Communion rules for children under 3 years old. The Kid and the Sacrament: Holy Communion

Good afternoon, our dear visitors!

Do children need to be given communion? And how often should this be done? What to do if a child opposes Communion: is naughty, breaks out and grits his teeth?

Archpriest Alexander Lebedev answers:

« D For me, the answer to this question is obvious: “Let the children go and do not prevent them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven”(Matthew 19:14). These are the words of Christ, you can't argue with Him. Therefore, children should be given communion, it should be started as early as possible and repeated as often as possible, as far as circumstances permit.

Usually, when women ask me about this, I answer that non-lazy mothers commune their kids once a week, and lazy ones - once every two weeks, then I suggest deciding on the category to which they want to classify themselves, and act accordingly.

In Communion, God Himself unites with man. Naturally, this does not pass without a trace: God affects both the soul and the body of a person, his character, his behavior.

Childhood is the time of personality formation. A wise observation is known: a person can be taught while he lies across the bench, and not along. Further, the time of upbringing is replaced by the time of reaping the fruits of this upbringing. And how important it is that at the most crucial time of his formation in life, a person (still small) should not be deprived of the strengthening help of God.

If a person does not receive something in childhood, the consequences of this affect throughout life. I undertake to affirm the validity of this in relation to Holy Communion: if the human soul from infancy did not have the experience of communion with the shrine, this will have consequences in the future. Favorable or not - guess for yourself.

Sometimes they say: “Children cannot be communed, because a person approaching Communion (as well as any other Sacrament) must understand what is happening to him, what he is starting to do. Is it possible for a young child to understand what Communion is? I answer firmly and decisively: Yes! Capable! As it develops.

I remember an incident that struck me with my son. Children at the age of one or two years are explained who God is, pointing to the icons, and then they are touched when they answer the question: “Where is God?” - the child points to the image with his finger. My son did not escape this either, he also touched me and my wife in this common way: he babbled “Boh” and pointed to the icons.

Once we looked at photographs with him. Children love this, and it is useful for them to fix their attention on the details of the image. Here we open a photograph of a priest standing in the Royal Doors with a Chalice in his hands, the son points to the Chalice and says: "Boh."

I was amazed: we - parents - did not teach him this, so this is his personal discovery! This is his personal faith! I don’t think that my son is any special child, from childhood marked with the stamp of piety and theology, and he himself, with his whims, stubbornness and disobedience, supports my opinion. This means that such faith is available to any child. And after that, how can one say that children are not able to understand the Sacrament of Holy Communion?!

In addition, we will try to answer a counter question: “Are adults able to understand what is happening in the Sacrament of Communion?” Can any of us claim to understand how bread and wine become the Body and Blood of the Creator? And how do they become our body and blood in Communion?

That is why the Sacraments are called so, because they are inaccessible to the concept of man. And how do we differ from children in this respect, and how do they differ from us? Nothing. We are also able to understand something and believe only in some measure. So let's leave this conversation. Children can and should be given communion.

But! Parents need to make every effort to ensure that their children receive communion worthily. It is known that Communion can cause troubles and misfortunes if performed unworthily. Let me remind you of the words of the Apostle Paul: “Whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord ... whoever eats and drinks unworthily, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not discussing the Body of the Lord. That is why many of you are weak and sick and many die.”(1 Corinthians 11:27-30).

Of course, we do not want this for our children, so we must try to ensure that our children are prepared for Communion, again - to the extent of their development. We need to tell our children what awaits them, we need to directly call the Body and Blood of Christ the body and blood, without stuffing the little man’s head with nonsense about sweet water or “compote that your uncle will give you.”

Yes, the reality of the presence of Christ in the Holy Gifts cannot be explained to children, but it’s not necessary - they generally take all the words of adults on faith, they will perceive these, especially if the parents themselves firmly believe in what they are talking about.

Older children need to read aloud at least one prayer for Holy Communion, or together with them in their own words ask God to be vouchsafed Communion. It is necessary to make Communion dependent on the behavior of the child, so that he feels that Communion can be unworthy.

Finally, the parents themselves need to receive communion, otherwise there will be bewilderment and even distrust between them and the children: how is it that they put me in the Chalice, but for some reason they themselves do not receive communion. There should be no disunity in the family, which means that one should strive to receive communion with the whole family.

What to do if a child opposes Communion: acts up, breaks out, grits his teeth? Pray hard for him, try to visit the church with him more often, so that the church environment becomes familiar and familiar to the baby, so that he can see how other children take communion, and finally, you yourself need to set an example for the children.

It is not necessary to forcibly give communion to children, holding them hand and foot, otherwise they will have a feeling of violence for a very long time, and in the future their resistance to Communion will only get worse, because it is natural for a person to resist violence.

The impressions received in childhood may be unconscious, but they are very stable, and we run the risk of planting a certain negative stereotype of perception of everything church for the rest of our lives. Perhaps most often the resistance of children is due to a lack of understanding of what is happening. After all, any of us is wary of a collision with something unfamiliar and incomprehensible.

So is a child: if he was suddenly snatched out of a stroller, instantly destroying his usual cozy little world, dragged through a crowd of strange uncles and aunts, thrust into some bearded monster (due to the fact that most of the male population now go “naked”, many beards children perceive as an anomaly), what reaction will be natural? Rejection.

So there is no need to shift the blame on the child, to attribute to him almost demonic possession. You just need to prepare your children for Communion in advance, explaining to them the meaning of what is happening and setting a personal example, which, as you know, is the most effective means of education.

The issue of preparing children for communion is covered in many books and on many Orthodox websites. However, it is given attention only within the framework of the preparation for adult communion. In view of the great difference between the physiological and psychological disposition of an adult and a child, the author of the article proposes to find a special approach to the issue under consideration, which would take into account age features children and based on this allowed to make decisions regarding the choice of conditions for preparing for the Sacrament of Communion.

We will talk about preparing for the Sacrament for children:

• Up to a year
• One to three years
• Three to seven years old.

About problems and questions

The issue of preparing children for communion in most books and on many Orthodox websites is discussed as part of the issue of preparing adults for communion. Unless with some clarifications that take a maximum of three paragraphs. Moreover, the advice of the priests and the opinions of the authors of the publications turn out to be almost diametrically opposed. Some argue that children should be prepared by reading prayers with them - starting with a small amount and ending with the subtraction of the entire rule as they master the text and get used to it, as well as accustom the child to a three-day fast from childhood. Others say that it is important to simply adjust the baby accordingly, it is enough as an ascetic exercise to restrict access to the TV, and before communion, the baby (which children under 7 years old are considered to be) can even be fed if he cannot stand it. Particular attention is paid to the issue of children's confession, since in the Russian tradition it turned out that confession, having practically lost the significance of an independent Sacrament, turned into required element preparation for communion - a kind of pass to the Chalice with the Holy Gifts. That is why the majority of Internet and printed sources categorically speak about the obligatory confession before the sacrament of a child, starting from the age of seven.

Another feature is, in general, a kind of inattention to the topic of preparing a child for communion - in the minds of many priests, a child appears as such a kind of unfinished adult, and therefore he just needs to “explain” everything, sort of like an imbecile. For example, when asked if a one-year-old child can be forcibly given communion, the priest answers: “Parents need to make an effort and talk with their children at home about the Church and the Sacrament. After communion, you can give the baby something tasty, create a joyful environment for the baby. Set as an example those children who calmly take communion. And over time, your child will get used to it, and it will be good, to take communion calmly.” Good answer, right. The only problem is that, in general, you can talk with a one-year-old child about the Church and the Sacrament as much as you like - just like about astrophysics or nanotechnologies. At this age, the level of perception of information, as well as, in fact, children's memory, have their own characteristics: early childhood and in junior preschool age memory has an unintentional, involuntary character. At this age, the child does not yet have the task of remembering something for reproduction in the future. A two-three-year-old child remembers only what is relevant for him in this moment, which is connected with his immediate vital needs and interests, which has a strong emotional action". That is, it makes no sense to “talk with a one-year-old child about the meaning of the church”, although, of course, the parents themselves can get untold pleasure from this and feel their significance and spiritual mastery - after all, they nurture their child in faith.

However, as in all matters relating to the upbringing of a child, one must be soberly aware of what this or that parental action leads to, and even more so such a large-scale "project" as the churching of one's own children. And here, it seems to me, main mistake lies precisely in the fact that children are treated, at best, as potential adults, at worst, as real obstacles to worship, which, through education, must be trained and turned into a pious copy of the ancient monks.

In medicine, as in psychiatry, for example, there are special, namely, children's doctors, and child and adolescent psychiatry stands out. This is not accidental: the child's body (on the physical and mental levels) differs from the adult so much that an adult doctor (if he is a professional) will not treat the child. For this, there are pediatricians and pediatric surgeons, ophthalmologists and so on. I think that a similar parallel can be drawn with spiritual pastoring - perhaps we need "specialized" children's priests, we need "children's theology." Although, as I understand it, this issue is not yet being resolved, it does not even arise. And this is fully explained by the fact that the main burden of raising a child lies, of course, on the shoulders of the parents.

We will try to consider the issue of preparing children for communion based not on scientific theological works, which, as already mentioned, we do not have in general, but on our own experience, which, of course, like any experience, has its drawbacks, namely limitations and personal character traits. But nevertheless, this experience can also be the beginning of a discussion about the churching of children.

So, first of all, I would divide the question of preparing children for communion into several sub-questions according to different criteria: the age of the child, the number of children in the family, the churching of the family, as well as my own family traditions.

Little kids are little troubles

The approach to preparing a child for the sacrament depends on the age of the child. So, of course, it is absurd, as already mentioned, to talk in advance with an infant up to a year old; the task of parents who want to take communion with their child is, first of all, to raise themselves in the morning after sleepless night and rock your beloved child suffering from colic or teeth. But it’s not enough just to get up and get ready, you need to guess with the feeding of the baby, based on his “food rhythm”. I believe there are angelic babies in the world who can withstand a three to four hour break between feedings and eat as if they have a built-in timer inside. My children were different: they demanded food often, ate for a long time, and then burped profusely. I apologize for the physiological details, but you can’t do without them - after all, if a child is brought to communion immediately after feeding, there is a danger that he will burp the Holy Gifts. Although this situation is rather hypothetical, nevertheless it must be taken into account. If the child is too hungry, then you run the risk of decorating the priest’s sermon before the child’s communion with flooded roulades (we still have courageous shepherds who read a long sermon just before communion, heroically not noticing the aching, sobbing, rustling in the forefront of youngsters, languishing from feelings of complete meaninglessness of what is happening), and accordingly, you yourself will be nervous: you will worry about the child and be ashamed of the furor you make.

Thus, a mother must adapt herself to the needs of her own baby and to the schedule of the service in such a way that she can take communion with the child, and at the same time not die of shame herself. Of course, this is easier to do if the family is churched, and parents can guess the time of communion almost without error. Or they help each other: one walks with a stroller on the street, the other prays in the temple. If only a mother with a baby goes to the temple, her task becomes more complicated. In this short, in general, infantile period, the main preparation for the sacrament for a child is actually the mother’s ability to maintain complacency and positive attitude during a trip to the temple for the Liturgy: bring the baby, undress if it is hot in the temple, dress if it is cold, do not let him burst into tears, stand for a while, holding a child in his arms, which, by the age of six months, by the way, weighs about 10 kg, and, of course, to take communion. And that's probably all. Maybe not very spiritual and pious, but real and vital.

t year to three years

With kids older than a year you can already talk about bears, bunnies, squirrels, cars and much more. This is already progress. This means that one can try to “talk about the Church”. But given the age and mental characteristics child: " hallmark children's memory is its visual-figurative nature. The child better remembers objects and pictures, and from verbal material - mainly figurative and emotionally acting stories and descriptions. Abstract concepts and reasoning, as still poorly understood, are not remembered by young children. Owing to the limited life experience, abstract connections are still insufficiently developed in children, and their memory relies mainly on visually perceived relations of objects. Meaningful memorization begins to develop in children with the appearance of their speech and subsequently improves more and more, as in connection with further development speech, and as life experience accumulates.

Thus, it is useless to talk abstractly with a child, to tell him about the Sacraments in the language in which they write about it in most catechisms and church books. But this does not mean slobbering lisping like “come to the priest, now he will give you candy from a spoon”, and the like. Firstly, at this age, most parents intuitively understand what and how to tell the child. For example, speaking in the first person plural: “We will eat now,” that is, the mother connects herself with the child, and everything that she does, he does, and vice versa. On the other hand, they turn to the child and talk about him in the third person, using his own name: “Mashenka ate everything, well done!”.

The conversation with the child is subject-visual, understandable, accessible and situational. This is important and can be used in preparing a child for the sacrament. In my – perhaps erroneous – opinion, at this age, preparing a child for communion consists in the fact that mom or dad, together with the child, gather and go to the temple, and the situation is played out precisely at the speech level: “Now we will get up, wash ourselves, and let's go to the temple" and so on. Each action is commented as much as possible. simple sentences, affectionately, unobtrusively and, most importantly, without any false tenderness in his voice. No need to play piety. If you don’t have the strength to “twitter” in the morning, it’s better to be completely silent than to take a false note. The trip to the temple itself, the communion of the child - is also spoken out if possible.

In addition, a child at this age already, at least in the background, "hears" what his parents are doing. Therefore, you can read the rule for Communion in the room where the child plays or falls asleep. And you are near, and the words of prayers will not seem to him sometime later as something completely wild.

It should also be noted that frequent communion has not only spiritual benefits and meaning, but also psychologically “fixes” this situation in memory: “The predominance of visual-figurative memory in children does not mean that they have no verbal-logical memory. On the contrary, the latter develops rapidly, but for its functioning it requires constant reinforcement from direct (objective) stimuli.

However, frequent communion should not become an end in itself, and, of course, you should always decide how much, when and how to commune your own child, based not on the information offered in books and online articles, but on his well-being, his psychotype, his ability endure the load, his moods, after all. There is nothing more painful than watching how mom and dad twist the escaping child by the arms - by the legs, and the priest tries to put a lie in the mouth of the writhing baby. All this looks like some unequal struggle where the child is doomed to the role of the loser.

Communion of a child fromthree to seven years

Many psychologists and parents have written about this fertile age of understanding the world. This is the time when the child is interested in everything,
when he is looking for new intellectual and emotional experiences, when he can not only listen, but he also has something to say. In other words, the child begins to comprehend what is happening, to connect the disparate pieces of his experience into a single mosaic, he begins to put together his picture of the world. And the task of parents is to help “draw” this picture of the world harmoniously and beautifully.

Firstly, at this age you can already talk, read and discuss. Of course, we read and talked before, but now our conversation turns to new level, and books can be read more seriously than kolobok and moidodyr. And you need to read good books - pay attention: not Orthodox, but good ones. Unfortunately, they are not the same. IN Lately except that the children's series "Nastya and Nikita" from "Thomas" can be called good Orthodox literature, to be precise, good modern children's literature, lying in the power field of Orthodox life.

Why do I insist so much on parents reading books to their children? Because this seemingly uncomplicated family tradition has mass positive aspects. This is an opportunity to be with a child, to sit side by side, taking time only for each other, this is a special atmosphere of warmth, united family, peace and love. This is a conversation after the book - who did it and how, why this way, and not otherwise. And here you not only instill in the child the skills of retelling, develop his speech, but also place the necessary moral accents, form a hierarchy of values. This is the literary-moral and emotional-motivational basis on which his knowledge about the Church will be built - exactly this way, and not vice versa.

In addition to reading, oddly enough, an important, or rather, even the main element in preparing a child for communion is ... his upbringing - discussing his actions, creating a moral compass, mastering the concepts of bad / good. Moreover, these should be moral concepts precisely in the universal system of values, and not in such a way that we, Orthodox, are good, and the rest are pagans, sinners, and it is impossible to communicate with them, because they are like that bull from a jokingly converted Orthodox poems will go to hell:

There is a goby, swinging,

Sighs on the go

And if he doesn't repent,

(Reflection on the upbringing of the children of the priest Ilia Shugaev - a father of many children)

Children, like adults, prepare for Communion by fasting, confession and prayer. But preparing children for Communion is different from preparing adults.

0–3 years. One can say very simply about the preparation of children for Communion at this age: children are not yet preparing in any way. You can feed babies when they require it and come to the temple. And you can not come to the beginning of the service. At this age, children do not fast because they cannot fast. Toddlers have not yet fully learned to control their feelings and their behavior. For example, a child, entering the kitchen in the morning and seeing a cookie there, will take it, although two minutes ago his mother strictly reminded him that it is impossible to eat before communion. He understood this and easily agreed with his mother, his desire completely coincides with the desire of his mother. But here in front of him is a cookie, and a new desire arises. A child has two desires, but he still does not know how to manage them, therefore, as a rule, the last one wins. The child will eat this cookie, and will not be to blame for this. You can not demand from the child what he is not yet capable of. Therefore, the child can be fed before Communion at this age, if necessary. Closer to the age of 3, it is advisable not to eat before communion, but if the child accidentally ate something, this does not prevent him from taking communion. Special prayers before Communion with a child are not yet read. Obviously, there is no confession yet either.

You can come to the Liturgy 15 minutes before Communion. If the service in the temple starts at 8.00, then you can come with the kids by about 9.15. They came, in 15 minutes there will be Communion, they took communion, in another 15 minutes - the end of the service. A child spends about half an hour in the temple, so almost any child, even the most restless, usually endures this time in the temple. You just need to find out in advance in the temple where you will go, when it is better to come with your child for communion.

It is best for children at this age to receive communion every week. All Christians took communion just as often in ancient times. Now, due to the fact that it is customary for an adult to fast two or three days before communion, adults take communion somewhat less often: once every two or three weeks or once a month. There are already two fast days every week (Wednesday and Friday), and adding a few more fast days will be hard as adults. Since the children do not fast, they can take communion every week.

3–7 years. At the age of three, a child enters a certain transitional age, he grows up and already controls his feelings and actions. Therefore, from 3 to 7 years old, children take communion on an empty stomach. At the age of three, a child can be explained that it is impossible to eat before the service, and he can already stop himself at the sight of an accidentally left delicacy. If a child accidentally eats something, then he may not be allowed to take Communion, which the priest must decide, taking into account the age of the child, the churchness of the child and parents, and much more.

At this age, the child is also not brought to the beginning of the service, although a little earlier than the kids. At home, together with their parents, a child can read 2-3 prayers familiar to him. The child is brought to the temple 15-30 minutes before communion. Children can receive communion every week. Children at this age do not go to confession. Some children may quite consciously confess before the age of seven, for example, as early as six.

7-14 years old. At the age of seven, the next stage of a child's development begins. He becomes a small adult, so he does everything like adults, only on a smaller scale. For example, adults fast for two or three days, but a child must fast for at least one day. Adults read a complete prayer rule, and a few short prayers are enough for a child. And, finally, from the age of seven, children begin to confess. Further, as they grow older, children are getting closer to adults: they fast a little longer, read more prayers, and confess more seriously.

Therefore, at this age, the child fasts 1-2 days before Communion. From the moment when the child has learned to read, he reads special prayers for Communion. At 7 years old, you can read only 3-4 special prayers, and the older the child, the closer his prayer rule is to an adult.

So, it's done! It is impossible to realize it right away, but nine months of waiting, worries and worries are over - I have a small, touching lump in my hands. My daughter ... The most beautiful, the best, the best. I promise you that I will do everything possible and impossible to make you happy ...

I think all normal parents have experienced similar feelings, they would like to see their children healthy and joyful. We try to give our child everything they need: food, clothes, education, it would seem that we think through everything to the smallest detail. But sometimes we forget about the most important thing in raising a child - his soul.

Spiritual life is impossible without the Church. An adult usually comes to this conclusion sooner or later. But the child cannot understand this, and the parent, realizing the full measure of responsibility to the most dear being for himself, is simply obliged to do for him right choice.

Churching is hard but necessary work, and you need to make every effort to ensure that the baby has it as easy as possible. You have to start with yourself. Children do not accept lies. If a child sees a striking difference between what is happening in the temple and what he observes at home, he will never be able to become a full member of the Church. And vice versa, if he sees that his family is a "small church", then he will naturally and easily enter into the life of the Church as such. Moreover, childhood is the most fertile time, everything learned at this time by the child will be preserved by him for the rest of his life, and he will not have to painfully seek the Truth.

Probably, I will not be mistaken if I call the center of church life primarily two Sacraments: Confession and Communion. In the Sacrament of Penance, a person receives forgiveness from the Lord. Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ - gains strength for a grace-filled life in Christ. In the Sacrament of Communion, the most real, genuine union with Christ takes place, since what the Lord said in the Gospel is fulfilled: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6, 56).

When a person is just beginning his journey in the Church, many questions and bewilderment arise in him. The more questions arise for parents who enter the church life together with their young children. We will try to answer some of them, namely those related to the Communion of children, this time.

What role does the sacrament play in the lives of children? After all, we partake "for the remission of sins," and what sins can children have?

The nature of every person, regardless of his age, is affected by that terrible corruption, which we most often call original sin. In addition, we are all weak and in need of God's grace-filled help. And who is more defenseless than a child? He doesn't know how to pray. He is protected by the prayers of his parents and the prayers of the Church. Communion, he becomes a part of her, and her maternal cover extends over him. Until the age of 7, a child traditionally takes communion without confession, since it is believed that before this age he is not yet able to truly realize the sinfulness or, conversely, the sinlessness of his actions, and after 7 years before Communion, he will need to confess.

At what age can children receive communion? There is an opinion that a child should be baptized on the 40th, and commune, therefore, the next day.

You can baptize a child immediately after birth - as soon as he is physically ready for this. But in practice, baptism is most often actually performed on the fortieth day or later. Forty days is the period of the so-called "postpartum cleansing", during which a woman should not cross the threshold of the temple. After this time, special prayers should be read over the mother and child (the so-called "prayers of the fortieth day"), after which the mother can again go to the temple and participate in Church Sacraments. As a rule, they are read immediately before Epiphany. And, of course, when a child is baptized, then, starting from that time, he can already receive communion.

On what day can children be brought to Communion? When is the best time to come?

You can take communion on any day when it is served Divine Liturgy. In large churches, this is the morning of every day (except Monday, Tuesday and Thursday during Great Lent, when the liturgy is usually not served). In the same temples where the service is not held every day, it is better to find out about this from the priest in advance. It is not necessary to come to the beginning of the service with small children, because they will be very tired themselves, they will cry, and this will tire those around them. But, of course, not right before Communion, better a little earlier.

How often should children receive communion, and should parents always partake of communion at the same time as them?

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ has a beneficial effect on the child. The more often this happens, the better. By and large, if there is such an opportunity, then nothing prevents them from receiving communion every day. In any case, children should receive communion at least 2 times a month. Parents, on the other hand, take communion as often as the spiritual father blesses them, after confession.

How to prepare a child for Communion? Do children need to fast?

Communion is a Sacrament, so there must be appropriate preparation for it. For adults, there are certain rules that they must strictly follow. Children, due to their age, are not able to do everything to the fullest. However, in this case, there are recommendations, mainly related to food intake. So, babies should be fed an hour and a half before Communion, children under three years old - a little more, or at least reduce the amount of breakfast (replace it with lean cookies and water). Older children should be kept from eating altogether. But in any case, you need to accustom to this gradually, watching how the child feels.

It is equally important before Communion to explain to the child (if his age already allows it) the meaning of the Sacrament, to tell him how he needs to behave: stand calmly with his arms crossed over his chest, approaching the Chalice, give his name received at baptism (secular names are often do not coincide with church ones), and completely swallow the Holy Gifts, and then calmly approach the table with warmth and prosphora. If the child is not able to remember all this, then an adult should lead him, but this should be done quietly. Before the Chalice, it is better to take the child in your arms.

It would also be good if the day before the child listened to the prayers from the Follow-up to Communion - as much as he can listen with attention.

And, the simplest, but, unfortunately, often overlooked: the child must have a cross.

Will a baby be able to partake of the Flesh and Blood of Christ?

Infants are communed only with Blood, and they are given quite a bit (therefore, during Great Lent, at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, when believers partake of pre-sanctified Gifts - a particle of the Body of Christ saturated with Blood, small children are not communed). Many express doubts about this, suggesting that the child "didn't take communion enough." This assumption is wrong, since even in the smallest particle the whole Christ is present. When approaching the Chalice, it is not necessary to hold the baby vertically, because in this position it is difficult for him to receive the Holy Gifts. Better put it on your right hand like when feeding.

It is better to swaddle the smallest children or hold them tightly so that they do not inadvertently touch the Cup and knock it over. Based on the same safety considerations, small children should not be applied to the Cup. In general, the behavior of children of any age at this moment should be monitored especially. Even seemingly big children, who have already taken communion more than once, can suddenly make a careless movement.

What to do with a child's clothes if drops of the Blood of Christ accidentally fall on them?

Sometimes it happens that after Communion, a child vomits, or feels sick, or he can simply drop the Holy Gifts from his mouth. Of course, you need to try to prevent this (mother can notice under what circumstances such things happen). But if this did happen, and the Blood ended up on the clothes, you need to take it off and give it to be burned after the service, no matter how expensive it may be. Therefore, it would be good to put a bib or a napkin on the child before Communion, which would not be a pity.

Is it possible to give communion to a child against his will?

It happens that the child refuses to approach the Cup or, even being in the arms of his parents, breaks out and cries. There can be several explanations for this: the baby is tired, he is hungry, which means he is naughty, he does not understand what is happening and is afraid, etc. Each parent has a special approach to his child. You need to try to interest him by telling at home about the Sacraments, the life of the Church, retelling hagiographic stories. Before going to the temple, create a festive atmosphere at home. In the temple, point to the children who take communion so that the child is not afraid. A good example would be the communion of parents or acquaintances. After Communion, you can treat the baby to something delicious. If a child takes communion, be sure to praise him. And over time, he will get used to it and will look forward to Communion.

Although it is necessary to draw the attention of parents to such a very significant point: sometimes the reason for such a child's behavior in front of the Chalice is their own life. And therefore, when planning to give communion to a son or daughter, father and mother should, of course, think whether they themselves confessed and took communion too long ago.

When can I feed my baby after Communion?

With feeding the baby, you need to wait a bit - in order for the Communion to be better "learned". Older children can be fed immediately after Communion and eating prosphora, before kissing the Cross (especially if the child has not eaten or drunk anything since the evening). But if the child is able to go without food until the end of the service, it is better not to feed him.

If a child has a severe allergy, can he receive communion? And is there a risk of getting infected with Communion?

Humanly, such excitement is understandable, but if parents reason in this way, this indicates that they themselves are not aware of what happens during Communion. These fears are due to lack of faith. Of course, instead of warmth, you can give the child a drink brought with you. But can anything harmful happen during communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ? Indeed, in the Chalice is not bread and wine, but the Blood and Body of Christ, this is Life, and therefore health. There has never been a case of Communion causing an allergy attack or any other illness. If a person believes that bread and wine are really transformed into the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God, then can he really believe that when Communion of all from one spoon is “infected” with something? And, on the contrary, if he is not able to believe that the Lord will save him from any harm, then how will he believe in that incomprehensible miracle that takes place in this Sacrament?

One of the main sacred rites of the Orthodox Church is the communion of the believer. The sacrament of the Eucharist, performed sincerely, at the call of the soul, has great importance for a Christian. The passage of the sacred rite with an understanding of the essence and importance of the ritual leads to sincere repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual purification.

What is communion

A person's belonging to a religious denomination implies the observance of traditions. What is the Eucharist? The most important religious rite involves receiving from the hands of a clergyman and then eating bread with wine, symbolizing the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Sacrament includes prayers, bows, hymns, sermons. Communion in the temple introduces a person to God, strengthens the spiritual connection with Higher powers. For the ceremony in the church, the purity of the believer, both physical and spiritual, is required. Communion must be preceded by confession and preparation.

sacrament of communion

The rite originates from the Last Supper that preceded the crucifixion of Christ. Having gathered with the disciples at the table, the Savior took the bread, divided it into pieces and distributed it with the words that it was His Flesh. Then Christ blessed the cup of wine, naming its contents His Blood. The Savior commanded followers to always perform a ceremony in memory of Him. This custom is followed by Russian Orthodox Church where the rite of the Eucharist is celebrated daily. In pre-Petrine times, there was a decree according to which all the laity were obliged to take communion in the church at least once a year.

Why Holy Communion is Necessary

The sacrament of communion is of great importance for a believer. A layman who does not want to celebrate the rite of the Eucharist is moving away from Jesus, who commanded to observe the tradition. Breaking the connection with God leads to the emergence of confusion, fear in the soul. A person who regularly takes communion in church, on the contrary, becomes stronger in religious faith, becomes more peaceful, closer to the Lord.

How to take communion in church

The Eucharist is the first step taken by a person towards God. This act must be conscious, voluntary. To confirm the purity of his intention, a layman should prepare for communion in the church. First you need to ask for forgiveness from those who may be offended by you. For several days before the ceremony, an adult needs:

• Observe the fast, refusing to use meat dishes, eggs, dairy products. Food restrictions are imposed for a period of one to three days - depending on the physical condition.
• Give up the habit of "eating" yourself and others. Internal aggression should be kept to a minimum. You need to behave benevolently towards others, selfless help to others is useful.
• Exclude foul language, tobacco, alcohol, intimacy.
• Do not attend entertainment events, do not watch entertainment TV shows.
• read evening, morning prayers.
• Attend liturgies, listen to sermons. It is especially recommended to attend the evening service on the eve of the day of communion, to read the Following.
• Study spiritual literature, read the Bible.
• Confess on the eve of communion in church. This requires understanding life, events, actions. Sincere confession is needed not only as a preparation for communion. Repentance makes a believer purer, gives a feeling of lightness, freedom.

rite of communion

On the day of the ceremony, you need to skip breakfast and come to the temple early, feel the atmosphere of the place, get ready, tune in the right way. What is communion in church? The sacrament begins during the service, closer to its end. The Royal Doors open, and a relic is brought to the visitors - a bowl with consecrated gifts - cahors and bread. Meals are symbols of the Flesh and Blood of the Savior. The bowl is placed on a special elevation called the pulpit. The priest reads a prayer of thanksgiving intended for communion.

How to take communion in church? The clergyman gives each parishioner who approaches the bowl to taste the food from the spoon. You need to get closer, fold your arms in a cross on your chest, say your name. Then you should kiss the base of the bowl. You can leave the temple after the end of the service. Before leaving, you need to kiss the cross. The ritual, done sincerely and with all my heart, brings the believer closer to Christ, gives the soul happiness, salvation. It is important to keep holy grace in the heart after communion, not to lose it outside the church.

How is the communion of children

Communion of a child is important for his spiritual maturation. The ritual is needed so that the baby is under the care of the guardian angel, in whose honor he was baptized. The first communion in the church takes place after baptism. Children under the age of seven are not required to go to confession the day before. It doesn’t matter how often the baby’s parents take communion in church and whether they do it at all.

Important rule children's communion in the church - holding the ceremony on an empty stomach. You are allowed to have breakfast little child. It is better to feed the baby at least half an hour before the ceremony so that he does not burp. After three years, it is advisable to bring children to church on an empty stomach, but there is no strict rule. It is important that the child gradually gets used to the restrictions during preparation. For example, you can remove games, cartoons, meat, something very tasty. Compliance prayer rules children are not required.

With babies, you can come to the sacrament itself. With older children, it is allowed to come early, depending on how long the child can withstand standing in the temple. Children often lack patience, on the contrary, they have a lot of energy. This must be understood and not forced to stand in one place, instilling a dislike for the ceremony. During communion, the name for small child spoken by an adult. When the baby grows up, he should name himself.

How is the communion of the sick

If a person, for health reasons, is not able to listen to the liturgy, take communion within the walls of the temple, this is easily solved by conducting the ceremony at home. Seriously ill patients are allowed by the canons of Orthodoxy to the procedure. Reading prayers and fasting is not required. However, confession with repentance for sins is necessary. Patients are allowed to take communion after eating. Priests often visit hospitals to confess and give communion to people.

How often can I take communion

The rite must be performed when the soul desires it, when there is an inner need. The number of communions is not regulated by representatives of the Patriarchate. Most believers take communion once or twice a month. The ritual is necessary for special occasions- at weddings, baptisms, at name days, during great holidays. The only restriction is the ban on communion more than once a day. Holy gifts are served from two church vessels, you need to try only from one.

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