Communion for a pregnant woman. Can pregnant women eat before communion? How to confess to a pregnant woman

November 4 is the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, I decided to go to communion, for this my mother said to fast (no meat and dairy) Monday and Tuesday, on Tuesday evening for confession, and on Wednesday for communion. but that’s not enough for me, so I searched the Internet for material that was relevant to me

In your situation, fasting can be weakened: it is quite enough if you abstain from eating meat on fasting days. Don’t worry, but pray to the Lord, go to church regularly, confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The baby feels his mother’s condition very well, so it is very important for you now not to be depressed and anxious, but calm and joyful.

Sincerely,

Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Is it necessary to be at the evening service the day before to receive communion and confession? What is required for confession and then for communion?

Masha

Dear Mary, of course, for those who are pregnant, seriously ill, and burdened with twenty-hour work six days a week, the Church does not prescribe what is inconceivable and allows the Chalice of the Holy Mysteries of Christ to the person who, in such circumstances, was not at the evening service. Speaking about the fact that we must prepare for communion by fasting, that is, by such an organization of at least a day, two, three of our lives, which would involve some kind of self-restraint and sacrifice for the sake of accepting the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This sacrifice can and should be the refusal of entertainment and excessive distractions, limiting oneself in food, that is, observing fasting, more strictly following the morning and evening prayer rules, if possible, attending worship services, as a normal minimum, at least on the eve of the day when we partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. If, instead of the evening service the day before, you are going to sit at the bedside of your sick grandmother, go; if instead of the same service, the alternative is to go to a nightclub or sit at home in front of the TV - go to the service. Draw your own conclusions.

What foods should you not eat while pregnant?

Hello Maria! The extent of fasting is different for everyone; usually during fasting, women in your position are blessed to eat everything except meat (that is, dairy products and eggs are allowed). However, the extent of personal fasting must be determined in a personal conversation with the priest. When weakening your physical fast, pay more attention to your spiritual fast: go to church more often, devote more time to prayer, and avoid watching entertainment programs and films during fasting. Be kind and merciful to your loved ones, try not to judge anyone, not to quarrel with anyone, not to get irritated and to wait complacently and joyfully for the birth of your baby. God help you!

Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Recommendations on what to talk about and what to read before confession, number in the hundreds. We will only say what seems most important. It is useless to talk about small things while hiding big things. Little sins tend to come back if the roots of sin are not pulled out. You only need to confess about your own. Wife, children, neighbors, bosses are not remembered in confession. Nor are the sins committed by someone once remembered, even if their consequences burden the lives of entire nations. There is no need to repent of the sin of regicide or the sin of Adam; it is worth sorting out your confused and spoiled life.

When a deep-sea bathyscaphe slowly sinks into the black abyss of the ocean, people, covered in the cold sweat of fear, look at the instruments or out the windows. From time to time, caught in the spotlight, they come across such underwater monsters that you won’t see in any of Bosch’s paintings. I say this because realizing your sins and illuminating the depths of your heart with repentance is almost the same as descending to the bottom of the ocean. By the way, the number of people who have been in space is tens of times greater than the number of people who have sunk to the ocean floor. I think that the number of those who descend into the abyss of their hearts is just as small. Most of our spiritual efforts related to confession are like wiping off dust with a damp rag, although the human heart is not a polished table, but the sea is great and spacious: there are reptiles there, of which there is no number, animals small and large(Ps. 103:25).

Someone is tired of repenting of the same thing and is ashamed of confession because he is not correcting himself. Some have not gone to confession for years because they have lost interest in the faith, or become fussy, or are offended by the priest. And someone dreams of the first confession, as Ostap dreamed of Rio de Janeiro. He dreams long and uselessly, without hope of fulfillment, because he is afraid to take the last step and bow before the lectern. There are many more different states regarding confession. And the best of them is one in which a person does not get used to the shrine and does not lose reverence, but with all his nature feels the benefit of this Sacrament. After all, you can feed your soul all your life with this contrast between the melancholy of a slave on his knees (at the beginning of confession) and the free flight of an eagle, spreading its wings wide (of course, after).

It was established by the Lord Himself and has been carried out in the Church continuously for two thousand years. All this time, Christians of different times and peoples seem to be participating in that Last Supper, when Christ divided the bread and wine among His disciples and declared this food to be the Divine Body and Blood.

Of course, not all wine or bread are sacred, but only those over which special, liturgical prayers are said. The Particles eaten during the Liturgy provide believers with Divine grace, spiritual strength, and cleanse them from the consequences of sin. There are frequent cases of recovery from illnesses and other miracles that occur by the will of God.

The main shrine of the Church should be approached after appropriate preparation. An important step in this preparation is fasting. Fearing breaking church rules, inexperienced parishioners often ask priests how to fast before Communion? Is fasting obligatory for everyone? In what cases can it be weakened or canceled? A brief excursion into the history of the ancient Church will help you understand this.

How did the tradition of fasting before Communion come about?

In the first centuries of the existence of the Christian Church, Communion was obligatory for any Christian present. Every Sunday, and sometimes more often, people gathered in the house of one of the Christians and had a meal with prayers and sharing bread. Then there was no special fasting before this action, because the Eucharist was celebrated in the evening and all participants in the action had already had lunch and even dinner.

It often happened that the dinners of wealthy Christians were too luxurious and were combined with music and dancing, as was customary in the East. The Apostle Paul, who himself often celebrated the Eucharist, considered it unacceptable that such Christians approach Communion after feasts and entertainment, when their thoughts cannot concentrate on prayer. Over time, the Liturgy began to be celebrated in the morning and the custom arose of eating the Body and Blood of Christ on an empty stomach, “before any food.” However, even then they did not fast for several days, as is customary in the modern Church.

When the persecution of Christians stopped in 4 AD, many began to be baptized. What were once small, close-knit communities that met secretly in homes became large gatherings of worshipers in spacious churches. Due to human weaknesses, the moral level of believers has decreased. The Holy Fathers of the Church, seeing this, called on every Christian to carefully examine his conscience when approaching Communion.

It was not allowed to approach the Sacrament if a person ate food the night before the Liturgy, had sexual contacts or “unclean visions” (dreams). Christians who revealed these involuntary sins during confession were temporarily removed from Communion and followed a special prayer rule. There were no restrictions regarding food on other days, since believers strictly observed Wednesday, Friday and four fasts a year.

The tradition of fasting before Communion for three or seven days was established during the synodal period (XVIII-XIX centuries). This was associated with a general decline in spirituality and religiosity. Many began to go to church “out of habit,” and received communion only because it was taken into account in church documents. If there was no record in the church register that a parishioner had confessed and received communion, trouble in the civil service could follow.

At this time, the tradition of “fasting” was introduced - preparing for Communion for several days in order to distract a lazy person from the bustle of life and help tune in to prayer. This custom is preserved in the Russian Orthodox Church to this day. Retreat consists of food restrictions and confession on the eve of Communion. How many days to fast - the confessor decides. You can also read about this in the Rules, a stand with which is usually located in a visible place in the temple.

Rules for fasting before Communion

So, there is no church-wide rule of obligatory fasting and confession before communion. But many priests strongly recommend to their parishioners fast for three days before entering the Sacrament. Is it worth rejecting a good tradition for the sake of the letter of the law? It is impossible to argue with the priest or consciously refuse to fast, since condemnation and insults only add sin to existing ones. It is better to fulfill the prescribed rule based on your physical strength.

The Orthodox Church prescribes avoidance of the following foods:

• meat of any animal or bird, even lean;
• milk (kefir, cottage cheese, whey, etc.);
• eggs of any bird;
• fish (not always).

In fact, at the disposal of a fasting Christian there remain fruits, vegetables, cereals, pasta and bread. Don’t give in to the temptation to cook delicious “lenten dishes”: food should not become a source of pleasure, but only maintain strength.

Is it permissible to eat fish before Communion? In most cases, a healthy person should refuse it. The exception is living in the Far North or on ships, where fish is the main source of food. Seafood is considered a leaner food than fish and is allowed in moderation. Short fasting before Communion is also associated with other restrictions, refusing the following:

• sweets;
• sexual contacts;
• alcoholic drinks;
• smoking;
• participation in various entertainments (weddings, parties, concerts).

6 hours before the start of the Liturgy, food and drink should be completely avoided.. This six-hour fast is called "Eucharistic". If the Eucharistic fast is broken, the priest may not allow you to participate in the Sacrament.

Many believers strive to receive communion during church-wide fasts. This makes it possible to calmly prepare, especially if loved ones are also fasting and do not offer unnecessary temptations.

Is it permissible to take communion if you have smoked or unwittingly broken your fast? All excesses committed during the fast should be reported tell the priest in confession. Through confession, admission to the Sacrament is made and concealment of even a small offense is considered a great sin before God.

How to fast for children

There is a tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church compulsory confession for children from the age of seven. At the same age they should be accustomed to fasting. But children receive communion from the very moment, i.e. from infancy.

Fasting before communion is not mandatory for a child if he is under three years old.

From three to seven years of age, restrictions are introduced gradually; the child must not only be deprived of tasty food, but be aware of the need and purpose of fasting. You can support your child by your own example by removing savory foods from the family menu. Parents themselves should begin confession and Communion together with their child.

The decision about whether fasting can be made easier should be made by parents after a conversation with the priest, based on the child’s health condition. Children who grow up in non-believing families and do not have proper spiritual development cannot be forced to fast.

Fasting for pregnant women

For pregnant women and the sick who want to receive communion but are on a strict diet, the fast can be weakened or canceled. This is only done with the blessing of the priest. Before you go for such permission, you should test yourself: will a short-term fast really turn out to be an unbearable burden, or because of laziness you don’t want to disrupt the usual course of life?

If it is impossible for a pregnant woman to give up dairy products, this can be replaced by giving up sweets or other things to which she feels affection. Such abstinence will be accepted by the Lord as a significant feat.

Posting in a dormitory

It is allowed to ease or cancel fasting for Christians who are in military service, studying, hospital, boarding school or places of detention, where meals are provided in common canteens and there is no opportunity to choose Lenten food. In this case, you should adhere to the blessing of the confessor visiting a military unit or boarding school. Refusal of fast food can be replaced by other restrictions or prayer. It is better for those wishing to receive communion to resolve this issue with the priest a week before the Sacrament or (if impossible) before confession.

When can you take communion without fasting?

During the Christmas holidays - from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany - and on Bright Week - seven days after Easter - a five-day fast is not required for the communicants; only the six-hour Eucharistic fast is maintained. But this permission can only be granted to those who fully observed the previous, Christmas and Great Lents.

Lenten preparation is canceled for seriously ill and dying people.

Dear readers, on this page of our website you can ask any question related to the life of the Zakamsky deanery and Orthodoxy. The clergy of the Holy Ascension Cathedral in Naberezhnye Chelny answer your questions. Please note that it is better, of course, to resolve issues of a personal spiritual nature in live communication with a priest or with your confessor.

As soon as the answer is prepared, your question and answer will be published on the website. Questions may take up to seven days to process. Please remember the date of submission of your letter for ease of subsequent retrieval. If your question is urgent, please mark it as “URGENT” and we will try to answer it as quickly as possible.

Date: 04/10/2013 17:14:17

Angelina, Naberezhnye Chelny

How to properly prepare for confession and Communion for a pregnant woman?

Deacon Dimitry Polovnikov answers

Please tell me how to properly prepare for confession and Communion? Currently I am in a position where pregnancy is difficult.

Pregnancy is a special, largely mysterious (spiritually and physically) state of a Christian woman. Try to pray more: pray in the morning and evening, when leaving for work or for a walk and returning home, pray before and after meals. The prayer sanctifies the life of the pregnant woman and the life of the unborn child; turning to the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints, the heavenly patron, the Guardian Angel helps in everyday difficulties, consoles the soul and leads to a state of inner peace and humility before the Creator - and this is so necessary for a pregnant woman.

A pregnant woman should regularly and often partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, since the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord is not only saving for the pregnant woman, but also has a beneficial effect on the child in her womb.

A pregnant woman should drink holy water in the morning and eat prosphora.

If possible, read a little of the Holy Scriptures, especially the New Testament, and other spiritual books, fortunately there are many of them now. At a service for a pregnant woman, especially in the later stages, it is, of course, better to pray sitting closer to the window or exit from the temple.

There is a pious custom to be blessed by a priest for pregnancy, and when the due date comes, for childbirth.

The Church's concern for pregnant and breastfeeding women is not limited to prayer support. Pregnant women may not fast strictly. Fasting for pregnant women is weakened. You must determine the extent of your participation in fasting together with your confessor and the doctor who is observing you. In this case, the following general rules should be followed:

• a) Fasting should not harm either the health of the child or the health of the mother;
• b) Pregnancy is not an excuse for promiscuity and excess;
• c) Fasting is a time of intense prayer to the mother, sobriety and self-control;

There are many rumors and beliefs surrounding everything related to gender and childbirth. Many people ask the question: can pregnant women go to church?

This is what the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the holy fathers write about this, and what rumors and superstitions are floating around pregnancy and the temple today.

Is it possible for pregnant women to go to church?

In Orthodoxy, pregnancy is not considered a shameful and sinful condition. There are some known signs that the future mothers of saints attended church while pregnant and there is nothing wrong with that.

Moreover, the baby of some of them screamed in his stomach during the chant, which was contrary to natural law, and for church people it was a sign that the born person would eventually gain holiness.

Therefore, church canons allow the expectant mother to visit the temple without losing grace.

The only thing that can prevent you from attending the service is the woman’s poor health.

Moreover, a pregnant woman can sit during the service, go out into the fresh air if she feels unwell, or leave the church for a while, leaving before the end of the service.

In addition - and this is important to know for everyone who is expecting the birth of a future baby - a pregnant woman is allowed to break even the strictest fast and eat meat.

The priests insist that a pregnant woman needs to put aside bravado and eat whatever her heart desires, since during pregnancy she will need both energy and nutrition for two.

Is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in church?

It is not only possible, but also necessary for a pregnant woman to get married, unless she is marrying a clergyman.

According to church canons, the priest's wife must be a virgin.

Therefore, the church may refuse to marry a priest to a pregnant woman. But more often they try to marry a couple secretly if there is a church blessing for this.

In other cases Pregnancy is not an obstacle to getting married. Therefore, it is possible to get married in this state.

Is it possible for pregnant women to receive communion?

It depends on the general condition of the woman. Despite the fact that church canons do not prevent communion, if a woman suffers from toxicosis, she may be denied communion.

In such a situation, the woman takes responsibility - the holy gifts spewed out along with vomit will not bring her any benefit, therefore during severe toxicosis it is necessary to abstain from communion.

Confession of a pregnant woman

The confession of a pregnant woman is no different from the confession of an ordinary woman, if she has not committed a great sin.

For example, if an expectant mother plans to have an abortion, to take someone else’s husband away from another woman, especially a legal wife, then she should tell her confessor about her intentions.

It is advisable to repent of what is being done, since a grave sin during pregnancy is genetically reflected in the condition of the child.

Often, women who destroy families have children who are seriously ill or are born disabled. Or a once loved one begins to raise his hand against them or drink.

Therefore, the priest should strongly repent if the child was conceived out of wedlock or you began to destroy the family for his sake.

After giving birth, a pregnant woman should not visit the temple at all for 40 days - this is necessary to restore the body.

You should not confess or take communion for 40 days in case of a stillbirth, after a miscarriage or abortion.

Is it possible for pregnant women to light candles for repose?

There is a belief according to which a pregnant woman should not light candles for the repose - this can negatively affect the condition of the unborn baby or even provoke a stillbirth. However, according to the priests, this is worth doing if a loved one or relative has died. Whether or not to light candles for repose is a personal matter for each person.

And, if a pregnant woman is afraid of negative consequences for the child at the energy level, then it is better for her not to light candles for the repose.

Is it possible for pregnant women to go to church for christenings?

A pregnant woman can simply attend the christening of someone else’s baby - this will not in any way affect her well-being and the happiness of the unborn baby.

However, the priest may refuse baptism if the pregnancy is already approaching childbirth or if the woman is suffering from severe toxicosis.

Is it possible for pregnant women to have unction in church?

There is nothing wrong with this, according to the priests. However, there is a popular belief in which some people may believe that unction can be life-threatening for both the pregnant woman and the baby.

If you think it is better to take care of yourself and your unborn child, you can refuse unction. But most often This ritual does not bring anything bad to either the mother or the child.

“How can I receive communion now? You can’t really take anything in your mouth, so how can you begin to take the Chalice?” – it was with such a question, far from being highly spiritual, that my “pregnant” spiritual life began, overcome by the notorious toxicosis.

...The emotions that surged after seeing – unexpected, but cherished – two strips of a pregnancy test subsided a little. And life began to throw up many questions related specifically to the spiritual component of pregnancy, and the answers were often little more than “fast, pray more and don’t be nervous”...

But what to do if very often the distance between “how I should” fast and pray and “how I can” increases with each month of pregnancy? I would like to make one reservation, very banal at first glance, but nevertheless significant.

There is no single advice and there cannot be.

The measure of fasting and prayer must be sought based on the current situation, of course, in agreement with the confessor or parish priest

Because the course of pregnancy is very individual for each woman. Some people seem to fly on wings for the entire 9 months and work almost until giving birth, while others have to not bear, but literally “mature” in hospitals. Therefore, you need to look for the measure of fasting and prayer yourself, based on the current situation, of course, in agreement with your confessor or parish priest.

For a long time I was depressed by the fact that I could not maintain the rhythm of spiritual life that was set before pregnancy and childbirth. But somehow I “suffered” or something, the conclusion is that The “feat” of this period consists of enduring one’s ailments, limitations, the inability to fulfill one’s plans, and accepting one’s weakness.

Yes, not everything will work out. Not everything will be successful. Most likely, you won’t get to all the services you want to attend (after childbirth for sure). But don't be discouraged! The main thing is to strive forward, at least in small steps. If you won’t be able to stand as before during the entire service, sit on a bench and pray; you won’t be able to get into church at all – try to read the prescribed reading at home.

The slightest deviation from the norm - and the doctor can ask the question head-on: “Well, are we going to save it? Or for an abortion?

What is strongly tested is your trust in God and His Providence. Without this, unfortunately, it’s too often to visit our doctors and ultrasounds, and it’s scary to look in. If in some countries a pregnant woman is treated as a healthy woman in a special condition, then in our country they are ready to make a problem out of nothing. I remember how during my first pregnancy the doctor made a fuss because my hemoglobin was slightly low (which is normal!). Well, I, being naively frightened, came out crying, convinced that something terrible had happened. The slightest deviation from the norm - and the doctor can ask the question head-on: “Well, are we going to save it? Or for an abortion? I am in no way saying that all doctors do this, but once you encounter something like this, you won’t forget it for a long time. And if the problems are serious, the poor pregnant woman is bombarded with everything and everyone with intimidation, horror stories “about such fools who are going to give birth at any cost,” and so on. There are many cases where women give birth to healthy children despite the most dire medical forecasts. Well, after such an ordeal, I want to write a book about mothers, “How the Steel Was Tempered.”

In one of the hospitals where I happened to be in conservancy, due to the poor quality of the ultrasound machine, the heartbeat of an 8-week-old baby could not be heard, and the mother was sent to. Despite the fact that the woman barely became pregnant after several years of married life. Thank God, she sent these doctors “to hell,” went to a normal hospital, and then safely carried and gave birth to a baby, and more than one. What if I had listened to “good” advisers?!

Now about “preservation,” which now rarely anyone manages to avoid. A huge advantage of some perinatal centers is the presence of a temple on their territory. No one will stop you from coming to church and praying quietly in between procedures, quiet time and dinner. Many take prayer books and their favorite icons with them to the hospital.

Since there is plenty of free time in the hospital, you can stock up on interesting and useful literature. I will give you a few books that were useful to me. Firstly, this is a book by Orthodox psychologist and mother of many children, Ekaterina Burmistrova, “Pregnancy. Childbirth. Motherhood". Great read. Especially for those who are preparing to become mothers for the first time. Interesting and colorfully designed, it can also be a wonderful gift for a sister or friend who is expecting a child. It touches on all the main problems that a woman and her family face during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Secondly, the book “Your Baby from Birth to Two” by William and Martha Sears. This is a treasure trove of practical tips for caring for your baby. A wide variety of issues are considered in great detail, starting with what things need to be prepared for the birth of a baby, and ending with a consideration of the reasons for the baby’s restless sleep and the main stages of its development.

When most of the pregnancy is over, the thought of the upcoming birth appears more and more often in your head. Often the lion's share of these thoughts is occupied by fear. Fear of the unknown, pain, unpredictability... And all sorts of stories about difficult births or inattentive doctors, heard in the ward or read on the Internet, do their job.

In the letters of Ambrose of Optina, the elder gives advice to a woman who is afraid of difficulties in childbirth to turn to the “Feodorovskaya” icon of the Mother of God.

In the letters of Ambrose of Optinsky, presented in the book “Advice to Spouses and Parents,” the elder gives advice to a woman who is afraid of difficulties in childbirth to contact (celebration on March 27 and August 29 according to the new style). He also writes: “You can pray to the Queen of Heaven every day, reading “Hail to the Virgin Mary” to Her at least twelve times a day, even with bows from the waist. Read the kontakion to Her the same number of times: “The imams have no other help.”

It is very advisable to receive communion and unction closer to the expected date of birth. You feel calmer and more confident, and anxious moods disappear. I speak from personal experience: my first labor began the night after Communion, and the second - the next day after the unction.

There is also a good tradition of taking a blessing from a priest for childbirth. You can also ask him to read a special prayer before childbirth.

As for the birth itself. Some people take a prayer book with them to the birthing unit, and while the pain is not very severe, they read the akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth,” while others prefer to pray short prayers throughout the birth. It’s good if your loved ones and friends pray for you during this difficult time.

A lot of difficulties, a lot of worries, a lot of pain... But what is all this compared to the first movements of the baby in the stomach? Or the beat of his heart, which the doctor lets you listen to on an ultrasound, forgetting that overly sentimental pregnant women immediately start to cry?

Probably, it is precisely in these far from simple times that the call of the Apostle Paul to “rejoice always” will be fulfilled as never before.