In Christianity, there are seven Sacraments, among which most often one encounters confession and communion. They go one after another. Communion is the final stage of the confession, which symbolizes the forgiveness of sins by the Lord, so it is so important to prepare for it properly.
The sacrament of confession and how to prepare for it?
During confession, a person repents before a priest in perfect sins. In fact, the priest in this procedure is the representative of the Lord, having the right to absolve oneself of sins by reading the permissive prayer. This Sacrament was instituted by Jesus Christ, and he transferred the right to his apostles to let them sinned to the people, and they to the bishops who, through the Sacrament of ordination, were to the priests.
Confession is repentance in sins. It can be called the second baptism, because a person is flushing from himself the heavy oppression of wrong deeds, thoughts, and comes out of the church completely purified, like an infant.
Before you go to confession, you should prepare for it. This is a very serious and difficult process, because you first have to admit your mistakes to yourself and only then to the priest and the Lord. Only through awareness comes repentance, which is a confession.
Some, to help themselves, write their sins onto a sheet of paper. Thus it is much easier to look at yourself and your actions from the outside, in order to analyze and understand them. By the way, the priest can simply give a piece of paper, but it's best of all those sins that are especially hard for the soul to tell in person.
In fact, the priest is not at all important about the list of your wrong actions or thoughts, the Lord knows everything about you. Much more important is your sense of repentance, contrition over what was done. This is exactly what repentance is.
Once you have confessed, the priest will invite you to the sacrament of the sacrament.
Preparing for the Mystery of the Sacrament
To the confession and communion a person prepares simultaneously. Only if confession involves more mental work on the realization of one's mistakes, preparation for communion is also a strict fast. It is important to exclude from their diet food of animal origin: meat, dairy products, fish, sweets, alcohol. Including it is important to refrain from physical intimacy, various entertainments. It is worth limiting yourself to watching television, and prefer to visit the temple and pray.
Before the Sacrament of Communion, it is worth visiting the church, namely the evening service. In addition, at home before going to sleep read three canons: Penitential to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin, the Angel to the Guardian. In the morning, before going to the church, where you confess and receive communion, read the canon to Holy Communion.
If you want to prepare a child for communion by all rules, it is better to consult your priest. All because the children will be quite difficult to fully comply with all the rules that we have described to you, and the priest will be able to choose the optimal number of prayers and advise how to behave properly during preparation.
Remember that the Sacraments can not be treated irresponsibly. This is an opportunity to purify yourself, to begin life with a clean slate. By the way, you can confess and take communion not only before Easter, as is customary. Every time you feel a burden on your soul, you should turn to the Lord.