as a pledge future life and kingdoms, into a solid stronghold, for protection, and the defeat of enemies, for the destruction of many of my sins. For YOU are the God of mercy and generosity, and love of mankind, and we glorify You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

The holy mysteries - the body and blood of Christ - the greatest shrine, God's gift to us sinners and unworthy. No wonder they are called so - holy gifts.

No one on earth can consider himself worthy to be a partaker of the holy mysteries. In preparing for the sacrament, we purify our spiritual and bodily nature. We prepare the soul by prayer, repentance and reconciliation with our neighbor, and the body by fasting and abstinence. This preparation is called fasting.

Prayer rule

Those preparing for communion read three canons: 1) repentant to the Lord Jesus Christ; 2) a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos; 3) the canon to the guardian angel. The Follow-up to Holy Communion is also read, which includes the canon for Communion and prayers.

All these canons and prayers are contained in the Canon and the usual Orthodox prayer book.

On the eve of communion, it is necessary to be at the evening service, for the church day begins in the evening.

Fast

Before communion, fasting, fasting, fasting - bodily abstinence is attributed. During fasting, food of animal origin should be excluded: meat, dairy products, and eggs. With a strict fast, fish is also excluded. But lean foods should also be consumed in moderation.

Spouses during fasting must refrain from bodily intimacy (5th canon of St. Timothy of Alexandria). Women who are in purification (during the period of menstruation) cannot take communion (7th canon of St. Timothy of Alexandria).

Fasting, of course, is necessary not only with the body, but also with the mind, sight and hearing, keeping one's soul from worldly entertainment.

The duration of the Eucharistic fast is usually negotiated with the confessor or parish priest. It depends on the bodily health, the spiritual state of the communicant, and also on how often he begins to partake of the holy mysteries.

The general practice is to fast before communion for at least three days.

For those who take communion frequently (for example, once a week), the duration of fasting can be reduced with the blessing of the confessor to 1-2 days.

Also, the confessor can weaken the fast for sick people, pregnant and lactating women, and also taking into account other life circumstances.

Those preparing for communion no longer eat after midnight, as the day of communion arrives. You need to take communion on an empty stomach. Under no circumstances should you smoke. Some mistakenly believe that you should not brush your teeth in the morning so as not to swallow water. This is completely wrong. In the Teaching News, each priest is prescribed brushing his teeth before the Liturgy.

Repentance

by the most important point in preparation for the sacrament of communion is the cleansing of one's soul from sins, which is performed in the sacrament of confession. Christ will not enter into a soul not cleansed of sin, not reconciled to God.

One can sometimes hear the opinion that it is necessary to separate the sacraments of confession and communion. And if a person regularly confesses, then he can proceed to communion without confession. In this case, they usually refer to the practice of some Local Churches (for example, the Greek one).

But our Russian people more than 70 years was in atheistic captivity. And the Russian Church is only just beginning to recover from the spiritual catastrophe that has befallen our country. We have very few Orthodox churches and clergy. In Moscow, for 10 million inhabitants, there are only about one thousand priests. People are not churched, cut off from traditions. Community life is practically non-existent. The life and spiritual level of modern Orthodox believers are incomparable with the life of Christians of the first centuries. Therefore, we adhere to the practice of confession before each communion.

By the way, about the first centuries of Christianity. The most important historical monument early Christian writing "The Teaching of the 12 Apostles" or in Greek "Didache", says: "On the day of the Lord (that is, on Sunday. - about. P.G.), having gathered together, break bread and give thanks, having confessed your transgressions in advance, so that your sacrifice may be pure. But whoever is at odds with his friend, let him not come with you until they are reconciled, lest your sacrifice be defiled; for this is the command of the Lord: in every place and at all times a pure sacrifice must be offered to me, for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is marvelous among the nations” (Didache 14). And again: “Confess your sins in church and do not approach your prayer with a bad conscience. Such is the way of life!” (Didache, 4).

The importance of repentance, cleansing from sins before communion is undeniable, so let's dwell on this topic in a little more detail.

For many, the first confession and communion was the beginning of their churching, becoming Orthodox Christians.

Preparing to meet our dear guest, we try to clean our house better, put things in order. Even more so, we must prepare with trepidation, reverence and diligence to receive into the house of our souls the "King of kings and the Lord of lords." The more attentively a Christian follows spiritual life, the more often and more zealously he repents, the more he sees his sins and unworthiness before God. No wonder the holy people saw their sins as countless as the sand of the sea. A noble citizen of the town of Gaza came to the Monk Abba Dorotheus, and the abba asked him: “Eminent gentleman, tell me who do you consider yourself to be in your city?” He replied: "I consider myself great and the first in the city." Then the monk again asked him: “If you go to Caesarea, what will you consider yourself to be there?” The man replied: "For the last of the nobles there." “If you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there?” “There,” he replied, “I will consider myself one of the commoners.” “If you go to Constantinople and draw near to the king, who will you consider yourself to be there?” And he answered: "Almost for a beggar." Then the abba said to him: “This is how the saints, the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”

Unfortunately, we have to see that some perceive the sacrament of confession as a kind of formality, after which they will be admitted to communion. Preparing to receive communion, we must with all responsibility treat the purification of our soul in order to make it a temple for the acceptance of Christ.

Repentance the holy fathers call second baptism, baptismal tears. Just as the waters of baptism wash our souls from sins, tears of repentance, weeping and contrition for sins cleanse our spiritual nature.

Why do we repent if the Lord already knows all our sins? God expects from us repentance, recognition of them. In the sacrament of confession, we ask Him for forgiveness. You can understand this with this example. The child climbed into the closet and ate all the sweets. The father knows perfectly well who did this, but he is waiting for the son to come and ask for forgiveness.

The very word "confession" means that a Christian has come tell, confess, tell yourself your sins. The priest in prayer before confession reads: “These are Your servants, word be kindly resolved." Man himself is resolved from his sins through the word and receives forgiveness from God. Therefore, confession should be private, not public. I mean the practice when a priest reads a list of possible sins, and then simply covers the confessor with an epitrachelion. "General Confession" was an almost ubiquitous phenomenon in Soviet time when there was very little operating temples and on Sundays public holidays, as well as fasting, they were overflowing with prayers. It was simply unrealistic to confess to everyone who wanted to. Conducting confession after the evening service was also almost not allowed anywhere. Now, thank God, there are very few churches where such a confession is held.

In order to be well prepared for the purification of the soul, before the sacrament of repentance, one must reflect on one's sins and remember them. The following books help us in this: “To Help the Penitent” by St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), “The Experience of Building a Confession” by Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) and others.

Confession cannot be perceived as just a spiritual washing, showering. You can mess around in the ground and not be afraid of dirt, anyway, then everything will be washed off in the soul. And you can go on sinning. If a person comes to confession with such thoughts, he confesses not for salvation, but for judgment and condemnation. And having formally “confessed”, he will not receive permission from God for sins. It's not that simple. Sin, passion causes great harm to the soul, and even having repented, a person bears the consequences of his sin. So in a patient who has had smallpox, scars remain on the body.

It is not enough just to confess sin, you need to make every effort to overcome the tendency to sin in your soul, not to return to it anymore. So the doctor removes the cancerous tumor and prescribes a course of chemotherapy to defeat the disease, to prevent a relapse. Of course, it is not easy to immediately leave sin, but the penitent should not be hypocritical: "I will repent - and I will continue to sin." A person must make every effort to embark on the path of correction, no longer return to sin. A person should ask God for help to fight sins and passions.

Those who rarely go to confession and communion cease to see their sins. They move away from God. And vice versa, approaching Him as the Source of light, people begin to see all the dark and impure corners of their souls. Just as the bright sun illuminates all the uncleaned nooks and crannies of the room.

The Lord does not expect earthly gifts and offerings from us, but: “Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). And as we prepare to be united with Christ in the sacrament of communion, we bring this sacrifice to Him.

Reconciliation

“So if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23-24), the word of God tells us.

The one who dares to take communion sins mortally, having malice, enmity, hatred, unforgiven insults in his heart.

The Kiev-Pechersk Patericon tells about the terrible sinful state that people can fall into when they begin to receive communion in a state of anger and non-reconciliation. “There were two brothers in spirit - the deacon Evagrius and the priest Titus. And they had great and unfeigned love for each other, so that everyone marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil who hates good, who always walks around, “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5: 8), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred into them that they shied away from each other, did not want to see one another in person. Many times the brethren begged them to be reconciled among themselves, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run away, Titus passed him without shaking. And so they spent a lot of time in sinful darkness, proceeding to the holy mysteries: Titus, not asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius, angry, the enemy armed them before. Once Titus fell very ill and, already at death, began to grieve about his sin and sent to the deacon with a plea: “Forgive me, for God's sake, my brother, that I was angry with you in vain.” Evagrius answered cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly brought Evagrius in order to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the sick man got up a little, prostrated himself at his feet and said: “Forgive me and bless me, my father!” He, unmerciful and fierce, refused to forgive in the presence of everyone, saying: “I will never be reconciled with him, neither in this age, nor in the future.” And suddenly Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders and fell. They wanted to pick him up, but they saw that he was already dead. And they could neither stretch out his hand nor close his mouth, as in the case of a long-dead one. The patient immediately got up, as if he had never been ill. And everyone was horrified at the sudden death of one and the speedy recovery of the other. With much weeping they buried Evagrius. His mouth and eyes remained open, and his arms outstretched. Then the elders asked Titus: “What does all this mean?” And he said: “I saw angels departing from me and weeping for my soul, and demons rejoicing at my wrath. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful angel holding a fiery spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him and he fell dead. The angel gave me his hand and lifted me up.” Hearing this, the brethren were afraid of God, who said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

In preparation for the communion of the Holy Mysteries, it is necessary (if only there is such an opportunity) to ask for forgiveness from everyone whom we have voluntarily or involuntarily offended and forgive everyone ourselves. If it is not possible to do this personally, one must be reconciled with one's neighbors, at least in one's heart. Of course, this is not easy - we are all proud, touchy people (by the way, touchiness always stems from pride). But how can we ask God for forgiveness of our sins, count on their remission, if we ourselves do not forgive our offenders. Shortly before the communion of the faithful at the Divine Liturgy, the Lord's Prayer - "Our Father" is sung. As a reminder to us that God will only then "leave ( forgive) we owe ( sins) ours”, when we also leave “our debtor”.

In the life of an Orthodox Christian, the most significant event is the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It takes more than one day to prepare for it. Three days of fasting, as well as reading prayers before confession and Communion. This is how believers should prepare themselves to meet God.

Before proceeding to receive the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, the believer must purify his soul with repentance. It's about about the sacrament of confession established by the church.

Fasting is not provided for before the sacrament of repentance. But, as the holy fathers say, every sin requires proportionate repentance, and if it is not, the corresponding torment will come.

If we have committed a serious sin, it means that we must especially cry and lament over what we have done, and refrain from any actions that led to the commission of this sin. It is also necessary to repent of small sins, not to neglect this. We must remember everything that we have done since the last confession.

In order not to forget all the sins committed during this time, the holy fathers recommend summing up the day before going to bed every day. Evaluate your actions, ask God for forgiveness if you have done something contrary to His commandments. In order to set yourself in the right mood, before confession, you need to read the canon of repentance. It helps bring the soul into a contrite state.

What do they read before confession?

The penitential canon, read by all Orthodox Christians in preparation for confession and Communion, was written by the great Russian man and commander A. Suvorov.

This happened in February 1800, undoubtedly under the influence of the canon of Andrew of Crete, read during the days of Great Lent.

The general wrote the canon with a weakened hand. He will be gone by May of this year. The dream of the great Russian commander to become a monk and take refuge in the Nile Desert, where for many years he aspired with all his soul, did not come true.

A. Suvorov was in life not only a soldier, but also a pilgrim. For his piety, he was named by his compatriots the Russian Archangel Michael. Suvorov was prominent representative Orthodox Russia.

The contradictions that he combined, the prayerful state of the soul and the need to shed someone's blood, may have led him to write the canon, which for several centuries has been calling all believers to realize their sins and high repentance.

The canon that is read before confession can be found in any Orthodox prayer book. It is needed to help the believer remember:

• transience of life;
• the coming terrible judgment;
• the need to seek the Kingdom of God by all means;
• repentance and purification of the soul from sins;
• awareness of their cruelty;
• the madness of a man holding on to temporary wealth;
• strengthening in virtue;
• much more.

According to the charter of the church, believers do not have the right to approach the Holy Chalice without being prepared and without purifying the soul with the sacrament of repentance. AT this case home repentance is not enough.

It is imperative to go through the sacrament of confession, at which the clergyman will forgive sins by the power given to him by God. An exception is made for children under 7 years of age. It is believed that this is the angelic age, when there are no sins yet or they are committed unconsciously due to age.

Attention! A lot of books have been written about what you need to pay attention to when preparing for confession. Somewhere detailed explanations are given, somewhere sins are simply listed. Prayers for preparing for this sacrament can be found in liturgical books or listened to online on the Internet.

Participle

Christ Himself commanded us to take communion. This must be done in order to be saved and have eternal life.

Mysteriously, the wine and bread in the Eucharist Cup during the liturgy are transformed into the Flesh and Blood of Christ.

Taking them inside, we unite with God, thereby receiving cleansing from sins and strength on further way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Communion is a very important and responsible moment in spiritual life. Orthodox person. A lot depends on how you prepare for it. An unworthy addition to the Gifts without proper preparation will entail an even worse punishment. The process itself consists of several steps:

1. Compliance with a 3-day fast.
2. Reading certain prayers.
3. Passing confession in the temple where the sacrament will be performed.
4. Participation in the Sacrament.
5. Listening to prayers of thanks.

On the day of Communion, before the beginning of the Liturgy, and especially the moment when the Gifts are taken inside, do not drink anything and do not eat any food. The exception is people who are taking medications that are vital for them at this time.

If a delay in taking medications can lead to a sharp deterioration in health, then they are allowed to be used until the moment of Communion. But no more. All this is desirable to do with the blessing of the confessor.

How to Read Prayers Before Communion

Fasting and prayer help believers purify their souls and bodies in order to receive the Holy Gifts. The Church has established certain prayers that are necessary for every believer who wants to be united with Christ in the sacrament of Communion. So what to read:

1. Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.
3. Canon to the guardian angel.
4. Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Priests, monastics and pious laymen read daily the three canons mentioned above in the list of prayers that must be read before accepting the Holy Gifts. But we ordinary believers, immersed in the vanity of numerous affairs, would not be able to do this prayer work.

Interesting! When is celebrated according to the church Orthodox calendar

Therefore, the reading of the three canons is prescribed to us only during the preparation for Communion, as a particularly important and responsible moment of our spiritual activity.

Seraphim Zvezdinsky, a preacher and church hierarch of the early 20th century, who later became a holy martyr, called them the three roses of Paradise, which everyone aspiring to the Kingdom of Heaven should smell.

And those who read the lines of the canons with attention and an open heart will be able to feel the special spiritual aroma emanating from each of their words. Fragrant lines purify and inspire the soul of the one who prays, produce its mysterious spiritual transformation.

Adherence to Holy Communion is a cycle of texts compiled in a certain order and aimed at setting the soul of the believer to a worthy passage of the sacrament. We list which prayers they include:

1. General start.
2. Troparion Psalms.
3. Canon.
4. A cycle of ten or more prayer texts.
5. Brief prayers pronounced directly at the moment of receiving the Holy Gifts.
6. Thanksgiving prayers read after the end of the Sacrament of Communion and the Liturgy.

All these prayers, except for the last two, must be performed in advance, in the process of preparing for the Sacrament. Thanksgiving prayers can be listened to in the temple or pray on your own at home.

Attention! Prayers before Communion for children, as a rule, are reduced or abolished altogether, if the age of the attendant is conducive to such a relaxation of the charter. What to read before Communion and confession to children, the spiritual mentor will tell.

How and Why to Prepare for the Sacraments

The views of the clergy on the passage of the Divine Eucharist by believers at times do not coincide. Some confessors bless their children to take communion as often as possible.

But this is more appropriate during fasting or if the parishioner is at the monastery as a worker.

Perhaps he simply lives in the monastery hotel for a long time and, of course, goes to all services, performs any obediences that are not too burdensome for him.

In this case, the believer is immersed around the clock in a state of prayerful contemplation, constantly fasting, since lenten food is mainly served in the monastic refectories. He has all the conditions to partake of communion often and do it worthily.

Other Orthodox clergy believe that too active parishioners' participation in the Divine Eucharist may belittle the high significance of this Sacrament. First of all, the quality of preparation for communion and confession will suffer.

In the hustle and bustle of numerous affairs that surround a layman, it will be very difficult for him to often arrange fasts for himself, cut out additional time and the strength to frequently read the obligatory prayer rule, which is quite voluminous.

There will be an emasculation, a devaluation in the minds of Christians of this high and holy Sacrament, since the preparation for it will be put on stream, done in a hurry and carelessly, without due reverence.

In Russia, before the revolution, there was a clearly established model of behavior of believing Christians in the church, which at that time was the majority of the country's population. Pious people were instructed to take communion at every fast for one simple reason. Communion was impossible without a weekly fast with all strictness. During fasting, this condition could be fulfilled much easier and simpler than on ordinary days.

Attention! Experienced clergy advise taking communion once a month. More often it is undesirable to do this, but it is not worth delaying too much.

Do children need special prayers before communion? The views of the clergy on this issue are also diametrically opposed. Someone believes that a child from an early age should be gradually taught to fast and read at least a few prayers, gradually increasing their number. Other confessors insist that it is enough at first during the preparation period to introduce restrictions on chocolate, ice cream, and cartoons.

In this way, the child will feel that something significant, out of the ordinary, is about to happen. The child should not avoid the temple and prayers, because they bore him. It will be enough for him to see how adults participate in the preparation for confession and Communion, to stand with them for several minutes while reading prayers.

Useful video

Summing up

If we want to approach the Eucharistic Chalice, then we must undergo confession. The priest will read a permissive prayer, placing an epitrachelion on our head. Thus, he testifies to the purity of the soul and conscience of the one who dares to approach the Holy Gifts. It is necessary to read prayers before Communion in order to prepare the soul for this sacrament.

What prayers to read before confession and Communion?

The task of the life of any believer is spiritual renewal. This can be done with the help of two powerful means given by the Lord himself - confession and Communion. The purpose of confession is to purify the human conscience from everything impure, to prepare a person for the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries. In Communion, the believer unites with Jesus, accepts the Divine life and all the blessings associated with it: strength and good spirits, good thoughts and feelings, strength and desire to do good. These two sacraments, confession and Communion, require careful preparation, first of all, preparation by prayer.

General principles of preparation for Communion

A believer is admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting, and repentance. The preparation for Communion is called fasting by the Church. Fasting usually takes 3-7 days and is directly related to both the spiritual and physical life of a person. During the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will take place during the sacrament of Communion.

In general, the preparation for Communion consists of the following steps:

• fasting immediately before Communion;
• attending the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
• reciting a specific set of prayers;
• abstinence from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the very sacrament;
• confession with a clergyman, during which he decides on the admission of a person to Communion;
• stay at the Divine Liturgy.

Fasting is aimed at a person's awareness of his sins, their confession before a spiritual person and God, at the beginning of the struggle with sinful passions. The believer, while preparing for Communion, must move away from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary fuss. The Lord dwells only in a pure heart, so fasting must be approached with the utmost seriousness and concentration.

Post and its features

On the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily cleanliness - in other words, refrain from intimacy and marital relations. Restriction in food (fasting) is mandatory. A few words about the post:

• the duration of the fast must be at least 3 days;
• these days, any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs) should be abandoned. If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
• plant products (vegetables, fruits, grains, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.

If a person has only recently joined the Church, or has not turned to her for a long time, forgetting about God, or has not observed all the established fasts, the clergyman in this case can assign him an additional fast of 3-7 days. Strict restriction in food at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with abstinence from visiting establishments and entertainment events (theaters, cinema, clubs, etc.), with refraining from watching entertainment TV shows, films and from listening to popular secular music. . The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be entertained and exchanged for everyday trifles.

The strictest fast falls on the day before the sacrament of Communion, starting at midnight. During this time, abstinence from food and drink should be absolute. You should go to Communion on an empty stomach. Also, for this period, a person should completely stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Women are not allowed to take Communion on the days of atonement (during menstruation).

On behavior and mood before Communion

A person who is preparing for Communion should let go of all negative feelings and emotions (hatred, anger, irritation, anger, etc.). You also need to forgive your offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were once offended by you, reconcile with those with whom the relationship was at odds. Consciousness should be free from condemnation, obscene thoughts. Arguments, empty talk should also be discarded. Time is best spent in silence and solitude, reading the Gospel and spiritual books. If possible, you should definitely attend the services held in the church.

About the prayer rule

Prayer is a personal conversation of a person with God, which consists in turning to Him with requests for the forgiveness of sins, for assistance in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in worldly and spiritual needs.

A person preparing for Communion during the days of fasting should more carefully and diligently observe the daily home prayer rule. Morning and evening prayers must be said in in full force. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.

Prayer preparation for Communion includes the following prayers:

• morning prayer rule;
• prayers for a dream to come;
• “Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ”;
• “Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos”;
• "Canon to the Guardian Angel";
• "Following Holy Communion".

The texts of the prayers can be found in the Appendix to this article. Another option is to approach the clergyman with the “Prayer Book” and ask him to mark everything you need.

The utterance of all prayers before the sacrament of Communion requires calmness, attentiveness, concentration and considerable time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all the canons to be distributed over several days. “The Follow-up to Holy Communion” should be read on the eve of the day of the sacrament, in the evening, before prayers for the coming sleep. The remaining three canons can be recited within three days, after reading the morning prayers.

About confession

Confession is an integral part of fasting. You can confess either in the morning or in the evening, but always before the start of the service, so you should come to the temple in advance (being late is an expression of deep disrespect). Without confession, no one is allowed to take Holy Communion, the only exceptions are children under the age of 7, and people who are in mortal danger.

On the day of Holy Communion

On the day of Communion, after reading the “Our Father”, the believer should go to the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out. You should not rush forward - the first to let the Chalice pass are children, the elderly and sick people. Having waited for your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should still bow from a distance and cross your arms over your chest (put the right one on the left). It is not necessary to overshadow oneself with the banner of the Cross in front of the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Before the Cup you need to name your full name received at baptism, and then with reverence in the soul to accept Christ's Body and Blood, swallow. When the Holy Mysteries are received, one should kiss the edge of the Chalice without making the sign of the cross and go to the table, eat the prosphora and drink it with warmth.

After receiving Communion, you cannot immediately leave the church - you need to wait until the priest walks with the altar cross and kiss this cross. It is highly desirable to be present at thanksgiving prayers, but in extreme cases they can be read at home.

On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person who takes communion must remain decent and reverent.

Communion frequency

The first Christians took Communion every Sunday. Now, due to the change in people's way of life, the Church recommends taking Communion, if possible, during each Lent, but at least once a year.

I'm just ripe for Communion, I'm getting ready. Thanks for the necessary clarification!

I try to take communion at least once a year, usually during Lent. I started doing this about 7 years ago, since then Communion has been an obligatory sacrament for me.

© 2017. All rights reserved.

Unexplored world of magic and esotericism

By using this site, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with this notice in relation to this type of files.

If you do not agree to our use of this type of file, then you must set your browser settings accordingly or not use the site.

Sacrament of confession and communion

Confession or repentance is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, during which the penitent confesses his sins to the priest, the representative of the Lord on earth, after which the forgiveness of sins is carried out. It is believed that these Sacraments were established by Jesus Christ himself. To achieve the best result, prayers are read before confession and communion, according to Orthodoxy, this allows the believer to tune in the right way.

In order for the ritual to go according to all the rules, you need to prepare before communion:

• It is necessary to realize one's sinfulness, sincerely, heartily repent of the sins committed.
• It is necessary to realize the desire to leave sin and not repeat it anymore, believing in Jesus Christ, hoping for his mercy.
• We must believe that confession has sufficient power to cleanse sins.

To receive absolution, you will need to undergo the Sacrament of baptism in the church before receiving communion, becoming an Orthodox Christian.

In addition, there are some simple rules:

• Remember all the evil words, starting from the age of 7 or the moment of baptism, admit only your guilt in having uttered them.
• Offer prayers to God, promise that with his help you will make every effort to exclude the repetition of sin, you will try to do good.
• If sin has resulted in harm to your neighbor, you need to make amends for the harm done.
• Forgive the sins of those who caused moral or material damage to you before communion occurs.

You must feel sincere repentance during confession, only then the Lord will be able to illuminate your soul with light. And if you decide to confess “for show”, it’s better not to do this at all. This is a great Sacrament, not a formality.

To pass the sacrament ritual you need:

• Understand the meaning of the ritual. Your goal is to become a partaker of the Divine, to unite with Christ, to be cleansed from sin.
• Recognize the need for ritual. Offer prayers, heartily desire to pass it.
• Get peace of mind, a state opposite to malice, enmity, hatred.
• Do not violate church canons.
• Get confession on time.
• Stick to the post.
• Participate in worship services, pray at home.
• Keep body and spirit clean.

Prayers will help prepare for the Sacraments

It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of the holy confession and communion by repentance, fasting, in addition, prayers are also read at this time. There are several types of prayers, some of which can be read at home or in the temple. Reading a prayer for communion will help you cleanse yourself spiritually, prepare for the ritual, and make it much easier.

Orthodox Christians note that this kind of preparation really makes the process more enjoyable, allows you to better understand its meaning, frees you from disturbing thoughts, and gives understanding. You can even pray for your loved ones who will have a ritual, no doubt, this will allow them to go through it much easier.

Examples of Orthodox prayers

Familiarize yourself with the three canons and akathists, they include "the canon of the penitent to the Lord", "the prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos", "the canon to the Guardian Angel".

On the eve of Easter, it is recommended to read the Easter canon. There are several prayers that must be read before the Sacrament of Confession. It is recommended to read them at home or within the walls of the church, placing candles in front of the icon of Jesus Christ.

Some Rules for Offering Prayers

In order for the procedure for reading prayers to be successful and have an effect, you need to follow some rules, before the ritual, turn to the Lord. The rules include awareness of the need to communicate with the Lord, understanding the meaning of prayers, maintaining concentration.

It does not matter where the ritual will take place, at home or in church, the main thing is to remember what you are doing and why. The texts of the prayers themselves are recommended to be memorized, this will allow you not to be distracted.

Read about other prayers for the sacraments:

Prayers before confession and communion: comments

Comments - 3,

Learned a lot of prayers. Special thanks for the design, everything is done simply and tastefully. Especially pleased with the video at the end, very informative. I learned a lot for myself, both at the expense of confession and about communion. I will be putting into practice what I have learned soon. I did not know at all about some rules for offering prayers. Thanks for the article and God bless you. AMEN.

Read better about how to prepare for confession and Communion on Orthodox websites. And Communion is not a ritual, but a sacrament. And there is no need to read any prayers before confession. And not the canon of the REPENTENT to the Lord, but the canon of the REPENTENT. And the following for Holy Communion is not written completely - only one prayer is written, in fact it is very long. It is the same with the canons - only one prayer was written here, and not the entire canon. In general, read on Orthodox sites, and not here - they wrote some kind of nonsense ....

I didn’t go to confession for a long time and didn’t take communion it was hard to walk after the surgery I can’t wait until tomorrow I’m going to confession to God I’m very sick please pray for my health it’s very hard on my soul

Prayer to read before confession and communion

It is necessary to prepare oneself for the sacrament of Holy Communion by prayer, fasting and repentance.

"... let the bishop take communion, then the presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, ascetics, and among the women - deaconesses, virgins, widows, then children, and then all the people in order, with shame and reverence, without noise."

Preparing for Communion at Holy Week

The Church does not forbid making significant indulgences for children. It would be most correct in each specific case to consult with the priest - while remembering the main thing: visiting the temple, prayer, Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ should bring joy to the child, and not become a heavy and unwanted duty.

About the frequency of Communion

By putting fasting in this fast, you prescribed that you are dissatisfied with your fasting, although you love fasting and would like to do this work of Christian piety more often. - As you did not indicate in what way you are dissatisfied with your fasting, I will not say anything about it, I will only add: try to bring your fasting to the point that it satisfies you. You can ask your confessor how to correct your fasting. As for more often, there is no need to increase it, because this frequency will take away no small part of reverence for this greatest work, I mean reverence and communion. I think I have already written to you that it is enough to say goodbye and take communion in every big post out of 4. And in the fasts before Easter and Christmas twice. And look no more. Try to organize and perfect your inner being more.”

Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ with translation into Russian

What prayers to read before confession and communion

The sacrament of confession is one of the most important seven sacraments for a believing Orthodox person. At the same time, you can’t just come to confession and take communion, you need to prepare for this sacrament. Prayers before confession and communion will prepare the soul for the purification of the soul, help to turn to God, to become closer to him.

But, this is not the only thing that needs to be done in order to be prepared for confession and communion. Every person who attends an Orthodox church and follows the faith must know how to prepare for confession and communion.

Sacrament of Confession

Every person sins, but these sins can be atoned for. After all, the purification of the soul from evil and sins is the only way to God, that is, purification occurs through repentance. This repentance and forgiveness can be received through the sacrament of Confession and Communion, and this is the essence of these rites.

All those who want to undergo repentance and purification should know the basic canons before Confession and Communion:

The sacrament can only be passed by Orthodox baptized Christians. The sacrament of baptism should be performed by the priest, if grandparents were baptized, then this issue should be discussed individually with your spiritual mentor.

• In addition to being baptized, one must firmly and sincerely believe and accept the Revelation of God, which is the book of the Bible. The essence of the Revelation of God is set forth in the Creed, which must be learned by heart.
• Before Confession and Communion, you need to remember all your evil deeds, thoughts and thoughts, starting from the age of 7. You should be frank with yourself and understand that in all sinful deeds, the fault lies not with someone, but with you.
• You can’t remember other people’s sins, even if they gave rise to a chain that made you do bad thing. Remembering other people's sins, as well as telling about them in Confession, is also equated with a sinful deed.
• In the prayers that are read before the sacrament, it is imperative to promise God that with the help of his blessing you will no longer repeat your sins again.
• Also, if a sinful act has resulted in damage loved one, then before Confession and Communion it is necessary to make every effort to correct this damage.
• It is important not only to ask forgiveness from the Lord in prayers, but also to forgive all the insults that other people have inflicted on us.

After this reflection and preparation, you should go to confession to the priest. At the same time, it is important to be as frank with him as with yourself. One should not be afraid to shock the priest with one's deeds, since only priests know about all mental and non-mental sins. There is a mystery of Confession, which means that everything said to the priest will not leave him, this mystery remains only between the confessor and the priest. For divulging this secret, the priest may lose his rank.

Preparation for the sacrament

After realizing your sins (and you can even write them down so as not to forget or miss anything), you should undergo preparation for the sacrament. To do this, you need to adhere to a three-day fast, during which you can not eat eggs, meat products, dairy products. During fasting, you need to pray a lot and be sure to read the Bible.

The sacrament is performed in the morning, therefore, after three days of fasting, the night before, you must definitely visit the temple, listen to the evening service. During the evening service, one must confess one's sins. On the very day of the sacrament, when the clock strikes midnight, you can not eat or drink anything. In the morning, during the Liturgy, one must approach the holy Chalice, remembering the Death and Resurrection of Christ. When the service ends, you should thank God and go out into the world with a pure soul in order to do good deeds and not commit past sins.

What prayers should be read

But if this is not possible, then here are the names of the prayers that must be read before the sacrament:

• "Prayer of Simeon the New Theologian"
• "Prayer of St. John of Damascus before Communion"
• "Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ";
• "Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos";
• "Canon to the Guardian Angel";
• "Following Holy Communion".

A detailed description from several sources: "prayer going to confession" - in our non-commercial weekly religious magazine.

“The holy righteous John of Kronstadt pointed out: “to see one’s sins in their multitude and in all their vileness is indeed a gift of God.” Therefore, the work of repentance must begin with an intense fervent prayer that the Lord, by His grace, reveal to us our sins and the passions and addictions hidden in us. Fragment from the book by N.E. Pestov “ Modern practice Orthodox piety, part 4, ch.21.

Confession of sins in the sacrament of repentance requires serious preliminary preparation on the part of the penitent. It can be quite short (this is quite appropriate for those who are used to going to confession often), but it can also last for a very long time. You can prepare for Confession in the temple immediately before it begins or at home before leaving for the temple; sometimes it is useful to start preparing for it the day before or even a few days in advance.

In preparing for the Mystery of Repentance, it is obvious that the penitent first of all needs to pray to God: for without His miraculous help, deep repentance is impossible. At the same time, we all need to regret our sins and ask the Lord to grant the grace that helps to sincerely repent and gain the determination to leave the former sinful way of life. We can express this prayer in our own words, and use the prayers of the saints. Some of the prayers before Confession are presented below. It is important to note that in the current practice of the ROC, preparation for Confession does not imply the obligatory reading of prayers Therefore, the proposed prayers are advisory, but not mandatory.

Prayer of St. Simeon the New Theologian before Confession

God and Lord of all, who has power over every breath and soul, alone heal me! Hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the snake nesting in me, by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, consume it. And me, poor and naked of all virtues, at the feet of my holy father (spiritual) with tears, make me fall, and his holy soul to mercy, even have mercy on me, attract. And give, Lord, in my heart humility and thoughts of good, befitting a sinner who agreed to repent of You; and may not in the end leave the one soul that was united with Thee and confessed Thee, and instead of the world chose and preferred Thee. Weigh, Lord, as if I want to be saved, even if my crafty custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of the whole, if it is impossible the essence of a man. Amen.

Prayer of Repentance Isaac the Syrian

What is important to remember in penitential prayers? Obviously, our sins, our present passions and negligence, and at the same time remember the saving sacrifice of Christ and His incomprehensible greatest sufferings for us. This is how the following prayer of St. Isaac the Syrian.

“Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who wept over Lazarus and shed tears of sorrow and compassion over him, accept the tears of my sorrow. Heal my passions through your suffering; Heal my wounds with Thy wounds. Purify my blood with Your blood, and dilute the fragrance of Your life-giving body with my body. The same bile that your enemies gave you to drink, may it sweeten my soul from the sorrow that the enemy gave me to drink; the sufferings of Thy Body, stretched out on the tree of the cross, may my mind be lifted up to Thee, carried away by the demons of the valley. Your head, bowed on the cross, may it lift up my head, hung by adversaries. Thy all-holy hands, nailed to the cross by the unfaithful, may they lead me up to Thee from the abyss of perdition, as Thy all-holy lips promised. Your face who took upon Himself the beatings and spitting from the damned, may it illuminate my face, defiled by iniquities. Thy soul, which, being on the cross, You gave up to Thy Father, may it guide me to Thee by Thy grace. I have no sick heart to seek Thee; I have neither repentance nor contrition, by which children are introduced into their own inheritance. I have no comforting tears, Vladyka. My mind has been darkened by the affairs of life and does not have the strength to raise my gaze to You with pain. My heart has grown cold from many temptations and cannot be warmed by tears of love for You. But You, Lord Jesus Christ, God, the Treasury of good, grant me whole repentance and an untiring heart, so that with all my soul I can go out to seek You. For without Thee I shall be a stranger to all goodness. Therefore, grant me, O Good One, Thy grace. May the Father who leads You from His bowels without flight and eternally renew in me the features of Your image. I left you, but you don't leave me. I have departed from You - Come, come to seek me and lead me into Your pasture, count me among the sheep of Your chosen flock, saturate me with the grain of Your Divine sacraments, together with those whose pure heart is Your abode, and in it is visible the brilliance of Your revelations - this is a consolation and this joy for those who have labored for You in sorrows and various torments. May we also be honored with this brilliance, according to Your grace and according to Your philanthropy, our Savior Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen".

Orthodox icons and prayers

Information site about icons, prayers, Orthodox traditions.

What prayers to read before confession and communion

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our site, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Vkontakte group Prayers for every day. Also add to the YouTube channel Prayers and Icons. "God bless you!".

Many people do not know what to do before confession and communion, so they very often look ridiculous because they can do something wrong, or say the wrong thing, or without consulting with knowledgeable person asking for help from the inexperienced. There are such concepts as the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of Communion, and therefore you need to prepare for necessary procedures the day before, so that everything goes right and the way you planned it. In addition, there are special prayers that are read before confession and communion.

Sacrament of Confession

Confession is repentance - one of the seven Orthodox Christian sacraments, during which the one who confesses repents of all his sins before the minister of the church and thus receives the forgiveness of all sins.

Church officials call confession a second baptism. During baptism, a child is cleansed of original sin, and during confession, a person is cleansed of sins already committed by him during his life path. In order for the confession to come true, you need:

• - to understand and be aware of their sins;
• - to repent of their sins;
• - the desire to leave the sin and not repeat it again;
• - faith in Jesus and hope for his mercy;
• - belief that the Sacrament of Confession will wash away all sins.

How to Prepare for Confession

So how do you prepare for confession? What prayers should be read before confession? Of course, the necessary procedures

must be done on the eve before going to church. First of all, you need to prepare mentally, tune in spiritually, know that you are ready for this trip. You also need to read the relevant literature about the Sacrament of Confession, various canons about sins, write out your own on a piece of paper in order to clearly understand where you have sinned and for what you want to ask for forgiveness. Preparation can be lengthy, but the main thing is that you do it consciously! In addition, you need to read what you need Orthodox prayers before communion and confession. You can also give a leaflet with your sins to a priest who will read them, or you yourself can tell aloud about the sins you have committed, but you should not make a long story out of this, state your problem briefly and clearly. According to Orthodox canons, in no case is self-justification allowed - this is already a new sin, because repentance is the awareness of sins.

A very good habit is self-examination every day and at the end repentance to yourself, so every evening you will analyze where you have sinned and from whom you need to ask for forgiveness. And it’s also very handy to read the Penitential Canon for yourself. Then the preparation for confession will not take much time, since it will be easy for you to assess what you are guilty of and what you want to repent of.

What prayers to read before confession

One of the prayers that are read before confession and communion:

Prayer of Simeon the New Theologian

God and Lord of all, who has power of every breath and soul, alone heal me! Hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the snake nesting in me, by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, having killed the consumer. And me, poor and naked of all virtues, at the feet of my holy father (spiritual) with tears, vouchsafe, and attract his holy soul to mercy, to have mercy on me. And give, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who agreed to repent of You; and may not completely leave the soul alone, united to Thee and confessing Thee, and choosing and preferring Thee instead of the world. Weigh bo, Lord, as if I want to be saved, even if my crafty custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, the spruce is impossible, the essence is from a person. Amen.

Sacrament of Communion

It is believed that the bread and wine that all parishioners partake of in God's temple are the blood and body of Christ. In this way,

a person can touch that secret, sacred, which is incomprehensible on earth; he unites both in body and spirit with the Lord God himself.

The Sacrament of Communion in itself is great, therefore it requires the necessary preparations and the Sacrament of Confession, which has its own sequence: without the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Communion will not take place.

Only children under 7 years of age can receive communion without confession. Also, women should not take communion during the menstrual cycle. And women after childbirth are allowed into the church for communion only after the priest reads a special prayer over them.

How to Prepare Before Communion

Of course, the question of what to do before confession and communion has not been fully resolved, since we have yet to discuss communion itself, and these are two components, one might say, of one process.

There are special Orthodox prayers before communion, as well thanksgiving prayers after communion. It is important to know where to use which prayer. It is worth noting that it is also important to prepare mentally for communion and you need to fast for about a week or at least 3 days. This is a kind of purification process that makes not only the body cleaner, but also the spirit. Fasting is a kind of fasting. You can’t eat certain foods, also spouses should refrain from physical contact, you should not visit various places of entertainment, be overly happy. It is necessary to read the Canon of Penitence and thanksgiving prayers in the morning and evening.

What prayers to read before communion

Among the prayers before confession and communion, there are many prayers in Russian that can be read before communion and prayers of thanksgiving that are read after.

Prayer of St. John of Damascus before Communion:

Prayer before confession

(Rev. Simeon the New Theologian)

God and Lord of all! Whoever has the power of every breath and soul, One can heal me, hear the prayer of me, the accursed one, and the snake nesting in me by the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit, killing me: and I am poor and naked of all virtues, at the feet of my holy father (spiritual) with tears vouchsafe me, and his holy soul to mercy, hedgehog have mercy on me, attract. And give, Lord, in my heart humility and good thoughts, befitting a sinner who agreed to repent of You, and may not completely leave the soul alone, united with You and confessing You, and choosing and preferring You instead of the whole world: weigh more, Lord, as I want to be saved, even if my crafty custom is an obstacle: but it is possible for You, Master, the essence of everything, the fir tree is impossible, the essence is from a person. Amen.

Orthodox prayers read before confession

Questions of personal participation in the sacraments are a matter of principle for Orthodox Christians. In order to build a spiritual life, it is necessary, first of all, to find out what and how is done at confession. Prayers read before confession help to tune in to the right thoughts, gather your courage.

What is repentance

Many do not understand why go to confession at all - the Lord sees everything, why can't you do it at home? But the Orthodox do this every day, reading the words of repentance that are on the list of daily prayers. The appearance in the temple is intended to demonstrate not so much sinfulness as the determination of a person to leave his bad deeds. Indeed, in order to speak about them in front of a witness, one needs courage, repentance, a certain detachment from the former self. These are all signs of spiritual work.

Prayers read before confession help very well to recognize among the usual actions those that are sinful. People are so used to them that often they don't even notice them. Sins are divided into two main types:

• Against God. He did not attend the temple, was late for the service, listened inattentively. He missed home prayers, broke fasts. He hid his belonging to the Church, was embarrassed to wear a cross or make the sign of the cross on himself.
• Against neighbor. I envied a friend. Discussing someone behind his back. He condemned in his heart the actions of other people. He succumbed to sinful passions. Pride, rudeness - everything belongs to this category. Careless attitude towards work.

Repentance should not be limited to a declaration of one's sinfulness. First of all, it is the right thing to do. Hurt your wife? Come apologize. Did you owe a neighbor? Bring money. Are you eating too much? Restrain yourself, impose a post on yourself.

At the same time, it is better for the Lord not to promise anything, but simply to ask for His grace-filled help. After all, a person is very weakened by sins, he can take on too heavy obligations, not fulfill them, and then fall into despondency. It is better to fall and rise than not confess at all.

The text of the prayer before confession

God, our Savior, even Your prophet Nathan repented David of his sins, granting forgiveness, and accepting prayer for Monassein in repentance, Himself and Your servant (name) repentant, about them, accept Your usual philanthropy, despise him all that has been done, leave injustices and transcend iniquity. For Thou didst say, O Lord: I do not desire the death of a sinner, but as if to turn and live to be him: and as if seventy times sevenfold, forsake sins. More like Your majesty is unapplied, and Your mercy is immeasurable.

If you see more iniquity, who will stand? Like You, Thou art the God of the repentant, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Conjugation of Repentance and Communion

The rule that one must confess before participating in the Eucharist is not really canonical. For example, priests do not follow it and commune freely on any day. This causes controversy in the church environment, bewilderment among the parishioners.

What about ordinary parishioners who want to begin the Sacrament? You will have to read all Orthodox prayers before confession, attend services. Perhaps, having appreciated your efforts, the priest will eventually become less demanding in matters of fasting and the frequency of repentance. However, services and prayers remain unchanged. Unfortunately, this burden is not for everyone. Many, frightened by such a serious preparation, refuse to attend the temple at all, which is very sad.

Test of conscience

What it is? A kind of general spiritual cleaning. You should carefully ask yourself which of the commandments have been broken and why. Is this behavior often repeated? Why is it not possible to leave him - little effort is made, or is sin simply stronger? In the latter case, it is necessary to strengthen the prayers, to read the Holy Scripture more often. His words have healing power. Ask your confessor for advice on how to overcome this or that passion.

Many spiritual books detail the process of recognizing sins. Unfortunately, society today has become so degraded that much that was unthinkable 200 years ago is now the norm. Therefore, a Christian does not always immediately manage to distinguish the bad from the good. For example, a married man was flirting with his girlfriend. It would seem that there was nothing terrible - after all, there was nothing. And the Lord teaches that even sinful thoughts are already a transgression of the commandment.

• There is holiness from God and what is considered the norm in society. Orthodox standards should be higher than generally accepted.

What if there is no feeling of humility in the heart? There is only one answer - to pray, to read penitential psalms, to ask God to open spiritual eyes. Go to church more often, participate in the life of the community, in works of mercy (even if you don’t want to). Give things to charity, instead of watching TV, do something useful with your child. Gradually, the heart will begin to thaw and God will let you see sins.

How is the sacrament of confession

In most churches, priests receive people after the Vespers, on the eve of the Liturgy. Such a short interval enables a person to keep himself pure before receiving the body and blood of Christ. But if there was a sin in the evening, in the morning you need to go to the confessor and tell about it. This is done not so that a person feels like a sinner, but in order to avoid Communion in condemnation.

Before confession, the priest reads prayers aloud. Which?

• After the blessing come the usual initiatory texts.
• Psalm 50 - considered penitential, included in the daily rule. It is advisable to know it by heart.
• Troparia, these are short verses.
• Three prayers to the Lord, the text can be studied at the end of the article.

These prayers before confession are not translated into Russian, they are only in the breviary and are read by clergy. And the liturgical language in the Russian Orthodox Church is Church Slavonic. The meaning of prayers is a request to God for indulgence towards sinners, granting forgiveness, which is the essence of repentance. Peace to you!

• Orthodox prayers read before Communion
• Prayers before reading the Psalter - find here
• Prayers of the Athonite elders - https://bogolub.info/molitvy-afonskix-starcev/

Another prayer that is read before confession

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Shepherd and the Lamb, take away the sins of the world, even granting loans to two debtors, and giving the sinner remission of her sins; Himself, Lord, weaken, leave, forgive sins, iniquities, sins of free and involuntary, even in knowledge and not in knowledge, even in crime and disobedience, which was from Your servants, and if it is like men who bear flesh and live in the world, from the devil seduced. But if in a word, or deed, or in knowledge, or not in knowledge, or a priestly word, or under the oath of a priestly bysh, or under his own anathema, fall, or under an oath, knowing: Himself, like a good, and gentle Lord, these servants Your word will be resolved favorably, forgiving them your anathema and oath, according to your great mercy.

Hey, Master of Humanity, Lord, hear us, praying to Your goodness for these servants of Yours, and despise them, as if having many merciful sins of all of them and deliver them eternal torment. Thou didst say, O Lord: "If you bind a tree on earth, it will be bound in heaven, and if you loose it on earth, it will be loosed in heaven." For you are the only sinless one and we send glory to you to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of St. John of Damascus before Communion

Master Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, merciful and philanthropic, who alone has the power to forgive the sins of people, despise (forget), forgive all my sins, conscious and unconscious, and vouchsafe me without condemnation to partake of Your divine, glorious, pure and life-giving Mysteries not in punishment, not in the multiplication of sins, but in cleansing, sanctification, as a pledge of the future life and kingdom, in a solid stronghold, in defense, but in the defeat of enemies, in the extermination of many of my sins. For YOU are the God of mercy and generosity and love of mankind, and we glorify You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Before confession need to make preparations . 339. read prayers with errors, strayed, skipped, incorrectly stressed. 340. Lived lustfully with her husband.

Everything is done out of habit - are read prayers before confession and the sacrament, spiritual preparation can become something . The present repentance. Before rite repentance in sins there are special prayers. But on purpose read they are not needed.

3 How to prepare for confessions. 4 How do you prepare children for the sacrament? 5 Prayers. . follow-up (special prayers before communion); Morning and evening rule (as usual). If a read all on the day before the sacrament, unprepared.