In the rules of communion of the child, the Orthodox have no special restrictions related to age. Unlike the same Catholics, whose children begin to receive communion when they reach a certain age, or rather - 9 years.
However, many parents are interested in questions about whether a child can eat before communion. The baptized infant is given the opportunity by the Holy Church to receive the grace of the Lord. But can young children eat before the sacrament?
In order for this sacrament to be performed according to Orthodox canons, you still need to adhere to certain rules that must be taken into account. After all, a certain measure of responsibility for worthy communion rests with the parents, who must be aware that this is not a rite or a ritual that is performed symbolically. And this is not some kind of magic or magical action in imitation of neighbors and friends.
Warnings
Communing, a person does not unite with some otherworldly force that we want to control, but reunites with the Lord Himself, who, according to our faith, will rule us and give us what we deserve. This possibility of inner transformation leads a person to union with the Lord and to the incomprehensible mystery of the sacrament. Therefore, it is explained by such a concept as the sacrament.
Now, paying attention to what the Lord gives to us by our faith, can we say about the realization of the fullness of faith when it comes to the sacrament of an infant? You might think that the sacrament of young children contains a different sacred nature. But this is not so; it is invariable in nature and significance, despite its age.
Personal example
Dealing further with the question of whether it is possible for a child to eat before communion, it is worth noting that while the baby is small, he is part of a whole with those who care about him. And everything that he lacks is filled up by his parents, that is, their faith and personal example of participation in church sacraments.
It becomes unacceptable that the parents will partake of the child regularly, and do not pray, fast, or sin in every way. A mere presence at the sacrament of the child will also bear no fruit. And unfortunately, such situations are not uncommon.
So, in order to correctly and fully share the child, it is first necessary to prepare the parents (through prayer, fasting and the sacrament of confession). To partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, a person needs to pray earnestly for three days when, in addition to morning and evening prayers, canons are read: a penitent to the Lord Jesus Christ, a prayer service to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Guardian Angel and the Following to Holy Communion. It is important.
Can a child eat before communion
Before the sacrament, you must attend evening service. With prayer, one must refrain from food of animal origin - meat and fish, eggs, milk and dairy products.
Are children fed before the sacrament? Of course, you do not need to starve the baby. Before communion, children can eat boiled and raw vegetables, cereals without butter, pasta, bread, decoctions and juices, as well as the fruits themselves, which can be used as a main dessert.
It is advisable to confess before or after the evening Divine Service, an extreme case - in the morning Liturgy before the Cherubic Song. At a confession - to express everything honestly, while not making excuses and not blaming others. It must be borne in mind that without confession (except for children under 7 years old) no one is allowed to participate in the sacrament.
In the interval between confession and communion, an Orthodox person should completely abstain from food and water. This is not a definitive prescription, but after midnight on the eve of these bans become mandatory. And in the morning you need only to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth, on an empty stomach to go to the temple.
Training
In simple terms, the preparation of an adult for the sacrament involves first of all self-discipline and utmost concentration. For many, this is quite difficult.
Before preparing a child for communion, some parents decide to choose the simplest and easiest way. They simply bring or bring the child to the priest. And then they ask for communion with him. But they themselves do not want, hoping for later and for some other time, when they will not be busy or when it will be convenient for them.
Communion of a baby every day is not forbidden, and even welcomed, then parents can not communion every day. However, such a sacrament cannot be left for a long time - in this case such behavior will mean an open disregard for faith and at the same time for your child. In such a situation, the baby will not receive that full power of God's grace, as he will receive communion without spiritual complicity and support from his parents.
Warnings
Until the age of 7, children receive communion without preliminary preparation: confession and abstinence in food. Although the food has its own peculiarities: breast babies are not fed too densely so that no troubles happen. The same applies to older children.
However, at the same time, children under three years of age should try to receive communion on an empty stomach, but they also do not need to force them to fast. You can, for example, feed your child a light breakfast - sweet tea and a slice of bread.
You can’t torture a child; by the age of 6, a conscious abstinence from eating and drinking may appear. Children are also different - they will endure one and three years, others will be tormented at seven. And here parents need to show special wisdom, kindness and affection. Then, when the goal is achieved, the child will gain inner firmness and understanding. And if he voluntarily refuses breakfast for the sake of the sacrament, then he will act as a true Orthodox Christian.
An important point is that if a child takes part in church ordinances, this does not mean that he will become a true Christian.
The sacrament itself and the increasing severity of fasting is one of the main aspects of Christian life. And the parents are faced with the task of raising their child in the spirit of Orthodoxy and explaining to him as much as possible all the subtleties of religious life, taking into account age and general development.
Gospel doctrine
Finding out more deeply the question of whether children can eat before the sacrament, we finally come to the most important thing - that prayer is very important here. For example, a three year old child may remember some short prayer. Then he, along with adults, can remember more and more prayers. Mechanical cramming is also not welcome here. A child must have at least basic concepts and perceive the meaning of all prayer appeals to God.
The same applies to the fact that by 3-4 years the child needs to talk about Jesus Christ, about His Christmas and Resurrection, how He fed the hungry and healed the sick. The fact that our Lord Jesus Christ knew that He would soon be crucified on the Cross and how he gathered his disciples for Easter. As they grow older, parents can familiarize their child with the text of the gospel.
The forced simplification of the Gospel information does not at all mean a distortion of meaning, and it is better not to say something than to lie. Coming to Communion, you also don’t have to say that the father wants to give you a tasty compote. This is blasphemy. I must say that now the priest will give you the sacrament - it is holy and good.
Sin
After we found out whether it is possible for a child to eat before communion, we need to have a good-natured conversation with the baby and explain what sin is. And also, what commandments are there and why you should ask God for forgiveness.
Before the sacrament it is necessary for children to explain that any sin harms not only others, all the evil done by us returns to us.
The fear of confession also needs to be dispelled and explained to the child that the priest only helps us to confess to the Lord God Himself. And everything that is told to him, he will not tell anyone and never.
Temple visit
Some parents believe that up to seven years their child does not sin, but this is a misconception. Well-known are such childish pranks, which are a manifestation of child cruelty and even a crime. Sinfulness is inherent in us from birth. However, a child can do bad things because he cannot be fully responsible for his actions, and a border of seven years is simply chosen conditionally. But at the same time, the child must have learned by this time that he will have to answer for people and for God for the wrong deeds.
The child should be accustomed to the temple with the same caution and gradually. First, at least 15 minutes to bring or bring it before the sacrament. And further, time can be increased and taught to ensure that children attend the Liturgy all the time.
The baby must be somehow set up in advance so that he does not cry and does not bother other parishioners with his cry. Of course, this is not always achievable, but all efforts must be made. And the more often they partake of the communion, the faster they can get used to the church setting.
Behavior in the temple of the child
Near the Holy Chalice, babies should be held in a horizontal position with the head on their right hand. The child's handles must be held so that he does not inadvertently push the thicket and does not touch the liar (spoon).
When a child first takes communion, he may get scared. First, let him better see how others do it. Give him a particle of prosphora and offer it to the priest for a blessing.
Parents may deserve serious reproach that their children, already at a conscious age, make noise in the temple, play and run like on a playground. This is absolutely unacceptable. Children need to know such rules of behavior in public places, especially when it comes to the temple.
As for the frequency of the sacrament, it should be noted that the infant should be communed once a week. Older children receive less communion. It is better to consult a priest about this.
Conclusion
Church practice has a canonical basis for the communion of children. The Gospel of Matthew and Luke several times refers to the case when children were brought to Jesus Christ, and he hugged them, laid hands on them, blessed and prayed. The Lord's disciples forbade the children, but Jesus told them not to forbid them to come to Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven consists of them.
All this speaks of the importance of communion of children and the highest responsibility that God places on parents.
Now the burden of responsibility lies with the parents. And let them think whether to feed the child before the sacrament or not, and if so, how exactly.