اقتباس:
[align=left]Should anybody take Holy Communion when they are bleeding?
It is the tradition of the Church that no one (unless they are dying) should partake of Holy Communion when they are bleeding. This goes for men and women. We believe that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, thus we carefully wipe our mouths after receiving so as not to have any part of the Blessed Sacrament lost; (this is also why we do not kiss icons or anybody after Communion, let alone spit or smoke cigarettes right after the Sacrament). We believe the Sacrament enters our bodies and our blood stream (read the prayers of thanksgiving after Communion) and this is why we are not to take Communion when we are bleeding. It is sacred.
Think about it. Many do not know that Orthodox Churches have special drains systems built under our Churches. The drain from the sink in the Holy Altar does not empty out into the city sewer system, but rather into a special septic system underneath the Church. Why, so that every drop of water used in the Altar (washing of hands, holy utensils, etc)--which might contain even a small particle of a Sacrament (Holy Communion, Unction, etc) and every drop of water from the used Baptismal font which is blessed will not be spilled into some place not sacred. We should have the same preparation for the ultimate temple, the human body, and make sure that no amount of Holy Communion, or any Holy Sacrament for that matter, ends up in a place that is not sacred.
We can always make innovations and change what our Holy Fathers and Mothers, Sisters and Brothers have kept for us intact for 2000 years--the Church canons, fasts, rules--etc. None of these later served as an obstacle to them to obtain sanctity and salvation. In fact, they believe that these were the means the Apostolic Church handed down to us from Christ. Strange that we would think so much differently than them, that we would we are somehow wiser now than they, more understanding and compassionate, more liberated! We can change the rules and whatever we like, but let us not expect the same results!
Pastors and fellow Clergy, when are we going to start bringing the people up to the Church so that they can be sanctified, rather than drag the Church down to the people where both are lost? The more we water down the faith, the more it becomes less desirable. We will wake up one morning only to find ourselves in the spiritual bankrupcy of the rest of Christianity, and the people either fallen away, or far far above us holding on to what we foolishly let go of. The Faith works, sanctifies and produces Saints, let us not play with it, but humbly follow it.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Joseph[/align]
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