The servant of God, the baby, receives communion... Baby and Sacrament: Holy Communion

About the communion of children

P communion - it's a secret. But without partaking of this mystery, we will not be able to be full members of the Church, grow spiritually, and, ultimately, without partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, we will not be able to become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven (John). By receiving communion, a person receives the fullness of the grace of the Most Holy Spirit, i.e. all the best that he can only get on earth for his life, for his development.

The practice of giving communion to infants is explained by the attitude taught by our Lord Jesus Christ: “They brought children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples did not allow those who brought them. Seeing this, Jesus was indignant and said to them: Let the children come to Me and do not hinder them , for of such is the kingdom of God... And having embraced them, he laid his hands on them and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

The Lord showed that physical communication, physical closeness to Him is just as real as intellectual or spiritual communication, and that infants’ lack of understanding of the “truths about God” does not prevent real closeness with God.

When giving Communion to children, you need to take into account that for children from one to three years old there is no preparation before Communion; they can even be fed. It is also important to prepare the child for Communion. Say that we are going to church, that the priest will give you communion, that you will open your mouth.

Moreover, by about two years of age, a child, especially if he is not used to receiving communion, must be explained what Communion is and how to begin the Sacrament. There is no need to use blasphemous formulations like: “Father will give you a delicious compote” and the like. It’s better to say: “Father will give you Communion – holy, good...”. Or: “We will partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord.” So gradually, thanks to the attitude of adults towards the child-communicant - how they congratulate him, kiss him, try to dress him in a festive way on this day - he begins to understand that Communion is a joyful, solemn, holy event.

If the baby has never received communion, then when he is brought to the Chalice, he may be afraid. He does not understand what they are trying to do to him or, for example, he thinks that they want to give him medicine, or there may be another reason. In such cases, there is no need to force the child to receive communion. It’s better to let him watch how other children receive communion, give him a piece of prosphora, bring it to the priest for a blessing when they venerate the cross, and tell him that he will receive communion next time.

By the age of three or four, it is possible and necessary to explain to children the meaning of the Sacrament of Communion. You can tell children about Jesus Christ, about His Nativity, about how He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and caressed little children. And so, when He found out that he would soon die, He wanted to last time get together with your student friends and have dinner with them. And when they sat down at the table, He took the bread, broke it and gave it to them, saying: “This bread is I myself, and when you eat this bread, I will be with you.” Then He took the cup of wine and said to them: “In this cup I give myself to you, and when you drink from it, I will be with you.” This is how Jesus Christ gave communion to people for the first time and bequeathed that all who love Him should also receive communion.

Starting with simple explanation, growing children can be told about the Last Supper in more detail and more fully, following the Gospel text. During the liturgy they will hear the words: “Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins” and “Drink of it, all of you, this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.” And they need to be prepared for this. But no matter how we simplify the Gospel stories, it is important that their meaning is not distorted.

A small child may cry during the service, which will disturb those praying, and it is not easy for parents and their child to endure the entire service. Therefore, it is better to come to the temple 10-15 minutes before Communion. This may also apply to some children over 3 years of age. Children should be accustomed to the Temple gradually, not forced to defend the entire service, since in the future this may have the opposite effect, and the child will not want to go to church at all.
Gradually, by the age of four, you need to teach your child to take communion on an empty stomach. This liturgical fast is an excellent preparation for receiving the Sacrament, and how earlier child gets used to it, the better, and the easier it becomes.

From the age of five, children can already fast the day before communion. Not strictly: abstain from meat, sweets, from watching cartoons, try to behave better, be more obedient, etc. It is good to read out loud one or more prayers for Holy Communion with them.

Parents are called to teach their children how to approach communion: fold their hands on their chest, and when approaching the Chalice, do not cross themselves, so as not to accidentally push the Chalice. You should tell the priest your name. After communion, we are given a piece of prosphora to eat and a little wine and water to drink - this is called “zapivoka.” All this external rules, and they cannot be confused with the meaning and significance of the sacrament, but the behavior established by tradition in the temple is of considerable importance. It is important for children to feel in solemn moments that they know how to behave like adults.

Speaking about the frequency of Communion, we note that young children can receive Communion often, but starting from the age of six or seven, it would be more prudent to coordinate this issue with their confessor. Or with any priest who will be aware of your circumstances.

From the age of seven, a child must be brought to confession, for which he should also be prepared: tell that in this sacrament the Lord himself forgives sins. Of course, we teach children even earlier to analyze what is good and what is bad, so the age of confession can be reduced if the child understands what kind of Sacrament this is and is aware of his actions. It is important that the child is not afraid of this Sacrament, and therefore you should try to warn the priest that your child is having his first confession.

From the age of seven, the child must gradually be accustomed to the other requirements for Communion. But it is important to remember that this is external preparation for Communion, and internal preparation is also important. Parents themselves must strive to love the temple, love God and fulfill His holy commandments. Remember that in the Sacrament of Communion we meet Christ and we must strive for this meeting, rejoice in it, desire it (as we desire a meeting with a loved one). It is important to instill this love in a child. And therefore, here we need gradualism in everything and, most importantly, a personal example, otherwise we can only tear the child away from the Church and God. The Lord accepted children and rejoiced in them, did not burden them. So we must gradually and lovingly lead children to Christ. Striving ourselves to be an example of not just formal fulfillment of church instructions, but an example of love, understanding, moving away from rubbish, anger and malice. After all, a child judges faith by looking at us, and if we do not live Christianly, then the mechanical Communion of children is unlikely to bear fruit. Only with an understanding of the essence of the Sacrament, only with desire and love for it, and therefore for God, will Communion bring benefits to a person, will be a cure for both spiritual and physical ailments. And of course, a firm faith in God and faith in His love for Us is necessary. “I give myself to Christ, and Christ comes into my life.” His life in me is what the sacrament of Holy Communion consists of, and this is where the meaning and purpose of our life is revealed.

As priestly experience shows, it is advisable to bring or bring children to church more often, so that they develop the grace-filled skill (habit) of being in church. After all, it often happens that a child who is rarely taken to church is afraid of its unusual or unusual nature. appearance priest, aromas of incense, burning candles. And when parents regularly bring or bring their child to church, he already perceives it as his second home, as natural environment.

It is good to give children the Holy Mysteries of Christ more often. Moreover, the rules for communion, for example, for infants, are reduced to a minimum. In fact, they just need to be brought to the temple under the Chalice. Naturally, children must be baptized in Orthodox Church. Until the age of three, according to Old Testament custom, a child is considered an infant or milk child. Therefore, he should not abstain from food. After three years, it is advisable to gradually accustom him to observe the Eucharistic fast (not to eat or drink before communion from midnight on the day on which it is celebrated). Divine Liturgy, until the moment of communion). Priestly practice suggests that mom or dad also, after giving communion to an infant, not give him a pacifier for 15 minutes, so that the Holy Gifts have time to pass inside the ventricle and not end up on the pacifier.

A child can also be accustomed to temple services gradually. Breast or not at all small child it is possible, for example, to lead not to the beginning of the Liturgy, but directly to communion. It happens that it is difficult for an adult to endure two and a half hours of worship, but for a child it is very, very difficult. Therefore, you can bring him or bring him to communion and remain until dismissal, when the priest allows the believers to kiss the cross. And then gradually increase the length of stay in the service with age. I would also like to draw your attention, dear brothers and sisters, to the fact that after receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ by a child, parents should, preferably in the presence of the child receiving communion, read to him Prayers of Thanksgiving by Holy Communion. We need to thank God for His enormous Gifts to us sinners.

I would also like to appeal to young fathers and mothers so that they do not feel embarrassed or afraid to bring their baby to church because he starts crying. This comes naturally to him. And all other believers in the temple should also treat a nursing mother and her child not with irritation, but with understanding. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

Before communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, it may not be necessary and very difficult for a child to read the canons and the Procedure for Communion. It is enough for him to read the final prayers of the canons: to our Lord Jesus Christ, to the Most Holy Theotokos, to the holy Guardian Angel. It is also possible to shorten the process of communion for a child and begin with the prayer of St. John Chrysostom “I believe, O Lord, and I confess...” So his personal prayer rule Communion will take no more than ten minutes. And reading with interest and attention will bring more benefits.

Let us remember, dear mothers and fathers, that you can hardly do more best gift for your baby than the fact that thanks to you he partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ. After all, this greatest shrine Orthodox Church. It, taught to both an adult and a child, cleanses him, burns his sins, drives away demons and unites a person with God. This is the best thing you can give your child. And this, of course, is the highest manifestation of parental love, both yours for your child and God’s for all of us.

Children's Communion

Why do you take your children to Communion?

The most important thing is the child’s meeting with God. In addition, the child gradually learns to go to church. You will never hear from a grown-up child: “My mother didn’t teach me to go to church...”

And one more thing... Many times parents were convinced that after communion the child did not get sick, although according to tests or external signs illness seemed inevitable. Children with neurology also behave much calmer; children with any health problems eat and sleep better...

Faith - powerful source peace and confidence for a person. And during the Sign of the Cross, the heartbeat rhythm improves and breathing evens out.

Later, when the child begins to confess, communion and a conversation with the priest may save the matured child from the feeling of impunity and permissiveness, alas, characteristic of adolescence.

It is necessary to give communion to a child - this is important for his spiritual and mental development, health, so that the Heavenly Patron, in whose honor the child is baptized, is close to the child, protects and protects him from all the troubles that await the baby on his life's path.

When is the first time to give Communion to a child?

We allow children to receive communion from the moment of baptism, because in baptism they are, as it were, mysteriously immersed in Christ and begin to live His life. And our belonging to Christ does not depend on the amount of our knowledge. A child's soul may know more than his parents or adults. Therefore, the question is not that he does not know so much, does not understand, and therefore can he receive communion... His soul has been revived by the grace of Christ, and he communicates with Him.

During the service, a Chalice is brought out, into which special consecrated bread cut into small pieces was first placed and wine diluted with water was poured. Prayers are read over this cup, which you will naturally hear, the holy spirit of Jesus Christ is invoked, and thus the holy spirit descends into this cup and it is believed that the blood and flesh of Christ are invisible in it.

Let's calm everyone down right away. Not a single person got sick from this. Not a single baby suffered any deterioration. On the contrary, children need to receive communion as often as possible.

Turn your first visit to church into a real holiday! If the child is older, he will like to light candles and choose a commemorative icon. You can give an interesting Orthodox book, cassette; after church - somewhere to eat deliciously, and maybe take a walk in fun company children, of whom there are always a lot near the Temple.

How to explain the meaning of the ritual to a baby
It would be good to explain the meaning of the ritual in a form accessible to every child: explain to a two-year-old daughter or son that this is a meeting with God. There is no need to talk to kids about the Body and Blood of the Savior - children are not ready for this awareness due to their age and they will understand this over time, or over time you will be able to explain this to the child in an accessible form. Sunday school for children or a good conversation with Father when the child grows up a little and begins to understand more can help here. But you shouldn’t tell your child about “yummy” if we're talking about about Communion. What to say? - This is Communion. So we say to our children: honey, look, this is bread. This is porridge. This is sugar. Let's try it. And the child assimilates the information received for the rest of his life.

Appearance, clothing of parents and children

For mom, it is advisable to wear it to church long skirt, scarf and jacket with long sleeves(in hot weather, a three-quarter sleeve is also suitable). For a monastery, these conditions are strictly mandatory. But clothes can be both beautiful and festive; according to the canons “in black”, only widows go to the Temple of God.

For children, the girl must wear a hat or scarf, and the son must not wear a headdress. By the way, you should turn it off in church cellular telephone. In winter, you need to take off your mittens in the temple. Outerwear can be removed or unfastened.

Is it possible to feed children before Communion?

Up to 3 years of age there are no food restrictions. Infants can be safely fed, but preferably a little in advance (at least 30 minutes, although, if possible, it is better 1.5 hours before Communion) so that the baby does not burp after Communion.

After three years, children receive communion on an empty stomach. You cannot even drink holy water (you can ask the Priest about taking medications).

But after the Sacrament, you don’t need to feed your children a lot, especially if you get home by car.

When to come to Communion with children

It is best, of course, to find out the service schedule in advance. Most often, the liturgy (Communion is given only at liturgies) begins on weekdays and on Saturdays at 8, and on Sundays and holidays at 7 and 9 or 10 in the morning.

However, in some temples it may be a little different: at 7, 7.30 or 6.30 in the morning...

When to bring children to Communion. Adults can look at the child’s condition; if he behaves calmly, he can stand at the Service. Usually small children are brought before Communion itself, which happens after the Lord’s Prayer, usually 50 minutes, an hour after the start of the service, but you need to be prepared that the service will be longer. The schedule is always posted in advance. Children under 7 years old can attend the Service with adults or walk near the Temple.

Participle

Before going to the Chalice (to Communion), take the Blessing from the priest who is confessing (no need to stand in line with children). If there is no priest, go to Communion and tell the Priest who administers Communion about it.

Communion is the greatest shrine, the Lord God Himself! By the way, this is why people don’t cross themselves before the Chalice.

Older children fold their arms crosswise on their chest (right on top of left). Adults place babies on their right (!) hand, and babies are placed on right hand head. A pacifier is not given in front of the Cup. This is done so that not a single drop of Communion spills on the clothes.

During communion, altar servers hold a special red cloth called a cloth, and the baby’s mouth will definitely get wet.

And be sure to explain to the baby that the Particle must be swallowed. Better yet, watch it yourself, especially for the first time.

If a drop of Communion gets on clothes or the child burps after Communion, go to Father and tell him about it.

Children are given communion first. After the priest’s words: “The servant of God receives communion...” - you need to clearly name church name child (name with which the child was baptized). An adult names the babies' names, while older children name their names independently.

After Communion, without talking yourself or letting the children talk, take them to a special table to wash down the communion and take a piece of prosphora.

Then the baby can be attached to the Crucifix, or you can wait until the end of the Service and venerate the Cross, which the priest will take out at the very end of the Service.

It is not necessary to wait until the end of the Service - look at the child’s condition.

Until the age of seven, children do not confess.

The article was prepared by the editors of the site "Children's"

Based on materials from the article "Children's Communion"
club of Orthodox writers "Olympia"

The issue of preparing children for communion is covered in many books and on many Orthodox websites. However, attention is paid to it only within the framework of the issue of preparing adults for communion. Due to the great difference in the physiological and psychological structure 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 age characteristics children and, based on this, allowed decisions to be made regarding the choice of conditions for preparation for the Sacrament of Communion.

We will talk about preparing for the Sacrament for children:

• Up to a year
• From one to three years
• From three years to seven.

About problems and questions

The issue of preparing children for communion in most books and on many Orthodox websites is discussed within the framework of the issue of preparing adults for communion. Except with some clarifications that take up a maximum of three paragraphs. Moreover, the advice of priests and the opinions of the authors of publications turn out to be almost diametrically opposed. Some argue that children should be prepared by reading prayers with them - starting with a small number and ending with reading the entire rule as they master the text and get used to it, and also accustom the child to a three-day fast from an early age. Others say that it is important to simply adjust the baby accordingly; it is enough, as an ascetic exercise, to limit access to the TV, and before communion the baby (which is considered children under 7 years old) can even be fed if he cannot stand it. Particular attention is also paid to the issue of children's confession, since in the Russian tradition it has developed that confession, having practically lost the meaning of an independent Sacrament, has become an obligatory element of preparation for communion - a kind of pass to the Chalice with the Holy Gifts. Therefore, most Internet and printed sources categorically speak about mandatory confession before communion for 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 a kind of unfinished adult, and therefore he just needs to “explain everything”, sort of like a weak-minded person. For example, when asked whether it is possible to forcefully give communion to a one-year-old child, the priest replies: “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 and create a joyful environment for the baby. Set as an example those children who calmly receive communion. And over time, your child will get used to it, and it will be good and calm to receive communion.” Good answer, correct. The only problem is that talking to a one-year-old child In general, you can talk about the Church and the Sacrament as much as you like - just like about astrophysics or nanotechnology. At this age, the level of information perception, as well as children’s memory, have their own characteristics: “In early childhood and in junior preschool age memory has an unintentional, involuntary nature. At this age, the child does not yet have the task of remembering anything for reproduction in the future. A two- to three-year-old child remembers only what has actual meaning for him in life. this moment, which is connected with his immediate life needs and interests, which has a strong emotional effect on him.” That is, there is no point in “talking with a one-year-old child about the meaning of the church,” although, of course, the parents themselves can get incredible pleasure from this and feel their significance and spiritual mastery - after all, they are raising their child in faith.

However, as in all matters relating to raising 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 churching one’s own children. And here, it seems to me, main mistake lies precisely in the fact that children are treated in best case scenario as potential adults, at worst - as a real hindrance 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 doctors, namely children’s doctors, and child and adolescent psychiatry stands out. This is not accidental: a child’s body (at the physical and mental levels) is so different from an adult’s that an adult doctor (if he is a professional) will not treat a child. For this there are pediatricians and pediatric surgeons, ophthalmologists, etc. I think that a similar parallel can be drawn with spiritual shepherding - perhaps we need “specialized” children’s priests, we need “children’s theology.” Although, as I understand it, this issue has not yet been resolved, it has not even arisen. 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.

Let us try to consider the issue of preparing children for communion based not on scientific theological works, which, as has already been said, in general we do not have, but from own experience, which, of course, like any experience, has its drawbacks, namely limitations and personal, character traits. But nevertheless, this experience can become the beginning of a discussion about the churching of children.

So, I would, first of all, 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 church membership of the family, as well as one’s own family traditions.

Little kids are little troubles

The approach to preparing a child for communion depends on the age of the child. So, Of course, it is absurd, as already mentioned, to talk in advance with a baby up to one year old; The task of parents who want to give communion to their child is first of all to get themselves up in the morning after sleepless night and rock your favorite child suffering from colic or teething. But it’s not enough to just get up and get ready; you need to figure out how to feed the baby based on his “feeding rhythm.” I believe there are angelic babies in the world who can withstand a three to four hour gap between feedings and eat as if they had a timer built inside them. My children were different: they demanded food often, ate for a long time, and then burped profusely. I apologize for the physiological details, but there’s no way without them - after all, if a child is brought to communion immediately after feeding, there is a danger that he will spit up the Holy Gifts. Although this situation is rather hypothetical, it nevertheless must be taken into account. If the child is too hungry, then you risk decorating the priest’s sermon before the child’s communion with boisterous roulades (we still have courageous shepherds who read a long sermon just before communion, heroically not noticing the whining, sobbing, rustling youngsters in the front rows, languishing from feeling the complete meaninglessness of what is happening), and accordingly, you yourself will be nervous: both worry about the child and be ashamed of the furore you are causing.

Thus, the mother must adapt to the needs of her own baby and the service schedule in such a way that she can give communion to the child without dying of shame. Of course, this is easier to do if the family is churched, and parents can almost accurately guess the time of communion. Or they help each other: one walks with a stroller on the street, the other prays in church. If only mother and baby go to church, her task becomes more complicated. In this short, generally infant period, the main preparation for communion for a child is, in fact, the mother’s ability to maintain complacency and a positive attitude while going to church for the Liturgy: carry the baby, undress if it’s hot in the church, dress if it’s cold , not to let him cry, to stand for a while holding the child in his arms, who by the age of six months, by the way, weighs about 10 kg, and, of course, to give communion. And that's probably all. Maybe not very spiritual and pious, but real and vital.

t year to three years

With kids over a year old You can already talk about bears, bunnies, squirrels, cars and much more. This is already progress. This means that we can try to “talk about the Church.” But taking into account age and mental characteristics child: " Distinctive feature Children's memory is its visual-figurative nature. The child remembers objects and pictures better, and from verbal material - mainly figurative and emotionally active stories and descriptions. Abstract concepts and reasoning, as they are still poorly understood, are not remembered by young children. Due to limited life experience, children's abstract connections are not yet sufficiently developed, and their memory relies mainly on visually perceived relationships of objects. Meaningful memorization begins to develop in children with the advent of speech and subsequently becomes more and more improved, both in connection with further development speech, and as life experience accumulates.”

Thus, it is useless to talk to a child abstractly, to tell him about the Sacraments in the language in which they write about this in most catechisms and church books. But this does not mean slobbering lisps like “come to the priest, now he will give you some candy from a spoon,” and the like. Firstly, at this age, most parents intuitively understand what and how to tell their child. For example, speech in the first person is common plural: “We are going to 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 address the child and talk about him in the third person, using his proper name: “Masha ate everything, well done!”

The conversation with the child is objectively visual, understandable, accessible and situational. This is important and can also be used when preparing a child for communion. In my – perhaps erroneous – opinion, at this age, preparing a child for communion consists of the fact that mom or dad and the child get together and go to church, 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. Every action is commented on whenever possible. simple sentences, affectionately, unobtrusively and, most importantly, without any false tenderness in the voice. There is 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 hit a false note. The trip to church itself, the child’s communion, is also spoken out when possible.

In addition, a child at this age already, at least in the background, “hears” what the parents are doing. Therefore, you can read the rule for Communion in the room where the child is playing or falling asleep. And you are nearby, and the words of prayers will not seem to him someday later as something completely wild.

It should also be noted that frequent communion not only has 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 lack verbal-logical memory. On the contrary, the latter develops quickly, 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, it is always necessary to decide the question of how much, when and how to give communion to your own child, based not on the information offered in books and Internet articles, but on his well-being, his psychotype, his ability bear the load, his mood, after all. There is nothing more painful than watching mom and dad twist a struggling child by the arms and legs, and the priest tries to get a spoon into the squirming baby’s mouth. All this looks like some kind of unequal struggle, where the child is doomed in advance to the role of loser.

Child's communion fromthree to seven years

Many psychologists and parents have written about this fertile age of learning about 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 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 turns to new level, and you can read books that are more serious than Kolobok and Moidodyr. Moreover, you need to read good books - note: not Orthodox, but good. Unfortunately, they are not the same thing. IN Lately except that the children's series “Nastya and Nikita” from “Foma” can be called good Orthodox literature, or, to be precise, good modern children’s literature, lying in the force field of Orthodox existence.

Why do I insist so much on parents reading books to their children? Because this seemingly simple family tradition has mass positive aspects. This is an opportunity to be with the child, sit side by side, devoting time only to each other, this is a special atmosphere of warmth, a united family, peace and love. This is the conversation after the book - who did what 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 and 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 that way, and not the other way around.

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 good/bad. Moreover, these should be moral concepts precisely in the universal human system of values, and not so that we, the Orthodox, are good, and the rest, pagans, sinners, and it is impossible to communicate with them, because they are like that bull converted into an Orthodox humorous manner poems will go to hell:

The bull is walking, swaying,

Sighs as he walks,

And if he doesn’t repent,

My child is 3.5 years old, we go to Communion. We live far from the church, we walk for more than an hour. It is not always possible for a child to not eat anything. Is Communion possible if he eats something?

unemployed

Novgorod-Seversky

Dear Olga, parents often ask the question of how to prepare a child for Communion. It is best to take a blessing for this or that measure of preparation from the priest in the church where you give communion to the child, but I will also present my thoughts. As for children emerging from infancy, just as we little by little begin to teach them to pray, we also need to prepare them for Communion. The night before and in the morning before Communion, you need to pray with your child, either in your own words or in the simplest church prayer, well, at least “Thy secret supper this day, O Son of God, accept me as a partaker,” explaining its meaning.

As for abstaining from food and drink from twelve at night, you need to approach it wisely and tactfully and at first simply limit the amount of food you eat. And of course there's no need two year old child refrain from eating and drinking before Communion, because he cannot yet consciously perceive the meaning of this Eucharistic fast. However, you don’t need to have a big breakfast. It is better to accustom him early to the fact that the day of Communion is a special day. At first it will be a light breakfast, when the child grows up, you can only drink tea or water until he understands that he needs to give up this too. Bring him to this gradually. And here everyone has a different measure: someone is ready for such abstinence at three years, someone at four, and someone at five.

For some children it is simply physiologically impossible to remain without a piece of bread or a glass of tea until twelve o’clock in the afternoon, if we give them communion at a late liturgy. But do not refuse a child to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ because he cannot stand at the service until he is five years old without drinking water in the morning! It’s better for him to eat something that doesn’t please his larynx at all, chew a piece of bread, drink some sweet tea or water, and then go take communion. Twelve hours of abstinence before Communion will make sense when the child can cope with it voluntarily, consciously and by overcoming himself. When, in order to take communion, he overcomes his habit, weakness, his desire to eat tasty things, and when he himself decides not to have breakfast that day, then this will already be an act Orthodox Christian. How many years will this happen? God willing, it will be sooner.

The same can be said in relation to the days of fasting. I don't think that when modern practice Communion should be frequent enough to encourage children to fast for a week or even several days. But the day before or at least the evening should be set aside not only for a boy or woman, but even for a child of five to seven years old. It is very important to understand that on the evening before communion you do not need to watch TV, indulge in too much wild entertainment, or overeat on ice cream or sweets. And this understanding also needs to be brought up in your children, and not so much as forcing them to do this, but putting them before this alternative every time. And at the same time, it’s not just about helping them cope with temptation, encouraging them to make the right preferences, but the main thing is to cultivate in them the will to take an independent step towards God. We will not bring them to church every time, but we must help them learn to go to church.