How often can and should one partake of the Holy Mysteries? How should one prepare for Holy Communion? #

Partaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the most important sacrament in the life of a Christian. Before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. He also blessed a cup of wine, gave it to them to drink, and declared it to be His Body and Blood, commanding them to partake of it until His return. Thus, receiving the Body and Blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine is a direct commandment of the Lord, which must be observed continually until the day of His Second Coming.

After the Lord’s Ascension into heaven, the disciples carried out this commandment daily. This is explicitly stated in the Acts of the Apostles, where the evangelist Luke describes the life of the early Christians:

“And all that believed were together and had all things in common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.”
(Acts 2:44–47)

In the early Christian era, the rite of the Holy Liturgy was just beginning to take shape, and Christian temples had not yet been built. Believers prayed and worshiped Christ in their homes. Later, the holy apostles and fathers established that the Liturgy should be celebrated on a specially consecrated table, containing relics of Christian martyrs.

The consecration of the Holy Gifts through special prayers is reserved for bishops and priests. Therefore, without the priesthood, it is impossible to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. For this reason, the “breaking of bread” (the Holy Liturgy) quickly ceased to be a daily practice and began to be celebrated on the first day of the week, Sunday, when the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is commemorated.

In the early centuries of Christianity, believers could partake of Communion without confession. This is attested to by the story of St. Mary of Egypt, who, after committing many grievous sins, repented and received Communion in church before departing to pray and fast in the desert, where she performed great acts of piety. When Christianity became established in Rus’, conscious adults would receive Communion only after fasting and confession.

Typically, believers prepare for Communion by following a specific prayer rule and observing a stricter seven-day fast, especially during the extended fasts established by the Church (Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast, the Dormition Fast, and the Nativity Fast). This custom continues to be observed by Orthodox Christians who preserve the original Orthodox faith (Old Believers). For the gravely ill and dying, Communion without a lengthy fast is permitted, and this decision is made by the spiritual father.

It should be noted that the Council of the Metropolitanate of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church approved a report from the Kazan Old Believer community proposing that believers who refrain from grave sins and live in accordance with church rules be allowed to partake of Communion at every service, not only during extended fasts. The Council decreed that frequent Communion is possible at the discretion of the spiritual father.

In conclusion, there are two approaches within the Church regarding the frequency of partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ. Some believe one should strive to partake as often as possible, as this sacrament is commanded by Christ and is the greatest holy mystery in the Church. Others hold that Communion should be received only during extended fasts to maintain reverence for this great sacrament. In any case, there is unanimous agreement that if a person does not confess or partake of the Holy Gifts at least once a year, their spiritual life is not in proper order.

Priest Mikhail Rodin.