What is the canon? The penitential canon before communion

Communion and confession carry with them the purification of the soul of man, the forgiveness of his sins. Sincerity, truthfulness, desire to correct make these sacraments so simple and complex at the same time.

Simplicity consists in simple actions,which most people can do. The difficulty is in avoiding a formal approach, in realizing one's sins, in wanting to receive forgiveness. This is a difficult internal work.

Prayer, canon before the Sacrament they are called upon to set the person on spiritual work. The ability to forgive, understand and accept their mistakes, shame for them, the desire to change is not an easy path, at the end of which grace will condescend to the soul. And do not want to lie, anger, malice, envy anymore. Gradual purification of the soul will entail a change in life. There will be inner peace, pacification, the desire to understand and forgive other people.

What is the canon

The canon in translation from Greek means "norm, rule". Has 2 meanings.

First. The canon is a set of rules of the Orthodox Church.

The second. The canon is a kind of poem, a hymn, which is pronounced to the glory of a holiday or a saint. He came to replace kontakion in the VIII century. Contains 9 songs.

The canons are large and small. Devoted to the prophets, saints, martyrs. In addition, there is a canon before the Sacrament, canon on the sick, on the deceased.

There is a book entitled The Right Canons. It was written for the monks of the Old Believer monasteries in 1908. There are notes in it that will help you correctly read canons at home. In the prompts it is prescribed in which canon what song to read, with what chorus and how many times to alternate when to bow.

How is the canon

The canon consists of 9 songs. The very first verse of each song is called irmos. All the following are called troparia. Before each of them, the chant corresponding to the canon is read. Depending on the gender of the reader, it is necessary to change the endings (for example, the sinner is a sinner).

Each canon contains 4 to 7 troparia. The second song is usually absent. It is pronounced only on certain holidays. At certain moments of reading, one should lay down earthly, belt-like obeisances or make throwings. The latter means that you should cross yourself and touch with the right hand of the floor.

Depending on the day of the week, availability orThe absence of a church holiday in additions to the canon has its own notes. So, belt bows can be replaced with throwing. In the church calendar you can find the Charter of the bows for every day.

The Sacrament of Communion

Communion is the communion with God, the most important sacrament in the life of a Christian. This ritual can be performed once a year or more often. It is not the quantity of perfect Communions that is important here, but their sincerity.

For laymen, there are several rules before taking Communion.

• Observe the post.
• Read the prayers and canons before the communion.
• Obtain remission of sins on confession.
• Abstain from carnal relations.
• To do business of mercy.

The entire preparatory process takes 7 days. You should know that there should be as much glowing. If the state of health does not allow you to fast for a week, then it can be limited to 3-5 days. In rare cases, a day is allowed.

Canon before the Sacrament read every evening. After him - prayers. In the days of shit you should attend church services.

Who is not allowed to Communion

1. Women during menstruation.
2. Excommunicated from the Holy Mysteries.
3. Not going to confession.
4. Spouses who had sexual relations on the eve of the Sacrament.
5. Dead, insane, unconscious.

Children under 7 years are admitted to Communion withoutconfession and fasting. In this case, a different, more simplified preparation is required. The behavior of parents is reflected in children. The child reproduces himself in relation to the church, prayers, bad and good behavior. Therefore, each family individually finds an approach in the preparation for the Sacrament.

Preparation for the Sacrament

Before the sacrament of Communion, it is necessary to passrepentance. Recognizing your sins, comprehending them, receiving forgiveness is the first step to purifying the soul. Be sure to ask forgiveness from relatives before confession, they are familiar. Mentally remember all those who were offended.

Before confession, you can read the penitential canon. Prayer preparation will set the person to repentance. This is the ability to see, realize, recognize your sins and imperfections. Repentance cleanses man from sins and filth. It is necessary sincere repentance of a person in all his unseemly deeds. And then the deliverance from these sins, the prevention of them in their lives, the struggle against them.

The canons before confession and the Sacrament carry with them only a temporary purification of the soul. The rest of the work should be done by the person himself. Honesty before yourself, understanding of the slightest movements of the soul, awareness of mistakes, shame for them - this is the true essence of repentance.

Sacrament of Confession

Confession is not a lengthy argument abouttheir sins. It does not lead to self-justification. This sincere repentance in their unworthy thoughts, feelings, actions. Therefore, confession is compulsory before Communion. She prepares the soul with prayers, awareness of sinfulness, the need for forgiveness.

Canon before the sacrament should also be read before confession. This is not a mechanical sounding of the text, but a purposeful preparation of the soul. That the confession did not become a formal ritual, but carried purification and forgiveness.

Do not stand in front of a clergymansins. Only the truth should sound in confession. Then the torments of conscience, remorse, shame will lead to a full awareness and desire to fight with their sins, to eradicate them.

Prayer preparation for confession will help reconcile with relatives, acquaintances. Eradicates stubbornness, narcissism. A person will want to change, become kinder.

The path to God can be long. One confession, one Communion will not make an indifferent person immediately attentive and positive. Most likely, through these sacraments will have to go through many times before the understanding of the essence of Orthodox rituals will come.

Canons before the sacrament

Communion is a personal affair of a person, hisrelationship with the Lord. Therefore, to read or not to read home prayers, canons - everyone decides independently. First of all, there must be a purification of the soul from sinful thoughts. You should not allow yourself to display signs of anger or aggression. Learn peace, patience, understanding.

During the prayer preparation for Communionyou can read three canons. They reflect the whole essence of the rite. It is the preparation of the body and soul to receive the Holy Mysteries. Therefore, one should purify the body by fasting. Soul - with prayers.

1. The penitential canon before communion to our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Molebny canon on the Most Holy Theotokos.
3. The Canon to the Angel of the Guardian before the communion.

The practice of reading canons before the Sacrament is not mandatory. Therefore, you should consult your confessor.

After three canons before the communion will be announced, followed by theHoly Communion. All this is read on the eve of the rite, after attending the evening service. Prayer for Holy Communion can be postponed in the morning. Read them right before the ritual.

The prayer rule before the Sacrament

The number of prayers, canons, akathists does not haveclear limitations. In different cities, churches, monasteries, there are own rules. Therefore, one should turn to his confessor for guidance. Obligatory reading of the penitential canon and the Follow-up to Communion is mandatory.

The prayer rule is not a violent decision. Each person individually decides what to read at home and how many times to go to church. Nevertheless, a Christian should have a daily prayer rule. It can be changed in accordance with health, state of affairs, internal mood.

Before the communion one should get rid of the temptationand every day read the canons and prayers. This should go down in tradition, but not become a formal template. Personal prayer preparation remains on the person's conscience. Do not overstrain yourself with countless repetition of canons. They carry enlightenment to the soul, when they are read sincerely, consciously. Monotonous repetition leads to a scholastic understanding of church rules.

The ability to delve into the essence of the Sacraments will allow consciouslytreat your transformation. If a person understands what he should change in himself, what to work on, then repentance and Communion will not become for him an empty sound and a standard ritual.

Looking for utility for the soul and body - that's what the prayer rule is for. Canons are easy to remember by heart. Therefore, they can be read and on the way to the temple, standing in traffic jams. The main thing is that they go from the heart.

At what time should you read the canons

There are no precise laws when one should read canons and prayers. At home, a person himself determines what time should be devoted to prayers, and what - to worldly affairs.

Canons before the sacrament You can read every evening, but you can confine yourself to prayer alone. If a Christian genuinely wants to repent of his sins, then his preparation will be appropriate.

Canon before the communion, text it creates a certain state of mind. Makes a person more focused, collected. The canon concentrates on inner, mental work. The words uttered fill the heart with glee, and the mind with sorrow for all human imperfections.

The canons and subsequent prayers are best readbefore bedtime. This will adjust the mind and soul to communicate with God. When all worldly affairs are finished, one should devote some time before going to bed prayers, summarizing the day. For one - to ask God's forgiveness, for others - to thank.

The penitential canon before communion will allowto comprehend your thoughts, feelings, actions for the whole day. Only in the conditions of concentration on the desire to purify oneself, to receive the Holy Mysteries, it is possible to receive the Highest Grace.

Combined canons before the sacrament

In the days of shit, prayers should be read more diligently than on ordinary days. This is the preparation of the soul for the meeting with the Holy Mysteries.

The canons are allowed to be read one by one each evening. Such prayer preparation must enter into the ritual of every Christian. On the eve of the Sacrament, before midnight, it is recommended to voice the necessary three canons. They can be read one after another. And you can combine.

Connect 3 canons before the sacrament in this way:

• Irmos 1 song of the penitential canon;
• the troparion of the penitential canon;
• troparia 1 song of the canon of the Theotokos, without the ismos;
• troparion of the canon to the Angel of the Guardian, without the ismos.

You can read all subsequent songs, but in this wayThe troparia should be dropped before the canons of the Theotokos and the Angel of the Guardian and the stichera after the canon of the Theotokos. In the Orthodox prayer book you can find more detailed information on how it is possible to combine the canons.

How to read the canons

During the shit you need to pronounce the morningand evening prayers, canons. They create a calming mood. After reading the holy texts, negative emotions are pacified. A person is set up to communicate with God.

The right canons before the sacrament read according to a certain scheme. It can be found in the Charter about reading the right canons. Daily humility, the utterance of prayers, prepares the Christian for the reception of the Sacrament, when in the form of wine and bread the Lord penetrates the human body. To the arrival of such an expensive guest it is necessary to prepare. The body and soul must be cleansed of sinful thoughts and terrestrial excesses.

The canons to be read before the communion are notformal prescription. Therefore, they should be read in a certain emotional state. Without anger and irritation, without extraneous thoughts and conversations. Only concentration, solitude and understanding of the text of prayers, canons will make it possible to competently prepare for the Communion.

Behavior before the Sacrament

Before the Sacrament one should pacify greed,envy, give up excesses, bad habits. Forget evil thoughts, greed, anger, rage. Try to forgive those who have offended. Do not remember and do not keep negative manifestations in yourself. Ask forgiveness from friends and relatives. Feel within oneself humility, readiness for repentance.

More often to remain in solitude. Concentrate on prayers, fellowship with the Lord. Communion heals the souls of people. Swift and irritable people become kind and calm. Stubborn and indifferent become complaisant and considerate. Rough - polite. Lazy - hardworking. People stop taking offense, swearing. Passes apathy and depression. The soul is filled with kindness and joy.

After communion, it is obligatory to thankLord, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. Ask to keep the gift of the Sacrament. This is done so that the pacification of the soul does not leave. After leaving the church, do not talk to anyone, just go home. Before going to sleep again, say thanksgiving prayers. Try not to quarrel with anyone, not to swear, more to be silent, do not watch TV.

The value of the canon

The canons before confession and the Sacrament - it is a request to the Lord and the Theotokos togave health and the opportunity to confess, to give strength to go to the Communion and cleanse your soul, so that the Guardian Angel would guard all the way to the church, and not allow temptations.

It happens that a person forgets about confession andCommunion. Or get tired and refuse to join the Mysteries. The canon before communion will help to set the mind, soul and heart to communicate with the Lord. Give strength and health to go to confession, cleanse oneself of sins, fight them. In no case should you justify yourself, give concessions, or blame other people for your problems. Experience and shame for their actions should be sincere.

Health of the soul will give strength and physical bodyrights. Will pass anger and anger. Do not want to argue anymore and quarrel. There will be a good mood and a desire to share it with people. There are facts when, after confession and Communion, people got rid of deadly diseases, abandoned their bad habits. Peace and tranquility appear in the soul after an honest and sincere conversion to God.