Holy Mysteries
Why do infants and young children receive Communion?
Infants and young children receive Communion because, after Baptism and Chrismation, they are members of Christ's Body and are brought into the sacramental life of the Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church gives the child the life of the Eucharist first, and understanding grows inside that life through prayer, worship, and formation.
Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Baptism, Myron, And Communion Belong Together
In Coptic practice, Baptism is followed by Chrismation with the Holy Myron, and the newly baptized child is then brought to receive Communion. CopticChurch.net describes Communion as following Baptism, because Eucharistic life belongs to the person who has been joined to Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit.
This order teaches that salvation is life received from Christ, not only instruction about Christ. The child is received as a member of the Body who will grow into prayer, fasting, confession, and understanding over time.
Children Grow Inside The Church
The Church feeds children with the Holy Mysteries
That growth becomes conscious as the child matures. Parents and servants teach prayer, the sign of the Cross, attention in the Liturgy, fasting according to age and strength, and later confession and repentance.
The Promise Parents Carry
Parents and godparents carry a real responsibility. They bring the child to the Liturgy, teach the faith at home, protect reverence, and help the child grow from receiving the Mysteries as an infant into a conscious life of repentance and love for Christ.
- The Sacrament of Baptism, CopticChurch.net. Ritual-theology explanation of Baptism, Myron after Baptism, infant Baptism, and the baptized person's entrance into sacramental life.
- Sacraments of the Eucharist, CopticChurch.net. Ritual-theology explanation of the Eucharist as the crown of the sacraments and the Communion received after Baptism, Confession, Matrimony, and Ordination.
- The Sacrament of Baptism, Part One, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Doctrine and theology article on baptism as new birth, washing, and union with Christ.
- Rituals of the Sacraments, Servants Preparation Program, SUSCopts. Servants-prep lesson on the rites of Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Repentance and Confession, Unction, Matrimony, and Priesthood.
- Church Sacraments, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Official diocesan overview presenting the seven sacraments as channels of the Holy Spirit's grace and linking the sacramental lecture PDFs.
- The Holy Spirit in the Mysteries of the Church, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles. Diocesan article on the Holy Spirit in Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Matrimony, and the sacramental life of the Church.
Holy Communion: The faithful receiving the true Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, after baptismal life, repentance, confession, fasting, reconciliation, and pastoral preparation.
Baptism: The sacrament of new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, joining a person to Christ's death and resurrection and to the life of the Church.
Chrismation: The anointing with holy Myron after Baptism, sealing the newly baptized with the gift and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Orthodox: Right worship and right belief, naming the Church's received apostolic faith and the life of worship that preserves it.
Eucharist: A Greek word meaning thanksgiving. In Orthodox worship it names the sacrament in which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Myron: The holy chrism oil used in Chrismation and other consecrations, associated with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Church's sacramental life.
Confession: The sacrament of repentance in which a person confesses sins before God in the presence of the priest and receives absolution and guidance.
Mysteries: The Orthodox name for the sacraments, calling attention to God's grace given through visible rites such as Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and the Eucharist.