Only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians in good standing may receive Holy Communion at St. Michael’s. This isn’t meant to be unwelcoming. It’s because of what we believe the Eucharist actually is.
When you come forward to receive Communion in an Orthodox church, you’re not just participating in a memorial meal or a symbolic act. You’re receiving the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. And you’re declaring something else too: that you’re in full communion with the Orthodox Church, that you believe what she teaches, that you’re united to this specific community of faith that stretches back to the apostles.
That’s why we can’t offer Communion to visitors, even if they’re sincere Christians from other traditions. It’s not about being exclusive for the sake of it. The Eucharist is the ultimate expression of unity in the faith. To receive it is to say, “I am Orthodox, I believe what the Orthodox Church believes, and I’m part of this Body.” We can’t pretend that unity exists when it doesn’t yet.
I know this feels strange if you’re coming from a Baptist background where communion is open to any believer, or even from a Catholic background where intercommunion sometimes happens. But for us, the Eucharist isn’t separate from Church membership. It’s the fullest expression of it.
What Preparation Do Orthodox Christians Need?
Even if you’re Orthodox, you can’t just show up and receive Communion without preparation. There’s both physical and spiritual preparation required.
The physical part is fasting. Orthodox Christians fast from all food and drink from midnight before receiving Communion. Nothing. Not even water or coffee. (If you’re on medication or have health issues, talk to Fr. Michael about it, there’s pastoral discretion for real need.)
The spiritual preparation matters more. You need to have gone to confession recently. You need to have prayed, especially the pre-Communion prayers. You need to have resolved conflicts with other people as much as it depends on you. You can’t come to the chalice holding grudges or living in unrepented sin.
This isn’t legalism. It’s what St. Paul meant when he wrote that whoever eats and drinks without discerning the Body eats and drinks judgment on himself. We’re approaching the God of the universe, truly present. That requires preparation.
What About Children?
In the Orthodox Church, even infants receive Communion. As soon as a baby is baptized and chrismated, usually all in the same service, that child receives the Eucharist. We don’t wait until they’re old enough to “understand” it intellectually. They’re members of the Body of Christ, so they receive Christ.
This shocks a lot of people coming from traditions where you take a class and make a decision at twelve or thirteen. But we don’t see Communion as something you earn through understanding. It’s medicine for the soul, and babies need medicine too.
What Can Visitors Do?
If you’re visiting St. Michael’s and you’re not Orthodox, please don’t feel awkward during Communion. Stay in your pew, or come forward with your arms crossed over your chest to receive a blessing from the priest. After the service, everyone, and I mean everyone, can receive the antidoron, the blessed bread that’s distributed at the end. That’s a sign of fellowship and hospitality that we can share.
Some people find our Communion discipline off-putting. I get it. But here’s another way to think about it: we’re being honest about where we are. The divisions in Christianity are real. They’re tragic, but they’re real. Pretending we’re all united when we believe different things about fundamental questions doesn’t help anyone. The closed chalice is a reminder that we have work to do, that Christian unity is something we have to pray and work toward, not something we can manufacture by pretending our disagreements don’t matter.
If you’re an inquirer and you find yourself wanting to receive Communion at St. Michael’s, that’s actually a good sign. It might mean you’re being called to become Orthodox. Talk to Fr. Michael about it. The path to the chalice goes through the font, through baptism and chrismation into the Orthodox Church. And that’s a journey worth taking.
