Prayers read before confession and communion. Prayers before confession and communion: proper preparation for holy rites

In this article you will find a detailed sequence for Holy Communion: prayers, psalms, theotokos and icons.

Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure 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.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

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, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

Psalm 22

The Lord shepherds me and will deprive me of nothing. In a green place, there they settled me, on the calm water they raised me. Convert my soul, guide me on the paths 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 will comfort me. Thou hast prepared a table before me to resist those who are cold to me, Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup makes me drunken, like a mighty one. And Thy mercy will marry me all the days of my life, and make me dwell in the house of the Lord for the length of days.

Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord's, and its fulfillment, 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 His holy place? He is innocent in his hands and pure in heart, who does not take his soul in vain, and does not swear by his sincere flattery. This one will receive blessings from the Lord, and alms from God, his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your gates, O princes, and lift up the everlasting 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 your gates, O princes, and lift up the everlasting 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 said the same words, and I was greatly humbled. I died in my frenzy: every man is a lie. What shall I repay to the Lord for all that I have repaid? 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 apart my bonds. 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, even now: Alleluia. (Three times with three bows)

Troparion, tone 8
Despise my iniquities, O Lord, be born of a Virgin, and cleanse my heart, creating a temple to Your most pure Body and Blood, lower me from Your face, having great mercy without number.
Glory: In the communion of Your holy things, how dare I [become], unworthy? Even if I dare to approach You with the worthy, the robe denounces me as if it were not the evening, and I intercede for condemnation of my many-sinful soul. Cleanse, Lord, the filth of my soul, and save me, as a Lover of Mankind.
And now: My many and many sins, Mother of God, I have come running to You, O Pure One, demanding salvation: visit my weak soul, and pray to Your Son and our God to grant me forgiveness for the evil deeds, O Blessed One.

On Holy Pentecost:
When the glorious disciple is enlightened at the thought of the supper, then the evil Judas, sickened by the love of money, becomes darkened, and betrays Your righteous Judge to the lawless judges. See, the steward of the property, who used strangulation for these sakes: flee the unsatiated soul, such a daring Teacher. O good Lord of all, glory to Thee.

Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. To You alone have I sinned and done evil before You; for you may be justified in all of Your words, and you will always triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. My hearing brings joy and joy; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.
Canon, voice 2

Song 1
Come, people, let us sing a song to Christ God, who divided the sea, and taught the people, even from the work of Egypt, for he was glorified,
Chorus: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
May Thy Holy Body, O most gracious Lord, be the bread of the eternal life, and the Honest Blood, and healing of manifold ailments.

Chorus:

The accursed one, defiled by unplaceable deeds, am unworthy, O Christ, of Your Most Pure Body and Divine Blood, to receive communion, which you have vouchsafed to me.

Chorus:

Theotokos:
O good earth, blessed Bride of God, vegetating untouched and saving the world, grant me this food to be saved.

Song 3
Having established me on the rock of faith, you have enlarged my mouth against my enemies. For my spirit is glad, always singing: none is holy like our God, and none is righteous more than Thee, O Lord.
Give me tearful drops, O Christ, that cleanse the filth of my heart: for as I have been purified by a good conscience, I come by faith and fear, O Master, to partake of Thy Divine Gifts.
May Thy Most Pure Body and Divine Blood be with me for the forgiveness of sins, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, and into eternal life, Lover of mankind, and alienation from passions and sorrows.

Theotokos:
The Most Holy Bread of the Animals, from above the mercy of which came down and gave peace to a new life, and now vouchsafe for me, the unworthy, to taste this with fear, and live to be.

Song 4
You came from the Virgin, not an intercessor, nor an Angel, but Himself, Lord, incarnate, and you saved me as a whole man. Thus I call to Thee: glory to Thy power, O Lord.
Thou didst desire, for our sake, to be incarnated, O Omni-merciful One, to be slain like a sheep, sin for the sake of men: I also pray to Thee, and cleanse my sins.
Heal my ulcers, Lord, and sanctify everything: and grant, O Master, that I may partake of Your secret Divine Supper, the accursed one.

Theotokos:
Compassionate me also from Thy womb, O Lady, and keep me undefiled by Thy servant and undefiled, like the reception of clever beads, I will be sanctified.

Song 5
Light to the Giver and Creator of ages, O Lord, instruct us in the light of Your commandments; Don’t we know any other god for You?
As you foretold, O Christ, that it would be done to your evil servant, and abide in me, as you promised: for behold, Your Body is Divine, and I drink Your Blood.
Word of God and God, may the coal of Your Body be for me, who is darkened, into enlightenment, and the cleansing of my defiled soul may Your Blood.

Theotokos:
Mary, Mother of God, fragrant village, make me a chosen vessel through Your prayers, so that I may partake of Your Son in sanctification.

Song 6
Lying in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy mercy: lift me up from aphids, O God.
Sanctify my mind, soul and heart, O Savior, and my body, and grant me, without condemnation, O Lord, to terrible secrets get started.
So that I may withdraw from passions, and have the application of Your grace, the affirmation of my life, through the communion of the Saints, Christ, of Your Mysteries.

Theotokos:
God, God, Holy Word, sanctify me entirely, now coming to Thy Divine Mysteries, Thy Holy Mother with prayers.

Kontakion, voice 2
Bread, O Christ, do not despise me, take Thy Body, and now Thy Divine Blood, most pure, Master, and Thy terrible Mysteries, may the accursed partake, may it not be for me in judgment, may it be for me in the eternal and immortal life.

Song 7
The wise children did not serve the golden body, and they themselves went into the flames, and cursed their gods, cried out in the midst of the flames, and I sprinkled an angel: the prayer of your lips has already been heard.
May the source of good things, communion, Christ, of Thy immortal Mysteries now be light, and life, and dispassion, and for the advancement and increase of the most Divine virtue, through intercession, the only Good One, for I glorify Thee.
May I be delivered from passions, and enemies, and needs, and all sorrows, with trembling and love with reverence, O Lover of mankind, approach now Your immortal and Divine Mysteries, and vouchsafe to You to sing: Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers.

Theotokos:
Who gave birth to the Savior of Christ more than the mind, O God-gracious One, I now pray to Thee, Thy pure and impure servant: who now wishes to approach the most pure Mysteries, cleanse all from the defilement of the flesh and spirit.

Song 8
Who came down into the fiery furnace to the Jewish youth, and who turned God into flames into dew, sing the works of the Lord, and exalt them unto all ages.
Heavenly, and terrible, and Thy saints, Christ, now the Mysteries, and Thy Divine and Last Supper to be a fellow-companion and vouchsafe to me the desperate one, O God, my Savior.
Beneath Your compassion, O Good One, I call upon You with fear: abide in me, O Savior, and I, as you said, in You; Behold, daring in Thy mercy, I eat Thy Body and drink Thy Blood.
Chorus: Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.
Trinity: I tremble, accepting fire, lest I be scorched like wax and like grass; Ole terrible sacrament! Ole of God's mercy! How do I partake of the Divine Body and Blood of clay and become incorruptible?

Song 9
The Son, God and Lord, without beginning, became incarnate from the Virgin, appeared to us, darkened to enlighten, squandered by his fellow-creatures: with this we magnify the all-sung Mother of God.

Chorus:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.
Christ is, taste and see: the Lord for our sake, having been for us of old, brought Himself alone, as an offering to His Father, He is ever slain, sanctifying those who partake.

Chorus:
Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
May I be sanctified in soul and body, Master, may I be enlightened, may I be saved, may Thy house be a communion of the sacred Mysteries, having You living within me with the Father and the Spirit, O Most Merciful Benefactor.

Chorus:
Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit.
Let me be like fire, and like light, Your Body and Blood, my most honorable Savior, scorching the sinful substance, burning the thorns of passions, and enlightening all of me, let me worship Your Divinity.

Chorus:
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Theotokos:
God became incarnate from Your pure blood; In the same way, every race sings to Thee, the Lady, and the intelligent multitudes glorify, as through Thee they have clearly seen the Ruler of all, who existed among humanity.

It is worthy to eat...the Trisagion. Holy Trinity... Our Father... Troparion of the day or holiday. If it is a week, the Sunday troparion according to the tone. If not, real troparia, tone 6:
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You, as the Lord, sinners: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (40 times) And bows as much as you want.

Read also -

And poems:
Although eat, O man, the Body of the Lord,
Approach with fear, but don’t get burned: there is fire.
I drink the Divine Blood for communion,
First of all, reconcile those who have grieved you.
Also daring, the mysterious food is delicious.
Before communion there is a terrible sacrifice,
Lady of the Life-Giving Body,
Hereby pray with trembling:

Prayer 1, Basil the Great

Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the Source of life and immortality, of all creation, visible and invisible, and the Creator, of the beginningless Father, co-eternal with the Son and co-originating, much for the sake of goodness in the last days, he clothed himself in flesh, and was crucified, and was buried for us, ungrateful and malicious, and Yours. Renewing with blood our nature, corrupted by sin, Himself, Immortal King, accept my sinful repentance, and incline Your ear to me, and hear my words. For I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned in heaven and before You, and I am not worthy to look upon the height of Your glory: I have angered Your goodness, having transgressed Your commandments, and not listened to Your commands. But You, Lord, are kind, long-suffering and abundantly merciful, and did not give me up to perish with my iniquities, waiting for my conversion in every possible way. Thou art, O Lover of mankind, Thy prophet: for by will I do not want the death of a sinner, but the hedgehog will turn and live to be him. You do not want, Master, to destroy your creation by hand, and you are less than pleased with the destruction of mankind, but you want to save everyone and come into the mind of truth. Likewise, I, even though I am unworthy of heaven and earth, and sow temporary life, having subjected myself to sin, and enslaved myself with pleasure, and desecrated Your image; but having become Thy creation and creature, I do not despair of my salvation, the accursed one, but daring to receive Thy immeasurable compassion, I come. Accept me, O Lord, who loves mankind, as a harlot, as a thief, as a publican, and as a prodigal, and take away my heavy burden of sins, take away the sin of the world, and heal the infirmities of man, call those who labor and are burdened to Yourself and give rest to those who did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And cleanse me from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, and teach me to perform holiness in Thy Passion: for by the pure knowledge of my conscience, having received part of Thy holy things, I may unite with Thy holy Body and Blood, and have You living and abiding in me, with the Father, and Your Holy Spirit. To her, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, may the communion of Thy most pure and life-giving Mysteries not be in judgment for me, nor may I be weak in soul and body, so that I am not worthy to receive communion, but grant me, even until my final breath, to accept without condemnation part of Thy holy things, in communion with the Holy Spirit, in the path of eternal life, and in a favorable answer at Thy Last Judgment: for I, too, with all Thy chosen ones, will be a partaker of Thy incorruptible blessings, which Thou hast prepared for those who love Thee, O Lord, in which Thou art glorified in eyelids. Amen.

Prayer 2, St. John Chrysostom

Lord my God, in knowing that I am not worthy, I am below pleased, and you have brought the temple of my soul under the roof, where it is all empty and fallen, and there is no place in me worthy of bowing your head: but as from on high you humbled us for your sake, humble yourself and now to my humility; and as you received it in the den and in the wordless manger, reclining, take it in the wordless manger of my soul, and bring it into my defiled body. And just as you were not deigned to bring in and shine a light on the sinners in the house of Simon the leper, so deign to bring into the house of my humble soul, lepers and sinners; and even though you did not reject a harlot and a sinner like me, who came and touched You, have mercy on me, a sinner, who comes and touches You; and just as you did not abhor her foul and unclean lips kissing You, below mine, abhor those defiled and unclean lips, below my vile and unclean lips, and my foul and unclean tongue. But may the coal of Your most holy Body, and Your honorable Blood, be for me, for the sanctification and enlightenment and health of my humble soul and body, for the relief of the burdens of many of my sins, for the protection from every devilish action, for the driving away and prohibition of my evil and evil customs, for the mortification of passions, for the supply of Thy commandments, for the application of Thy Divine grace, and the appropriation of Thy Kingdom. It is not because I come to You, O Christ God, that I despise, but because I dare to embrace Your ineffable goodness, and let me not withdraw from Your fellowship in the depths, I will be hunted down by the mental wolf. In the same way, I pray to You: as the only Holy One, Master, sanctify my soul and body, mind and heart, womb and womb, and renew all of me, and root Your fear in my hearts, and create Your sanctification inseparably from me; and be my helper and intercessor, nourishing my belly in the world, making me worthy to stand at Your right hand with Your saints, the prayers and supplications of Your Most Pure Mother, Your immaterial servants and most pure powers, and all the saints who have pleased You from the ages. Amen

Prayer 3, Simeon Metaphrastus

One pure and incorruptible Lord, for the ineffable mercy of our love for mankind, we have received all the mixture, from pure and virgin blood, more than the nature, who gave birth to Thee, the Divine Spirit by invasion, and by the good will of the ever-present Father, Christ Jesus, the wisdom of God, and peace, and power; By your perception of the life-giving and saving suffering perceived, cross, nails, spear, death, mortify my soul-smothering bodily passions. By Your burial of the hellish kingdoms, bury my good thoughts, evil advice, and destroy the spirits of wickedness. By Thy three-day and life-giving resurrection of the fallen forefather, raise me up in the sin that crawled, offering me images of repentance. By Thy glorious ascension, the carnal perception of God, and honor this on the right hand of the Father, grant me the gift of receiving the communion of Thy holy Mysteries on the right hand of those who are being saved. By bringing forth the Comforter of Thy Spirit, Thy disciples have made honorable sacred vessels, friend and show me That coming. Although you would like to come again to judge the universe with righteousness, deign to seat You on the clouds, my Judge and Creator, with all Your saints: may I endlessly glorify and sing Your praises, with Your beginningless Father, and Your Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer 4, St. John of Damascus

Master Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who alone have the power to forgive man’s sins, for as he is good and a lover of mankind, I have despised all sins in knowledge and not in knowledge, and grant me without condemnation to partake of Thy Divine, and glorious, and most pure, and life-giving Mysteries, not in heaviness, neither torment, nor to the addition of sins, but to cleansing, and sanctification, and the betrothal of the future Life and kingdom, to the wall and help, and to the objection of those who resist, to the destruction of many of my sins. For You are the God of mercy, and generosity, and love for mankind, and we send up glory to You, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 5, St. Basil the Great

We know, Lord, that I unworthily partake of Thy most pure Body and Thy honorable Blood, and I am guilty, and I condemn myself to pit and drink, not judging the Body and Blood of You of Christ and my God, but in Thy bounty I boldly come to You who said: You eat My flesh and drink My blood, he abides in Me, and I in him. Have mercy, O Lord, and do not expose me, a sinner, but do with me according to Your mercy; and may this saint be mine for healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and for the sanctification of soul and body; to drive away every dream, and evil deed, and the action of the devil, acting mentally in my lands, into boldness and love, even towards You; for the correction of life and affirmation, for the return of virtue and perfection; in fulfillment of the commandments, in communion with the Holy Spirit, in the guidance of the eternal life, in response to a favorable response at Thy Last Judgment: not in judgment or condemnation.

Prayer 6, Saint Simeon the New Theologian

From vile lips, from a vile heart, from an unclean tongue, from a soul defiled, accept this prayer, my Christ, and do not despise my words, below images, below lack of study. Grant me to boldly say what I want, my Christ, and even more so, teach me what I should do and say. Having sinned more than the harlot, even though I knew where you were, having bought myrrh, I came boldly to anoint Your nose, my God, my Lord and Christ. Just as you did not reject the one that came from your heart, abhor me below, the Word: Give yours to my nose, and hold and kiss, and boldly anoint this with streams of tears, like a valuable ointment. Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, O Word. Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness. Weigh a multitude of evils, weigh my scabs, and see my ulcers, but also weigh my faith, and see my will, and hear my sighing. There is no hidden part of you, my God, my Creator, my Savior, below a drop of tears, below a drop of a certain part. Thy eyes have seen what I have not done, and in Thy book the essence of what has not yet been done is written to You. See my humility, see my great labor, and forgive me all my sins, O God of all: so that with a pure heart, a trembling thought, and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your undefiled and most holy Mysteries, by which everyone who eats poison and drinks with a pure heart is revived and adored; For you have said, my Lord: everyone who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, he abides in Me, and in Him I Am. The word of all my Lord and God is true: for you partake of the divine and adoring graces, for I am not alone, but with You, my Christ, the Trisunlar Light, enlightening the world. May I not be alone besides You, the Life-Giver, my breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world. For this reason, I come to You, as if I saw you, with tears, and with a contrite soul, I ask you to accept the deliverance of my sins, and to partake of Your life-giving and immaculate Mysteries without condemnation, so that You may remain, as You have promised, with me, the repentant one: may I not find Your grace except, the deceiver will delight me with the flatterer, and deceiving will lead away those who idolize Your words. For this reason I fall down to You, and cry out to You warmly: as You received the prodigal, and the harlot who came, so receive me, the prodigal and the defiled, Generously. With a contrite soul, now coming to You, we know, Savior, as another, like I, did not sin against You, lower than the deeds I did. But we know this again, because not the greatness of sins, nor the multitude of sins exceeds my God’s great patience and extreme love for mankind; but by the grace of compassion, warmly repentant, and purifying, and brightening, and creating light, you are partakers, associates of Your Divinity, doing unenviably, and strange things with both the Angel and human thought, conversing with them many times, as if with Your true friend. This is the bold thing they do to me, this is what they force me to do, O my Christ. And daring to show us Your rich kindness, rejoicing and trembling together, the grass partakes of the fire, and a strange miracle, we water it without burning, just as the bush of old burned without burning. Now with a grateful thought, with a grateful heart, with grateful hands, my soul and my body, I worship and magnify and glorify Thee, my God, for being blessed, now and forever.

Prayer 7, St. John Chrysostom

God, weaken, forsake, forgive me my sins, those who have sinned, whether in word, whether in deed, whether in thought, will or involuntarily, by reason or foolishness, forgive me all, as you are good and a lover of mankind, and through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, your intelligent servants and Holy powers, and all the saints from the ages who have pleased You, without condemnation, deign to accept Your holy and most pure Body and venerable Blood, for the healing of soul and body, and for the cleansing of my evil thoughts. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

His same, 8th
I am not pleased, Master Lord, that you may come under the roof of my soul; but since You, as a Lover of Mankind, want to live in me, I boldly approach; You command that I open the doors that You alone created, and with love for mankind, like You, you will see and enlighten my darkened thoughts. I believe that You have done this: You did not drive away the harlot who came to You with tears; You have rejected below the publican, having repented; below the thief, having come to know Your kingdom, You drove away; Thou hast left the repentant lower than the persecutor; but from repentance Thou hast brought all who have come to Thee, in the person of Thy friends Thou hast made the One blessed, always, now and unto endless ages. Amen.

His same, 9th
Lord Jesus Christ my God, weaken, forgive, cleanse and forgive my sinful, and indecent, and unworthy servant, my sins, and transgressions, and my fall from grace, from my youth, even to this day and hour, those who have sinned: if in mind and in foolishness, or in words or deeds, or thoughts and thoughts, and undertakings, and all my feelings. And through the prayers of the seedless One who gave birth to Thee, the Most Pure and Ever-Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, the only shameless hope and intercession and salvation of mine, grant me to uncondemnedly partake of Thy most pure, immortal, life-giving and terrible Mysteries, for the remission of sins and for eternal life: for sanctification and enlightenment , strength, healing, and health of soul and body, and in the consumption and complete destruction of my evil thoughts, and thoughts, and enterprises, and nightly dreams, dark and crafty spirits; For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, and the honor, and the worship, with the Father and Thy Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 10, St. John of Damascus

I stand before the doors of Your temple, and I do not retreat from fierce thoughts; but You, Christ God, have justified the publican, and had mercy on the Canaanites, and opened the doors of paradise to the thief, open to me the womb of Your love for mankind, and accept me, coming and touching You, like a harlot who is bleeding: and having touched the hem of Your robe, make it easy to receive healing, Thy most pure ones restrained their noses and bore the remission of sins. But I, the accursed one, dare to perceive Your whole Body, so that I will not be scorched; but accept me as you do, and enlighten my spiritual feelings, burning away my sinful guilt, with the prayers of You who gave birth without seed, and the Heavenly powers; for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom

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, from whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most pure Blood. I pray to You: have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word, in deed, in knowledge and ignorance, and grant me, without condemnation, to partake of Your most pure Sacraments, for the remission of sins and eternal life. Amen.

When you come to receive communion, mentally recite these verses of Metaphrast:

Here I begin to receive Divine Communion.
Co-creator, do not scorch me with communion:
You are fire, unworthy of scorching.
But cleanse me from all filth.

Then:

Thy secret supper this day, O Son of God, accept me as a partaker; I will not tell your enemies the secret, nor give you a kiss like Judas, but like a thief I will confess to you: remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom.

And poems:

It is in vain, O man, that you should be horrified by the worshiping Blood:
There is fire, you unworthy ones burn.
The Divine Body both adores and nourishes me:
She loves the spirit, but she feeds the mind strangely.

Then the troparia:

You have sweetened me with love, O Christ, and you have changed me with Your Divine care; but my sins fell into immaterial fire, and I am vouchsafed to be filled with pleasure in You: let me rejoice, O Blessed One, magnify Your two comings.
In the light of Thy Saints, what is there who is unworthy? Even if I dare to go into the palace, my clothes will expose me as not being for marriage, and I will be cast out from the Angels, bound and bound. Cleanse, Lord, the filth of my soul, and save me, as a Lover of Mankind.

Also prayer:

O Master, Lover of Mankind, Lord Jesus Christ my God, let this Holy One not be brought into judgment against me, because I am unworthy of being: but for the purification and sanctification of soul and body, and for the betrothal of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me, if I cleave to God, to place the hope of my salvation in the Lord.

And further:

Your secret supper... (See above)

Anyone who wishes to receive communion must adequately prepare for this holy sacrament. This preparation (in church practice it is called fasting) lasts several days and concerns both the physical and spiritual life of a person. The body is prescribed abstinence, i.e. bodily purity (abstinence from marital relations) and food restriction (fasting). On fasting days, food of animal origin is excluded - meat, milk, eggs and, during strict fasting, fish. Bread, vegetables, fruits are consumed in moderation. The mind should not be distracted by the trifles of everyday life and have fun.

On the days of fasting, one should attend services in church, if circumstances permit, and more diligently follow the household prayer rule: whoever usually does not read all morning and evening prayers, let him read everything in full; whoever does not read the canons, let him read at least one on these days canon. On the eve of communion, you must be at the evening service and read at home, in addition to the usual prayers for the future, the canon of repentance, the canon to the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel. The canons are read either one after the other in full, or combined in this way: the irmos of the first song of the penitential canon is read (“As Israel traveled on dry land, in the abyss with its feet, seeing the persecutor Pharaoh drowned, we sing a victorious song to God, crying out”) and the troparia, then the troparia of the first songs of the canon to the Theotokos (“I am overcome by many adversities, I resort to You, seeking salvation: O Mother of the Word and the Virgin, save me from the heavy and fierce”), omitting the irmos “The water has passed...”, and the troparia of the canon to the Guardian Angel, also without the irmos ( “Let us praise the Lord, who led His people through the Red Sea, for He alone has been gloriously glorified.” The following songs are read in the same way. The troparia before the canon of the Theotokos and the Guardian Angel, as well as the stichera after the canon of the Theotokos, are omitted in this case.

The canon for communion is also read and, for those who wish, an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. After midnight they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach. Read in the morning morning prayers and all the proceedings for Holy Communion, except for the canon read the day before.
Before communion, confession is necessary - either in the evening or in the morning, before the liturgy.

What prayers should you read before confession and Communion?

The task in 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 cleanse the human conscience of everything unclean, to prepare a person to receive the Holy Mysteries. In Communion, the believer unites with Jesus, accepts Divine life and all the benefits associated with it: strength and cheerfulness of spirit, good thoughts and feelings, strength and desire to do good. These two sacraments - confession and Communion - require careful preparation, first of all, preparation through prayer.

General principles of preparation for Communion

A believer is allowed to the sacrament of Holy Communion only after certain preparatory measures, including prayer, fasting and repentance. The Church calls preparation for Communion a fasting. Fasting usually takes 3-7 days and has direct relation both to the spiritual and physical life of a person. During the days of fasting, a person prepares for a meeting with the Lord, which will occur during the sacrament of Communion.

IN total, preparation for Communion consists of the following stages:

• fasting immediately before Communion;
• attending the evening service on the eve of the sacrament;
• saying a specific set of prayers;
• abstaining from food and drink on the day of Communion - from midnight until the sacrament itself;
• confession with a clergyman, during which he makes a decision on a person’s admission to Communion;
• attending the Divine Liturgy.

Retreat is aimed at making a person aware of his sins, confessing them before the clergy and God, and beginning the fight against sinful passions. During preparation for Communion, a believer must distance himself from everything that fills his soul with unnecessary vanity. The Lord dwells only in a pure heart, so fasting must be approached with the utmost seriousness and concentration.

Fasting and its features

During the days of fasting, the believer must observe bodily purity - in other words, abstain 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;
• on these days you should avoid any food of animal origin (meat and dairy products, eggs). If the fast is strict, fish is also excluded;
• Products of plant origin (vegetables, fruits, grains, flour products) should be consumed in moderation.

If a person has only recently joined the Church, or has not turned to it 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 dietary restrictions at this time should also be combined with moderation in eating and drinking, with abstinence from visiting establishments and entertainment events (theaters, cinemas, clubs, etc.), with abstinence from watching entertainment television programs, films and listening to popular secular music . The mind of a person preparing for Communion should not be entertained and wasted on everyday trifles.

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

About 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, and reconcile with those with whom your relationship was not on good terms. Consciousness must be free from condemnation and obscene thoughts. You should also discard disputes and empty talk. Time is best spent in silence and solitude, reading the Gospel and spiritual books. If possible, you should definitely attend services held in the church.

About the prayer rule

Prayer is a personal conversation between a person and God, which consists of turning to Him with requests for forgiveness of sins, for assistance in the fight against sinful passions and vices, for the granting of mercy in everyday 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 full. It is also necessary to read at least one canon every day.

Prayerful preparation for Communion includes the following prayers:

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

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

Saying all the prayers before the sacrament of Communion requires calm, attentiveness, concentration and a lot of time. To make it easier to comply with this condition, the Church allows the reading of all canons to be distributed over several days. “Following 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 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 church in advance (lateness is an expression of deep disrespect). Without confession, no one is allowed to receive Holy Communion, the only exceptions being children under 7 years of age and people in mortal danger.

On the day of Holy Communion

On the day of Communion, after reading the “Our Father,” the believer should approach the altar and wait for the Holy Gifts to be brought out. You shouldn’t rush forward - children, old people and sick people should be the first to go to the Chalice. Having waited your turn, approaching the Chalice, you should bow from a distance and cross your arms on your chest (put your right hand on your left). There is no need to make the sign of the cross in front of the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Before the Chalice, you need to say your full name received at baptism, and then, with reverence in your soul, accept the Body and Blood of Christ and swallow it. When the Holy Mysteries have been received, you should, without crossing yourself, kiss the edge of the Chalice and go to the table, eat the prosphora and wash it down with warmth.

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

On the day of Communion, the behavior of the person receiving communion must remain decorous and reverent.

Frequency of Communion

The first Christians took Communion every Sunday. Now, due to changes in people’s lifestyles, the Church recommends taking communion, if possible, during each fast, but not less than once a year.

I’m just getting ready for Communion, getting ready. Thanks for the necessary clarifications!

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

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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, as Orthodoxy claims, this allows the believer to tune in to the right mood.

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

• It is necessary to realize your sinfulness, to sincerely and heartily repent of your sins.
• You need to realize the desire to leave sin and not repeat it again, believing in Jesus Christ, hoping for his mercy.
• One must believe that confession is powerful enough to cleanse sins.

To receive remission of sins, you will need to undergo the Sacrament of baptism in the church before 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 solely your guilt in uttering them.
• Offer prayers to God, promise that with his help you will make every effort to prevent the repetition of sin and will try to do good.
• If sin has caused harm to your neighbor, you need to make amends for the harm caused.
• 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 will the Lord be able to illuminate your soul with light. And if you decide to confess “for show,” it’s better not to do it at all. This is a great Sacrament, not a formality.

To undergo the communion 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.
• Realize the need for ritual. Say your prayers, make a heartfelt wish to pass it.
• Find peace of mind, a state opposite to anger, enmity, hatred.
• Do not violate church canons.
• Conduct confession in a timely manner.
• Stick to fasting.
• Participate in worship services, pray at home.
• Keep your body and spirit clean.

Prayers will help you prepare for the Sacraments

One must prepare for the sacrament of holy confession and communion by repentance and 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 church. Reading the prayer for communion will help you cleanse yourself spiritually, prepare for the ritual, and make it much simpler.

Orthodox Christians note that this kind of preparation really makes the process more enjoyable, allows you to better understand its meaning, frees you from anxious thoughts, and bestows understanding. You can even pray for your loved ones who are about to undergo a ritual, without a 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 repentant to the Lord,” the “prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos,” and 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 a church, placing candles in front of the icon of Jesus Christ.

Some rules for offering prayers

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

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

Read about other prayers for the sacraments:

Prayers before confession and communion: comments

Comments - 3,

I learned a lot of prayers. Special thanks for the design, everything was done simply and tastefully. I especially liked the video at the end, very informative. I learned a lot for myself, both about confession and communion. I will soon be putting into practice what I have learned. I didn’t even know about some of the rules for offering prayers. In general, thank you 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 before confession there is no need to read any prayers. And not the canon of REPENTANCE to the Lord, but the canon of REPENTANCE. And the sequence for Holy Communion is not written in full - only one prayer is written, in fact it is very long. The same goes for the canons - they wrote only one prayer here, and not the entire canon. In general, read on Orthodox websites, and not here - they wrote some kind of nonsense...

I haven’t gone to confession or received communion for a long time, it’s hard to walk after the surgery I can’t wait for 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 be read before confession and communion

You must prepare yourself for the sacrament of Holy Communion through prayer, fasting and repentance.

“... let the bishop receive 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 modesty and reverence, without noise.”

Preparation for Communion on Bright Week

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

About the frequency of Communion

Having fasted during this Lent, you wrote that you are dissatisfied with your fasting, although you love fasting and would like to do this work of Christian piety more often. - Since you didn’t indicate why you are dissatisfied with your fasting, I won’t say anything about it, I’ll just add: try to bring your fasting to the point that it satisfies you. You can ask your confessor how to improve your fasting. As for more often, there is no need to increase the frequency, because this frequency will take away not a small part of the reverence for this greatest work, I mean fasting and communion. It seems that I have already written to you that it is enough to speak and take communion in every major post out of 4. And in the fasts before Easter and Christmas twice. And look no more. Try to better organize and perfect your inner self.”

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

What prayers to read before confession and communion

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

Sacrament of Confession

Every person is sinful, but these sins can be redeemed. After all, cleansing the soul from evil and sins is the only way to God, that is, cleansing occurs through repentance. This repentance and forgiveness can be obtained through the sacrament of Confession and Communion, and this is the essence of these rituals.

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

Only Orthodox baptized Christians can undergo the sacrament. The sacrament of baptism must be carried out by a priest; if grandparents were baptized, then this issue must be discussed individually with your spiritual mentor.

• In addition to the fact that you need to be baptized, you must firmly and sincerely believe and accept the Revelation of God, which is the book of the Bible. The essence of God's Revelation is set out 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 matters the fault lies not with anyone, but with you.
• You cannot remember the sins of others, even if they created a chain that made you do a bad thing. Remembering the sins of others, as well as talking about them at Confession, is also equated to a sinful act.
• In the prayers that are read before the sacrament, you must promise God that with the help of his blessing you will no longer repeat your sins.
• Also, if a sinful act led to damage to a loved one, then before Confession and Communion, every effort must be made 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 a priest. At the same time, it is important to be as frank with him as with yourself. There is no need to be afraid to shock the priest with your actions, since only priests know about all mental and non-mental sins. There is a secret of Confession, this means that everything said to the priest will not leave him, this secret remains only between the confessor and the priest. For disclosing this secret, the priest may lose his rank.

Preparation for the sacrament

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

The sacrament is carried out in the morning, therefore, after three days of fasting, the night before you must visit the temple and listen evening service. During the evening service one must confess one's sins. On the day of communion itself, when the clock strikes midnight, you cannot 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 you 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 to Holy Communion.”

Religious rituals are an expression of a person's faith in. Since we cannot imagine the material God approaching and communicating with him, we invent for ourselves the sacraments of rites and rituals that help us convey this or that appeal to him. There are many such rituals in the Orthodox religion: baptism, confession, wedding, prayer, communion. Let's consider the last of them. What needs to be read before communion and confession for the ceremony to take place?

What are participles used for?

Participle - Christian ritual of uniting God with a parishioner. It is held in the church only a few times a year. The concept of the word “Communion” is explained as “involvement” - belonging to something, in this case to the church and higher powers. The ritual itself helps to cleanse the body and soul.

Three days before must be abandoned from:

1. Alcohol.
2. Smoking.
3. Sex.
4. Attendance at entertainment events.
5. Animal products (meat, fish, eggs and milk).

On the day of the sacrament, it is forbidden to eat at all. On the eve of the ritual, a person seeking self-purification and enlightenment should pray and attend church services. It is necessary to perform the rite of communion with clear conscience and thoughts: compare who you quarreled with, apologize to those you may have offended. After all, keeping irritability, anger or envy inside you will not receive a real ritual, no matter how much you want it.

You need to know for sure why are you doing it?: for your own peace of mind or actual cleansing of your spiritual world, bringing him closer to perfection, that is, to God. After all, this is why we ask for participation. Before communion it is necessary to confess.

Sacrament of Confession

In Christianity and some other religions, confession is an admission of one’s sins before the face of God in the presence of a priest. It involves complete repentance and a person's decision to sin no more. Having repented, a person receives forgiveness of sins from the Almighty. All Christian believers should go to confession from time to time. How to do this correctly?

• You really need to realize everything you want to confess. Re-read the commandments and the parable of Last Judgment, where Jesus Christ teaches that our earthly life will be assessed by how we treated loved ones.
• IN Lately Believers have become extremely practical; they come to confession with a list of their sins, as if they were going to a store. It is not right. The cleansing of the soul must be sincere. What you really is bothering you, for which you wanted to ask for forgiveness, don’t carry too much. There is no need to apologize for small everyday mistakes; life is not enough to list them all. Only sins against one's neighbor deserve forgiveness.
• Don’t be shy, you won’t surprise the Holy Father with anything. Speak simply and clearly as you communicate with friends. Don’t try to hide, God knows everything and even more about your misdeeds.
• Confessing does not mean returning home to old life. If you are forgiven today, this does not give you any reason to think that next time you will come and you will be forgiven again. To confess means to realize and change.

After confession, believers proceed to communion.

Communion ritual

You must come to church to receive communion. in the morning. It is advisable for women to appear in long skirts, a scarf on my head, as usual. Men are allowed to go bareheaded.

Young children are allowed into the ceremony first. Despite their age, they, like adults, are allowed to drink a little wine and eat a piece of special church bread - prosphora.

To make the wine more like the blood of Christ, add a little warm water. After children, men are allowed to participate in the ritual, and only then women. Those receiving communion take turns approaching the chalice and identifying themselves. The priest wipes the man’s lips and allows him to kiss the cup, drink a sip of wine and eat bread. Since this is the “blood of Jesus Christ” - not a single drop should fall past, to do this, the priest wipes his lips again after.

Under different circumstances, you can celebrate communion at home, if, for example, a person is very sick and cannot come to church himself.

What to do after communion?

After the end of the communion ritual, you cannot leave the church immediately; you must defend the service until the end. What other rules must be followed?

• Find an icon of Jesus Christ and bow to it as a sign of gratitude and repentance.
• We must behave modestly. Try to help people more, avoid noisy companies and cheerful feasts. Do not forget that you have just performed the Christian rite of communion with God.
• After the Holy Father has given you the blood of Jesus Christ to drink and treated you to church bread, you can venerate any icons and pray to them, ask for help and support. Maybe someone close to you is sick, ask for their healing. Now your spirit is pure and bright, you are more likely to be heard.

You need to take communion not once in your life, but regularly, just like going to confession. Only our Lord is sinless, but we are constantly sinful. We must wash away our earthly misdeeds in the same way constantly. So try to do this more often. Be happier, God is near happy man, gives him faith and hope.

What can you eat before communion?

As mentioned above, before the ritual of spiritual cleansing, it is necessary cleanse yourself physically, that is, follow a diet. What can a person eat before communion?

1. Vegetables and fruits.
2. Herbal teas and decoctions.
3. Sweet products that do not contain eggs.
4. Bread and cereals.
5. Porridge cooked in water.
6. Mushrooms.
7. Pasta.
8. Honey, halva, marmalade.
9. Nuts, seeds.
10. Lenten chocolate and cookies.

Today there is a large selection in stores dietary nutrition and for a strict fast, you can choose products from these shelves. Sick people, pregnant women and small children are allowed not to change their diet.

This diet will be useful not only for those people who want to perform a ritual, but also for us everyone Sometimes it doesn't hurt to fast.

What to read before communion and confession?

In order to prepare for confession or communion, believers need to attend services and read prayers. During prayer, we can think, become self-aware, rethink everything. The texts can be taken from the Holy Canon, but if this is not possible, you can read from yourself. Here are examples of some of them:

• Prayer before Holy Communion: “Our Holy Father Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Come and dwell in me, cleanse me from all filth. Save our souls, Holy God. Cleanse our sins, forgive lawlessness and deception. Master, heal and drive away all illnesses, heal infirmities and forgive us our debts. Lord have mercy (3 times). I bow to the King and my God. "
• Prayer before confession: “Lord our God, hear my prayers, the accursed sinner and the serpent and great villain who sit within me. God grant me humility in my heart and purify my thoughts, save my sinful soul from the evil one. Please accept my sincere confession, Master. Amen"

Pray from your heart and soul.

Communion is the same thing that helps believers get closer to God. If you decide that you are ready to repent and receive communion from the Holy Father, you will now know how the ritual works and what you need to read before receiving communion the day before.

Video: reading a prayer before communion

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Every Orthodox person knows that the life of a believer who regularly attends services is simply unthinkable without regular confession and communion. However, for people who have just set foot on the path of Orthodoxy, many rules seem complex and incomprehensible. How to prepare for confession? What prayers to read before confession? Or maybe there are some canons?

Confession

Confession is one of the sacraments Orthodox Church. During confession, supernatural and incomprehensible to human mind This is how the sins that a person confessed to the priest are forgiven. Confession precedes Communion, another of the most important. Children under 7 years of age can receive Communion without confessing, but adults are not allowed to receive Communion without confession.

What prayers should you read before confession? In fact, there is no strict rule for reading any specific prayers just before confession, unlike Communion, where it is simply necessary to read prayers that prepare and attune a person to this sacrament. Something else is important before confession. What exactly?

Necessary conditions for confession

In order for confession to truly be what is expected of it, and not some random episode in a person’s life, it should be approached consciously and seriously. Prayer before confession is necessary, just as prayer in general is in the life of an Orthodox person. First of all, a person starting confession must be aware of his sins, repent of them and have a firm desire not to repeat them again.

It seems that everything does not sound so complicated, but sometimes it is very difficult to follow these three rules rather than simply read certain canons before confession. The reason for these difficulties is that we have lost Orthodox faith and several generations lived before us, no longer having faith, which had a detrimental effect on the spiritual life of an entire people. The spiritual life is incredibly difficult, which is why many people don't even try to live it.

Consciousness of sin

If you ask any person, they will answer you: of course, prayers are necessary before confession. Orthodoxy says that a believer needs prayer all the time, and not just in this case. A person whose gaze is directed towards God must compare any step he takes with God's will, asking Him for blessings on any endeavor.

And before confession, you need, first of all, to remember your sins and realize that they really are them. Many people, consciously or unconsciously, do not consider this or that sin to be a sin. Some are simply not familiar with Orthodox teaching and they don’t even know that what they are doing is a sin. They think that prayer before confession is more than enough, and, without having the slightest doubt that they are right, they go to confession. It's not really for the good. On the contrary, it is destructive for the human soul. Such people simply turn into legalists who think that orthodox prayer before confession he will save them. However, we all know that the Lord Jesus Christ denounced the scribes and Pharisees, and the prudent thief, who hung not far from the crucified Savior, was the first to enter heaven with Him, although he did not read a single special prayer. The only thing is that this robber realized his sin, and having realized it, he repented of it.

Repentance

Repentance is the next stage necessary for confession to be made for the salvation of a person, and not for his destruction. Without repentance in general, the life of an Orthodox person cannot be called correct. The entire life of believers must be permeated with repentance. Every morning you need to wake up with repentance in your heart and go to sleep in the same way. Without repentance, our salvation is impossible, and the prudent thief gave us an example of how repentance can save a person’s soul. But the life of this robber was very far from perfect! We do not know how many atrocities he committed, but most likely a lot, otherwise he would not have been subjected to such a terrible and shameful death.

In addition to repentance, there must also be a desire not to repeat it in the future. sins committed. Any believer knows how deceitful his heart is, and that trusting his feelings and thoughts is dangerous. However, at the time of confession there must be a strong desire not to repeat the sins committed, even if there is no clear confidence that they will not be repeated.

Prayer before confession is necessary because it puts a person in the right mood, just as a musician does before performing a piece of music. In general, prayer is something that a believer needs like air, and it doesn’t matter whether it is before or after confession. You need to pray as you are used to, using the prayers that you use every day, for example, “Virgin Mary,” “Our Father,” “I Believe,” prayers to the Guardian Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy Communion

When confession is already over, another of the 7 Sacraments of the Orthodox Church awaits the person ahead, very important and necessary. During Communion, a person is united with Christ, the person’s body becomes His body, and the person’s blood becomes the blood of Christ. It is advisable to receive communion regularly, because this sacrament helps a believer cope with temptations that constantly occur on the path of spiritual life.

Before Communion, it is necessary to read prayers and canons, which are designed specifically to prepare for this holy sacrament. As a rule, these are combined canons “To Jesus Christ” and the prayer canon “To the Guardian Angel and the Most Holy Theotokos.” You can easily find these prayers in any prayer book and prepare for Communion by reading them carefully and thoughtfully, thus setting your soul in the right mood. It is advisable to read them not at once, but several days in advance, so that the preparation is more meaningful. Prayers before communion and confession do not accept vanity, just like spiritual life itself, which vanity simply kills.

Conclusion

The life of an Orthodox believer is filled with prayer, with which he begins any business in his life. Prayer is needed always and everywhere; it serves as a guiding star and directs a person along the right path. This is communication with God, which is why it does not matter whether a prayer is read before confession or not. The main thing is the presence of prayer itself, which is a kind of indicator indicating whether everything is normal in a person’s spiritual life. If prayer appears rarely and in extreme cases, then there is reason to wonder why this happens. And again there is a reason to repent!