Catholic holidays, services, traditions. After communion Congratulations on the first communion among Catholics
“Jesus called them and said, “Suffer the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for to such is the kingdom of God.” These words from the Gospel are often recalled when talking about the age at which a child should be introduced to the Sacraments of the Church, in particular to Communion.
Orthodox practice
In the Orthodox Church there is a custom of giving communion to infants from the moment of baptism. From infancy to about 7 years old, they can receive communion as often as they like and without confession, since up to a certain point children are not yet aware of their actions and do not distinguish between the concepts of good and evil, and have no idea about sin.
Children usually begin to confess Orthodoxy at the age of 7 years, but this threshold is very individual and depends on the characteristics of the particular child growing up.
In many ways, the practice of giving communion to infants is based on the above quotation from the Gospel and presupposes, first of all, the presence of deep faith in the parents. The child is brought to Communion so that he is visibly united with Christ, “for the sanctification of soul and body.” Also in this way the parents entrust his life to God.
Of course, you should not think that if parents themselves never approach Communion and do not participate in the Sacrament with their child, this practice will bring him any tangible benefit in the future.
Moreover, the baby is not always ready for this, and to give Communion to a child “for show” or “for health” in any way, overcoming resistance, whims and aggression, believing that in this way grace will descend on him is quite naive, if not to say - blasphemous.
The Sacraments, of course, must be approached consciously, and in the case of the communion of infants, it is the parents who must be the source and conductor of this awareness.
Catholic practice
Catholics approach the issue of giving communion to children, perhaps with less philosophy and more rationalism. In the Roman Catholic Church, a child's first communion is usually celebrated at the age of 8-9 years.
This is explained by the fact that, as a rule, the child is not able to understand the significance of the Sacrament, cannot distinguish simple bread from Eucharistic bread, understand and explain the difference between food and Communion, and fully confess.
Communion, according to Catholics, should be performed at a conscious age, and be a kind of confirmation of membership in the Church.
Catholics have a similar attitude towards the sacrament of Confirmation - unlike the Orthodox, who accept it immediately after baptism, and often in infancy, Catholics perform the sacrament of Confirmation (from Latin - “confirmation”), receiving in it the gifts of the Holy Spirit, already at a fairly conscious age - at about 13 years old and later, thus marking, as it were, a kind of “spiritual coming of age.”
First Communion among Catholics is a holiday akin to a birthday. This is a special celebration for which they prepare for quite a long time and diligently. Typically, children undergo catechesis in Sunday school for a year or two.
The child must have an idea of the basics of faith, the meaning of the Sacraments and know the basic prayers. The day before, he usually makes his first confession.
Each Catholic country has its own customs and days for the First Communion ceremony. Children, as a rule, are dressed in white clothes: girls in dresses and wreaths, like brides, and boys in something like white surplices. The day of First Communion is an important event not only for the Catholic family, but also for the local community.
There are many books and manuals dedicated to preparing for Divine Communion. The purpose of these books is to give man the knowledge necessary for a conscious, reverent and unashamed approach to the Cup of Food of Immortality. These books are not monotonous. There are discrepancies in them, mainly associated with different severity of preparation and different approaches to the frequency of communion. But, all the same, such literature exists, and it is numerous. But here's what we don't have! We do not have books that lead a conversation with the reader about how to behave after communion, how to preserve the gift received, how to use the reality of communion with God for good! There is an obvious gap. And there is no audacity to quickly fill this gap. The seriousness of the task requires, firstly, the formulation of the question, and secondly, a concerted effort to find the correct answer.
Here is the first thought lying on the surface: isn’t it appropriate on the day of communion, instead of evening prayers of repentance and contrition, to read prayers of thanksgiving again after communion at night? They contain requests not only to forgive and have mercy, but to “enter into the hearts and wombs, strengthen the joints and bones, burn up the thorns of all sins,” and so on. These short prayers are very powerful, full of meaning, joyful, and energetic. Repeated or at least repeated reading of them on the day of communion increases the feeling of gratitude to God in the Christian soul, gives rise to sobriety (memory of the Lord), and kindles the desire to receive communion more often.
Saint John (Maksimovich) after the liturgy often remained in the altar for a long time. He read the Gospel, “pulled” his rosary, performed other prayers, and then went to his daily labors with effort, because he did not want to leave the altar. This is also a lesson. It is obvious that a worldly person is burdened with worries and that the hectic pace of life is the enemy of concentration. But you need to try not to immediately plunge into business after communion; you need to try to look for at least a drop of silence, given over to reading and reflection.
I’m afraid to say which of the Optina elders (it seems, Barsanuphius) advised reading the Apocalypse of John the Theologian on the day of communion. Obviously, it was meant that the blessed mind of a Christian at this time is more capable of perceiving the mysteries of God than on ordinary days. There is not so much specific advice as the outlines of a general rule: on the day of communion, devote all possible time and energy to the study of the word of God and other spiritual works.
Having become the house of God through communion, a Christian becomes afraid of the invisible enemies of good. “Every evildoer and every passion flees from him, like from fire.” The essential task for the enemy, therefore, is to try to entertain the Christian, to drag him into a whirlwind of all sorts of worries, to surround him with “ignorance, oblivion, cowardice and petrified insensibility.” And to the extent that we are careless, the enemy succeeds in this. Is it any wonder at the rampant sin and the confusion that reigns in our heads if we do not really learn to use our most victorious weapon - an essential union with the God-man and Savior?
The question, no doubt, has not been resolved, but only touched upon. It requires church attention, and the very sound of the question can be preceded by the call: “Let us take notice!” And the ability to forgive insults, and the ability to resist the influence of passions, and courage in the midst of adversity, and the anticipation of eternal blessings, and much, much more, is given abundantly to the participants. This is what John of Kronstadt said after communion: “The Lord is in me personally, God and man, hypostatically, essentially, immutably, purifying, sanctifying, victorious, renewing, deifying, miraculous, which I feel in myself.”
The wealth of gifts felt by the Kronstadt shepherd is the same wealth of gifts that is given to everyone, but, unfortunately, without such a deep feeling on the part of the participants.
In this sense, the saints will judge the world. Having exactly as much as we do, they managed to turn their lives into the bright burning of a lamp, while we only smoke and risk finding ourselves without oil in the terrible hour of judgment.
Besides what we already have, we perhaps do not need anything more for miraculous completeness and everyday Christian witness. You don’t need anything more, but you need to learn to use what you have. And first of all, you need to learn how to behave correctly in relation to the most pure mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ: to reverently accept them and to keep them worthy within yourself.
Somehow the blog and a lot of news in general (uh, maybe I hope life is slowly getting better in Ukraine) have faded into the background in recent weeks. It was not possible to get rid of work so easily, I even managed to fly with my husband to The Hague, but the most important event of 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 the Orthodox Church, little children receive 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 at 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 wear a white dress, boys a 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 wedding dress tailoring shop offers a separate collection of dresses for first communion around January-February), ending with special banquets with attributes such as floral decoration, a special menu and an entertainment program for children (it’s good, although they don’t offer discos, but there are clowns). Photographers, small gifts for guests, 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, something that would remain as a memory of this 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 Search line: participle
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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. Fasting and prayer rules before communion are given in order to awaken your soul, repent, and 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 a “visible image of an invisible Prototype,” as the Holy Fathers of the Church teach. Therefore, you need to start embroidery with special reverence and trepidation. A pious life, regular church attendance, confession and communion are needed. 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 that 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! During fasting, you can eat any 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 time of fasting 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 to avoid such 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. It is better for a woman not to use decorative cosmetics. But in modern society this is not always feasible. If at work you are required to use cosmetics without fail, 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 developed a fear of open space. Despite communion, confession and the priest’s advice, nothing in my condition changes. Tranquilizers only dull fear temporarily, but they destroy the soul. Help!
Julia
Yulia, I think you need to see 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 eat nothing - 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 to whom this is not “given.” "(Matthew 19.11), and caring first of all about preserving and strengthening the family" (see Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church). 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?
Vika
Victoria, confession and communion happen every time a liturgy is celebrated in the church. They are also held on 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? Thank you 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'm 28 years old. I can’t decide to take communion, because... I read that you need to really desire this, but as far as I understand myself, I don’t have a strong desire, I just know that it 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 with 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, Natalia. Start over. Regularly visit the temple on Sundays and holidays (when possible), delve into the divine service, and ask God for admonition. Start and end the day with prayer; it is best to follow the Orthodox tradition and use a 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 will be the necessary preparation for 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 a 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 much I can 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, the last time was this Sunday, and I fast. I hope for your prayerful help. Save me, God!
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 teaches 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 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 for an 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?
Ksenia
Yes, Ksenia, the sacrament really is, don’t doubt it, everything is good and correct. You can pray the same way as for any Orthodox Christian. Forgotten sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Unction. 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. The boy's father (my husband's cousin) committed suicide almost six months before the child was born (presumably due to conflicts with the baby's mother, with whom he was 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!
Last Sunday I was invited by a friend to the first communion (primo communion) of her pretty seven-year-old daughter.
P First Communion among Catholics considered one of the important events in life after the baptism ceremony.
First Communion among Catholics is a great joy for a child
Catechesis lessons
The first communion among Catholics is preceded by a certain preparation (from one to three years) - the so-called catechesis lessons:
- where does a child become acquainted with the Bible?
- church etiquette;
- prayers.
(By the way, in Italy EVERYONE, young and old, knows prayers, because they begin to learn them already in kindergarten).
First Communion for Catholics
On the eve of the first communion, the child's first confession takes place. He himself remembers everything he has done, good and bad, in his life and openly talks about this padre. The result of the classes conducted by the nuns is a solemn day associated with festive excitement and the expectation of gifts.
Gifts for first communion among Catholics (I'm talking about Sicily now) are not cheap at all. Grandfathers, grandmothers, the godfather (padrino) shell out money to purchase gold items with diamonds... The rest of the guests compete in offerings, as if wanting to receive the title - The most expensive gift.
Many people simply give special holiday envelopes containing a check for a certain amount or “real” money.
All gifts and envelopes are opened at the end of the festive dinner, which takes place in a luxurious restaurant, and everyone has the opportunity to find out what or how much the other gave. How can one not turn out to be a “brutal figure” in this situation? There was no amount less than 100 euros in the envelopes.
The mass (church service) for the first communion was scheduled for 10 a.m., but already knowing the “punctuality” of Italians, I arrived at the chiesa (church) at 10:30.
To my great surprise, the huge church was full of people and the mass was already underway! With grief in half, having found a free folding chair, I settled down next to the column and began to watch the solemn action.
And there was something to see! I am very sorry that I missed the beginning of this service.
The girls, all in the same long white dresses, with a wreath on their heads, and white gloves, looked like brides, the boys were also dressed the same, in long white tunics. There was a festive, lively atmosphere around; for sure, this day will remain in the memory of the children forever:
- melodic songs,
- divine sounds of the organ filling the church,
- beautiful ceremony,
- elegant clothes - all this remains in my memory.
All this, when it gets into the soul, brings amazing peace and tranquility.
After the service, all those invited went to a gala dinner at the restaurant.
By the way, I really like the interesting tradition of the Catholics, at the end of the service, after a certain prayer, to wish everyone peace, goodness and harmony. At the same time, everyone shakes hands with their closest neighbors. The kids really like it. They run around the whole church with their handshake, with a smile I shake hands with everyone - people I know and people I don’t know.
To all of you, dear readers of my blog, I wish peace, goodness and harmony!
