When you come to church for confession, do not be afraid. The Lord is generous and accepts all sinners. Forgives those who repent. You should not be afraid of the priest, he is the eyes and ears of the Lord, no one will know about your secret sins. He listens to so much throughout the day that by lunchtime he doesn’t remember who came to him or what they said.

Father is the only person who will not wish you harm or envy you. He will only rejoice that another soul has been saved, and thank God that he, the all-seeing and all-good, has directed you to the true path!

Sins spoken in confession

The priest in the church is not an all-seeing eye, much less a psychic to guess your sins. He will ask questions that are somehow related to sins. These questions are directly related to the 10 important commandments.

1. “I am your God.”Will be listed:

• Do you pray, how often do you go to services, or just to church?
• Will you admit that you believe in God to your acquaintances?
• Do you believe in God?

2. “You shall not make an idol for yourself.”This may include:

• Overeating as a cult of food;
• Decorations;
• Money, alcohol, smoking;
• Pride.

3. Don’t you remember the Lord in moments of frustration?

4. Do you devote your day off to prayer?

5. Do you respect your parents?

6. Do not kill, neither by word nor by deed.

7. Don’t seduce anyone, don’t destroy someone’s marriage and life.

8. Don't take what doesn't belong to you.

9. Don’t tell lies to your loved ones and friends.

10. Don't covet what others have.

Preparing for confession of sins, how to repent

Before going to the priest for confession, you need to prepare. What does it mean to prepare? To do this, you need to read prayers and fast for at least a day before going to church. Directly on the day of confession itself, you must not eat anything and come to the very beginning of the service. If the priest notices that you were not there from the very beginning of the service, he will not confess.

Don't look for excuses in your actions. If they did this, it means they wanted it, and at that moment you were very happy with it. Before going to confession, make peace with yourself and your loved ones, ask for forgiveness if necessary.

Confession is divided into two parts:

• Soulful confession: You repent every day of what you have done;
• Confession to a priest: You tell a priest about your deeds in order to cleanse your soul.

These are completely two different sides of the same coin. When you come to church, you must be aware of what you will say and why. It is very difficult to tell a complete stranger what wrongdoing you have done and why you did it that way. It becomes embarrassing, many forget or do not want to talk about the most painful mistakes they have made.

You can make a list of misdeeds, so you won’t forget anything, and it will be easier to talk about it later. If it is still difficult for you to make such a list, there is a mini store at the church; it certainly has a booklet on how to conduct confession and what sins exist.

After confession, a person usually experiences a feeling of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. You can confess several times a week. Frequent trips to church help you feel relaxed and more confident.

Sins in confession list for women

Compiling and reading such a ready-made list leaves many ladies in a stupor. Not everyone can understand that your life is a complete sinful nightmare. There is no need to despair. Consult with the priest, he will briefly explain everything and tell you what and why. To yours personal life no one will invade, because only God knows why this is so and what you did to deserve it. After going through the secret of confession, you will be able to figure it out and draw the right conclusions, improve your life position and stand on Right way corrections life mistakes. You can discuss birth control with your priest, because abortions are a mortal sin, and it is better to avoid this in time than to repent later for the rest of your life.

List of possible sins:

• She was not happy with her position in society, her environment, her life;
• She was angry with her children, screamed, doubted them;
• She did not trust doctors, doubted their competence;
• Misled herself;
• Showed bad example to my children;
• I was jealous;
• Was the cause of scandals;
• The most terrible and deadly sin is PRIDE. It is very difficult to fight with him, almost no one notices him, but they yak very often. If you learn to catch yourself in the I, switch to WE, then you are on the right path.
• She did not pray and rarely read prayer, did not come to the temple of God;
• During the service, I thought about worldly problems;
• She had abortions herself, and pushed others to this idea;
• I thought badly about people, discussed them;
• Read obscenities or watched obscene films;
• She used foul language, lied, was jealous;
• She was offended for no reason, showing her Self to others;
• She wore indecent clothes, too short and provocative, thereby provoking excessive male attention and female envy;
• I was afraid for my appearance and figure;
• Thought about death;
• She ate too much, drank alcohol, took drugs;
• Refused help;
• I visited fortune tellers and fortune tellers.
• She believed in all sorts of superstitions;

Complete confession of sins for women

You need to trust the priest and tell everything:

• If you have not confessed before, then you need to tell about all the offenses you have committed since the age of seven. Hidden sin doubles, it is more difficult to atone for it;
• If they confessed, then from the last confession;
• Talk about your sinful thoughts and desires;
• Abortion plays an important role. If they did, and more than one, it is worth mentioning all of them;
• If you were married more than once, cohabited in a civil marriage, or had several men, also;
• If you have children from more than one husband, also;

The priest must understand what you need to do, read, how many days to fast, and exactly how to fast. That's why he right hand Gentlemen.

Sins in confession in your own words

I repent, Lord. Sinful. The world is a sinful place and I am no better. I despair, I get offended, I get angry. I skip fasting on both Wednesday and Friday. I don’t strictly adhere to fasting. Sometimes I overeat and get lazy. I scream at my husband and children. I don't trust people. I don't do my job well. I'm worried that I don't have enough money. I don’t trust the Lord, I rely only on myself, etc.

Full confession of sins

There are several options for confession. Short, involves a description of completed actions, words or deeds. A full confession also includes thoughts and desires. This is the kind of confession that monks undergo. Believers, if they wish, can also undergo such complete purification of the soul. To do this, you need to consult with the priest, or read the relevant literature.

Confession: how to write a note with sins

The sheet must be divided into parts:

• Sins against parents and relatives;
• Sins against oneself;
• Sins against God.

Many people think that by writing down their misdeeds on a piece of paper, they are doing wrong, but when they come to confession, they forget half of their sins and get confused. Such a presentation of your thoughts will streamline the confession itself, and will not allow you to forget or hide something.

There is an opinion that writing sins on a piece of paper is no longer a secret, but a banal reading.

In confession, it is important to repent, to understand what was perfect and not to allow such acts to happen again. That is why it is worth considering transferring sins onto paper as a reminder or hint.

List of sins in confession for men

It is harder for men to admit their misdeeds, words, sins. They may even believe that they are not to blame for anything. In their opinion, only women are guilty. Therefore, repent and confess only to him.But this is far from true. Men are no less sinful. In some ways, they discuss and gossip more than we do. But hot temper and narcissism are generally a separate topic for conversation.

Possible sins:

• Conversations in church and during services;
• Allowing doubts in faith;
• Manifestation of cruelty, pride, laziness;
• Greed or extravagance;
• Avoiding helping his wife and children, misleading them;
• Disclosure of other people's secrets;
• Inclination to sin;
• Drinking alcohol, smoking drugs;
• Passion for card games, slot machines, inducing others to this debauchery;
• Participation in thefts, fights;
• Narcissism;
• Insolent behavior, the ability to humiliate loved ones;
• Manifestations of negligence and cowardice;
• Fornication, seduction, adultery.

This is far from full list men's sins. Humanity treats most of the above as a matter of course and does not consider it a sin at all.

Examples of sins for confession

People sin each in their own way. One considers his action to be the norm, for another it is a mortal sin.

Here is an approximate possible list:

• Not faith in the Lord God;
• Doubts;
• Ingratitude to the Savior;
• No desire to wear a cross;
• Not the desire to defend your opinion about God in front of non-believers;
• They swore by the Lord to justify themselves;
• They called on God, asked for help in vanity and unbelief;
• They called the Lord;
• They stayed and attended non-Christian churches;
• Hostility;
• They resorted to the help of sorcerers and fortune tellers;
• Read or preached false teachings about God;
• They played all kinds of games: cards, slot machines;
• They refused to fast;
• They didn’t read the prayer book;
• Wanted to commit suicide;
• They used foul language;
• Don't go to church;
• You think badly of priests;
• Watch TV or sit at the computer instead of helping loved ones or doing something around the house;
• You despair and do not ask God for help;
• Relying too much on others;
• You deceive the priest during confession, or do not trust him;
• Has a quick temper;
• Treat people arrogantly;
• Show others your pride and vanity;
• You lie to your loved ones and acquaintances;
• You mock the poor, the incompetent;
• Show your stinginess, or excessive wastefulness;
• Your children are not being raised in the faith and fear of the Lord;
• You don’t help the needy, the disadvantaged;
• Do not come to the aid of your parents;
• You resort to theft;
• Do not behave decently at a wake, allow alcohol to get the better of you;
• You can kill your interlocutor with a word;
• Slander;
• Bring a person to sinful thoughts about death;
• Abortion, inducing others to do so;
• Imposing your thoughts;
• Cult of money;
• Showing yourself to people as a benefactor;
• Excessive overeating, drunkenness;
• Adultery, fornication, incest.

Confession of prodigal sins

Fornication is considered a very serious sin. Previously, such offenses resulted in excommunication from communion for up to 7 years. It is located inside the person himself, in his subconscious. It eats a person from the inside. Being in such a sophisticated state makes you feel euphoric. You no longer want to read the prayer. God does not like such sinners; he is disgusted by the mere thought of them. But at the same time, having repented, they will be forgiven faster than anyone else.

As the holy fathers say, three days of intense prayer, fasting, and repentance are enough to earn the Lord’s forgiveness.

It’s a terrible shame, of course, but it’s better to tell and repent than to carry this abomination inside yourself. And if your family is also expecting a child, even more so. Why torment the unborn soul of a baby. After all, we shift our sins onto our children. And then we wonder why they are sick or have many problems in life!

In this case, you should not write a note to the priest. Like, read it, while I go to the store or smoke! This kindergarten! When we sinned, we were not ashamed before God, but before our priest, yes!

The most important! They repented. Have mastered the material covered. Correct your mistake! Don't repeat it! By repeating, you automatically become a hypocrite!

May the Lord protect you from temptation.

Confession of the sin of masturbation

The concept is ambiguous, and the sin is very serious. IN Christian faith they call it masturbation, or masturbation. Loving yourself with your own hands is the same sin as cheating on your wife or having too many girls. It is very difficult to get rid of such a cunning passion. Father needs to be told everything in detail, he will ask many questions. It is necessary to get to the bottom of this sin, since this is the tip of the iceberg, the root of the problem is much worse and hides deep in the subconscious, hiding behind other obvious sins.

To confess means to undergo a small judgment of God. Only you will blush and be ashamed. And there, in that world, at God’s judgment, all your deceased relatives will be ashamed, you can’t hide anything there. Therefore, if you have sinned, repent, here and now.

In the old days, this sin was punished by strict fasting, by sitting on bread and water for 40 days. During the service they bowed tirelessly.

The Holy Scripture says: “If anyone has sinned, forgive him, and all his sins will be forgiven. And if you don’t forgive someone, that’s where they’ll stay.”

Doing something like this means wasting your energy and life resources in vain. This behavior suggests that the Orthodox is weak-willed, weak-willed, and does not have the fortitude to control his desires.The Church does not take this for granted. Since for natural permissible fornication there must be two, husband and wife. This is the only way they get approval. Everything else is sin and immoral.

Priests say about masturbation that it is unclean. It was precisely this sin that struck down the son of Patriarch Judah Onan. To receive pleasure, you need God's blessing for a church marriage. And it’s easier to join it than to be under constant sinful addiction.

Maybe even the female gender will succumb to sin. The church condemns him no less than men. It follows from this that they also need to repent.

Masturbation also occurs among teenagers, girls and boys. At this age, this is more of an unconscious act, which leads to a bad hyena, too tight clothes. Parents are obliged to look after their children and control their behavior. It is more difficult to correct this problem; children, as a rule, do not understand the full depth of the problem, and do not realize what they are to blame for.

You should spend as much time as possible with them, change clothes if this is the reason. Register your child for swimming. Find the cause of the problem. Read spiritual literature to your child and subtly explain that this is a sin.

The priest will help you choose necessary prayers that will help you get rid of this addiction.

List of sins for confession with explanations

• I don’t go to confession, I don’t go to church, or I come to services extremely rarely.I do unnecessary things on my days off and don’t say prayers.I don't understand what my sins are.
• I am not in the habit of thanking God.I don’t pray morning and evening. She blamed God and didn’t believe in him.
• She gave her pets human names.
• I listened to swearing and gossip.She swore, thereby swearing at the Mother of God. I listened to vulgarities.
• She received communion without preparation, fasting, or prayers.
• She broke her fast and prepared lunch from forbidden foods. She commemorated deceased relatives with alcohol.
• She wore indecent clothes, thereby seducing men and calling for fornication.
• Civil marriage, fornication.
• She had abortions, thereby killing her children, trying to avoid difficulties in life.
• She set a bad example for the children, screamed, beat, did not bring them into church, did not teach prayer, fasting, restraint.
• She was interested in occult sciences, magic, etc., conducted meditations, attended martial arts sections, which led to communication with demons.
• She took other people's things, loans, things, and did not return them, which brought suffering to people.
• She boasted, put herself on display, showed everyone her goodness, thereby humiliating them.
• She violated traffic rules, thereby creating risky situations.
• She talked about her problems, cried, thereby feeling sorry for herself and justifying herself.

Sins of children in confession

Children need to be taught to church from infancy. Children do not confess until they are seven years old. It is believed that the child is still sinless. And what he says and how he acts is only our merit and the example set.It is necessary to explain to the child what confession is and why it is needed. Children must understand that they tell about their bad deeds not to their uncle in a cassock, but to God himself, that the priest is the eyes and ears of the Lord.

His attendance at church and attitude towards it depends on the child’s mood. Do not insist under any circumstances if the child is not ready, it will only harm his fragile psyche.

Parents can briefly, but correctly, explain to their child what sin is and what they are. Every parent knows the characteristics of their child. For shy children, you can offer to write a note, this way you will help him concentrate. Explain to your child that there is no need to be afraid, that you will not know about his conversation with God. He must learn to trust both you and the priest.

Children's confession list of sins

Children's sins are not as bitter as adults' sins. They are more like misdemeanors. Therefore, a child’s confession differs from an adult’s. Approximate questions that the priest may ask:

• Does your child attend church and how often? What does he do if he comes to church? Is it interesting for him to be here?
• What prayers does he know?
• Does he have a cross?
• Is he telling the truth to his parents or is he lying?
• How many friends does he have, and what kind of relationships do they have? Does he show intolerance towards them? How do you treat babies and girls?
• What does he do and what are his interests? Does he show pride in his achievements?
• Does he have any favorite pets? How does he feel about them?
• Does he love his parents?

Teenage sins for confession

Older children are more susceptible to outside influences, such as friends, the street. They defend their point of view, their opinion. Unfortunately, in the rhythm of big cities, there is not always time to control where they are, who they are friends with, what they watch and what sites they visit! Therefore, it is important to teach a teenager to trust, if not you, then at least the priest. He definitely won’t give bad advice, and will definitely take the teenager’s side and suggest the right way out of the current situation. And he probably won’t criticize, like many parents.

It is during adolescence that children manage to get themselves into different situations and try to get out of them themselves, thinking that they are already adults and have enough experience. They are afraid to confess to their parents and consult with friends.

By attending church and trusting God through the priest, a teenager can avoid many difficult situations. Don’t ruin your life, don’t take the path of sin from such a young age.

What can a priest ask:

• What does he say if someone has a better one, for example a telephone?
• Did he steal? If so, what did you do next? Was he ashamed?
• How does he behave with children from poor families? Is there envy towards the children of rich parents?
• Doesn't he laugh at disabled people and sick children?
• How does he feel about cards, alcohol, drugs?
• Does he help elders, for example, with household chores?
• Is he deceiving his parents by saying that he is sick?
• How does he study? Is he skipping school?
• Does he have an addiction to TV, computer, telephone? And how does he understand this?
• How does he treat elders? Does he respect mom and dad?
• Shouldn't he say bad words?
• What does he think of girls when they wear short skirts? Girls, why do they need clothes that are short or too tight? Do they seduce boys?
• Is he doing something that makes you feel ashamed?
• Can he tell his parents about all his actions?
• Doesn't he watch adult films and related sites?
• Did you take someone else's things, money?
• Does he correct his committed actions?
• Does he repent of what he has already done?

Are all sins forgiven in confession?

There are no sinners whom the Savior could not ask. If a person repents in confession, he can receive forgiveness. The sin that the church cannot forgive is profanity against the Lord, the Church and its laws.

The Lord forgives all sins. Because of his love for us, he suffered and was crucified. He accepts all sinners, gives them a second chance, and believes that they can reform.

The question is whether a person who has sinned can forgive himself. And if he caused pain and suffering, even more so.

If you missed something or forgot to tell the priest during the service, then when confirmation is performed, your sins will be forgiven. Such services are held in the evening, on Saturday or on holidays.

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

Confession is a sacrament, and not just a pious custom. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification that comes from the feeling of holiness, this is the second Baptism, and, therefore, in repentance we die to sin and are resurrected to holiness. Repentance is the first degree of holiness, and insensibility is being outside of holiness, outside of God.

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

Some confessors strive to go through confession painlessly for themselves - they say common phrases: “I’m a sinner in everything” or talk about little things, keeping silent about what should really weigh on the conscience. The reason for this is false shame in front of the confessor, and indecision, but especially the cowardly fear of seriously starting to understand one’s life, which is full of small, habitual weaknesses and sins.

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

There are sins against God and His Church. This group includes numerous spiritual states connected in a continuous network, which include, along with simple and obvious, big number hidden, seemingly innocent, but in fact the most dangerous phenomena for the soul. In general, these sins can be reduced to the following:

1) lack of faith,
2) superstition,
3) blasphemy and idolatry,
4) lack of prayer and disdain for church services,
5) lovely,
6) gluttony,
7) love of money,
8) anger, irritability,
9) condemnation of one's neighbor,
10) despondency,
11) lie,
12) idle talk,
13) murder, suicide and abortion,
14) theft (theft),
15) covetousness,
16) lustful thoughts,
17) seductive conversations,
18) fornication,
19) adultery,
20) incest,
21) unnatural sexual relations.

Lack of faith

This sin is perhaps the most common, and literally every Christian has to struggle with it continuously. Lack of faith often imperceptibly turns into complete unbelief, and the person suffering from it often continues to attend divine services and resort to confession. He does not consciously deny the existence of God, however, he doubts His omnipotence, mercy or Providence. With his actions, affections, and his entire way of life, he contradicts the faith he professes in words. Such a person never delved into even the simplest dogmatic issues, fearing to lose those naive ideas about Christianity, often incorrect and primitive, that he once acquired. By turning Orthodoxy into a national, home tradition, a set of external rituals, gestures, or reducing it to the enjoyment of beautiful choral singing, the flickering of candles, that is, to external splendor, people of little faith lose the most important thing in the Church - our Lord Jesus Christ. For a person of little faith, religiosity is closely connected with aesthetic, passionate, and sentimental emotions; she easily gets along with egoism, vanity, and sensuality. People of this type seek praise and good opinion confessor about them. They come to the lectern to complain about others, they are full of themselves and strive to demonstrate their “righteousness” in every possible way. The superficiality of their religious enthusiasm is best demonstrated by their easy transition from cloyingly ostentatious “piety” to irritability and anger at their neighbors.

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

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

Superstition

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

Such superstitions are contrary to doctrine Orthodox Church and serve the corruption of souls and the extinction of faith.

Particular attention should be paid to such a fairly widespread and destructive doctrine for the soul as occultism, magic, etc. On the faces of people, long time Those who were engaged in the so-called occult sciences, initiated into the “secret spiritual teaching,” remain a heavy imprint - a sign of unconfessed sin, and in their souls - a painfully distorted opinion of Satanic rationalistic pride about Christianity as one of the lower stages of knowledge of the truth. Silencing the childishly sincere faith in the paternal love of God, the hope for the Resurrection and Eternal Life, occultists preach the doctrine of “karma”, the transmigration of souls, extra-church and, therefore, graceless asceticism. Such unfortunates, if they have found the strength to repent, should be explained that, in addition to direct harm to mental health, activities in the occult are caused by a curious desire to look beyond closed door. We must humbly acknowledge the existence of the Mystery without trying to penetrate into it through non-church ways. We have been given the supreme law of life, we have been shown the path that directly leads us to God - love. And we must follow this path, bearing our cross, without turning to detours. Occultism is never able to reveal the secrets of existence, as their adherents claim.

Blasphemy and desecration

These sins often coexist with churchism and sincere faith. This primarily includes blasphemous grumbling against God for His supposedly unmerciful attitude towards man, for suffering that seems excessive and undeserved to him. Sometimes it even comes to blasphemy against God, church shrines, and sacraments. This often manifests itself in the telling of irreverent or directly offensive stories from the lives of clergy and monks, in mocking, ironic quoting of individual expressions from the Holy Scriptures or from prayer books.

The custom of deification and commemoration in vain of the Name of God or Holy Mother of God. It is very difficult to get rid of the habit of using these sacred names in everyday conversations as interjections, which are used to give the phrase greater emotional expressiveness: “God be with him!”, “Oh, Lord!” etc. It is even worse to pronounce the Name of God in jokes, and an absolutely terrible sin is committed by the one who uses sacred words in anger, during a quarrel, that is, along with curses and insults. The one who threatens his enemies with the wrath of the Lord or even in “prayer” asks God to punish another person also blasphemes. A great sin is committed by parents who curse their children in their hearts and threaten them with heavenly punishment. Invoking evil spirits (cursing) in anger or in a simple conversation is also sinful. The use of any swear words is also blasphemy and a grave sin.

Neglect of church services

This sin most often manifests itself in the lack of desire to participate in the sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, long-term deprivation of oneself from the Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the absence of any circumstances preventing this; in addition, this is a general lack of church discipline, a dislike for worship. The excuses usually given are being busy with official and everyday affairs, the distance of the church from home, the length of the service, and the incomprehensibility of the liturgical Church Slavonic language. Some attend divine services quite carefully, but at the same time they only attend the liturgy, do not receive communion and do not even pray during the service. Sometimes you have to deal with such sad facts as ignorance of the basic prayers and the Creed, misunderstanding of the meaning of the sacraments performed, and most importantly, a lack of interest in this.

Prayerlessness

Lack of prayer, as a special case of unchurchism, is a common sin. Fervent prayer distinguishes sincere believers from “lukewarm” believers. We must strive not to scold the prayer rule, not to defend the divine services, we must acquire the gift of prayer from the Lord, fall in love with prayer, and look forward to the hour of prayer. Gradually entering into the element of prayer under the guidance of a confessor, a person learns to love and understand the music of Church Slavonic chants, their incomparable beauty and depth; the colorfulness and mystical imagery of liturgical symbols - all that is called church splendor.

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

The “Jesus Prayer” is especially good because it does not require the creation of a special external environment; it can be read while walking down the street, while working, in the kitchen, on the train, etc. In these cases, it especially helps to divert our attention from everything seductive, vain, vulgar, empty and concentrate the mind and heart on the sweetest Name of God. True, one should not begin “spiritual work” without the blessing and guidance of an experienced confessor, since such self-inflicted work can lead to a false mystical state of delusion.

Spiritual beauty

Spiritual delusion is significantly different from all the listed sins against God and the Church. Unlike them, this sin is not rooted in a lack of faith, religiosity, or churchliness, but, on the contrary, in a false sense of excess of personal spiritual gifts. A person in a state of seduction imagines himself as having achieved special fruits of spiritual perfection, which is confirmed by all sorts of “signs”: dreams, voices, waking visions. Such a person may be very gifted mystically, but in the absence of church culture and theological education, and most importantly, due to the absence of a good, strict confessor and the presence of an environment inclined to gullibly perceive his tales as revelations, such a person often acquires many supporters, as a result of which Most sectarian anti-church movements arose.

This usually begins with a story about a mysterious dream, unusually chaotic and with a claim to a mystical revelation or prophecy. In the next stage, someone in a similar state, according to him, already hears voices in reality or sees shining visions in which he recognizes an angel or some saint, or even the Mother of God and the Savior Himself. They tell him the most incredible revelations, often completely meaningless. This happens to people who are both poorly educated and those who are very well read. Holy Scripture, patristic works, as well as with those who devoted themselves to “smart work” without pastoral guidance.

Gluttony

Gluttony is one of a number of sins against neighbors, family and society. It manifests itself in the habit of immoderate, excessive consumption of food, that is, overeating or in an addiction to refined taste sensations, enjoying oneself with food. Certainly, different people require different amounts of food to maintain their physical strength- it depends on age, physique, state of health, as well as the severity of the work the person performs. There is no sin in the food itself, for it is a gift from God. The sin lies in treating it as a desired goal, in worshiping it, in the voluptuous experience of taste sensations, in conversations on this topic, in the desire to spend as much money as possible on new, even more refined products. Every piece of food eaten beyond satisfying hunger, every sip of moisture after quenching thirst, simply for pleasure, is already gluttony. Sitting at the table, a Christian must not allow himself to be carried away by this passion. “The more wood, the stronger the flame; the more food, the more violent the lust” (Abba Leontius). “Gluttony is the mother of fornication,” says one ancient patericon. And St. John Climacus directly warns: “Control your womb before it dominates you.”

Obstacles to prayer come from weak, incorrect, insufficient faith, from over-concern, vanity, preoccupation with worldly affairs, from sinful, unclean, evil feelings and thoughts. Fasting helps overcome these obstacles.

Love of money

The love of money manifests itself in the form of extravagance or its opposite, stinginess. Secondary at first glance, this is a sin of extreme importance - it involves the simultaneous rejection of faith in God, love for people and addiction to lower feelings. It gives rise to anger, petrification, over-concern, and envy. Overcoming the love of money is a partial overcoming of these sins. From the words of the Savior Himself, we know that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. Christ teaches: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where is the treasure? yours, there your heart will also be" (Matthew 6:19-2!).

Anger, irritability

“The wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Anger, irritability - many penitents tend to justify the manifestation of this passion by physiological reasons, the so-called “nervousness” due to the suffering and adversity that befell them, the tension of modern life, the difficult character of relatives and friends. Although these reasons are partly true, they cannot justify this, as a rule, deep-rooted habit of taking out one’s irritation, anger, and bad mood on loved ones. Irritability, temper, and rudeness primarily destroy family life, leading to quarrels over trifles, causing retaliatory hatred, desire for revenge, rancor, harden the hearts of generally kind and loving people. And how destructively the manifestation of anger affects young souls, destroying in them the God-given tenderness and love for their parents! “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21).

The ascetic works of the Church Fathers contain a lot of advice for combating the passion of anger. One of the most effective is “righteous anger,” in other words, turning our capacity for irritation and anger to the very passion of anger. “It is not only permissible, but truly salutary to be angry at one’s own sins and shortcomings” (St. Demetrius of Rostov). St. Nile of Sinai advises to be “meek with people,” but kind to our enemy, since this is the natural use of anger to hostilely confront the ancient serpent" (Philokalia, vol. II). The same ascetic writer says : “Whoever bears a grudge against demons does not hold a grudge against people.”

You should show meekness and patience towards your neighbors. “Be wise, and stop the lips of those who speak evil about you with silence, and not with anger and abuse” (St. Anthony the Great). “When they slander you, see if you have done anything worthy of slander. If you have not done it, then consider the slander as flying away as smoke” (St. Nilus of Sinai). “When you feel a strong influx of anger within yourself, try to remain silent. And so that silence itself will bring you more benefit, turn mentally to God and mentally read to yourself at this time any short prayers, for example, “The Jesus Prayer,” advises St. Philaret of Moscow. It is even necessary to argue without bitterness and without anger, since irritation is immediately transferred to another, infecting him, but in no case convincing him that he is right.

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

In confession, we must tell whether we harbor anger towards our neighbor and whether we have reconciled with the one with whom we quarreled, and if we cannot see someone in person, have we reconciled with him in our hearts? On Athos, confessors not only do not allow monks who have anger towards their neighbors to serve in the church and partake of the Holy Mysteries, but when reading the prayer rule, they must omit the words in the Lord’s Prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” so as not to be liars before God. With this prohibition, the monk is temporarily excommunicated from prayerful and Eucharistic communion with the Church, until reconciliation with his brother.

The one who prays for those who often lead him into the temptation of anger receives significant help. Thanks to such prayer, a feeling of meekness and love for people who were recently hated is instilled in the heart. But in the first place there should be a prayer for the granting of meekness and driving away the spirit of anger, revenge, resentment, and rancor.

Condemnation of one's neighbor

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

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

Those who condemn forget that the Savior Himself commanded: “Judge not, lest ye be judged, for with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but the beam Can’t you feel it in your eye?” (Matt. 7:1-3). There is no sin committed by one person that anyone else could not commit. And if you see someone else’s uncleanness, then it means that it has already penetrated into you, for innocent babies do not notice the depravity of adults and thereby maintain their chastity. Therefore, the condemner, even if he is right, must honestly admit to himself: has he not committed the same sin?

Our judgment is never impartial, because most often it is based on a random impression or is carried out under the influence of personal resentment, irritation, anger, or a random “mood.”

If a Christian has heard about the unseemly act of his loved one, then, before becoming indignant and condemning him, he must act according to the word of Jesus son of Sirach: “He who bridles the tongue will live peacefully, and he who hates talkativeness will reduce evil. Never repeat a word, and you will have nothing.” will decline... Ask your friend, maybe he didn’t do that; and if he did, then let him not do it in advance. Ask your friend, maybe he didn’t say that; and if he did, let him not repeat it. Ask your friend, for slander often occurs. Do not believe every word. Some sin with their words, but not from the heart; and who has not sinned with his tongue? Question your neighbor before threatening him, and give place to the law of the Most High" (Sir. 19, 6-8; 13 -19).

Sin of despondency

The sin of despondency most often occurs from excessive preoccupation with oneself, one’s experiences, failures and, as a result, the fading of love for others, indifference to other people’s suffering, inability to rejoice in other people’s joys, envy. The basis and root of our spiritual life and strength is love for Christ, and we need to grow and cultivate it in ourselves. To peer into His image, to clarify and deepen it within oneself, to live in thought of Him, and not about one’s small, vain blows and failures, to give one’s heart to Him—this is the life of a Christian. And then the silence and peace that St. speaks about will reign in our hearts. Isaac the Syrian: “Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you.”

Lie

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

A lie can manifest itself completely shamelessly, openly, in all its satanic abomination, becoming in such cases a person’s second nature, a permanent mask attached to his face. He gets so used to lying that he cannot express his thoughts otherwise than by putting them into words that obviously do not correspond to them, thereby not clarifying, but darkening the truth. Lies imperceptibly creep into a person’s soul from childhood: often, not wanting to see anyone, we ask our loved ones to tell the person who comes that we are not at home; Instead of directly refusing to participate in any activity that is unpleasant for us, we pretend to be sick and busy with something else. Such “everyday” lies, seemingly innocent exaggerations, jokes based on deception, gradually corrupt a person, allowing him subsequently to make deals with his conscience for his own benefit.

Just as nothing can come from the devil except evil and destruction for the soul, so nothing can come from lies - his brainchild - except the corrupting, satanic, anti-Christian spirit of evil. Does not exist " saving lie" or "justified", these very phrases are blasphemous, for only the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, saves and justifies us.

Sin of idle talk

No less common than lies is the sin of idle talk, that is, the empty, unspiritual use of the Divine gift of speech. This also includes gossip and retelling of rumors.

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

In the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian says: "...Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk." During Lent and fasting, one must be especially focused on the spiritual, give up entertainment (cinema, theater, television), be careful in words, truthful. It is appropriate to once again recall the words of the Lord: “For every idle word that people speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12: 36-37).

We must carefully and chastely handle the priceless gifts of speech and reason, for they unite us with the Divine Logos Himself, the Incarnate Word - with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Murder, suicide and abortion

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

Those who, in anger at their neighbor, commit assault, inflicting beatings, wounds, and mutilations, are very close to committing murder. Parents who cruelly treat their children, beating them for the slightest offense, or even without any reason, are guilty of this sin. Those who, through gossip, slander, and slander, aroused anger in a person against someone else and, even more so, incited him to physically deal with him, are also guilty of this sin. This is often the case with mothers-in-law towards their daughters-in-law, and neighbors who make false accusations against a woman who is temporarily separated from her husband, deliberately causing scenes of jealousy that end in beatings.

Timely failure to provide assistance to a sick person, a dying person—in general, indifference to the suffering of others should also be considered as passive murder. This kind of attitude towards elderly sick parents on the part of children is especially terrible.

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

But we kill our neighbor not only with our hands or weapons, but also with cruel words, abuse, mockery, and mockery of the grief of others. Everyone has experienced how an evil, cruel, caustic word hurts and kills the soul.

No less sin is committed by those who deprive young souls of honor and innocence, corrupting them physically or morally, pushing them onto the path of depravity and sin. Inviting a young man or girl to a drunken gathering, inciting to avenge grievances, seducing with depraved sights or stories, dissuading people from fasting, engaging in pimping, providing one’s home for drunkenness and depraved gatherings - all this is complicity in the moral murder of one’s neighbor.

Killing animals without the need for food, torturing them is also a violation of the sixth commandment.

By indulging in excessive sadness, driving ourselves to despair, we sin against the same commandment. Suicide is the greatest sin, for life is a gift from God, and only He has the power to deprive us of it. Refusal of treatment, deliberate non-compliance with doctor’s orders, deliberate harm to one’s health through excessive drinking of wine or smoking tobacco is also slow suicide. Some kill themselves by working too hard to get rich - this is also a sin.

The Holy Church, her holy fathers and teachers, condemning abortion and considering it a sin, proceed from the idea that people should not thoughtlessly neglect the sacred gift of life. This is the meaning of all church prohibitions on the issue of abortion. At the same time, the Church recalls the words of the Apostle Paul that “a woman... will be saved through childbearing if she continues in faith and love and in holiness with chastity” (1 Tim. 2:14.15).

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

Theft (theft)

Some consider violation of the commandment “thou shalt not steal” only obvious theft and robbery with the use of violence, when large sums of money or other material values, and therefore, without hesitation, they deny their guilt in the sin of theft. However, theft is any illegal appropriation of someone else's property, both one's own and public. Theft (theft) should be considered non-repayment of monetary debts or things given for a time.

Sin of covetousness

No less reprehensible is parasitism, begging unless absolutely necessary, when it is possible to earn your own food. If a person, taking advantage of the misfortune of another, takes more from him than he should, then he commits the sin of extortion. The concept of extortion also includes the resale of food and industrial products at inflated prices (speculation). Traveling without a ticket on public transport is also an act that should be considered a violation of the eighth commandment.

Sins against the seventh commandment

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

Prodigal thoughts

Prodigal thoughts that develop from memories of what was previously seen, heard, or even experienced in a dream. In solitude, often at night, they overwhelm a person especially strongly. Here the best medicine is ascetic exercises: fasting in food, not lying in bed after waking up, regular reading of the morning and evening prayer rules.

Seductive talk

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

Fornication

Fornication is the intercourse of a single man and an unmarried woman unsanctified by the grace-filled power of the sacrament of Marriage (or violation of the chastity of a young man and a girl before marriage).

Adultery

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

Incest

Incest is a carnal relationship between close relatives.

Unnatural sexual relations

Unnatural sexual relations: sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality.

The heinousness of the listed sins hardly needs to be discussed in detail. Their inadmissibility is obvious to every Christian: they lead to spiritual death even before a person’s physical death.

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

Don't be afraid, even if you fall every day

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

It would be terrible if that were the case. But fortunately, this is not so. There is no case when, in the presence of sincere repentance and a good desire to improve, accepted with faith Holy Communion did not produce any good changes in the soul. The point is that, first of all, we are not our own judges. A person cannot correctly judge himself whether he has become worse or better, since both he himself and what he judges are changing quantities. Increased severity towards oneself, increased spiritual vision can give the illusion that sins have multiplied and intensified. In fact, they remained the same, maybe even weakened, but we didn’t notice them that much before. In addition, God, in His special Providence, often closes our eyes to our successes in order to protect us from the worst sin - vanity and pride. It often happens that sin still remains, but frequent confessions and the communion of the Holy Mysteries shook and weakened its roots. Yes, the very struggle with sin, suffering about your sins - isn’t this an acquisition?! “Do not be afraid, even if you fall every day and depart from the paths of God, stand courageously, and the angel guarding you will honor your patience,” said St. John Climacus.

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

On the attitude towards priests and confession

According to the rules of the Orthodox Church, its members must resort to confession starting from the age of seven. In other words, already from the age of seven, the Church considers a person capable of answering before God for his actions, fighting evil within himself and receiving grace-filled forgiveness in the sacrament of Repentance. Children and adolescents raised by their parents in the Christian faith, according to Orthodox tradition after seven years they come to confession, the rite of which is no different from the usual.

How often should you go to confession? We must confess as often as possible, at least on each of the four fasts. We, who are inexperienced in repentance, need to learn to repent again and again. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the intervals between confessions are filled with spiritual struggle, efforts fueled by the fruits of the last fast and excited by the anticipation of the approaching new confession.

Although it is advisable to have your own confessor, this is not at all required condition for true repentance. For a person truly suffering from his sin, it makes no difference to whom he confesses it; just to repent of it as soon as possible and receive remission. Repentance must be completely free, in no way forced by the person confessing.

But those spiritual connections that are formed between the confessor and the confessor, although they are not formal in any way, cannot be considered anything. Genuine church life requires constancy and strength of such connections - the “shepherd” with his own, for only on such a basis is spiritual life possible.

Communication with a priest at confession is a leisurely listing of your sins and listening to prayers. Priests and shepherds cannot be treated only as fulfillers of demands.

Unfortunately, the consumerist attitude towards the Church remains one of the most widespread vices of our church life.

“Consumerism” has many faces, it grows not only from laziness and indifference to the Church, but sometimes from “jealousy beyond reason,” hence the abuse of pastoral attention, a kind of confession-performance performed in front of the priest, hence the “pilgrimage” from monastery to monastery , from confessor to confessor, accompanied by all kinds of parachurch gossip, essentially replacing spiritual life.

The most dangerous and very common type of church “consumerism” is an irresponsible attitude towards the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The universally accepted general confession gradually accustoms the laity to receive communion without confession at all, not to mention the preparation prescribed by the charter.

Anyone approaching confession should know: confession is not an indulgence in which the feeling of embarrassment, shame and even repentance serves as a payment for sin and allows one to live on as if nothing had happened. Confession is a deeply personal act, and together with preparation for confession, a process in which a person reveals himself not only to God, but also to himself. Confession, without exaggeration, can be called the process of the birth of personality, a sometimes painful process, because a person has to cut something off from himself, tear something out of himself by the roots, but also a saving process and, in the end, always joyful.

There is one more point that you need to pay attention to - respect for confession.

Often, because of the crowd in church, people stand almost close to the priest and the confessor, so that they can even hear them. No crowd can serve as an excuse here, and no one should come so close to the priest and confessor.

The secret of confession must be protected from everything, including crowding.

Greetings, dear friends, on our Orthodox website. Today we will talk to you about how to confess correctly. I would like to remind you that before confession you must read a prayer, repent of your sins and forgive all your offenders.

What sins to list in confession to the priest

Many of us wonder, what sins should we say in confession? Do I need to list everything? How to tell the priest about your shameful deeds? What to do if you forgot something?

First of all, remember your sins, write them down on a piece of paper so as not to forget, and if you remember something, add it. Ask yourself questions using the list, repent of each of them and don’t do them again in the future.

They will help you complete the list of sins during confession. Try to remember as many sins as possible and under no circumstances be afraid that the priest will condemn you for some sin. He listens to thousands of them every day, believe me, repent, and even if you are ashamed, don’t care, tell me - you cannot hide sins in confession before God. God already knows and sees all your sins.

Confession is one of the most important sacraments Orthodox man. When making a list, write down the sins that you know and doubt. For example, you smoke, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, did not marry, lived in fornication, had abortions, lied, lied, judged, shouted at your family and friends (raised your voice), did not keep fasts, indulged in gluttony, swore, etc. When compiling this list, be aware of each of your bad deeds, without shielding yourself.

Do not bring huge sheets of pages to the priest, as this is a listing of your life, not a confession, try to shorten it as much as possible, but so that everything is clear. The sacrament itself implies a person’s complete repentance and understanding of his sins. Every person needs spiritual healing, cleanse yourself and do good.

What needs to be done before undergoing the sacrament of confession

• Before confession, fast for 3 days until Holy Communion, eating only lean food from Thursday to Sunday, following a diet. Such a post is considered optional, but desirable.
• Go to confession the day before evening service on Saturday (if possible).
• From midnight until communion, do not eat or drink water.
• Come at the beginning of the service, not at the time of confession.

What prayers should you read before confession?

Before confession, read the prayer of Simeon the Theologian, find prayers of repentance, which are also recommended for reading. For communion, read the canons:

• Repentant to Jesus Christ
• Prayer service to the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Guardian Angel

How to prepare for confession for the first time?

The first thing I want to say is don’t be afraid, no one will judge you. Do everything you need to do before confession and take communion. It will become easy for you, your entire inner world. Write everything as it is, in your own words - it will be better, you will feel more strongly and be aware of your actions.

This is an inexplicable feeling when you understand that after confession your sins have been forgiven, the Lord will forgive everything, but you must also forgive everyone you have offended, and also begin to correct yourself immediately after confession. After confession, your mood will rise sharply, you will feel light, and most importantly, do not succumb again to what you confessed for.

Approximate list of sins in confession

• Angry at family and friends. Was angry. Hated people, took revenge.
• Made love without marriage or wedding. Fornicated.
• He behaved badly in church, did not fast, did not pray, did not go to church.
• He was greedy, greedy, stingy, created an idol for himself, exalted them.
• He envied others, close ones, relatives.
• I was lazy, depressed.
• Was (a) proud. Exalted himself.
• I gorged myself on food.

You will have a completely different list of sins at confession. This is a simple example of how to describe your sins. This list will help you prepare for confession.

How is confession going?

First, you must prepare well, repent of your sins and do everything written above. Then, if you are completely ashamed, you can give the sheet of sins to the priest so that he can read it to himself, ask him to read it.

You can read the sins from the sheet yourself. Father will listen and give you advice, listen to the advice. When the priest finishes, cross yourself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, then cross yourself again and bow.

If the sin is very serious, such as murder or abortion, the priest may give penance. This is an exercise that will allow you, by performing it, to become more aware of your sin and to repent more deeply of your deeds. Penances are different.

Confession in the words of the priest

So, The Lord God gives us the opportunity to be saved in this world only by kindness and truth to all living things. Do good deeds, don't get angry, don't quarrel with anyone. This won't make it any better. Demons are insatiable creatures who are trying to get you hooked on constant sins, and they won’t just give up.

Holy Fathers on Repentance

Repentance and confession should not be understood in the same way; repentance means one thing, and confession means another; repentance can happen without confession, but confession cannot happen without repentance; you can and should always repent or repent before God of your sins at all times, but you can confess only before your confessor and in your own time; repentance, or repentance for sins, brings a person closer to the Kingdom of Heaven and brings the Holy Spirit closer to a person, and confession without repentance and repentance does not bring a person any benefit, and not only does not bring benefit, but a feigned and untrue confession destroys a person, making him great a criminal, because confession is and should be an act of repentance.

Saint Innocent

The beginning of a good path is to confess your sins to the priest with all your soul.

Venerable Simeon the New Theologian

For the sins we have committed, we will not blame our birth or anyone else, but only ourselves.

Venerable Anthony the Great

I ask you, beloved brethren, let us confess each of our sins while the sinner is still in this life, when his confession can be accepted, when the satisfaction and absolution performed by the priests is acceptable before the Lord.

Saint Cyprian of Carthage

Those who say: “We will sin in youth, but repent in old age” will be deceived and ridiculed by demons. As arbitrary sinners, they will not be worthy of repentance.

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

Should we remember sins that were confessed and, with the help of God’s grace, forsaken? There is no point in remembering them in the spirit in confession when they are already allowed... But in your prayer it is good to remember them.

Sins, after permission from them in confession by the spiritual father, are immediately forgiven. But their trace remains in the souls, and it languishes. After labors and exploits in resistance to sin, these traces are erased. When the traces are erased, then the languor will end.

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Pay attention to these words: the root of repentance is good intentions to confess sins, the leaves are the very confession of sins to God in the face of the spiritual father and the promise of correction, and the fruits of repentance are a virtuous life and the works of repentance. It is by these fruits that true repentance is recognized.

Saint Gregory Dvoeslov

Prevent the outcome of your soul by repentance and conversion, so that all the healing of repentance does not remain useless for you when death comes, for repentance has power only on earth, in hell it is powerless.

To receive forgiveness from God, it is not enough to pray for two or three days; you need to make a change in your whole life and, leaving vice, constantly remain in virtue.

A person's virtue is insignificant compared to his sins. Confession of sins - The best way propitiation and thanksgiving to God.

I call repentance not only aversion from previous bad deeds, but even more so the intention to do good deeds

Saint John Chrysostom

So, brothers, seeing many examples of those who have sinned and repented and been saved, hasten to repent yourself before the Lord, so that you may receive forgiveness for your sins and be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

A mortal sin is a sin for which if you do not repent and death finds you in it, then you go to hell, but if you repent of it, then it is immediately forgiven. It is called mortal because the soul dies from it and can only be revived through repentance.

Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina

For successful repentance you need: seeing your sin, realizing it, repenting of it, confessing it.

There is no end to repentance until death - both for the small and for the great.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov

He who repents of his sins will rejoice in the Kingdom of God.

Saint Nile the Myrrh Streaming

Through repentance, sins committed are destroyed and are no longer remembered anywhere: neither at the ordeals, nor at the Judgment.

Elder George the Recluse

Until you express your sins in confession, nothing in the world will help you. And, God have mercy, will death come?..

Venerable Anatoly of Optina

If you feel the weight of the struggle and see that you cannot cope with evil alone, run to spiritual father to yours and ask him to give you the Holy Mysteries. This is a great and all-powerful weapon in the fight against strong temptations.

Yes, brothers and sisters, you must confess all your sins, open them sincerely before the priest, in order to receive through him forgiveness from Christ our Savior. And whoever hides his sins in confession or covers up and tries to excuse himself, there will be no forgiveness, because the Lord said to the apostles and their successors: whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven them: and whose sins you hold, they hold on (John 20:23). How can a priest forgive or not forgive sins, forgive or not, if the sins are not revealed to him? Let us remember, brothers, that God Himself commands to confess sins to a priest.

Saint John of Kronstadt

What benefits do we get from confession:

Forgiveness of sins, deliverance from eternal punishment, reconciliation with God, boldness in prayer.

The return of sanctifying grace.

Restoring tranquility of conscience and peace of soul.

Weakening bad inclinations and passions and refraining from new sins, cleansing the conscience, discerning the smallest sins with the mind.

Receiving instructions from a spiritual father.

The main means to avoid sins:

You must avoid all reasons for sin, all places, persons, things that may be tempting for you and inspire sinful desires.

We must always remember death, going through ordeals, the Last Judgment and the future life.

As often as possible, imagine the presence of God everywhere, reflect on the blessings of God, especially on the life of our Lord on earth, His suffering and death, and in general on the main truths of the Orthodox Christian faith.

Heartfelt and earnest prayer and frequent invocation of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ help to refrain from sin.

You need to pay attention to yourself, that is, stay awake, watch yourself, your feelings, desires and actions.

As often as possible, one should resort to the Sacrament of Repentance and confess to the spiritual father, ask him for advice, and obey them, and worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Do not miss the opportunity and opportunity to attend church services and read spiritual books at home.

Meet and talk with pious and prudent people and avoid talking with immoral people.

Constantly have some useful occupation, hold a position, do some kind of work, so as not to be idle.

Reminder for those approaching Holy Communion

Those approaching the communion of the Holy Mysteries must do the following:

Refrain from food and drink (in the evening).

Follow the prayer rule.

The day before, pray at the all-night vigil.

Fast (abstain from food of animal origin).

Those living in marriage should abstain from the marital bed before and after communion.

Ask for forgiveness from those who were offended.

PREPARATION FOR CONFESSION

Orthodox Christians of all times cleanse their souls from sin by passing through a special Sacrament established by Christ Himself -

Sacrament of Repentance.

To cleanse the soul in the Sacrament of Repentance it is necessary:

Awareness of one's sins and contrition of heart. Identifying the root causes of your sins. A sincere confession to a priest.

Repentant confession helps to begin Holy Communion - to worthily accept the Body and Blood of Christ. Union with Christ brings indescribable peace to the soul, love and reconciliation with everyone.

This is how, from time immemorial, the Church formed the spiritual structure of pious generations, peace, patience, and health.

The priest is given authority from God to “bind and solve” our sins. “I forgive and absolve your sins...” says the priest to those who come to confession and repent of their sins. Great relief is received by everyone who is worthy to wash away their sins in the Sacrament of Repentance and clear their conscience. What the earthly court forgave, the heavenly court also forgives. How one must hurry to cleanse the soul of sin, for no one knows what is in store for him tomorrow and how much earthly journey remains. Will we have time to cleanse ourselves through repentance? Will we have time to realize our sinfulness? Hurry up, Christian. Remember: “Nothing unclean enters the Kingdom of Heaven.” Numerous testimonies of resuscitated patients who returned “from the other world” in our time indicate that we will all have to answer for every little thing.

The doors of repentance are open to everyone, but will we have time to pass through them? The most difficult person to realize his impurity is a proud person. Such people do not see their sin and remain in constant self-delusion and exaltation of the mind. They are satisfied with themselves and rarely look into the depths of their conscience. But conscience is difficult to deceive. This is the voice of God Himself, convicting us.

Every living being is given free will. How will we manage it? Will our actions and intentions bring us closer to God? Our good deeds - did we do them with a pure heart and love? The Lord always sees your heart, Christian. What is there - humility or proud exaltation, patience or irritation?

Are our actions pleasing to God? No one knows. Nobody knows what the final answer will be. No one knows which angel will come for us to lead us to the Supreme Court. Will there be white or black wings behind his back?

Remember, Christian: the thief who hung next to Christ on the cross repented with humility and entered heaven after the Lord. The Lord forgave and accepted him. Judas Iscariot was a disciple of Christ, but he betrayed the Teacher and, without repenting, went to hell out of his pride. God works in mysterious ways.

Believe, Christian, the Lord strengthens everyone who comes to Him with repentance. The Lord helps us to resist sin and not repeat it.

In the sacrament of holy Repentance we are given the opportunity to lay aside the heavy burden of sin, to break the chains of sin, to see the “fallen and broken tabernacle” of our soul renewed and bright. How often should one resort to this saving sacrament? As often as possible, at least in each of the four posts.

Usually people who are inexperienced in spiritual life do not see the multitude of their sins, do not feel their severity, or disgust for them. They say: “I didn’t do anything special,” “I only have minor sins, like everyone else,” “I didn’t steal, I didn’t kill,” - this is how many often begin confession. But our holy fathers and teachers, who left us prayers of repentance, considered themselves the first of sinners, and with sincere conviction they cried out to Christ: “No one has sinned on earth from time immemorial, as I, the accursed and the prodigal, have sinned!” The brighter the light of Christ illuminates the heart, the more clearly all shortcomings, ulcers and spiritual wounds are recognized. And vice versa: people immersed in the darkness of sin do not see anything in their hearts, and if they do, they are not horrified, since they have nothing to compare with, for Christ is closed for them by the veil of sins. Therefore, in order to overcome our spiritual laziness and insensitivity, the Holy Church has established preparatory days to the Sacrament of Repentance - fasting.

The period of fasting can last from three days to a week, unless there is special advice or instructions from the confessor. At this time, one should observe fasting, keep oneself from sinful deeds, thoughts and feelings, and generally lead a life of abstinence, repentance, dissolved in deeds of love and Christian charity. During the period of fasting, you need to attend church services as often as possible, be more attentive to prayer at home than usual, devote time to reading the works of the holy fathers, the lives of saints, self-deepening and self-examination.

Understanding the moral state of your soul, you must try to distinguish basic sins from their derivatives, roots from leaves and fruits. One should also beware of falling into petty suspicion of every movement of the heart, losing the sense of what is important and unimportant, and getting confused in trifles. The penitent must bring to confession not only a list of sins, but, most importantly, a feeling of repentance; not a detailed account of his life, but a broken heart.

Knowing your sins does not mean repenting of them. But what should we do if our heart, dried up from the sinful flame, is not watered by the life-giving waters of tears? What if spiritual weakness and “infirmity of the flesh” are so great that we are not capable of sincere repentance? But this cannot be a reason to postpone confession in anticipation of a feeling of repentance. The Lord accepts confession - sincere and conscientious - even if it is not accompanied by a strong feeling of repentance. You just need to confess this sin - stony insensibility - courageously and frankly, without hypocrisy. God can touch the heart during confession itself - soften it, refine spiritual vision, awaken a feeling of repentance.

The condition that we must certainly meet in order for our repentance to be accepted by the Lord is forgiveness of the sins of our neighbors and reconciliation with everyone.

Repentance cannot be complete without verbal confession of sins. Sins can only be forgiven church sacrament Repentance performed by a priest. Confession is a feat, self-compulsion. During confession, you do not need to wait for questions from the priest, but make an effort yourself. Sins must be named accurately, without obscuring the ugliness of sin general expressions. It is very difficult, when confessing, to avoid the temptation of self-justification, to refuse attempts to explain to the confessor “mitigating circumstances”, and from references to third parties who allegedly led us into sin. All these are signs of pride, lack of deep repentance, and continued stumbling into sin. Confession is not a conversation about one’s shortcomings, doubts, it is not a simple informing the confessor about oneself, although spiritual conversation is also very important and should take place in the life of a Christian, but confession is different, it is a sacrament, and not just a pious custom. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification, this is the second baptism. In repentance we die to sin and are raised to righteousness, holiness.

Having repented, we must strengthen ourselves internally in the determination not to return to the confessed sin. The sign of perfect repentance is a feeling of lightness, purity, inexplicable joy, when sin seems as difficult and impossible as this joy was just distant.

Example of a general confession

Here is one of the options for listing sins in general confession. They are named in the following order: sins against God, sins against one's neighbor, sins against oneself. This list is not presented for copying, for subsequent confession before a priest, but to remind the repentant person of the multiple wounds of the soul that can be healed with sincere repentance before God.

“I confess to the Lord God, glorified in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all my sins from my youth to the present time, committed by me in deed, word, thought and all my feelings, voluntarily or involuntarily.

I consider myself unworthy of forgiveness from God, but I do not give in to despair, I place all my hope in God’s mercy and sincerely wish to correct my life.

I sinned by lack of faith, by doubting what the faith of Christ teaches us. I sinned by indifference to faith, unwillingness to understand it and be convinced of it. He sinned with blasphemy - frivolously ridiculing the truths of faith, words of prayer and the Gospel, church rituals, as well as the shepherds of the Church and pious people, calling zeal for prayer, fasting and alms hypocrisy.

I sinned even more: with contemptuous and impudent judgments about faith, about the laws and institutions of the church, for example, about fasting and worship, about the veneration of holy icons and relics, about miraculous manifestations of God’s mercy or God’s wrath.

He sinned by deviating from the Church, considering it unnecessary for himself, considering himself capable of good life, to achieve salvation without the help of the Church. Meanwhile, one must go to God not alone, but with brothers and sisters in faith, in a union of love, in the Church and with the Church: only where there is love, there is God; To whom the Church is not a Mother, God is not a Father.

I sinned by renouncing faith or hiding faith out of fear, out of profit or out of shame in front of people, I did not heed the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: Whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Heavenly Father; Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Matthew 10:33; Mark 8:38).

I sinned by not relying on God, relying more on myself or on other people, and sometimes on untruth, deception, cunning, deceit.

In happiness I sinned by ingratitude to God, the giver of happiness, and in misfortune by despondency, cowardice, murmuring against God, anger at Him, blasphemous and impudent thoughts about the Providence of God, despair, the desire for death for myself and my loved ones.

I sinned by loving earthly goods, more than the Creator, whom I should love most of all - with all my soul, with all my heart, with all my mind.

I sinned by forgetting God and not feeling the fear of God; forgot that God sees and knows everything, not only deeds and words, but also our secret thoughts, feelings and desires, and that God will judge us by death and Last Judgment Yours; That’s why I sinned uncontrollably and boldly, as if for me there would be no death, no Judgment, no righteous punishment from God.

I sinned with superstitions, unreasonable trust in dreams, omens, and fortune telling (for example, on cards).

I sinned in prayer by laziness, I skipped morning and evening prayer, before and after eating, at the beginning and end of every task.

I sinned in prayer by haste, absent-mindedness, coldness and callousness, hypocrisy, I tried to seem to people more pious than I really was.

I sinned by having an unpeaceful mood during prayer: I prayed in a state of irritation, anger, ill-will, condemnation, murmuring, and disobedience to God’s Providence. Sinned by careless and wrong doing sign of the cross- from haste and inattention or from a bad habit.

He sinned by not attending divine services on holidays and Sundays, by not paying attention to what is read, sung and performed in church during the service, by not performing or reluctantly performing church rituals (bows, kissing the cross, the Gospel, icons).

He sinned by irreverent, indecent behavior in the temple - worldly and loud conversations, laughter, arguments, quarrels, cursing, pushing and oppressing other pilgrims.

I sinned by frivolously mentioning the name of God in conversations - by swearing and swearing without extreme necessity or even in a lie, as well as by not fulfilling what I promised to do good to someone with an oath.

I sinned by carelessly handling sacred objects - the cross, the Gospel, icons, holy water, prosphora.

I sinned by not observing holidays, fasts and fasting days, by not observing spiritual fasting, that is, I did not try to free myself with God’s help from my shortcomings, bad and idle habits, I did not try to correct my character, I did not force myself to diligently fulfill God’s commandments.

My sins are countless, both against my neighbors and in relation to my duties towards myself. Instead of love for others, selfishness with all its destructive fruits prevails in my life.

I sinned with pride, conceit, considering myself better than others, vanity - love for praise and honor, self-praise, lust for power, arrogance, disrespect, rude treatment of people, ingratitude towards those who do me good.

I sinned by condemning, ridiculing the sins, shortcomings and mistakes of my neighbors, slander, gossip, and with them brought discord among my neighbors.

He sinned with slander - he unfairly spoke about people that was bad and harmful and dangerous for them.

I sinned with impatience, irritability, anger, intransigence, stubbornness, grumpiness, insolence, disobedience.

I sinned with resentment, malice, hatred, rancor, and vindictiveness.

I sinned with envy, malice, gloating; He sinned by swearing, foul language, quarrels, cursing both others (maybe even his children) and himself.

I sinned by disrespecting my elders, especially my parents, by not wanting to take care of my parents and see them through their old age; I sinned by condemning and ridiculing them, by rude and impudent treatment of them. I sinned by rarely remembering them and my other loved ones in prayer - living and dead.

I sinned with unmercifulness, ruthlessness towards people who are poor, sick, grieving, merciless cruelty in words and deeds, I was not afraid to humiliate, insult, upset my neighbors, sometimes, perhaps, I drove a person to despair.

He sinned through stinginess, avoidance of helping those in need, greed, love of profit, and was not afraid to take advantage of other people’s misfortunes and social disasters.

I sinned by addiction, attachment to things, I sinned by regretting what I had done. good deeds, sinned by mercilessly treating animals (starving them, beating them).

He sinned by appropriating someone else's property - theft, concealing what was found, buying and selling stolen property. He sinned by not doing or carelessly doing his work - his household and official affairs.

I sinned with lies, pretense, double-mindedness, insincerity in dealing with people, flattery, and people-pleasing.

I sinned by eavesdropping, spying, reading other people's letters, divulging trusted secrets, cunning, and all kinds of dishonesty.

I sinned by laziness, love of idle spending time, idle talk, daydreaming.

He sinned by neglecting his own and other people’s property. He sinned through intemperance in food and drink, overeating, secret eating, drunkenness, and smoking. He sinned by being whimsical in his clothes, being excessively concerned about his appearance, and wanting to be liked, especially by people of the opposite sex.

He sinned by immodesty, impurity, voluptuousness in thoughts, feelings and desires, in words and conversations, in reading, in looks, in addressing persons of the other sex, as well as intemperance in marital relations, violation of marital fidelity, fornication, marital cohabitation without a church blessing , unnatural satisfaction of lust.

Those who performed abortions on themselves or others, or incited someone to this great sin - infanticide, sinned gravely.

I sinned because by my words and actions I tempted other people to sin, and I myself succumbed to the temptation to sin from other people, instead of fighting it.

I sinned bad upbringing children and even damaging them by their bad example, excessive severity or, conversely, weakness, impunity; did not teach children to pray, obedience, truthfulness, hard work, frugality, helpfulness, and did not monitor the purity of their behavior.

He sinned by being careless about his salvation, about pleasing God, by not feeling his sins and his unrequited guilt before God.

I sinned through laziness in the fight against sin, constant delay of true repentance and correction.

I sinned by carelessly preparing for confession and communion, forgetting my sins, inability and unwillingness to remember them in order to feel my sinfulness and condemn myself before God.

I sinned in that I approached confession and communion very rarely.

I sinned by not fulfilling the penances imposed on me.

He sinned by justifying himself in sins: instead of condemning - even in confession - by minimizing his sins.

I sinned in that during confession I accused and condemned my neighbors, pointing out the sins of others instead of my own.

He sinned if during confession he deliberately hid his sins out of fear or shame.

I sinned if I approached confession and communion without making peace with those I had offended or who had offended me.

Forgive, Lord, my countless sins, cleanse, renew and strengthen my soul and body, so that I can steadily walk along the path of salvation.

And you, honest father, pray for me to the Lord, the Most Pure Lady Theotokos and the holy saints of God, that through their prayers the Lord may have mercy on me, absolve me from my sins and grant me the honor to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation.

Another example of a general confession, in a more abbreviated version.

This example can be taken as a basis when preparing for confession.

This is especially true for the person who has the custom of making a list of committed sins before confession. Of course, sins committed, but not included in this list of especially common sins, should be mentioned additionally. Let us remember, however, that before confession we make a list of sins not to “report” to the priest, or better yet, to the Omniscient God, but only to remind ourselves of what we must say, what we must repent of. And the deeper and more sincere the repentance, the stronger the degree of healing of the wounds of our soul.

I sinned in deed, word, thought, will and involuntarily, knowledge and ignorance, in reason and foolishness.

I sinned by idle talk, idle talk, verbosity; words and speeches that are abusive, annoying, nasty, blasphemous, frivolous, unreasonable, ridiculous, vain; unreasonableness, argumentativeness. By watching, listening, reading empty and soul-harming things. Conversations and laughter in the temple.

I sinned with lies, deceitful words and speeches, failure to fulfill promises made to God and people, incomplete confessions, false opinions, and incorrect advice.

I sinned by judging my neighbors, sacred persons; ridicule, slander, censure.

I sinned by gluttony, by eating at the wrong time, not according to the Church Charter; failure to observe fasts and fasting days, did not always pray before and after eating food; satiety, gluttony, secret eating, greed.

I sinned by laziness, idleness, excessive bodily rest, and too much sleep. Rarely going to Church for services, especially Divine Liturgy. Leaving prayer rule and other soul-saving readings. During church and cell prayer - relaxation, lethargy, inattention; being late for the start of services, leaving church early without a good reason. Carelessness, despondency and neglect of your soul. Work on Sundays and holidays. Non-remembrance of parents, relatives, living and deceased.

I sinned by petty theft in everyday life and at work, by not returning monetary debts or things given for a time.

I sinned through love of money, stinginess, excessive acquisitiveness, unnecessary wastefulness.

I sinned through covetousness, greed, and illegal profit.

I sinned through various kinds of untruth, deception, and evasion of payment for various services.

I sinned with envy, enmity, hatred, hostility, non-reconciliation, ill-will, gloating; abuse of the trust of a neighbor.

I sinned with pride, vanity, conceit, grandeur, man-pleasing, hypocrisy, double-mindedness, cowardice, pride, love of glory, arrogance, and humiliation of one’s neighbor. Disobedience and failure to show due honor to parents, spiritual father; self-justification, ambition.

I sinned with anger, rage, hot temper, irritability, grumpiness, reproaches of my neighbor, rudeness, insolence, bitterness, slander, annoyance, cruelty.

I sinned through malice, memory, vindictiveness, excessive demands and severity towards my neighbors, household members and relatives. Striking neighbors in anger, immoderate punishment of children.

I have sinned with superstitions of various kinds. Gambling, singing obscene songs.

I sinned with lustful thoughts, unchaste behavior, unclean dreams, obscene conversations, intemperance in the flesh on fasting and holiday days.

I sinned through lack of faith, careless performance of prayers, the sign of the cross, and bows; frivolous mention of shrines. Unworthy preparation for the Sacraments of the Church: Repentance, Communion and others. Taking the Name of God in vain. He did not wear a pectoral cross.

I sinned by insufficient trust in God’s Providence in various circumstances, murmuring against God, ingratitude to God, lack of fear of God in my soul, disobedience to the will of God, and petrified insensibility.

He was a temptation to his neighbors in various circumstances.

For all these things that have been said, and for the sake of unconsciousness that cannot be said, I repent.

IN modern world The Gospel call to always be awake and constantly pray is very difficult to put into practice. Constant worries and a very high pace of life, especially in large cities, practically deprive Christians of the opportunity to retire and come before God in prayer. But the concept of prayer is still extremely relevant, and turning to it is certainly necessary. Regular prayer always leads to the thought of repentance, which occurs at confession. Prayer is an example of how you can accurately and objectively assess your state of mind.

Sin concept

Sin should not be viewed as some kind of legal violation of God-given law. This is not a “going beyond the boundaries” accepted in the mind, but a violation of the laws natural to human nature. Each person is endowed by God with absolute freedom; accordingly, any falls are committed consciously. In essence, by committing sin, a person neglects the commandments and values ​​given from above. There is a free choice in favor of negative actions, thoughts and other actions. This spiritual crime harms the personality itself, damaging the very vulnerable inner strings of human nature. Sin is based on passions, inherited or acquired, as well as original susceptibility, which made a person mortal and weaker to various diseases and vices.

This greatly contributes to the soul deviating towards evil and immorality. Sin can be different, its severity, of course, depends on many factors in which it is committed. There is a conditional division of sins: against God, against one’s neighbor and against oneself. By considering your own actions through such a gradation, you can understand how to write a confession. An example will be discussed below.

Awareness of sin and confession

It is extremely important to understand that in order to eliminate dark spiritual spots, you should constantly turn your inner gaze to yourself, analyze your actions, thoughts and words, and objectively evaluate the moral scale of your own values. Having found disturbing and haunting traits, you need to carefully deal with them, because if you close your eyes to sin, very soon you will become accustomed to it, which will distort the soul and lead to spiritual illness. The main way out of such a situation is repentance and repentance.

It is repentance, growing from the depths of the heart and mind, that can change a person’s personality. better side, bring the light of kindness and mercy. But the path of repentance is a lifelong path. He is prone to sin and will commit it every day. Even great ascetics who secluded themselves in deserted places sinned in their thoughts and could bring repentance daily. Therefore, close attention to one’s soul should not weaken, and with age, the criteria for personal assessment should be subjected to more stringent requirements. The next step after repentance is confession.

An example of correct confession - true repentance

In Orthodoxy, confession is recommended for all people over seven years of age. A child raised in Christian family, by the age of seven or eight he already acquires an understanding of the sacrament. It is often prepared in advance, explaining in detail all aspects of this complex issue. Some parents show an example of a confession written on paper that was invented in advance. A child left alone with such information has the opportunity to reflect and see something in himself. But in the case of children, priests and parents rely primarily on psychological condition the child and his worldview, the ability to analyze and understand the criteria of good and evil. With excessive haste in the forcible involvement of children, one can sometimes observe disastrous results and examples.

Confessions in church often turn into a formal “roll call” of sins, while performing only the “external” part of the sacrament is unacceptable. You cannot try to justify yourself, to hide something that is embarrassing and shameful. You need to listen to yourself and understand whether repentance is really present, or whether there is just an ordinary ritual ahead that will not bring any benefit to the soul, but can cause significant harm.

Confession is a voluntary and repentant listing of sins. This sacrament includes two main parts:

1) Confession of sins to the priest by the person who came to the sacrament.

2) Prayerful forgiveness and resolution of sins, which is pronounced by the shepherd.

Preparing for Confession

A question that torments not only new Christians, but sometimes even those who have been churched for a long time - what to say in confession? An example of how to repent can be found in various sources. This could be a prayer book or a separate book dedicated to this particular sacrament.

When preparing for confession, you can rely on the commandments, ordeals, and take the example of the confession of holy ascetics who left notes and sayings on this topic.

If you construct a repentant monologue based on the division of sins into three types given above, then you can determine an incomplete, approximate list of deviations.

Sins against God

This category includes lack of faith, superstition, lack of hope in God's mercy, formality and lack of faith in the dogmas of Christianity, grumbling and ingratitude of God, and oaths. This group includes an irreverent attitude towards objects of veneration - icons, the Gospel, the Cross, and so on. Mention should be made of skipping services for unexcused reasons and abandoning mandatory rules, prayers, and also if prayers were read hastily, without attention and the necessary concentration.

Adherence to various sectarian teachings, thoughts of suicide, turning to sorcerers and sorcerers, wearing mystical talismans is considered apostasy, and such things must be brought to confession. An example of this category of sins is, of course, approximate, and each person can add or shorten this list.

Sins directed against one's neighbor

This group examines attitudes towards people: family, friends, colleagues and just casual acquaintances and strangers. The first thing that most often clearly reveals itself in the heart is the lack of love. Often, instead of love, there is a consumer attitude. Inability and unwillingness to forgive, hatred, gloating, malice and revenge, stinginess, condemnation, gossip, lies, indifference to the misfortune of others, unmercifulness and cruelty - all these ugly thorns in the human soul must be confessed. Separately, actions in which open self-harm occurred or material damage was caused are indicated. This could be fights, extortion, robbery.
The gravest sin is abortion, which certainly entails church punishment after it is brought to confession. An example of what the punishment could be is obtained from the parish priest. Typically, penance will be imposed, but it will be more disciplinary than expiatory.

Sins directed against oneself

This group is reserved for personal sins. Dejection, terrible despair and thoughts of one’s own hopelessness or excessive pride, contempt, vanity - such passions can poison a person’s life and even lead him to suicide.

Thus, listing all the commandments one after another, the pastor calls for a detailed consideration of the state of mind and checking whether it corresponds to the essence of the message.

About brevity

Priests often ask for brief confessions. This does not mean that there is no need to name some sin. We must try to talk specifically about the sin, but not about the circumstances in which it was committed, without involving third parties who may be somehow involved in the situation, and without describing the details in detail. If repentance occurs in church for the first time, you can sketch out an example of confession on paper, then while convicting yourself of sins it will be easier to gather yourself, convey to the priest and, most importantly, to God absolutely everything you noticed, without forgetting anything.

It is recommended to pronounce the name of the sin itself: lack of faith, anger, insult or condemnation. This will be enough to convey what worries and weighs heavily on the heart. “Extracting” the exact sins from oneself is not an easy task, but this is how a short confession is created. An example could be the following: “I sinned: with pride, despondency, foul language, fear of little faith, excessive idleness, bitterness, lies, ambition, abandonment of services and rules, irritability, temptation, bad and unclean thoughts, excess in food, laziness. I also repent of those sins that I forgot and did not say now.”

Confession, of course - difficult task, requiring effort and self-denial. But when a person gets used to the purity of heart and tidiness of the soul, he will no longer be able to live without repentance and the sacrament of communion. A Christian will not want to lose the newly acquired connection with the Almighty and will only strive to strengthen it. It is very important to approach spiritual life not “in spurts,” but gradually, carefully, regularly, to be “faithful in small things,” not forgetting about gratitude to God in absolutely all life situations.