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How to prepare for your first confession. How to correctly name sins in confession

Confession is considered a Christian rite in which the person confessing repents and repents of his sins in the hope of forgiveness by God Christ. The Savior himself established this sacrament and told the disciples the words that are written in the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 18, verse 18. This is also spoken of in the Gospel of John, ch. 20, verses 22 – 23.

Sacrament of Confession

According to the holy fathers, repentance is also considered a second baptism. Man during baptism cleansed from sin the firstborn, who was passed on to everyone from the first ancestors Adam and Eve. And after the rite of baptism, during repentance, personal thoughts are washed away. When a person performs the sacrament of repentance, he must be honest and aware of his sins, sincerely repenting of them, and not repeat the sin, believing in the hope of salvation by Jesus Christ and His mercy. The priest reads a prayer and cleansing from sins occurs.

Many who do not want to repent of their sins often say that they have no sins: “I didn’t kill, I didn’t steal, I didn’t commit adultery, so I have nothing to repent of?” This is stated in the first Epistle of John in the first chapter, verse 17 - “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” This means that sinful events happen every day if you understand the essence of God's commandments. There are three categories of sin: sin against the Lord God, sin against loved ones and sin against oneself.

List of sins against Jesus Christ

List of sins against loved ones

List of sins against yourself

All listed sins are divided into three categories, in the final analysis, all this is against the Lord God. After all, a violation of the commandments He created is carried out, therefore, a direct insult to God occurs. All these sins do not produce positive fruits, but on the contrary, the soul will not be saved from this.

Proper preparation for confession

It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of confession with all seriousness; for this purpose, one should engage in early preparation. Enough remember and write down on a piece of paper all the sins committed, and also read detailed information about the sacrament of confession. You should take a piece of paper for the ceremony and read everything again before the process. The same sheet can be given to the confessor, but grave sins must be spoken out loud. It is enough to talk about the sin itself, and not list long stories, for example, if there is enmity in the family, and with neighbors, one should repent of the main sin - condemnation of neighbors and loved ones.

In this ritual, the confessor and God are not interested in numerous sins, the meaning itself is important - sincere repentance for sins committed, a sincere feeling of a person, a contrite heart. Confession is not just awareness of one’s sinful past deeds, but also desire to wash them away. Justifying oneself for sins is not cleansing, it is unacceptable. Elder Silouan of Athos said that if a person hates sin, then God also asks for these sins.

It will be great if a person draws conclusions from each passing day, and each time truly repents of his sins, writing them down on paper, and for serious sins it is necessary to confess to a confessor in the church. You should immediately ask for forgiveness from people who have been offended by word or deed. There is a rule in the Orthodox prayer book - the Penitential Canon, which must be read intensively in the evenings before the sacrament of confession itself.

It is important to find out the church schedule and what day you can go to confession. There are many churches in which daily services are held, and the daily sacrament of confession also takes place there. And in the rest you should find out about the schedule of church services.

How to Confess to Children

Children under seven years of age are considered infants and can receive communion without prior confession. But it is important to accustom them from childhood to a sense of reverence. Without the necessary preparation, frequent communion causes reluctance to engage in this matter. Preferably prepare children for the sacrament in a few days, example - reading Holy Scripture and children's Orthodox literature. Reduce TV viewing time. Monitor the implementation of morning and evening prayers. If a child has done bad things over the past few days, then you should talk to him and instill in him a feeling of shame for what he has done. But you always need to know: the child follows the example of his parents.

After the age of seven, you can begin confession on the same basis as adults, but without the preliminary sacrament. The sins listed above are committed in large numbers by children, so children's communion has its own nuances.

To help children sincerely confess, it is necessary to give a list of sins:

This is a superficial list of possible sins. There are many personal sins for each child based on their thoughts and actions. An important goal parents are considered to prepare the child for repentance. Need a child he wrote down all his sins without the participation of his parents- you shouldn’t write him down. He must understand that it is necessary to sincerely admit and repent of bad deeds.

How to confess in church

Confession falls on morning and evening time days. It is considered unacceptable to be late for such an event. A group of repentants begins the process by reading the rites. When the priest begins to ask the names of the participants who came to confession, you need to answer neither loudly nor quietly. Latecomers are not accepted for confession. At the end of confession, the priest reads the rite again, receiving the sacrament. Women during natural monthly cleansing are not allowed to participate in such an event.

You need to behave with dignity in church and not disturb other confessors and the priest. It is not allowed to embarrass the people who came to this event. There is no need to confess one category of sins and leave another later. Those sins that were named last time are not re-read. It is advisable to perform the sacrament from the same confessor. In the sacrament, a person repents not before his confessor, but before the Lord God.

In large churches many penitents gather and in this case it is used « general confession» . The point is that the priest pronounces common sins, and those confessing repent. Next, everyone must come to the prayer of permission. When confession takes place for the first time, you should not come to such a general procedure.

First time visit private confession, if there is none, then at general confession you need to take the last place in line and listen to what they say to the priest during confession. It is advisable to explain the whole situation to the priest; he will tell you how to confess for the first time. Next comes true repentance. If during the process of repentance a person kept silent about a serious sin, then he will not be forgiven. At the end of the sacrament, a person is obliged, after reading the prayer of permission, to kiss the Gospel and the cross, which lie on the lectern.

Proper preparation for communion

On the days of fasting, which last seven days, fasting is established. The diet should not include fish, dairy, meat and egg products. On such days, sexual intercourse should not be performed. It is necessary to attend church frequently. Read the Penitential Canon and follow the prayer rules. On the eve of the sacrament, you must arrive for the service in the evening. Before going to bed, you should read the canons of the Archangel Michael, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. If this is not possible, such prayer rules can be shifted by several days during the fast.

Children have a hard time remembering and perceiving prayer rules, so you should choose the number that is within your power, but you need to discuss this with your confessor. To prepare gradually you need increase the number of prayer rules. Most people confuse the rules of confession and communion. Here you need to prepare step by step. To do this, you should ask for advice from a priest, who will advise you on more precise preparation.

Sacrament of Communion carried out on an empty stomach, you should not consume food and water after 12 o’clock, and you should also not smoke. This does not apply to children under seven years of age. But they need to be accustomed to this a year before the adult sacrament. Morning prayers should also be read for Holy Communion. During morning confession, you must arrive at the right time without being late.

Participle

The Lord God established the sacrament during the hours of the Last Supper, when Christ broke bread with his disciples and drank wine with them. Participle helps you enter the Kingdom of Heaven, therefore incomprehensible to the human mind. Women are not allowed to attend communion wearing makeup, and on ordinary Sundays they should wipe off anything from their lips. On menstrual days, women are not allowed to participate in the Sacrament., as well as those who have recently given birth, for the latter you need to read the prayer for the fortieth day.

When the priest comes out with the Holy Gifts, participants are required to bow. Next, you need to listen carefully to the prayers, repeating to yourself. Then you should cross your arms across your chest and approach the bowl. Children should go first, then men, and then women. Near the cup one’s name is pronounced and thereby the communicant receives the Gifts of the Lord. After communion, the deacon treats his lips with a plate, then you need to kiss the edge of the cup and approach the table. Here the person takes a drink and consumes the prosphora portion.

At the end, participants listen to prayers and pray until the end of the service. Then you should go to the cross and listen carefully to the prayer of thanks. At the end, everyone goes home, but in church you cannot speak empty words and disturb each other. On this day you need to behave with dignity and not defile your purity with sinful deeds.

Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which the penitent, confessing his sins to the priest, with visible forgiveness of sins (reading a prayer of absolution), is invisibly absolved from them. By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was established by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (untie) on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 18). And in another place: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, their sins are forgiven; on whomever you leave it, it will remain on him” (Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 22-23). The apostles transferred the power to “bind and loose” to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if at baptism a person is cleansed from the power of original sin, transmitted to him at birth from our first parents Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins, committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.

In order for the Sacrament of Repentance to be accomplished, the following are necessary on the part of the penitent: awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance for his sins, the desire to leave the sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to cleanse and wash away, through the prayer of the priest, sincerely confessed sins.

The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1st Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 7). At the same time, you hear from many: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t

I commit adultery, so what should I repent of?” But if we carefully study God’s commandments, we will discover that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.

Ingratitude to God.

Disbelief. Doubt in faith. Justifying one's disbelief through an atheistic upbringing.

Apostasy, cowardly silence when blasphemed faith in Christ, not wearing pectoral cross, visiting various sects.

Taking the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer or in pious conversation about Him).

Oath in the name of the Lord.

Fortune telling, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.

Thoughts about suicide.

Playing cards and other gambling games.

Failure to comply with morning and evening prayer rule.

Failure to visit the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.

Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.

Careless (non-daily) reading of the Holy Scriptures and soul-helping literature.

Breaking vows made to God.

Despair in difficult situations and disbelief in God's Providence, fear of old age, poverty, illness.

Absent-mindedness during prayer, thoughts about everyday things during worship.

Condemnation of the Church and its ministers.

Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.

Continuation of a sinful life in the sole hope of God’s mercy, that is, excessive trust in God.

It’s a waste of time watching TV shows and reading entertaining books to the detriment of time for prayer, reading the Gospel and spiritual literature.

Concealing sins during confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Arrogance, philanthropy, i.e. excessive hope for own strength and on someone’s help, without trusting that everything is in God’s hands.

Raising children outside the Christian faith.

Hot temper, anger, irritability.

Arrogance.

Perjury.

Mockery.

Stinginess.

Non-repayment of debts.

Failure to pay money earned for work.

Failure to provide assistance to those in need.

Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.

Disrespect for elders.

Lack of diligence in your work.

Condemnation.

Appropriation of someone else's property is theft.

Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.

Killing your child in the womb (abortion), inducing others to commit murder (abortion).

Murder with words is bringing a person through slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.

Drinking alcohol at funerals for the dead instead of intense prayer for them.

Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,

Reasonless laughter.

Foul language.

Self-love.

Doing good deeds for show.

Vanity.

The desire to get rich.

Love of money.

Envy.

Drunkenness, drug use.

Gluttony.

Fornication - inciting lustful thoughts, unclean desires, lustful touching, watching erotic films and reading such books.

Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons not related by marriage.

Adultery is a violation of marital fidelity.

Unnatural fornication - physical intimacy between persons of the same sex, masturbation.

Incest is physical intimacy with close relatives or nepotism.

Although the above sins are conditionally divided into three parts, ultimately they are all sins both against God (since they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against their neighbors (since they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed ), and against themselves (because they interfere with the salvific dispensation of the soul).

Anyone who wants to repent before God for their sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read literature on the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them down on

a separate piece of paper to review before confession. Sometimes a piece of paper with the listed sins is given to the confessor to read, but the sins that especially burden the soul must be told out loud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories; it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of judging your relatives or neighbors. What is important to God and the confessor is not the list of sins, but the repentant feeling of the person being confessed, not detailed stories, but a contrite heart. We must remember that confession is not only an awareness of one’s own shortcomings, but, above all, a thirst to be cleansed of them. In no case is it acceptable to justify yourself - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan of Athos explains what real repentance is: “This is a sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hated sin, then the Lord forgave you your sins.”

It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance before God, writing down serious sins for future confession with your confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with your neighbors and ask for forgiveness from everyone who was offended. When preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading Canon of Penance, which is in the Orthodox prayer book.

To confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession takes place in the church. In those churches where services are performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also celebrated every day. In those churches where there are no daily services, you must first familiarize yourself with the service schedule.

Children under seven years of age (in the Church they are called babies) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great

Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an undesirable sense of the ordinariness of what is happening. It is advisable to prepare infants 2-3 days in advance for the upcoming Communion: read the Gospel, lives of saints, and other soul-helping books with them, reduce, or better yet completely eliminate, television viewing (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with preparation for Communion ), follow their prayer in the morning and before bed, talk with the child about the past days and lead him to a feeling of shame for his own misdeeds. The main thing to remember is that there is nothing more effective for a child than the personal example of parents.

Starting from the age of seven, children (adolescents) begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after first performing the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are also inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. To motivate children to sincere repentance, you can pray for them to read the following list of possible sins:

Did you lie in bed in the morning and therefore skip the morning prayer rule?

Did you not sit down at the table without praying and did you not go to bed without praying?

Do you know the most important ones by heart? orthodox prayers: “Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice”, prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name you bear?

Did you go to church every Sunday?

Have you been interested in various amusements in church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?

Did you behave properly at church services, did you not run around the church, did you not have empty conversations with your peers, thereby leading them into temptation?

Did you pronounce the name of God unnecessarily?

Are you performing the sign of the cross correctly, are you not in a hurry, are you not distorting it? sign of the cross?

Were you distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?

Do you read the Gospel and other spiritual books?

Do you wear pectoral cross and aren't you ashamed of him?

Aren't you using a cross as a decoration, which is sinful?

Do you wear various amulets, for example, zodiac signs?

Didn’t you tell fortunes, didn’t you tell fortunes?

Didn’t you hide your sins before the priest in confession out of false shame, and then receive communion unworthily?

Were you not proud of yourself and others of your successes and abilities?

Have you ever argued with someone just to gain the upper hand in the argument?

Did you deceive your parents for fear of being punished?

During Lent, did you eat something like ice cream without your parents’ permission?

Did you listen to your parents, didn’t you argue with them, didn’t you demand an expensive purchase from them?

Have you ever beaten anyone? Did he incite others to do this?

Did you offend the younger ones?

Did you torture animals?

Did you gossip about anyone, did you snitch on anyone?

Have you ever laughed at people with any physical disabilities?

Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue or using drugs?

Didn't you use foul language?

Didn't you play cards?

Have you ever engaged in handjobs?

Did you appropriate someone else's property for yourself?

Have you ever had the habit of taking without asking what does not belong to you?

Weren't you too lazy to help your parents around the house?

Was he pretending to be sick to evade his responsibilities?

Were you jealous of others?

The above list is only a general outline of possible sins. Each child may have his own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of parents is to prepare the child for repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but you should not do this for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins, subject to sincere, sincere repentance and the desire not to repeat them again.

Confession is performed in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the start of the liturgy. Under no circumstances should you be late for the start of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rite, in which everyone who wishes to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rite, the priest turns to the penitents so that they say their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the start of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of confession reads the rite for them again and accepts confession, or schedules it for another day. Women cannot begin the Sacrament of Repentance during the period of monthly cleansing.

Confession usually takes place in a church with a crowd of people, so you need to respect the secret of confession, not crowd next to the priest receiving confession, and not embarrass the person confessing, revealing his sins to the priest. Confession must be complete. You cannot confess some sins first and leave others for next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in pre-

previous confessions and those that were already released to him are not mentioned again. If possible, you should confess to the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which a feeling of false shame prevents your familiar confessor from revealing. Those who do this by their actions try to deceive God Himself: in confession, we confess our sins not to our confessor, but together with him to the Savior Himself.

In large churches, due to the large number of penitents and the inability of the priest to accept confession from everyone, a “general confession” is usually practiced, when the priest lists out loud the most common sins and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone takes turns to come up for a prayer of absolution . Those who have never been to confession or have not gone to confession for several years should avoid general confession. Such people must undergo private confession - for which they need to choose either a weekday, when there are not many people confessing in the church, or find a parish where only private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest during a general confession for a prayer of permission, among the last, so as not to detain anyone, and, having explained the situation, open up to him about your sins. Those who have grave sin.

Many devotees of piety warn that a grave sin, about which the confessor remained silent during general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.

After confessing sins and reading the prayer of absolution by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern and, if he was preparing for communion, takes a blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent - spiritual exercises intended to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be treated as the will of God, expressed through the priest, requiring mandatory fulfillment for the healing of the soul of the penitent. If it is impossible for various reasons to perform penance, you should contact the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties that have arisen.

Those who wish not only to confess, but also to receive communion, must prepare worthily and in accordance with the requirements of the Church for the Sacrament of Communion. This preparation is called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Meal food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses refrain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and watching television. If circumstances permit, you should attend church services on these days. The morning and evening prayer rules are followed more diligently, with the addition of the reading of the Penitential Canon.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is celebrated in the church - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading prayers for bedtime, three canons are read: Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read before the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to perform such a prayer rule in

one day, take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for communion. Parents need to, together with their confessor, choose the optimal number of prayers that the child can handle, then gradually increase the number necessary prayers necessary to prepare for communion, up to the complete prayer rule for Holy Communion.

For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, others do not confess or receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to begin the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing your sins, ask your confessor for advice. We need to pray to the Lord to help us overcome difficulties and give us strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.

Since it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock at night they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5-6 years, and if possible earlier) must be accustomed to the existing rule.

In the morning, they also don’t eat or drink anything and, of course, don’t smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading the morning prayers, prayers for Holy Communion are read. If reading prayers for Holy Communion in the morning is difficult, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, you must arrive on time, before confession begins. If confession was made the night before, then the person confessing comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took bread and, blessing it, broke it and, giving it to the disciples, said: Take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 26-28).

During Divine Liturgy The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed - bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and the participants, receiving Them during communion, mysteriously, incomprehensible to the human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in each Particle of the Sacrament.

Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary to enter eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks about this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day...” (Gospel of John, chapter 6, verses 53 - 54).

The Sacrament of Communion is incomprehensibly great, and therefore requires preliminary cleansing by the Sacrament of Repentance; the only exception is infants under seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation required for the laity. Women need to wipe off lipstick from their lips. Women should not receive communion during the period of monthly cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after the cleansing prayer of the fortieth day is read over them.

When the priest comes out with the Holy Gifts, the communicants make one prostration (if it is a weekday) or a bow (if it is a Sunday or holiday) and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers

private traders, folding their hands on their chests crosswise (right over left), decorously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. A pious custom has developed to let children go to the Chalice first, then men come up, and then women. You should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having said his name out loud, the communicant, with his lips open, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After communion, the deacon or sexton wipes the communicant’s mouth with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the Holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes the drink (warmth) and eats a piece of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting the warmth, you cannot venerate either the icons, the Cross, or the Gospel.

After receiving the warmth, the communicants do not leave the church and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the emptiness (the final words of the service), the communicants approach the Cross and listen carefully thanksgiving prayers after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the communicants decorously disperse, trying to preserve the purity of their souls, cleansed from sins, for as long as possible, without wasting empty talk and things that are not good for the soul. On the day after communion, the Holy Mysteries are not performed prostrations, when blessing the priest, they do not touch the hand. You can only venerate icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoid verbosity (it is better to remain silent in general), watch TV, exclude marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to abstain from smoking. It is advisable to read prayers of thanksgiving at home after Holy Communion. It is a prejudice that you cannot shake hands on the day of communion. Under no circumstances should you receive communion several times in one day.

In cases of illness and infirmity, you can receive communion at home. For this purpose, a priest is invited to the house. Depending

Based on his condition, the sick person is adequately prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can receive communion only on an empty stomach (with the exception of dying people). Children under seven years of age do not receive communion at home, since they, unlike adults, can only receive communion with the Blood of Christ, and the reserve Gifts with which the priest administers communion at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ, saturated with His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

Each Christian either himself determines the time when he needs to confess and receive communion, or does this with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom of receiving communion at least five times a year - on each of the four multi-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of remembrance of the saint whose name you bear).

How often it is necessary to receive communion is given by the pious advice of the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain: “True communicants are always, following Communion, in a tactile state of grace. The heart then tastes the Lord spiritually.

But just as we are constrained in body and surrounded by external affairs and relationships in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual taste of the Lord, due to the splitting of our attention and feelings, is weakened day by day, obscured and hidden...

Therefore, zealots, sensing its impoverishment, hasten to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are tasting the Lord again.”

Published Orthodox parish in the name of St. Seraphim Sarovsky, Novosibirsk.

Every believer must understand that in confession he confesses his deeds to the Lord. Each of his sins must be covered by the desire to atone for his guilt before the Lord; this is the only way to achieve his forgiveness.

If a person feels that his soul is heavy, then it is necessary to go to church and undergo the sacrament of confession. After repentance, you will feel much better, and a heavy burden will fall from your shoulders. Your soul will become free and your conscience will no longer torment you.

What is needed for confession

Before you can properly confess in church, you need to understand what to say there. Before confession you need to make the following preparations:

realize your sins, sincerely repent of them;
have a sincere desire for sin to be left behind, with faith in the Lord;
to sincerely believe in the fact that confession will help to cleanse yourself spiritually with the help of prayers and sincere repentance.

Confession will help remove sins from the soul only if the repentance is sincere and the person’s faith is strong. If you said to yourself, “I want to confess,” then your conscience and faith in the Lord should tell you where to start.

How does confession go?

If you are thinking about how to properly confess in church, then you must first understand that all actions must be as sincere as possible. In its process, you need to open your heart and soul, completely repenting of what you have done. And if there are people who do not understand its meaning, who do not feel relief after it, then these are simply unbelieving people who have not really realized their sins and certainly have not repented of them.

It is important to understand that confession is not a simple listing of all your sins. Many people think that the Lord already knows everything about them. But this is not at all what He expects from you. In order for the Lord to forgive you, you should want to get rid of your sins and repent of them. Only then can one expect relief after confession.

What to do during confession

People who have never made the sacrament of confession do not have the slightest idea how to properly confess to the priest. All people who are ready to confess are welcome in churches. Even for the greatest sinners, the path there is never closed. Moreover, priests often help their parishioners in the process of confession, pushing them to take the right actions. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of confession, even if you do not know how to confess correctly for the first time.

During individual confession, one should not forget about those sins that were mentioned during the general sacrament. This can be done in any words, since the form of repentance does not matter. You can express your sin in one word, for example, “stole,” or you can talk about it in more detail. You need to speak from the heart, in the words that your heart tells you. After all, you are pouring out your thoughts before God, and it does not matter to him what the priest may be thinking at this time. Therefore, there is no need to be ashamed of your words at all.

What to do if you forgot to name some sin?

Every person can get agitated. You can then just go up to the priest and tell him everything. There is nothing criminal about this.

Many parishioners write down their sins on a piece of paper and come to confession. This has its advantages. Firstly, this way you won’t forget about the main thing, and secondly, by writing it down, you will think about your actions and understand that you did the wrong thing.

But here, too, you should not overdo it, since this process can make confession a mere formality.

At the first confession, a person must remember all his misdeeds, starting from the age of six. After this, there is no longer any need to remember those sins that have already been named before. Unless, of course, they committed this sin again.

If the above-mentioned offenses are not considered a sin, then the priest should tell the person about this, and together they should think about why this act bothers the parishioner so much.

How to confess correctly

Having decided to confess, you should find out how this procedure occurs. After all, there is a whole Orthodox ritual for this, which takes place in a specially designated place called a lectern. It is a table with four kuts, on which you can see the Holy Gospel and a cross.

Before you repent of your sins, you need to go up to him and put two fingers on the Gospel. After this, the priest can put the epitrachelion on his head. Appearance it somewhat resembles a scarf.

But the priest can do this even after he has listened to the person’s sins. After this, the clergyman will read a prayer for the remission of sins. A priest baptizes a parishioner.

At the end of the prayer, the epitrachelion is removed from the head. Even then you need to cross yourself and kiss the holy cross. Only after this can you receive a blessing from the priest.

After confession, the priest can assign a person penance. IN Lately this happens quite rarely, but there is no need to be afraid of such a step - these are simply actions whose purpose is to quickly eradicate sins from a person’s life.

But the priest can soften or even cancel the penance if the person asks for it. Of course, there must be a good reason for such a step. Very often, prayers, bows or other actions are prescribed as penance, which should become an act of mercy on the part of the person confessing. But recently, priests most often assign penance only if the person himself asked for it.

How to confess correctly - advice from a priest

It often happens that during confession a person’s tears flow. There is no need to be ashamed of this, but you should not turn tears of repentance into hysterics.

What is better to wear to confession?

Before going to confession, you should review your wardrobe. Men must wear long pants, shirts or T-shirts with long sleeves. It is very important that the clothes do not depict various mythical characters, women without clothes or scenes with elements of smoking or drinking alcohol. IN warm time years, men must attend church without hats.

Women should dress very modestly for confession. Outerwear must cover the shoulders and décolleté area. The skirt should not be too short, maximum to the knees. There should also be a scarf on the head. It is very important not to wear makeup and, especially, not to use lipstick, since you need to kiss the cross and the Gospel. You should not wear shoes with long heels, as the service may take a long time and your feet will get tired.

Preparing for confession and communion

Confession and communion can occur on the same day, but this is not necessary. You can confess during any Divine service, but for the second sacrament you need to prepare much more seriously, since receiving the sacrament correctly is very important.

Before the sacrament of communion there must be at least three days of strict fasting. A week before this, it is necessary to read akathists to the Mother of God and the Saints. On the day before communion, it is worth attending the evening service. Don’t forget about reading the three canons:

Savior;
Mother of God;
Guardian Angel.

You cannot eat or drink anything before communion. It is also necessary to read morning prayers after sleep. At confession, the priest will definitely ask whether the person fasted before communion and whether he read all the prayers.

Preparation for communion also includes renouncing marital obligations, smoking and drinking alcohol. During the period of preparation for this sacrament, you should not use foul language or gossip about other people. This is very important, because preparations are underway to receive the Blood and Body of Christ.

You need to stand in front of the Chalice of Christ with your arms crossed on your chest and say your name before drinking wine and bread.

How to confess correctly for the first time

If a person wants to confess for the first time, then he needs to understand that not simple repentance awaits him. Such a confession is usually called general. It must be approached consciously and very carefully. It is important for a person to concentrate and remember all his sins from the age of six (in subsequent times he will no longer have to do this).

Church ministers recommend fasting during the preparation period and giving up relationships with members of the opposite sex. How long to fast depends on the person himself. You need to listen to the needs of your soul and follow them.

Don't forget to read your prayers and read the Bible these days. In addition, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the literature that exists on this topic. The priest can recommend some books. But before reading unverified publications, it is better to consult with your priest.

During confession, you should not use any memorized words or phrases. After the person talks about sins, the priest may ask some more questions. They must be answered calmly, even if they confuse the person. The parishioner himself can ask troubling questions, because the first confession exists so that a person takes the right path and never leaves it.

But we should not forget about other people who came to the Liturgy and also want to confess. There is no need to take a lot of time, even if there are still some questions. They can be asked to the priest after the Service.

The sacrament of confession has its purpose - it cleanses human souls from sins. But do not forget that you need to confess constantly. After all, in our troubled times it is impossible to live without sinning. And all sins fall heavily on our soul and our conscience.

What to say in confession - a list of women's sins

1. She violated the rules of conduct for those praying in the holy temple.
2. I had dissatisfaction with my life and with people.
3. She performed prayers without zeal and bowed low to icons, prayed lying down, sitting (unnecessarily, out of laziness).
4. She sought glory and praise in virtues and works.
5. I was not always content with what I had: I wanted to have beautiful, varied clothes, furniture, and delicious food.
6. I was annoyed and offended when my wishes were refused.
7. I did not abstain with my husband during pregnancy, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, during fasting, and was in uncleanness by consent with my husband.
8. I sinned with disgust.
9. After committing a sin, she did not repent immediately, but kept it to herself for a long time.
10. She sinned with idle talk and indirectness. I remembered the words others had said against me and sang shameless worldly songs.
11. She grumbled about the bad road, the length and tediousness of the service.
12. I used to save money for a rainy day, as well as for funerals.
13. She was angry with her loved ones and scolded her children. She did not tolerate comments or fair reproaches from people, she immediately fought back.
14. She sinned with vanity, asking for praise, saying “you can’t praise yourself, no one will praise you.”
15. The deceased was remembered with alcohol; on a fast day the funeral table was modest.
16. Didn’t have a firm determination to give up sin.
17. I doubted the honesty of my neighbors.
18. I missed opportunities to do good.
19. She suffered from pride, did not condemn herself, and was not always the first to ask for forgiveness.
20. Allowed food spoilage.
21. She did not always keep the shrine reverently (artos, water, prosphora spoiled).
22. I sinned with the goal of “repenting.”
23. She objected, justifying herself, was irritated by the lack of understanding, stupidity and ignorance of others, made reprimands and comments, contradicted, divulged sins and weaknesses.
24. Attributed sins and weaknesses to others.
25. She succumbed to rage: she scolded her loved ones, insulted her husband and children.
26. Led others into anger, irritability, and indignation.
27. I sinned by judging my neighbor and tarnishing his good name.
28. Sometimes she became discouraged and carried her cross with a murmur.
29. Interfered in other people's conversations, interrupted the speaker's speech.
30. She sinned with grumpiness, compared herself with others, complained and became embittered at those who offended her.
31. Thanked people, did not look towards God with gratitude.
32. I fell asleep with sinful thoughts and dreams.
33. I noticed bad words and actions of people.
34. Drank and ate food that was harmful to health.
35. She was troubled in spirit by slander and considered herself better than others.
36. She sinned by indulgence and indulgence in sins, self-indulgence, self-indulgence, disrespect for old age, untimely eating, intransigence, inattention to requests.
37. I missed the opportunity to sow the word of God and bring benefit.
38. She sinned with gluttony, guttural rage: she loved to eat excessively, savor tasty morsels, and amused herself with drunkenness.
39. She was distracted from prayer, distracted others, gave off bad air in church, went out when necessary without telling about it in confession, and hastily prepared for confession.
40. She sinned with laziness, idleness, exploited other people’s labor, speculated in things, sold icons, did not go to church on Sundays and holidays, was too lazy to pray.
41. She became bitter towards the poor, did not accept strangers, did not give to the poor, did not clothe the naked.
42. I trusted in man more than in God.
43. I was drunk at a party.
44. I did not send gifts to those who offended me.
45. I was upset at a loss.
46. I fell asleep during the day unnecessarily.
47. I was burdened by sorrows.
48. I didn’t protect myself from colds and didn’t get treatment from doctors.
49. She deceived me with her word.
50. Exploited the work of others.
51. She was depressed in sorrows.
52. She was a hypocrite, a people-pleaser.
53. She wished evil, was cowardly.
54. She was resourceful for evil.
55. Was rude and not condescending to others.
56. I didn’t force myself to do good deeds or pray.
57. She angrily reproached the authorities at rallies.
58. I shortened prayers, skipped them, rearranged words.
59. I envied others and wanted honor for myself.
60. I sinned with pride, vanity, self-love.
61. I looked at the dances, dances, various games and spectacles.
62. She sinned by idle ranting, secret eating, petrification, insensibility, neglect, disobedience, intemperance, stinginess, condemnation, love of money, reproach.
63. Spent the holidays in drinking and earthly amusements.
64. She sinned by sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, inaccurate observance of fasts, unworthy communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
65. She got drunk and laughed at someone else’s sin.
66. She sinned through lack of faith, infidelity, betrayal, deceit, lawlessness, groaning over sin, doubt, freethinking.
67. Was inconsistent in good deeds, did not care to read the Holy Gospel.
68. I came up with excuses for my sins.
69. She sinned by disobedience, arbitrariness, unfriendliness, malice, disobedience, insolence, contempt, ingratitude, severity, sneaking, oppression.
70. She did not always fulfill her official duties conscientiously; she was careless and hasty in her work.
71. She believed in signs and various superstitions.
72. Was an instigator of evil.
73. I went to weddings without a church wedding.
74. I sinned through spiritual insensibility: relying on myself, on magic, on fortune telling.
75. Did not keep these vows.
76. Concealed sins during confession.
77. I tried to find out other people’s secrets, read other people’s letters, eavesdropped on telephone conversations.
78. In great grief she wished for death.
79. Wore immodest clothes.
80. Talked during the meal.
81. She drank and ate the water “charged” by Chumak.
82. Worked through strength.
83. I forgot about my Guardian Angel.
84. I sinned by being lazy in praying for my neighbors; I did not always pray when asked to do so.
85. I was ashamed to cross myself among unbelievers, and took off the cross when going to the bathhouse and to see a doctor.
86. She did not keep the vows given at Holy Baptism and did not maintain the purity of her soul.
87. She noticed the sins and weaknesses of others, divulged and reinterpreted them for the worse. She swore, swore on her head, on her life. She called people “devil”, “Satan”, “demon”.
88. She called the dumb cattle after the names of holy saints: Vaska, Mashka.
89. I didn’t always pray before eating food; sometimes I had breakfast in the morning before the Divine service.
90. Having previously been an unbeliever, she seduced her neighbors into unbelief.
91. Served bad example with your life.
92. I was lazy to work, shifting my labor onto the shoulders of others.
93. I did not always handle the word of God with care: I drank tea and read the Holy Gospel (which is lack of reverence).
94. Took Epiphany water after eating (unnecessarily).
95. I picked lilacs at the cemetery and brought them home.
96. I didn’t always keep the sacrament days, I forgot to read the prayers of thanks. I ate a lot these days and slept a lot.
97. I sinned by being idle, coming to church late and leaving it early, and rarely going to church.
98. Neglected menial work when absolutely necessary.
99. She sinned by indifference, remained silent when someone blasphemed.
100. Didn’t follow exactly fast days, during Lent, she was satiated with Lenten food, seducing others with a glut of tasty and inaccurate according to the regulations: a hot loaf, vegetable oil, seasoning.
101. I was carried away by bliss, relaxation, carelessness, trying on clothes and jewelry.
102. She reproached the priests and servants and spoke about their shortcomings.
103. Gave advice on abortion.
104. I disturbed someone else’s sleep through carelessness and impudence.
105. I read love letters, copied, memorized passionate poems, listened to music, songs, watched shameless movies.
106. She sinned with immodest glances, looked at other people’s nudity, wore immodest clothes.
107. I was tempted in a dream and passionately remembered it.
108. She suspected in vain (she slandered in her heart).
109. She retold empty, superstitious tales and fables, praised herself, and did not always tolerate the revealing truth and offenders.
110. Showed curiosity about other people's letters and papers.
111. Idly inquired about weaknesses neighbor.
112. I have not freed myself from the passion to tell or ask about news.
113. I read prayers and akathists rewritten with errors.
114. I considered myself better and more worthy than others.
115. I don’t always light lamps and candles in front of icons.
116. I violated the secret of my own and others’ confession.
117. Participated in bad deeds, persuaded people to do bad things.
118. She was stubborn against goodness and did not listen to good advice. She showed off her beautiful clothes.
119. I wanted everything to be my way, I looked for the culprits of my sorrows.
120. After completing the prayer, I had evil thoughts.
121. She spent money on music, cinema, the circus, sinful books and other amusements, and lent money for a deliberately bad cause.
122. In thoughts inspired by the enemy, she plotted against the Holy Faith and the Holy Church.
123. She disturbed the peace of mind of the sick, looked at them as sinners, and not as a test of their faith and virtue.
124. Yielded to untruth.
125. I ate and went to bed without praying.
126. I ate before mass on Sundays and holidays.
127. She spoiled the water when she bathed in the river from which she drank.
128. She talked about her exploits, labors, and boasted about her virtues.
129. I enjoyed using scented soap, cream, powder, and painted my eyebrows, nails and eyelashes.
130. I sinned with the hope that “God will forgive.”
131. I relied on my own strengths and abilities, and not on the help and mercy of God.
132. She worked on holidays and weekends, and from working on these days she did not give money to the poor.
133. I visited a healer, went to a fortune teller, was treated with “biocurrents”, sat in psychic sessions.
134. She sowed enmity and discord between people, she herself offended others.
135. She sold vodka and moonshine, speculated, made moonshine (was present at the same time) and took part.
136. She suffered from gluttony, even getting up to eat and drink at night.
137. Drew a cross on the ground.
138. I read atheistic books, magazines, “treatises on love”, looked at pornographic paintings, maps, half-nude images.
139. Distorted Holy Scripture(mistakes when reading, singing).
140. She exalted herself with pride, sought primacy and supremacy.
141. Mentioned in anger evil spirits, called on the demon.
142. I danced and played on holidays and Sundays.
143. She entered the temple in uncleanness, ate prosphora, antidor.
144. In anger, I scolded and cursed those who offended me: so that there is no bottom, no tire, etc.
145. Spent money on entertainment (rides, carousels, all kinds of shows).
146. She was offended by her spiritual father and grumbled at him.
147. She disdained kissing icons and caring for sick and old people.
148. She teased the deaf and dumb, the weak-minded, and minors, angered animals, and paid evil for evil.
149. Tempted people, wore see-through clothes, miniskirts.
150. She swore and was baptized, saying: “I will fail in this place,” etc.
151. She retold ugly stories (sinful in essence) from the lives of her parents and neighbors.
152. Had a spirit of jealousy towards a friend, sister, brother, friend.
153. She sinned by being grumpy, self-willed, and complaining that there was no health, strength, or strength in the body.
154. I envied rich people, their beauty, their intelligence, education, wealth, and goodwill.
155. She did not keep her prayers and good deeds secret, and did not keep church secrets.
156. She justified her sins with illness, infirmity, and bodily weakness.
157. She condemned other people's sins and shortcomings, compared people, gave them characteristics, judged them.
158. She revealed the sins of others, mocked them, ridiculed people.
159. Deliberately deceived, told lies.
160. I hastily read holy books when my mind and heart did not assimilate what I read.
161. I gave up prayer because I was tired, making the excuse of weakness.
162. I rarely cried because I was living unrighteously; I forgot about humility, self-reproach, salvation and the Last Judgment.
163. In my life I have not surrendered myself to the will of God.
164. She ruined her spiritual home, mocked people, discussed the fall of others.
165. She herself was an instrument of the devil.
166. She did not always cut off her will in front of the elder.
167. I spent a lot of time on empty letters, and not on spiritual ones.
168. Didn’t have a feeling of fear of God.
169. She was angry, shook her fist, and swore.
170. I read more than I prayed.
171. I succumbed to persuasion, to the temptation to sin.
172. She commanded imperiously.
173. She slandered others, forced others to swear.
174. She turned her face away from those asking.
175. She disturbed the peace of mind of her neighbor and had a sinful mood of spirit.
176. Did good without thinking about God.
177. She was vain about her place, rank, position.
178. On the bus I did not give up my seat to the elderly or passengers with children.
179. When buying, she bargained and fell into argument.
180. I did not always accept the words of the elders and confessors with faith.
181. She looked with curiosity and asked about worldly things.
182. The flesh did not live in the shower, bath, bathhouse.
183. Traveled aimlessly, out of boredom.
184. When the visitors left, she did not try to free herself from sinfulness by prayer, but remained in it.
185. She allowed herself privileges in prayer, pleasure in worldly pleasures.
186. She pleased others to please the flesh and the enemy, and not for the benefit of the spirit and salvation.
187. I sinned with unspiritual attachment to friends.
188. I was proud of myself when doing a good deed. She didn’t humiliate herself or reproach herself.
189. She did not always feel sorry for sinful people, but scolded and reproached them.
190. She was dissatisfied with her life, scolded her and said: “When death takes me.”
191. There were times when she called me annoyingly and knocked loudly to get them to open.
192. While reading, I did not think deeply about the Holy Scriptures.
193. I did not always have cordiality towards visitors and the memory of God.
194. I did things out of passion and worked needlessly.
195. Often fueled by empty dreams.
196. She sinned with malice, did not remain silent in anger, did not move away from the one who aroused anger.
197. When I was sick, I often used food not for satisfaction, but for pleasure and enjoyment.
198. She coldly received mentally helpful visitors.
199. I grieved for the one who offended me. And they grieved at me when I offended.
200. During prayer I did not always have repentant feelings or humble thoughts.
201. Insulted her husband, who avoided intimacy on the wrong day.
202. In anger, she encroached on the life of her neighbor.
203. I have sinned and am sinning by fornication: I was with my husband not to conceive children, but out of lust. In the absence of her husband, she desecrated herself with masturbation.
204. At work I experienced persecution for the truth and grieved about it.
205. Laughed at the mistakes of others and made comments out loud.
206. She wore women's whims: beautiful umbrellas, fluffy clothes, other people's hair (wigs, hairpieces, braids).
207. She was afraid of suffering and endured it reluctantly.
208. She often opened her mouth to show off her gold teeth, wore glasses with gold frames, and an abundance of rings and gold jewelry.
209. I asked advice from people who do not have spiritual intelligence.
210. Before reading the word of God, she did not always call on the grace of the Holy Spirit, she only cared about reading as much as possible.
211. She conveyed the gift of God to the womb, voluptuousness, idleness and sleep. She didn’t work, having talent.
212. I was lazy to write and rewrite spiritual instructions.
213. I dyed my hair and looked younger, visited beauty salons.
214. When giving alms, she did not combine it with the correction of her heart.
215. She did not shy away from flatterers and did not stop them.
216. She had an addiction to clothes: she cared about how not to get dirty, not dusty, not to get wet.
217. She did not always wish salvation for her enemies and did not care about it.
218. At prayer I was “a slave of necessity and duty.”
219. After fasting, I ate light food, eating until my stomach became heavy and often without time.
220. I rarely prayed the night prayer. She sniffed tobacco and indulged in smoking.
221. Didn’t avoid spiritual temptations. Had some bad dates. I lost heart.
222. On the road I forgot about prayer.
223. Intervened with instructions.
224. She did not sympathize with the sick and mourning.
225. She didn’t always lend money.
226. I feared sorcerers more than God.
227. I felt sorry for myself for the benefit of others.
228. She soiled and spoiled sacred books.
229. I talked before morning and after evening prayer.
230. She brought glasses to guests against their will, treated them beyond measure.
231. I did the works of God without love and zeal.
232. Often I did not see my sins, I rarely condemned myself.
233. I played with my face, looking in the mirror, making grimaces.
234. She spoke about God without humility and caution.
235. I was burdened by the service, waiting for the end, hurrying quickly to the exit in order to calm down and take care of everyday affairs.
236. I rarely did self-tests; in the evening I did not read the prayer “I confess to you...”
237. I rarely thought about what I heard in the temple and read in the Scriptures.
238. I did not look for traits of kindness in an evil person and did not talk about his good deeds.
239. I often did not see my sins and rarely condemned myself.
240. Took contraceptives. She demanded protection from her husband and interruption of the act.
241. Praying for health and peace, I often went through names without the participation and love of my heart.
242. She spoke out everything when it would have been better to remain silent.
243. In the conversation I used artistic techniques. She spoke in an unnatural voice.
244. She was offended by inattention and neglect of herself, and was inattentive to others.
245. Did not abstain from excesses and pleasures.
246. She wore other people’s clothes without permission and damaged other people’s things. In the room I blew my nose on the floor.
247. She sought benefit and benefit for herself, and not for her neighbor.
248. Forced a person to sin: to lie, steal, spy.
249. Convey and retell.
250. I found pleasure in sinful dates.
251. Visited places of wickedness, debauchery and godlessness.
252. She offered her ear to hear the bad.
253. Attributed success to herself, and not to God’s help.
254. While studying spiritual life, I did not put it into practice.
255. She worried people in vain and did not calm the angry and saddened.
256. I often washed clothes, wasting time unnecessarily.
257. Sometimes she ran into danger: she crossed the road in front of transport, crossed the river along thin ice etc.
258. She rose above others, showing her superiority and wisdom of mind. She allowed herself to humiliate another, mocking the shortcomings of soul and body.
259. I put off the works of God, mercy and prayer for later.
260. I didn’t mourn myself when I did a bad deed. I listened with pleasure to slanderous speeches, blasphemed the life and treatment of others.
261. Did not use excess income for spiritual benefits.
262. I did not save from the days of fasting to give to the sick, the needy and children.
263. She worked reluctantly, with grumbling and annoyance because of the low pay.
264. Was the cause of sin in family discord.
265. She endured sorrows without gratitude and self-reproach.
266. I didn’t always retire to be alone with God.
267. She lay and luxuriated in bed for a long time, and did not immediately get up to pray.
268. Lost self-control when defending the offended, kept hostility and evil in her heart.
269. Didn’t stop the speaker from gossiping. She herself often passed it on to others and with an addition from herself.
270. Before morning prayer and during the prayer rule she did household chores.
271. She autocratically presented her thoughts as the true rule of life.
272. Ate stolen food.
273. I did not confess the Lord with my mind, heart, word, or deed. She had an alliance with the wicked.
274. At meals I was too lazy to treat and serve my neighbor.
275. She was sad about the deceased, about the fact that she herself was sick.
276. I was glad that the holiday had come and I didn’t have to work.
277. I drank wine on holidays. She loved going to dinner parties. I got fed up there.
278. I listened to the teachers when they said things that were harmful to the soul, against God.
279. Used perfume, burned Indian incense.
280. She was engaged in lesbianism and touched someone else’s body with voluptuousness. With lust and voluptuousness I watched the matings of animals.
281. She cared beyond measure about the nutrition of the body. Accepted gifts or alms at a time when there was no need to accept it.
282. I didn’t try to stay away from a person who likes to chat.
283. Didn’t get baptized, didn’t say a prayer when the church bell rang.
284. Being under the guidance of her spiritual father, she did everything according to her own will.
285. She was naked when swimming, sunbathing, doing physical education, and when she was sick she was shown to a male doctor.
286. She did not always remember and count her violations of the Law of God with repentance.
287. While reading prayers and canons, I was too lazy to bow.
288. Having heard that the person was sick, she did not rush to help.
289. In thought and word she exalted herself in the good she had done.
290. I believed the rumors. She did not punish herself for her sins.
291. During church services, I read my household rule or wrote a memorial.
292. I did not abstain from my favorite foods (albeit lean ones).
293. She punished and lectured children unfairly.
294. Had no daily memory of God's Court, death, Kingdom of God.
295. During times of sadness, I did not occupy my mind and heart with the prayer of Christ.
296. I did not force myself to pray, to read the Word of God, or to cry about my sins.
297. She rarely commemorated the dead and did not pray for the dead.
298. She approached the Chalice with unconfessed sin.
299. In the morning I did gymnastics, and did not devote my first thoughts to God.
300. When praying, I was too lazy to cross myself, sorted out my bad thoughts, and didn’t think about what awaited me beyond the grave.
301. I hurried through prayer, shortened it out of laziness and read it without due attention.
302. I told my neighbors and acquaintances about my grievances. I visited places where bad examples were set.
303. She admonished a person without meekness and love. She became irritated when correcting her neighbor.
304. I didn’t always light the lamp on holidays and Sundays.
305. On Sundays I didn’t go to church, but to pick mushrooms and berries...
306. Had more savings than necessary.
307. I spared my strength and health in order to serve my neighbor.
308. She reproached her neighbor for what happened.
309. Walking on the way to the temple, I did not always read prayers.
310. Assented when condemning a person.
311. She was jealous of her husband, remembered her rival with anger, wished for her death, and used a witch doctor’s incantation to harass her.
312. I have been demanding and disrespectful towards people. She gained the upper hand in conversations with her neighbors. On the way to the temple, she overtook those older than me, and did not wait for those who lagged behind me.
313. She turned her abilities to earthly goods.
314. Had jealousy towards my spiritual father.
315. I always tried to be right.
316. I asked unnecessary questions.
317. Cried about the temporary.
318. Interpreted dreams and took them seriously.
319. She boasted about her sin, the evil she had done.
320. After communion I did not guard against sin.
321. I kept atheist books and playing cards in the house.
322. She gave advice without knowing whether it was pleasing to God; she was careless in the affairs of God.
323. She accepted prosphora and holy water without reverence (she spilled holy water, spilled crumbs of prosphora).
324. I went to bed and got up without prayer.
325. She spoiled her children, not paying attention to their bad deeds.
326. During Lent, she practiced guttural diarrhea and loved to drink strong tea, coffee, and other drinks.
327. I took tickets and groceries from the back door, and rode on a bus without a ticket.
328. She put prayer and the temple above serving her neighbor.
329. Endured sorrows with despondency and murmuring.
330. I was irritated when tired and sick.
331. Had free relations with persons of the other sex.
332. When thinking about worldly affairs, she gave up prayer.
333. I was forced to eat and drink the sick and children.
334. She treated vicious people with contempt and did not strive to convert them.
335. She knew and gave money for an evil deed.
336. She entered the house without an invitation, spied through a crack, through a window, through a keyhole, and listened at the door.
337. Confided secrets to strangers.
338. I ate food without need and hunger.
339. I read prayers with errors, got confused, missed them, put the emphasis incorrectly.
340. She lived lustfully with her husband. She allowed perversion and carnal pleasures.
341. She lent money and asked for debts back.
342. I tried to find out more about divine objects than was revealed by God.
343. She sinned with body movement, gait, gesture.
344. She set herself up as an example, boasted, boasted.
345. She spoke passionately about earthly things and delighted in the memory of sin.
346. I went to the temple and back with empty conversations.
347. I insured my life and property, I wanted to make money from the insurance.
348. She was greedy for pleasure, unchaste.
349. She conveyed her conversations with the elder and her temptations to others.
350. She was a donor not out of love for her neighbor, but for the sake of drinking, free days, for money.
351. Boldly and willfully plunged herself into sorrows and temptations.
352. I was bored and dreamed of travel and entertainment.
353. Made wrong decisions in anger.
354. I was distracted by thoughts while praying.
355. Traveled south for carnal pleasures.
356. I used the time of prayer for everyday matters.
357. She distorted words, distorted the thoughts of others, and expressed her displeasure out loud.
358. I was ashamed to admit to my neighbors that I am a believer and visit the temple of God.
359. She slandered, demanded justice in higher authorities, wrote complaints.
360. She denounced those who do not visit the temple and do not repent.
361. I bought lottery tickets with the hope of getting rich.
362. She gave alms and rudely slandered the beggar.
363. I listened to the advice of egoists who themselves were slaves of the womb and their carnal passions.
364. I was engaged in self-aggrandizement, proudly expecting a greeting from my neighbor.
365. I was burdened by fasting and looked forward to its end.
366. She could not bear the stench of people without disgust.
367. In anger she denounced people, forgetting that we are all sinners.
368. She went to bed, did not remember the affairs of the day and did not shed tears about her sins.
369. She did not keep the Charter of the Church and the traditions of the holy fathers.
370. She paid for help in the household with vodka and tempted people with drunkenness.
371. During fasting, I made tricks in food.
372. I was distracted from prayer when bitten by a mosquito, fly or other insect.
373. At the sight of human ingratitude, I refrained from doing good deeds.
374. She shunned dirty work: cleaning the toilet, picking up trash.
375. During the period of breastfeeding, she did not abstain from married life.
376. In the temple she stood with her back to the altar and the holy icons.
377. She prepared sophisticated dishes and tempted her with guttural rage.
378. I read entertaining books with pleasure, and not the Scriptures of the Holy Fathers.
379. I watched TV, spent all day at the “box”, and not in prayers in front of icons.
380. Listened to passionate worldly music.
381. She sought consolation in friendship, yearned for carnal pleasures, loved to kiss men and women on the mouth.
382. Engaged in extortion and deception, judged and discussed people.
383. While fasting, I felt disgusted by monotonous, lean food.
384. She spoke the Word of God to unworthy people (not “throwing pearls before swine”).
385. She neglected the holy icons and did not wipe them from dust in a timely manner.
386. I was too lazy to write congratulations on church holidays.
387. Spent time in worldly games and entertainment: checkers, backgammon, lotto, cards, chess, rolling pins, ruffles, Rubik's cube and others.
388. She charmed illnesses, gave advice to go to sorcerers, gave addresses of sorcerers.
389. She believed omens and slander: she spat over her left shoulder and ran black cat, spoon, fork, etc. fell.
390. She answered the angry man sharply to his anger.
391. Tried to prove the justification and justice of her anger.
392. She was annoying, interrupted people’s sleep, and distracted them from their meals.
393. Relaxed with small talk with young people of the opposite sex.
394. Was engaged in idle talk, curiosity, stuck around fires and was present at accidents.
395. She considered it unnecessary to undergo treatment for illnesses and visit a doctor.
396. I tried to calm myself down by hastily fulfilling the rule.
397. I overworked myself with work.
398. I ate a lot during the meat-eating week.
399. Gave incorrect advice to neighbors.
400. She told shameful jokes.
401. To please the authorities, she covered the holy icons.
402. I neglected a person in his old age and his poverty of mind.
403. She stretched out her hands to her naked body, looked and touched the secret ouds with her hands.
404. She punished children with anger, in a fit of passion, with abuse and cursing.
405. Taught children to spy, eavesdrop, pimp.
406. She spoiled her children and did not pay attention to their bad deeds.
407. I had a satanic fear for my body, I was afraid of wrinkles and gray hair.
408. Burdened others with requests.
409. Drew conclusions about the sinfulness of people based on their misfortunes.
410. Wrote offensive and anonymous letters, spoke rudely, disturbed people on the phone, making jokes under an assumed name.
411. Sat on the bed without the owner’s permission.
412. During prayer I imagined the Lord.
413. Satanic laughter attacked while reading and listening to the Divine.
414. I asked advice from people ignorant in this matter, I believed in crafty people.
415. I strived for championship, competition, won interviews, participated in competitions.
416. Treated the Gospel as a fortune-telling book.
417. I picked berries, flowers, branches in other people's gardens without permission.
418. During fasting, she did not have a good disposition towards people and allowed violations of fasting.
419. I did not always realize and regret the sin.
420. I listened to worldly records, sinned by watching videos and porn movies, and relaxed in other worldly pleasures.
421. I read a prayer, having enmity against my neighbor.
422. She prayed in a hat, with her head uncovered.
423. I believed in omens.
424. She indiscriminately used papers on which the name of God was written.
425. She was proud of her literacy and erudition, imagined, singled out people with higher education.
426. She appropriated the money she found.
427. In church I put bags and things on the windows.
428. I rode for pleasure in a car, motor boat, or bicycle.
429. I repeated other people’s bad words, listened to people swearing.
430. I read newspapers, books, and worldly magazines with enthusiasm.
431. She abhorred the poor, the wretched, the sick, who smelled bad.
432. She was proud that she had not committed shameful sins, capital murder, abortion, etc.
433. I ate and got drunk before the onset of the fasts.
434. I purchased unnecessary things without having to.
435. After a prodigal sleep, I did not always read prayers against defilement.
436. Celebrated New Year, wore masks and obscene clothes, got drunk, cursed, overeated and sinned.
437. Caused damage to her neighbor, spoiled and broke other people's things.
438. She believed in nameless “prophets”, in “holy letters”, “the dream of the Virgin Mary”, she herself copied them and passed them on to others.
439. I listened to sermons in church with a spirit of criticism and condemnation.
440. She used her earnings for sinful lusts and amusements.
441. Spread bad rumors about priests and monks.
442. She jostled around in the church, hurrying to kiss the icon, the Gospel, the cross.
443. She was proud, in her lack and poverty she was indignant and grumbled at the Lord.
444. I urinated in public and even joked about it.
445. She did not always repay what she borrowed on time.
446. She minimized her sins in confession.
447. Gloated at the misfortune of her neighbor.
448. She taught others in an instructive, commanding tone.
449. She shared their vices with people and confirmed them in these vices.
450. Quarreled with people for a place in the church, at the icons, near the eve table.
451. Inadvertently caused pain to animals.
452. I left a glass of vodka at the grave of relatives.
453. I did not sufficiently prepare myself for the sacrament of confession.
454. The sanctity of Sundays and holidays was violated by games, visits to shows, etc.
455. When the crops were being grassed, she swore at the cattle with dirty words.
456. I had dates in cemeteries; as a child we ran and played hide and seek there.
457. Allowed sexual intercourse before marriage.
458. She got drunk on purpose in order to decide to sin; she took medicine along with wine to get more drunk.
459. She begged for alcohol, pawned things and documents for this.
460. To attract attention to herself, to make her worry, she tried to commit suicide.
461. As a child, I didn’t listen to teachers, prepared my lessons poorly, was lazy, and disrupted classes.
462. I visited cafes and restaurants located in churches.
463. She sang in a restaurant, on the stage, and danced in a variety show.
464. In crowded transport, I felt pleasure from touching and did not try to avoid it.
465. She was offended by her parents for punishment, remembered these grievances for a long time and told others about them.
466. She reassured herself with the fact that everyday worries prevented her from engaging in matters of faith, salvation and piety, and justified herself with the fact that in her youth no one taught the Christian faith.
467. Wasted time on useless chores, fuss, and conversations.
468. Was engaged in the interpretation of dreams.
469. She objected with passion, fought, and scolded.
470. She sinned with thefts, as a child she stole eggs, gave them to a store, etc.
471. She was vain, proud, did not respect her parents, and did not obey the authorities.
472. She engaged in heresy, had a wrong opinion about the subject of faith, doubt and even apostasy from the Orthodox faith.
473. Had the sin of Sodom (coitus with animals, with the wicked, entered into an incestuous relationship).

Confession and communion are one of the main sacraments of the Church. They help a person cleanse his soul and mind from heavy sinful thoughts. It’s as if a person is starting his life over again. An important point is proper preparation to the sacraments. A person must monitor his thoughts, behavior, and actions. You cannot wish anyone harm, envy, get irritated or swear. For three days you should maintain a strict fast, which concerns not only food, but also intimate life, drinking alcohol, smoking, entertainment.

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General rules for preparing for confession and communion

All people who believe in God need to confess and receive communion to calm their souls. This can be done when desire get rid of the heavy burden of committed sins. However Lent- This best time so that a person can think about his life, ask the Lord God to forgive sins, conduct the sacrament of confession and prepare for communion.

In order for repentance of sins to be carried out correctly, it is important to observe certain conditions:

It is necessary to accept the sacrament of Baptism, performed by a priest in the temple. If a person has already been baptized, then this needs to be discussed with the priest.
Remember or make a written list of your sins starting from the age of 7 or from the moment of Baptism for those who were baptized as adults.
If sin has caused harm to another person, then before going to confession, you must do everything possible to make amends. In addition, you yourself need to forgive the sins of your offenders.
It is important to keep yourself in your soul from anger, envy, gossip and physical communication between spouses, on the night after communion too. But on Holy Week conjugal fasting is not so strong.

During confession, you must sincerely and honestly talk about your sinful actions.

It is important to repent of what the person himself did, and not to blame someone else or the current life circumstances.

Need to tell in simple language, without trying to use special church terms.

There is no need to fear that the priest will be greatly shocked by the confession or will ridicule the person. It is important to remember that confession remains only between the priest and the one who talks about his sins.

List of sins

To make it easier to prepare for the sacrament of confession, you can use short list sins in accordance with the Ten Commandments, which must be repented of in the church:

Commandment	Corresponding Sin
I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me.	Atheism, communist views on life, atheism, magic, visiting grandmothers, healers, astrology, reading horoscopes, participation in sects, pride, boasting, arrogance, pride, careerism
Do not make an idol for yourself, do not worship or serve them	Worship of various idols, divination, feeding of the brownie
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain	Blasphemy, mockery of sacred objects, use swear words, breaking promises made to God
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; You shall work six days, and the seventh day is Sunday to the Lord your God	Doing work on a holiday, missing Sunday services, parasitism, not fasting
Honor your father and your mother	Insulting parents, disrespecting elders and teachers
Dont kill	Murder, abortion, anger, swearing, fighting, feelings of hatred and resentment, rancor
Don't commit adultery	Treason, intimate relationships outside marriage, homosexuality, masturbation, viewing pornography
	Theft, theft, fraud, greed, stinginess
Do not bear false testimony	Perjury, lies, deception, slander, gossip, betrayal
Don't covet someone else's	Feelings of envy, dissatisfaction with one's position, grumbling

About preparing for Communion

After a person has repented of his sins, he needs to prepare for the next important sacrament - Holy Communion. This preparation process has its own characteristics.

Communion is celebrated in the morning during the Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy.
On the eve of Communion, one must attend the evening service, which usually consists of a combination of Vespers and Matins.
The preparation process also includes abstinence from food. You should fast for three days. At this time, do not eat eggs, meat, dairy products, fish, or sweets.
On the eve of communion, spouses are prohibited from entering into intimate relationships. Various types of entertainment are prohibited. It is necessary to limit television viewing.
On the day of communion, starting from midnight, you cannot eat anything, drink water, or smoke.
In the morning, be sure to wash your face and brush your teeth.
It is advisable to get up early in order to have time to read the prayers for Holy Communion.
You must arrive at the church at the beginning of the service without delay.

After the people in the temple sing “Our Father,” you should approach the Royal Doors closer. At the same time, it is important to let women with small children, elderly people, and nuns go first. If a person is allowed to pass, then you need to bow as a sign of gratitude and immediately pass.

You should be baptized in advance; this cannot be done near the Chalice. After a person has taken communion, he should go to a special table where he will be given something to drink.

Reading prayers

Reading prayers before confession and communion in Orthodoxy is important stage for thorough preparation for the purification of the soul and the reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. If a person is going to confess or receive communion for the first time, then it is important to carefully read all the rules for conducting the sacraments and read all the canons.

There are several most commonly used prayers before confession.

Text of prayer before confession.

Prayer of St. Simeon the New Theologian.

Prayer of St. John of Damascus before communion.

First confession

For those who want to confess for the first time, it is important to try to remember and write down all their sins, which they will need to tell the priest about. If it is difficult for a person to tell about his wrong actions, then he can give a piece of paper with his unworthy actions written down to the priest. After the person confesses, the recording will be burned.

For those who wish to confess for the first time, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy, so that he can devote more time to the newcomer.

At the end of confession, the priest gives a short instruction that you need to remember and accept for yourself. After this, the person’s head is covered with an epitrachelion, and the priest reads a prayer of permission to forgive sins. Next, the confessor kisses the cross and the Gospel.

Preparing a child for communion

To properly prepare a child for communion, it is important to consider the child’s age:

Age	Preparation methods
From birth to one year	During this period of infancy, the main point of preparation is the mother’s preservation Have a good mood and complacency while going to church for the Liturgy
From one year to 3 years	At this age, you can already start talking about church with your child. During this period, most children’s memory is based on visually perceived images of objects. Preparation for the sacrament at this age means that the child and his parents regularly gather and attend church. It is important that the actions are played out at the speech level by the parents: “Now we will get up, wash our faces, brush our teeth, get ready and go to church.” Each action should be affectionately commented on by the child’s father and mother.
From 3 to 7 years	At this time, the child begins to perceive the world more meaningfully. You should buy and read Orthodox literature with your children. This will give parents and children the opportunity to spend more time together, discuss what they have read, and develop retelling and literate speech skills. In addition to reading, it is important to pay attention to raising a child. You should help your child learn the concepts of “good” and “bad” and discuss his actions. The child already has an idea of what fasting is. You can start to accustom him to it, however, this should be a children's fast: for chocolate, ice cream, cartoons, computer games. A child should not be forced to teach big prayers, since this will simply be mechanical memorization of the text

We are publishing an excerpt from a book published by Vecherka - “10 rules you need to know when visiting a temple.”

You need to carefully prepare for confession: remember your sins, you can write them down on paper, read the prescribed prayers, try to confess regularly.

Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev, priest of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Sokolniki, says:

How to prepare for the sacrament of confession?

The sacrament of confession requires careful preparation. A person must understand that confession is made not before a priest, but before Christ himself, and the minister of the church is only a witness of confession. A person’s task in confession is to blame himself, and not to justify himself, as we often do in everyday life. Everyday life. The moment we blame ourselves, God becomes our justification. He begins to justify us, seeing such our humility.

It is better to prepare for both confession and Holy Communion. Because if you get rid of sins in confession, but do not fill your soul with the presence of Christ, it can be filled with unclean spirits. A churchgoer needs to fast for three days. Those who are fasting for the first time and who find it difficult to fast are given concessions - they can fast for one day. That is, do not eat meat, dairy, protein and read prayers. It is necessary! Also, do not forget about three days of chaste behavior.

However, if you are going to church for the first time and have not read the required prayers, you need to know that in the church they read prayers especially for such people! A person just has to listen to them.

In the morning, do not eat or drink anything, not even coffee or tea. You need to come to confession on time, not be late, approach the priest in advance, and if this is your first time, tell him about it. Because in this case the priest will have to show more attention. Some are advised to write down their sins so as not to forget, then this paper is given to the priest.

After confession, she is burned. That is, you are allowed not to say your sins out loud, by giving the piece of paper to the priest, who will read it.

After confession, the priest reads a prayer of permission, after which the one who confessed kisses the cross and the Gospel. Then he asks for a blessing for Communion and waits for the Chalice with Holy Communion to be brought out.

It is important to know that, despite the fact that you need to prepare for confession, it happens that a person has committed a sin and his soul is heavy. In this case, it is permissible to come and confess, without Communion, and ask the priest when he should come to receive Communion.

- Is it necessary to decipher the sins that you name or write down on paper?

A laconic note on paper is enough. If we talk about common sins now, let’s take, for example, adultery.

It is written here like this: if this is cheating on your wife or husband, it is adultery, if a single person had sexual relations, but without giving them a sacred character (sanctified relationships are those from which children are born), such relationships are called fornication. No details needed here.

- Is it possible to ask for forgiveness for sins that you do not remember?

In Christianity there is a very special sacrament - unction. It is usually performed on sick people. A person cannot always understand why he needs this or that disease, because he may simply not remember. And illness is probably associated with sins. It is at unction that forgotten sins are removed. A person becomes better, his body and soul are healed.

- If sins are repeated from confession to confession, do they need to be confessed each time?

You should never think that sin cannot be dealt with. The more regularly a person confesses and receives communion, the less will be his tendency to sin. Many people have a question - why take communion if you have already confessed and have no sins? And the point is that at Communion the very inclination, the craving for sin, is eradicated. After all, sin is a product of a certain predisposition, mental emotions and experiences. Therefore, Communion is a radical means in the fight against sins.

- And if a person does not feel sins behind him, should he confess?

We consider not seeing our sins to be a painful spiritual state. There are two extremes. Let me give you an example. A man comes to confession and says: “I am a sinner in everything!” I ask him: “Whom did you kill with an ax and drown?” He replies: “What are you talking about! Of course not". And then what? And the confession begins.

There is another extreme. A man comes: I don’t feel any sins behind me. To which I answer: Then go, and there are other religious groups where people do not practice at all (I mean other religions). For us Christians, everything is based on deliverance from sins - baptism, confession, communion - each sacrament is associated with the remission of sins. The man is perplexed: “I’m a Christian!” I answer him: “Then let’s see what kind of Christian you are. Do you keep fasts? No. “Do you often go to church?” No. "When last time was it with your mother? Do you communicate on the phone? This means you are not fulfilling the commandment of honoring your father and mother.” The priest is precisely obliged to show that there are no sinless people. You did not kill, but you committed adultery. You did not commit adultery, but you stole. I didn’t steal - I was so jealous. And the Scripture says: guilty of one thing, guilty of all.

- At what age can children confess?

Recommended for children from the age of seven. The approach to children is completely different. A priest cannot ask a child, say, about adultery. He will ask whether the boy treats girls well, whether he pulls their braids, and the girl whether she fights with boys, does not swear, normal relations in the classroom, on the street. That is, for a child, confession has a different format. And when we finish a child’s confession, we always ask him: what are you doing to improve? And children respond differently. But we need to get him to say that he asks for forgiveness. If he says that, for example, I pray, that’s good. Or I go to church - that's good too. But if you offended someone, quarreled with your parents, how do you resolve this issue? If he says that he asks for forgiveness, then the confession ends there.

- Is it possible to confess and not receive communion and, conversely, to receive communion without confessing?

It is not recommended to receive Communion without confession, because Communion is a special sacrament that requires preparation. There are cases when a person dies after receiving communion without prior confession. Communion without confession is a comical case when a person declares himself sinless. But you can confess without communion, for example, if something is urgent.

- Many, when coming to confession, first ask forgiveness from the parishioners in the church. Is it necessary to do this?

They do this, but if a person is shy, then he may not do this.

- Is there a general confession?

In Christianity, the secret of confession is observed by the priest. In ancient times, there was a custom when people joined a community, they openly listed all their sins. Just like in monasteries.

Now the traditions of general confession remain. Where did they come from? Imagine a Sunday holiday when two hundred people lined up for confession, but only one priest confesses. He needs to confess everyone before the Lord’s Prayer, so that he can then go to the Altar. And how to do this? It is for such a case that there is a general confession. It looks like this: the priest names all the sins, for example: “I was in oblivion, I did not always remember my God. Sinful?” he asks. And people answer in chorus: “Sinful!” Further: “I trusted in my own strength and that of my friends more than in my God. Sinful? He is a sinner, they will answer him. “Have you taken the name of God in vain? Didn't pray? Haven't read the Scripture? Did you violate fasting and holidays? Did he take poor care of his children and subordinates?” This is how the moment of open confession occurs.

If a person confessed a sin once to a priest, does he need to confess this sin, if it has not been repeated, in another church, with another priest?

In no case! Sin is confessed only once. If the same sin is confessed several times, it defiles the sacrament of confession. The second time a sin is confessed is if, God forbid, it is repeated.

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