The Eucharist, or Thanksgiving in translation, is one of the seven sacraments established by the Orthodox Church. Without communion it is impossible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and achieve at least some significant success in the spiritual field.
Instructions
Step 1
Actually, about the sacrament itself. The beginning of the sacrament was laid at the Last Supper by the Son of God himself, before the beginning of his sufferings. Reclining with the disciples, he took the bread, broke it, divided it among the disciples and said: "Take, eat: this is my body, but I am broken for you for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:26). Then, having blessed the cup of wine, he said: "Drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:27, 28). From that moment on, the sacrament of the sacrament was supposed to be performed by all believers until the end of time in remembrance of the Passion of the Lord, the Resurrection and greater unity with the Lord.
Step 2
The sacrament is preceded by such a significant event as confession. Infants and children under the age of 7 years, as well as people in an emergency situation - for example, a near-death condition, a serious illness, are allowed to participate in the sacrament without confession. A person who cannot be confessed for objective reasons, as a rule, is assembled and then received. In terms of content, confession is the recognition of one's sins, repentance for them, the desire not to repeat the sins already committed in the future. In form, it is a presentation before God, with the priest as a witness, of his sins, after which the priest reads the prayer of permission and the believer is allowed to take communion.
Step 3
Preparation for the sacrament of the Eucharist begins with observing the canonical fast 3-7 days before the day of communion. On these days, it is advisable to especially diligently observe the morning and evening prayer rules. On the day immediately before the sacrament, attendance of the evening service is mandatory, regardless of whether the confession takes place in the morning or in the evening. On the same day, home prayer is also necessarily performed - the follow-up to Holy Communion, which is contained in any Orthodox prayer book.
Step 4
Also, for prayer preparation for holy communion, three canons of repentance are read: to our Lord Jesus Christ; prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos; Guardian Angel. On the days of the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ - the Forty Day - it is blessed to replace the penitential canons with the Paschal canon. These canons are found in most Orthodox prayer books and are sold in separate books.
Step 5
At the Liturgy, the partakers mentally repeat after the priest the words of the short prayers of John Chrysostom and Macarius the Great (there is in the follow-up to Holy Communion), after which they begin the long-awaited sacrament.
