March  2023

I was asked to write about the proper procedure for Communion so that all would know. There is a directive given by the Holy Synod on the proper preparation, which is found in the documents section of the OCA website. I have included in this article some of those directives as well as the prayers that we are to say.

Confession, the mystery of reconciliation with the Church, must be regular and frequent. It must be an abiding element in the lives of the faithful, deformalized and revitalized as the most common and normal actions of a people continually united and reunited with each other and with God. See: On Spiritual Life in the Church, Encyclical found here:

https://www.oca.org/holy-synod/encyclicals/on-spiritual-life.

In the 1st directive the priest is given the job of Spiritual Father and confessor, and at this time the best way forward is to follow the OCA directives #2 and #3.

1. The priest, as spiritual father and confessor of the flock entrusted to his care, must determine the frequency with which the spiritual child confesses his/her sins.

If you only plan to receive Communion once in a while or you are not in church often to receive you would need to go to Confession before you partake of Communion.

2. For those who seldom receive Holy Communion, the priest must keep in all its strictness the obligation for confession before communion. However, if someone wants to confess more often then he/she communes, the Spiritual Father should be prepared to hear that person’s confession at all times.

If you want to receive regularly, several times a month, you need to confess at least once a month. Confession should be on Saturday night after Vespers or by appointment, but not before Liturgy.

3. For reception of Holy Communion more than once a month, Confession must be on a regular basis, and heard not less than once a month.
4. 6. The secrecy of the Mystery of Penance is considered an unquestionable rule in the entire Orthodox Church. Theologically, the need to maintain the secrecy of confession comes from the fact that the priest is only a witness before God. One could not expect a sincere and complete confession if the penitent has doubts regarding the practice of confidentiality. Betrayal of the secrecy of confession will lead to canonical punishment of the priest. St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite exhorts the Spiritual Father to keep confessions confidential, even under strong constraining influence. The author of the Pedalion (the Rudder), states that a priest who betrays the secrecy of confession is to be deposed.

There are prayers in every daily prayer book for the proper preparation for receiving Communion. The prayers before Communion should be said before arriving at church. They can be said the night before or in the morning before Liturgy, and can be combined with morning or evening prayers. Also, if possible, there is The Canon of Preparation for Communion, which is usually said the night before the Liturgy. The prayers after Communion are said in the church after the Liturgy, everyone who has partaken of Communion should be quietly staying and listening to the prayers before departing, in this way we show reverence and respect to Christ while giving thanks for allowing us to partake of His body and blood.

Fr. Mikel Bock