How to turn to the priest in confession is an example. How to Confess Correctly and What You Need to Tell the Father: A Concrete Example

Hieromonk Eustathius (Halimankov)

This question arises for many people who want to change their lives with the help of the Church and the sacrament of Repentance. However, an independent search does not always lead to the correct answer. Let's try to give an answer based on the real experience of the clergymen of the Zhirovitsy monastery.

When you come to confession, you should always ask yourself a clear and clear question: why am I doing this? Am I going to change my life, which in fact implies the very word "repentance" (from the Greek. Throwing - a change of mind, worldview, intelligent approach to everything)?

The Sacrament of Repentance can be distinguished three main points or a kind of penitential stage. Only after passing through all these stages one by one can a person hope for victory over sin in himself. Let's remember the parable of the prodigal son. After the youngest son has received his share from his father and squandered it, "living prodigally," the "moment of truth" comes. It becomes clear that no one needs him. And then the younger son remembers his father: "When he came to himself, he said: how many mercenaries my father has in abundance with bread, and I am dying of hunger!" ().

So, First step repentance means “to come to your senses”, to think about your life: to realize that I still live wrongly and ... to remember that there is always a way out in any situation. And this is the only way out: the Lord. We all begin to remember God only in sorrows, illnesses, etc. Including church people: those who more or less regularly attend church, confess and receive communion; even they remember God - that all problems are solved in Him - not at once.

Second phase- determination to part with sin and direct confession of sin. The prodigal son makes this only correct decision: “I will get up, go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as your mercenary. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity; and running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: Bring the best clothes and clothe him, and give a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill; let's eat and have fun! for this my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found. And they began to have fun ”(). The person has already understood that it is impossible to live the way he lives now, so he is taking concrete steps to change the situation.

The Lord, like the father from the gospel parable, is waiting for each of us. The Lord, so to speak, longs for our repentance. None of us cares about our own salvation the way God does. Each of us, I suppose, experienced that joy, relief, deep peace of the soul after a really serious confession? The Lord expects from us this depth, seriousness towards Himself. We take a step towards God, and He takes several steps towards us. If only we made up our minds and took this saving step forward ... And this is precisely what manifests itself, first of all, in confession.

What do we say in confession to God? This, in fact, is the main topic of this article. Let's start with the fact that sometimes a person does not even understand what to repent of: “He did not kill anyone, did not steal”, etc. And if in the Old Testament coordinate system, at the level of the ten Mosaic commandments (to which the so-called "universal values" are close), we somehow orient ourselves, then the Gospel remains for us some kind of distant, transcendent reality, in no way connected with life. But it is precisely the commandments of the Gospel that are for Christians the law that should regulate their entire life. Therefore, to begin with, we must work hard to at least learn about these commandments. It is best to read the Gospel with the interpretation of the holy fathers. You may ask: what, we ourselves will not be able to understand the New Testament on our own? Well, start reading and I think you will have tons of questions. To find answers to them, you can read the book of the archbishop "Four Gospels". You can also advise the wonderful book "Interpretation of the Gospel", which very successfully synthesized the patristic experience. A similar work belongs to: “The Four Gospel. A Guide to the Study of Scripture. " All these texts can now be found without any problems in church shops, shops, or, at least, on the Internet.

When the perspective of the gospel life opens up to a person, he finally realizes how far his own life is from the most elementary foundations of the gospel. Then it will by itself become clear what to repent of and how to continue to live.

Now a few words must be said about how to confess. It turns out that this also needs to be learned and, at times, all your life. How often do you hear in confession a dry, formal enumeration of sins read out in some church (or near-church) brochure. Once, at confession, a young man read from a piece of paper, among other sins, "love of carriages." I asked him - does he have any idea what it is? He honestly said, "Approximately," and smiled. When you listen to these treatises in confession, then over time you begin to identify the primary sources: "Aha, this is from the book" Helping the Penitent ", and this is from" The Medicine for Sin ... ".

Of course, there are some really good manuals to recommend for aspiring confessors. For example, the Archimandrite's “The Experience of Building Confessions” or the book “Helping the Penitent”, which we have already mentioned, compiled from the creations. They, of course, can be used, but only with a certain caveat. You can't "get stuck" on them. The Christian must also progress in confession. For example, a person can go to confession for years and, like a well-learned lesson, repeat the same thing: “He sinned in deed, in word, thought, condemnation, idle talk, negligence, absent-mindedness in prayer ...” - followed by a certain set of so-called common sins so-called church people. What is the problem here? Yes, it is that a person breaks the habit of spiritual work on his soul and gradually gets used to this sinful "gentleman's set" so much that he almost feels nothing at confession. Very often a person hides real pain and shame from sin behind these general words. After all, it's one thing to mutter quickly, among other things, "condemnation, idle talk, viewing bad images", and quite another thing to courageously expose a specific sin in all its ugliness: throwing mud at a colleague behind his back, reproaching his friend for not lending me money watching a porn movie ...

You can, of course, go to the other extreme, when a person plunges into petty painful self-digging. You can get to the point that the confessor will even feel pleasure from sin, as if reliving it again, or he will start to be proud: here, they say, what a deep person I am with a complex and rich inner life ... The main thing must be said about sin, its essence, and not, excuse me, obmaktyat ...

It is also helpful to remember that when we confess any sins, we are committing ourselves not to commit them, or at least to fight them. Just talking about sins in confession is a great irresponsibility. At the same time, some also begin to theologize: I have no humility, because there is no obedience, but there is no obedience, because there is no confessor, and now good confessors cannot be found, because "the last times" and "elders of our time are not given" ... Others generally begin to confess the sins of their relatives, acquaintances ... but not their own. Our crafty nature tries in this way, even in confession, to justify itself before God and to “blame” someone else. Therefore, sin must really ... be mourned in confession, unveiled without concealment all its abomination - to expose. If a person is ashamed in confession, then this is a good sign. This means that the grace of God has already touched the soul.

Sometimes a person repents (even with tears in his eyes) that he ate a non-fasting gingerbread on a fast day or was tempted with soup with sunflower oil ... At the same time, he completely does not notice that he has been living for many years in enmity with his daughter-in-law or husband, indifferently walks past someone else's misfortune ; absolutely does not care about their family or official duties ... Blind people who cannot see beyond their own noses, “strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel” ()! ) to the temple of God and ... while living in some kind of world invented by them - there is no God, because there is no main thing: love for people. How the Lord Jesus Christ denounced us in this moral blindness and grieved about the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”, which we all are more or less amazed with ... get out of our temple! ..

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like painted tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness; so outwardly you appear to be righteous to people, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness ”().

So, confession must be concrete, laconic, ruthless in relation to oneself (to one's “old man”), without concealing anything, without embellishing, without belittling sin. First you need to confess the coarsest, most shameful, disgusting sins - to resolutely dump these dirty, mossy stones from the house of the soul. Then collect the rest of the pebbles, sweep, scrape along the bottom of the barrel ...

It is necessary to prepare for confession in advance, and not hastily, somehow, already standing in the church. You can prepare in a few days (this process is called fasting in the Church language). Preparing for the Sacraments of Confession and Communion is not only a food diet (although this is also important), but also a deep examination of your soul, and a prayerful invocation of God's help. For the latter, by the way, the so-called Rule for Communion is intended, which can be different depending on the level of churching of the Christian. I am convinced that forcing a person who is taking the first steps in the Church to read the entire big rule in the Church Slavonic language that is incomprehensible to him is “to impose burdens that cannot be borne” (). The measure of fasting and prayer rules must be agreed with the priest.

Now consider third stage repentance is probably the hardest. After the sin is recognized and confessed, the Christian must prove repentance with his life. This means a very simple thing: no more committing a confessed sin. And here the most difficult, the most painful begins ... The man thought that, having confessed, having experienced the experience of the grace-filled consolation of confession, he fulfilled everything, and now, finally, one can enjoy life in God. But it turns out that everything is just beginning! A fierce struggle with sin begins. Rather, it should have begun. In fact, often a person gives in to this struggle and again falls into sin.

I would like to draw your attention to one strange (at first glance) pattern. Here is a man confessed to some kind of sin. For example, in irritation. And for some reason, immediately - either on this day, or in the near future - there is again a reason for irritation. The temptation is right there. Sometimes even in an even more severe form than it was before confession. For this reason, some Christians are even afraid to often confess and receive communion - they are afraid of "intensifying temptations." But the fact of the matter is that the Lord, accepting our repentance, gives us the opportunity to prove the seriousness of our confession and in practice to carry out this repentance. The Lord offers a kind of "work on mistakes" so that this time a person does not succumb to sin, but does the right thing: in the gospel way. And most importantly, a person is already armed to fight against sin by the grace of God received in the Sacrament of Confession. To the extent of our sincerity, seriousness, and depth shown in confession, the Lord also gives us His gracious power to fight against sin. This divine chance must not be missed! There is no need to be afraid of new temptations, you need to be ready for them in order to courageously face them and ... not sin. Only then will an end be put in our epic of repentance and victory over some particular sin will be won. This point is very important - it is necessary to focus on the fight, first of all, with some particular sin. As a rule, we begin to eradicate the most obvious, gross sins in ourselves - such as fornication, drunkenness, drugs, tobacco smoking ... Only after extracting these gross sins from our souls, a person will begin to see in himself the rest, more subtle (but no less dangerous) sins : vanity, condemnation, envy, irritability ...

The elder of Optina said the following about this: “You need to know which passion worries you most, and you need to fight against it especially. To do this, you need to check your conscience every day ... ”. Not only at confession one must repent of sins, but it is good if a Christian in the evening, before going to bed, for example, remembers the day he lived and repent before the Lord in his sinful thoughts, feelings, intentions or aspirations ... "Cleanse me from my secrets" (), - the psalmist David prayed.

So, it is necessary to focus on a specific sin that really interferes with living, inhibits our entire spiritual life, and take up arms against this sin. Constantly confess it, fight it by all means available to us; read the works of the holy fathers about ways to combat this sin, consult a spiritual father. It is good if a Christian finds himself a spiritual father in time - this is a great help in spiritual life. It is necessary to pray to the Lord that He would grant such a gift: a real confessor. It does not have to be an old man (and where can you find them, elders in our time?). It is enough to find a sober-minded priest who is familiar with the patristic tradition and possesses at least minimal spiritual experience.

Confession should be regular (like the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ). The frequency of confession and Communion is individual for each person. This issue is resolved with the confessor. However, in any case, a Christian must confess and receive communion at least once a month. This is important precisely because the soul is regularly clogged with all kinds of sinful rubbish. No one has any questions as to why it is necessary to regularly wash, brush your teeth, see a doctor ... In the same way, our soul needs careful care of it. Man is an integral being, consisting of a soul and a body. And if we take care of the body, then of the soul - alas! - we often completely forget ... It is precisely because of the above-mentioned integrity of a person that neglect of the soul then affects bodily health, and in general, on the whole life of a person. You can (and should!) Confess more often (without Communion), as needed. Sick - we immediately run to the doctor. Therefore, we must remember that the Doctor is always waiting for us in the church.

Yes, the inertia of sin is great. The skill to sin, which has been developed over the years, cannot but drag a person to the bottom. Fear of this skill fetters our will and fills the soul with despondency: no, I cannot overcome sin ... This is how the faith that the Lord can help is lost. A person goes to confession for months, then years and repents of the same stenciled sins. And… nothing, no positive changes.

And here it is very important to remember the words of the Lord that “the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use force delight it” (). To use effort in the Christian life means to struggle with sin in oneself. If a Christian really struggles with himself, he will soon feel how, from confession to confession, the octopus of sin begins to weaken its tentacles and the soul begins to breathe more and more freely. It is necessary - it is necessary, like air! - to feel this taste of victory. It is the cruel, irreconcilable struggle with sin that strengthens our faith - "and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith" ().

The Church brings a sense of peace to the soul of every believer. Especially if you cleanse your soul before God during confession. Confession is a sacrament in which a person repents of his sins, and the Almighty forgives the repentant through his servant - the priest. How to properly prepare for confession so that instead of calming down in church you do not feel awkward and are not distracted by unnecessary questions.

There are times when, after confession, some deviation from God's commandments may be recalled. Do not be alarmed and do not rush to join the line of those who repent again, it is your conscience that begins to wake up and tells you your iniquities. After the end of the confession, a prayer is read in the church for the forgiveness of forgotten sins. You can spiritually prepare yourself for confession.

Confession is not a conversation about one's shortcomings, doubts, it is not a simple informing the confessor about oneself.

Confession is a sacrament, not just a godly practice. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for cleansing that comes from the feeling of holiness, this is the second Baptism, and, therefore, in repentance we die to sin and are raised to holiness.

Repentance is the first degree of holiness, and insensitivity is being outside holiness, outside of God.

Often, instead of confessing one's sins, there is self-glorification, denunciation of loved ones and complaints about the difficulties of life.

Some confessors strive to go through confession painlessly for themselves - they say general phrases: "I am sinful in everything" or spread about trifles, keeping silent about what really should weigh on the conscience. The reason for this is both false shame in front of the confessor, and indecision, but especially - the cowardly fear of seriously starting to understand your life, full of petty, familiar weaknesses and sins.

Sin is a violation of Christian moral law. Therefore, the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian gives the following definition of sin: “Everyone who commits sin also practices lawlessness” (1 John 3, 4).

There are sins against God and His Church. This group includes numerous, connected in an uninterrupted network of spiritual states, which include, along with simple and obvious, a large number of hidden, seemingly innocent, but in fact the most dangerous for the soul phenomena. In general, these sins can be summarized as follows:

1) lack of faith, 2) superstition, 3) blasphemy and godly, 4) non-prayer and disregard for church service, 5) delight.

Lack of faith. This sin is perhaps the most widespread, and literally every Christian has to struggle with it continuously. Lack of faith often imperceptibly turns into complete unbelief, and the person suffering from it often continues to attend divine services, resort to confession. He does not consciously deny the existence of God, however, he doubts His omnipotence, mercy or Providence.

By his actions, affections, by the whole way of his life, he contradicts the faith he professes in words. Such a person never delved into even the most simple dogmatic questions, fearing to lose those naive ideas about Christianity, often incorrect and primitive, that he once acquired. Transforming Orthodoxy into a national, domestic tradition, a set of external rituals, gestures, or reducing it to enjoying beautiful choral singing, flickering candles, that is, to external beauty, those of little faith lose the most important thing in the Church - our Lord Jesus Christ. For a person of little faith, religiosity is closely connected with aesthetic, passionate, sentimental emotions; she easily gets along with selfishness, vanity, sensuality. People of this type seek praise and a good opinion of their spiritual father. They approach the analogue to complain about others, they are full of themselves and strive to demonstrate their "righteousness" in every possible way. The superficiality of their religious enthusiasm is best demonstrated by their easy transition from cloyingly ostentatious "piety" to irritability and anger at others.

Such a person does not admit any sins, does not even bother trying to understand his life and sincerely believes that he does not see anything sinful in it.

In fact, such "righteous" often show soullessness to others, selfish and hypocritical; live only for themselves, considering abstinence from sins sufficient for salvation. It is useful to remind yourself of the content of chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew (parables about the ten virgins, about talents and, especially, the description of the Last Judgment). In general, religious complacency and complacency are the main signs of distance from God and the Church, and this is most clearly shown in another gospel parable - about the publican and the Pharisee.

Superstition. Often all sorts of superstitions, belief in omens, divination, fortune telling on cards, various heretical ideas about sacraments and rituals penetrate and spread there among believers.

Such superstitions are contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church and serve to corrupt souls and the extinction of faith.

It is especially necessary to dwell on such a sufficiently widespread and destructive doctrine for the soul as occultism, magic, etc. On the faces of people who have been engaged in the so-called occult sciences for a long time, initiated into the "secret spiritual teaching", there is a heavy imprint - a sign of unconfessed sin, and in souls - a painfully distorted by satanic rationalistic pride opinion about Christianity as one of the lowest levels of knowledge of the truth. Drowning out the childishly sincere faith in the fatherly love of God, the hope for the Resurrection and Eternal Life, occultists preach the doctrine of "karma", transmigration of souls, extrachurch and, therefore, graceless asceticism. Such unfortunate people, if they have found the strength to repent, should be explained that, in addition to direct harm to mental health, occultism is caused by a curious desire to look behind a closed door. We must humbly acknowledge the existence of the Mystery, without trying to penetrate into it in a non-ecclesiastical way. We have been given the supreme law of life, we have been shown the path that leads us directly to God - love. And we must follow this path, carrying our cross, without turning into roundabout roads. Occultism is never able to discover the secrets of being, as their adherents claim.

Blasphemy and God. These sins often coexist with churchliness and sincere faith. This, first of all, includes the blasphemous murmur against God for His allegedly unmerciful attitude towards man, for suffering that seems to him excessive and undeserved. Sometimes it even comes down to blasphemy against God, on church relics, sacraments. This often manifests itself in the telling of disrespectful or downright offensive stories from the life of priests and monks, in a mocking, ironic quotation of certain expressions from Holy Scripture or from prayers.

Especially widespread is the custom of God and the remembrance in vain of the Name of God or the Most Holy Theotokos. It is very difficult to get rid of the habit of using these sacred names in everyday conversations in the role of interjections, which are used to give the phrase more emotional expressiveness: "God is with him!", "Oh you, Lord!" and so on. Even worse is to pronounce the Name of God in jokes, and a very terrible sin is committed by someone who uses sacred words in anger, during a quarrel, that is, along with curses and insults. The one who threatens his enemies with the wrath of the Lord, or even in "prayer" asks God to punish another person, also blasphemes. Parents commit a great sin by cursing their children in their hearts and threatening them with heavenly punishment. Invoking evil spirits (swearing) in anger or in simple conversation is also sinful. The use of any swear words is also blasphemy and a grave sin.

Disregard for church service. This sin most often manifests itself in the absence of the desire to participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, the long-term deprivation of oneself the Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the absence of any circumstances that hinder this; in addition, it is a general lack of church discipline, a dislike for worship. As an excuse, they usually put forward busyness with official and household affairs, the remoteness of the church from home, the duration of the service, the incomprehensibility of the liturgical Church Slavonic language. Some attend divine services rather neatly, but at the same time they only attend the liturgy, do not receive communion and do not even pray during the service. Sometimes one has to deal with such sad facts as ignorance of the main prayers and the Symbol of Faith, a lack of understanding of the meaning of the sacraments performed, and most importantly, with a lack of interest in this.

Non-prayer, as a special case of non-churchliness, is a common sin. Fervent prayer distinguishes sincere believers from “lukewarm” believers. We must strive not to scold the prayer rule, not to defend divine services, we must acquire the gift of prayer from the Lord, love prayer, and wait impatiently for the hour of prayer. Gradually entering the element of prayer under the guidance of a confessor, a person learns to love and understand the music of Church Slavonic chants, their incomparable beauty and depth; the brilliance and mystical imagery of liturgical symbols - everything that is called church splendor.

The gift of prayer is also the ability to control oneself, one's attention, to repeat the words of prayer not only with lips and tongue, but also with all our heart and with all thoughts to participate in prayer work. An excellent means for this is the "Jesus Prayer", which consists in the uniform, repeated, unhurried repetition of the words: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." There is an extensive ascetic literature about this prayer exercise, collected mainly in "Philosophy" and in other paternal creations.

The "Jesus Prayer" is especially good in that it does not require the creation of a special external environment, it can be read walking down the street, during work, in the kitchen, on the train, etc. In these cases, it especially helps to distract our attention from everything seductive, vain, vulgar, empty and focus the mind and heart on the sweetest Name of God. True, one should not start practicing "spiritual work" without the blessing and guidance of an experienced confessor, since such self-discipline can lead to a false mystical state of delusion.

Spiritual beauty significantly different from all the listed sins against God and the Church. In contrast to them, this sin is rooted not in a lack of faith, religiosity, churchliness, but, on the contrary, in a false sense of an excess of personal spiritual gifts. A person who is in a state of seduction thinks himself to have achieved special fruits of spiritual perfection, as evidenced by all kinds of "signs" for him: dreams, voices, waking visions. Such a person can be very gifted mystically, but in the absence of church culture and theological education, and most importantly, due to the absence of a good, strict confessor and the presence of an environment inclined to gullibly take his stories as revelations, such a person often acquires many supporters, as a result of which and the majority of sectarian anti-church movements arose.

This usually begins with a story about a mysterious dream, unusually chaotic and with a claim to a mystical revelation or prophecy. In the next stage, one in a similar state, according to him, already in reality hears voices or shining visions appear, in which he recognizes an angel or some saint, or even the Mother of God and the Savior Himself. They give him the most incredible revelations, often completely meaningless. This happens to people with little education, and with those who are very well-read in the Holy Scriptures, patristic creations, as well as with those who have given themselves up to "smart work" without pastoral guidance.

Gluttony- one of a number of sins against neighbors, family and society. It manifests itself in the habit of excessive, excessive consumption of food, that is, overeating or addiction to refined taste sensations, delighting oneself with food. Of course, different people require different amounts of food to maintain their physical strength - it depends on age, physique, health status, as well as on the severity of the work that a person does. There is no sin in the food itself, for it is a gift from God. Sin consists in treating it as a longed-for goal, in worshiping it, in a voluptuous experience of taste sensations, in conversations on this topic, in an effort to spend as much money as possible on new, even more sophisticated products. Every piece of food eaten in excess of satisfying hunger, every sip of moisture after extinguishing thirst, just for pleasure, is already gluttony. Sitting at the table, the Christian must not let himself be carried away by this passion. “The more wood, the stronger the flame; the more food, the more violent the lust ”(Abba Leonty). "Gluttony is the mother of fornication," says one ancient patericon. And St. John Climacus directly warns: "Conquer the womb until it prevails over you."

Blessed Augustine compares the body to a furious horse, enthralling the soul, whose wildness must be tamed by reducing food; for this purpose, the fasts are mainly established by the Church. But “beware of measuring fasting by simply abstaining from food,” says St. Basil the Great. "Those who abstain from food, but behave badly, are like the devil, who, although he does not eat anything, nevertheless does not stop sinning." During fasting it is necessary - and this is the main thing - to curb your thoughts, feelings, impulses. Best of all, the meaning of spiritual fasting is spoken of in one great-fast stichera: "We fast with a pleasant fast, pleasing to the Lord: true fasting is evil alienation, abstinence of the tongue, rejection of rage, excommunication, excommunication, lies and perjury: these are poverty, true fasting is also favorable." ... No matter how difficult fasting is in the conditions of our life, we must strive for it, it must be preserved in everyday life, especially the internal, spiritual fast, which the fathers call chastity. Sister and friend of fasting is prayer, without which it turns into an end in itself, into a means of special, refined care for your body.

Obstacles to prayer come from weak, wrong, insufficient faith, from too much concern, vanity, busyness with worldly affairs, from sinful, impure, evil feelings and thoughts. Fasting helps to overcome these obstacles.

Love of money manifests itself in the form of extravagance or the opposite of avarice. Secondary at first glance, it is a sin of extreme importance - in it is the simultaneous rejection of faith in God, love for people and attachment to lower feelings. It gives rise to anger, petrification, concern, envy. Overcoming the love of money is a partial overcoming of these sins. From the words of the Savior Himself, we know that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Christ teaches: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not dig in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be ”(Matthew 6: 19-2!). St. Paul says: “We have brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it. Having food and clothing, we will be pleased with that. And those who want to get rich fall into temptation and into a snare, and into many reckless and harmful lusts that plunge people into misery and destruction. For the root of all evil is the love of money, which, having surrendered, some have turned away from the faith and have subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, man of God, flee this ... Exhort the rich in the present age that they do not think highly of themselves and trust not in unfaithful riches, but in the Living God, who gives us everything abundantly for our enjoyment; so that they may benefit, be rich in good deeds, be generous and sociable, gathering up treasures for themselves, a good foundation for the future, in order to achieve eternal life ”(1 Tim. 6, 7-11; 17-19).

“The anger of man does not create the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Anger, irritability- the manifestation of this passion, many penitents tend to justify the reasons for physiological, the so-called "nervousness" due to the suffering and hardships that have befallen them, the tension of modern life, the difficult character of relatives and friends. Although some of these reasons do exist, they cannot serve as an excuse for this, as a rule, deeply rooted habit of taking out your irritation, anger, bad mood on loved ones. Irritability, irascibility, rudeness in the first place destroy family life, leading to quarrels over trifles, causing reciprocal hatred, a desire for revenge, rancor, harden the hearts of generally kind and loving people. And how pernicious is the manifestation of anger on young souls, destroying in them God-given tenderness and love for their parents! “Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they may not be discouraged” (Colossians 3:21).

The ascetic writings of the Church Fathers contain many tips for dealing with the passion of anger. One of the most effective is "righteous anger", in other words, - turning our ability to irritation and anger to the very passion of anger. “It is not only permissible, but indeed salutary, to be angry at our own sins and shortcomings” (St. Demetrius of Rostov). St. Nile of Sinai advises to be “meek with people”, but loving with our enemy, since that is the natural use of anger to oppose the ancient serpent with hostility ”(Philosophy, vol. II). The same ascetic writer says: "Whoever is grudging against demons is not grudging against people."

In relation to others, one should show meekness and patience. “Be wise, and block the lips of those who speak evil about you with silence, and not with anger and abuse” (St. Anthony the Great). “When you are being reviled, see if you have done anything worthy of reviling. If you have not done so, then consider backbiting as flying away smoke ”(St. Nil of Sinai). “When you feel a strong surge of anger, try to be silent. And in order for the very silence to bring you more benefit, turn mentally to God and read mentally to yourself at this time any short prayers, for example, "Jesus Prayer," advises St. Philaret of Moscow. One must even argue without bitterness and without anger, since irritation is immediately transmitted to another, infecting him, but in no case convincing him of the rightness.

Very often, the cause of anger is arrogance, pride, the desire to show their power over others, to expose his vices, forgetting about their sins. “Eliminate two thoughts in yourself: do not recognize yourself worthy of anything great and do not think that the other person is much inferior to you in dignity. In this case, the offenses inflicted on us will never irritate us ”(St. Basil the Great).

In confession, we must tell if we harbor anger at our neighbor and have we reconciled with the one with whom we quarreled, and if we cannot see someone personally, have we reconciled with him in our hearts? On Athos, confessors not only do not allow monks who have a grudge against their neighbors to serve in the church and partake of the Holy Mysteries, but when reading the prayer rule, they must omit the words in the Lord's prayer: "And leave us our debts, as we also leave our debtors." so as not to be liars before God. By this prohibition, the monk, as it were, for a time, until reconciliation with his brother, is excommunicated from prayer and Eucharistic communion with the Church.
One who prays for those who often lead him into the temptation of anger receives substantial help. Thanks to such a prayer, a feeling of meekness and love for people who have recently been hated is instilled in the heart. But in the first place should be a prayer for the granting of meekness and drive away the spirit of anger, revenge, resentment, rancor.

One of the most common sins is undoubtedly condemning one's neighbor. Many do not even realize that they have sinned countless times with them, and if they do, they believe that this phenomenon is so widespread and commonplace that it does not even deserve mention at confession. In fact, this sin is the beginning and root of many other sinful habits.

First of all, this sin is in close connection with passion pride... Condemning other people's shortcomings (real or apparent), a person imagines himself to be better, purer, more pious, more honest or smarter than the other. The words of Abba Isaiah are addressed to such people: “He who has a pure heart considers all people pure, but whoever has a heart defiled by passions does not regard anyone as pure, but thinks that everyone is like him” (“Spiritual flower garden”).

Those who condemn forget that the Savior Himself commanded: “Do not judge, lest you be judged, for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you mete, it will be measured to you also. And why are you looking at the mote in your brother's eye, but you don't feel the beam in your eye? " (Matt. 7, 1-3). “Let us no longer judge one another, but rather judge how not to give your brother an opportunity to stumble or be tempted” (Rom. 14, 13), teaches St. the apostle Paul. There is no sin committed by one person that no one else could commit. And if you see someone else's impurity, then it means that it has already penetrated into you, for innocent babies do not notice the depravity of adults and thus preserve their chastity. Therefore, the condemning person, even if he is right, must honestly admit to himself: did he not commit the same sin?

Our judgment is never impartial, for most often it is based on an accidental impression or is carried out under the influence of personal resentment, irritation, anger, accidental "mood".

If a Christian hears about the unseemly act of his loved one, then, before resenting and condemning him, he must act according to the word of Jesus the son of Sirakhov: “A curbing tongue will live peacefully, and he who hates talkativeness will diminish evil. Never repeat a word, and you will not lose anything ... Ask your friend, maybe he did not do that; and if he did, then let him not go ahead. Ask your friend, maybe he didn't say that; and if he did, let him not repeat it. Ask a friend, for there is often slander. Don't believe every word. Someone sins in word, but not from the heart; and who has not sinned with his tongue? Ask your neighbor before threatening him, and make room for the law of the Most High ”(Sir 19: 6-8; 13-19).

The sin of discouragement most often it comes from excessive preoccupation with oneself, one's own experiences, failures and, as a result, the extinction of love for others, indifference to other people's suffering, inability to rejoice in other people's joys, envy. The basis and root of our spiritual life and strength is love for Christ, and it must be nurtured and nurtured within ourselves. To peer into His image, to clarify and deepen it in yourself, to live with the thought of Him, and not about your small vain strokes and failures, to give Him your heart - this is the life of a Christian. And then silence and peace will reign in our hearts, about which St. Isaac the Sirin: "Be at peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will be reconciled with you."

There is, perhaps, not a single more common sin than lying. This category of vices should also include failure to keep promises made, gossip and idle talk. This sin has so deeply entered the consciousness of modern man, is so deeply rooted in the souls that people do not even think that any form of untruth, insincerity, hypocrisy, exaggeration, boasting is a manifestation of grave sin, serving Satan - the father of lies. According to the Apostle John, into Heavenly Jerusalem “no one who is devoted to abomination and falsehood will enter” (Rev. 21:27). Our Lord said about Himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14: 6), and therefore you can come to Him only by walking the path of righteousness. Truth alone makes people free.

Lie can manifest itself completely shamelessly, openly, in all its satanic abomination, becoming in such cases the second nature of a person, a permanent mask that has grown to his face. He is so accustomed to lying that he cannot express his thoughts otherwise than by putting them into words that are obviously not appropriate to them, thereby not clarifying, but obscuring the truth. Lies imperceptibly creep into the soul of a person from childhood: often, not wanting to see anyone, we ask our relatives to tell the newcomer that we are not at home; instead of outright refusal to participate in any unpleasant business for us, we pretend to be sick, busy with another business. Such "everyday" lies, seemingly innocent exaggerations, jokes based on deception, gradually corrupt a person, allowing him subsequently, for his own benefit, to make deals with his conscience.

Just as there can be nothing from the devil but evil and death for the soul, so from lies - his brainchild - nothing can follow but the corrupting, satanic, anti-Christian spirit of evil. There is no “saving lie” or “justified”, these very phrases are blasphemous, because only Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, saves, justifies us.

No less than a lie, common sin of idle talk, that is, empty, soulless use of the Divine gift of the word. This also includes gossip, retelling of rumors.

Often people spend time in empty, useless conversations, the content of which is immediately forgotten, instead of talking about faith with someone who suffers without it, looking for God, visiting a sick person, helping a lonely person, praying, comforting the offended, talking with children or grandchildren , to instruct them with a word, personal example on the spiritual path.

In the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian says: "... Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, love of command and idle talk." During Great Lent and Retreat, one must be especially focused on the spiritual, abandon spectacles (cinema, theater, television), be careful in words, truthful. It is appropriate to once again recall the words of the Lord: “For every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12: 36-37).
We must carefully, chastely handle the priceless gifts of word and reason, for they make us intimate with the Divine Logos Himself, the Incarnate Word, with our Lord Jesus Christ.

The most terrible sin at all times was considered to be the violation of the sixth commandment - murder- deprivation of another greatest gift of the Lord - life. The same terrible sins are suicide and murder in the womb - abortion.

Very close to committing murder are those who, in anger at their neighbor, allow assault, inflicting beatings, wounds, mutilations on him. Parents are guilty of this sin, cruelly treating their children, beating them for the smallest offense, and even without any reason. Guilty of this sin are those who, with gossip, slander, slander, caused anger in a person against someone else, and even more so - instigated him to physically deal with him. Often this is the sin of mother-in-law in relation to their daughters-in-law, neighbors, erecting a lie against a woman temporarily separated from her husband, deliberately provoking scenes of jealousy that end in beatings.

Timely failure to provide assistance to a sick or dying person - in general, indifference to other people's suffering should also be regarded as passive murder. Especially awful is this attitude towards elderly sick parents on the part of children.

This also includes the failure to provide assistance to a person in trouble: homeless, hungry, drowning in front of your eyes, beaten or robbed, suffered from a fire or flood.

But we kill our neighbor not only with our hands or weapons, but also with cruel words, abuse, mockery, mockery of someone else's grief. St. John the Apostle says: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15). Everyone has experienced how an evil, cruel, caustic word hurts and kills the soul.

No less sin is committed by those who deprive young souls of honor and innocence by corrupting them physically or morally, pushing them onto the path of depravity and sin. Blessed Augustine says: “Do not think that you are not a murderer if you have instructed your neighbor to sin. You corrupt the soul of the seduced one and steal from him what belongs to eternity. " To invite a young man or girl to a drunken gathering, to incite insults to revenge, to seduce with depraved spectacles or stories, to dissuade from fasting, to engage in pimping, to provide our home for drunkenness and dissolute gatherings - all this is complicity in the moral murder of a neighbor.

Killing animals without the need for food, torturing them is also a violation of the sixth commandment. “The righteous one also cares for the life of his cattle, but the heart of the wicked is cruel” (Proverbs 12, 10).

By indulging in excessive sadness, driving ourselves to despair, we sin against the same commandment. Suicide is the greatest sin, for life is a gift from God, and only He has the power to take it away from us. Refusal of treatment, deliberate non-observance of doctor's prescriptions, deliberate harm to one's health by excessive use of wine, smoking tobacco is also a slow suicide. Some people kill themselves by overworking for the sake of enrichment - this is also a sin.

The Holy Church, her holy fathers and teachers, condemning abortion and considering it a sin, proceed from the fact that people do not mindlessly neglect the sacred gift of life. This is the meaning of all Church prohibitions on the issue of abortion. At the same time, the Church recalls the words of the Apostle Paul that “a wife ... will be saved through childbearing if she abides in faith and love and in holiness with chastity” (1 Tim. 2, 14. 15).

A woman outside the Church is warned against this act by medical workers, explaining the danger and moral impurity of this operation. For a woman who admits her involvement in the Orthodox Church (and as such, apparently, every baptized woman who comes to church for confession should be considered), an artificial termination of pregnancy is unacceptable.

Some consider it a violation of the commandment “ don't steal»Only obvious theft and robbery with the use of violence, when large sums of money or other material values ​​are taken away, and therefore, without hesitation, they deny their guilt in the sin of embezzlement. However, embezzlement is any misappropriation of someone else's property, both own and public. Theft (theft) should be considered the failure to return money debts or things given for a time. No less reprehensible is parasitism, begging without extreme necessity, if possible, earning a living on your own. If a person, taking advantage of the misfortune of another, takes from him more than he should, then he is committing the sin of covetousness. The concept of extortion also includes the resale of food and industrial products at inflated prices (speculation). Traveling without a ticket on public transport is also an act that should be considered a violation of the eighth commandment.

Sins against the seventh commandment, by their very nature, are especially widespread, tenacious, and therefore the most dangerous. They are associated with one of the strongest human instincts - sex. Sensuality has penetrated deeply into the fallen nature of man and can manifest itself in the most varied and sophisticated forms. Patristic asceticism teaches to struggle with every sin from the very beginning, not only with the already obvious manifestations of carnal sin, but with lustful thoughts, dreams, fantasy, for “everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Here is a rough diagram of the development of this sin in us.

Prodigal thoughts that develop from memories of what was previously seen, heard, or even experienced in a dream. In solitude, often at night, they overwhelm a person especially strongly. Here the best medicine is ascetic exercises: fasting in food, inadmissibility of lying in bed after waking up, regular reading of the morning and evening prayer rules.

Seductive conversations in society, obscene stories, anecdotes told with a desire to please others and be in the center of their attention. Many young people, in order not to show their "backwardness" and not to be ridiculed by their comrades, fall into this sin. This also includes the singing of immoral songs, the writing of obscene words, as well as their use in conversation. All this leads to vicious self-gratification, which is all the more dangerous because, firstly, it is associated with the intensified work of the imagination, and secondly, it persecutes the unfortunate person so relentlessly that he gradually becomes a slave to this sin, which destroys his physical health and paralyzes his will to overcome vice.

Fornication- the intercourse of a single man and an unmarried woman (or violation of the chastity of a young man and a girl before marriage), not consecrated by the grace-filled power of the sacrament of Marriage.

Adultery is a violation of marital fidelity by one of the spouses.

Incest is a carnal bond between close relatives.

Unnatural sexual relations: sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality.

The disgustingness of these sins is hardly worth expanding on in detail. Their inadmissibility is obvious to every Christian: they lead to spiritual death even before the physical death of a person.

All men and women who bring repentance, if they are in a relationship not sanctified by the Church, should be strongly encouraged to consecrate their union with the sacrament of Marriage, no matter what age they are. In addition, in marriage, one should observe chastity, not indulge in immoderation in carnal pleasures, refrain from cohabitation during fasting, on the eve of Sundays and holidays.

Our repentance will not be complete if, while repenting, we are not confirmed internally in our determination not to return to our confessed sin. But they ask how this is possible, how can I promise myself and my confessor that I will not repeat my sin? Wouldn't it be closer to the truth just the opposite - the confidence that sin is repeated? After all, everyone knows from his own experience that after a while you inevitably return to the same sins; observing yourself from year to year, you do not notice any improvement.

It would be awful if this were the case. Fortunately, this is not the case. There is no case that, in the presence of sincere repentance and a good desire to reform, the Holy Communion received with faith does not make good changes in the soul. The point is that, first of all, we are not our own judges. A person cannot correctly judge himself, whether he has become worse or better, since both he himself and what he is judging are values ​​that change. Increased severity towards oneself, increased spiritual vision can give the illusion that sins have multiplied and intensified. In fact, they remained the same, maybe even weakened, but earlier we did not notice them that way. In addition, God, in His special Providence, often turns a blind eye to our successes in order to protect us from the worst sin - vanity and pride. It often happens that sin still remains, but frequent confessions and communion of the Holy Mysteries have shattered and weakened its roots. Yes, the very struggle with sin, suffering for your sins - isn't this an acquisition ?! "Do not be afraid, even if you fall every day and depart from the ways of God, stand courageously, and the angel guarding you will honor your patience," said St. John Climacus.

And even if there is no such feeling of relief, rebirth, one must have the strength to return again to confession, to completely free one's soul from impurity, wash it with tears from blackness and filth. The one who strives for this will always achieve what he is looking for.

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Today I will tell you how to correctly confess for the first time to an Orthodox person, because the sacrament of confession in the Orthodox Church can be confidently called the most difficult for a Christian. Since it is in this sacrament that the freedom of will of a person is realized in the greatest completeness. After all, a person himself decides to change, he decides to come to God and, in front of a witness (priest), tell what he did wrong, what he is ashamed of and what he denies, and will try not to do this in the future. Confession is an act of renouncing sin for the sake of God and for the sake of your soul.

What age do they confess for the first time

He can understand the meanings and consequences of his actions. This is what the Holy Scriptures say. Therefore, the first confession for a Christian who grew up in a church-going family comes in childhood.

For a child

Traditionally, preparation for confession begins with the upbringing of a child, when he is told about mortal sins, God, the Church and its Sacraments. Thus, the little man learns about the correct and wrong model of behavior and, coming to confession, checks his behavior with them.

However, before the first confession, it is worthwhile to discuss everything with the child again and warn him what he would say to the priest that he is confessing for the first time. Priests communicate in a special way with those who have not gone through this ordinance before. They understand that in such a situation, correctness and tact is extremely important.

We will use this advice not only in relation to little confessors, but also in relation to those adults who, by chance, first approach the sacrament even in adulthood.

For an adult

But for them, this event is a little more complicated. Since all the preliminary preparation lies solely on their shoulders. First you need to decide on the place, time and priest.

It can be any church convenient in terms of location to the confessor's house, or just a pleasant one for the confessor. In which he feels comfortable and calm. It is better to approach confession for the first time on a weekday, since then there will be fewer people than on Sunday at the liturgy, and the priest will be able to devote more time.

You can also ask him for advice on preparing for confession and the necessary literature that he can recommend to buy. Or borrow from your own or ward library. Some churches have them.

Preparing for the first confession

This is followed by the preparation itself for the first confession. The Church recommends that on the days of preparation for confession be carried out in fasting, that is, abstaining from food of animal origin (meat, fish, milk, eggs) and sexual relations.

The number of days of fasting is determined by the confessor himself, it may be one day, it may be a week, it may not be at all, since fasting is not a prerequisite. Just fasting will facilitate the collection of all thoughts on one topic - the coming confession. And only if a person is going to go to communion after the first confession, fasting for at least three days becomes mandatory.

It is especially important to devote time to prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures. There is also literature in which there are lists of sins, these are those sins that arise from mortal sins or contribute to their commission. However, this literature should be discussed in advance with the priest, so that it is not canonical and is not misleading.

How to prepare properly

Deadly sins are those acts that are committed against the ten commandments of the Law of God. These are pride, adultery, envy, gluttony, despondency, anger, avarice, theft, murder (abortion is also murder). They confess first. You should familiarize yourself with these lists and remember whether these actions have taken place in the past.

On the contrary, it means that the person prepared himself correctly, took the matter seriously and was extremely frank before God and himself. You should also just think and realize what of the perfect in life you are ashamed of, listen to your conscience. Maybe something for which you are ashamed is not in any of the lists of sins. It is still worth reporting this in confession.

If these actions are not a sin, the priest will explain this and possibly try, together with the confessor, to understand why they bother him so much. If notes have been made, then during confession they should be given to the priest. He will read it. Or the confessor can read out his sins himself. If confession is during the liturgy, then it should be read quietly so as not to distract the rest of the worshipers.

How to behave and confess correctly at the first confession

It is better to confess in your own words, and not by memorized phrases from books. After dubbing or reciting the sins, the priest can ask any questions. Also, questions that excite or confuse the soul can be asked by the confessor himself.

After all, the first confession means the beginning of a person's churching, the beginning of his life in the Church. Consequently, he still does not understand much and it is logical that he would want to ask what he does not understand from the priest. This can and should be done at confession and not only at the first one.

However, one should take into account how many others have come to confession. Their time must be respected and if there are any and confession takes place during the liturgy, then ask questions to the priest later. Except those that excite the soul the most.

Before confession, it is advisable to apologize to those to whom evil has been done and, if possible, to be reconciled. If this is not realistic, since those whom the confessor grieved are already dead or are too far away, and connections with him have been lost, then such grievances must be confessed.

Traditional ritual of Orthodox confession

Approaching confession, you should know that it will be carried out according to the traditional Orthodox ritual by a priest at a lectern specially allocated for this in the church (a high, elongated four-sided table with a sloping board), on which the cross and the Gospel will lie.

Approaching it, you should cross yourself and put two fingers (index and middle) on the Gospel. After that, the priest can immediately place the epitrachelion on the head. Outwardly, it looks like a long embroidered scarf connected several times along its length and worn by the priest.

The priest can first listen to the confessor and then put it on his head. In any case, you do not need to be afraid. Putting it down, he will read a prayer for the remission of sins. Will cross. All this time, most likely, will have to be spent, bending a little to the analogue. But it won't take long.

After the prayer, the priest will remove the epitrachelion from the confessor and then you need to cross yourself, kiss the cross and the Gospel and ask the priest for a blessing.

Penance after confession

It is possible, but unlikely in our time, that a priest will order a penance after confession. This should not be taken as punishment. Penance is just a series of actions necessary to eradicate sin from the life of a confessor.

If penance is beyond the strength and time, you need to tell the priest about it right away. An adequate priest will try to get into the situation and either cancel the penance, or soften it. Usually this is some kind of prayer rule, bows or works of mercy (helping the sick, the poor). However, penance, in principle, is now extremely rare. And more often in general, if the person himself asks for it.

If you cried

If, during confession, tears flowed from the confessor, you should not be ashamed of it. However, you need to try so that the tears do not turn into hysteria. Also, there is no need to rush to comfort those who are crying, moving away from confession. At this moment, people do not need the consolations of other people. On the contrary, they do not want undue attention to themselves.

What to wear for confession

If the time is cold, a man needs to take off his hat in church. For women, you need modest clothing that covers the shoulders, most of the neckline, a skirt not above the knee, and a scarf on the head. There should be no cosmetics. It is especially important not to paint your lips, as you will need to apply to the cross and the Gospel.

For confession, girls are better off not wearing high-heeled shoes, as they may have to stand for a long time. If the confessor did not know in advance from the priest where confession takes place during the liturgy, then you can ask one of the worshipers. By the way, confession often takes place not only at the liturgy, but also at the evening service. Its time is usually announced by an announcement on the doors of the church.

Priest at home for the sick

In the case when a person wants to confess, but due to illness cannot come to church, then you can call the priest at home. The rest of the preparation will be the same.

But if a sick confessor has a desire to fast before confession, then first you should consult a doctor about this. If the doctor is against food restrictions, it is better to listen to him. Since a person is obliged to take care of his health, as a gift from God. Neglecting them is also a sin (therefore, smoking, drunkenness, drug addiction are sins and are sometimes equated with slow suicide).

The most important thing is to remember why confession is necessary at all. If a person has decided to confess, then he has decided to change. This will not always work out right away. But you should strive not to repeat your mistakes over and over again.

What is the meaning of the Christian life? There may be many answers, but no one will argue that Orthodox Christians see the ultimate goal of earthly existence in eternal stay in paradise.

No one knows at what moment a person's stay on earth can end, therefore, one should be ready every second for the transition to another world.

What is confession

The best way to get rid of sin is sincere repentance, when the thought of an unclean life becomes disgusting.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ”(1 John 1: 8, 9).

The secret of confession in Orthodoxy gives Christians the opportunity to leave all their sins and brings them closer to the Knowledge of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Humble prayer, frequent confession are the results of repentance, a real contrition of the spirit that occurs in a constant struggle with passions.

About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:

Christ and the sinner

Orthodox Christians who are constantly in prayer and repentance, bringing their bad deeds and thoughts to the altar of God's blood, are not afraid of death, because they know that their bad deeds are forgiven during their confession.

Confession is a Sacrament, during which, through a priest, as a mediator, a person communicates with the Creator, renounces his sinful life in repentance and recognizing himself as a sinner.

Any, the smallest sin, can become a huge lock on the door of eternity. The Creator holds the repentant heart laid at the altar of God's love in His hands, forgiving all sins, without the right to remember them, shortening earthly life and depriving them of eternal stay in paradise.

Bad deeds come from hell, a fallen man leads him into the existing world, acting as a guide.

Sincere confession of wrong deeds cannot be violent, only out of ardent repentance, hatred of perfect sin, dying for him and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.

Forgiveness in Christianity

The secret of confession in Orthodoxy guarantees that everything was said in front of the priest, dies and does not go out of the gate of the church. There are no sins big and small, there are unrepentant sins, self-justification, alienating a person from accepting forgiveness. Through sincere repentance, a person comprehends the mystery of salvation.

Important! The Holy Fathers of the Church forbid remembering the sins confessed to God in sincere repentance and forsaken by man forever.

Why do Orthodox Christians confess?

Man consists of spirit, soul and body. Everyone knows that the body will turn to dust, but concern for bodily purity occupies an important place in the life of Christians. The soul, which is to meet the Savior at the end of its life, also needs cleansing from sins.

Only the confession of sinful deeds, thoughts, words can wash away the dirt from the soul. The accumulation of impurities in the soul causes negative emotions:

• irritation;
• anger;
• apathy.

Often the Orthodox themselves cannot explain their behavior, they do not even suspect that the reason for everything is unconfessed sins.

A person's spiritual health, a calm conscience, directly depends on the frequency of the confession of their vicious inclinations.

The confession accepted by God is directly related, or rather, is the result of sincere repentance. A repentant person sincerely wants to live according to the commandments of the Lord, he constantly criticizes his delusions and sins.

Confession in the Orthodox Church

According to St. Theophan the Recluse, repentance takes place in four stages:

• realize sin;
• admit his guilt in committing a misdemeanor;
• make a decision to end your relationship permanently with wrong actions or thoughts;
• tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.

In obedience, going to the open opening of his heart, which takes place in the presence of a priest, a person first of all transcends his pride. Some believers argue that it is possible to confess directly in the presence of the Creator, but according to the laws of the Orthodox Russian Church, the Sacrament of confession is considered legal if it is perfect through an intercessor, prayer book and witness in one person, through a priest.

The main thing in confessing sins is not the rank of a mediator, but the state of the sinner's heart, his heartfelt contrition and complete rejection of the committed transgression.

What are the rules of confession

People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession go to the priest before the Liturgy or during its performance, but always before the Sacrament of the Sacrament. To sick people, by prior agreement, the priests go home.

According to the Church Rule, when purifying the Orthodox soul, there are no reservations about fasting or prayer rules, the main thing is that a Christian believes and sincerely repent. The right thing is done by people who, before coming to the temple, spend time in realizing and writing down their sins, but these records should be left at home.

In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts, torments, and for this one does not need pieces of paper.

Deadly sins include:

• pride, pride, vanity;
• fornication;
• desire for someone else and envy;
• over-indulging in one's own flesh;
• unbridled anger;
• a dull spirit that dries up bones.

If this is an offense, before going to church, you need to come to terms with the offender and forgive the offending person.

In the presence of a priest, one should name the sins, say that I repent and acknowledge it. When we confess, we bring repentant sin to the foot of the great God and ask for forgiveness. One should not confuse a heart-to-heart conversation with a spiritual mentor and the Sacrament of Confession.

When consulting with a counselor, Christians can talk about their problems, ask for advice, and when confessing sins, they should speak clearly, clearly and briefly. ... God sees a repentant heart, He does not need verbosity.

The Church points out the sin of insensibility during confession, when a person has no fear of the Creator, is of little faith, but has come to the temple, for everyone came so that the neighbors could see his “piety”.

Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid; it offends the Creator. You can find several priests, tell each one about one bad deed, but not repent of any one, “putting on” the sin of hypocrisy and deceit.

First confession and preparation for it

Having made a decision to confess, you should:

• clearly understand the importance of this event;
• feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
• to repent of the perfect;
• forgive all debtors;
• be filled with faith for forgiveness;
• expound all sins with deep remorse.

The first coming in petition and repentance will make you mentally “shovel” your life from the point of view of repentance, if the desire for repentance is sincere. At the same time, one should constantly pray, ask God to open the darkest corners of the soul, bring all bad deeds into the light of God.

The sacrament of repentance

It is a mortal sin to come to confession and then receive communion, having unforgiveness in your soul. The Bible says that people who unworthily come to the sacrament get sick and die. (1 Cor. 11: 27-30)

Holy Scripture states that God forgives any repentant sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Mat. 12: 30-32)

If the atrocity committed is very great, then after confessing before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can prescribe a penance - a punishment in the form of many bows, many hours of reading the canons, increased fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to fulfill the penance; it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.

Important! After confession, they do not always receive Communion, and it is impossible to receive Communion without confession.

Prayers before confession and communion: Christ is knocking at the door

Only pride and false shame, which also refers to pride, obscures the importance of completely trusting the Creator in His mercy and forgiveness. Righteous shame is born of conscience, it is given by the Creator; a sincere Christian will always strive to clear his conscience as soon as possible.

What to tell the priest

When going to confession for the first time, one should remember that there is a meeting ahead not with a clergyman, but with the Creator Himself.

Cleansing your soul and heart from a sinful heritage, you should confess your guilt in contrition, humility and reverence, while not touching the sins of other people. They themselves will give an answer before the Creator. One must confess in firm faith that Jesus came in order to save and wash with His blood from the sinful deeds and thoughts of His children.

Opening your heart to God, one must repent not only of obvious sins, but of those good deeds that could have been done for people, the church, the Savior, but did not.

Carelessness in entrusted work is an abomination to God.

By His earthly death, Jesus proved that the path of cleansing is open to everyone, promising the robber who recognized Him as God, the Kingdom of Heaven.

God does not look at the number of bad deeds on the day of confession, He sees a repentant heart.

A sign of a forgiven sin will be a special peace in the heart, pacification. At this time, the angels sing to Heaven, rejoicing in the salvation of another soul.

How to Prepare for Confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko