Communion after baptism: the meaning of the sacrament. First Communion after baptism. The servant of God, the baby, takes communion ...

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 in 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 the age characteristics of children and, based on this, would allow decisions to be made 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, has become an obligatory element of 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: “In early childhood and in early 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 to him at the moment, what is connected with his immediate life needs and interests, which has a strong emotional effect on him. 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, the 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 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 wake themselves up in the morning after a sleepless night and rock their 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 a positive attitude while going to church for the Liturgy: bring the baby, undress if it’s hot in church, dress if it’s cold , to prevent him from crying, to stand for some time, 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

You can already talk with children older than a year - about bears, bunnies, squirrels, cars and much more. This is already progress. This means that one can try to “talk about the Church”. But taking into account the age and mental characteristics of the child: “A distinctive feature of 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 speech in them and subsequently improves more and more, both in connection with the further development of speech, and with the accumulation of life experience.

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, speech in the first person plural comes into use: “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, if possible, is commented on in simple sentences, affectionately, unobtrusively and, most importantly, without any false tenderness in the 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 kind of unequal struggle, where the child is doomed to the role of the loser in advance.

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 is moving to a new level, and books can be read more seriously than kolobok and moidodyr. Moreover, you need to read good books - pay attention: not Orthodox, but good ones. Unfortunately, they are not the same. Recently, except that the children's series "Nastya and Nikita" from "Thomas" can be called good Orthodox literature, and to be precise, good modern children's literature, lying in the force field of Orthodox life.

Why do I insist so much on parents reading books to their children? Because this seemingly simple family tradition has a lot of 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,

How often should a baby be given communion? Can children be forced to take communion? Why does the child refuse the sacrament? How can a child fast, and is it necessary? In the published article, Archpriest Georgy Krylov, rector of the Church of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Strogino, answering these questions, suggests ways to solve the difficulties that arise in the process of churching babies.

In our church, the number of communicants-children more often than not exceeds the number of adults. Sleeping area ... A giant crowd of parents with babies at first touchingly acts on the priest. Then the pragmatic side draws you in: you can take photographs, hang them on a stand, show Vladyka... And in the end, you won't get away from the main question: what to do? After all, there are many issues related to the communion of children, and no one is especially going to solve them somehow. First you need to at least "speak" these questions.

I will put the most important question in medical terms: how to use the medicine so that it will be useful? Numerous and illustrative stories about children growing up in the parish are in sight. Like a little angel with hands folded for communion, gradually turns into an overgrown scoundrel, mocking his mother (most often we have to talk about single mothers in this case) and diligently trampling on everything that is dear to her and sacred to her. Why is that, father? After all, she took communion in childhood, gave prosphora, prayed? There are at least a dozen such examples for each priest. And the answers to these questions are prepared - you have to answer too often. But having answered others, will you answer yourself? After all, the phenomenon of youthful dechurching also affected priestly families. And sometimes intelligent, where everything is “correct”. In any case, you need to answer, and not write off everything that, they say, such times, the Antichrist will come soon, and so on. After all, the foundation of the soul is laid in childhood, and the reasons for the subsequent youthful loss of faith must be sought there. Of course, now is the time of individual estrangement, and personal Christianity cannot be nurtured from childhood - in youth, each one is confronted with a choice with all its sharpness. But it is in our hands to help the child make this choice as much as possible.

What are the times? If in the years of stagnation a church-educated young man was just right to exhibit as a museum exhibit, now people brought up in Orthodox families come to work in the church in batches. I can't believe my eyes! Nobody would have dreamed of such a thing twenty years ago and in a heavenly dream! After all, quite recently they were “allowed”, and a whole generation has already grown up, the second is brewing! So for a while there is "nothing to blame", if the soul is crooked.

So where is the curvature? Let's go back to the "beginning", to the children's communion. A baby up to a year or two just needs to be given communion (although this is sometimes not easy, as Anna Galperina rightly noted). Communion more often - usually you advise every month (or even more often - at least every liturgy!). At the same time, the mother herself needs to forget about liturgical prayer - it is practically possible to organize the delivery of a child only at the time of communion, but even if earlier, there will be few ascetics who are able to withstand the Liturgy with a child in her arms. And you can’t leave a baby with strangers ... If we talk about practice, then in the eyes there is a clear picture of “alternating” parents: one with a child in a stroller on the street, the other in the church at prayer: today is your turn. It’s good if there is a place to change diapers, wash diapers, and so on at the temple. And if the baby is not the first, and a herd of tomboys runs nearby, intending to dismantle the temple by screws? But it is the “infant” stage of education that is fundamentally important, because if it was not there, all subsequent stages may be in question. Because then the child may simply not allow himself to take communion.

Now let's move on to the next stage - from two and older. Can children be forced to take communion? And is it necessary? I can give detailed instructions on how to do this (experienced archpriests masterfully organize such communion - with the help, of course, of deacons and altar servers). First, fix the hands (it is better to tie), then push the clenched teeth apart. Thirdly, immediately after communion, close your mouth with a board - so as not to spit it out! And at the same time, hold it tightly, better with two or three. Does this description remind you of anything? Something from the instructions for Auschwitz... Or do you still remember the practice of forced communion of the Old Believers, which existed in the 18th century.

I try not to force the children to take communion. Because there were precedents when, after such a communion, it was then impossible to bring a child to the temple at all - he began to scream and resist (shouts "byaka" - such childish blasphemy in relation to communion). So it's better not to provoke ... I advise you to cook. How? Take - without violence - a child to church at the time of communion several times, on holidays, when many children of his age take communion, so that he looks at it. Collective psychology will work, and the child will take communion along with peers. Talk to the child - at his level, explaining the meaning of the sacrament. In general, accustom him to the church - so that he would not be afraid, he would come, put candles, play with his peers (at the temple, and not in the temple, of course), and so on. To make him want to come to the temple.

Why does the child refuse the sacrament? The point is not only that the child was not taught from infancy, that he is naturally cautious or intimidated from childhood (usually takes the priest for a doctor and expects to be hurt now). It happens that from childhood, a baby accustomed to communion later begins to rage and does not want to take communion. The reason may be an unfamiliar priest or a new temple. But not only. Therefore, in the event of a baby's cry, I always try to leave my mother for a conversation. To explain that the child is much more closely related to the mother in infancy than later. That all elements of education (external and internal) are important in this situation. And that sometimes the reason for the cry of a baby mother must be sought in her own soul.

The list of advice is known: sanctify the house, turn off the TV and loud rock at least sometimes, caress the child, live like a Christian yourself, finally! Show your child by your example how to receive communion. Don't smoke, don't drink, be peaceful, pray. Surround the child with shrine. And so on, so on, so on ... It is easy to advise - it is not easy to carry out. How to learn to give feasible advice, advice of love, and not of legalistic arrogance.

In general, conversations with mothers of babies are simply necessary, it would be nice to have some kind of organization for mothers at the temple (the First Steps club, for example). Because when a woman becomes a mother, she spiritually “opens up”. Yes, and it is difficult not to open up spiritually, communicating with such a small miracle. Therefore, mothers often come to the temple through their own babies. The chain is as follows: on the advice of friends, they begin to take communion with babies, and then they themselves reach the first confession. Well, if so, but it often happens differently: those who bring babies themselves are neither baptized nor churched, and do not even try to move in this direction - they consider it unnecessary. This is a magical attitude towards communion - to take communion so that the child does not get sick. Here is a field for our priestly activity. And, perhaps, it is quite possible to recall the medieval practice of giving communion to babies, when their parents used to pray for them before they took communion (they fasted and read the prayer rule! - this tradition was also preserved by the Old Believers). And to tell modern mothers about this practice in order to make it clear how the spiritual state of the mother is connected with the state of the baby ...

Most of the problems with the sacrament in the "two and over" period are correcting things that were not done in infancy. However, not only that. This raises the question of conscious participation in the Sacrament and preparation for it. The main and main reason for the subsequent dechurching of children is usually called the lack of internal Christianity in parents. External, ritual participation in the Sacrament is opposed to conscious participation, with preparation. But how can you prepare an "adult" baby? Let's talk about worship first.

Parental inattention and parish disorganization almost every Sunday lead to the same picture: a crowd of “adult” babies who have played enough on the street continues their game in the church during communion, crawling forward and pushing away their partners in the game, not hearing priestly shouts in a playful rage - about what consciousness can speak in such an environment? The priest begins endless sermons addressed to parents: about the uselessness of a simple ritual communion for a child, about the need to prepare children, explain, and so on.

While the children are playing "indians" on the outskirts of the temple, their parents usually pray in the temple. How else? Children and at home are tired - at least here to rest from them. You can't force them to stand in the temple next to their parents! In fact, it is not difficult to organize in the temple that "both the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe." It is necessary to organize an institution of volunteers who would look after the children while their parents are praying. And they didn’t just look after - they would be responsible for the children who were handed over to them under supervision at the temple playground. So that parents can pick it up some time before communion (in some places, volunteers don’t bother parents, but in an organized manner lead their “lambs” to communion themselves - fortunately, in some churches there is a “children's” Chalice). At one of the Moscow diocesan meetings, the patriarch recommended the Western practice: the children are at the service in a room next to the church. Ideally, this room has a glass wall: children can see and hear what is happening in the temple (there are speakers in the room). But they are not heard - they do not interfere with worship. It is recommended to hold "appropriate games" in the room - up to a certain point. And then - to sing, for example, the Creed. Or our Father. Stand a little so that the children move away from the game. In general, somehow pray a little, preparing the children for communion. There is some incorrectness in such an approach, but at the moment this is almost the only way to solve the "children's" problem in "large" parishes.

The most "pious" parishioners meet the children's room with hostility. How is it that the child does not stand the service in the temple, but is in an unknown place and does not know what, and then takes communion? I see a fair amount of hypocrisy in these claims. Of course, there are children who have been accustomed from childhood to pray at divine services together with adults. For such children, the nursery becomes a temptation. But, as you know, they choose the lesser of two evils: the children's room is useful for the prevailing majority of children and parents. It is quite obvious that of all the children "little monks" (according to Anna Galperina) cannot be raised. Even in “traditional” church families, experienced parents often encounter individuals who, with all the “correct” efforts, cannot be forced to stand for an hour at a certain age. It's all about character and temperament - and this is not a "demonic action" at all, as the temple grannies hasten to conclude. Well, and if the "exemplary" parents can not, what to say about everyone else (and the parents themselves sometimes barely stand up!). Children, crowded into the temple, turn the service into a mess. So, excuse me, in practice, alas, there is no way to get a medieval pious picture.

And yet, children need to be accustomed to temple prayer - this is one of the functions of the children's room at the temple. Learn to focus at least for a while. Stand. Teach temple reverence. But in any case, this science, of course, must begin at home, with prayer at home and piety at home. I seem to have written about liturgical preparation, now I will move on to home preparation.

How to tell a child? This question is related to the question of children's fasting in general. Should a child fast? The range of opinions is great. From the denial of child fasting in general (that's how it will grow up - then; why deprive a child of childhood) to the recommendations of fasting on an equal basis with adults (if you don’t teach fasting, you will regret it later). The relevance of the issue is often indicated by the metal in the eyes and in the voice when talking on this topic. There are different children and different families, so there is no definite answer to these questions ...

And yet there is. I have a ready and convenient answer to these questions, which I often have to repeat (any priest has a number of memorized, beautiful, but not always practically useful tips): you don’t need to force a child to fast and pray - you need to instill in the child the desire to fast and pray , the desire for Christian achievement. So that he fasts and prays himself, without external compulsion. It's easy to say, but it's easy to do... And to be honest, in my almost twenty years of pastoral practice, I have not met a single child whose parents managed to instill such a thirst. Yes, the demand is correct, but it is painfully impossible to fulfill - only in the lives can one read about such a thirst in future saints in infancy. You won’t tell a parent: You are obliged to raise a saint… Do you know many adults who have nurtured such a thirst in themselves?

True, children easily profane this thirst - and it is not uncommon to encounter such profanations. There is a category of children's characters who "from the start" learn to please their parents, adapt to them, and parents do not want to notice this opportunism, perceiving the behavior of children "at face value" - as quite sincere. Children keenly feel what their parents want from them, and imitate what they want, receiving parental goodwill as a reward with "all the consequences." Moreover, the science of this deception is comprehended by children very early, from the age of three or even earlier, and very often we ourselves are teachers - it’s more convenient for us. At first, this deceit suits both parties, but later turns, like any insincerity, into rebellion and hatred.

So that means violence. Any preparation for the sacrament will inevitably be violent and coercive, as, indeed, much of our educational activities for children. And we need to think that this violence is reasonable and does not cause a reaction of rejection in the child's soul over time. So that violence would be mediated, as it were, so that it would involve, not break. Reverence cannot be brought up by violence - it can be born only as the fruit of Grace. But adherence to certain rules and constancy can be brought up. And also loyalty, courage, patience and much, much more...

Yes, the child must understand, at his level, why all this is necessary: ​​everyone prays - and I pray like an adult; everyone fasts - and I fast like an adult! And he also needs his own children's "theology" - parents, tell me, form it! And the little man's attitude to communion will change if he made some efforts to prepare - at least he refused candy in the morning. It is good when the surrounding world of the church family unhypocritically involves and captivates the child - this is so far the only universe available to him, and it is necessary that there are no "black holes" in it. But even the most humble child, sooner or later, will strive to get beyond the boundaries of this universe. And sooner or later, you still have to teach him to walk on his own, and not with you.

Child psychologists say that three years is the first difficult age for children, when a small person begins to feel like a person and, accordingly, rebel against violence against himself, do the opposite, in spite of. And I had to meet a "pious" children's rebellion: And I will do not like you, but like in the church! This childish rebellion cannot be ignored in education. Prayer and temple attendance should never be taken as a punishment. Rather, on the contrary: if you want to punish, excommunicate from common home prayer, do not take to church, do not lead to communion. And the rebellious child will strive with all his might for the forbidden! Usually, infantile rebellion and tantrums are recommended to be calmly and firmly pacified and overcome: with a stick and a carrot. These funds are suitable, but not in the religious sphere! Let religious striving become for a child with a “rebellious” temperament not so much a public (like everyone else!) as a personal (despite all!) striving. The public is lost quickly, but the personal is lost for a long time.

Rebellious aspirations are associated in general with the desire to fight, especially characteristic of boys (but not bypassing girls). How, through all these toy pistols, swords, tanks and battles with peers, to teach your child to fight with himself, with temptations, with growing sprouts of passions and sins? And in this "military" coordinate system, communion should be made the main peak that needs to be conquered ... Children always have their own ideas about courage - how to project them into the spiritual sphere?

Children live in their own special world, and it is clear that their spiritual upbringing turns into our own upbringing for us. Not we them, but they begin to educate us and teach us prayer and communion with God. In any case, this is our joint path, and it must be creative. This is a common path to God, which the three of us trample - me, the child and God. Without exaltation, to soberly catch what God suddenly reveals in a child, and help this sprout grow, at least not interfere with it, not destroy it with your own mentoring and doctrinairism. These sprouts can be quite unusual and amazing. I remember how one of “my” people suddenly stopped eating meat and fish (and did not eat them for quite a long time) - not out of ascetic motives, but out of pity: After all, they have eyes! And in tears! Why not put this “vegetarian”, but sincere message, which came from nowhere and is wrong, as the basis of a kind of childish asceticism… At least not interfere!

Communion is one of the main sacraments of Orthodoxy. It is generally accepted that every Christian should regularly partake of the Holy Mysteries. The sacrament is performed in the church. You need to prepare for it in advance. The first time a Christian goes to communion is after baptism. It is generally accepted that the human soul, cleansed by communion and baptism, is guarded by angels.

Why Communion Is Necessary

Many consider the sacrament of communion to be a common Orthodox tradition. In fact, its significance is very great for the Christian soul. The sacrament helps to guide a person on the true path, to purify his soul.

The first communion after baptism opens the soul of a person to spiritual creatures. The sacrament prepares her for the future Resurrection by the Lord. It can be said that communion is a preliminary preparation of the soul for a meeting with the creator.

First Communion after Baptism

The first communion after baptism is a whole event not only for the child, but also for his spiritual parents. During the sacrament, his soul will be revealed to the heavenly forces for the first time. What do parents need to know about the timing of the sacrament? It passes after the child has been baptized. If the baby is still too young, many parents choose to neglect the sacrament of the sacrament or postpone it until a later date. The Orthodox Church does not approve of such behavior.

According to the rules established by the clergy, the communion of infants after baptism is held on the second day. Postponing it to a later date is highly discouraged.

The sacrament process

How it is done after the parishioners line up. Babies must be in the arms of their parents. Adult children stand on their own. They need to fold their arms crosswise on their chests. In this case, the right hand should be at the top.

During the sacrament, a divine service takes place. Under prayer appeals to the middle of the temple, the clergy take out the Chalice with sacred wine and special consecrated bread. They symbolize the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ, who took upon himself all human sins. A special service is held over the Chalice, during which divine grace descends on the worshipers.

Believers take turns approaching the clergyman and asking for his blessing. Approaching the priest, one should name the Christian name given at baptism. After the priest completes the rite of blessing, you must go to the sacred Chalice, drink wine and eat bread. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there are no drops and crumbs. Children should be taught that divine gifts should be eaten completely. If a child spilled wine, it is worth telling the priest about this.

After the sacrament after baptism is completed, the child is brought to a table with prosphora and given to him to eat one of them. You can also drink the sacrament there. After that, you can bring the child to the icons and show how to pray.

Preparing a Child for Communion

How do you prepare for your child's first communion? The sacrament requires adherence to strict rules in preparation. They are necessary for the complete purification of the human soul. However, it is difficult for children to comply with the necessary restrictions, so the rules for preparing for the sacrament are much weaker for them:

• Feeding. If the recipient is a baby, it is recommended to feed him no later than 2 hours before the start of the sacrament. Older children should not eat during the day before communion. At the same time, preparations for the sacrament should begin in advance. In order for the child’s body to calmly withstand forced starvation, it is necessary to prepare it first.
• The first communion after the baptism of a child is the most important sacrament of Orthodoxy. During it, loud conversations, noise, running are unacceptable. The child should be informed in advance about the basic rules of behavior.
• During the sacrament, the child and the adult who holds the communion baby in his arms must be

What to do if a child refuses to take communion

Older children may refuse to go to communion. What should parents do in this case? It is necessary to find out the reasons for his behavior. Maybe the child is just scared of unfamiliar surroundings. In this case, you can just calmly tell him what the sacrament is.

Being in the temple, it is worth drawing the child's attention to other children, setting them as an example. Seeing that other children are standing calmly and not showing signs of anxiety, the child will calm down.

You can come to the temple in advance and show the baby where and how the sacrament will take place. Perhaps he will be interested in burning candles and icons. Explain to your child their meaning.

After the kid has decided and went to communion, he must be praised and expressed his admiration for his act. Gradually, the baby will calmly accept the sacrament. Having made the sacrament after the baptism of the child, he can be introduced to the priest. The clergyman will also praise and encourage the baby.

Communion of adults

Not everyone comes to Christ at a young age. Everyone has their own path to Orthodoxy. Increasingly, in churches you can see adults preparing to accept Christianity. Communion after the baptism of an adult is carried out in the same way as for children, on the second day after the sacrament.

However, adults are subject to more stringent requirements during preparation:

• Mystery of repentance. Beforehand, a Christian must go through the mystery of confession. Only after the remission of sins is he allowed to partake of the Holy Mysteries. However, if communion is performed after the baptism of an adult, the sacrament of confession is not necessary. His soul is completely cleansed of sins at the time of baptism.
• Compliance with a strict fast for 3 days. These days you can not eat meat, dairy products.
• Behavior. In addition to cleansing the body, the soul must also be cleansed before communion. It is best to spend the preparation days in prayer. It is also worth discarding all bad and evil thoughts.

The sacrament of communion is necessary for the salvation of the soul of every Christian. During it, Divine grace descends on the Orthodox. The first communion after baptism is especially important for a person. It is at this moment that his soul opens to the spiritual world. Compliance with the basic requirements in preparation for the sacrament will allow the human soul to open the way to the world of spiritual grace.

Since the 18th century in Russia, unfortunately, the practice of rare communion has developed. There were many people who received communion only once a year. It was believed that it was enough to take communion once during four fasts and on the name day. Some still took communion on major holidays. There were even absurd opinions about the harmfulness of frequent communion. People who often partake could be suspected of heresy and sectarianism.

Righteous John of Kronstadt writes: “Some individuals say that it is supposedly a sin for the laity to take communion often, that young people should only take communion once a year, and only old people at all fasts, that those who often take communion go crazy. What nonsense! What blasphemy, blasphemy! What foolishness! And why is the voice of the Savior heard every day at the liturgy, calling for communion? Don't we sin every day, get corrupted, defiled by sins, don't we need cleansing, sanctification, renewal every day? Is it only to accumulate sins every day and only to be cleansed once a year? Is it Lepo?

Do you often wash your face and body in the bath, and your face every morning? Is it not to wash the soul, which is constantly defiled by sins every day? Ridiculous, senseless people who think, and even speak insanely; they are ignorant, not understanding the needs of the human soul. They are cruel! They did not know the spirit of Christ."

Cleansing your soul is not enough once or even four times a year. If we tried not to clean the house for a whole year, not to put things back in their place, not to dust, not to sweep the floor and not to take out the garbage - what would our home turn into? It is also absurd not to keep order and cleanliness in the house of your soul.

However, Father John of Kronstadt warns those who take communion often, so that frequent communion does not become a habit, a formality, there is no cooling and neglect of their spiritual life. “My named spiritual children, who have been partaking daily of the holy mysteries of Christ for several years now, have not learned obedience, malice and long-suffering love and indulge in bitterness and disobedience.”

The frequency of communion must be agreed with the confessor, and if he sees that, often taking communion, a person loses reverence for the shrine, then he can give advice to take communion less often. “I take communion every week and more often. But only this excites in them (spiritual children. - about. P.G.) jealousy for each other, and therefore I sometimes do not allow ", - said Father John. One of his spiritual daughters told him that she received communion once every two weeks, to which he replied: “And you are doing excellently, you don’t need to do it more often.”

So, for each person, his confessor or parish priest must establish his own measure of the frequency of communion. Someone can take communion weekly, for someone you should not go to the cup so often. But every Orthodox Christian should try to take communion at least once a month so as not to break away from the Eucharistic life of the Church.

How to approach in the holy bowl

Before the beginning of communion, the communicants come closer to the royal doors. You need to do this in advance, so that later you do not rush and do not push. When the royal doors open and the deacon comes out with a cup and proclaims: “Come with the fear of God and faith,” you need to bow to the ground as far as possible and fold your arms crosswise on your chest (the right hand is on top).

The priest reads aloud the prayer: “I believe, Lord, and I confess…” - and the communicants repeat it to themselves.

They come to the bowl in turn, usually babies, children and infirm people are the first to pass. Approaching the cup, you need to clearly state your name received in holy baptism, and open your mouth wide. After communion, you should kiss the lower edge of the holy cup, it symbolizes the rib of the Savior, from which blood and water flowed. The priest's hand is not kissed.

Stepping away from the bowl, without separating your hands, you need to go to the table where they distribute pieces of prosphora and a drink (usually Cahors diluted with warm water). After the communicant has drunk, he prays until the end of the Divine Liturgy and, together with everyone, comes to the cross. There is a misconception that one cannot kiss the priest's hand, but only the holy cross. This is not true, after the communicant has drunk, he can venerate both the cross and the blessing hand, there is no sin in this.

As a rule, after the liturgy in the church, prayers are read for Holy Communion. If for some reason they were not read, the communicant reads them at home as soon as he comes from the temple. They are set out in the Orthodox prayer book.

On the day of communion, earthly prostrations are not performed, with the exception of bows before the shroud of the Savior on Great Saturday and kneeling prayers for the feast of the Trinity.

After communion, one must be especially attentive to one's soul, keep oneself from empty entertainment and conversations, abide in prayer, reading spiritual books, and doing good deeds.

On the Communion of Children and the Sick

Baptized infants, as children of the holy Orthodox Church, are also worthy of holy communion "for the sanctification of their souls and for the acceptance of the grace of the Lord," as stated in the Teacher's message. Until the child is seven years old, he can receive communion without confession and fasting. From the age of three or four, babies are usually given communion on an empty stomach. From about the age of three, children, together with their parents, on the eve of communion, can read two or three prayers known to them.

You should not come to the church with babies for communion itself, but in advance, calculating the time so as not to be late for communion, but at the same time so that the child can, to the best of his ability and age, attend the liturgy. Of course, here everyone has their own measure, but children must be taught to pray in the Church. This should be done gradually so as not to tire the baby and not cause anxiety to those praying in the temple. Children 6-7 years old, if they are properly accustomed to the service, can be present at almost the entire liturgy.

Fasting before communion after 7 years should be approached gradually, starting from one day before communion.

You can often observe how already quite large babies behave very restlessly at the bowl, cry, scream, break out. As a rule, this is due to the fact that these children rarely receive communion. Parents need to set up, calm the child in advance, you can show him how calmly other children take communion. And, of course, often take the sacrament of the child.

Approaching the holy chalice, infants should be held horizontally, with their head on their right hand. Handles should be held so that the child does not accidentally push the bowl, or grab the liar (spoon). Babies should not be tightly fed before the liturgy, so that after communion they do not burp.

Parents, while giving communion to their children, should also try to approach the holy mysteries, thus setting an example for their children. A family is a small church where people go to God together, are saved together and partake of the same cup.

Small children are usually communed under one kind (only the blood of Christ). But if an infant takes communion often and behaves calmly at the chalice, the priest can give the child (not a baby) a small particle.

At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, infants who do not receive a particle are not given communion, because at this Liturgy the body of Christ, drunk with blood, is in the chalice, and wine is poured that has not been turned into the blood of the Savior.

Some parents, due to their unreason and lack of faith, are afraid to give communion to their children, thereby depriving them of saving and strengthening grace. They explain this by the fact that a child, taking communion from one spoon and cup with everyone else, can become infected with some kind of disease.

This fear is disbelief in the saving power of the sacrament. As a rule, non-church and little-church people, who know nothing about the life of the Church, argue in this way. The Eucharist is the greatest miracle on earth, performed constantly, and another proof of the truth of this miracle is the fact that the liturgy was not interrupted even during terrible epidemics of plague, cholera and other contagious deadly diseases.

Archpriest John Levanda, who was very famous in the city, served in Kyiv in the 18th - early 19th centuries. He was famous for his gift as a preacher, people specially gathered to listen to his sermons. He served in the area called Podol. In 1770, an epidemic of plague began in the city, which was especially rampant in Podil. The bodies of the dead were taken away by whole convoys. Six thousand people died in the region in two months. And this priest did not interrupt his service. He confessed, communed, nourished, comforted his parishioners, and the disease did not touch him. And there are many such cases. The clergy - deacons and priests - after communion of the faithful consume the remaining holy gifts. They did it always, at all times, not being afraid to get infected during the terrible plagues.

Metropolitan Nestor (Anisimov; 1884-1962), a missionary, when he was Bishop of Kamchatka built a leper colony for lepers and consecrated a temple there. After all the lepers had communed, the clergy consumed the gifts, and none of them became infected.

One official submitted a report to St. Moscow Philaret (Drozdov), where he told about the courageous deed of one priest and asked him to present him for an award. This official witnessed how a priest came to one of his relatives, who was sick with cholera, for parting words with the holy mysteries. But the patient was so weak that he could not hold a particle of the body of Christ in his mouth and dropped it from his mouth onto the floor. And this clergyman, without hesitation, consumed the fallen particle himself.

Neither priests nor deacons, who consume the holy gifts and then wash the holy chalice while drinking water, get sick more often than any other people. Therefore, those who give communion to children and those who themselves begin to receive communion must leave behind all disgust, fear, and lack of faith.

Children's confession

Starting from adolescence (seven years) age, the child must take communion, having previously confessed. A small Christian (of course, if he wants to) can start the sacrament of confession earlier (for example, at the age of 6).

The child must be properly prepared for the first confession. It is necessary to talk calmly and confidentially with the child, to explain to him what sin is, for which we ask God for forgiveness and what is the violation of the commandments. It would be useful to say that by committing a sin, a person harms himself first of all: the bad things that we do to people will return to us. The child may be afraid of confession. It must be dispelled by saying that the priest took an oath, a promise, never to tell anyone what he heard in confession, and there is no need to be afraid of him, because we confess to God Himself, and the priest only helps us in this. It is very important to say that, having named sins in confession, you need to make every effort not to repeat them again. It is very good when parents and children confess to the same confessor.

Some mothers and fathers make a big mistake by naming the child his sins themselves or writing them for him on a piece of paper. Parents can only softly and delicately talk about sins, but not confess for him. And it is completely unacceptable after the confession to ask the priest about the content of the child's confession.

Communion of the weak and sick at home. Parting words of the dying with holy mysteries

There are cases when people, due to illness, infirmity and old age, cannot come to the temple themselves, confess and take communion. Then a priest is invited to their house for communion. The sacrament of communion at home is also performed on dying Orthodox Christians.

Holy sacraments are performed only on a person who is conscious. Parting words cannot be postponed until the last minute. If a person is in a serious illness, you should immediately call a priest to him.

Communion at home is celebrated with reserve holy gifts. They are prepared once a year, on Maundy Thursday in Holy Week, and are kept in a special tabernacle, which stands on the holy throne in the altar.

Communion at home is performed according to the rite "When soon give communion to the sick." This is a small following, during which the priest read prayers for the healing of the sick and the forgiveness of his sins.

It is necessary to consult with the priest about how to prepare this or that sick person for communion. Those who are ill also commune at home on an empty stomach (only those who are dying can receive communion not on an empty stomach).

To invite a priest to a sick person at home, you need to come to the temple in advance (preferably a few days before the intended visit of the priest, if the patient’s condition allows it) and personally state your request to the priest. Arrange with the priest about the time and day of the visit, as well as leave your address and phone number. If it is not possible to meet with the priest, you should leave behind the candle box (where they take notes and sell candles) your phone number, address, and also write what condition the patient is in. If the condition of the sick person is very serious and his parting words are urgent, and for some reason it was not possible to find a priest in the temple, you should go to another church and try to find a priest on duty there. Of course, this can only be done if there is more than one temple in your city.

Before visiting the priest in the room where the patient is, you need to prepare a table (there should be no foreign objects on it), cover it with a clean tablecloth or napkin, and put an icon. Warm boiled water, a cup and a teaspoon are also prepared.

After communion, the sick person should be given a piece of prosphora or antidoron and warm water. If the sick person cannot read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion himself, you need to read them aloud to him.

We partake of the holy mysteries of Christ for the healing of soul and body, and in times of sickness, infirmity, communion is especially necessary for Orthodox Christians. Many examples can be cited when, after confession, unction and communion, seriously ill people, whom relatives already considered dying, rose from their sickbeds.

I have observed some special enlightenment of their mind and feelings at the moment of communion of seriously ill people.

One of my relatives was dying, and I came to her for confession and communion. She was already 90 years old and during the last illness her consciousness was very clouded, she started talking, did not always recognize her loved ones. But during confession, before communion, her mind returned to her again, and she confessed with complete understanding and contrition of heart, she herself named her sins.

Another time I was invited to one of our old parishioners. Her condition was very difficult. To be honest, I didn't even know if I could take her communion. She lay on her back with her eyes closed, did not react to anything, but only breathed hoarsely. But as soon as I brought a cup with a particle of holy gifts to her and began to read the prayer before communion, the woman crossed herself with a clear sign of the cross and opened her mouth for communion.

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 make the right choice for him.

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 the 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?

Communion is possible on any day when the Divine Liturgy is served. 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. It is better to put it on your right hand, as 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?