About two thousand years ago during the Last Supper, Jesus Christ, breaking bread, distributed pieces to his disciples; then offered to drink wine from a common cup. Before suffering and death on the cross, the Son of God was thus united with his followers. Bread and wine symbolized the body and blood of Christ, given for all of humanity. Since then, the sacrament in the church has become the great mystery of the union of any person, a Christian, with God. Taking part of the flesh and blood of Christ, we confirm our involvement in the Church of Christ and bring ourselves closer to eternal life.
Communion is included in the seven Great Sacraments performed in the Christian Church: Baptism, Anointing, Repentance (Confession), Communion (Eucharist), Blessing (Unction), Sacrament of Marriage, Sacrament of the Priesthood. Communion is inextricably linked with another Sacrament - Confession. These are, as it were, two acts of one action: liberation from sin and filling the purified spiritual space with grace. According to church rules, the sacrament is unacceptable without prior repentance at the Confession. Children are an exception: Communion of children in the church is possible without confession until the age of seven. After seven years, every baptized child must also confess.
Communion in the church should be the result of a long and deep internal preparation for the Sacrament. This event must be preceded by a post (the minimum period is three days), the exclusion from the life of entertainment and entertainment events. The days before Confession must be harder than usual to pray, read the Gospel, try to temporarily forget about worldly concerns and distance oneself from them. It is necessary to cleanse your soul from evil and resentment, that is, to forgive and reconcile with those who offended you and whom you offended. From twelve o'clock in the morning on the day of the Eucharist it is forbidden to eat, drink, smoke. Morning necessarily begins with prayers.
This spiritual preparatory work is very important so that Communion in the church does not become a formality. The rules are strictly followed, but for the believer they are not burdensome, since they are more an internal need than a rite.
According to church tradition, the Sacrament of Communion is performed on all days of fasting. During Lent, adults can take communion on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, children under seven years of age - on Saturday and Sunday.
Before the Eucharist, you should talk with your confessor. He will tell about all the intricacies of the Sacrament procedure, tell you which prayers to read before this event, how to behave in the temple.
Each believer must regularly (up to two times a month) perform the Communion. In the church, this sacrament is performed with all who are prepared for it and can come to the temple. If a person is seriously ill, relatives can agree with the priest to perform the Sacraments of Confession and Communion at home. But in this case, all preliminary preparation should be carried out. The Eucharist is not only spiritual purification and renewal. It is also a powerful impetus for physical healing. Therefore, it is so important to introduce children to the Sacraments. The participating pregnant woman provides a spiritual and physical stimulus for the development of her child in the womb. But this happens when they do not expect greed from Communion. Only true faith can reunite a Christian with God while accepting His flesh and blood. Grace will be felt both in the soul and in the body.
At the Last Supper, Christ bequeathed to the apostles that the Sacrament in the church should be preserved and performed always, until the end of the world, as a memory of His suffering and death on the cross for the salvation of all people: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Therefore, the Sacrament is of such great importance for every Christian.