Holy Communion in the church. Communion in the church: what is it? What is communion

20.03.2022

Communion is perhaps the greatest and most significant sacrament that is only performed within the walls of the Christian church. Someone takes it regularly, and someone will have to take communion for the first time in their life. This article is dedicated to the latter, which contains all the basic information on how to properly take communion in the church, so that the process itself is not just a tribute to fashion, but a real celebration of the soul.

Getting ready for everything

Any clergyman will tell you that spontaneous communion is wrong, and even sinful. Since the rite concerns not only the spiritual, but also the physical condition of a person, it is advisable to discuss all questions and points of interest with a priest who will never refuse to help you.

So, at least a week before taking communion in church, you have to completely reject all entertainment and worldly fun. This implies a complete rejection of being in noisy companies, visiting entertainment and entertainment venues, drinking alcohol and fatty foods, idle chatter, gossip and everything like that.
If such preparation for Holy Communion is difficult for you, try to gain new strength by visiting church, saying prayers, and communicating with the holy fathers. The day before you need to confess and take communion, you have to endure the entire service, from the beginning to the very end.
The physical side of the preparation consists in observing strict fasting and refusing to have sexual relations. Three days before the ceremony, exclude alcohol and food of animal origin from the diet, do not think about sex and do not engage in it. Before the sacrament itself, or rather, the day before it, it is necessary to take a post.
On the eve, it is better to refrain from dinner, the last meal should take place before the evening service on the day before communion. Holy Communion itself should be taken strictly on an empty stomach. Even morning tea or coffee is banned.

How will the ceremony take place?

Before you need to properly confess and receive communion, it is important to familiarize yourself with the procedure itself, which will allow you to be relaxed and feel the full importance of what is happening.

So, what to do on a predetermined day:

In no case should you be baptized near the cup, so as not to knock it out of the hands of the priest and spill the Communion. In the old days, the church, in which such a terrible blasphemy was allowed, was demolished, and the rector was deprived of his rank and went to atone for the sin in the monastery. Now morals are not so severe, but such an incident will not remain without consequences for the priest - the holy father can forget about promotion through the ranks.

Immediately after Communion, you should not talk, and simply open your mouth so as not to accidentally drop particles of Communion on the floor - this is a great sin. The servants of the temple give the communicants (as they are called those who have taken the rite) to drink Communion with warm water in order to be guaranteed to swallow the body of Christ to the last crumb;
It is not customary to leave the service immediately after receiving the Sacrament; the communicant must wait until the end of the service.

If, after everything you have experienced, peace and peace settled in your soul, it means that you did everything right, and you can return home. Again, on this day it is worth giving up entertainment, fasting, thinking about your life, about the Lord, about Faith and about everything sublime and spiritual.

When is communion forbidden, and when can it be done?

Having survived the first rite, people begin to wonder how often, and on what days they can or should take communion now. The first Christians underwent a ceremony every new day, for which they completely refused food and fun immediately after dark.

It is clear that a modern person is unlikely to be able or willing to do this, so you can visit the temple for such a purpose as far as possible, readiness and spiritual desire, at least once a week, at least once a month. The main thing is to understand exactly what Communion means in your life, to feel support from it and to receive strength for new achievements.
Now about whether it is allowed to receive communion while pregnant. Undoubtedly, after all, the church itself insists that a woman carrying a child should go through the ceremony as often as possible, attracting heavenly grace, blessing and support to herself and the unborn child.
Pregnant women are allowed not to fast, and the most ideal is the option in which a married couple begins to receive communion from the moment of the wedding in the church, and continues to do so, not yet knowing about the conception of offspring.
But in the days female impurity”or, simply speaking, menstruation, the church canon does not bless the communion of women.
Finally, I would like to clarify the question of whether it is possible to receive communion without prior confession. A positive answer to it is possible only if you go through the ceremony very often, and are a constant parishioner of one temple. Its rector will certainly note your zeal and bless you to approach the Chalice without preliminary confession.

Orthodox Christians treat the sacraments of the Church with special trepidation and respect. And if some of them are more understandable, not everyone knows such communion in the church.

Under this concept lies a sacred action, thanks to which Divine grace descends on a person. It cannot be seen with the eyes, but it can be felt with the whole heart.

There are seven main sacraments: marriage, priesthood, chrismation, baptism, repentance and communion. Jesus Christ told the world about the last three of them. What is it - communion in the church, how and why it is carried out. This is one of the most revered sacred rites. It also has a second name - the Eucharist, which means "thanksgiving".

During its fulfillment, the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ takes place. The communicants receive these sacred gifts of purification by participating in the sacrament.

The fact is that the church considers not only the material essence of a person, but to a greater extent its spiritual component. And just as the flesh needs food to maintain physical life, so the soul needs spiritual food.

The procedure for conducting the sacrament of communion was inherited by priests from ancient times, when the birth of the Church of Christ took place.

All actions are performed exactly as it was at the Last Supper of Christ with his apostles. Then Jesus Christ himself, breaking bread, blessed his disciples. Wine was taken from a common bowl, dipping pieces of bread into it.

Note! Thanks to the tasting of divine gifts, a person is cleansed of passions, receives peace and harmony with the external and internal world.

Meaning

What does the Eucharist give to a believer, for which is it necessary for an Orthodox Christian. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifice that the Savior made in the name of every person. His body was nailed to the cross and his blood was shed so that every sinner could have eternal life.

According to Orthodox doctrine, when the Day of Judgment comes, those who have passed the rite of communion after the resurrection will be able to reunite with God.

Sin is unavoidable on earth, and just as contaminated blood needs to be renewed, so the soul suffers if it does not receive the strength to restore itself. And the believer finds it through thanksgiving.

Everyone who receives the blood and the body of Christ is cured of passions, finds peace and joy in life. He will take a conscious step towards the purification, perfection and salvation of the soul. This is the meaning of the sacrament.

Timing

The true Christian life is not led by the one who attends church on holidays and gives alms, but by the one who tries to live by faith and keep the commandments that were given by Christ. This is the only way to fulfill the will of God. And faith, in which there is no love, is dead, and cannot serve as a road to eternal life.

People wonder how often communion is needed in church. The answer will be ambiguous, in different eras different requirements were presented. At the dawn of Christianity, believers received communion daily, and those who missed the sacrament three times were considered “fallen away” from the church and expelled from the community.

Over time, the tradition has changed, and now the clergy do not insist on the same frequency. But it is recommended to take communion at least once a year. In tsarist Russia, parishioners received thanksgiving before fasting, for example, on the day when they celebrated their name day.

You can participate in the sacrament on the twelfth holidays that the church celebrates. But the most correct advice would be: to take communion at the behest of the soul. This should not be a clear schedule, but an inner spiritual message. Otherwise, the sacrament loses its main value and meaning for a person.

Before passing the sacrament, careful preparation is required: reading the rites and canons, observing fasting. Without sincere faith, without diligence and achievement, it is impossible to receive salvation.

During the sacrament, it is necessary to take a submissive pose, cross your arms in front of you on your chest and bow your head, go up to the clergyman, give your name. Having received the gifts, one must kiss the chalice with the Holy Gifts and peacefully step aside, giving way to the next communicant.

Having received prosphora and water, which is called “warmth” in the church, you need to drink it and eat a piece of prosphora.

It is important to be extremely careful not to catch the cup, therefore, being close to it, it is better not to be baptized. After communion, do not rush to leave the temple. You have to wait until the end of the service. When the priest finishes his sermon from the pulpit, come up and kiss the cross. After that, you can leave the temple.

Important! Throughout the day, one should try to maintain peace of mind, avoid quarrels and conflicts. Take time to pray or read the bible in a quiet environment.

The Church teaches that confession and communion contribute to the purification of the soul, lighten it, filling it with healing power and grace. A person becomes more sensitive to bad deeds, realizes the border between good and evil, strengthens in the true faith and finds the strength to resist temptation.

Another question that worries the parishioners is who can receive communion. Any person who has received holy baptism has the right to participate in the sacrament.

Moreover, this is highly desirable and even obligatory for a Christian, but it cannot be approached without preliminary preparation of soul and body. The ritual is preceded by prayer, fasting and confession of one's sins.

Interesting! What is: when and how to pray correctly.

Set of rules

The Eucharist, like other church sacraments, has its own laws. So, in order to undergo repentance, you need to listen to your soul and come to church when it asks.

Preparation for communion in the church is not only the fulfillment of prescriptions, but prayer, sincere faith and a special mental attitude.

Rules for execution:

It is important to be in awe of the upcoming event.
Understand the meaning of the sacrament itself.
Sincerely believe in God and his son.
Feel peace and forgiveness.

It is necessary to know and perform.

Training

The culmination of the Divine Liturgy is the Eucharist, the preparation for it requires time and effort. During the main church service, believers turn to God with gratitude for the salvation of mankind from sin.

Before or after the liturgy, there is a general confession, provided for those who repented individually no later than a month ago.

It's important to know! It is impossible to take communion without confession of sins. An exception is given to children under 7 years old, but parents must prepare for them.

In order for repentance for sins to pass correctly, it is necessary to think over your actions in advance and correlate them with the commandments of Christ. It is important to try to forgive everyone, not to keep evil in your heart.

Prayer Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
Penitential canon to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Canon to the Guardian Angel.

Avoid food at midnight. With the permission of the priest, an exception may be for pregnant women, lactating women, children and severely weakened.

First Communion

Only members of the church have the right to participate in church sacraments. The first time a child becomes a participant in this ceremony immediately after the baptism was performed.

The clergy teach that after communion in the church, the baby receives the patronage of the Guardian Angel, who will accompany him throughout his life.

It is recommended that their biological parents and those who will become his godfather and mother be present along with the children. Some of them will bring the child to the Chalice, someone will help him calm down if he bursts into tears or becomes naughty.

You can learn about what the first connection to God is from special literature, which tells about what needs to be prepared.

If the child is not yet three years old, then it is allowed to relax the fast and eat in the morning, but so that this happens no later than thirty minutes before participating in the sacrament.

It is important that the little person feels good and calm. To do this, it is necessary to avoid noisy games and other entertainment that can overexcite the nervous system. It is necessary to make sure that the clothes on the child are comfortable and comfortable, nothing bothers.

It is not necessary to purchase expensive outfits for the first communion in the church and do fashionable hairstyles. What is important here is something completely different. In addition, expensive costumes can make poor families jealous, so parents should be wise to dress their child cleanly, but not pompously.

The clergy will explain how infants receive communion, what is necessary for this. The child is held on the right hand, holding so that he could not inadvertently overturn the Thicket or push the priest.

If for some reason it was not possible to take communion immediately after baptism, it is better to do it as soon as possible, as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

More than once there were cases when a sick child, having received thanksgiving, began to feel much better and soon recovered completely.

The Eucharist is the step that leads to the true Christian life, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that the ministers of the church recommend participating in it every Sunday.

When should the first communion take place? A child begins to confess at about 8 years of age. But age is not the main guideline, the main indicator that a son or daughter is ready for this is that they begin to consciously commit bad deeds.

Noticing this, parents should prepare the child with the help of a spiritual mentor for the fulfillment of God's commandments and repentance during the year.

How to fast

It is always necessary to observe a liturgical fast before communion, which involves abstaining from food and water for 24 hours. What to eat and drink on such days, you can ask the priest. It must be lean food.

But fasting is not just about restricting food. It is necessary to get a mental attitude, and this can only be done by consciously avoiding entertainment events, watching entertainment and music shows.

Both the body and the soul of a person should strive for purity. Even married couples should refrain from physical intimacy the day before communion. This must be done consciously.

And if a certain indulgence in food is introduced for the sick and children, then exactly at midnight a strict fast begins. In the morning one should go to the temple on an empty stomach, and those who suffer from the sin of smoking should refrain from this addiction for a while.

Preparation procedure:

Exactly three days it is necessary to refrain from various frills and give preference to modest food: dishes from cereals, vegetables, fish, nuts and fruits are allowed.
Alcohol, meat, milk and eggs are prohibited.
Try not to get into conflicts and not to swear.
In your thoughts, strive for good, driving away envy, anger, resentment.
Refrain from any kind of entertainment.
Keep the body in strictness, avoiding pleasures, watching entertainment programs and reading romance novels.
Keep the commandments of Christ, reconcile with those with whom you are in a quarrel.

Now it is much easier for believers to fulfill abstinence in food. Modern manufacturers offer a sufficient range of lean products, which in terms of taste is in no way inferior to real ones.

The table lists what you can eat in fasting before communion itself:

Helpful Video: Preparing for Communion

Summing up

There is no age limit for receiving holy gifts. The doors of the church are always open for those who wish to let God into their body and get oneness with him.

Communion should not be frightening, and preparation for it should take place with the blessing of the priest. And if you have not previously had to take part in this sacrament, you should not be afraid of a new one. Trust the Lord, and with his help everything will work out.

In contact with

People go to the temple of God to participate in the Holy Eucharist - the main event for which the church and temples were created. The Holy Eucharist is the Communion. What is Communion in the church, why it is needed and by whom it was established - we will analyze in this article.

The Eucharist (and for Protestants the Lord's Vespers or Supper) is the sacrament of the church, the central part of Divine services and the main event in the life of a Christian. In the sacrament, Christ unites with man: having consumed him worthily, it becomes possible to assimilate the Son of God, as far as it is accessible to everyone. Christ gave Himself to us in every way.

Communion in the church: what is it and why?

Communion is bread and wine, which, after a special prayer, "transubstantiation", symbolizes the Body and Flesh of the Lord. The Lord left His Body and Blood to us at the Great Supper before His suffering on the Cross, as it is written in the Gospel.

And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and giving it to the disciples, said, Take, eat: this is my body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and said: Drink all of you from it, for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:26-28)

“…do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19)

Communion is hidden from us in its true form, and the image of bread and wine is preserved, since it is not natural for a person to consume flesh, even Divine, for food. But after transubstantiation, that is, after the celebration of the sacrament, the property is changed - this is already the true Body and true blood of Christ.

The sacrament was created and introduced by the Lord Himself on the eve of the betrayal of Judas, immediately before the arrest, scourging and execution. The communion that is consumed in the church is union with God the Father in Christ, reconciliation with Him for the sake of His Son. This is the New Testament between man and God, which the Savior brought to earth. Christ gave himself as a sacrifice so that we could eat His Body and drink His Blood, and through this we would have eternal life in us, once lost in Paradise, as He told us in the Gospel.

Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him (John 6:53-56)

Communion in the Catholic Church is different from the Orthodox. So, the first uses unleavened bread for the sacrament, and the second uses yeast.

How to prepare for Communion in church?

Preparation for Communion in the church consists, first of all, in observing oneself. One cannot start the Holy Gifts if there is resentment against someone in the heart, if something has not been forgiven, if forgiveness has not been asked from those who have been offended. Be sure to go through another sacrament on the eve of Communion - Repentance. Repentance consists in sincere repentance for sins and a firm decision not to repeat them again.

Your contrition for sins must be brought to confession to the priest. It is not enough to repent "in the soul" - the apostles bequeathed us to perform the sacrament of confession in the presence of their successor, which is the priest. We cannot break this hierarchy. Confession is told in private to a priest - for Catholics this happens completely incognito, while for Orthodox the confessing priest sees the face of a person, but the confession is hidden from prying ears. The service at which the sacrament of confession takes place is served in the evening, on the eve of the Liturgy, it usually begins at 17.00.

Another important thing is the physical and prayerful preparation for the reception of the sacrament. In order to worthily accept Christ into oneself, the church recommends reading special prayers before Communion and abstaining from meat and dairy dishes for several days. In Orthodoxy, prayers for Communion include a rule from the prayer book:

the rule for the coming dream on the eve of communion;
three canons: to the Lord, the Virgin Mary, the Guardian Angel;
following to the Holy Communion;
morning rule before the service.

The prayers listed are advisory in nature, it is not easy for a beginner to read everything thoughtfully. Therefore, the rule can be reduced - down to the most necessary ten prayers, which are contained in the follow-up to Holy Communion. But the reduction of the rule - as well as other indulgences for Communion - is recommended to be discussed with the priest after confession, since the required number of prayers must be selected individually.

How is communion in church?

Liturgy is served in the Orthodox church in the morning. You can find out what time the service starts in a particular temple behind a candle box, since everyone has a different schedule. Liturgy (“common cause”) is the most important Divine service, an act of amazing beauty, filled with deep content and meaning. It consists of the most ancient hymns and aims to proceed to Communion with the necessary prayers and the correct consecration of the Gifts. The communicants pray heartily during this service, and at the end reverently take communion.

In the Catholic Church, Communion takes place at the Mass, without the rank of consecration, also after special prayers, which are established by the Catholic catechism. Catholic worship is filled with beauty, which is conveyed by a skillful choir and the famous organ - an instrument that accompanies the sacred action.

After Communion, a prayer of thanksgiving is read, and then, having kissed the cross, everyone can go home so that in purity of heart, silence and concentration, carefully preserve the grace received from the Lord.

What is Communion in the church can only be understood empirically. The inexpressible connection between man and God, so natural for intact Adam, has become available to people again. The human soul yearns for Divine communion, but sometimes it seeks it in the wrong place. How often do we choose vice and dubious pleasures? The soul seeks paradise, but often errs in its search. The state of communion with the Lord, subject to worthy acceptance of the sacrament, can give the desired fullness. But it is important to remember that Judas also took communion (one of the first), and his Communion was to condemn him. Therefore, we will take an extremely responsible approach to such an important sacrament in order to find the desired connection.

Prepared, three days before it, fast food should be abandoned, i.e. observe fasting, and after twelve at night do not take it at all and do not drink. Also refrain from marital relations. You can not cross the threshold of women during cycles. Follow these simple rules, and in this way you will achieve physical purification. In order for your soul to be ready to perform this sacred act, try not to commit any unseemly deeds for three days, do not swear, do not swear and do not kiss anyone. So that your thoughts are pure, sincerely forgive all your enemies and reconcile with those with whom you are in a quarrel. Communion is often called "the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ." Therefore, communion is very important for every believing Christian. However, the frequency of performing this rite depends on the spiritual state of the person. If this is the first time you have decided to go through the process of communion, contact the priest with whom you are going to confess. He will “evaluate” the degree of your church commitment and tell you about the timing and methods of preparing for communion. Church services are performed only on Sundays and holidays. Of course, these are not secular holidays, but those days that are determined by the church calendar. The Sacrament of Communion is performed at the morning Divine Liturgy. If you really feel the need for confession and further communion, visit the evening service on the eve of this action, and read three canons at home: the canon of repentance, the canons of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel. Before you go to church, read the canon "Following Holy Communion". Of course, if you do not have church literature, you can skip this "step" of preparation for the sacrament of the sacrament. But without confession, you will not be admitted to the rite of communion, because according to Orthodox customs, this is a great sin. Children under the age of seven, who according to church canons are considered infants at this age, are allowed to receive communion without confession. You can also go through the rite of communion without confession if you were baptized no more than a week ago. The rite itself looks like this: during the service, they take out a bowl with small pieces of consecrated bread and wine diluted with water. Prayers are read over it, invoking the holy spirit of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Christians fold their hands on their chests and take turns approaching the bowl. Having named their name given at baptism, they receive holy gifts, swallow them, wipe their mouths with a prepared towel and kiss the cup. After partaking of the "flesh and blood of Christ", the believer receives the blessing of the clergyman, kisses his hand and leaves, giving way to others

Holy Communion is the most important rite of Orthodoxy, during which wine and bread are consecrated and eaten. In this way, the communion of Christians with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ takes place. The Holy Eucharist (meaning “thanksgiving” in Greek) occupies the most important place in the liturgical circle.

The establishment of the sacrament of communion

This rite is divinely ordained and is mentioned in Scripture. For the first time, the sacrament of communion was performed by Jesus Christ. This happened before the betrayal of Judas and the beginning of the tortures of Jesus on the cross.

The Savior and his disciples gathered to have an Easter meal - this event was later given the name of the Last Supper. Christ already knew that soon he would have to give His honest blood and pure body to atone for the sins of the human race.

He blessed the bread and shared it among the apostles, saying that it was His body. After that he gave the disciples a cup of wine and told the disciples to drink, for it is His blood, which is shed for atonement. After that, Jesus commanded the disciples, and through them successors (presbyters, bishops) to perform the sacrament constantly.

The Eucharist is not a remembrance of what once was, communion is considered a repetition of that same Last Supper. Through a canonically ordained clergyman, our Lord makes wine and bread His holy blood and body.

How to Prepare for the Eucharist in Orthodoxy

The main conditions for participation in communion are faith, baptism. To perform a holy rite, a person must observe a number of norms - essential and disciplinary.

Essential conditions include:

Confession. Before taking communion, you must confess.
Understanding the meaning. A person must realize that he takes communion in order to unite with the Lord, to taste the supper for deliverance from sins.
Sincere desire. A Christian must have an ardent and sincere desire for communion.
Soul world. An Orthodox person going to Holy Communion is obliged to desire reconciliation with loved ones, peace of mind. By all means he should try to refrain from irritation, anger, condemnation, vain conversations.
Churchness. A Christian should not deviate from church canons. In case of committing serious sins, apostasy from the faith, one should unite with the Church by repentance.
Spiritual life. A believer needs to constantly force himself to do good deeds, to resist temptations, sinful thoughts that arise in the soul. Prayer to the Almighty, reading the Gospel, showing love for neighbors, abstinence and true repentance are called to help in this.

From the essential conditions follow disciplinary conditions that contribute to communion with God:

1. Liturgical fast. According to church tradition, fasting is necessary before the holy Eucharist. From midnight they do not drink or eat anything in order to approach the Holy Thicket on an empty stomach. On Pascha, Christmas and on the days of other nightly festive services, the duration of the liturgical fast is not less than 6 hours. Smokers should refrain from their habit.

2. . It takes place the night before or before Liturgy in the morning. Due to the workload of priests, confession in some parishes may take place a few days before communion. In the presence of a priest, one must sincerely open one's soul to God, not hiding a single sin. It is very important to have the intention to improve, not to make the same mistakes. Before confession, it is worth making peace with the offended and offenders, asking humbly for forgiveness from them.

3. Bodily fasting or fasting. 3-day fast, before the sacrament, refrain from dairy and meat food, but if there are any health problems, it is enough not to eat or drink from 00:00 until the start of the service. The less often an Orthodox takes communion, the stricter the fast should be, and vice versa. The longest fasting lasts a week, if a Christian takes communion every Sunday, then it is enough to fast on Wednesday and Friday, as well as 4 main fasts.

4. Home prayers. Do not forget about reading prayers at home. Prayers for Holy Communion, as well as morning and evening prayers, in order to repent more deeply of your sins, after communion, do not forget to read the morning and evening prayers every day.

5. Marital bodily relations. They should be abandoned the night before the holy rite.

Children of preschool age are exempt from all conditions and are allowed to take Holy Communion with their family or with one of their parents. For children older than 7 years, the measure of liturgical and bodily fasting, participation in worship, reading prayers is determined by the parents, after consulting with the priest. For mothers with many children, nursing mothers, disciplinary conditions may be canceled altogether.

Communion: how it is done

Before the opening of the royal doors, it is better immediately after the prayer “Our Father”, you should go to the altar and wait for the removal of the Holy Gifts. At the same time, it is customary to let children, men, the elderly and infirm people go ahead.

Approaching the Chalice, you need to bow from afar and fold your arms crosswise on your chest, placing your right on top of your left. In order not to accidentally push the vessel, one should not be baptized in front of the cup.

Standing in front of the vessel, you should clearly pronounce your full name, open your mouth and, with the realization of the holiness of the greatest sacrament, receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, immediately swallowing it.

After that, without making the sign of the cross, kiss the edge of the Cup and go to the table to taste a piece of prosphora and drink it down. Leaving the temple is not accepted until the kissing of the altar cross is completed. One should also listen to prayers of thanksgiving, but those who wish can read them when they come home.

How often to take communion?

The Monk and Ascetic Seraphim of Sarov went to Communion on all holidays and Sundays. He believed that Orthodox people should receive communion as often as possible. There is no need to shy away from the holy rite, believing that you are not worthy of it.

The holy righteous Mechev said that there is no person on earth worthy of communion. But, he added, people still receive communion through the special mercy of God, because man was not created for the sacrament, but it was for him. One should strive for the sacrament to purify the spirit, heal the soul, even considering oneself unworthy of such great grace.