Ἡ συνεχὴς Θεία Κοινωνία Λόγῳ τῆς Οἰήσεως …
ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἱερομάρτυρος Ἐπισκόπου
Ἀρσενίου (Ζαντανόβσκυ). "Πνευματικὸν Ἡμερολόγιον".
Κάποτε, μοῦ εἶπαν διὰ τὴν ἐξῆς ὑπόθεσιν ποὺ ἀφορᾶ τὴν συχνὴν Θείαν Κοινωνίαν. Μία γυναῖκα ποὺ μετελάμβανε
καθημερινῶς, εἶχε προσελκύσει τὴν προσοχὴν τοῦ ἱερέως. Δόθηκε ἐντολήν, εἰς ἓναν πνευματικὸν νὰ τὴν ἐλέγξει.
Αὐτὸς καταλαβαίνοντας τὶς βαθύτερες προθέσεις της, τῆς
ζήτησε νὰ ἐξομολογεῖται πρὶν κοινωνήση καὶ ὃταν αὐτὴ ἀρνήθηκε, ἐπειδὴ τὸ
θεωροῦσε ἂβολον, ἐκεῖνος τῆς ἀπαγόρευσε νὰ πλησιάσει στὸ ἐξῆς τὸ Ἃγιον Ποτήριον. Ἀλλὰ φαίνεται ὃτι μία τέτοια πνευματικὴ καθοδήγησις ἒγινε πάρα πολὺ ἀργὰ δι ' αὐτήν, ἡ ὁποία δὲν νουθετήθη καὶ συνέχισε νὰ λαμβάνει τὴν Θείαν Κοινωνίαν καθημερινῶς, πηγαίνοντας ἀπὸ τὴν μίαν ἐκκλησίαν εἰς τὴν ἄλλην. Ὃταν κάποια στιγμὴ ἀπεκαλύφθη καὶ τότε ἀκόμη, αὐτὴ
ἀρνεῖτο πεισματικῶς τὴν παράβασίν της, ὃτι δηλαδή συνέχιζε νά κοινωνεῖ.
Ἡ πλάνη της ὃμως, δυστυχῶς
δὲν τελείωσε ἐκεῖ, ἀλλὰ κατέληξε μάλιστα, νὰ φαντάζεται ὃτι τῆς εἶχε δοθεῖ
Θεῖον Δικαίωμα, νά «καθαγιάζει» μόνη
της τὸν ἄρτον καὶ τὸν οἶνον καὶ νὰ κοινωνεῖ καθημερινῶς στὸ σπίτι της, κάνοντας
τὴν «λεγόμενην» λειτουργίαν
μὲ πρόσφορον καὶ κρασί. Εἰς τὸ τέλος ἒχασε τὰς φρένας της καὶ κατέληξε
εἰς τὸ ψυχιατρεῖον.
Διὰ τοῦτον, ἡ Θεία Κοινωνία θὰ πρέπει νὰ ἀντιμετωπίζεται μὲ μεγάλην εὐλάβειαν καί, νὰ λαμβάνεται μὲ ταπεινὴν αἴσθησιν κάθε φορά, διαφορετικῶς ἡ συχνὴ καὶ ἀναξία λήψις τῆς Θείας Κοινωνίας μπορεῖ
νὰ ἀποτελέσει αἰτίαν διὰ αὐταπάτη. Κάποτε ὅταν μία γυναῖκα ἦλθε εἰς ἐμένα εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἄρχισε νὰ μὲ ἐπιπλήττει διότι δὲν δεχόμουν νὰ τὴν κοινωνῶ κάθε ἡμέρα, τὴν ἐρώτησα
μέ τρόπον, ἐὰν
ἐξομολογήθηκε τὶς ἀμαρτίες της καὶ ἐὰν πιστεύει ὃτι ἄξιζε κάθε ἡμέρα, ὡς γυναῖκα, νὰ λαμβάνει τὴν Θείαν Κοινωνίαν, αύτὴ μοῦ ἀπήντησε ὅτι δὲν εἶχε ἁμαρτίες!
Μία ἄλλη γυναῖκα πάλιν, ἀπαιτοῦσε νὰ λαμβάνει καθημερινῶς τὴν Θείαν Κοινωνίαν, τὴν στιγμὴν ποὺ ἡ ἴδια βρωμοῦσε καπνόν.
Ἡ Θεία Κοινωνία εἶναι μεγάλη
ὑπόθεσις (δι’ ἐμᾶς καὶ τὸν Θεὸν) καὶ
δι' αὐτὸ χρειάζεται πρὶν τὴν
δεχθοῦμε, τὴν μεγίστην προετοιμασίαν
καὶ τὴν μεγίστην καθαρότητα.
"Διότι εἶναι ἕνα κάρβουνον ποὺ
καίει
τὸν
ἀνάξιον". (Προσευχὴ πρὶν τὴν Θείαν
Κοινωνίαν).
Tὸ Ἀγγλικὸν Κείμενον΄
Frequent Communion Because of
Self-conceit...
By Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). "Spiritual Diary".
Once I was told about the following case concerning frequent Communion.
One woman used to receive Communion every day. She attracted attention
of the clergy authority. A confessor was instructed to check her.
By Hieromartyr Bishop Arseny (Zhadanovsky). "Spiritual Diary".
Once I was told about the following case concerning frequent Communion.
One woman used to receive Communion every day. She attracted attention
of the clergy authority. A confessor was instructed to check her.
In view of
the internal state of this lady he asked her to confess before every
Communion and when he considered it inconvenient, he advised her not to
approach the Holy Chalice. But such a spiritual guidance was too late for her.
She did not hesitate and continued to receive the Communion every day, going
from one church to another. Then she was traced and never admitted to the Holy
Communion.
And this lady came to not seeking to receive the Communion in the church and
imagined that she had already been given the Divine right to consecrate bread
and wine herself, and took the Communion every day at home, making so-called
Liturgy with prosphora and wine. Her case, however, ended sadly. She lost her
mind and she is currently in the mental hospital.
Thus, Holy Communion should be treated with great reverence; it should be taken
with a humble feeling every time, otherwise a frequent and unworthy taking of Holy
Communion may be a ground for self-delusion. Once a woman came to me in the
church and began reprimand me for she was not admitted to the Holy Communion
imagined that she had already been given the Divine right to consecrate bread
and wine herself, and took the Communion every day at home, making so-called
Liturgy with prosphora and wine. Her case, however, ended sadly. She lost her
mind and she is currently in the mental hospital.
Thus, Holy Communion should be treated with great reverence; it should be taken
with a humble feeling every time, otherwise a frequent and unworthy taking of Holy
Communion may be a ground for self-delusion. Once a woman came to me in the
church and began reprimand me for she was not admitted to the Holy Communion
every day, and by the way, on my question, whether she confessed her sins and
whether she deserved every day, as a woman, to take the Holy Communion, she
replied that she had no sins. Another woman required the daily Communion, while
she reeked of tobacco.
The Holy Communion is great, but its greatness requires great preparation, the great
dignity for its taking. "For it is a coal that burns the unworthy".
The Holy Communion is great, but its greatness requires great preparation, the great
dignity for its taking. "For it is a coal that burns the unworthy".
(Prayer before the Holy Communion.)
