Is it possible to feed a small child before communion? Preparing children for communion

Why do you take your children to Communion?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to explain the meaning of the Sacrament to a baby

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

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

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

Is it possible to feed children before Communion?

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

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

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

When to come to Communion with children

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

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

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

Participle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until the age of seven, children do not confess.

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

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

About the communion of children

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baptism is only the first step on the path of a Christian. The most important sacrament Orthodox Church is a participle. How to give communion to children, and especially infants? What rules and concessions exist for this? How not to overdo it when introducing your child to the Church and its sacraments? Read about this in today's story from the mother of an already baptized child.

My husband and I are Orthodox parents, and therefore our decision to baptize our baby was mutual. His godparents are responsible for the spiritual education of the child. We understood this, so we paid Special attention choice of future mother's godparents and dads for their child. And so, our baby is an Orthodox Christian.

As it turns out, the most important part of a child’s spiritual education is the sacrament. It is necessary not only so that the child is closer to God, but also so that the Guardian Angel, in whose honor the baby is baptized, will guard and protect him from various troubles.

Father told us that we need to come to communion for the first time two weeks after the child’s baptism. And it doesn’t matter at all that we, parents, rarely receive communion ourselves or don’t receive communion at all. After all, a child can know much more in his soul than adults. Children under seven years old receive communion without confession, and after that, like adults: first they must confess, and only then go to communion.

Another important point is that communion usually takes place on an empty stomach. Of course, babies are allowed to have breakfast. Just feed the baby at least half an hour before communion so that he does not burp. After three years, you should try not to feed the child, but there are no strict limits as such until the age of seven. Father told me that children from the age of three can easily withstand without food in the evening. The main thing is to introduce this gradually and as a kind of sacrament - the sooner the child gets used to it, the easier it will be for him later. A little later, you can teach your children to fast, but not strictly. For example, give up games, cartoons, meat or something especially tasty.

To the question of how often a child should be given communion, everyone must answer for themselves. Infants can be taken every day, older children - once a week. We try to give the baby communion once every two weeks and on major holidays. Communion takes place at liturgies - it is better to find out in advance the start and end times of the service in the church. Children receive communion first, then women and men.

You are allowed to come directly to communion with your infant. With older children, you can arrive early, depending on how long the child can stand it. As a rule, children do not like to stay in church for a long time, I remember this from myself. It always seemed to me that it was very stuffy there; you had to stand for a very long time without moving. It should be understood that children have less patience, but on the contrary, more energy. Everything needs to be approached with understanding - if the baby cannot stand still for a long time, do not force him, instilling a dislike for this ritual from childhood.

And now, the time has come for the sacrament of communion. The priest takes the Chalice from the altar and reads a prayer, the words of which must be repeated and prayed for your child with all your heart. Since we go to communion exclusively with the baby’s godfather or mother, one of them is holding the baby at this time. They don’t make the sign of the cross in front of the Chalice; older children fold their arms crosswise on their chests, and very little ones hold them right hand. The priest approaches each child and says loudly: “The Servant of God is taking communion...”, after which his name is called. Ours is still small, and therefore his godparents say his name for him. When the child grows up, he will have to call himself by name. Then they give a little Cahors on a spoon, and holy water for small children. At the very end of the service the baby is placed on the cross.

But children’s preparation for communion is special, individual.

As you know, you need to prepare for Communion and Confession, but children's preparation and children's confession are completely special, incomparable to adults. The task of a Christian, including a young Christian, is to benefit from Confession and Communion, therefore it is important that the preparation for the sacrament and the confession itself are effective and not overloaded. If the priest is experienced, this issue can be discussed individually, if the priest requires reading all the canons, strict fasting for the child, then big question is this useful...On at this stage, in my opinion, is important individual approach If a child has been in the Temple since infancy, this is one thing; if from time to time, it is another.

You need to talk to the child and explain, and not command and drag him by force.

It is important in advance, even before preparation, in simple language explain to the child why he now needs to prepare for communion. And in fact, every parent should have a timely conversation with their child that when they turn 7 years old, their childhood is over, that their childhood has begun. adulthood and all the sins and bad deeds of the Divine and his Angels are taken into account and recorded on him. And in order to be cleansed of sins, he must independently confess and receive communion. What is supposed to be repented of at Confession, the child also needs and can be explained in advance, because you know all the bad deeds and inclinations of your child very well. There is no need for parents to write a note to their child or force him to stand over his soul until he writes this note. Leave the child his individual Confession and do not ask him about what he confessed or what the priest asked about. If the child wants, he will tell himself, if not, then no.

Alternatively, the preparation may be as follows, but it is important to discuss individually with the parish priest

Regarding all questions regarding fasting, I will note that, in my opinion, it would be correct to give up sweets for the first two days, give up meat on the second day, but leave the opportunity to eat fish and dairy, and on the third day give up fish and dairy. If the child is still small, then for the third day we refuse fish and leave dairy in the diet. By by and large, this is all individual and discussed with a specific confessor. Therefore, my reasoning in this case is more of a reasoning than a recipe.

The spiritual preparation of a child is also important

It is important, in addition to physical preparation, to prepare the child for the sacrament spiritually, by reading prayers more often, reading the children's Bible, watching cartoons less, and for example, replacing them with watching the Law of God, it is in our gallery.

Everything is gradual, and so are prayers.

Regarding all points regarding prayer preparation, I would like to emphasize: the child must be taught to evening services, but if it’s still difficult, you can first skip, then come halfway, then stand completely. On the evening before Communion, just like adults, children do not need to watch cartoons, but need to read books about God and his Saints.

Next it is time for the question of prayers. I am convinced that a child should be introduced into prayer gradually. First, I think it is permissible to read three prayers from evening prayers, then after the “Canon to the Guardian Angel” read one prayer, after the “Canon to the Mother of God” read one prayer, after the “Canon to the Savior” read 1 prayer and then read 4 prayers from the “Canon for Holy Communion”. I think this will be enough, but it is important to read them clearly, with attention, praying from the heart, but without developing a formal attitude to the matter of prayer. Gradually, the number of prayers needs to be increased. publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate, everything is prepared there for children's prayer.

This material is collected from Patristic literature, which is freely available on the Internet, both separately (in excerpts) and in whole. e-books, the volumes of which are very large for the modern reader, who, as a rule, is accustomed to grasping only the superficial essence. The author of this project has systematized and selected the material as much as possible, highlighting the most important things, focusing on his point of view.

The creator of this project does not claim authorship of the presented materials and strongly recommends that interested readers purchase printed form full versions Patristic works. The sources used are listed in a special section of our website “Recommended Literature and Sources”, in addition, we accompanied each book with a short review, useful for all concerned readers.

“Should a child fast before communion?”

– Again: if fasting is a burden for parents, then a problem arises with the child. And if this is the natural life of a family, then such questions do not even arise. The child eats what adults give him. Fasting is not a hunger strike. This is a change in your habits and lifestyle. The main thing in our life is not the number of prayers, not fasting - all this is just a means.

It is necessary not to prohibit, not to force, but for the child to voluntarily accept such a lifestyle. If he was forced, he will break out from under his parent’s wing and still do it his own way, that’s what’s terrible. The Holy Fathers advise raising a child in such a way that when he grows up, when at the age of 7 he goes to confession for the first time, he feels himself a Christian, so that he takes the yoke of Christ voluntarily.

It is impossible to force someone to do this. The beauty of such a life can only be shown. And when children become interested in spiritual life, they discover a wealth that is incomparable with all the riches of the world. As in the Gospel: I found a pearl, went and sold everything for it. So it is with spiritual life: if you find it, you will give up everything in order to live this life. We need to help the child discover this wealth within himself, so that he does not think that it is all just external.

“If a child receives communion without confession, should he already somehow prepare for communion?”

“There are no special rules, but if it is possible for him not to eat before communion, that will be good.” It is necessary to teach a child so that from an early age he prepares for going to church, gets ready.

“When a child is preparing for his first confession, you need to tell him what sins he has and how to repent of them?”

– We are used to drawing children’s attention to what they are doing badly. But the main problem is not that they do bad things, but that they do not try to do good things. The greatest sin is that a person does not do what he should do. He is scolded, and the man realized that he is bad. But the sin is that he does not become good. The main sinfulness is non-conformity to the ideal, holiness.

What is repentance? This is a change in life towards the ideal, holiness. I have to correct myself. If I only have a vision of deviation, and not movement towards the ideal, this is the worst thing. You need to see the goal of Christian life - pleasing God. How did I not please God? I should have pleased him, but I didn’t? He didn’t do this, he didn’t do that... Our very sins are not in doing, but in not doing. Didn't fulfill his responsibilities as a child. Which? Obedience to parents, help, humility, one's responsibilities as a student... When an adult comes and says that he has no particular sins, then this is evidence of his lack of understanding of the purpose of his life.

“Do parents have to somehow guide, suggest, or does the child decide for himself what to say to the priest?”

“Even before the age of seven, he must be prepared that the day will come when he will come to confession for the first time.” This is a holiday! This is the child's first meeting with a priest at confession. The parents hand the child from their hands to him. The priest also needs to be prepared for this. Godly parents warn me in advance.

I already know that the child came for the first time and I need to talk to him. Here there is another conversation - a conversation with a confessor, the spiritual care of the child begins. Parents do not just formally bring their child to church, but they must bring him to the priest who will continue to care for him in the future.

“Can I ask the child what the priest told him?”

– The secret of confession lies not only in the fact that the priest cannot talk about what he heard during confession, but the one who confessed must also keep it. Idle curiosity about the mystery of spiritual life is sinful. Therefore, parents must teach themselves to humble themselves and not ask such questions.

“What if the child himself wants to tell, because he is used to sharing everything with his parents?”

“Then be silent and listen.” Then consult with the priest. But don’t incite this conversation, don’t encourage it. Still, conversation on confessional topics should only happen in confession. And the child must also be able to preserve his inner world.

“Parents can tell the priest: is the child not doing this or something else?”

– You can consult on issues that confuse parents.

priest Oleg Netsvetaev

Parents do not always understand that not giving communion to their babies means leaving without due attention the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who “... said: Let the children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” ().

“Infancy,” says the famous pastor of the Orthodox Church, Archimandrite, “is the most important of all ages in human life: in the first two years the child receives as many impressions as he then receives throughout the rest of his life. Therefore, give communion to your children as often as possible.”

We will try to explain the direct vital necessity of intermarrying a baby with God through Holy Communion and all the danger of leaving a baby without Communion, and therefore without direct communion with Christ.

I.

Several years ago I visited a small Lithuanian town on the border with Poland. A town like a town... However, this is what struck me there and remained in my memory, I think, for the rest of my life. It was a summer Sunday morning, and I was going to the local Orthodox church to pray. The church was small, wooden, very beautiful on the outside and splendid on the inside. And not far away there was a Catholic church, a huge red brick structure, a local architectural landmark. The rhythmic call of the church bell was heard from the Catholic church.

I was struck by the abundance of people on the streets of the quiet town in the early hours of Sunday morning. Lithuanians, residents of this place, and visiting Poles went to the Catholic church. They were dressed up, festive, they were walking in families, adults were holding children's hands. The kids also walked smartly, dressed like adults, and joyful. People flocked to the temple from all sides to meet the Lord. Let’s make a reservation right away, it was not some kind of Catholic holiday, but just a Sunday. I continued my way to ours. There were few parishioners inside, which is understandable - Lithuania, after all. But with the exception of the son of the priest-rector, who served him at the altar, there was not a single child in the temple. And before, the small number of children in our churches attracted attention. But then the contrast involuntarily attracted attention: people went to one temple in families, to another - alone, on the way to one temple there were many children, in the other - not a single one. Needless to say, it was then that the question arose: why is this so? The question is still relevant today. The answer to this is, in general, clear. But why does little change in our Orthodox life? Why, after baptizing their children, do not people regularly bring them to churches for communion? “Some parents, especially young ones, look at their child for a long time as a toy or doll,” writes Bishop Innokenty of Yekaterinburg and Irbit. - They feed him, put him to bed, pet him, play and play pranks with him, protect him in every possible way from colds, etc., but otherwise allow him to run, walk and do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn’t bother them with his crying and roaring. And for a long time they do not notice that their beloved “angel” is essentially a stubborn, capricious, wayward, unbridled, disobedient, greedy, greedy, evil child.”

How often do you hear: “We weren’t taught this, we don’t know this, we don’t understand this, we were raised this way, life is so complicated,” etc. and so on. There are many reasons for self-justification, and our task is not to reproach readers, but to help them understand, in particular, the necessity and importance of communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, especially for children.

If you ask any Orthodox believer directly whether it is necessary to bring your children to church and partake of the Mysteries of Christ, then, of course, everyone will answer the same way: “Yes, it is absolutely necessary.” If you ask further how often you should give them communion, then again the majority will answer correctly: “You need to give them communion more often.” Why does everything go wrong in real life? Here, it seems to us, whole line reasons, but we dare to say that the main one, from which all the others flow, is the lack of faith in us. And if so, then how will we be able to raise children in piety, in love for God and His Church? The Holy Passion-Bearer Empress Alexandra Feodorovna says: “Parents should be what they want their children to be - not in words, but in deeds. They must teach their children by the example of their lives.”

Very often, people who call themselves believers understand the Orthodox faith in a simplified way. Many understand faith as a simple recognition of the existence of God. However, this is clearly not enough to be Orthodox. The existence of God is recognized by the overwhelming number of inhabitants of the Earth and not only them: “You believe that there is one God: you do well; and the demons believe and tremble” (). Very often I had to answer the question “Are you Orthodox?” hear: “Yes, I am baptized.” People don't even pay attention or think about how the question is posed. And so, from the confusion of the concepts of “being baptized into the Orthodox faith” and “being Orthodox,” many, calling themselves Orthodox, limit themselves to visiting churches on major holidays, are content in their spiritual practice with general confession, consider it sufficient to casually go into a church to light a candle and oh ask the Lord for something, and then plunge headlong into the affairs of life again. Naturally, such people do not give communion to their children and cannot, as their children grow older, raise them in the Orthodox faith. The lack of their own faith does not allow them to do this. But it shouldn’t be like this and you can’t put up with it! After all, in the Church we are not just “present” - we actually participate in the Divine service, i.e. We ourselves, led by the priest, serve God and communicate with Him.

Lack of faith makes us spiritually weak. And it is this spiritual weakness that does not allow us to see ourselves as we really are. We call ourselves believers, and when we say so, there is no guile in us. We truly believe what the Creed says. In this we are honest before God and people. But, unfortunately, very often our faith remains declarative. Our lifestyle, behavior, affections and much more that accompanies us in this life testify to how far we are from the Orthodox faith. But “a child should recognize Christ not from a picture book, but from his mood, from his way of thinking, from his way of life, from the mutual relations of family members. If he comes to know Christ in this way, Christ will become near and dear to his soul for the rest of his life.”

Faith is the main Christian virtue! Without faith we will have no hope of salvation, and there will be no love of Christ in us. Therefore, we need to think more often about what our Orthodox faith is. We are not content with believing in God. Let us repeat: the majority of people on earth believe that there is a Supreme creative beginning. Only atheists reject Him, but there are not so many of them in the world. Don’t be arrogant because, supposedly, how smart we are, we have realized that there is a God. Faith in the Lord is a gift of God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is the gift of God” (). Not forgetting to thank the Lord for this is our Christian duty, a manifestation of our faith. And it is our duty to educate this faith in children, so that it enters them, as they say, with mother’s milk.

Our works should testify to our faith: “But do you want to know, unfounded person, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith contributed to his works, and by works faith was perfected? And the word of Scripture was fulfilled: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone?” (). The act of faith committed by Abraham did not consist in the fact that the patriarch recognized the existence of God - he had no doubt about this before, but in the fact that he trusted God and completely surrendered himself to His will. Trust in God, His commands and promises, should guide a person in his Everyday life. “Zeal (for the Lord, for salvation) is a work of grace and evidence that this grace is persistently present in you and produces a gracious life... As long as there is zeal, the grace of the Holy Spirit is also inherent...” (St.). Otherwise, religious education will be limited to unconvincing and boring moral teachings.

II.

The enemy of the human race “does not sleep” and is trying in every possible way to confuse us and lead us away from the path of salvation. Realizing this, all the more should we seek help from the Lord, Mother of God and saints: “Without Me you cannot do anything” (). We need to strengthen our faith. People do not ask the question why the Apostles, communicating daily with the Lord, directly learning from Him, being witnesses of His many miracles, nevertheless asked the Lord: “Increase our faith” (). “The waves of our faith are only the surf and rebound to our spirit of the boundless sea divine life. And he is in the hands of God; his movements and strength obey the Lord's call. He quickens its pace, increases its height and proportions its strength" (Bp. The Gospel constantly draws attention to the importance of faith, gives wonderful inspiring examples of faith, the faith to which we should strive, "Truly I say to you: if you will, have faith the size of a mustard seed and say to this mountain: “move from here to there,” and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” (),

“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day" (). We must make sure that our children can see the Son of God with the eyes of faith and believe in Him. The seeds of faith are sown in us by the Lord Himself. Our task, as co-workers of God, is to nurture these seeds and not let them wither and die. We must strengthen our faith following the example of the Apostles with the help of God. In the relationship between man and the Lord, the Creator’s love for his creation initially lies: “God is love” (). And one of the properties of God is His immutability. Therefore, the Lord’s love for man is original and unchangeable. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). A person, aware of the existence of God, but being at the lower stages of his spiritual development, can show trust in the Lord, a desire to obey the will of God, out of fear of punishment from the Almighty for his sins (disobedience to the will of God) or out of a desire to receive a “reward” (well-being personal and your loved ones, material goods etc.) However, with spiritual growth, fear and selfish calculation are replaced by the love of the creation for its Creator. And love is always fruitful, especially when it is mutual. Any spiritual quality of a person is manifested in his actions. a kind person does good deeds, some scoundrel does dirty tricks. The criterion for assessing our faith and love is our deeds, words, thoughts: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (); “Whoever loves Me will keep My word” (3). The Apostle also teaches us this: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith, but does not have works? Can this faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and does not have daily food, and one of you says to them: “Go in peace, be warmed and fed,” but does not give them what they need for the body, what is the benefit? So faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself” ().

And so, if we say that we love our children, but we really love them, then good deed, the highest manifestation of this love will be our desire to introduce the child to God, to unite with Him, to open our child to Divine love. Our love for children, like our whole life, should testify to our faith. If we believe, then we love God; if we love Him, then we do His will. He who believes in the Lord believes the word of God; whoever loves Him loves what He left us for our good, moreover, for our salvation, namely: the Church, in which the Holy Spirit has invariably abided since the time of Pentecost, the disciples and the apostles, and through the continuous apostolic succession - church hierarchy (bishops and priests), Church Sacraments. Unfortunately, many, not having strong faith, neglect this wealth and do not ask the Lord to increase their faith. In such people, the seeds of faith sown by the Lord do not germinate and are not even felt by many people. When bringing their child to an Orthodox church to baptize, many explain their action by the pious tradition of the Russian people. Such people, living somewhere in Western Europe, can just as easily come to a Catholic church or a Protestant church. And living in America, they could generally get lost among many different sects. It is not surprising that with such faith, many, having baptized the baby, do not subsequently bring him to church and do not partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. " Modern world, modern life very harshly questions faith. It seems to me that only genuine, true faith can withstand this test, but any surrogates of faith, all superficial approaches to faith - thank God! - are crushed and destroyed” ().

Lack of faith, false faith lead to a lack of love for God in people. A loving person always strives for constant communication with the object of his love and experiences separation from him painfully. Thus, a young man in love does not want to part with his beloved; loving child cannot imagine his life without mom and dad; a person who is in love with a cause cannot imagine his life without it. This should be the case in a person’s relationship with God, but this does not happen.

People get along “wonderfully” without their Heavenly Father and remember the Lord when something happens in life. And this indifference, lukewarmness, absorption in earthly affairs, worldly concerns, of course, is reflected in children. But “for a Christian mother it should be a joy to teach her child, even then, when his voice is still weak and his tongue is still babbling, pronouncing the sweetest name of Jesus,” says the saint.

It may be objected that the state of a person is when he constantly thinks about God, yearns for Him, longs to meet Him, in modern life impossible, and if possible, it is more suitable for monastics or elderly people. The example of the holy saints indicates the opposite. In order to better understand this state and its possibility in our everyday life, I will give an image that Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) cited in one of his sermons: “Imagine a young mother who is busy with some kind of labor, work, service; she puts her soul into this work, into this service. She gives herself entirely to her, without any flaw. But at home she has a small child, a baby, and in the midst of her work the thought of what the child is doing now does not leave her: maybe it is crying, maybe it is asking for food, and there is no one to give it to it, maybe it has fallen out of the cradle...

And who will say that these thoughts of a mother about the child left in the house are illegal, unnatural and undermine the quality of her work, if this mother does all her work from the first hour to the last as she should do by virtue of her duty.

This is only a weak semblance of how we, busy with our earthly labor, giving everything that we must give to work according to our earthly purpose, will never stop thinking that we have immortal soul which we must water, feed, which we must protect from dirt, which we must decorate heavenly beauty. And this in no way and never prevents believers from being honest performers of their earthly duties” (Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich). Such a comparison can help a person imagine the worldview that an Orthodox person should have. Such a worldview gradually shapes the Orthodox religious consciousness when a person, seeing his created nature, his place in this world and his true purpose, commits specific actions, evaluating them not from the point of view of vain expediency, but by whether they are pleasing to the Lord or whether they conflict with the all-good will of God.

Such a perception of the world does not arise on its own; it must be formed in a person at the stage of infancy. Then his soul will develop, and he will all be drawn to the True Light. We will quote here the words of the archimandrite, which may seem “bitter,” but they are true: “What does the Christmas holiday teach us Holy Mother of God? So that Christian parents remember to whom they dedicate their children, to whom they give their souls - to God or to a demon.

Already in the womb, the child feels and perceives everything that happens around him. Especially the mental state of his mother, with whom he is connected as if by thousands of threads. If parents live like Christians, pray, confess their sins, take communion, then by this they introduce their unborn child to God. If in the family, instead of prayer, abuse and curses are heard, if wild quarrels occur between parents, the child is, as it were, handed over to a demon, for his soul receives a lesson in cruelty.

It has been proven that when a person becomes angry, poison appears in his blood, and during quarrels and outbursts of hatred in the family, the child is poisoned by poison in the literal and figurative sense of the word. His psyche is deformed and destroyed. A child perceives everything good and evil much more directly and deeply than adults; his subconscious keeps everything until death. Many parents do not find an answer, complaining about the cruelty and depravity of their children, reproaching them for the blackest ingratitude; They ask who taught them this. And there is an answer: the parents themselves taught it, without understanding it... Nothing is as close to each other as the souls of parents and children. Therefore, in order to introduce a child to God, parents must devote their hearts to God.”

III.

Metropolitan Nicholas in the passage from the sermon we cited above speaks about the soul. People have little idea of ​​what the soul is, and therefore do not think about it, do not care about it. But the baby is already endowed with the greatest, world-surpassing value - the human soul. The Gospel testifies to this: “... the baby burst with joy in my womb” (). The saint discusses this as follows: “When does the soul unite with the body? - At the moment of conception. - When did the Savior become incarnate? - Immediately, as the Ever-Virgin said: behold the Servant of the Lord... The Holy Spirit found, and the Son of God took on flesh, or human nature.! in embryo..."

Of all the above, St. righteous John In Kronstadt, the only spiritual blessing available to a baptized baby is the communion of the Holy Mysteries. But this is true spiritual food, which in its entirety introduces us to Christ God! “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he who eats Me will live by Me” (). “The Flesh and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, acceptable in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, nourishes, strengthens and gives life to our spirit” (Archbishop Demetrius of Kherson).

Archimandrite Raphael in his “Sermons and Conversations” notes: “Those who say that there is no need to give communion to children are the same as saying that there is no need to take care of a young, weak plant just at the time when it is necessary to protect it from the weeds. and weeds. I would say that infancy is the most important of all ages in human life: in the first two years a child receives as many impressions as then for the rest of his life. Therefore, give communion to your children as often as possible.”

If young parents understood that there is true faith, a true union with God, then they would understand that their child is a gift from God, a creation of God, and not just the result of combining the physiological properties of dad and mom. “Your (God. - Comp.) hands worked on me and formed me all around, - and You destroy me? Remember that You molded me like clay and are turning me to dust? Didn’t You pour me out like milk, and thicken me like cottage cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, bind me with bones and sinews, give me life and mercy, and Your care guarded my spirit?” ().

A religious worldview makes it possible to understand that the fate of their child does not mainly depend on a person’s will. Parents are co-workers with the Lord in the formation of a new person as an individual. And it is living faith that allows parents to understand and accept the dominance of their child’s soul over his body. “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom will a man give for his soul?” (). Let us also cite the words of the holy passion-bearer Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who tells us about the mutually sanctifying connection between us and children: “There is nothing stronger than that the feeling that comes to us when we hold children in our arms. Their helplessness touches a noble chord in our hearts. For us, their innocence is a cleansing force. When there is a newborn in the house, the marriage is, as it were, reborn. The child brings together married couple like never before. Strings that were previously silent come to life in our hearts. Young parents face new goals and new desires. Life immediately takes on a new and deeper meaning.

A sacred burden is placed on their hands, an immortal life that they need to preserve, and this instills in parents a sense of responsibility and makes them think. “I” is no longer the center of the universe. They have a new purpose to live for, a purpose big enough to fill their entire life..?

Of course, with children we have a lot of worries and troubles, and therefore there are people who look at the appearance of children as a misfortune. But only cold egoists look at children this way...

It is a great thing to take responsibility for these young lives that can enrich the world with beauty, joy, strength, but which can just as easily perish; it’s a great thing to nurture them, to shape their character—that’s what you need to think about when you’re arranging your home. This should be a home in which children will grow up to live a true and noble life, for God.”

Such parents, taking care of their child, will concentrate their efforts primarily on the formation of a healthy and strong soul. However, such parents will also have sufficient care for the flesh, for the body is the seat of the soul. Moreover, the human body is designed to be a temple. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God both in your bodies and in your souls, which are God’s” ().

But if the baby’s parents do not think about all this, then they will not care about caring for his soul, although, perhaps, they will come to church, order prayer services, and donate candles for the health of their child. We must definitely help these parents, tell them what their child needs first of all, and in the end, even insist that the parents not be lazy, but go to church as soon as possible and give the child communion. It's there overriding duty godparents. It is a duty, otherwise many modern godparents perceive their title of “godparents” as a title and nothing more.

“Godfather” is, first of all, a set of responsibilities towards his godson, and the godfather will answer to the Lord if his godson grows up indifferent or, God forbid, hostile Orthodox faith. But such a misfortune can and, unfortunately, often happens if the soul of the Little Man does not receive proper feeding and care. In this case, the soul does not develop and languishes. The result is a terrible picture that we see every day, but not everyone understands what is really happening. And this is what actually happens.

Let’s imagine that in childhood, for some reason, a person’s development of one of the members of his body stopped, for example, his arm stopped growing or shrunk. One hand is healthy, strong, strong, and the other is thin, lifeless. Looking at such a person, we feel sorry for him. He is smart, educated, and communicating with him is pleasant and interesting. But not all areas of human activity are accessible to him; he is disabled, or, as they say now, a person with disabilities. Society does not reject such people. They find something for themselves or they find something that is useful to society and interesting to them. In general, the picture is clear and not everything is so gloomy. It is more difficult and bleak when a person has a strong and healthy body, but stopped in the development of the mind in infancy or childhood. There are also many examples in the world. A tragedy for the parents of such a person. He needs supervision until the end of his days; he will never start a family or have a profession. He is like a foolish child, although in adulthood. Such a person is also disabled, but with even more limited capabilities. But this is not the worst thing.

The worst thing is that many people do not notice at all, but they experience all the consequences of this horror.

Here's another example. The man is strong, strong, beautiful in body and face. He is smart and educated. Or he may be weak and ugly, he may be uneducated and completely stupid. These external qualities will only affect to some extent its place in social structure society. Whether he is a boss or a subordinate, a businessman or a tramp, a show business star or a mass entertainer in a remote province, a State Duma deputy or a prisoner - all this does not matter. Something else is important. All these people we imagine have one serious flaw - their soul has frozen in its development, remained underdeveloped or completely undeveloped. And if, speaking of the underdeveloped mental abilities of a person, the term “dementia” is acceptable; if a serious physical disability is called a deformity, then in relation to an undeveloped or underdeveloped human soul, people cannot say anything, because the very concept, or, more accurately, the understanding of what a soul is, is simply unknown to many.

Seventy years of godless life in our country did not pass without consequences for the people. During the years of Soviet power, most people were disfigured. The souls of people not only did not receive spiritual food in the churches, but everything was done and continues to be done a lot in order to feed the souls of our people poison. The scourge of our century is unbelief. It is about unbelief that the ever-memorable Bishop John (Snychev) says: “Unbelief devastates life and extinguishes its animation. People have become petty, the characters are weaker, in the service of people there is no noticeable ideological spirit in which it would be possible to tie it to the highest principles that infuse energy... We do not have the principles that in former times were the giants of thought and creativity, inspired by thoughts of heavenly things, colossi work undertaken for the glory of God. And for the benefit of our neighbors, as beings created in the image and likeness of God.”

However, it is impossible to kill a person’s soul; it was created by the Lord immortal, destined for eternal life. The soul of a person belongs to the Lord, and goes to Him after the death of a person: “All souls are Mine: both the soul of the father and the soul of the son are Mine” (). “In His hand is the soul of all living things and the spirit of all human flesh” (). And Satan is not given power over the human soul.

Many of us have weak, frail, sick souls. There are a lot of spiritually disabled and spiritually unhealthy people among our people. And since when characterizing a person, the state of his soul is not taken into account, spiritually unhealthy people who pose a danger to others can occupy responsible positions and high positions. In our everyday life, this is manifested in the fact that a young, healthy guy can kill a person for a penny, the leader of a country can order the sowing of an agricultural crop where it has never grown and will not grow; a military commander can give the order to shoot unarmed civilians. Specific examples many can be cited.

IV.

All the vices of our modern society, such as drunkenness, rampant violence, corruption in power structures, the spread of debauchery, are manifestations of the main disease of our people, each individually and all together - the disease of the human soul. We understand illness of the soul not in the generally accepted understanding of mental illness - as a disorder of brain function. In our understanding, the sick in soul are people who, deliberately or due to spiritual underdevelopment, are conductors of the demonic will into our lives. Underdevelopment and weakness of the soul do not allow us to resist satanic attacks on humans. Diseases of the soul cannot be treated with injections or electric shock, they are treated with spiritual means: prayer, fasting, repentance, communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, reading the Word of God and admonition in it with the help of the Holy Fathers. Each of us understands that it is easier to treat a disease in initial stage than to fight an already advanced disease. Better yet, avoid getting sick at all. But a child is already born with original sin, the baby’s soul is already affected by mental illness: “God created man, in the likeness of God he created him,” and “Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and gave birth to a son in his own likeness, in his image” (). That is why it is necessary to bring babies to the temples of God and commune them with the Holy Mysteries, because for the soul, especially for the soul of an infant, communion is the only and absolutely necessary spiritual food that contributes to strengthening and growth.

By the way, frequent regular communion of an infant can cleanse and free him (her) from some hereditary sinful tendencies. If a baby is not given communion regularly, his soul also suffers, just as the body suffers when it is deprived of its mother's milk.

Each baptized person has his own Guardian Angel. But the soul of a baby, not nourished by Communion, is constantly attacked by fallen angels and this, naturally, negatively affects the soul little man. And without Holy Communion his soul is deprived of itself strong defense. For demons there is no concept of pity. They attack all people without distinction of age and Others human qualities. The Guardian Angel protects a person, but people are so mired in sins, sin has spread so much throughout the world that although the Guardian Angel protects a person, the soul suffers very much from the attacks of demons. And the baby’s soul feels these attacks and suffers from them. Outwardly, this may manifest itself in the fact that the child becomes capricious and restless for no apparent external reason; otherwise he may, for some unknown reason, clench his fist with force and seem to threaten someone invisible with it; or maybe an angry grimace appears on the baby’s face, despite the fact that he is surrounded by care and affection. The child cannot explain what is happening to him. The more attentive and prudent adults should be.

Let us note that although an infant cannot yet sin consciously, the infection of sin is still present in him (in addition, sins and sinful inclinations can be inherited) and this infection has a significant influence on the development of the child external environment. And as we said above, the spiritual climate in our society is, to put it mildly, unhealthy. Even the most pious, deeply religious parents are forced to communicate with people who are unspiritual, godless, and, in our understanding, unhealthy. We have all recently witnessed how modern society was frightened by the outbreak of “SARS” and what strict measures were taken to prevent the spread of the infection. With regard to the spiritual health of the nation, people and authorities show amazing frivolity. The Lord said: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear more the One who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” ().

V.

The child's soul is extremely tender and sensitive. You can observe children and compare how baptized and unbaptized children behave, compare the behavior of children who regularly receive the Mysteries of Christ with those who are not given communion or are not brought to churches at all. The difference will be obvious. Some children are calm and obedient to their parents, others, on the contrary, are spinning, spinning and trying to run away from the temple. And if a child is rarely given communion, then attempts to give him communion are often associated with some difficulties. I remember such a case.

Several years ago, one young man, being godfather a boy of about four years old, I decided to give him communion. It must be said that this boy’s parents are not church people, although they were baptized, they rarely went to church, and they gave their son communion only once in infancy. And so the godfather himself decided to take the boy to the temple and give him communion. It was in the summer, at the dacha. The church was nearby. And so, in the morning, on a weekday, the godfather came to his godson, warning his parents in advance so that the boy would not be fed or given water in the morning. The parents showed understanding and prepared the boy as best they could, explaining to him where he would go tomorrow. The godfather and godson came to the temple. There are two parishioners in the church, and three grandmothers on the choir. The priest began the liturgy. The boy is calm and obedient, looking at the church and the priest with curiosity. They explained to the boy that after some time the priest would come out and give him communion, that there was no need to be afraid, the father was kind, good, that after communion he would feel very good, very joyful, that after communion he would be given sweet, tasty water to drink, and at home everyone will be waiting for him with joy. There was no sign of anxiety in the child. They sang “Our Father”, a young man with his godson in his arms stands at the salt, everyone is waiting for the priest to come out with the Chalice. The child is calm, everyone is in joyful and solemn anticipation. The curtain opens, a priest comes out with the Chalice and... the child sharply turns away from the Chalice, grabs the neck of his godfather with both hands and buries his nose into his shoulder, clearly making it clear that he does not intend to turn around. The priest read a prayer and went to the edge of the salt, but all attempts to persuade the boy and turn him to face the Chalice led to nothing. The child did not allow himself to receive communion. The priest returned to the altar, asking the young man to try to give communion again after the service. The service came to an end, the child calmed down, stood up on his feet again, facing the altar, and stood calmly next to his godfather. The priest went out to the soleya, said a short sermon and sent the parishioners away with God. There was no one left in the church at all. The priest asked to approach the salt again and again brought out the Holy Gifts through the Royal Doors. The same result, the boy did not allow himself to receive communion. The priest finally took the Chalice to the altar and advised young man give the child at least a piece of prosphora and let him wash it down with church drink. To my surprise, the child accepted all this without any resistance.

This case (not at all exceptional or isolated) gives us a lot to think about. After all, a four-year-old child does not yet understand what Church, Communion, prosphora, drinking water, etc. are. However, he did not want to accept the Holy Gifts, but accepted the prosphora and drink. Asking him why he did this is pointless; he is still too young to explain his actions. In this case, the demons had already taken such possession of the soul of this boy that they prevented him from accepting the Body and Blood of Christ into himself. This is already a very alarming symptom, and parents need to pay attention to it. If you continue to be indifferent, the child’s soul will harden even more and after some time it will be difficult not only to give the child communion, but even to bring him to church. But by receiving communion, “we commune through materiality with Whom the Lord Jesus Christ is and we commune with God” ().

Defense against attacks from the enemy of the human race is prayer and fasting. And it was not people who came up with this, but the Lord Himself said: “This race is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (). And the words of the Lord are immutable. The truth of these words is confirmed by the centuries-old experience of Orthodox asceticism and the experience of our Orthodox contemporaries, who even in our time live a full spiritual life.

And here's what else is very important. Through the sacrament, the baby takes into himself the whole of Christ, but the sacrament cannot be some kind of mechanical guarantor of everyday well-being, a successful career, sheer luck, etc. It is not given to us to know which path the Lord will lead a person and which path the person himself will follow. In his life there may be strong temptations, dangers, bitter mistakes, painful falls. But the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will strengthen his heart, instill good, reasonable aspirations, and guide him to the right path. The soul can be carried away by sins and lusts, but the light of Christ, the incomparable warmth and sweetness of Communion, experienced by it in childhood, are capable, like no other force, of helping to return to God, to His holy temple, to wish for a pure life, to bring true repentance from the heart, come to his senses, just as the prodigal son came to his senses. You cannot deprive your soul of such power!

VI.

In order for the baby, when he grows up and is of sufficient age, to be able to pray and fast fully himself, he must be prepared for this. That is, his soul should not be hardened, but alive, capable of receiving spiritual benefits. And if in infancy you neglect the nourishment of the soul, then its sensitivity, inherent in babies, will gradually be lost, and the infection original sin will continue to corrode it and, under certain unfavorable circumstances for a person, such a soul will not only be unable to perceive spiritual food, but, on the contrary, will be extremely susceptible to sin, i.e. will be prone to evil. This is how a person can grow up, seemingly beautiful and strong, educated, capable of achieving a lot in life, but with a soul that is cloudy and dark, or even completely black. In worldly language, an ordinary scoundrel will grow up. No mother wants her child to grow up like this.

For each of us individually, what is important is not what our friend looks like externally, not what he is wearing, not what social position he occupies, but what his soul is like. Due to my priestly activity, I had to communicate with different people, different professions and titles, of different ages and different levels of education. And frankly speaking, if a person is unspiritual, if his soul, having only once partaken of the grace of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation, is no longer warmed by love for the Lord in prayer, then communication with such people (and, alas, they are the majority) does not bring joy and satisfaction, I feel very sorry for such people and I want to pray for them. We must ask the Lord to enlighten them and help them revive their souls. But the person himself must live his soul, nourish it. “The Blood of Christ... waters the soul and imparts to it some special power. Worthyly acceptable, it pursues demons and drives them far away from us, and attracts Angels and the Lord of Angels Himself; for where demons see the Blood of the Lord, they flee from there, and Angels flock there... She is the salvation of our souls; it delights us, it adorns us, our soul is enlightened by it; it makes our mind more luminous than fire, our soul purer than gold. Through the shedding of Her, heaven itself became easily accessible to us” (St.). Therefore, those Orthodox parents who either doubt the need for frequent communion for their children, or are unreasonably afraid for the health of their children, or do not want to disturb the baby once again (they need to dress him, take him outside, maybe go to public transport, his regime will be disrupted, etc.), reveal the poverty of his faith, disobedience to the Church. Such parents themselves, without realizing it, cause great harm to their children and thereby commit a sin. St. warns very strictly such unreasonable and careless parents. John Chrysostom: “Then we will give a terrible answer in what now seems unimportant; for the Judge, with equal severity, demands from us to take care of our salvation and that of our neighbors... Neglect of children is greater than all sins and reaches the very height of wickedness... The corruption of children comes from nothing other than the insane attachment (of parents) to the things of life: paying attention Only for this, they necessarily no longer care about children with their souls. About such fathers I would say (and let no one attribute these words to anger) that they are worse than even child killers. Those separate the body from the soul, and these throw both of them together into the fire of Gehenna.”

“The Christian upbringing of a child should begin from the very first days of his birth, after Holy Baptism” (St. Metropolitan. For a baby, Christian upbringing consists precisely in bringing him to the temple of God and in communicating with him the Holy Mysteries. When a baby, this little living lump , bring it to the Chalice and commune it with the Holy Blood of Christ, then, as practice shows, the child calmly accepts It, does not resist It. And this is natural, because according to the word “the soul is by nature a Christian,” St. Theophan (the Recluse) writes: “.” It has been noticed that on the day when a child receives communion of the Holy Mysteries, he is immersed in deep peace, without strong movements of all natural needs, even those that act more strongly in children...” As the child grows physically, the baby, subject to regular communion, will grow and strengthen spiritually, and the more successfully resist the attacks of demons. When the child grows out of swaddling clothes and enters the age of rational perception of the world around him, then the temple of God will already be near and dear to him, he will already willingly and consciously receive communion. Prudent parents, as their child grows, explain in words and expressions accessible to him the names and meaning of the objects in the temple, and talk about the holy saints of God. But under no circumstances should we descend to primitive simplification. sacred concepts, as foolish people often do. You cannot call an icon a picture, a priest - “uncle”, the Holy Gifts - “sweet water”, etc. We must immediately, from childhood, invest in the child correct names and concepts. And if, due to his youth, a child cannot understand something, then, as they say, there is a time for everything. If the child is already quite old, but still does not understand everything, and his behavior in the temple leaves much to be desired, then this is the fault of the adults who, due to their own insufficient culture (spiritual and secular), were unable to explain the necessary concepts to the child in time. If you often take a child to church, teach him to be attentive in church, monitor how he behaves, where his attention is directed, correct his aspirations and mood in time, then the words of prayers will naturally enter his consciousness, without special memorization as homework. And when it goes like this from childhood harmonious development of a person, when a person simultaneously develops both physically and mentally, and, most importantly, his spiritual development does not lag behind, then a spiritual worldview and an Orthodox religious worldview develops in such a person. Such a person will feel the presence of God everywhere, His good Providence for every human soul, His love for the entire fallen human race. And he will strive to respond with his love to the immeasurable love of God and fulfill His holy will. And although such a person will be especially strongly attacked by the enemy of the human race, the maturity of his soul, constantly strengthened by faith and trust in God’s help, will allow him to withstand this invisible battle. And although in the life of such a person there will be falls, but Orthodox worldview teaches a person not to despair, but to fall again and again to the Lord with a contrite heart and with tears of repentance, to correct himself and move on towards the cherished goal of every Orthodox Christian, which is the Kingdom of Heaven! Amen.