Congratulations on your first communion among Catholics. First Communion in a Catholic Family
Records found: 375
Tell me what people should answer after Communion to the words: “Happy Communion to you,” who themselves have not received Communion? Once I simply nodded in surprise, saying “uh-huh,” because... before, in another temple, no one said anything to me, and then another woman came at me with congratulations, I already said “thank you” to her, but at the same time I felt somehow uneasy that they were touching me at all. What is the correct answer? Or just pass by silently? And it also happens that at the end of the Liturgy, when everyone comes up to venerate the cross, the priest also congratulates you on Communion. What should you answer him?
Irina
In such cases, there is a universal Orthodox answer: “God bless you!”, and you can also smile, because someone is happy for you.
Deacon Ilya Kokin
Hello, father. I want to come to confession and take communion, but I have a problem with fasting before confession. I have fasted only once in my entire life, last year, but this was because I was trying to become a vegetarian. For six months I did not eat animal food, except dairy. I’m not fasting now, I’m concerned about my health, and the doctor, to put it mildly, does not advise depriving myself of nutritious food. I took a lot of medications for about a year, they recommended that I eat well, not sparingly. What should I do? I really need to go to confession and communion. Thanks for the answer.
Elena
Elena, three days of fasting never hurt anyone. Post and prayer rule before communion is given in order to awaken your soul, repent, prepare yourself to receive this great and saving sacrament. Try to fulfill at least this fast, and at confession explain to the priest your health problems. By the way, you don’t have to fast to confess. Although you need both sacraments, since bodily ailments are most often given to us due to our sins.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello. Please tell me, is it necessary to ask for a blessing from a priest to embroider an icon, and what rules must be followed when embroidering?
Irina
Irina, an icon is not a picture, but “ visible image invisible Prototype,” as the Holy Fathers of the Church teach. Therefore, you need to start embroidery with special reverence and trepidation. A godly life is needed regular visit church, confession and communion. Come to the temple, talk to the priest, take a blessing for your work and discuss the rules that must be followed when embroidering. It would be good to take the icon blank with you and show it to the priest. If you discuss all the nuances, then at the end of the work there will be no problems with the consecration of the icon.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! Thanks to everyone working on this site for your help and answers to our questions! God bless all of you and your families! I have a question. I came to faith recently, I fasted only before communion. Now I’m trying to keep the fast, but I read that you can’t eat canned vegetables and mushrooms. Is this really true? And I ate. And is it possible to sometimes use milk substitute, lean mayonnaise, bouillon cubes (chicken, meat)? Can I drink coffee? Thank you.
Elena
Elena! You can use any type of food during fasting. plant foods, including vegetables, coffee, mushrooms, lean mayonnaise, soy products, etc. There is no need to approach fasting like a Pharisee. The Apostle Paul said: “Everything is permitted to me, but nothing should possess me” (1 Cor. 6:12). For example, if you are a coffee lover and cannot go a day without coffee, then you should give it up during fasting. You can eat soy sausage, but then how will the fasting time differ from ordinary days, if the passion of gluttony will also be satisfied, only with “allowed” products? Fasting is given to combat passions, and not to restrict food as such.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! I want to express my deep gratitude to all the priests on this site. Thank you for your invaluable help and answers to our many questions! God bless all of you and your families! I have a few questions. 1. On Sunday my daughter, she is 5 years old, took communion. We came home, she had lunch, and she threw up in the bathroom, and I washed everything away (sorry for the details)... 2.5 hours passed after communion. This is bad? After all, she took communion, and this is the first time this has happened to us. 2. I have two children - 2 years 10 months. and 5 years. Is it possible for them to receive communion if they drink water the night before communion, and sometimes even in the morning? The youngest cannot sleep without water and is capricious. 3. Is it possible to read the canons and the rule for communion not in one day, but over 3-4 days, because with two children there is not enough time and energy to read everything at once? 4. Is it a sin to use decorative cosmetics, for example, at work or at some event, not with the aim of seducing, naturally, but because it is customary? Although I have noticed more than once that when I wear cosmetics, other men pay attention to me, and this, in essence, is seduction? So, in my case, I can’t wear makeup at all?
Tatiana
Tatyana, of course, you need to try to do everything in order to avoid similar situations. If the child nevertheless vomited (or the baby burped), you need to collect everything that was vomited, put it on fire or clean running water, and bury the ashes or ashes in an untrodden place. Tell us about what happened in confession, since, out of ignorance, you acted irreverently. 2. Young children are allowed to drink before communion; it is necessary to teach a child to take communion on an empty stomach gradually, by the age of five or seven. 3. It is permissible to read the rule for communion several days in advance when you are preparing for communion. 4. Better for a woman do not use decorative cosmetics. But in modern society this is not always feasible. If at work you are required to use cosmetics mandatory, you will have to obey. Discreet, discreet makeup will not attract much attention. There is no need to paint brightly and provocatively.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! Please help! I got fear open space. Despite communion, confession and the priest’s advice, nothing in my condition changes. Tranquilizers only temporarily dull fear, but they destroy the soul. Help!
Julia
Yulia, I think you need to consult a doctor, don’t neglect the help of specialists.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Good afternoon If God willing, I’m going to take communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which in our church begins at 6 p.m., at 5 p.m. From what time on this day can you not eat anything - from the very morning (no breakfast) or until 12 noon can you eat food? I didn’t ask the priest, but the women serving in the church said that from 12. I kind of doubt it. Thank you!
Elena
Elena, personally, I wouldn’t eat anything since midnight. I am also confused by what you were told. Here, you know, everything works out somehow strangely: some priests revive the tradition and begin to serve the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the evening, as it should be, and this is good, but at the same time they are following some strange liberality and leniency, and for some reason they allow parishioners to eat before communion. And what is the use then of such traditions?! I can’t help but want to say: if you want to serve like the ancients, then fast like the ancients! You can’t - then why distort the holy tradition coming from antiquity?!
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello. I read about keeping spouses clean on holidays, Sundays, fasting days, especially during Lent. I read most of the excerpts to my husband. In response - ridicule, and my whole life has been spent in this sin, I don’t want to hear it, I constantly curse, curse, there used to be assault, I act out of spite, especially before communion. It’s no longer convenient for me to confess. There is fear in my soul. What to do, what to do?
Lydia
Lydia! It is necessary to remember the words of the Apostle Paul addressed to Christian spouses: “Do not depart from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you through your intemperance” (1 Cor. 7. 5). That is, this issue is resolved by the spouses by mutual consent, resorting to the advice of the confessor. The Church recommends that confessors “with pastoral prudence take into account the specific living conditions of a married couple, their age, health, degree of spiritual maturity and many other circumstances, distinguishing those who can “accommodate” the high demands of abstinence from those who are not “given this.” "(Matthew 19.11), and caring first of all about preserving and strengthening the family" (see Fundamentals social concept ROC). If your husband is not a believer and is categorical, then abstain when possible.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! Please tell me, are Confession and Communion held on Easter night?
Vetch
Victoria, confession and communion happen every time a liturgy is celebrated in the church. They are also carried out in Easter night. But it’s better to find out the schedule of services and confession in your church on this day in advance. Most often, the service schedule is drawn up for a week at a time.
Priest Vladimir Shlykov
Hello! I want to start going to church, but I don’t know where to start, although I’ve read some literature, it’s still scary that I don’t know much. For example: I went to an evening service on Sunday, watched how others were doing it, and did the same, but when everyone started lighting candles, and I didn’t have a candle, I felt ashamed, I didn’t know that I would have to do this - She lowered her eyes to the floor and stood there, embarrassed. I didn’t even know that Lent was now underway! Then they began to anoint everyone, I was the last one to go, I thought that they would give communion, but I can’t, I haven’t even gone to confession yet... Father, give me advice on how to go to church correctly, and what to do when everyone receives communion, Can't I just leave? Thanks in advance.
Julia
Julia, just keep walking and don't be embarrassed. You know, it’s like learning to swim: not everyone knows how to swim right away, so they come to learn, and it’s stupid to be ashamed of the fact that you don’t know how to do something. It is a shame not to not know, but not to strive to find out. And in this regard, Orthodox brochures, which are usually sold in abundance in our churches, will help you - brochures on how to behave in church, how to take the first steps, what various actions mean during worship, what communion is and how to prepare for it. Go for it! There is nothing to be embarrassed about! It is the enemy who confuses you because of your pride, and this is wrong.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello, dear priests! Tell me, if there is only one priest serving in a small church and there is no deacon, then the priest serves the Liturgy, receives communion, and after the communion of the laity the priest must consume the remaining gifts. How will this be considered? Doesn't this mean that you took communion twice? Or after, before the exclamation “Always, now and ever and unto ages of ages,” the particles taken from the prosphora at the proskomedia, memorial particles for health and repose, are lowered into the Chalice, then the Holy Mysteries of Christ again become bread and wine, or what am I I don’t understand it right?
Elena
No, Elena, the consumption of the Holy Gifts refers to the same thing, first communion. By the way, the priest or deacon who is to consume the Gifts at the end of the service, precisely for this reason, does not immediately wash down the Holy Communion. warmth, as everyone else does at the altar and the parishioners in the temple.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
I can’t confess and take communion, please help. Good afternoon My name is Natalya, I am 28 years old. I can’t decide to take communion, because... I read that you need to really want this, but as far as I understand myself, strong desire no, I just know that this needs to be done, and I don’t fully understand the meaning of this sacrament. Because of this, I don’t dare to go and take communion, I’m afraid that I will do it to condemnation. Help, what should I do? Should I rush to receive communion or is it better to just go to confession for now, since I’ve never been to confession before? Thank you in advance for your help!
Natalia
Hello, Natalya. Start over. Visit church regularly on Sundays and holidays (when possible), delve into the divine service, and ask God for admonition. Start and end your day with prayer, it is best to follow Orthodox tradition and use the prayer book. At first - in the Russian translation, and then switch to the Church Slavonic original. Every day, read one chapter from the New Testament, with the interpretations of Blessed Theophylact. Pay attention to the Commandments of Christ. It is necessary to force yourself to implement these commandments in your life. Only in this way will you see that sin is not an error against the rules established by someone, but the real evil that we cause to ourselves. And then you can sincerely repent. This is what will happen necessary preparation to worthy communion. I highly recommend that you listen to public lectures by A.I. Osipov: http://alexey-osipov.ru/. Now is a fertile time for spiritual work on yourself. God help you.
Priest Alexander Beloslyudov
Hello. Please help me with advice. God allowed me to have an intestinal disease because of my sins, so I cannot physically fast. I don’t eat meat now, but this also violates the doctor’s recommendations. The question is that I don’t know how to begin the sacrament of Communion in my case. It bothers me that I approach the Chalice without fasting. Father, to whom I confess constantly, knows about my illness and allows Communion. Maybe this is embarrassment from the evil one, and we shouldn’t pay attention to it?
Faith
Hello, Vera. Believe me, simply by abstaining from food we do not make ourselves any more worthy of receiving the Holy Mysteries. The one who with tears realized his unworthiness is worthy. Like a publican who did not dare to raise his eyes and only beat himself on the chest with the words: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” If your confessor blesses you, take communion without embarrassment.
Priest Alexander Beloslyudov
Hello! My letter is of a personal nature. Father, last year I broke up with married man, after which I confessed and took communion, but the man does not lag behind me. I ask you, please pray that he will finally get rid of me, how long can I fight back, he doesn’t understand that he has no rights to me. His name is Oleg, he is baptized. I go to confession and communion once every two weeks, last time I was there this Sunday, I am fasting. I hope for yours prayer help. Save me, Lord!
Inna
And it’s very easy to fight back: tell him that if he doesn’t stop, tell his family. That's the whole problem. The only question is your determination.
Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy
Hello! I am a believer, I go to church, confess and receive communion. I have two children (no husband - separated), I work. Children are problematic, they take a lot of mental strength, I also take them to church for communion almost every Sunday, and they also go to Sunday school with me. There are not enough teachers and assistants there, and I was asked to help the teacher who works with small children in Sunday school. But I refused, because I come home from work tired during the week, I don’t have enough strength to look after my children, but they persuade me to only spend 2 hours on Sunday, and, honestly, I don’t have this desire, the women who participate there, they’re almost all they don’t work (they have breadwinners) - I tell them that it’s hard for me and the children alone, but they don’t hear me or understand me. Yesterday my father began to hint to me - to help them. Well, I don’t have the strength or desire! And the question is: is it a sin that I refuse to help them? My conscience torments me, and I have no desire. Help me, fathers, with the right decision and the answer!
Elena
If there is no opportunity and desire to work at school, then, of course, you can and should refuse this job. I don’t know why people in your parish don’t understand simple truths.
Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy
Hello. Is it possible to feed a child before communion? The child is 2 years old. Communion takes place around 11 o'clock in the afternoon.
Tatiana
Possible up to 5-7 years! The age depends on the individual child. Just don't overfeed to avoid regurgitation.
Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy
Question Orthodox priest: when my mother found out about the diagnosis - CANCER - I immediately asked her if she wanted to receive unction and receive communion. She confidently said, “Yes.” A week later, the priest came and conducted unction and confession with communion. I myself told her the day before what she should talk about - about abortion, and at her discretion. The problem is that she is the daughter of a party worker, and during her lifetime she did not go to church, but she did not speak out negatively against the church. Therefore, she has no particular idea about what to say in confession. In short, the priest said that he was giving her communion only because he had given her unction. I want to know if her communion is valid, and how can I pray for her now? And are unnamed sins forgiven during unction? Can I compensate for her spiritual deficiencies with alms and funeral services? I go to church myself. Can her consent to the unction be considered an appeal to God?
Xenia
Yes, Ksenia, the sacrament really is, don’t doubt it, everything is good and correct. You can pray the same way as for anyone else. Orthodox Christian. Forgotten sins in the Sacrament of Unction they are forgiven. As for funeral services and alms, then, of course, they greatly help a person in the afterlife.
Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)
Hello! I have turned to you more than once for advice. Thanks for the wise answers! Tell me again, please! My husband has a godson, a 3-year-old boy. Boy's father ( cousin my husband) committed suicide almost six months before the birth of the child (presumably due to conflicts with the baby’s mother, with whom they were not married). So, the situation is such that this girl, the mother of a boy, leads a somewhat antisocial lifestyle - drinks heavily, etc. There were often situations when she went on a spree for a week, leaving the baby. The boy has grandparents, but for some reason no one is making any effort to somehow change the situation (maybe no one wants to get involved with this girl - it’s not for me to judge). But the fact is that the boy suffers from his mother’s inattention, often sees her in a severe state of intoxication and everything like that - I feel sorry for him. My question is this: tell me, can I help this child with prayer? If so, how should I pray? Can I pray for this girl's understanding? The baptized boy is Andrey. If possible, pray for him too!
Somehow the blog and a lot of news in general (uh, maybe I hope life is slowly getting better in Ukraine) faded into the background last weeks. I couldn’t get rid of work so easily, I even managed to fly to The Hague with my husband, but the most important event This month for us, of course, is our girl’s First Communion. We also had many guests from Kyiv. So all the attention goes to them, the preparation and the celebration itself.
I’ll tell you a little about the process of preparation and the symbolism of the very first communion.
IN Orthodox Church Little children take the rite of first communion at the moment of baptism. This is not the case in the Catholic Church. Depending on the country, region, and maybe even a particular college, the age of children receiving first communion ranges from 7 to 10 years.
It is believed that it is at this age that children can already consciously accept the sacraments of the Eucharist (communion with bread and wine). I'm not particularly big on the deep symbolism of this ceremony and why this particular age, so turn to Google.
Preparation for the first communion is quite lengthy and usually consists of spiritual conversations (lectures, seminars) between the priest and children, the so-called. "catechesis". In our college, such lessons are taught to children by volunteer parents in small groups of 6-8 people. They do not cram the Bible, they simply get acquainted with the basics of teaching in a playful, but at the same time quite serious form. We also have a school priest who is a born teacher. But with his parents he is a little boring, as my husband once said after a meeting between the priest and his parents, “I’d rather go to mass (service) with the children than to these meetings.” :)
By the way, during the two-year preparation, every month a family mass is held for those preparing in our college. There they inform us a little about how the preparation process is going in addition to the Catholic service itself. The college has its own church (it is religious).
There is another side to this intimate holiday for a child.... You probably already guessed what it is. :)
This is, of course, the celebration after the ceremony, the outfit and gifts. Symbolizing the purity of thoughts and intentions, the girl should be dressed in white dress, boys white shirt. Do I need to tell you that in Spain this is a whole “industry”: starting from custom-made dresses (any more or less well-known tailoring studio wedding dresses offers a separate collection of dresses for first communion around January-February), ending with special banquets with attributes such as floral decorations, special menus and entertainment program for children (that’s good, although they don’t offer discos, but there are clowns). Photographers, small gifts for invitees, etc. and so on. A! There is also special beautiful underwear (can you imagine, I wanted to buy it in May, but it’s already gone) and toiletries. Shoes, of course.
This is where the possibilities and desire of parents to invest in a rather expensive pleasure that does not even “return” the investment, such as at a wedding, comes into play. ;)
First of all, parents think about who to invite to the celebration. We limited ourselves to our closest relatives and friends, but we still got about 30 people. I also didn’t want the restaurant to be too ceremonial, but at the same time I wanted something classic. At weddings there is a specific protocol for serving food and the menu is extensive, while first communion is less formal. *I will compare the celebration of a wedding and first communion more than once;)
First Communions are celebrated during the month of May, the end of April. Preparation in my case took about 6 months. May is also the month of weddings, so restaurants, photographers... need to be taken care of in advance. We ordered the dress 3 months in advance, with two fittings. :) Photos are often taken in advance, in studios, then the photos in a specially named mat are given to guests. I didn’t do this, our photographs were taken on the same day, but the whole process - preparing the child’s bride at home, the ceremony, a little photo shoot in the park, a restaurant... :) And we also accidentally got a personal hairdresser at home (aka one of the guests), who elegantly styled the child’s hair. To be honest, I didn’t count on it, so they chose a simple hair decoration with the expectation that I would style it myself, but it turned out to be a gorgeous hairstyle; my parents later in college told me that “oh, how beautifully it was styled.” But this is no longer included in the obligatory attributes of the celebration. :)
Well, what else can I tell you? An exciting day for sure. To avoid any hiccups (we didn’t have any, everything was super coordinated, super beautiful, everyone was smiling, no one was dissatisfied), everything needs to be thought through to the smallest detail. Most of all I was worried about Claudia, so that she would survive this day without tears, contented and happy.
And my husband and I also received an unexpectedly beautiful bouquet from our relatives. On May 18, exactly 11 years ago, we celebrated our wedding in Barcelona. It was nice. :)
A! Here's more about gifts. It is customary to give gifts at first communion. When my relatives asked me what to give, I didn’t want any money, just something that would remain as a memory of that day. It’s easier for a girl - jewelry is always appropriate and keeping it as a memory is not a problem, especially when they are no longer too childish. They also give watches and silver photo frames. Although she tried to insist on something like "Nintendo". :)
Thank you very much to Mila and her husband
Our Orthodox citizens know very little about Catholic holidays and Catholic traditions. Although they are happy to join the celebration of Christmas on December 25 or Catholic Easter together with Catholics around the world. We love to celebrate! But as for knowledge of traditions, this is more difficult. We will try to cover as simply as possible the periods of Catholic festivities celebrated throughout the year, as well as rules of conduct in catholic church .
Catholic holidays
In the liturgical year, according to the foundations of the Catholic Church, we can distinguish 5 main periods.
1) Advent or the Nativity Fast begins on the last Sunday in November and continues until Christmas Eve on December 24. This pre-holiday period is celebrated in Catholic and some Protestant communities.
3) Lent , like Orthodox Christians, does not have a single start date. The period of Lent extends from Ash Wednesday to.
4) After Easter it starts immediately Easter period , which ends on the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
5) All other time periods of the year are collectively called Ordinary time. Of course, there are also religious holidays during it, but how important they are depends on local traditions.
For example, Catholics of all countries greatly reverence the Virgin Mary - every stage of her life is celebrated with solemn services in churches. Other saints are also held in high esteem, since they are recognized as official by the Catholic Church. heavenly patrons professions, individual cities and countries. That is why the list and scope of Catholic holidays in different countries will be slightly different.
As in any Christian temple, men should remove their hats, and women, on the contrary, should cover their heads with a scarf or hat. Mobile phones must be turned off before entering the temple. In other cases in the temple you should behave the same as the people around you, because in the Catholic Church important attached to local traditions, which are very diverse and often do not obey general rules.
Standing
In ordinary times, and even more so during the period of Lent, a special prayer is read during the Catholic service - "Way of the Cross". It is customary to remember latest events from the life of Christ on Earth. To perform this special prayer, the so-called “Stations” are located on the walls of the temple - these are bas-reliefs or paintings depicting relevant events. When reading the prayer, believers gradually move from one “Standing” to another. Therefore, in a Catholic church it is best to take a place so as not to interfere with their movement. This must be remembered during ceremonial processions.
Sunday Mass
Sunday is considered a very important holiday among Christians. Catholics have a solemn service on this day - mass. During the mass, people stand along the walls or sit on benches inside the temple. Walking around the church during Mass is extremely indecent and is allowed only in cases of urgent need. Given that processions often take place during Mass, aisles should not be blocked.
Holy Sacrament
The central point of the Mass is transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts– a special atmosphere of solemnity arises in the temple hall. Worshipers either stand or kneel, maintaining silence.
The church tradition of the veneration of the Holy Gifts requires special attention. At this time, the Holy Gifts are placed in the monstrance of the temple, and the believers kneel and remain in prayerful silence. Moving around the temple, making any noise, or talking at these moments is strictly prohibited.
Communion
An important component of the Mass is Communion. First Communion is as important an event in the life of a Catholic as it is. In honor of their first communion, children are dressed up in festive dresses, and a family celebration with gifts and congratulations is organized for them.
It must be remembered that only baptized people who do not have any conscience on their conscience are allowed to receive communion. grave sin, and confessed during last year. This requirement does not apply to children. And for Christians of other denominations, it is necessary to have with you permission from your spiritual father the opportunity to receive communion in the Catholic Church.
On Sunday, May 19, our Veronica had her First Communion ( Pierwsza Komunia Święta ) . It sounds like something that always has to be explained. So, I'll try. The first communion is the first communion. Communion among Catholics (at least among Polish ones) is a very important and solemn event to which children from 7 to 12 years old are allowed. By the way, Orthodox Christians can receive communion after baptism. But I will not go into detail and list the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. I will say right away that I am a believer, but I will not describe my attitude towards faith. This is long, polemical and protracted... Surely many will ask: why did we, an Orthodox girl, send her to the church for communion?
Now let's go back two years. When we went to school, one of the first questions was: “Will your child go to religion lessons?” This was not necessary. In principle, any Pole can also refuse them. But the point is (and this is my opinion) that in Poland religion is not only faith, it is already a deeply rooted tradition. So among your acquaintances you can also find those who do not miss Sunday services and puts a cross on himself even just passing by the church on the bus, as well as those who consider themselves believers, but have a negative attitude towards the activities of the church, although they observe traditional things (such as baptizing a child, the first communion, marriage, etc.). I think the situation is approximately the same in Orthodoxy. It is worth saying that in Poland, more than half of public holidays (when the whole country is on vacation) are probably religious holidays.
So, returning to the question “Why?” Initially, it was important for me that the child adapt to another country, so that he does not feel like a “stranger”, so that he joins the team. Considering that all the children in the class go to religion, there would be a lot of questions from the children to Nika, who was still not very oriented at that time. And it would be extremely difficult to explain to Nika. In addition, it is always easier to understand another culture through knowledge of traditions. Therefore, my agreement to send my child to commune is also related to the desire to learn more about the culture of the country in which she lives.
So, Nika went to religion throughout first grade and even really liked it. The priest told Bible stories, played the guitar, told the children the basics of faith, explained to the children how important it is to be kind, patient, etc. So, personally, I don’t see anything prudent in this. I remember how we New Testament, old and the gospel were read at the university in class foreign literature. And here’s your first class: the life of Christ, the acts of the apostles, what are the names of all the archangels, etc. I remember Nika surprised me when she blurted out “Our Father” in Polish, I walked around with my mouth open for a long time.
Now Nika has grown up and we are already discussing issues related to religion and faith. In any case, I am not forcing her to be either Orthodox or Catholic; when she grows up, she will decide everything for herself.
At the beginning of the second grade, it was announced that the children would have their first communion. They briefly explained to me what was what, and how much this event would cost. Our priest changed, and by the way, he didn’t even immediately understand that Nika was not Polish (in principle, no one understands this anymore).
I went to the priest and explained the situation that my child is Orthodox, but I don’t mind. I'll explain here too. It was also possible to refuse communion. But again the question arose, how to explain this to Nika? Everyone is coming, but you, not a Catholic, can’t. No, that won't work. I didn’t really want to stress the child. Yes, we don’t go to church, but we don’t go to church every week either. And I think I did the right thing. Actually, what difference does it make in which direction to be baptized, how to pray, or even on a stool at home, faith is important! In principle, I am generally against rituals; in some way this whole paganism reminds me.
The priest did not immediately give an answer, he said that he would ask someone “higher up” :). And after half a year he said that yes, let Nika go to communion.
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So, the preparation itself lasts the whole academic year. Children are doing what they learn from the Catholic Catechism, one might say that this is the ABC of Faith. The meaning of the sacrament is explained to children throughout the year. A sign is carefully glued in the notebook that you need to pass it by heart.
But most of all, parents prepare for communion. Firstly, every third Sunday of the month there is a meeting with the priest, at which he first talks for about 20 minutes about how it is necessary to pass on one’s faith to children, how important it is to pray, and then for another 30 minutes the financial part is discussed, i.e., how much money We collect for Ruzhany, how much for books, how much for flowers, etc. The communion event is extremely solemn. But more on that a little later. Ladies from sewing workshops come to meetings, present outfit options, and photographers come. There were 75 children attending the commune; one can only imagine how difficult it was for the parents of the children to come to a consensus. And all this lasts until April. During this time, dresses are sewn, restaurants are ordered...
Now about the solemnity. This event is so important in a child’s life that all close relatives gather for this, many of whom are even forced to fly from abroad. In addition to grandparents, godparents are required, as well as numerous uncles and aunts (this depends on the family’s ability to organize). Finding a restaurant on this day by the month of May is almost impossible.
We're having a girl, so let's talk about the dress. The dress is made to order (traditionally), it also requires shoes, a wreath, tights, underwear, gloves, and a handbag. Such a lady cost us about 4 thousand rubles. On the day of communion, many still make an appointment with the hairdresser, etc. Well, just like graduation! Well, here we managed on our own.
So April, by the end of April the children had almost all passed the Catechism. They go to the consecration of crosses (by the way, they receive them only on this day; children receive small icons for baptism). Our Nika went with her Orthodox friend. He goes with him.
Then, before the commune, the children must confess twice. It looked like this. Over the course of a couple of months, the children were given a text with an ellipsis after the words “I did such and such”... the so-called “confession formula.” On the appointed Saturday at nine o'clock, the children with their parents and godparents went to confession (the parents also had to go to confession, but we were released, and many did not go anyway). After confession, the priest “forgives sins” and asks to read the “Our Father” to atone for sins. When I asked Nika what sins she would talk about, the child replied that these were her sins and she should not tell me. Although she somehow did not perceive the confession itself, apparently, given the formality with which it all happened.
Rehearsals began two weeks before the commune. How children get up, how they enter, how they kneel, how they take communion, how they sit, what they sing, how they sing, etc. From and to. And parents go too. Our Nika sang a psalm, so we also learned to sing with the organist. So one of the rehearsals with the organist was scheduled for the day when the parents were invited to “clean up the church.” I put the rag in my bag and went with Nika. Other children from the psalm-singing group also came. And what a surprise the children were to see the priest not in a cassock, but in jeans and a T-shirt. In general, the parents wiped the benches, arranged flowers, made flower arrangements, decorated the church in every possible way, and ironed the white capes for the altar. Well, we chatted. I had a feeling like before, they came before the holidays and the whole class washed the floor, walls, and desks.
My opinion is really that all these preparations, dresses, restaurants, etc. actually distract from the main thing, from the very essence of “communion.” The last straw, it seems to me, is gifts. On this day, it is customary to give expensive gifts to children: phones, bicycles, computers, etc. And although the priest insisted that the parents limit themselves somehow, traditions are traditions. Somewhere on the Internet I found a comparison between Communia and Pioneer Acceptance Day, and yes... there is something in it.
So, Sunday, May 19... we got up early, did our hair, everyone dressed solemnly and moved to the church. I must say the weather was exceptional, it was very sunny. Naturally, all the girls rushed to look at each other, who was wearing what, what shoes, what hairstyles. But then the priest came and the children quickly lined up in two rows, according to height, in pairs. Came another priest, the main one, said introductory remarks, sprinkled with holy water.
First, the children asked their parents for blessings, they blessed them and the children entered the church. Then the children sang, read passages from holy scripture, etc. Then there was the communion itself.
Then the cleric came, played the guitar and the children sang. Then they thanked the priests (both). Several photographers were working at the event all the time, shooting videos. Parents were strongly advised not to take photographs. (You can imagine how many flashes there would be every minute!!!) All photographs for this post were taken by a special photographer. After the commune, about two months later, everyone received an album with printed photographs, a decorated disc with videos, and a disc with numerous photographs. Naturally, photos and videos were ordered and agreed upon separately.
Then, upon leaving the church, in memory of the first communion, the children received the blessing of Pope Francis I (note that the blessing costs 800 rubles). And then everyone went to restaurants.
But that's not all. After communion, “white week” begins. This means that children in their white clothes must come to the service and communion at 17-00 for a whole week. Each service this week was special: they thanked parents, teachers, etc. On Friday, at the last service, the children were given bread, symbolizing kindness, since the entire service was dedicated to the importance of being a kind person.
But that's not all. In a year, the girls will get their dresses, and the boys will get their suits, if the outfits, of course, still fit them :), and on the same day the children will gather again in the church to hold a service in honor of the anniversary of the adoption of the first commune.
And I wish you congratulations
present with all my heart,
and on the sweetest birthday
I give it impromptu, like confetti.
Let the sun shine brightly
and gives us inspiration!
Let it be in January, as it was in May,
She will give us love!!!
Let the Shining...
https://www.site/poetry/167311
The first snow has finally fallen,
Waking up from sky-high negations.
They descend from heaven to the sinful earth,
Illuminating the night, fields and forest with light
Hosts of snowflake angels keep circling,
Sprinkling lace light into the sky
To fill the world with beauty and...
https://www.site/poetry/1135520
... - mostly Slovenian, but also French, Spanish, English, Arabic, Danish and even Russian. Kovats and Mehler were imprisoned children in front of black monitor screens, on which two white squares were burning on the right and left. IN first During part of the experiment, the scientists uttered a meaningless three-syllable word, like “la-bu-da,” after which in one of the squares—let’s say, the right one—appeared...
https://www.site/journal/117807
Atlantov), led those people who had LOVE in their hearts. It was there that the Teachers of the 4 races began their first genetic development to create FIRST People - Atlanteans are 4 races from the genes of seven Animals: Bull, Horse, Lion, Pig, Monkey, Bird and Fish. ... were and are being carried out in advance! It is for this reason that Zeus in all the myths of Greece is presented as a loving god who has many children! Details about the Doomsday scenario, which people of the 3rd race experienced, are written in the “Book of Dzyan”, part 2. All of them are ...
https://www.site/religion/19083
By email and, unfortunately, I don’t know its source). “We would like to introduce you to a selection of letters that children addressed directly to God. This idea came to the mind of Riga writer and film playwright Mikhail Dymov. It's impossible to even comment on this. ...like a little one, So he really is crying. Marik, 4th grade. I went to kindergarten with her for two years, studied at first class, and then one day she told me: “You and I are two different person"Can you imagine, I'm worse than dead. Akady, 2nd grade...
