Holy Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church - Greenville, NC

Receiving Holy Communion is the greatest thing that an Orthodox Christian can do, because it is in receiving Holy Communion that we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Communion is the medicine of immortality, which cures our spiritual ailments and gives us strength to continue our journey of faith.

Especially at Pascha time, many people come to the Church who have not been in a long time, and sometimes they receive Communion without being prepared. However, because it is the most sacred thing a person can do, before receiving Communion, one should always be prepared. St. Paul mentions this truth in his First Epistle to the Corinthians 11:27-32:

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

As we can see, not being prepared can have harmful consequences, but preparation leads to complete forgiveness and restoration.

The way that one prepares for Communion is as follows: he or she should be a member in good standing of the Orthodox Church, keep the fast, say the pre-communion prayers, and have recently confessed his or her sins to a priest of our Metropolis and have received a blessing to receive communion. If there is any extenuating circumstance or you have any questions or concerns, please contact Fr. Anastasios beforehand to discuss your situation with him.

We welcome all people to our Church, and this includes those Orthodox not prepared at this time to receive Holy Communion and those who are not Orthodox but are interested or curious. The goal of Church is not to deny anyone anything, but rather to prepare and build him or her up, and at the appropriate time, to share in the fellowship of Holy Communion. We offer these words as a protection in light of what St. Paul said above, and not as a discouragement. It is always a joy when someone who has been away from the Church returns, or someone who has never heard of the Church discovers it. We hope that we can help you to grow in faith, and that we will see you soon at one of our services, especially for Pascha!