"He, therefore, who approaches

the Body and Blood of Christ

in commemoration of Him who died for us and rose again must be free not only from defilement of flesh and spirit, in order that he may not eat drink unto judgement, but he must actively manifest the remembrance of Him who died for us and rose again, by being dead to sin, to the world, and to himself, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

—St. Basil the Great

The Holy Eucharist in the Orthodox Christian faith is not a mere symbol or memorial reenactment of the Mystical Supper. Rather, it is truly the Body and the Blood of Christ. For this reason, in order for one to partake of Holy Communion one must be a member the Orthodox Church in good standing and be properly prepared to receive the Holy Body and the Precious Blood of our Savior. As a general rule, proper preparation means: being baptized, keeping the fasts of the Church, recent confession, being at peace with others, and arriving to Divine Services on time.