The Eucharist, or translated Thanksgiving, is one of the seven sacraments established by the Orthodox Church. Without the sacrament, it is impossible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and achieve at least some significant success in the spiritual field.
Instruction manual
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. While reclining with his disciples, he took bread, broke, divided between the disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my body, but I break you for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26). Then, blessing the cup of wine, he said: “Drink everything from it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26: 27, 28). From this moment, the sacrament of communion was supposed to be performed by all believers until the end of the centuries in remembrance of the Passion of the Lord, the Resurrection, and greater unity with the Lord.
2
The sacrament is preceded by such a significant event as confession. Without confession to the sacrament, infants and children aged 7 years are allowed, as well as people in an emergency situation - for example, a terminal state, a serious illness. A person whom it is impossible to profess for objective reasons, as a rule, is gathered and communed after. The content of the confession is the recognition of their sins, repentance in them, the desire not to repeat in the future already committed sin. In form, this is an account before God, with the priest as a witness, of his sins, after which the priest reads a permissive prayer and the believer is allowed to take communion.
3
Preparation for the sacrament of the Eucharist begins with the observance of canonical fasting 3-7 days before the day of communion. On these same days, it is advisable to especially diligently observe the morning and evening prayer rules. On the day immediately before the sacrament, you must attend the evening worship, regardless of when the confession will be held - in the morning or in the evening. On the same day, a home prayer is necessarily performed - a follow-up to holy communion, which is contained in any Orthodox prayer book.
4
Also, for prayer preparation for holy communion, three penitential canons are read: to our Lord Jesus Christ; prayer service to the Blessed Virgin Mary; Guardian Angel. On the days of the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ — the Fourteenth Day — it is blessed to replace the repentant canons with the Easter canon. These canons are present in most Orthodox prayer books and are sold in separate books.
5
At the liturgy, the Communioners mentally repeat after the priest the words of the short prayers of John Chrysostom and Macarius the Great (there is in the sequel to Holy Communion), after which they begin the long-awaited sacrament.
