The sacrament of confession is a test for the soul. It consists of a desire to repent, verbal confession, repentance for sins. When a person goes against the laws of God, he gradually destroys his spiritual and physical shell. Repentance helps to cleanse yourself. It reconciles a person with God. The soul is healed and receives strength to fight sin.
Confession allows you to talk about your wrongdoings and receive forgiveness. In excitement and fear, you can forget what you wanted to repent of. The list of sins for confession serves as a reminder, a hint. It can be read in full or used as an outline. The main thing is that the confession is sincere and truthful.
Sacrament
Confession is the main component of repentance. This is an opportunity to ask for forgiveness for your sins and to be cleansed of them. Confession gives spiritual strength to resist evil. Sin is a discrepancy in thoughts, words, and actions with God's permission.
Confession is a sincere awareness of wicked actions, a desire to get rid of them. No matter how difficult and unpleasant it may be to remember them, you should tell the clergyman in detail about your sins.
This sacrament requires a complete relationship between feelings and words, because the everyday listing of one’s sins will not bring true cleansing. Feelings without words are as ineffective as words without feelings.
There is a list of sins for confession. This is a large list of all obscene actions or words. It is based on the 7 deadly sins and 10 commandments. Human life is too diverse to be absolutely righteous. Therefore, confession is an opportunity to repent of sins and try to prevent them in the future.
How to prepare for confession?
Preparation for confession must take place several days in advance. You can write a list of sins on a piece of paper. You should read special literature about the sacraments of confession and communion.
One should not look for excuses for sins, one must recognize their wickedness. It is best to analyze your every day, analyzing what was good and what was bad. This daily habit will help you be more attentive to your thoughts and actions.
Before confession, you should make peace with everyone who was offended. Forgive those who offended. Before confession, it is necessary to strengthen the prayer rule. Add to nightly reading Penitential canon, canons to the Mother of God.
One should separate personal repentance (when a person mentally repents of his actions) and the sacrament of confession (when a person talks about his sins in the desire to be cleansed of them).
The presence of a third party requires a moral effort to understand the depth of the offense and, through overcoming shame, will force you to look more deeply at the wrong actions. This is why a list of sins is so necessary for confession in Orthodoxy. It will help to identify what was forgotten or wanted to be hidden.
If you have difficulty compiling a list of sinful actions, you can purchase the book “Full Confession.” It is in every church shop. It's detailed there full list sins for confession, features of the sacrament. Samples of confession and materials for preparing for it have been published.
Rules
Is there a heaviness in your soul, do you want to speak out, ask for forgiveness? After confession it becomes much easier. This is an open, sincere recognition and repentance of the wrongdoings committed. You can go to confession up to 3 times a week. The desire to be cleansed of sins will help overcome the feeling of stiffness and awkwardness.
The less frequent the confession, the more difficult it is to remember all the events and thoughts. The best option for the sacrament - once a month. Help in confession - a list of sins - will prompt you with the necessary words. The main thing is that the priest understands the essence of the offense. Then the punishment for sin will be justified.
After confession, the priest imposes difficult cases penance. This is punishment, excommunication from the holy sacraments and God's grace. Its duration is determined by the priest. In most cases, the penitent faces moral and correctional work. For example, fasting, reading prayers, canons, akathists.
Sometimes the priest reads out the list of sins for confession. You can independently write a list of what has been done. It is better to come to confession after the evening service or in the morning, before the liturgy.
How does the sacrament work?
In some situations, you should invite the priest to confession at home. This is done if the person is seriously ill or near death.
Upon entering the temple, you must line up for confession. During the entire sacrament, the cross and the Gospel lie on the lectern. This symbolizes the invisible presence of the Savior.
Before confession begins, the priest may start asking questions. For example, about how often prayers are said, whether church rules are followed.
Then the sacrament begins. It is best to prepare your list of sins for confession. A sample of it can always be purchased at the church. If the sins forgiven at the previous confession were repeated, then they should be mentioned again - this is considered a more serious offense. You should not hide anything from the priest or speak in hints. Should in simple words clearly explain the sins you repent of.
If the priest tore up the list of sins for confession, it means that the sacrament is over and absolution has been granted. The priest places an epitrachelion on the head of the penitent. This means the return of God's favor. After this, they kiss the cross and the Gospel, which symbolizes readiness to live according to the commandments.
Preparing for Confession: List of Sins
Confession is intended to comprehend your sin and desire to improve. It is difficult for a person far from the church to understand what actions should be considered wicked. That's why there are 10 commandments. They clearly state what not to do. It is better to prepare a list of sins for confession according to the commandments in advance. On the day of the sacrament, you can get excited and forget everything. Therefore, you should calmly, a few days before confession, re-read the commandments and write down your sins.
If it is the first confession, then it is not easy to figure out the seven deadly sins and the ten commandments on your own. Therefore, you should approach the priest in advance and tell him about your difficulties in a personal conversation.
A list of sins for confession with an explanation of the sins can be purchased at the church or found on the website of your temple. The transcript describes in detail all the alleged sins. From this general list what was done personally should be isolated. Then write down your list of offenses.
Sins committed against God
- Lack of faith in God, doubt, ingratitude.
- Lack of a cross on the body, unwillingness to defend the faith in front of detractors.
- Swearing in the name of God, pronouncing the name of the Lord in vain (not during prayer or conversations about God).
- Visiting sects, casting fortunes, treating with all kinds of magic, reading and spreading false teachings.
- Gambling, suicidal thoughts, swearing.
- Failure to attend church, lack of a daily prayer rule.
- Failure to observe fasts, reluctance to read Orthodox literature.
- Condemnation of clergy, thoughts about worldly things during worship.
- A waste of time on entertainment, watching TV, inactivity at the computer.
- Despair in difficult situations, excessive reliance on oneself or someone else’s help without faith in God’s providence.
- Concealing sins in confession.
Sins committed against neighbors
- Hot temper, anger, arrogance, pride, vanity.
- Lies, non-interference, ridicule, stinginess, extravagance.
- Raising children outside of faith.
- Non-repayment of debts, non-payment for work, refusal to help those who ask and those in need.
- Unwillingness to help parents, disrespect for them.
- Theft, condemnation, envy.
- Quarrels, drinking alcohol at funerals.
- Murder with words (slander, incitement to suicide or illness).
- Killing a child in the womb, inducing others to have an abortion.
Sins committed against oneself
- Foul language, pride, idle talk, gossip.
- Desire for profit, enrichment.
- Displaying good deeds.
- Envy, lies, drunkenness, gluttony, drug use.
- Fornication, adultery, incest, fornication.
List of sins for a woman to confess
This is a very sensitive list, and many women refuse to confess after reading it. You should not trust any information you read. Even if a brochure with a list of sins for a woman was purchased at a church store, be sure to pay attention to the stamp. There should be an inscription “recommended by the publishing council of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
The clergy do not divulge the secret of confession. Therefore, it is best to undergo the sacrament with a permanent confessor. The Church does not intrude into the sphere of intimate marital relationships. Issues of contraception, which is sometimes equated to abortion, are best discussed with a priest. There are drugs that do not have an abortifacient effect, but only prevent the birth of life. Anyway everything controversial issues should be discussed with your spouse, doctor, confessor.
Here is a list of sins for confession (brief):
- She rarely prayed and did not attend church.
- I thought more about worldly things during prayer.
- admitted sex life before marriage.
- Abortion, inducing others to it.
- Had unclean thoughts and desires.
- I watched films, read books with pornographic content.
- Gossip, lies, envy, laziness, resentment.
- Excessive exposure of the body to attract attention.
- Fear of old age, wrinkles, thoughts of suicide.
- Addiction to sweets, alcohol, drugs.
- Avoiding helping other people.
- Seeking help from fortune tellers and fortune tellers.
- Superstition.
List of sins for a man
There is debate about whether a list of sins should be prepared for confession. Some believe that such a list harms the sacrament and promotes the formal reading of offenses. The main thing in confession is to realize your sins, repent and prevent their repetition. Therefore, the list of sins may be a short reminder or absent altogether.
Formal confession is not considered valid, since there is no repentance in it. Returning after the sacrament to your former life will add hypocrisy. The balance of spiritual life lies in understanding the essence of repentance, where confession is only the beginning of awareness of one’s sinfulness. This is a long process consisting of several stages of internal work. The creation of spiritual resources is a systematic adjustment of conscience, responsibility for one’s relationship with God.
Here is a list of sins for confession (brief) for a man:
- Sacrilege, conversations in the temple.
- Doubt about faith, the afterlife.
- Blasphemy, mockery of the poor.
- Cruelty, laziness, pride, vanity, greed.
- Evasion from military service.
- Avoiding unwanted work, shirking responsibilities.
- Insults, hatred, fights.
- Slander, disclosure of other people's weaknesses.
- Temptation to sin (fornication, drunkenness, drugs, gambling).
- Refusal to help parents and other people.
- Theft, aimless collecting.
- Tendency to boast, argue, and humiliate others.
- Impudence, rudeness, contempt, familiarity, cowardice.
Confession for a child
For a child, the sacrament of confession can begin at the age of seven. Until this age, children are allowed to receive Communion without this. Parents must prepare the child for confession: explain the essence of the sacrament, tell why it is being performed, and remember with him possible sins.
The child must be made to understand that sincere repentance is preparation for confession. It is better for the child to write the list of sins himself. He must realize what actions were wrong and try not to repeat them in the future.
Older children make their own decisions about whether to confess or not. You should not limit the free will of a child or teenager. The personal example of parents is much more important than all conversations.
The child must remember his sins before confession. A list of them can be compiled after the child answers the questions:
- How often does he read prayers (in the morning, in the evening, before meals), which ones does he know by heart?
- Does he go to church, how does he behave during the service?
- Does he wear pectoral cross, is distracted or not during prayers and services?
- Have you ever deceived your parents or priest during confession?
- Weren't you proud of your successes and victories, weren't you arrogant?
- Does it fight or not with other children, does it offend children or animals?
- Does he snitch on other children to protect himself?
- Have you ever committed theft or been jealous of anyone?
- Have you laughed at other people's physical disabilities?
- Did you play cards (smoked, drank alcohol, tried drugs, used foul language)?
- Is he lazy or helps his parents around the house?
- Did you pretend to be sick to avoid your responsibilities?
- A person himself determines whether to confess or not, how many times to attend the sacrament.
- You should prepare a list of sins for confession. It is better to take a sample in the church where the sacrament will take place, or find it yourself in church literature.
- It is optimal to go to confession with the same clergyman, who will become a mentor and will contribute to spiritual growth.
- Confession is free of charge.
First you need to ask on what days confessions are held in the church. You should dress appropriately. For men - a shirt or T-shirt with sleeves, trousers or jeans (not shorts). For women - a scarf on the head, no makeup (at least lipstick), a skirt no higher than the knees.
Sincerity of Confession
A priest as a psychologist can recognize how sincere a person is in his repentance. There are confessions that offend the sacrament and the Lord. If a person mechanically talks about sins, has several spiritual fathers, or hides the truth, such actions do not lead to repentance.
Behavior, tone of speech, words used to pronounce confession - all this matters. This is the only way the priest understands how sincere the penitent is. Pangs of conscience, embarrassment, worries, shame contribute to spiritual cleansing.
Sometimes the personality of the priest is important for the parishioner. This is not a reason to condemn and comment on the actions of clergy. You can go to another church or turn to another holy father for confession.
It can be difficult to voice your sins. The emotional experiences are so strong that it is more convenient to make a list of unrighteous actions. Father is attentive to every parishioner. If, due to shame, it is impossible to tell about everything and the repentance is deep, then the priest has the right to forgive the sins, a list of which was compiled before confession, without even reading them.
The meaning of confession
Having to talk about your sins in front of a stranger is embarrassing. Therefore, people refuse to go to confession, believing that God will forgive them anyway. This is the wrong approach. The priest acts only as an intermediary between man and God. His task is to determine the measure of repentance. The priest has no right to condemn anyone; he will not expel a repentant person from the church. During confession, people are very vulnerable, and clergy try not to cause unnecessary suffering.
It is important to see your sin, recognize and condemn it in your soul, and voice it before the priest. Have a desire not to repeat your misdeeds again, try to atone for the harm done through acts of mercy. Confession brings revival of the soul, re-education and access to a new spiritual level.
Sins (list), Orthodoxy, confession imply self-knowledge and the search for grace. All good deeds are done through strength. Only by overcoming yourself, doing works of mercy, and cultivating virtues in yourself, can you receive God's grace.
The meaning of confession lies in understanding the typology of sinners, the typology of sin. Wherein individual approach to each repentant is akin to pastoral psychoanalysis. The sacrament of confession is the pain of awareness of sin, recognition of it, the determination to voice and ask for forgiveness for it, cleansing of the soul, joy and peace.
A person must feel the need to repent. Love for God, love for oneself, love for one's neighbor cannot exist separately. The symbolism of the Christian cross - horizontal (love for God) and vertical (love for oneself and one's neighbor) - lies in the awareness of the integrity of spiritual life, its essence.
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.
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 posts 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.
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
How to prepare for your first confession? This question worries many beginning Orthodox Christians. You will find out the answer to this question if you read the article!
Using the following below simple tips you can take your first steps.
How to confess and receive communion for the first time?
Confession in church
The only exception may be the briefest “memo” of basic sins, which are often not recognized as such.
An example of such a memo:
A. Sins against the Lord God:
– disbelief in God, recognition of any significance for other “spiritual forces”, religious doctrines, in addition to Christian faith; participation in other religious practices or rituals, even “for company,” as a joke, etc.;
– nominal faith, not expressed in any way in life, that is, practical atheism (you can recognize the existence of God with your mind, but live as if you were an unbeliever);
- creation of “idols”, that is, placing them in first place among life values anything other than God. Anything that a person really “serves” can become an idol: money, power, career, health, knowledge, hobbies - all this can be good when it occupies the appropriate place in the personal “hierarchy of values”, but when it comes first , turns into an idol;
– turning to various kinds of fortune tellers, sorcerers, sorcerers, psychics, etc. – an attempt to “subdue” spiritual forces magically, without repentance and personal effort to change life in accordance with the commandments.
b. Sins against one's neighbor:
– neglect of people, resulting from pride and selfishness, inattention to the needs of one’s neighbor (a neighbor is not necessarily a relative or acquaintance, it is every person who happens to be next to us in this moment);
– condemnation and discussion of the shortcomings of your neighbors (“By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned,” says the Lord);
– prodigal sins of various kinds, especially adultery (violation of marital fidelity) and unnatural sexual relations, which is incompatible with being in the Church. The so-called so-called, widespread today, also refers to prodigal cohabitation. " civil marriage", that is, cohabitation without marriage registration. It should, however, be remembered that a registered but unmarried marriage cannot be regarded as fornication and is not an obstacle to remaining in the Church;
– Abortion is the taking of the life of a human being, essentially murder. One should repent even if the abortion was done according to medical indications. Inducing a woman to have an abortion (by her husband, for example) is also a serious sin. Repentance for this sin implies that the repentant will never knowingly repeat it again.
– appropriation of someone else’s property, refusal to pay other people’s labor (ticketless travel), withholding wages subordinates or hired workers;
- lies of various kinds, especially - slandering one's neighbor, spreading rumors (as a rule, we cannot be sure of the veracity of rumors), inability to keep one's word.
This is an approximate list of the most common sins, but we emphasize once again that you should not get carried away with such “lists”. When further preparing for confession, it is best to use the Ten Commandments of God and listen to your own conscience.
- Talk only about sins, and your own.
In confession you need to talk about your sins, without trying to minimize them or show them as excusable. It would seem that this is obvious, but how often do priests, when accepting confession, hear, instead of confessing sins, everyday stories about all their relatives, neighbors and acquaintances. When in confession a person talks about the grievances caused to him, he evaluates and condemns his neighbors, essentially justifying himself. Often in such stories, personal sins are presented in such a light that it would seem completely impossible to avoid them. But sin is always the fruit of personal choice. It is extremely rare that we find ourselves in such conflicts when we are forced to choose between two types of sin.
- Don't invent a special language.
When talking about your sins, you shouldn’t worry about how to call them “correctly” or “church wise”. We must call things by their proper names, in ordinary language. You are confessing to God, who knows even more about your sins than you do, and calling sin as it is will definitely not surprise God.
You won't surprise the priest either. Sometimes penitents are ashamed to tell the priest this or that sin, or there is a fear that the priest, having heard the sin, will condemn you. In fact, over the years of ministry, a priest has to listen to a lot of confessions, and it is not easy to surprise him. And besides, all sins are not original: they have practically not changed over thousands of years. Being a witness to sincere repentance of serious sins, the priest will never condemn, but will rejoice at the person’s conversion from sin to the path of righteousness.
- Talk about serious things, not trifles.
There is no need to start confession with such sins as breaking the fast, not going to church, working on holidays, watching TV, wearing/not wearing certain types of clothes, etc. First of all, these are definitely not your most serious sins. Secondly, this may not be a sin at all: if a person has not come to God for many years, then why repent of not keeping fasts if the very “vector” of life was directed in the wrong direction? Thirdly, who needs endless digging into everyday minutiae? The Lord expects from us love and giving of the heart, and we told him: “I ate fish on a fast day” and “embroidered on a holiday.”
The main focus should be on our relationship with God and our neighbors. Moreover, by neighbors, according to the Gospel, we mean not only people who are pleasant to us, but everyone who has met us in our lives. life path. And above all, our family members. Christian life For family people begins in the family and is checked by it. Here is the best field for cultivating Christian qualities: love, patience, forgiveness, acceptance.
- Start changing your life even before confession.
Repentance in Greek sounds like “metanoia,” literally “a change of mind.” It is not enough to admit that you have committed such and such offenses in life. God is not a prosecutor, and confession is not a confession. Repentance must be a change of life: the penitent intends not to return to sins and tries with all his might to keep himself from them. Such repentance begins some time before confession, and coming to church to see the priest already “captures” the change taking place in life. This is extremely important. If a person intends to continue sinning after confession, then maybe it’s worth postponing confession?
It is necessary to stipulate that when we talk about changing life and renouncing sin, we mean first of all the so-called “mortal” sins, according to the word of the Apostle John, that is, incompatible with being in the Church. With such sins Christian church Since ancient times, she considered renunciation of faith, murder and adultery. Sins of this kind can also include the extreme degree of other human passions: anger towards one’s neighbor, theft, cruelty, etc., which can be stopped once and for all by an effort of will, combined with the help of God. As for small, so-called “everyday” sins, they will largely be repeated after confession. One must be prepared for this and accept it humbly as an inoculation against spiritual exaltation: there are no perfect people, only God alone is sinless.
- Be at peace with everyone.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven,” says the Lord. - “By whatever court you judge, you will be judged.” And even more strongly: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” . If we ask God for forgiveness, then we ourselves must first forgive the offenders. Of course, there are situations when asking for forgiveness directly from a person is physically impossible, or this will lead to an aggravation of an already difficult relationship. Then it is important to at least forgive on your part and not have anything against your neighbor in your heart.
Some practical recommendations. Before you come to confession, it would be a good idea to find out when confession is usually held in the church. In many churches they serve not only on Sundays and holidays, but also on Saturdays, and in large churches and monasteries - on weekdays. The greatest influx of confessors occurs during Lent. Of course, the Lenten period is primarily a time of repentance, but for those who come for the first time or after a very long break, it is better to choose a time when the priest is not very busy. It may turn out that confession is held in the church on Friday evening or Saturday morning - on these days there will probably be fewer people than during Sunday services. It’s good if you have the opportunity to personally contact the priest and ask him to set a convenient time for you to confess.
There are special prayers that express a repentant “mood.” It is good to read them the day before confession. The repentant canon to the Lord Jesus Christ is printed in almost any prayer book, except for the shortest ones. If you are unfamiliar with praying in Church Slavonic, you can use the Russian translation.
During confession, the priest may assign you penance: abstaining from communion for a while, reading special prayers, prostrations or works of mercy. This is not a punishment, but a means to overcome sin and receive complete forgiveness. Penance can be prescribed when the priest does not meet the proper attitude towards serious sins on the part of the penitent, or, conversely, when he sees that the person has a need to do something practically to “get rid of” the sin. Penance cannot be indefinite: it is appointed for a certain time, and then must be terminated.
As a rule, after confession, believers take communion. Although confession and communion are two different sacraments, it is better to combine preparation for confession with preparation for communion. We will tell you what kind of preparation this is in a separate article.
If these little tips helped you prepare for confession, thank God. Do not forget that this sacrament must be regular. Don't delay next confession for many years. Confession at least once a month helps you to always be “on your toes” and treat your life attentively and responsibly. Everyday life, in which, in fact, our Christian faith should be expressed.
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Confession is one of the main church sacraments. But it’s not easy to get through. Shame and fear of judgment or the priest prevent you from approaching it correctly. In our article we will tell you how to correctly write sins for confession and prepare for it. We hope that our tips will help you on your path to cleansing.
How to prepare for confession
Church confession is a conscious step. It is not customary to do it without preparation and preliminary analysis of sins. Therefore, before the sacrament it is necessary:
If you plan to take communion along with confession, then the day before you need to read the following prayers: Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ, Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, Canon to the Guardian Angel and Follow-up to Holy Communion.
Before going to confession, you should arrive on time for the church service. In some churches, the priest begins confession before the main service begins. People begin the sacrament on an empty stomach; you shouldn’t even drink coffee or tea.
For convenience, divide your sins into several blocks: against God and the church, against loved ones and against yourself.
Sins against God and the church:
- belief in omens, fortune telling and dreams;
- hypocrisy in worshiping God;
- doubt about the existence of God, complaints;
- conscious commission of sinful acts in the hope of leniency;
- laziness in prayers and church attendance;
- mentioning God in everyday life, so to speak, to connect words;
- non-compliance with fasts;
- failure to keep promises made to God;
- suicide attempts;
- mention of evil spirits in speech.
Sins against loved ones:
Sins against yourself:
- careless attitude towards God's gift (talent);
- excessive consumption of food and alcohol, as well as tobacco products and drugs;
- laziness in performing household chores (you do it without effort, for show);
- careless attitude towards things;
- inattention to one’s health or, conversely, excessive search for diseases;
- fornication (promiscuity, cheating on one’s spouse, satisfying carnal desires, reading romance books, watching erotic photos and films, erotic fantasies and memories);
- love of money (lust for wealth, bribery, theft);
- envy of other people's successes (career, shopping opportunities and travel).
We have provided a list of the most common sins. How to correctly write sins for confession and whether it is worth doing is up to you to decide. When confessing, do not list them all. Speak only about those in whom you have sinned.
Judging others, giving examples from life or justifying oneself are unacceptable. Only through sincere repentance does one receive purification. They don’t confess twice in one case. Only if you repeated the offense again.
When compiling a list, briefly describe the situation so that the priest and you yourself understand what it is about. Tell us not just that you don’t respect your parents, but how this manifested itself, for example, by raising your voice to your mother in an argument.
Also, do not use church expressions if you do not understand them. Confession is a conversation with God; speak in a language that you understand. For example, if you really like sweets, say so. Don't use "gluttony."
Dividing sins into separate blocks will allow you to organize your thoughts. By moving from one group to another, you will understand the reasons for the action and will be able to avoid repeating it. Follow his points and the question “How to correctly write sins for confession?” won't bother you anymore. And you will concentrate on the main thing.
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Preparation for Confession- test of conscience before.
Unlike a magical rite of purification, which allows for blind execution of the instructions of a “sacred” sorcerer or magician, the Sacrament of Repentance implies the presence of faith, awareness of personal guilt before God and others, and a sincere and conscious desire to free oneself from the power of sin.
The Sacrament of Repentance cannot be approached mechanically. Forgiveness and remission of sins is not a legal act of declaring a sinner innocent. Everyone who has confessed at least once in their life could pay attention to what prayer is being read over them: “reconcile and unite the saints of your Church.” Through the Sacrament of Repentance, a person is reconciled with, restores himself as a member.
Repentance for sin consists of 3 stages: Repent of the sin as soon as you have committed it; remember him at the end of the day and again ask God for forgiveness for him; confess it in the Sacrament of Repentance (Confession) and receive permission from this sin.
It is necessary to distinguish from the Sacrament of Penance:
- confidential spiritual conversation with a priest;
- a repentant conversation before (not mandatory).
Where and when can I go to confession?
You can confess anywhere on any day of the year, but it is generally accepted to confess at a scheduled time or by agreement with. The person confessing must be baptized.
It is better not to come to your first confession or confession after a long break on Sundays or holy days. church holidays when churches are full of worshipers and there is a long line for confession. It is also advisable to come to the Sacrament in advance.
The First Confession should not be combined with the First Communion in order to fully experience the impressions of this great event in our lives. However, this is only advice.
How to prepare for Confession?
When preparing for confession, unlike preparation for the Sacrament of Communion, the church charter does not require any special or special prayer rules.
Before going to confession it is appropriate:
— Focus on prayers of repentance.
- Carefully examine thoughts, thoughts, deeds; note, if possible, all your sinful traits (as an auxiliary aid, also include those accusations that came from relatives, friends, and other people).
— If possible, ask for forgiveness from those who were offended by sin, offended by inattention, indifference.
— Consider the plan for confession, and, if necessary, prepare questions for the priest.
— In case of serious sins or rare confessions, additional fasting may be recommended.
— Sins are confessed from the moment of the last confession; if they have never been confessed, then from the moment of Baptism.
— In the Sacrament, all sins are forgiven, with the exception of those intentionally hidden. If you forgot to name some minor sin, then don’t worry. The sacrament is called the Sacrament Repentance, but not " The sacrament of listing all sins committed".
- You need to confess first of all what you are ashamed of! Tactically, confession should always be very substantive and specific. You can’t repent of being “proud”—it’s pointless. Because after your repentance, nothing changes in our lives. We can repent of having looked arrogantly or said some words of condemnation to a specific person. Because, having repented of this, next time we will think whether it is worth doing this. You cannot repent “in general,” in the abstract. A substantive confession allows you to simultaneously draw up a plan to combat certain passions. At the same time, pettiness should be avoided; there is no need to list a large number of sins of the same type.
— Do not use crafty generalizations. For example, under the phrase treated one's neighbor unfairly can be understood as both involuntary grief and murder.
— There is no need to describe sexual sins in detail, it is enough to name them. For example: sinned (,).
— When preparing for and during Confession, self-justification should be avoided.
— If you do not feel your sins, it is recommended to turn to God with “ Lord, grant me to see my sins».
Is it possible to write down sins so as not to forget them at confession?
What to do if you do not consider yourself a sinful person? Or if the sins are common, like everyone else’s.
You should compare yourself first of all with, then your own spiritual health will not look so rosy.
Clear conscience- a sign of short memory...
Is it worth confessing if you are likely to commit some sins again?
Is it worth washing if you know for sure that you will get dirty again? Repentance is a desire to be reborn, it does not begin with confession and does not end with it, it is a matter of a lifetime. Repentance is not only a listing of sins before the testimony of a priest, it is a state of hating sin and avoiding it.
Repentance should not just be an emotional release, it should be a systematic, meaningful work on oneself, with the goal of becoming closer to God in one’s qualities, becoming like Him in . Orthodoxy has an inexhaustible ascetic heritage, compiled by holy ascetics, which must be studied for proper organization.
Our goal is not just to be cleansed of sins and passions, but to acquire. It’s not enough, for example, to stop stealing, you need to learn mercy.
Gross sins have already been overcome and at each confession one has to repeat almost the same sins. How to get out of this vicious circle?
Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov): “For people who have been churched for a long time, the “list” of sins, as a rule, is approximately the same from confession to confession. There may be a feeling of some kind of formal spiritual life. But at home we often sweep the floor, and, thank God, we don’t have to rake out the Augean stables every time. This is just not a problem. The trouble is that you begin to notice how the lives of some Christians become more and more boring over the years. But it should be the other way around: it should become more and more rich and more and more joyful.”
However, you don’t need to be complacent about the fact that you can’t overcome all sins; you just need to realize that not all sins and passions can be overcome instantly. This is a systemic problem, the solution of which is .
I have very difficult life circumstances, I’m afraid that a simple priest will not understand me.
The Lord will understand in any case. There is a good story about this: .
God wanted us to repent not before the sinless Angels, but before people. We should be ashamed of committing sin, not repenting. If a person sincerely hated his sins, then he will not be ashamed to confess them to the priest.
Sometimes you can notice that some parishioners, with amazing pedantry and scrupulousness, confess to the slightest violations church rules or lack of reverence for sacred things, with the same amazing constancy they remain quite harsh and unpeaceful in relations with the people around them.
Priest Philip