Abstaining from the Holy Eucharist or Divine Liturgy due to Menstruation

Capp,

Abstaining from Communion is found in the canonical epistles of two Alexandrian Patriarchs and is still widely observed amongst the Copts. If a woman feels it's something unclean and prefers not to approach the Holy Chalice out of reverence it's not counted against her but counted as a sign of her piety.

buzuxi02 said:

Abstaining from Communion is found in the canonical epistles of two Alexandrian Patriarchs

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I've no doubt that it is. Furthermore those mentions may have originated from a canon of St. Pseudo- Dionysus.

buzuxi02 said:

If a woman feels it's something unclean

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But what would get such a notion into her head?

buzuxi02 said:

it's not counted against her

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As I previously agreed.

Those epistles are canons, it's irrelevant who wrote them it simply attests to it's practise. Usually women do consider it unclean unless their misinformed westernized women.

buzuxi02 said:

Usually women do consider it unclean unless their misinformed westernized women.

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LOL

If a woman abstains because of menstruation, I can understand. Sometimes, I am in so much pain and misery due to menstruation, that I don't make it to church - and I'm Episcopalian, and we have no rules against such things!

I once nearly fainted in church because I was fasting before communion, and hadn't taken pain medication for my epic cramps of doom. Someone had to come get me and take me home, because I was so woozy. Yeah, guess who stays home now.

Wait......where did the men go?

St. Gregory schooled the Afro-Asiatics and Slavs on this one.

Ritualistic uncleanness has nothing to do with personal wrong doing or guilt. Nor does it have anything to do with cleanliness.

gracefullamb said:

Please don't think I was trying to convince you to do other than what you have been told to do, I am not, I was just explaining that what you said was not necessarily true in every parish. You should follow the rule your priest has put in place, like I stated one should follow what their priest tells them. My priest has said to never refrain from taking communion, if I have properly prepared, unless he says to do so and I follow that. If I was in your parish or another where the priest told me not approach the chalice during my menstruation I would follow that as well.

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Yep, my priest said the same thing.

Here in Australia amongst the Greeks the practice is to abstain. We're allowed to do most things, but not to prepare the prosforo or commune. We do come to Church though and stand in the nave with everyone else, can venerate icons etc.

Just an OTish addition...There are some really good, high end vitamins that are nutritionally targeted at female reproductive health. My wife took them when we could afford it and it eliminated all PMS symptoms and made her cycle so regular you could set a calendar by her.

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Ann_of_Love said:

If a woman abstains because of menstruation, I can understand. Sometimes, I am in so much pain and misery due to menstruation, that I don't make it to church - and I'm Episcopalian, and we have no rules against such things!

I once nearly fainted in church because I was fasting before communion, and hadn't taken pain medication for my epic cramps of doom. Someone had to come get me and take me home, because I was so woozy. Yeah, guess who stays home now.

Wait......where did the men go?

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My wife had exactly the same problem; evidently endometriosis - having our first child ended it.
I'm a great believer in child-bearing...

rusmeister said:

My wife had exactly the same problem; evidently endometriosis - having our first child ended it.
I'm a great believer in child-bearing...

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I was also going to mention endometriosis, and suggesting research to see if the symptoms fit. The treatments include hormonal BC (fine if you're not having marital relations, though I hate messing wiht hormones), NSAIDS (Ibuprofen), and not having a cycle (pregnancy, breastfeeding). Please consider speaking with your doctor/midwife, Anne.

It's unlikely that it was ended by pregnancy, Rus, but it certainly could have arrested it to the point of no longer being symptomatic. Sometimes it continues severely, sometimes it does not.

Why is any of this gross? It may be something we dont discuss publicly often, but it's not gross---just biology.

Kristos said:

Ritualistic uncleanness has nothing to do with personal wrong doing or guilt. Nor does it have anything to do with cleanliness.

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Why do you think menstruation is ritually unclean for Christians?

Cappadocious said:

Why do you think menstruation is ritually unclean for Christians?

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I never said that I do, so this is odd question. Does it matter what I think? I think the whole thing should be a personal matter, but for some reason people want to talk about it.

truthseeker32 said:

Forgive me, I am not aware of the difference. Could you explain?

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Is there a personal sin or wrongdoing or even latent immorality connected to contact with blood? No. Is blood "dirty"? Today we think of blood related disease but this not the case with the OT Jews, so no. Therefore, the ritualistic uncleanness described in the OT surround contact with blood has nothing to do with personal sin or cleanliness. The reverse argument seemed to be asserted in this thread, that because something is generally seen as "dirty" it must be "unclean". That is not the case. Also, as far as I know, contact with blood had nothing to do with bleeding per se, besides the obvious fact that someone bleeding is in contact with blood. The comment about the Eucharist escaping the body is frankly the silliest thing I've ever heard. Perhaps we should refrain from urinating as well?

Ann_of_Love said:

If a woman abstains because of menstruation, I can understand. Sometimes, I am in so much pain and misery due to menstruation, that I don't make it to church - and I'm Episcopalian, and we have no rules against such things!

I once nearly fainted in church because I was fasting before communion, and hadn't taken pain medication for my epic cramps of doom. Someone had to come get me and take me home, because I was so woozy. Yeah, guess who stays home now.

Wait......where did the men go?

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Brief derail into Anglican advice; medication is allowed before communion, as is water. Fasting is good, either completely, as some do, or for one hour beforehand, as others do.

Those who have a medical condition are only required to fast for 15 minutes, not for one hour.

And of course a lot of Anglicans don't bother to fast at all, and some even drink pop and eat sweets at the start of Mass. They are very good for my soul; I have to fight against thinking badly of them and well of myself, and remember that we are all at a different part of our journey of faith. We can't all be the same.

I have not discussed the specifics of this thread with my priest, needless to say, but in general his view is that I ought never to omit taking communion, if I can possibly help it.

End of Anglican derail

gracefullamb said:

Why is it always men and laymen at that, declaring women who follow their priest instead of this are westerners and uniformed? I guess I should look on the bright side, the misogyny hasn't gotten to the point of accusations of liberal Christianity, feminists, and not really Orthodox.

Here is a thought fellows, for those weighing in beyond saying what happens in your parish and family or why it most likely occurs, why don't you let her priest handle the matter instead of throwing around insults like you know better than her priest.

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I agree with graceful. just do what your priest, who knows you, tells you to do.