Hieromonk Evstafiy (Khalimankov)

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

When coming to confession, you should always ask yourself a clear and precise question: why am I doing this? Am I going to change my life, which is what the word “repentance” actually implies (from the Greek, throwing - a change of mind, worldview, smart approach to all)?

In the Sacrament of Repentance we can distinguish three main points or a kind of repentance stage. Only by consistently going through all these stages can a person hope to overcome sin within himself. Let us remember the parable of the prodigal son. After younger son received his share from his father and squandered it, “living fornication”, the “moment of truth” comes. It becomes clear that no one needs him. And then the youngest son remembers his father: “When he came to his senses, he said: How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, but I am dying of hunger!” ().

So, First step repentance means “coming to your senses”, thinking about your life: realizing that I’m still living wrong and... remembering that there is always a way out in any situation. And this is the only way out: the Lord. We all begin to remember God only in sorrows, illnesses, etc. Including church people: those who more or less regularly visit church, confess and receive communion; Even they remember about God - that all problems are solved in Him - not immediately.

Second phase– determination to part with sin and immediate confession of sin. The prodigal son accepts this alone correct solution: “I will get up, go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: Bring the best robe and dress him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; Let's eat and have fun! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they started having fun" (). The person has already realized that it is impossible to live the way he lives now, so he takes concrete steps to change the situation.

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

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

When a person has the prospect of the gospel life open to him, he will finally realize how much he own life far from the most elementary foundations of the Gospel. Then it will naturally become clear what you need to repent of and how to continue to live.

Now it is necessary to say a few words about how to confess. It turns out that you also need to learn this, and sometimes throughout your life. How often do you hear in confession a dry, formal listing of sins read in some church (or near-church) brochure. Once, during confession, a young man read from a piece of paper, among other sins, “loving carriages.” I asked him if he had any idea what it was? He honestly said, “Approximately,” and smiled. When you listen to these treatises in confession, over time you begin to identify the primary sources: “Yeah, this is from the book “Helping the Repentant,” and this is from “A Cure for Sin...”.”

Of course, there are really good manuals that can be recommended to beginning confessors. For example, “The Experience of Constructing a Confession” by the archimandrite or the book we have already mentioned “To Help the Repentant”, compiled from the works of . They, of course, can be used, but only with a certain reservation. You can't get stuck on them. A Christian must progress in confession as well. For example, a person can go to confession for years and, like a well-learned lesson, repeat the same thing: “I sinned in deed, word, thought, condemnation, idle talk, negligence, absent-mindedness in prayer...” - then follows a certain set of so-called common sins so-called church people. What's the problem here? Yes, the fact is that a person becomes unaccustomed to spiritual work on his soul and gradually gets used to this sinful “gentleman’s set” so much that he no longer feels almost anything during confession. Very often a person hides behind these general words the real pain and shame from sin. After all, it’s one thing to quickly mutter, among other things, “judgment, idle talk, looking at bad images,” and quite another to courageously expose a specific sin in all its ugliness: badmouthing a colleague behind his back, reproaching his friend for not lending me money , watched a porn film...

One can, of course, go to the other extreme, when a person plunges into petty, painful soul-searching. You can get to the point where the confessor will even experience pleasure from sin, as if reliving it, or he will begin to be proud: look, what a deep person I am with a complex and rich inner life... The main thing must be said about sin, its essence, and not, excuse me, wet it...

It is also useful to remember that when we confess any sins, we thereby take upon ourselves the obligation not to commit them, or at least to fight against them. Simply talking about sins in confession is great irresponsibility. At the same time, some also begin to theologize: I have no humility, because there is no obedience, and there is no obedience, because there is no confessor, and now there are no good confessors, because “ last times” and “our time has not given us elders”... Others even begin to confess the sins of their relatives and acquaintances... just not their own. Our crafty nature thus tries, even in confession, to justify itself before God and “shift” the blame onto someone else. Therefore, sin must really... be mourned in confession, exposed without concealment, all its abomination - exposed. If a person is ashamed during confession, then this is a good sign. This means that the grace of God has already touched the soul.

Sometimes a person repents (even with tears in his eyes) for having eaten non-Lenten gingerbread on a Lenten day or being tempted by soup with sunflower oil... At the same time, he does not notice at all that he has been living for many years in enmity with his daughter-in-law or husband, and indifferently passes by someone else’s misfortune; completely disregards his family or official responsibilities... Blind people who cannot see beyond their own nose, “straining out a mosquito and swallowing a camel” ()! ) to the temple of God and... live at the same time in some kind of world invented by them - there is no God there, because there is no main thing: love for people. How the Lord Jesus Christ convicted us of this moral blindness and grieved over the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” with which we are all more or less amazed... We immediately see a girl who walks in wearing trousers or a tipsy guy and, like kites, we pounce on them: let’s go get out of our temple!..

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

So, you need to confess specifically, laconically, mercilessly towards yourself (your “old man”), without hiding anything, without embellishing, without belittling the sin. First you need to confess the grossest, most shameful, disgusting sins - decisively throw these dirty mossy stones out of the house of the soul. Then collect the rest of the pebbles, sweep them away, scrape them along the bottom...

You need to prepare for confession in advance, and not hastily, somehow, while already standing in church. You can prepare several days in advance (this process in church language is called fasting). Preparation for the Sacraments of Confession and Communion is not only a food diet (although this is also important), but also a deep study of one’s soul and prayerful invocation God's help. For the latter, by the way, the so-called Rule for Communion is intended, which can be different depending on the level of churching of a Christian. I am convinced that forcing a person taking his first steps in the Church to read the entire large rule in an incomprehensible Church Slavonic language is “imposing unbearable burdens” (). The measure of fasting and prayer rules must be agreed upon with the priest.

Now let's consider third stage repentance is probably the most difficult. After the sin is recognized and confessed, the Christian must prove repentance through his life. This means a very simple thing: do not commit the confessed sin again. And this is where the most difficult, the most painful thing begins... The man thought that, having confessed, having experienced the experience of grace-filled consolation from confession, he had accomplished everything, and now, finally, he could enjoy life in God. But it turns out that everything is just beginning! A fierce struggle with sin begins. Or rather, it should begin. In fact, a person often gives in to this struggle and again falls into sin.

I would like to draw your attention to one strange (at first glance) pattern. Here is a man confessing to some sin. For example, in irritation. And for some reason, immediately - either on this day, or in the near future - there is again a reason for irritation. The temptation is right there. Even sometimes in an even more severe form than it was before confession. Some Christians are therefore even afraid to frequently confess and receive communion - they are afraid of “increasing temptations.” But the fact of the matter is that the Lord, accepting our repentance, gives us the opportunity to prove the seriousness of our confession and actually implement this repentance. The Lord offers a kind of “work on mistakes” so that a person this time does not succumb to sin, but does the right thing: in the Gospel. And most importantly, a person is already armed to fight sin with the grace of God received in the Sacrament of Confession. To the extent of our sincerity, seriousness, and depth shown in confession, the Lord gives us His gracious power to fight sin. You can't miss this divine chance! There is no need to be afraid of new temptations, you need to be prepared for them in order to face them courageously and... not sin. Only then will an end be put to our repentant epic and victory will be achieved over some individual sin. This point is very important - it is necessary to focus on the fight, first of all, with some specific sin. As a rule, we begin to eradicate the most obvious, gross sins in ourselves - such as fornication, drunkenness, drugs, smoking... Only by eradicating these gross sins from our soul will a person begin to see other, more subtle (but no less dangerous) sins in himself : vanity, condemnation, envy, irritability...

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

So, it is necessary to focus on a specific sin that really interferes with life, slows down our entire spiritual life, and take up arms against this sin. Constantly confess it, fight it with all the means available to us; read the works of the holy fathers about ways to combat this sin, consult with your confessor. It is good if a Christian eventually finds a confessor - this is a great help in spiritual life. We need to pray to the Lord that He will grant us such a gift: a true confessor. It doesn’t have to be an elder (and where can you find them, elders, in our time?). It is enough to find a sober-minded priest who is familiar with the patristic tradition and has at least minimal spiritual experience.

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

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

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

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.

The essence of confession

The Holy Fathers call the Sacrament of Repentance the second baptism. In the first case, at Baptism, a person receives cleansing from the original sin of the ancestors Adam and Eve, and in the second, the repentant is washed from his sins committed after baptism. However, due to the weakness of their human nature, people continue to sin, and these sins separate them from God, standing between them as a barrier. They are unable to overcome this barrier on their own. But the Sacrament of Repentance helps to be saved and to acquire that unity with God acquired at Baptism.

The Gospel says about repentance that it is a necessary condition for the salvation of the soul. A person must continuously struggle with his sins throughout his life. And, despite any defeats and falls, he should not become discouraged, despair and grumble, but repent all the time and continue to carry his life’s cross, which the Lord Jesus Christ laid on him.

How to start a confession to the priest, with what words?

The seven deadly sins, which are the main vices, look like this:

• gluttony (gluttony, excessive food abuse)
• fornication (dissolute life, infidelity)
• anger (hot temper, vindictiveness, irritability)
• love of money (greed, desire for material values)
• despondency (laziness, depression, despair)
• vanity (selfishness, sense of narcissism)
• envy

It is believed that when committing these sins human soul may die. By committing them, a person moves further and further away from God, but all of them can be released during sincere repentance. It is believed that it was Mother Nature who laid them in every person, and only the strongest in spirit can resist temptations and fight evil. But it is worth remembering that every person can commit a sin while going through a difficult period in life. People are not immune from misfortunes and difficulties that can drive everyone to despair. You need to learn to fight passions and emotions, and then no sin will be able to overcome you and ruin your life.

Preparing for Confession

It is necessary to prepare for repentance in advance. First you need to find a temple where the sacraments are held and choose the appropriate day. Most often they are held on holidays and weekends. At this time, there are always a lot of people in the temple, and not everyone will be able to open up when strangers are nearby. In this case, you need to contact the priest and ask him to make an appointment on another day when you can be alone. Before repentance, it is recommended to read Penitential canon, which will allow you to tune in and put your thoughts in order.

You need to know that there are three groups of sins that can be written down and taken with you to confession.

Vices against God:
These include blasphemy and insulting the Lord, blasphemy, interest in occult sciences, superstition, thoughts of suicide, excitement, and so on.

Vices against the soul:
Laziness, deception, use of obscene words, impatience, disbelief, self-delusion, despair.

Vices against neighbors:
Disrespect for parents, slander, condemnation, rancor, hatred, theft, and so on.

How to confess correctly, what should you tell the priest at the beginning?

Before approaching a church representative, get out of your head bad thoughts and get ready to bare your soul. You can start your confession like this: “Lord, I have sinned before you,” and after that you can list your sins. There is no need to tell the priest about the sin in great detail; it is enough to just say “Committed adultery” or confess to another vice.

But to the list of sins you can add “I sinned with envy, I constantly envy my neighbor...” and so on. After listening to you, the priest will be able to give valuable advice and help you do the right thing in a given situation. Such clarifications will help identify your greatest weaknesses and combat them. The confession ends with the words “I repent, Lord! Save and have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Many confessors are very ashamed to talk about anything; this is an absolutely normal feeling. But at the moment of repentance, you need to overcome yourself and understand that it is not the priest who condemns you, but God, and that it is God who you tell about your sins. The priest is just a conductor between you and the Lord, do not forget about this.

What sins to talk about in confession and what to call them

Everyone who decides to go to confession for the first time thinks about how to behave correctly. How to correctly name sins in confession? It happens that people come to confession and talk in great detail about all their life’s ups and downs. This is not considered a confession. Confession includes the concept of repentance. This is not at all a story about your life, and even with the desire to justify your sins.

Since some people simply do not know how to confess in any other way, the priest will accept this version of confession. But it will be more correct if you try to understand the situation and admit to all your mistakes.

Many people list their sins for confession. In it they try to list everything in detail and talk about everything. But there is another type of people who list their sins only in separate words. It is necessary to describe your sins not in general terms about the passion that is seething in you, but about its manifestation in your life.

Remember, confession should not be a detailed story about the incident, but should be repentance for certain sins. But you shouldn’t be particularly dry in describing these sins, writing off with only one word.

Conduct in Confession

Before confessing, you need to find out the time of confession in the temple. In many churches, confession takes place on holidays and Sundays, but in large churches it can be on Saturday or on a weekday. More often a large number of those wishing to confess come during Lent. But if a person confesses for the first time or after a long break, it is best to talk with the priest and find a convenient time for calm and open repentance.

Before confession, it is necessary to undergo a three-day spiritual and physical fast: give up sexual activity, do not eat products of animal origin, it is advisable to give up entertainment, watching TV and “sitting” on gadgets. At this time, it is necessary to read spiritual literature and pray. There are special prayers before confession, which can be found in the Prayer Book or on specialized websites. You can read other literature on spiritual topics that the priest can recommend.

It is worth remembering that confession is, first of all, repentance, and not just a sincere conversation with a priest. If you have questions, you should approach the priest at the end of the Service and ask to spend time with you.

The priest has the right to impose penance on a parishioner if he considers the sins to be grave. This is a kind of punishment to eradicate sin and receive speedy forgiveness. As a rule, penance is reading prayers, fasting and serving others. Penance should not be seen as a punishment, but as a spiritual medicine.

You must come to confession in modest clothing. Men should dress in slacks or trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, preferably without any graphics on it. You should take your hat off in church. Women must dress as modestly as possible; trousers, dresses with a neckline or bare shoulders are not acceptable. The length of the skirt is below the knee. There must be a scarf on your head. Any makeup, especially painted lips, is unacceptable, because you will have to kiss the Gospel and the Cross.

This list is designed for people who are beginning their church life and want to repent before God.

When preparing for confession, write down the sins that convict your conscience from the list. If there are many of them, you need to start from the most serious mortals.
You can receive communion only with the blessing of the priest. Repentance TO GOD does not imply an indifferent listing of one’s bad deeds, BUT A SINCERE CONDEMNATION OF ONE’S SINNINESS AND A DECISION TO CORRECT!

List of sins for confession

I (name) sinned before GOD:

• weak faith (doubt about His existence).
• I have neither love nor proper fear for God, so I rarely confess and receive communion (which brought my soul to petrified insensibility towards God).
• I rarely attend Church on Sundays and holidays (work, trade, entertainment on these days).
• I don’t know how to repent, I don’t see any sins.
• I do not remember death and do not prepare to appear at the Judgment of God (Memory of death and future judgment helps to avoid sin).

Sinned :

• I DO NOT thank God for His mercies.
• Not by submission to the will of God (I want everything to be my way). Out of pride I rely on myself and people, and not on God. Attributing success to yourself rather than to God.
• Fear of suffering, impatience of sorrows and illnesses (they are allowed by God to cleanse the soul from sin).
• Murmuring at the cross of life (fate), at people.
• Cowardice, despondency, sadness, accusing God of cruelty, despair of salvation, desire (attempt) to commit suicide.

Sinned :

• Being late and leaving church early.
• Inattention during the service (to reading and singing, talking, laughing, dozing...). Walking around the temple needlessly, pushing and being rude.
• Out of pride, he left the sermon criticizing and condemning the priest.
• In female impurity she dared to touch the shrine.

Sinned :

• out of laziness I don’t read the morning papers and evening prayers(entirely from the prayer book), I am shortening them. I pray absentmindedly.
• She prayed with her head uncovered, having enmity towards her neighbor. A careless image on yourself sign of the cross. Not by wearing a cross.
• With irreverent veneration of St. Church icons and relics.
• To the detriment of prayer, reading the Gospel, Psalms and spiritual literature, I watched television (Through films, theomachists teach people to violate God’s commandment of chastity before marriage, adultery, cruelty, sadism, damage mental health youth. Through “Harry Potter...” they are instilled with an unhealthy interest in magic, witchcraft, and are imperceptibly drawn into disastrous communication with the devil. In the media, this lawlessness before God is presented as something positive, in color and in a romantic way. Christian! Avoid sin and save yourself and your children for Eternity!!!).
• Cowardly silence when people blasphemed in front of me, shame to be baptized and confess the Lord in front of people (this is one of the types of renunciation of Christ). Blasphemy against God and all sacred things.
• Wearing shoes with crosses on the soles. Using newspapers for everyday needs... where it is written about God...
• Called animals after people: “Vaska”, “Mashka”. He spoke about God without reverence and humility.

Sinned :

• dared to approach Communion without proper preparation (without reading the canons and prayers, concealing and belittling sins in confession, in enmity, without fasting and prayers of gratitude...).
• He did not spend the days of Communion sacredly (in prayer, reading the Gospel..., but indulged in entertainment, overeating, sleeping a lot, idle talk...).

Sinned :

• violation of fasts, as well as Wednesday and Friday (By fasting on these days, we honor the suffering of Christ).
• I don’t (always) pray before eating, working and after (After eating and working, a prayer of gratitude is read).
• Satiety in food and drink, drunkenness.
• Secret eating, delicacy (addiction to sweets).
• Ate the blood of animals (bloodweed...). (Forbidden by God Leviticus 7,2627; 17, 1314, Acts 15, 2021,29). On a fast day, the festive (funeral) table was modest.
• He commemorated the deceased with vodka (this is paganism and does not agree with Christianity).

Sinned :

• idle talk (empty talk about the vanity of life...).
• Telling and listening to vulgar jokes.
• By condemning people, priests and monks (but I don’t see my sins).
• By listening and retelling gossip and blasphemous jokes (about God, the Church and clergy). (By this means temptation was sown through ME, and the name of God was blasphemed among people.)
• By taking the name of God in vain (unnecessarily, in empty talk, jokes).
• Lies, deceit, failure to fulfill promises made to God (people).
• Foul language, swearing (this is blasphemy Mother of God) swearing with mention evil spirits(the evil demons summoned in conversations will harm us).
• Slander, spreading bad rumors and gossip, disclosing other people's sins and weaknesses.
• I listened to slander with pleasure and agreement.
• Out of pride, he humiliated his neighbors with ridicule (jigs), stupid jokes... With immoderate laughter, laughter. He laughed at the beggars, the crippled, the misfortune of others... God-fighting, a false oath, false testimony in court, the acquittal of criminals and the condemnation of the innocent.

Sinned :

• laziness, no desire to work (living at the expense of parents), the search for bodily peace, laziness in bed, the desire to enjoy a sinful and luxurious life.
• Smoking (among the American Indians, smoking tobacco had a ritual meaning of worshiping demonic spirits. A Christian who smokes is a traitor to God, a demon worshiper and a suicide is harmful to health). Drug use.
• Listening to pop and rock music (singing human passions, arouses base feelings).
• Addiction to gambling and entertainment (cards, dominoes, computer games, TV, cinemas, discos, cafes, bars, restaurants, casinos...). (The godless symbolism of the cards, when playing or telling fortunes, is intended to blasphemously mock the suffering of Christ the Savior. And games destroy the psyche of children. By shooting and killing, they become aggressive, prone to cruelty and sadism, with all the ensuing consequences for parents).

Sinned :

• corrupted his soul by reading and viewing (in books, magazines, films...) erotic shamelessness, sadism, immodest games (a person corrupted by vices reflects the qualities of a demon, not God), dancing, he himself danced ), (They led to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, after which dances for Christians mocked the memory of the Prophet).
• Delight in prodigal dreams and recollection of past sins. Not by removing yourself from sinful encounters and temptation.
• Lustful views and liberties (immodesty, hugs, kisses, unclean touching of the body) with persons of the other sex.
• Fornication (sexual intercourse before marriage). Prodigal perversions (handjob, poses).
• Sins of Sodomy (homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest (fornication with relatives).

Leading men into temptation, she shamelessly dressed in short skirts and with SLICES, trousers, shorts, tight-fitting and see-through clothes (this violated God’s commandment about appearance women. She must dress beautifully, but within the framework of Christian shame and conscience.

A Christian woman should be an image of God, not a God-fighting one, with her hair cropped and naked, repainted, with a clawed paw instead of a human hand, the image of Satan) cut her hair, dyed her hair... In this form, without respecting the shrine, she dared to enter the temple of God.

Participation in “beauty” competitions, fashion models, masquerades (malanka, goat driving, Halloween...), as well as in dances with prodigal actions.

He was immodest in his gestures, body movements, and gait.

Swimming, sunbathing and nudity in the presence of persons of the other sex (contrary to Christian chastity).

Temptation to sin. Selling your body, pimping, renting out premises for fornication.

You can help the site become better

Sinned :

• adultery (cheating in marriage).
• Not married. Lustful intemperance in marital relations (during fasting, Sundays, holidays, pregnancy, on days of female impurity).
• Perversions in married life (postures, oral, anal fornication).
• Wanting to live for his own pleasure and avoiding life’s difficulties, he protected himself from conceiving children.
• The use of “contraceptives” (coils and pills do not prevent conception, but kill the child at an early stage). Killed his children (abortions).
• Advising (forcing) others to have an abortion (men, with tacit consent, or forcing their wives... to have an abortion are also child killers. Doctors who perform abortions are murderers, and assistants are accomplices).

Sinned :

• ruined the souls of children, preparing them only for earthly life (did not teach them about God and faith, did not instill in them love for the church and home prayer, fasting, humility, obedience.
• Didn’t develop a sense of duty, honor, responsibility...
• I didn’t look at what they do, what they read, who they are friends with, how they behave).
• Punished them too harshly (taking out anger, not to correct them, calling them names, cursing them).
• He seduced children with his sins ( intimate relationships in front of them, swearing, foul language, watching immoral television programs).

Sinned :

• joint prayer or transition to a schism (Kiev Patriarchate, UAOC, Old Believers...), union, sect. (Prayer with schismatics and heretics leads to excommunication from the Church: 10, 65, Apostolic Canons).
• Superstition (belief in dreams, omens...).
• Appeal to psychics, “grandmothers” (pouring wax, swinging eggs, draining fear...).
• He desecrated himself with urine therapy (in the rituals of Satanists, the use of urine and feces has a blasphemous meaning. Such “treatment” is a vile desecration and a devilish mockery of Christians), the use of what was “said” by sorcerers... Fortune telling on cards, divination (for what?). I feared sorcerers more than God. Coding (from what?).

You can help the site become better

Hobby eastern religions, occultism, satanism (specify what). By attending sectarian, occult... meetings.

Yoga, meditation, dousing according to Ivanov (it is not the dousing itself that is condemned, but Ivanov’s teaching, which leads to the worship of him and nature, and not God). Eastern martial arts (worship of the spirit of evil, teachers, and occult teachings about the revelation of " internal capabilities"leads to communication with demons, possession...).

Reading and storage of occult literature prohibited by the Church: magic, palmistry, horoscopes, dream books, prophecies of Nostradamus, literature of Eastern religions, the teachings of Blavatsky and the Roerichs, Lazarev’s “Diagnostics of Karma”, Andreev’s “Rose of the World”, Aksenov, Klizovsky, Vladimir Megre, Taranov, Sviyazh , Vereshchagina, Garafina Makoviy, Asaulyak...

(The Orthodox Church warns that the writings of these and other occult authors have nothing in common with the teachings of Christ the Savior. Through occultism, a person, entering into deep communication with demons, falls away from God and destroys his soul, and mental disorders will be due retribution for pride and arrogant flirting with demons).

By forcing (advice) others to contact them and do it.

Sinned :

• theft, sacrilege (theft of church property).
• Love of money (addiction to money and wealth).
• Non-payment of debts (wages).
• Greed, stinginess for alms and the purchase of spiritual books... (and I spend generously on whims and entertainment).
• Self-interest (using someone else's property, living at someone else's expense...). Wanting to get rich, he gave money at interest.
• Trade in vodka, cigarettes, drugs, contraceptives, immodest clothing, porn... (this helped the demon to destroy himself and people, an accomplice to their sins). He talked about it, weighed it down, passed off a bad product as a good one...

Sinned :

• pride, envy, flattery, deceit, insincerity, hypocrisy, man-pleasing, suspicion, gloating.
• Forcing others to sin (lie, steal, spy, eavesdrop, snitch, drink alcohol...).

The desire for fame, respect, gratitude, praise, championship... By doing good for show. Boasting and admiring oneself. Showing off in front of people (wit, appearance, abilities, clothes...).

You can help the site become better

Sinned :

• disobedience to parents, elders and superiors, insulting them.
• Whims, stubbornness, contradiction, self-will, self-justification.
• Laziness towards studying.
• Negligent care for elderly parents, relatives... (left them without supervision, food, money, medicine..., put them in a nursing home...).

Sinned :

• pride, resentment, rancor, hot temper, anger, vindictiveness, hatred, irreconcilable enmity.
• With arrogance and impudence (climbed out of turn, pushed).
• Cruelty to animals,
• He insulted family members and was the cause of family scandals.
• Not by working together to raise children and maintain the household, by parasitism, by drinking money away, by sending children to an orphanage...
• Practicing martial arts and sports (professional sports damage health and develop in the soul pride, vanity, a sense of superiority, contempt, thirst for enrichment...), for the sake of fame, money, robbery (racketeering).
• Rough treatment of neighbors, causing them harm (what?).
• Assault, beating, murder.
• Not protecting the weak, the beaten, women from violence...
• Violation of the rules traffic, driving while intoxicated... (thus endangering people’s lives).

Sinned :

• careless attitude towards work (public position).
• He used his social position (talents...) not for the glory of God and the benefit of people, but for personal gain.
• Harassment of subordinates. Giving and accepting (extorting) bribes (which could lead to harm to public and private tragedies).
• Embezzled state and collective property.
• Having a leadership position, he did not care about suppressing the teaching in schools of immoral subjects and non-Christian customs (corrupting the morality of the people).
• Did not provide assistance in spreading Orthodoxy and suppressing the influence of sects, sorcerers, psychics...
• He was seduced by their money and rented out premises to them (which contributed to the destruction of people’s souls).
• He did not protect church shrines, did not provide assistance in the construction and repair of churches and monasteries...

Laziness towards everyone good deed(did not visit lonely, sick, prisoners...).

IN life issues did not consult with the priest and elders (which led to irreparable mistakes).

Gave advice without knowing whether it pleased God. With a partial love for people, things, activities... He seduced those around him with his sins.

I justify my sins with everyday needs, illness, weakness, and that no one taught us to believe in God (but we ourselves were not interested in this).

Seduced people into disbelief. Visited the mausoleum, atheist events...

A cold and insensitive confession. I sin deliberately, trampling on my convicting conscience. There is no firm determination to correct your sinful life. I repent that I offended the Lord with my sins, I sincerely regret this and will try to improve.

Indicate other sins that (a) committed.

You can help the site become better

Note! As for the possible temptation from the sins cited here, it is true that fornication is vile, and we must speak about it carefully.

The Apostle Paul says: “Fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness must not even be mentioned among you” (Eph. 5:3). However, through television, magazines, advertising... he entered the lives of even the youngest so much that prodigal sins by many it is not considered a sin. Therefore, we must talk about this in confession and call everyone to repentance and correction.

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

No one knows at what moment a person’s stay on earth may end, so one should be prepared for the transition to another world every second.

What is confession

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

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

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

About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:

Christ and the Sinner

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

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

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

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

Sincere confession of wrong actions cannot be violent; only through ardent repentance, hatred of the sin committed, dying for it and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.

Forgiveness in Christianity

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

Important! The Holy Fathers of the Church forbid remembering sins that were confessed to God in sincere repentance and left forever by a person.

Why do Orthodox Christians confess?

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

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

• irritation;
• anger;
• apathy.

Often Orthodox Christians themselves cannot explain their behavior; they do not even suspect that the cause is unconfessed sins.

A person’s spiritual health and a calm conscience directly depend on the frequency of confessing his vicious inclinations.

Confession accepted by God is directly related, or rather, is the result of sincere repentance. A repentant person sincerely desires to live according to the commandments of the Lord; he is constantly critical of his errors and sins.

Confession in Orthodox Church

According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, repentance occurs in four stages:

• realize sin;
• admit your guilt in committing an offense;
• decide to permanently break off your relationship with wrong actions or thoughts;
• tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.

Important! Confession must be spoken out loud, for God knows what is written, but demons hear what is spoken by voice.

In obedience, going to the frank opening of his heart, which occurs in the presence of a priest, a person first of all steps over his pride. Some believers argue that one can confess directly in the presence of the Creator, but according to the laws of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Sacrament of Confession is considered legal if it is performed through an intercessor, prayer book and witness in one person, through a clergyman.

The main thing when confessing sins is not the rank of mediator, but the state of the sinner’s heart, his heartfelt contrition and complete renunciation of the committed offense.

What are the rules of confession?

People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession approach the priest before or during the Liturgy, but always before the Sacrament of Communion. By prior agreement, priests visit sick people at home.

According to the Church Charter, during cleansing Orthodox soul There are no reservations about fasting or prayer rules, the main thing is that the Christian believes and sincerely repents. People do the right thing when, before coming to church, they spend time recognizing and writing down their sins, but these notes should be left at home.

In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts and torments, and for this you don’t need papers.

Deadly sins include:

• pride, arrogance, vanity;
• fornication;
• desire for someone else's and envy;
• excessive gratification of one's flesh;
• unbridled anger;
• a sad spirit that dries up the bones.

Advice! The priest should not tell the story of the offense committed, the circumstances of its commission, or try to find an excuse for himself. What to say in confession should be considered at home, repenting of every little thing that troubles the heart.

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

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

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

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

Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid; it insults the Creator. You can find several priests, say one bad deed to each, but not repent of a single one, “taking on” the sin of hypocrisy and deception.

First confession and preparation for it

Having decided to confess, you should:

• clearly understand the importance of this event;
• feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
• repent of what has been done;
• forgive all debtors;
• be filled with faith for forgiveness;
• state all sins with deep repentance.

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

Sacrament of Repentance

It is a mortal sin to come to confession and then take communion with unforgiveness in your soul. The Bible writes that people who come to communion unworthily get sick and die. (1 Cor. 11:27-30)

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

If the crime committed is very great, then after confession before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can assign penance - punishment in the form of many bows, many hours of reading the canons, intense fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to perform penance; it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.

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

Prayers before confession and communion: Christ knocks on the door

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

What to say to the priest

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

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

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

Neglect of a task entrusted to you is an abomination to God.

Jesus, by His earthly death, proved that the path of purification is open to everyone, promising the thief who recognized Him as God, the Kingdom of Heaven.

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

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

How to prepare for confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko

Church life is full different rules and rituals. But there is one most important one - this is the Sacrament of Communion. However, you need to know exactly how to take communion in church. Otherwise, you may violate strict church orders. It is believed that this is an insult to God; such a sin should not be allowed. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously.

What is Communion

Before taking communion in church, you need to devote several days to preparation. This is the most important Sacrament of the seven that exist in Orthodoxy. Catholics have similar sacraments. Protestant churches have different views on this issue.

During the Last Supper, Christ gave communion to his disciples for the first time and offered them bread and wine. Until the moment death on the cross People sacrificed animals to the Savior as a prototype of future trials of the Son of God. After He was resurrected, there was no longer any need for other offerings. Therefore, prayers are now read over bread and wine. They also administer Communion.

Why do the churches demand that parishioners take communion and confess? How to do it right? This is a symbol of the unity of God with man. Christ Himself commanded that people do this. The sacrament transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. By accepting them, the believer accepts the Lord into himself. He maintains his spiritual strength at the proper level.

Communion gives a great “charge” of spirituality. It is especially important that this Sacrament be performed on the sick and dying. The living should start it regularly. At least once during Lent, preferably on every major holiday.

How to prepare for communion

In the Orthodox Church, everyone is not allowed to participate in the sacrament. A number of conditions must be met:

• be an Orthodox Christian;

• maintain strict fasting (at least 3 days);

• read all the necessary prayers;

• go to confession after the All-Night Vigil;

• come to the Liturgy in the morning.

Only if all these conditions are fulfilled will a parishioner be able to properly receive communion in the Church. In some churches, confession is not accepted the night before, but in the morning during the service. But then it turns out that during the Divine service people are distracted by standing in lines. It is still better to confess when there is no need to rush and there is no crowd around.

The following are allowed to the Sacrament without confession:

• infants (children under 6 years old) - however, it is not advisable to feed them before the service;

• those who received Baptism the day before - but they also need to fast and also read prayers.

The fast must be strict - you must give up all animal food (meat, fish, all dairy, eggs). It will help you get your bearings church calendar. It indicates which products are allowed. On some days and vegetable oil may be prohibited. For sick and elderly people, the priest can make an exception, but in general it is not customary to relax the fast. You should also not drink after 12 midnight until the very moment of Communion.

How to confess in church correctly

Many are also concerned about the question of how to properly confess in church - embarrassment and inexperience get in the way. But in order to prove to God your firm desire to improve, you will have to overcome your fears. The priest is only a witness, he has seen and heard a lot, so it is unlikely that he will be greatly surprised. But before you approach your confessor, you need to prepare.

Since many people feel nervous during confession, there is a tradition of writing down their sins on a piece of paper. At the end of confession, the priest takes this “list” and tears it up, as a sign that the Lord forgives everything. To compose a confession, you can use a special brochure, or simply take the 10 commandments and think about how you sinned against each.

• During confession, you should not blame others, thereby justifying your negative behavior. Example: a wife yelled at her husband and said that it was “himself to blame” because he came drunk. Let it be so, but in any situation you must restrain yourself, act with love, without insults. Just like confessing in church, it is necessary to talk only about yourself, and not about others.

• There is also no need to boast that there are no sins against some commandments. And is this so? Adultery is considered not only physical betrayal, but even thoughts about it. Smoking is a slow form of suicide, and this gravest sin. In addition, the smoker harms those around him, aggravating his guilt. It is necessary to repent of this sin, because a Christian must maintain order not only in the soul, but also monitor the health of the body.

• There is no need to argue with the priest. This is a serious sin, for which one can be excommunicated from communion altogether. Most likely, there are things that are still unclear to you. You should reflect on what has been said.

There are no strict rules governing what to say in church during confession. It is important to show a sincere desire to improve. Confessors usually help those who are experiencing difficulties by asking questions. There is no need to list every sin whose name is found in the books. Many have a common root - pride, greed, unwillingness to work on oneself, dislike for neighbors.

Prayers and Worship

After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip) and read a special prayer. During this you will have to say your name. After this, take the blessing from the priest, listen to the instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.

Before taking communion, you should read the daily prayer rule and special participle canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a type of church poetry that tunes the soul in the right way. You can read them in church before confessing.

The canons are followed by prayers; they can be read in the morning, if there is time, but not during the Liturgy, but before it. The participle rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over three days. But then the necessary mood is not achieved. If in doubt, you need to ask the priest for advice - he will tell you what is best to do.

We must try to maintain peace of mind during the days of fasting and not quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstaining from certain foods is not as important as abstaining from anger and bad deeds.

• You must come to the Liturgy without delay.

• Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.

• Women should not put on much perfume and make-up - the Church is not a secular get-together, but the Temple of God.

• If someone makes a remark in church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.

• If after confession you have committed some sin, you must try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.

• Before going to the Chalice, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Prostrations do it in advance!

If a person has just received Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be allowed to receive Communion without confession. Otherwise, the “Christian” demonstrates complete disregard for everything on which spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation; for this it is necessary to constantly improve.

Now you know how to properly receive communion and confess in church. Over time, most of the questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's beginner becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!

How to confess correctly for the first time

How to properly take communion and confess in church was last modified: July 8th, 2017 by Bogolub