Congratulations to Irina on her 66th birthday!
Two SIXES,
As a sign of MATURITY,
Designated feminine charms,
Dear Sister, yours!
Two NINES, in the arms of Fidelity,
To meet in health - overripeness,
We...
https://www.site/poetry/1147462
Then Santa Claus must be warned in advance about your plans. Grandfather is not afraid to experiment, and will be happy to listen to your wishes regarding congratulations Your relatives and friends, as long as they meet the standards of decency, of course. Exclusive congratulations from Santa Claus in themselves are considered a good gift for New Year, and will certainly not leave anyone indifferent. Especially...
https://www.site/journal/13783
Harmony and peace. However, soon after the prime minister's address, members of his office noticed an error. A couple of hours later, a corrected version appeared on the prime minister’s website. congratulations, in which the correct holiday was mentioned. Such things sometimes happen - not so long ago, a Spanish minister confused the name of a basketball player with the name of a trade name at a press conference...
https://www.site/journal/138726
How the forges are filled with all kinds of ore,
As tons of metal merge into shapes,
How a ladle is filled with boiling melt -
Let the wine be poured into your glasses.
Let, as if rolled sheets come out from under a press,
From early sun until sunset,
Today it flies...
https://www.site/poetry/195984
Congratulations to a friend
Let nature fade in the fall,
Let the sun not give warmth in autumn,
And the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer,
But don’t be sad, even though summer has passed.
Do you believe that your happiness is at your doorstep,
You know love is waiting for you ahead.
And even if it is difficult at times...
On Sunday, May 19, our Veronica had her First Communion ( Pierwsza Komunia Święta ) . It sounds like something that always has to be explained. So, I'll try. The first communion is the first communion. Communion among Catholics (at least among Polish ones) is a very important and solemn event to which children from 7 to 12 years old are allowed. By the way, Orthodox Christians can receive communion after baptism. But I will not go into detail and list the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. I will say right away that I am a believer, but I will not describe my attitude towards faith. This is long, polemical and protracted... Surely many will ask: why did we, an Orthodox girl, send her to the church for communion?
Now let's go back two years. When we went to school, one of the first questions was: “Will your child go to religion lessons?” This was not necessary. In principle, any Pole can also refuse them. But the point is (and this is my opinion) that in Poland religion is not only faith, it is already a deeply rooted tradition. Thus, among your acquaintances you can find those who do not miss Sunday services and put a cross on themselves even just passing by the church on the bus, and those who consider themselves believers, but have a negative attitude towards the activities of the church, although they observe traditional things (such as baptizing child, first communion, marriage, etc.). I think the situation is approximately the same in Orthodoxy. It is worth saying that in Poland public holidays(when the whole country is on holiday) more than half are probably religious holidays.
So, returning to the question “Why?” Initially, it was important for me that the child adapt to another country, so that he does not feel like a “stranger”, so that he joins the team. Considering that all the children in the class go to religion, there would be a lot of questions from the children to Nika, who was still not very oriented at that time. And it would be extremely difficult to explain to Nika. In addition, it is always easier to understand another culture through knowledge of traditions. Therefore, my agreement to send my child to commune is also related to the desire to learn more about the culture of the country in which she lives.
So, Nika went to religion throughout first grade and even really liked it. The priest told bible stories, played the guitar, told children the basics of faith, explained to children how important it is to be kind, patient, etc. So, personally, I don’t see anything prudent in this. I remember how we New Testament, the old and the gospel were read at the university during foreign literature classes. And here’s your first class: the life of Christ, the acts of the apostles, what are the names of all the archangels, etc. I remember Nika surprised me when she blurted out “Our Father” in Polish, I walked around with my mouth open for a long time.
Now Nika has grown up and we are already discussing issues related to religion and faith. In any case, I am not forcing her to be either Orthodox or Catholic; when she grows up, she will decide everything for herself.
At the beginning of the second grade, it was announced that the children would have their first communion. They briefly explained to me what was what, and how much this event would cost. Our priest changed, and by the way, he didn’t even immediately understand that Nika was not Polish (in principle, no one understands this anymore).
I went to the priest and explained the situation that my child is Orthodox, but I don’t mind. I'll explain here too. It was also possible to refuse communion. But again the question arose, how to explain this to Nika? Everyone is coming, but you, not a Catholic, can’t. No, that won't work. I didn’t really want to stress the child. Yes, we don’t go to church, but we don’t go to church every week either. And I think I did the right thing. Actually, what difference does it make in which direction to be baptized, how to pray, or even on a stool at home, faith is important! In principle, I am generally against rituals; in some way this whole paganism reminds me.
The priest did not give an answer right away, he said that he would ask someone “higher up” :). And after half a year he said that yes, let Nika go to communion.
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So, the preparation itself lasts the whole academic year. Children are doing what they learn from the Catholic Catechism, one might say that this is the ABC of Faith. The meaning of the sacrament is explained to children throughout the year. A sign is neatly glued in the notebook that you need to pass it by heart.
But most of all, parents prepare for communion. Firstly, every third Sunday of the month there is a meeting with the priest, at which he first talks for about 20 minutes about how it is necessary to pass on one’s faith to children, how important it is to pray, and then for another 30 minutes the financial part is discussed, i.e., how much money We collect for Ruzhany, how much for books, how much for flowers, etc. The communion event is extremely solemn. But more on that a little later. Ladies from sewing workshops come to meetings, present outfit options, and photographers come. 75 children attended the commune; one can only imagine how difficult it was for the parents of the children to come to a consensus. And all this lasts until April. During this time, dresses are sewn, restaurants are ordered...
Now about the solemnity. This event is so important in a child’s life that all close relatives gather for this, many of whom are even forced to fly from abroad. In addition to grandparents, godparents are required, as well as numerous uncles and aunts (this depends on the family’s ability to organize). Finding a restaurant on this day by the month of May is almost impossible.
We're having a girl, so let's talk about the dress. The dress is made to order (traditionally), it also requires shoes, a wreath, tights, underwear, gloves, and a handbag. Such a lady cost us about 4 thousand rubles. On the day of communion, many still make an appointment with the hairdresser, etc. Well, just like graduation! Well, here we managed on our own.
So April, by the end of April the children had almost all passed the Catechism. They go to the consecration of crosses (by the way, they receive them only on this day; children receive small icons for baptism). Our Nika went with her Orthodox friend. He goes with him.
Then, before the commune, the children must confess twice. It looked like this. Over the course of a couple of months, the children were given a text with an ellipsis after the words “I did such and such”... the so-called “confession formula.” On the appointed Saturday at nine o'clock, the children with their parents and godparents went to confession (the parents also had to go to confession, but we were released, and many did not go anyway). After confession, the priest “forgives sins” and asks to read the “Our Father” to atone for sins. When I asked Nika what sins she would talk about, the child replied that these were her sins and she should not tell me. Although she somehow did not perceive the confession itself, apparently, given the formality with which it all happened.
Rehearsals began two weeks before the commune. How children get up, how they walk in, how they kneel, how they take communion, how they sit, what they sing, how they sing, etc. From and to. And parents go too. Our Nika sang a psalm, so we also learned to sing with the organist. So one of the rehearsals with the organist was scheduled for the day when the parents were invited to “clean up the church.” I put the rag in my bag and went with Nika. Other children from the psalm-singing group also came. And what a surprise the children were to see the priest not in a cassock, but in jeans and a T-shirt. In general, the parents wiped the benches, arranged flowers, made flower arrangements, decorated the church in every possible way, and ironed the white capes for the altar. Well, we chatted. I had a feeling like before, they came before the holidays and the whole class washed the floor, walls, and desks.
My opinion is really that all these preparations, dresses, restaurants, etc. actually distract from the main thing, from the very essence of “communion.” The last straw, it seems to me, is gifts. On this day, it is customary to give expensive gifts to children: phones, bicycles, computers, etc. And although the priest insisted that the parents limit themselves somehow, traditions are traditions. Somewhere on the Internet I found a comparison between Communia and Pioneer Acceptance Day, and yes... there is something in it.
So, Sunday, May 19... we got up early, did our hair, everyone dressed solemnly and moved to the church. I must say the weather was exceptional, it was very sunny. Naturally, all the girls rushed to look at each other, who was wearing what, what shoes, what hairstyles. But then the priest came and the children quickly lined up in two rows, according to height, in pairs. Came another priest, the main one, said an introductory word and sprinkled him with holy water.
First, the children asked their parents for blessings, they blessed them and the children entered the church. Then the children sang, read passages from holy scripture, etc. Then there was the communion itself.
Then the cleric came, played the guitar and the children sang. Then they thanked the priests (both). Several photographers were working at the event all the time, shooting videos. Parents were strongly advised not to take photographs. (You can imagine how many flashes there would be every minute!!!) All photographs for this post were taken by a special photographer. After the commune, about two months later, everyone received an album with printed photographs, a decorated disc with videos, and a disc with numerous photographs. Naturally, photos and videos were ordered and agreed upon separately.
Then, upon leaving the church, in memory of the first communion, the children received the blessing of Pope Francis I (note that the blessing costs 800 rubles). And then everyone went to restaurants.
But that's not all. After the commune begins " white week" This means that children in their white clothes must come to the service and communion at 17-00 for a whole week. Each service this week was special: they thanked parents, teachers, etc. On Friday, at the last service, the children were given bread, symbolizing kindness, since the entire service was dedicated to the importance of being a kind person.
But that's not all. In a year, the girls will get their dresses, and the boys will get their suits, if the outfits, of course, still fit them :), and on the same day the children will gather again in the church to hold a service in honor of the anniversary of the adoption of the first commune.
How to behave after communion?
If, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome by them, then the latter is worse for them than the first. It would be better for them not to know the path of righteousness than, having learned it, to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. But what happens to them is according to the true proverb: the dog returns to his vomit, and the washed pig goes to wallow in the mud. (2 Pet. 2:20-22).
Upon communion, one must show correction, testify to love for God and neighbor, thanksgiving, and diligent care for a new, holy and immaculate life.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
After communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, enter immediately into the recesses of your heart and, having worshiped the Lord there with reverent humility, turn to Him mentally with the following words: You see, My All-Good Lord, how easily I fall into sins to my own destruction, what strength it takes I have a passion that is fighting me and how I myself am powerless to free myself from it. Help me and strengthen my powerless efforts, or better yet, take my weapon in my place, completely defeat this frantic enemy of mine... Worship this One God, glorified in the Holy Trinity and beneficent to us, and, having given reverent thanksgiving to Him as a kind of gift, offer an unyielding decision, readiness and impulses to fight against one’s sin in the hope of overcoming it by the power of the One Trinitarian God.
Venerable Nicodemus the Holy Mountain (1749-1809).
After communion, one must ask the Lord to preserve the gift with dignity and that the Lord will give help not to return back, that is, to previous sins.
Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891).
Every time the Lord vouchsafes you to partake of the Holy and Life-giving Mysteries of Christ, think thus: what happiness I have today, the Lord entered the house of my heart, He did not abhor me, a sinner and unclean one! What mercy of God is upon me, what joy to me, because today I am not alone, but Christ Himself, my Lord and Savior, is my guest!
Hieromartyr Arseny (Zhadanovsky), Bishop of Serpukhov (1874-1937).
Now every sin we commit will be an offense against the Lord; every vicious action is a clear offense to the Sweetest Redeemer. Every abuse of our body will be the spitting, choking and beating that He suffered from His enemies. Now we are no longer alone, but the Lord is with us and in us. We must not give up good deeds, deeds of piety.
And most importantly, the communicants must be complacent and generous in all circumstances of life.
Each of us must take care of the treasure we have received, and not throw it away at random. Each of us must not forget that he is a Christian, and most importantly, that he is a communion Christian. In all temptations, he must remember that he has received the terrible Mysteries of Christ into eternal life, that he is not ready to part with the Sacrament, nor to exchange them for the satisfaction of any passion. Each of us must remember the real bright moments when we are all pure before the Lord, washed by His Most Pure Blood and nourished by His Most Pure Flesh. Each of us must remember the Lord’s love for us and the love that we have testified to Him. Today we said to the Lord: We believe and confess that You are the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners; We believe that I do not accept the Holy Mysteries for condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body. I kissed You, Lord, not with the traitorous kiss of Judas, the traitor, but with an innocent and holy kiss. If we forget about this, then the Lord Himself will forget us. And we will again wander in the darkness of sin, and the light of Christ will be taken away from us, the joy and peace of conscience will be taken away from us, more and more necessary than which there is nothing in the whole world.
Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov (1836-1908).
Having accepted the Mysteries of Christ, we carry Christ within us. We become like a person carrying a cup filled to the brim with wine or water: if he is not careful, he may spill some of the liquid, and if he stumbles and falls, he will lose everything that was in the cup. Having partaken of the Mysteries of Christ, we must realize What and Who we carry within us. And from the moment of Communion, without pause, without interruption, our preparation for the next Communion must begin. And we should not think that if we received communion today, then we can prepare for the next Eucharist a day or three days before it, and the rest of the time we can live as if Christ is not present in us.
Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) (XX-XXI centuries).
The fruits of Holy Communion are valid if we do not offend the shrine. If we insult it, then on the same day of communion it ceases to function. How do we insult the shrine? Vision, hearing and other senses; verbosity and condemnation. Therefore, on the day of communion, one must primarily preserve one’s eyesight and remain silent more, keeping one’s tongue shut.
Rev. Alexy Zosimovsky (1844-1928).
Often after fervent prayer, demons attack us with great strength, as if wanting to take revenge on us. Moreover, even after Communion, with the greatest bitterness, they try to instill in us unclean thoughts and desires, in order to take revenge on us for resistance and victory over them, and in order to reduce faith in us, trying, as it were, to prove that we are not there is no benefit from Holy Communion, and on the contrary, the struggle is even worse. But one should not be discouraged by this, understanding the cunning of the enemy to defeat him with faith and perseverance in the fight against him.
Svschmch. Seraphim (Zvezdinsky), bishop. Dmitrovsky (1883 ca. 1937).
There is an old expression: to everyone good deed either precedes or follows temptation. And such good deeds as prayer from the bottom of the heart, and especially communion, cannot remain without the vengeance of the devil. He uses all his strength to prevent him from praying properly and receiving communion. And if he couldn’t do this, then he tries to do a mischief later so that not a trace remains of the benefit received. This is very well known to everyone involved in spiritual life. That is why it is necessary, with humility and contrition of heart, if possible, to ask the Lord to protect us from the snares of the enemy, acting either directly on the soul or through people subject to him.
Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) (1894-1963).
Always remember that after mass and communion you should always dine slowly and moderately. The same goes for the night.
Having accepted into yourself the most pure Flesh and Blood of the Lord, do not then, when you come home, rush greedily onto the flesh of an animal; observe extreme moderation in its use and do not indulge in long sleep during the day. All this contributes to the hardening of the heart, which urgently needs to be preserved in the holy tenderness and sensitivity that we receive after the worthy acceptance of the most pure Mysteries.
St. righteous John Kronstadt (1829-1908).
When a person eats fatty foods or generally overeats after communion, he can immediately observe how that light, subtle, spiritual thing that he clearly felt only before this perishes within him.
It has been noted that if a communicant goes to bed soon after communion (especially after a hearty dinner), then when he wakes up, he no longer feels grace. The holiday seemed to be over for him already. And this is understandable: devotion to sleep testifies to inattention to the heavenly Guest, Lord and Master of the world; and grace departs from the careless participant in the Royal Supper. It is better to spend this time reading, thinking, even taking a mindful walk. So I had to observe this among the monks. And in the world you can visit a sick person, do something good for someone, or enjoy pious fellowship with brothers or go to a cemetery to visit the dead.
Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) (1880-1961).
After death, we will be greatly tormented if we do not preserve the grace of the Holy Spirit. If on the day of communion you happen to be irritated, upset, or judge someone, then we will try to cleanse this stain in our soul with repentance. This day is best spent in silence and prayer or reading Holy Scripture and the teachings of the holy fathers, because at this time the soul is especially receptive to goodness and the wondrous words of the Gospel will sink into the depths of the heart.
Schema-abbot Savva of Pskov-Pechersky (1898-1980).
In order for us to more accurately preserve ourselves after confession from repeating sins, we strive, especially at first, while we are not yet morally strengthened, to avoid encounters with sin: to move away from those persons and those places that can give us a reason to fall.
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) (b. 1919).
Last Sunday I was invited by a friend to the first communion (primo communion) of her pretty seven-year-old daughter.
P First Communion among Catholics considered one of important event in life after baptism.
First Communion among Catholics is a great joy for a child
Catechesis lessons
The first communion among Catholics is preceded by a certain preparation (from one to three years) - the so-called catechesis lessons:
- where does a child become acquainted with the Bible?
- church etiquette;
- prayers.
(By the way, in Italy EVERYONE, young and old, knows prayers, because they begin to learn them already in kindergarten).
First Communion for Catholics
On the eve of the first communion, the child's first confession takes place. He himself remembers everything he has done, good and bad, in his life and openly talks about this padre. The result of the classes conducted by the nuns is a solemn day associated with festive excitement and the expectation of gifts.
Gifts for first communion among Catholics (I’m talking about Sicily now) are not cheap at all. Grandfathers, grandmothers, godfather(padrino) shell out money to purchase gold items with diamonds... The rest of the guests compete in offerings, as if wanting to receive the title - The most expensive gift.
Many people simply give special holiday envelopes containing a check for a certain amount or “real” money.
All gifts and envelopes are opened at the end of the festive dinner, which takes place in a luxurious restaurant, and everyone has the opportunity to find out what or how much the other gave. How can one not turn out to be a “brutal figure” in this situation? There was no amount less than 100 euros in the envelopes.
The mass (church service) for the first communion was scheduled for 10 a.m., but already knowing the “punctuality” of Italians, I arrived at the chiesa (church) at 10:30.
To my great surprise, the huge church was full of people and the mass was already underway! With half-hearted grief, I found a free folding chair, sat down next to the column and began to watch the solemn action.
And there was something to see! I am very sorry that I missed the beginning of this service.
The girls, all in the same long white dresses, with a wreath on their heads, and white gloves, looked like brides, the boys were also dressed the same, in long white tunics. There was a festive, lively atmosphere around; for sure, this day will remain in the memory of the children forever:
- melodic songs,
- divine sounds of the organ filling the church,
- beautiful ceremony,
- elegant clothes - all this remains in my memory.
All this, when it gets into the soul, brings amazing peace and tranquility.
After the service, all those invited went to a gala dinner at the restaurant.
By the way - I really like it interesting tradition among the Catholics, at the end of the service, after a certain prayer, to wish everyone peace, goodness and harmony. At the same time, everyone shakes hands with their closest neighbors. The kids really like it. They run around the whole church with their handshake, with a smile I shake hands with everyone - people I know and people I don’t know.
To all of you, dear readers of my blog, I wish peace, goodness and harmony!
And I wish you congratulations
present with all my heart,
and on the sweetest birthday
I give it impromptu, like confetti.
Let the sun shine brightly
and gives us inspiration!
Let it be in January, as it was in May,
She will give us love!!!
Let the Shining...
https://www.site/poetry/167311
The first snow has finally fallen,
Waking up from sky-high negations.
They descend from heaven to the sinful earth,
Illuminating the night, fields and forest with light
Hosts of snowflake angels keep circling,
Sprinkling lace light into the sky
To fill the world with beauty and...
https://www.site/poetry/1135520
... - mostly Slovenian, but also French, Spanish, English, Arabic, Danish and even Russian. Kovats and Mehler were imprisoned children in front of black monitor screens, on which two white squares were burning on the right and left. IN first During part of the experiment, the scientists uttered a meaningless three-syllable word - like “la-bu-da”, after which in one of the squares - say, the right one - appeared...
https://www.site/journal/117807
Atlantov), led those people who had LOVE in their hearts. It was there that the Teachers of the 4 races began their first genetic development to create FIRST People - Atlanteans - 4 races from the genes of seven Animals: Bull, Horse, Lion, Pig, Monkey, Bird and Fish. ... were and are being carried out in advance! It is for this reason that Zeus in all the myths of Greece is presented as a loving god who has many children! Details about the scenario of the End of the World, which people of the 3rd race experienced, are written in the “Book of Dzyan”, part 2. All of them are ...
https://www.site/religion/19083
By email and, unfortunately, I don’t know its source). “We would like to introduce you to a selection of letters that children addressed directly to God. This idea came to the mind of Riga writer and film playwright Mikhail Dymov. It's impossible to even comment on this. ...like a little one, So he really is crying. Marik, 4th grade. I went to kindergarten with her for two years, studied at first class, and then one day she told me: “You and I are two different person"Can you imagine, I'm worse than dead. Akady, 2nd grade...
Virgo
