Repentance or confession is a sacrament in which a person confessing his sins to a priest, through his forgiveness, is absolved from sins by the Lord Himself. This question, Father, is asked by many people who join church life. Preliminary confession prepares the soul of the penitent for the Great Meal - the Sacrament of Communion.

The essence of confession

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

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

Awareness of your sins

In this matter, the main thing is to understand that in the Sacrament of Confession, a repentant person is forgiven all his sins, and the soul is freed from sinful bonds. The ten commandments received by Moses from God, and the nine received from the Lord Jesus Christ, contain the entire moral and spiritual law of life.

Therefore, before confessing, you need to turn to your conscience and remember all your sins since childhood in order to prepare a real confession. Not everyone knows how it goes, and even rejects it, but truly Orthodox Christian, defeating his pride and false shame, begins to spiritually crucify himself, honestly and sincerely admit his spiritual imperfection. And here it is important to understand that unconfessed sins will lead to eternal condemnation for a person, and repentance means victory over oneself.

What is real confession? How does this sacrament work?

Before confessing to a priest, you need to seriously prepare and understand the necessity of cleansing your soul from sins. To do this, you need to reconcile with all the offenders and with those who were offended, refrain from gossip and condemnation, any indecent thoughts, viewing numerous entertainment programs and reading light literature. Better free time devote to reading Holy Scripture and other spiritual literature. It is advisable to confess a little in advance at the evening service, so that during the morning Liturgy you will no longer be distracted from the service and devote time to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. But, as a last resort, you can confess in the morning (mostly everyone does this).

For the first time, not everyone knows how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, etc. In this case, you need to warn the priest about this, and he will direct everything in the right direction. Confession, first of all, presupposes the ability to see and realize one’s sins; at the moment of expressing them, the priest should not justify himself and shift the blame onto another.

Children under 7 years of age and all newly baptized people receive communion on this day without confession; only women who are in purification (when they are menstruating or after childbirth until the 40th day) cannot do this. The text of the confession can be written on a piece of paper so that you don’t get lost later and remember everything.

Confession procedure

In church, a lot of people usually gather for confession, and before approaching the priest, you need to turn your face to the people and say out loud: “Forgive me, a sinner,” and they will answer: “God will forgive, and we forgive.” And then it is necessary to go to the confessor. Having approached the lectern (a high stand for a book), crossed yourself and bowed at the waist, without kissing the Cross and the Gospel, bowing your head, you can begin confession.

There is no need to repeat previously confessed sins, because, as the Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if they were repeated again, then they must be repented of again. At the end of your confession, you must listen to the words of the priest and when he finishes, cross yourself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, and then, having crossed yourself and bowed again, accept the blessing of your priest and go to your place.

What do you need to repent about?

Summing up the topic “Confession. How does this sacrament work?” it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the most common sins in our modern world.

Sins against God - pride, lack of faith or unbelief, renunciation of God and the Church, careless performance of the sign of the cross, failure to wear a cross, violation of the commandments of God, taking the name of the Lord in vain, careless performance, failure to attend church, prayer without diligence, talking and going to church on time services, belief in superstitions, turning to psychics and fortune tellers, thoughts of suicide, etc.

Sins against one's neighbor - grief of parents, robbery and extortion, stinginess in alms, hardness of heart, slander, bribery, insults, barbs and bad jokes, irritation, anger, gossip, gossip, greed, scandals, hysteria, resentment, betrayal, treason, etc.

Sins against oneself - vanity, arrogance, anxiety, envy, vindictiveness, desire for earthly glory and honors, addiction to money, gluttony, smoking, drunkenness, gambling, masturbation, fornication, excessive attention to one’s flesh, despondency, melancholy, sadness, etc.

God will forgive any sin, nothing is impossible for him, a person only needs to truly realize his sinful deeds and sincerely repent of them.

Participle

They usually confess in order to receive communion, and for this they need to pray for several days, which means prayer and fasting, attending evening services and reading at home, in addition to evening and morning prayers, the canons: Theotokos, Guardian Angel, Repentant, for Communion, and, if possible , or rather, at will - Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. After midnight they no longer eat or drink; they begin the sacrament on an empty stomach. After receiving the Sacrament of Communion, you must read prayers for Holy Communion.

Don't be afraid to go to confession. How is it going? You can read accurate information about this in special brochures that are sold in every church; everything is described in great detail in them. And then the main thing is to tune in to this true and saving work, because an Orthodox Christian always needs to think about death so that it does not take him by surprise - without even communion.

The sacrament of confession is a test for the soul. It consists of a desire to repent, verbal confession, repentance for sins. When man walking against the laws of God, he gradually destroys his spiritual and physical shell. Repentance helps to cleanse yourself. It reconciles a person with God. The soul is healed and receives strength to fight sin.

Confession allows you to talk about your wrongdoings and receive forgiveness. In excitement and fear, you can forget what you wanted to repent of. The list of sins for confession serves as a reminder, a hint. It can be read in full or used as an outline. The main thing is that the confession is sincere and truthful.

Sacrament

Confession is the main component of repentance. This is an opportunity to ask for forgiveness for your sins and to be cleansed of them. Confession gives spiritual strength to resist evil. Sin is a discrepancy in thoughts, words, and actions with God's permission.

Confession is a sincere awareness of wicked actions, a desire to get rid of them. No matter how difficult and unpleasant it may be to remember them, you should tell the clergyman in detail about your sins.

This sacrament requires a complete relationship between feelings and words, because the everyday listing of one’s sins will not bring true cleansing. Feelings without words are as ineffective as words without feelings.

There is a list of sins for confession. This is a large list of all obscene actions or words. It is based on the 7 deadly sins and 10 commandments. Human life is too diverse to be absolutely righteous. Therefore, confession is an opportunity to repent of sins and try to prevent them in the future.

How to prepare for confession?

Preparation for confession must take place several days in advance. A list of sins can be written on a piece of paper. You should read special literature about the sacraments of confession and communion.

One should not look for excuses for sins, one must recognize their wickedness. It is best to analyze your every day, analyzing what was good and what was bad. This daily habit will help you be more attentive to your thoughts and actions.

Before confession, you should make peace with everyone who was offended. Forgive those who offended. Before confession, it is necessary to strengthen the prayer rule. Add to the nightly reading the Canon of Repentance, the canons of the Theotokos.

One should separate personal repentance (when a person mentally repents of his actions) and the sacrament of confession (when a person talks about his sins in the desire to be cleansed of them).

The presence of a third party requires a moral effort to understand the depth of the offense and, through overcoming shame, will force you to look more deeply at the wrong actions. That is why a list of sins is so necessary for confession in Orthodoxy. It will help to identify what was forgotten or wanted to be hidden.

If you have difficulty compiling a list of sinful actions, you can purchase the book “ Full Confession" It is in every church shop. It's detailed there full list sins for confession, features of the sacrament. Samples of confession and materials for preparing for it have been published.

Rules

Is there a heaviness in your soul, do you want to speak out, ask for forgiveness? After confession it becomes much easier. This is an open, sincere recognition and repentance of the wrongdoings committed. You can go to confession up to 3 times a week. The desire to be cleansed of sins will help overcome the feeling of stiffness and awkwardness.

The less frequent the confession, the more difficult it is to remember all the events and thoughts. The best option for holding the sacrament is once a month. Help in confession - a list of sins - will prompt you with the necessary words. The main thing is that the priest understands the essence of the offense. Then the punishment for sin will be justified.

After confession, the priest imposes penance in difficult cases. This is punishment, excommunication from the holy sacraments and God's grace. Its duration is determined by the priest. In most cases, the penitent faces moral and correctional work. For example, fasting, reading prayers, canons, akathists.

Sometimes the priest reads out the list of sins for confession. You can independently write a list of what has been done. It is better to come to confession after the evening service or in the morning, before the liturgy.

How does the sacrament work?

In some situations, you should invite the priest to confession at home. This is done if the person is seriously ill or near death.

Upon entering the temple, you must line up for confession. During the entire sacrament, the cross and the Gospel lie on the lectern. This symbolizes the invisible presence of the Savior.

Before confession begins, the priest may start asking questions. For example, about how often prayers are said, whether church rules are followed.

Then the sacrament begins. It is best to prepare your list of sins for confession. A sample of it can always be purchased at the church. If the sins forgiven at the previous confession were repeated, then they should be mentioned again - this is considered a more serious offense. You should not hide anything from the priest or speak in hints. Should in simple words clearly explain the sins you repent of.

If the priest tore up the list of sins for confession, it means that the sacrament is over and absolution has been granted. The priest places an epitrachelion on the head of the penitent. This means the return of God's favor. After this, they kiss the cross and the Gospel, which symbolizes readiness to live according to the commandments.

Preparing for Confession: List of Sins

Confession is intended to comprehend your sin and desire to improve. It is difficult for a person far from the church to understand what actions should be considered wicked. That's why there are 10 commandments. They clearly state what not to do. It is better to prepare a list of sins for confession according to the commandments in advance. On the day of the sacrament, you can get excited and forget everything. Therefore, you should calmly, a few days before confession, re-read the commandments and write down your sins.

If it is the first confession, then it is not easy to figure out the seven deadly sins and the ten commandments on your own. Therefore, you should approach the priest in advance and tell him about your difficulties in a personal conversation.

A list of sins for confession with an explanation of the sins can be purchased at the church or found on the website of your temple. The transcript describes in detail all the alleged sins. From this general list it is necessary to isolate what was done personally. Then write down your list of offenses.

Sins committed against God

• Lack of faith in God, doubt, ingratitude.
• Lack of a cross on the body, unwillingness to defend the faith in front of detractors.
• Swearing in the name of God, pronouncing the name of the Lord in vain (not during prayer or conversations about God).
• Visiting sects, casting fortunes, treating with all kinds of magic, reading and spreading false teachings.
• Gambling, suicidal thoughts, swearing.
• Non-attendance to temple, lack of daily prayer rule.
• Failure to observe fasts, reluctance to read Orthodox literature.
• Condemnation of clergy, thoughts about worldly things during worship.
• A waste of time on entertainment, watching TV, inactivity at the computer.
• Despair in difficult situations, excessive reliance on oneself or someone else’s help without faith in God’s providence.
• Concealing sins in confession.

Sins committed against neighbors

• Hot temper, anger, arrogance, pride, vanity.
• Lies, non-interference, ridicule, stinginess, extravagance.
• Raising children outside of faith.
• Non-repayment of debts, non-payment for work, refusal to help those who ask and need.
• Unwillingness to help parents, disrespect for them.
• Theft, condemnation, envy.
• Quarrels, drinking alcohol at funerals.
• Murder with words (slander, incitement to suicide or illness).
• Killing a child in the womb, inducing others to have an abortion.

Sins committed against oneself

• Foul language, pride, idle talk, gossip.
• Desire for profit, enrichment.
• Displaying good deeds.
• Envy, lies, drunkenness, gluttony, drug use.
• Fornication, adultery, incest, fornication.

List of sins for a woman to confess

This is a very sensitive list, and many women refuse to confess after reading it. You should not trust any information you read. Even if a brochure with a list of sins for a woman was purchased at a church store, be sure to pay attention to the stamp. There should be an inscription “recommended by the publishing council of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

The clergy do not divulge the secret of confession. Therefore, it is best to undergo the sacrament with a permanent confessor. The Church does not intrude into the sphere of intimate marital relationships. Issues of contraception, which is sometimes equated to abortion, are best discussed with a priest. There are drugs that do not have an abortifacient effect, but only prevent the birth of life. Anyway everything controversial issues should be discussed with your spouse, doctor, confessor.

Here is a list of sins for confession (brief):

1. She rarely prayed and did not attend church.
2. I thought more about worldly things during prayer.
3. admitted sex life before marriage.
4. Abortion, inducing others to it.
5. Had unclean thoughts and desires.
6. I watched films, read books with pornographic content.
7. Gossip, lies, envy, laziness, resentment.
8. Excessive exposure of the body to attract attention.
9. Fear of old age, wrinkles, thoughts of suicide.
10. Addiction to sweets, alcohol, drugs.
11. Avoiding helping other people.
12. Seeking help from fortune tellers and fortune tellers.
13. Superstition.

List of sins for a man

There is debate about whether a list of sins should be prepared for confession. Some believe that such a list harms the sacrament and promotes the formal reading of offenses. The main thing in confession is to realize your sins, repent and prevent their repetition. Therefore the list of sins may be a short reminder or absent altogether.

Formal confession is not considered valid, since there is no repentance in it. Returning after the sacrament to your former life will add hypocrisy. The balance of spiritual life lies in understanding the essence of repentance, where confession is only the beginning of awareness of one’s sinfulness. This is a long process consisting of several stages of internal work. The creation of spiritual resources is a systematic adjustment of conscience, responsibility for one’s relationship with God.

Here is a list of sins for confession (brief) for a man:

1. Sacrilege, conversations in the temple.
2. Doubt about faith, the afterlife.
3. Blasphemy, mockery of the poor.
4. Cruelty, laziness, pride, vanity, greed.
5. Evasion from military service.
6. Avoiding unwanted work, shirking responsibilities.
7. Insults, hatred, fights.
8. Slander, disclosure of other people's weaknesses.
9. Temptation to sin (fornication, drunkenness, drugs, gambling).
10. Refusal to help parents and other people.
11. Theft, aimless collecting.
12. Tendency to boast, argue, and humiliate others.
13. Impudence, rudeness, contempt, familiarity, cowardice.

Confession for a child

For a child, the sacrament of confession can begin at the age of seven. Until this age, children are allowed to receive Communion without this. Parents must prepare the child for confession: explain the essence of the sacrament, tell why it is being performed, and remember with him possible sins.

The child must be made to understand that sincere repentance is preparation for confession. It is better for a child to write a list of sins himself. He must realize what actions were wrong and try not to repeat them in the future.

Older children make their own decisions about whether to confess or not. You should not limit the free will of a child or teenager. The personal example of parents is much more important than all conversations.

The child must remember his sins before confession. A list of them can be compiled after the child answers the questions:

• How often does he read prayers (in the morning, in the evening, before meals), which ones does he know by heart?
• Does he go to church, how does he behave during the service?
• Does he wear pectoral cross, is distracted or not during prayers and services?
• Have you ever deceived your parents or priest during confession?
• Weren't you proud of your successes and victories, weren't you arrogant?
• Does it fight or not with other children, does it offend children or animals?
• Does he snitch on other children to protect himself?
• Have you ever committed theft or been jealous of anyone?
• Have you laughed at other people's physical disabilities?
• Did you play cards (smoked, drank alcohol, tried drugs, used foul language)?
• Is he lazy or helps his parents around the house?
• Did you pretend to be sick to avoid your responsibilities?

1. A person himself determines whether to confess or not, how many times to attend the sacrament.
2. You should prepare a list of sins for confession. It is better to take a sample in the church where the sacrament will take place, or find it yourself in church literature.
3. It is optimal to go to confession with the same clergyman, who will become a mentor and will contribute to spiritual growth.
4. Confession is free of charge.

First you need to ask on what days confessions are held in the church. You should dress appropriately. For men - a shirt or T-shirt with sleeves, trousers or jeans (not shorts). For women - a scarf on the head, no makeup (at least lipstick), a skirt no higher than the knees.

Sincerity of Confession

A priest as a psychologist can recognize how sincere a person is in his repentance. There are confessions that offend the sacrament and the Lord. If a person mechanically talks about sins, has several confessors, hides the truth - such actions do not lead to repentance.

Behavior, tone of speech, words with which confession is pronounced - it all matters. This is the only way the priest understands how sincere the penitent is. Pangs of conscience, embarrassment, worries, shame contribute to spiritual cleansing.

Sometimes the personality of the priest is important for the parishioner. This is not a reason to condemn and comment on the actions of clergy. You can go to another church or turn to another holy father for confession.

It can be difficult to voice your sins. The emotional experiences are so strong that it is more convenient to make a list of unrighteous actions. Father is attentive to every parishioner. If, due to shame, it is impossible to tell about everything and the repentance is deep, then the priest has the right to forgive the sins, a list of which was compiled before confession, without even reading them.

The meaning of confession

Having to talk about your sins in front of a stranger is embarrassing. Therefore, people refuse to go to confession, believing that God will forgive them anyway. This is the wrong approach. The priest acts only as an intermediary between man and God. His task is to determine the measure of repentance. The priest has no right to condemn anyone; he will not expel a repentant person from the church. During confession, people are very vulnerable, and clergy try not to cause unnecessary suffering.

It is important to see your sin, recognize and condemn it in your soul, and voice it before the priest. Have a desire not to repeat your misdeeds again, try to atone for the harm done through acts of mercy. Confession brings revival of the soul, re-education and access to a new spiritual level.

Sins (list), Orthodoxy, confession imply self-knowledge and the search for grace. All good deeds are done through strength. Only by overcoming yourself, doing works of mercy, and cultivating virtues in yourself, can you receive God's grace.

The meaning of confession lies in understanding the typology of sinners, the typology of sin. Wherein individual approach to each repentant is akin to pastoral psychoanalysis. The sacrament of confession is the pain of awareness of sin, recognition of it, the determination to voice and ask for forgiveness for it, cleansing of the soul, joy and peace.

A person must feel the need to repent. Love for God, love for oneself, love for one's neighbor cannot exist separately. Symbolism christian cross- horizontal (love for God) and vertical (love for oneself and one's neighbor) - consists in realizing the integrity of spiritual life, its essence.

Archpriest Mikhail Shpolyansky

Word of the Savior:
Anyone who commits sin is a slave of sin ().

Word of the Apostle:
The wages of sin is death ().

Prophetic word:
Anyone who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) will receive forgiveness of sins in His name ().

From priestly experience, from the statements of people of our time:

“I am a sinner in every way: in word, in deed, in thought...”

“I have never sinned, only everyone offended me.”

“Sins? No, it wasn't. I always did good for everyone.”

“What exactly is there? I’ve sinned in everyone, but I don’t know specifically.”

“I don’t remember something...”

"Sin? What is this?

So what is sin?

Those wishing to know the theological answer to this question are referred to an article from Theological encyclopedic dictionary, placed in Appendix III. Well, we will try to answer it as simply as possible and at the same time in more detail.

The whole complexity of the Christian understanding of sin is that it is a multifaceted phenomenon: on the one hand, it is a matter, on the other, it is a state (passion). The deed can be accomplished, or it can be thought. But, in addition, sin can also be looked at as resistance to the Lord, as an insult to His love for us. Sin is also rightly called “spiritual poison,” poisoning and killing our soul... So, let’s try to figure it all out.

According to the definition " Explanatory dictionary“Dal, sin is an act contrary to the law of God. But what is God's law? What do most people know about this now? It’s not difficult to check this - ask the first person you meet on the street: “Please tell me, what do you think sin is?” Nine out of ten will answer, after thinking deeply: “Well, to kill, if someone...” Having also thought: “When parents are offended,” sometimes they will add, but with a hint of doubt: “To steal, probably, something there...” And what is typical, rarely, rarely, almost never, they will remember the sin of fornication - they are so accustomed to the fact that it is not fornication, but sex - a “legal sporting” element of life. This idea of ​​sin is based on extremely scanty, vaguely heard knowledge about the ten commandments of the Old Testament law, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai: do not kill, do not steal, etc. Well, know this law (decalogue, or decalogy) necessary: ​​this is the foundation not only of Christian, but also of all universal human spirituality and morality. And, of course, you need to know not only the fifth and sixth commandments, but all the commandments. To know, understand, be guided by them - but that’s not all. The fact is that our New Testament Christian law is immeasurably deeper: in addition to “sinful in word and deed,” it has another dimension – “and in thought.” This is what Christ Himself says in the Gospel of Matthew: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients: “Do not kill; whoever kills is subject to judgment.” But I tell you that whoever is angry with his brother... will be subject to judgment...” You have heard what was said to the ancients: “You shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (). Here are the key words: “He committed adultery in his heart,” i.e. sin is transferred from the sphere of actions and deeds to the sphere of states and feelings. And here is a colossal shift in understanding! If most of us can calmly say: “No, I didn’t kill anyone,” and some can even admit without guile that they are not involved in the sin of fornication, then will we see a person who sincerely says: “Be angry, irritated, offended? Condemn someone? Having immodest, unchaste thoughts? “No, this has never happened to me!”? I think that we won’t see, and if we do, then we can say without a doubt that we have met a person with absolute mental blindness. So, my friends, we have to admit that we are truly all “walling in the abyss of sins”: after all, not a day, an hour, or even a minute goes by without us sinning with irritation or unclean thoughts, condemnation or envy, idleness or despondency, etc. P.

What causes sin?

So, we figured out that sin can be a “deed”, or it can be a “thought”. Well, now let's look deeper. What causes sin? Its source lies in the very depths of our soul - in what is called passion. According to the definition of the “Complete Church Slavonic Dictionary,” passion (pathos) is “ desire something forbidden,” that is, the desire to commit sin. Passion in itself is already a sin - “sin by state,” but it is also the potential possibility of committing a sin by deed, of translating it into a specific act. Thus, the passion of love of money (love of money, wealth), if there is no resistance to it and under favorable external circumstances, can be realized in the sin of theft; passion of irritability - into the sin of assault (beating, fighting); a passionate state of despair - into the sin of suicide. As we see, all these sins - theft, assault, suicide and others - are rooted in the corresponding passions. But the fact is that these passions themselves are also sins, moreover, it is they - passions - that are sins “in the first place,” for, constantly nesting in a person’s soul, they encourage him to commit sins by deed - to fall. Therefore, sins are not only secondary in origin, but also much easier to overcome in practice (restraining yourself from theft, for example, is much easier than restraining your soul from a passionate desire to acquire material wealth). The eradication of passions is the main content of Orthodox asceticism. The Holy Fathers teach that the source of passions is the demonic will that tempts the human soul; the soil for their growth is the fallen nature of man infected with original sin (see Appendix III); the force opposing passions is the free will of the godlike human personality; weapons for fighting passions are taught Orthodox Church. However, all this is a topic for a separate, big conversation.

Here we present only a list of the main passions (as their danger to the soul increases), as they are defined by the holy fathers of the Church, with the corresponding virtues contrasting them.

Gluttony - Abstinence
FORTUNE (fornication) - CHASTITY
LOVE OF AVERAGE - LACK OF ACQUISITION
ANGER - MEEKNESS
SADNESS - PATIENCE
DESPONSIBILITY - SOBRIETY (spiritual composure)
VANITY - HUMILITY
PRIDE - LOVE

The action of sin

Now let us consider what the effect of sin is on the human soul.

On the one hand, as we have already said, sin gradually kills the soul, “poisons” it with itself. If you like, the effect of sin can be compared to the effect of radiation on the human body. This is “spiritual radiation” that gradually but steadily destroys the soul. And the soul must not only somehow exist, vegetate, but it must develop, be formed; it must have time to prepare and mature by the time of transition to eternal life. This is how the fetus in the mother’s womb matures and prepares for birth into the world. It’s a disaster if the mother at this time is only thinking about having fun or, for example, working profitably in some toxic industry. I don’t even want to talk about the sad consequences of this... Most normal people will call such a negligent mother crazy - and they will be right. But both the Forerunner and the Baptist are right Lord John, which we normal people, said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (). Our Lord Jesus Christ is right, Who said: “You fool! this night your soul will be taken from you; who will get the [wealth] that you have prepared?” ().

All of us, dear ones, are, so to speak, “pregnant” with the soul: we carry it, we bear it for birth into the future Kingdom, but do we remember this? Do we care about her? Or do we poison her with the “toxins” of sins, oppress her with the heavy burden of our passions, and pour “spiritual mud” on her with our own hands?

The murder of the soul (and the Holy Fathers say that the soul can become dead during the life of the body) is the fatal outcome that results from a frivolous attitude towards sin, the habit of living in sins - excusing oneself by saying that “everyone lives like that.” Warning us against this destructive self-justification, the Lord teaches: “Enter at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in through it; because narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” ().

On the other hand, the sin we commit is a direct insult to God. After all, Christ Himself revealed to people that God for each of us is not some unknowable Absolute, an abstract principle, but “Our Heavenly Father.” FATHER! Think about it! After all, this is what makes Christianity a religion of love, not of law! But such a high attitude requires reciprocity - not only the Father’s infinitely merciful and long-suffering care for his suffering children, for every human person, but also our worthy, filial attitude towards the Heavenly Father - give “God’s things to God” ().

Sin is disobedience to the Will of God. But isn’t persistent, malicious, unrepentant disobedience to his will, his instructions, requests, his authority an insult to the earthly father in human flesh? Isn’t it even more so - disobedience to the will of the Heavenly Father? And if an earthly father, having tried all means of exhortation and admonition, in the end not only has the right, but is also obliged to resort to punishment, then will not heavenly justice ultimately force heavenly forbearance to retreat? As people say: “God endures for a long time, but it hurts.”

The situation looks even more terrible if we look at it from the point of view of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice - His voluntary death on the cross for the sins of the world. All the sorrows of the world, including the curse of death, which cannot be overcome by man, are the consequences of sin, originating from the fall of the ancestors Adam and Eve. Christ became man in order to overcome this curse, in order to transform death from a nightmarish dead end into a door leading to a better, perfect life, originally prepared by God for man according to his filial dignity. Christ Himself, being completely pure even from the shadow of sin, voluntarily took upon Himself all the consequences of sin up to and including death, “the death of the cross” (). He “gave Himself for our sins in order to deliver us from this present evil age” (). The Savior, having been crucified for us, made possible the atonement of sins for all people seeking the Kingdom of God - from Adam to last person recent times. And thus, by committing sins, we again and again become accomplices of His crucifixion. Oh, a terrible sight! We always stretch out one hand pleadingly to the Crucified Christ with a prayer (if not a demand): “Give us this, give us that, help, protect us,” and with the other hand we hammer on the nails piercing His most pure body! Truly an unbearable picture. It seems like how can you live if you see it all like this? After all, in our sorrowful world it is impossible to get rid of sin: (“...no man will live and not sin”) - you can only fight sin; but how to coexist with this: with “sin is poison”, with “sin is an insult”, with “sin is crucification”?! However, although it is true that “this is impossible for people” - “With God everything is possible” ().

And this becomes possible because there are two great concepts, two key points in the relationship of God to man and man to God: mercy and repentance. And these two concepts are actually united into a single action - in church sacrament Repentance or Confession.

How does the Sacrament of Confession take place, how to prepare for it and how to proceed? More on this in the next chapter.

1. As already mentioned, you can start confession at any time and as often as you like. However, confession immediately before communion is generally accepted (in our time, believers, as a rule, take communion 1-2 times a month; for beginners, it is advisable to take communion at least 4-5 times a year).

2. You need to prepare your soul for confession: carefully, thoughtfully analyze your life, especially noting what needs to be said out loud in confession, set your heart in a repentant mood. In this case, it is advisable to check your conscience using the table given in Appendix I “ General Confession» this manual, or similar literature.

3. Confession is not a conversation. If you need to consult with a priest, you should ask him to devote special time for this. At confession, you need to talk only about your sins (in no case trying to whitewash yourself or condemn others) and ask the Lord for forgiveness for your sins.

4. You can begin confession only after first reconciling with everyone who has somehow offended us and who has any grudge against us (if, due to the circumstances of life, reconciliation is practically impossible, then you need to sincerely reconcile in your heart). Confessing without reconciliation is useless; receiving communion like this is a mortal sin.

5. If for some reason the priest does not have the opportunity to listen to you in detail, even if he simply asked: “Do you repent of your sins?” - and you answered him with heartfelt contrition, sincerely: “I repent,” and he immediately read the “permissive” prayer, “do not be embarrassed by the brevity of confession: the grace of God, healing the weak, cleansed your soul, and the Sacrament of Confession was completed in its entirety. However, if a grave sin lies like a stone on your conscience and there is a need to confess it especially, then ask the priest to listen to you in detail.

6. You should never be embarrassed by the severity of your sins, for there are no unforgivable sins, except unconfessed and unrepentant ones. Among the Christian saints there are people who were once terrible sinners (for example, the Venerable Mary of Egypt) - but, having repented, they not only received forgiveness from the Lord, but also by the feat of faith ascended to the highest level of holiness (let us also remember that the first person worthy to enter paradise, there was a repentant thief). The priest will never be tempted by what he hears; confession of even the most serious and disgusting sins will not cause him to have a bad feeling towards the confessor: the sight of a cleansing soul always evokes a feeling of love and joy. You also need to know that clergy are obliged to keep the secret of confession under pain of defrocking.

7. Confessors sometimes have a false feeling of “imperfect repentance”: “I, father, repented poorly, I am not worthy to receive communion.” So, worthy to accept the Terrible Mysteries of Christ - Holy Communion- only a person in spiritual self-deception can consider himself. The natural state of a communicant is awareness of precisely his deepest unworthiness in accepting such a GREAT GIFT and a feeling of gratitude to the Lord for His love for us and mercy for our unworthiness; This alone is the condition for worthy communion. With regard to “imperfect repentance,” let’s say that the gracious feeling of heartfelt repentance is bestowed by the Lord, and we should not “demand” it from the Lord; our job is to repent consciously and sincerely, including in the absence of a feeling of “perfect” repentance - we will leave the rest to the Lord.

Finally, some general advice for those who are taking their first steps in the Church.

First, don’t be afraid of anything and don’t be embarrassed. Your ignorance of church rituals is not an obstacle in your relationship with God. He Himself sees why and how you came to Him, and, undoubtedly, accepts your artless prayer. Even if at first you do something “not as expected,” if you are reprimanded or even scolded, do not be embarrassed, know that this is allowed by the Lord to test your faith and humility: whether you have come to God or have come to show yourself. The second follows from this: have patience, do not rush the events of spiritual life according to the “all or nothing” principle; everything will come, but only with time... “Save your souls with your patience,” said the Lord (). Third, have trust in God, in the holy fathers, in the 2000-year experience of the Church of Christ, which has saved and has already saved millions of souls. Without trust there is no faith. Do not be tempted by the incomprehensible, unconvincing and, perhaps, even unpleasant - do not judge immediately, entrust the entire judgment to God, but open your heart to what is already close to you now, and accept this gift of God into yourself. About the rest, tell yourself: “If I don’t understand this now, it means I don’t need it yet.”

And once again I ask: do not allow temptation into yourself - this may be, and most likely is, a snare laid out over your soul by the evil one. For example, many “newcomers” are tempted by the incomprehensibility of the Church Slavonic language for them. But why then, after living for several years church life, the same people, as a rule, become staunch defenders of the preservation of this liturgical language? Yes, because over time something is revealed that is not visible at first glance - wonderful beauty and the spiritual richness of this pure, spirit-bearing language created by the Holy Fathers. It's unlikely to be found normal person, who will advocate replacing the language of poetry with the language of the office (because it is supposedly more accurate), or the language of the office with the language of the bazaar (because it is “more popular”). Likewise, an Orthodox Christian perceives the idea of ​​​​replacing the holy language of worship with an easily understandable colloquial language as blasphemy. Well, if you don’t yet understand everything from church prayers, don’t grieve; “You don’t understand, but the demons understand everything,” said the holy fathers. The soul is capable of “absorbing” the grace of worship and prayer without the participation of the mind in this (which is why, by the way, it is so important for believing parents to read prayers aloud in front of their babies and bring them to Church for services). Well, the time will come, show patience and perseverance on the path to God - and everything will fall into place, and wisdom will shine with endless depth and beauty Orthodox worship.

And finally, the fourth piece of advice, which essentially follows from the above: be persistent in achieving your goal on the path to God. Don't give up after the first disappointments and failures. Healing and saving the soul is more painstaking work than healing the body, and one should not expect only enthusiasm and success along this path. Even “if you fall a hundred times a day, get up a hundred times” - our saints teach, and it is through these falls that the path to victory leads. "Kingdom Heavenly force is taken, and those who use force delight him” () - this is the affirming word of the Savior Himself, and only with understanding of this can one begin spiritual work.

So, friends, you have learned some basic information about spiritual life: about sin and about the great Sacrament of Confession - the sacrament of reconciliation of a person with God, cleansing him from sin and reunification with the theanthropic organism of the Church of Christ, in which the salvation of man takes place. God grant that this information does not remain a dead weight for you, but gives impetus to thoughts, feelings, and deeds. Respond to the call of your soul, come to the Lord, open a corner of your heart for Him - and “you will find rest for your souls.”

MAY THE LORD PRESERVE AND STRENGTHEN YOU ON THIS PATH!

I sinned by relying excessively on God’s long-suffering, including allowing myself all sorts of sins.

I sinned by not trusting God’s Providence, including not trusting in the Lord, by fearing old age, poverty, illness, and future sorrows.

I sinned by being ungrateful to God.

I sinned through sadness and despondency, including cowardice.

I sinned by murmuring against God, by not accepting the cross of life given by the Lord for the salvation of our soul.

He sinned by deviating into heresy or otherwise expelling himself from the church, including: participating in the activities of church schismatics, sectarians, infidels or occultists.

He sinned by practicing witchcraft (magic), turning to various kinds of sorcerers and healers, including: subjecting himself to coding, conspiracies, and hypnosis.

I sinned with impatience with the trials sent by the Lord, including impatience with sorrows: illness, poverty, damage, failures, insults, etc.

I sinned by not hoping for salvation, I sinned by despair, thoughts and attempts at suicide, including distrust of God’s mercy.

He sinned with blasphemous and heretical thoughts, including doubts about the truths of faith.

He sinned by having an irreverent attitude towards icons and other shrines, including: through negligence or impudence, he touched shrines in a temple or at home, while in uncleanness; read home prayers without lighting lamps or candles, did not keep order in the red corner, was negligent in storing sacred objects (allowed damage to prosphoras, icons, etc.)

Sinned by disrespect church holidays and negligence about participation in divine services, including failure to attend church on Sundays and holidays, non-attendance on the eve of these days evening services; going to church for services without desire, without reverence, without fear of God; during the service - by talking, laughing, dozing, inattention, wandering thoughts, leaving the church during the service, being late or leaving it early without good reason; a careless depiction of the sign of the cross; hastily, without reverence, touching an icon or a cross.

He sinned by violating fasts, including non-observance of fasts established by the Church, namely: four multi-day fasts, all Wednesdays and Fridays, except for continuous weeks, as well as fasts on special days, in preparation for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ; negligence about the proper completion of fasts, both physical and mental.

He condemned the priests and all church hierarchy, including grumbling and disobedience.

I sinned by indulging in the spirit of the times and worldly customs, contrary to the Orthodox faith, including the sin of secularizing my soul.

Sins against one's neighbor

AS A RULE, THEY COME FROM A LACK OF LOVE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR,
FROM NEGLIGENCE ABOUT HIS SALVATION, FROM ANGER, HATRED OR INSENSITIVITY TO HIM

He sinned by lack of love for his neighbor, including: impatience, unmercifulness, selfishness, suspiciousness, jealousy, suspicious character, inconstancy in relation to neighbors.

He sinned by not having works of love and not forcing himself to do them, including: not visiting the sick, prisoners, not helping the needy, being stingy with alms, condemning the poor, not comforting the mourning, not defending innocent people and just causes, not wanting to take pity on one’s neighbor, to give in to him , to serve.

He sinned by negligence about the salvation of his neighbor, including coldness and forgetfulness in prayers for his neighbor.

He sinned by disrespecting his parents, including: not humbling himself before his parents, not showing them due respect and attention, getting angry, shouting, raising his hand against them, not caring, not giving them peace in their old age, etc.

I sinned by disrespecting my elders.

I sinned by not raising my children in the Orthodox faith, I did not care about the people subordinate and dependent on me.

Sinned by voluntary or involuntary murder, including abortion (this applies to everyone involved), self-mutilation, assault, including: sinned by actions that voluntarily or involuntarily led to termination of pregnancy, miscarriage or any damage to the health of the fetus.

Sinned by cruelty to animals or passionate attachment to animals.

He sinned with hatred and malice, ill-will, ill-retribution; gloating.

I sinned with anger, including hot temper.

I sinned through intransigence, including vindictiveness, and unwillingness to humble myself before my neighbor.

He sinned by causing insults, including slander and slander.

He sinned with irritability, including bickering, reproach, stubbornness, argumentativeness, and partiality.

I sinned with slander and gossip.

I sinned with envy.

I sinned with lies, including deceit, hypocrisy, and boasting.

I sinned by partiality (people-pleasing, flattery).

Sinned by behavior that seduces others, including the desire to passionately please, seduce or embarrass others.

He sinned with freedom and impudence in dealing with people, including: arrogance and insensitivity, mockery and ridicule, shamelessness.

He sinned with passionate curiosity (peeping and eavesdropping on people, the desire to learn other people's sins and secrets).

Sins against yourself

MAINLY CONNECTED WITH THE PASSIONS OF FORMINATION, Gluttony AND AVERITY

He sinned through unnatural fornication, including: incest, sodomy, bestiality, etc.

He sinned by prodigal incitement, that is, by all kinds of sensuality: reading depraved books, looking at seductive pictures and shows.

Sinned by night desecrations.

He sinned by intemperance in married life, including failure to observe fasts and holidays.

He sinned by immodest views and free behavior with persons of the opposite sex, including: voluptuous touches, immodesty in clothing and jewelry; demonic dancing and body movements; participation in passionate worldly entertainment, including playing cards and other games of chance; seductive conversations and songs, immoderate laughter.

He sinned with all kinds of spiritual impurity, including: freely enjoying lustful thoughts, procrastination in them, remembering sins, intemperance of mental and physical feelings.

He sinned by using drugs, drunkenness, smoking, gluttony, secret eating, voluptuousness; including: gluttony and laryngeal insanity, polyeating, intemperance in food and drink, dissatisfaction with food and drink.

I sinned by eating animal blood (including blood sausage).

I sinned by laziness, relaxation of the body and feelings, excessive sleeping, parasitism, including: laziness, love of bodily peace, empty daydreaming; an empty, meaningless pastime.

I sinned by neglecting God's gifts: life, talents, time, including: idle talk, idleness, reading literature that is not useful to the soul, idolatrous addiction to television, computer, collecting or other worldly shows and activities.

I sinned by being overly concerned about my health or, on the contrary, by neglecting my health.

He sinned by failing to fulfill his everyday duties, including failure to preserve his conscience regarding things.

70. This includes, among other things, cinema, television, computer, etc. products that contain not only anti-God, demonic content (pornography, horror, violence), but also simply empty, pseudo-intellectual, consumed by a person reflexively to “kill time” .

71. Addiction - passionate attachment to something (see Idol service).

72. Failure to preserve conscience regarding things and resources is negligence about preserving things, about their reasonable and economical use, about high-quality implementation work so as not to spoil or damage anything. This also includes a careless, negligent attitude towards one’s duties according to the principle: “It will work out somehow.”

73. Love of money is a passion in which money, property, everything becomes an idol material wealth(see Idol service).

74. Selfishness in Church Slavonic is “money-taking.”

75. Misappropriation is the acquisition of money or property by dishonest means unworthy of a Christian.

76. Extortion - bribes, extortion, etc.

77. Theft is the theft of state or other (not owned by you) property.

78. Theft is stealing from one's neighbor.

Appendix II

If you are a Christian

1. When you wake up in bed, first of all remember God and place the sign of the cross on yourself.
2. Don’t start your day without a prayer rule.
3. Throughout the day, everywhere and with every task, pray short prayers.
4. Prayer is the wings of the soul, it makes the soul the throne of God, all the power spiritual person in his prayer.
5. For God to hear a prayer, you need to pray not with the tip of your tongue, but with your heart.
6. Let none of those around you be left in the morning without your sincere greetings.
7. Don’t give up prayer when the enemy makes you feel insensitive. He who forces himself to pray with a dry soul is superior to him who prays with tears.
8. You need to know the New Testament with your mind and HEART, learn from it constantly; Don’t interpret anything you don’t understand yourself, but ask St. for clarification. fathers.
9. Take holy water with thirst for the sanctification of your soul and body - do not forget to drink it.
10. Greetings of gratitude to the Queen of Heaven - “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” say more often, even every hour.
11. In your free time, read the writings of the fathers and teachers of spiritual life.
12. In temptations and misfortunes, repeat the Psalter and read the prayer canon to the Most Holy Theotokos “We contain many misfortunes...”. She is our only Intercessor.
13. When demons throw their arrows at you, when sin approaches you, then sing the hymns of Holy Week and Holy Easter, read the canon with an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus Christ, and the Lord will loosen the bonds of darkness that have shackled you.
14. If you cannot sing and read, then in a moment of battle remember the name of Jesus: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Stand at the cross and heal yourself by crying.
15.V Lenten time fast, but know that God is pleased with fasting not only of the body, that is, abstinence of the belly, but abstinence of the eyes, ears, tongue, as well as abstinence of the heart from serving the passions.
16. A person embarking on spiritual life must remember that he is sick, his mind is in error, his will is more inclined to evil than to good, and his heart remains impure from the passions bubbling in it, therefore from the beginning of spiritual life everything should be aimed at acquiring mental health.
17. Spiritual life is a constant, incessant struggle with the enemies of the salvation of the soul; never sleep mentally, your spirit must always be alert, always call your Savior in this battle.
18. Be afraid to unite with the sinful thought that approaches you. Anyone who agrees with such thoughts has already committed the sin he thought about.
19. Remember: to perish, you need to be careless.
20. Constantly ask: “Instill Your fear, O Lord, into my heart.” Oh, how blessed is he who is constantly in awe of God!
21. Give your whole heart to God without a trace - and you will feel heaven on earth.
22. Your faith should be strengthened by frequent resort to repentance and prayer, as well as by communicating with people of deep faith.
23. Create a reminder for yourself, write down there, if possible, all your living and dead acquaintances, all those who hate and offend you, and remember them daily.
24. Seek constantly acts of mercy and compassionate love. Without these works it is impossible to please God. Be the sunshine for everyone, mercy is above all sacrifices.
25. Don’t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary (don’t spend time in idleness).
26. Talk as little as possible, don’t laugh, don’t be curious with idle curiosity.
27. Never be idle, and church holidays and Sundays honor the commandments of God.
28. Love holy solitude (to the full extent for monasticism, partly for the laity).
29. Endure all insults in silence, then reproach yourself, then pray for those who offend.
30. The most important thing for us is to learn patience and humility. With humility we will defeat all enemies - demons, and with patience - the passions that war against our soul and body.
31. During prayer, do not show anyone but God your tears of tenderness and zeal for salvation.
32. Orthodox priest consider yourself an angel of good news, sent to rejoice you and bring you deliverance.
33. Treat people as carefully as you would the messengers of a great kingdom, and as carefully as you treat fire.
34. Forgive everyone everything and sympathize with everyone in their suffering.
35. Don’t just rush around with yourself, like a chicken with an egg, forgetting your neighbors.
36. Whoever seeks peace here cannot have the Spirit of God abide in him.
37. Melancholy and confusion attack from lack of prayer.
38. Always and everywhere call your Guardian Angel to your aid.
39. Always keep your heart crying for your sins, and when you confess them and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, then quietly rejoice over your liberation.
40. You should only know your own indecencies and shortcomings, be careful about the sins of others and think and reason, do not ruin yourself by condemning others.
41. Don’t be self-willed, seek spiritual council and instructions.
42. Every evening confess to God all your sinful deeds, thoughts, words that happened during the day.
43. Before going to bed, make peace with everyone in your heart.
44. You should not tell your dreams to other people.
45. Fall asleep with the sign of the cross.
46. Night prayer more expensive than daily.
47. Do not lose touch with your spiritual father, be afraid of offending him, offending him, do not hide anything from him.
48. Always thank God for everything.
49. Human nature must always be divided into your own self and the enemy who is attached to you because of your sins - and watch yourself carefully, check your thoughts and actions, avoid what your inner enemy, and not your soul, wants.
50. Inner sorrow for one’s sins is more salutary than all bodily labors.
51. There are no better words in our language than “Lord, save me.”
52. Love all the church rules and bring them closer to your life.
53. Learn to vigilantly and constantly (always) monitor yourself, especially your feelings: through them the enemy enters the soul.
54. When you recognize your weaknesses and powerlessness to do good, then remember that you do not save yourself, but your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, saves you.
55. Your faith should be your impregnable fortress. The fierce enemy does not sleep - he guards your every step.
56. We are brought closer to God by the cross of life: sorrow, hardship, illness, labor; do not murmur against them and do not be afraid of them.
57. No one enters heaven living well.
58. As often as possible, with tenderness of heart, partake of the Holy Life-giving Mysteries of Christ, you live only by them.
59. Never forget that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is near at the door, do not forget that the Judgment and reward is coming at what hour for whom.
60. Remember also what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him and for those who do His commandments.
61. Read this alphabet, Christian, at least once a week, it will help you in fulfilling what is written, and will strengthen you on the SPIRITUAL PATH.

Rules for Godly Living

(From the writings of Plato, Archbishop of Kostroma)

Force yourself to always get up early and at a certain time. Don't sleep more than seven hours without any special reason. As soon as you awaken from sleep, immediately raise your thought to God and do it on yourself with reverence sign of the cross, thinking about the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our salvation on the Cross. Get out of bed immediately, get dressed and don’t allow yourself to laze on the bed for a long time. (When dressing, remember that you are in the presence of the Lord God and Guardian Angel, remember the fall of Adam, who through sin deprived himself of the robe of innocence, and ask the Lord Jesus for the grace to put on Him.)

Then immediately begin your morning prayers (kneel when spiritually necessary); pray carefully, reverently and with the deepest humility, as you should in the sight of the Almighty; ask Him for faith, hope and love, blessings for the coming day, as well as strength to graciously accept everything that it will please Him to send or allow on that day, and to endure all the burdens, disasters, embarrassments, misfortunes, sorrows and illnesses of the soul and body, out of love for Jesus Christ. Accept a firm intention to do everything for the Lord God, to accept everything from His fatherly hand, and a special determination to do just such and such good, or to avoid just such and such evil.

Every morning, devote at least a quarter of an hour to brief reflection on the truths of faith, especially on the incomprehensible mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God and the terrible Second His coming, about hell and heaven. Think like this: maybe this day is the last day of my life - and do everything as you would like to do, preparing to appear now at the Judgment of God. Thank the Lord God for preserving yourself last night and that you are still alive and did not die in your sins. How many people last night appeared before the terrible Judgment Seat of the Lord! Also thank God that there is still time for you to have grace and mercy and the means to repent and gain Heaven. Every morning think to yourself that you are just now starting and want to be a Christian, and the time that has passed has been lost in vain.

After prayer and meditation, if time permits, read some spiritual book, for example, or “The Ladder” by St. John, and read until your heart comes to tenderness. Having thought enough about one passage, read further and listen carefully to what the Lord is saying to your heart.

After this, take care of your affairs, and let all your activities and deeds be for the glory of God - remember that God sees you everywhere, sees all your actions, activities, feelings, thoughts and desires and will generously reward you for all your good deeds. Do not begin a single task without praying to the Lord God, for what we do without prayer later turns out to be sinful, or harmful, or useless and exposes us through actions in a way unknown to us. The Lord Himself said: “Without Me you cannot do anything.” Always stay awake in the midst of your labors, entrusting their success to the blessing of the Lord. Do everything that is difficult for you as penance for your sins - in the spirit of obedience and humility; in continuation of your labors say short prayers, especially the Jesus Prayer, and imagine Jesus, who in the sweat of his brow ate his bread, working with Joseph.

If your labors are accomplished successfully according to the desire of your heart, then thank the Lord God; if you are unsuccessful, then remember that God allows this too, and God does everything well.

During dinner, imagine that the Heavenly Father opens His hand to feed you, never leave prayer before dinner, give from your table to the poor. After dinner, consider yourself as one of those who, among the five thousand, were miraculously nourished by Jesus Christ, and thank Him from your heart and pray that He will not deprive you of heavenly food, His word and His most pure Body and Blood.

If you want a peaceful life, then surrender yourself entirely to God. Until then you won't find peace of mind until you rest in the One God, loving Him alone. Always and in everything remember the Lord God and His holy love for us sinners. In everything, try to fulfill the will of God and please only God alone, do and endure everything for God. Do not worry about being respected and loved by the people of this age, but about pleasing the Lord God and so that your conscience does not convict you of sins. Watch carefully over yourself, over your feelings, thoughts, movements of the heart and passions: do not consider anything unimportant when it comes to your eternal salvation. When remembering God, multiply your prayers so that the Lord will remember you when you forget about Him. In everything, may the Lord Jesus Christ be your teacher, at whom, looking with the eye of your mind, ask yourself more often: what would Jesus Christ think, say and do in this case. Be meek, quiet, humble; be silent and patient, following the example of Jesus. He will not lay on you a cross that you cannot bear; He Himself will help you bear the cross. Do not think of acquiring any virtue without sorrow and illness of the soul. Ask the Lord God for grace to fulfill His most holy commandments as best as possible, even if they seem very difficult for you. Having fulfilled any commandment of God, expect temptation, for love for Christ is tested by overcoming obstacles. And do not remain in idleness for a short time, but always remain in work and occupation, for he who does not work is not worthy of the name of man. Solitude yourself, following the example of Jesus, who, withdrawing from other people, prayed to the Heavenly Father. During times of spiritual hardship or lack of interest in prayer and all pious activities, do not abandon works of piety. So the Lord Jesus Christ prayed three times when His soul was sorrowful even to the point of death. Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus everything you do will be a work of godliness.

Avoid even the smallest sins, for he who does not avoid small ones will certainly fall into large and serious ones. If you want not to be disturbed by evil thoughts, then humbly accept the humiliation of your soul and bodily sorrow, not just at one time, but at every time, in every place and in every matter. Drive away every thought that removes you from the Lord, especially the nasty carnal thought, from your heart, just as you throw off one spark that falls on it from your clothes. When such a thought comes, then pray firmly: Lord, have mercy, Lord, help me, Lord, do not leave me, deliver me from temptation, or otherwise. But in the midst of temptations, do not be dismayed. He who sends chance for battle will also give strength for victory. Be calm in spirit, trust in God: if God is for you, who can be against you? Ask God to take away from you everything that feeds your pride, even if it was very bitter for you. Desire to live and die for the Lord God alone and belong entirely to Him. When you suffer any dishonor from people, then think that it was sent from God for your glory, and thus in dishonor you will be without sorrow and embarrassment, and in glory. If you have food and clothing, then be content with this, following the example of Jesus, who became poor for our sake. Never argue or defend yourself too much or make excuses; Do not say anything against your superiors or neighbors without need or obligation. Be sincere and simple in heart, lovingly accept instructions, admonitions and reproofs from others, even if you are very smart.

Don't be a hater, an envious person, or overly strict in word or deed. What you don’t want for yourself, don’t do to someone else, and what you want from others, do first for others. If anyone visits you, then lift up your heart to the Lord God and pray to grant you a meek, humble, collected spirit; and be kind, modest, cautious, prudent, blind and deaf, depending on the circumstances. Think that Jesus is among those with whom you are and talk. Do not say anything thoughtlessly, firmly remember that time is short and that a person must give an account of every useless word; Assign a specific goal to the conversation and try to direct it towards the salvation of the soul. Listen rather than speak: by talking too much you will not be saved from sin. Ask the Lord for grace in time to remain silent and speak. Don't be curious about the news: it entertains the spirit. If you bring benefit to someone with your words, then recognize the grace of God in this.

When you are alone with yourself, then test yourself, have you become worse than before, have you fallen into any sins that you did not commit before? If you sin, then immediately ask God for forgiveness with humility, contrition and trust in His goodness and hasten to repent before your spiritual father; for every sin left without repentance is a sin leading to death. Moreover, if you do not lament the sin you have committed, you will soon fall into it again.

Try to do good to everyone, whatever and whenever you can, without thinking about whether he will appreciate it or not, whether he will or will not be grateful to you. And rejoice not when you do good to someone, but when, without rancor, you endure insults from another, especially from someone who has benefited you. If someone does not turn out to be obedient from one word, do not force him through debate; take advantage of the benefit that he has lost. For kindness will bring you great benefit. But when the harm of one spreads to many, then do not tolerate it, seeking the benefit not of your own, but of many. The common good is more important than the private good.

During dinner, remember the last supper of Jesus Christ, praying to Him that He will honor you with a heavenly supper. Before you go to bed, examine your conscience, ask for light in the knowledge of your sins, reflect on them, ask for forgiveness for them, promise correction, defining clearly and precisely what exactly and how you plan to correct yourself. Then surrender yourself to God, as if you were to appear before Him this very night; commit yourself Mother of God, Guardian Angel, the saint whose name you bear. Imagine the bed as if it were your coffin, and the blanket as if it were your shroud. Having made the sign of the cross and kissed the cross that you wear, fall asleep under the protection of the Shepherd of Israel, Whoever protects him will not sleep, but will fall asleep. If you cannot sleep or are awake during the night, then remember the word: “In the midst of midnight there was a cry: behold, the Bridegroom is coming,” or remember that last night on which Jesus prayed to the Father until he sweated blood; pray for those who are in serious illness and mortal anguish at night, for those who are suffering and deceased, and pray to the Lord that eternal darkness will not cover you. If you can, get out of bed in the middle of the night and pray until you have the strength.

During illness, first of all, place your trust in God and often remember and reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, to strengthen your spirit in the midst of painful suffering. Constantly say the prayers that you know and can, ask the Lord God for forgiveness of sins and patience during illness. In every possible way, refrain from grumbling and irritability, which are so common during illness. The Lord Jesus Christ endured the most severe illnesses and suffering for our salvation, but what have we done or suffered for the sake of our salvation?

Go to churches for Divine services as often as possible, especially try to be there during the Liturgy as often as possible. And be sure to dedicate Sundays and holidays to deeds of piety. While in the temple, always remember that you are in the presence of God, Angels and all the saints; Devote the rest of the day after the Liturgy to pious reading and other deeds of piety and love.

Especially dedicate your birthday and your Angel to deeds of piety.

Make a strict examination of your conscience every year and every month. Confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries as often as possible. Always approach the communion of the Holy Mysteries with true hunger and true thirst of the soul, with contrition of heart, with reverence, humility, faith, hope, love. As often as possible, reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, begging Him with the robe of His merits to cover all your sins and accept you into His Kingdom. Always keep the name of Jesus on your lips, in your mind and in your heart.

Think about it as often as possible great love to you the Lord God, glorified and worshiped in the Trinity, so that you yourself may love Him with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. By doing this, you will lead a peaceful life on this earth and a blessed life in heaven forever and ever. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(Extracted from the book “The Shrine in Disguise” by S.A. Nilus)

1. In a moment of despair, know that it is not the Lord who leaves you, but you who leave the Lord. In the Name of God, this is how I command you to live: when you are alone, even if you are sad, even if you don’t want to, always in your mind, with your heart, call on the Lord Jesus Christ, who lives in your soul.
2. The novices of Christ in the subject must not have their own will, but God’s, which forbade both the apostles and us to explore the future, but God placed it in His power.
3. If you live with others, then serve them as God Himself, and do not demand love for love, praise for humility, or gratitude for service.
4. In any way you can seduce or offend your neighbors living with you, do not do that; and if they insult you, look at it not as an insult, but as an instrument prepared for you by the Lord God, with which, if you want, you can destroy in yourself all impurity of the heart.
5. Before you say anything, consider whether your word or deed will offend God or your neighbor.
6. Do not judge someone else's slave, standing or falling: he has a God who is strong to keep him from falling and to raise him up after he has fallen.
7. Remember that the minute that laziness takes away from you is, perhaps, the last in your life, and after it - death and judgment. Leave the bliss.
8. Do not upset anyone and do not pay battle for battle, sorrow for sorrow - and in the book of life your name will be written with the saints.
9. I ask you, my friends, do not neglect any means by which you can please God; and there are many such means, such as: treating people kindly, consoling the sad, interceding for the offended, giving to the poor, turning away the eyes from bad objects, resisting bad thoughts, forcing oneself to pray, patience, mercy, justice, and so on. The fulfillment of these sacred virtues will attract God’s all-powerful help to you, and with it you will overcome everything difficult that previously seemed impossible for us to overcome.
10. Resist temper in every possible way, and, with God’s help, it will certainly weaken. “If you happen to become irritated or angry, then most of all say nothing, or go away, or shut your mouth, so that a fierce flame does not jump out and scorch your soul and create a futile rebellion with those around you; but as soon as the flame goes out, and your heart is at peace, then speak towards correction.”
11. Beware in every possible way of becoming angry at anything: any trouble does not befall us on its own, but is allowed by the Providence of God for the same saving purposes for which St. The Apostle Paul suffered troubles in the rivers, troubles from robbers, troubles from relatives, troubles from the tongue, troubles in cities, troubles in the desert, troubles in the sea, troubles from false brethren, outside warfare, inside diseases ().
12. Knowing this, do not pay attention to who offended you and why he offended you, but only remember that no one would dare to offend you if the Lord did not want to allow it, and therefore rather thank the Lord for the sorrows that befall you He clearly shows that you are not strangers to Him, and leads you to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Holy Scripture says: If you endure punishment, God will be found to you as a son; who is a son, his father does not punish him ().
13. Always abandon severity and be before the Lord in dealing with people, like gentle children.
14. Abide in the love of God, learn from it, breathe in it: God is Love, and whoever abides in love is in God, and God is in him. And in a sorrowful life it is sweet to live with God’s love.
15. There is salvation not in talking a lot, but in perfect attention to yourself.
16. Get out of the habit of arguing: they, disturbing the heart, deprive us of a peaceful state of soul. CONTRAST EVERY CRAP THOUGHT WITH JESUS' PRAYER. Don't believe in prejudices.
17. Suspicion is not a Christian quality at all, and therefore do not internalize it. God Himself requires wisdom, caution and integrity from us through Holy Scripture: be wise like a serpent, and purposeful like a dove.
18. Always keep to the middle: extremes are never praiseworthy anywhere or in anything.
19. Always be devoted to the will of God, which is entirely saving for you.
20. Treat others cheerfully and with love. Love them, serve them: they are precious - the Blood of the Savior was shed for them, they are members of Christ. Don't insult them with even a barely noticeable sign.
21. Save yourself by being pleasing to the Lord God, pleasing Him with all kinds of love. Take care only to enrich yourself with love. Whoever has love has God in him.
22. Notice that you are only completely satisfied with everything when you have patience, humility, humility and love for everyone.
23. Do not remember the past with reproach, otherwise the Lord God will remember and exact from you what he has already forgiven you.
24. In despondency, force both your heart and your tongue to pray like this: “Lord, save me - I am perishing!”
25. If you ask anyone for anything, ask with the patience of a Canaanite woman.
26. Believing in other people’s vices is a sin, so avoid such sinful confidence.
27. If you have somehow upset a person subordinate or dependent on you, then use such a means so that he forgets the disappointment done to him.
28. Do everything with discernment, without haste, so that your affairs are successful.
29. Conquer evil with good: bad cannot be corrected by bad.
30. Without renouncing your will and entrusting yourself to God, you cannot begin to save yourself, not only to be saved. Ask the Lord for self-denial, my children: it is necessary for salvation.
31. If you decide to visit someone from your neighbors, then, when visiting him, make it an indispensable duty to preserve for him the same love and the same disposition in which you came to him, even if you received some kind of insult from him.
32. In any trouble that occurs when dealing with your neighbors, turn first to yourself: after strict examination, we almost always find that we ourselves were the cause of the displeasure.
33. In a moment of temper, remain silent and say the Jesus Prayer.
34. Don’t make excuses, don’t argue, be condescending to characters and years. Comfort one and all as best you can; don't judge anyone; do not repay evil for evil; love everyone, forgive everyone; Be servants of all.
35. Consider yourself the last and the most sinful of all.
36. Love the Lord God and pray to Him as a Father; Humble yourself before all Christians, and the Lord your God will love you, and your shepherd will rejoice over you.
37. Endure impatience, stupidity, ignorance, vain anger - all without contradiction.
38. When you have an involuntary feeling of hostility towards someone, try to overcome this sinful feeling; force yourself to pray like this: “Save, Lord, Thy servant (such and such) and pacify my heart with his holy prayers.” Force yourself to provide all kinds of attention and services to an unloved person, and the Lord, seeing your good intention, will not only tear out sinful hostility from your heart, but will also fill him with holy love.
39. If prayer does not console you when you fulfill it, then know that it prepares for you divine consolation and sweetness afterwards: having endured the Lord, you have suffered, and I have heeded you.
40. Throughout your life, before each of your actions, be guided by the following Christian reasoning: is the action I have conceived not contrary to the will of God, is it not destructive for my soul, is it not offensive to my neighbor? If, according to strict research, your conscience does not glare at you, then carry out your intention, and if it does, refrain from fulfilling it.
41. Do not touch your neighbor’s honor with your tongue, but use your tongue only for the praise of God and for someone else’s benefit and edification. If you want to speak evil, then remember the sins you have committed in your youth, and blame yourself for having done them.
42. Do not be burdened by life: it is unbearable only for the wicked, but whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, trusts in Him, loves Him - for him it is always bearable.
43. Life is given to us only so that we glorify God, do good to our neighbors and achieve the eternal kingdom along the narrow path indicated in the Gospel, and not in order to have fun in it: blessed are those who weep now, and those who do not laugh.
44. Humility received its origin from the humble Lord Jesus and is the crown and beauty of all virtues. What rain is like to parched earth, human soul- humility.
45. Humility is such a virtue that God Himself admires: To whom will I look, He says, only to the meek and humble, and trembling at My words.
46. ​​But what does humility consist of? In my opinion, it consists in the fact that a person considers himself the most sinful of all, does not humiliate or insult anyone, does not condemn, listens only to himself and does not seek wealth, fame, praise, or honor, considering himself completely unworthy; courageously endures humiliation, scolding, reproach, recognizing in his heart that he deserves it; He treats everyone cordially, is ready to serve everyone with love, does not see his good deeds and does not talk about them unnecessarily. I ask you for similar humility from the Lord God, my children, because it will not only deliver you from sin, but will also lead you into love for Him who humbled Himself to the point of death, death on the cross.
47. Love covers a multitude of sins. If you will be a consolation to the sad, a relief to the unfortunate, a help to the poor, a father and mother to the orphan, a repose to the sick, a merciful to the guilty, a guide to salvation to the lost, and a diligent servant to every Christian, if possible, then for such love yours to the least brothers and members of our Lord Jesus Christ, not only will your sins be blotted out, but you will also see the Lord face to face and rejoice forever.
48. Put guard on your lips, exercise your heart in the Jesus Prayer, practice all kinds of abstinence - and you will receive a priceless gift, the gift of God’s love for you.
49. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's. Directing external affairs related to community life, constantly be a sacrifice to God according to your heart and so live in this Babylon - this world - so as to constantly remember your heavenly Jerusalem and your destiny.
50. Exchange your prosperity for slavery to the Lord Jesus Christ. Resist nothing, avoid luxury and do not be proud of your workers and subordinates: in the highest things they are equal to you, because our Lord calls them to His holy meal with the same words as you: Take, eat, this is My Body... drink from it you are, this is My Blood, which is shed for you and for many.
51. The valleys lying below are almost always fat and fruitful, but the high mountains are mostly dry and incapable of bearing fruit. Likewise, an ear of wheat that holds its head up is always empty, but one that stands with its head down has a lot of grains. Have a humble heart and you will be enriched with everything you need for salvation.
52. Rain pours onto the fruitful valley both directly from the clouds and from high mountains: such is humility. By the name of rain I mean the grace of God, which is given to the humble both directly from God and through people who in this life are spiritually exalted by the Lord, as mountains are exalted. If your inner self is humbly surrendered to the will of God and closed to His enemies from entering, then the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will come to you and dwell in you.
53. Forget about the long path: the Lord, in His mercy, leads you through narrow gates into the Kingdom of Heaven, and that path will lead to eternal destruction.
54. I wish for both you and myself in this life only cleansing from sins and I ask the Lord God to do with us everything that pleases Him to cleanse our sins and wash away our iniquities, even if this requires dishonor and disgrace. Both you and I must live according to God’s commandments, and not according to human desires.
55. For the benefit of your soul, love solitude and, having completely submitted to the commands of the Heavenly Father, accustom your heart to the unceasing Jesus Prayer. From the inner presence of the Lord God in you, you will become more patient, more loving and humble in everything.
56. Beware that laziness does not weaken your strength for spiritual exploits: it is the first enemy for those living at a distance from the Father; but do not despair of salvation and do not be overly sad if you sometimes weaken in your exploits.
57. It is not works, in fact, that will save us, but the mercy of God, if we do works only in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who may not deprive you, my friends, of His mercy all the days of your life. Whether you are weak or bad, run to the merciful Lord Jesus Christ and trust in Him firmly: this hope will not put you to shame forever.
58. Do not despise my words and do not consider them difficult to fulfill: for the Lord and with the Lord, everything difficult is not difficult and everything sorrowful is not sorrowful.

“THIS YOKE IS GOOD AND HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT.”

Appendix III

Sin

(Article from the Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary)

...The Apostle John says: “Everyone who commits sin and iniquity commits: and sin is lawlessness.” Ap. Paul considers Adam's sin to be "disobedience to the will of God," a "crime" against moral law God's, revealed or natural. You can break the law, God's commandment, in two ways: either do the exact opposite of what is said in the law, or fail to perform the required positive actions in the law. The Holy Scripture clearly says: “Turn away from evil and do good.” The first man was created by God perfect in his entire nature, there was not a shadow of sin in him, he was given the ability for unhindered, constant and endless improvement; For the exercise of moral freedom and its decisive affirmation in goodness, God gave the first man a definite and positive commandment, to which both the spiritual and sensory nature of man are subordinated. For this purpose, the Lord prohibited eating from the fruits of only “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” protecting the violation of the commandment with the threat of death for its crime. Death also meant spiritual death, i.e. alienation from the life of God, and physical - destruction of the body. The main and internal reason for the origin of sin lay in the ancestors themselves, in their freedom; they violated the commandment not out of necessity, not because of oppression and oppression, but by decision of their own freedom; they had all the means to resist all the tricks and seductions evil spirit. In freedom, according to the teaching of Scripture, last reason and all the sins committed by a person, therefore they are imputed to him. The sin of the forefathers, which is the prototype of all human sins, consisted of: 1) in violating the positive commandment of God through eating fruit from a forbidden tree - this is the visible outer side of it, and 2) in the proud separation of the creature from its Creator, in the manifestation of an exorbitant desire to achieve equality with God and complete independence from Him. The indicated properties of sin explain its extreme severity and criminality - so great that to atone for it it took such a means as the incarnation and death of the Son of God. The sin of the forefathers was accompanied by disastrous consequences for humanity, for all who descended from the sinned forefathers. The consequences of the Fall are: in relation to the human soul - spiritual death due to the deprivation of the grace of God, which enlivened it with higher spiritual life, and damage to all the forces of the spiritual nature of man or the darkening of the image of God in him; in relation to the body - diseases and various imperfections of the body; in relation to external well-being - condemnation of a person to exhausting labor and sorrow, to hard earthly life with inevitable death at the end. Natural sinfulness, which by birth passes from ancestors to posterity together with the guilt or condemnation of sin in Adam, is known under the name of original or innate sin. Original sin in the descendants of the forefathers is not identical with the sin of the forefathers themselves. Adam, having violated the commandment of God, committed a personal sinful action and plunged his God-created nature into a sinful state, but the descendants of Adam did not participate with their consciousness and freedom in the sinful action of Adam, and therefore the hereditary sin in the descendants of Adam should be assumed not in the sinful action of Adam, but in the sinful state of nature in which people are born, in hereditary sinful corruption, as some living principle, with force attracting to the commission of personal sins, along with guilt or with its condemnation in Adam. This heredity of sinful nature is the root cause of all sins, which are born from self-will and selfishness and are committed freely, and therefore every sin is imputed because a person was free to commit it. Usually, three types of sins are distinguished: mental sins, which originated in the heart or mind of a person, but did not turn into action; verbal sins - sinful thoughts expressed in words, and, finally, sinful deeds. In accordance with a person’s duties to God, neighbors and himself, they distinguish between sins against God (unbelief, despair, heresy, etc.), against one’s neighbor (malice, condemnation, slander, etc.) and against oneself (gluttony, fornication, etc.) . The sin against the Holy Spirit or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit differs from all sins: the Savior says that every sin can be forgiven to a person, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven to a person.

What is confession?

Why is it needed, and how to correctly name sins in confession?

Why do you need to confess to a priest?

How to properly prepare for the sacrament for those who want to repent for the first time?

Sooner or later, every Orthodox person asks himself all these questions.

Let's figure out all the intricacies of this sacrament together.

Confession for an Orthodox person - what is it?

Confession for Orthodox man is very important, because during this sacrament reconciliation with God occurs. You need to confess at least once a month, but if you have a need to do it more often, please do so. The main thing is to know how to correctly name sins in confession.

For some particularly serious sins, the priest may assign penance (from Greek “punishment” or “special obedience”). This could be prolonged prayer, fasting, almsgiving or abstinence. This is a kind of medicine that will help a person get rid of sin.

As a rule, on such days there are many people who want to confess. And this becomes a real obstacle for those who want to confess for the first time. Some are shy, while others are afraid of doing something wrong.

It would be good if, before your first confession, you contact the priest with a request to set up a time for you when you and the priest will be alone. Then no one will embarrass you.

You can make yourself a little “cheat sheet”. Write down your sins on a piece of paper so that you don’t miss anything out of excitement during confession.

How to correctly name sins in confession: what sins should be named

What sins should you name in confession? Sins are divided into three groups:

1. Sins against the Lord.

2. Sins against neighbors.

3. Sins against your soul.

Let's take a closer look at each one individually.

1. Sins against the Lord. Majority modern people moved away from God. They do not visit temples or do so extremely rarely, but about prayers in best case scenario just heard. However, if you are a believer, have you been hiding your faith? Maybe you were embarrassed to cross yourself in front of people or say that you are a believer.

Blasphemy and murmuring against God- one of the most serious and grave sins. We commit this sin when we complain about life and believe that no one in the world is more unhappy than us.

Blasphemy. You have committed this sin if you have ever mocked the customs or sacraments of the Church about which you understand nothing. Jokes about God or Orthodox faith- this is also blasphemy. It doesn’t matter whether you listen to them or tell them.

False oath or piety. The latter says that man has no fear of the greatness of the Lord.

Failure to fulfill your vows. If you made a vow to God to do some good deed, but did not keep it, this sin must be confessed.

We don’t pray every day at home. It is through prayer that we communicate with the Lord and the Saints. We ask for their intercession and help in the fight against our passions. Without prayer there can be neither repentance nor salvation.

Interest in occult and mystical teachings, as well as pagan and heterodox sects, sorcery and fortune telling. In fact, such interest can be not only destructive for the soul, but also for the mental and physical state of a person.

Superstition. In addition to the superstitions that we inherited from our pagan ancestors, we began to get carried away by the absurd superstitions of new-fangled teachings.

Neglect of your soul. Moving away from God, we forget about our soul and stop paying due attention to it.

Suicidal thoughts, gambling.

2. Sins against neighbors.

Disrespectful attitude towards parents. We should treat our parents with reverence. The same applies to the attitude of students towards their teacher.

Offense inflicted on one's neighbor. By causing offense to loved ones, we harm his soul. We also commit this sin when we advise our neighbors something vicious or bad.

Slander. Speak falsehoods to people. Accusing a person without being sure of his guilt.

Schadenfreude and hatred. This sin is equivalent to murder. We must help and have compassion for our neighbors.

Grudge. It shows that our heart is filled with pride and self-justification.

Disobedience. This sin becomes the beginning of more serious evils: insolence against parents, theft, laziness, deception and even murder.

Condemn. The Lord said: “Judge not, lest you be judged, for with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, I will measure it to you.” By judging a person for this or that weakness, we can fall into the same sin.

Theft, stinginess, abortion, theft, remembrance of the dead with alcoholic beverages.

3. Sins against your soul.

Laziness. We don’t go to church, we shorten our morning and evening prayers. We engage in idle talk when we should be working.

Lie. All bad deeds are accompanied by lies. No wonder Satan is called the father of lies.

Flattery. Today it has become a weapon to achieve earthly benefits.

Foul language. This sin is especially common among young people today. Foul language makes the soul coarse.

Impatience. We must learn to restrain our negative emotions so as not to harm your soul and not offend your loved ones.

Lack of faith and disbelief. A believer should not doubt the mercy and wisdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Charm and self-delusion. This is an imaginary closeness to God. A person suffering from this sin considers himself practically a saint and places himself above others.

Long Hiding of Sin. As a result of fear or shame, a person cannot reveal the sin he has committed in confession, believing that he can no longer be saved.

Despair. This sin often haunts people who have committed serious sins. It must be confessed in order to prevent irreparable consequences.

Blaming others and self-justification. Our salvation lies in the fact that we can recognize ourselves and only ourselves as guilty of our sins and actions.

These are the main sins that almost every person commits. If earlier during confession sins were voiced that were not repeated again, then there is no need to confess them again.

Fornication (including marriage without a wedding), incest, adultery (treason), sexual relations between people of the same sex.

How to correctly name sins during confession - is it possible to write them on paper and simply give them to the priest?

The meaning of confession is precisely for a person to voice his sins, mourn them and hate them. Otherwise, it will not be repentance, but writing a report.

Over time, try to completely abandon any paperwork, and tell in confession exactly what is weighing on your soul at this very moment.

How to correctly name sins in confession: where to start confession and how to end it

There is no need to list sins in detail. If, for example, you stole something, then you do not need to tell the priest where, when and under what circumstances it happened. It’s enough to just say: I sinned by stealing.

However, it’s not worth listing sins completely dryly. For example, you come up and start saying: “I sinned with anger, irritation, condemnation, etc.” This is also not entirely correct. It would be better to say this: “I sinned, Lord, by being irritable to my husband” or “I constantly condemn my neighbor.” The fact is that during confession the priest can give you advice on how to deal with this or that passion. It is these clarifications that will help him understand the reason for your weakness.

You can end your confession with the words “I repent, Lord! Save and have mercy on me, a sinner!”

How to correctly name sins in confession: what to do if you are ashamed

First of all, you must understand that you are not confessing your sins to a priest, but to God. Therefore, one should be ashamed not before the priest, but before the Lord.

Many people think: “If I tell the priest everything, he will probably despise me.” This is absolutely not important, the main thing is to ask God for forgiveness. You must clearly decide for yourself: to receive deliverance and cleanse your soul, or to continue to live in sins, plunging more and more into this dirt.

The priest is only an intermediary between you and God. You must understand that during confession the Lord Himself stands invisibly before you.

I would like to say once again that only in the sacrament of confession does a person with a contrite heart repent of his sins. After which a prayer of permission is read over him, which frees the person from sin. And remember, the one who hides sin during confession will acquire an even greater sin before God!

Over time, you will get rid of shame and fear and will better understand how to correctly name sins in confession.

What is confession?

Why is it needed and how to do it correctly

name sins in confession?

Why do you need to confess to a priest?

How to properly prepare for the sacrament for those who want to repent for the first time?

Sooner or later, every Orthodox person asks himself all these questions.

Let's figure out all the intricacies of this sacrament together.

Confession for an Orthodox person - what is it?

1. Sins against the Lord.

2. Sins against neighbors.

3. Sins against your soul.

1. Sins against the Lord

Blasphemy and murmuring against God

Blasphemy

False oath or piety

Failure to fulfill your vows

We don’t pray every day at home

Superstition

Neglect of your soul

.

2. Sins against neighbors.

Offense inflicted on one's neighbor

Slander

Schadenfreude and hatred

Grudge

Disobedience

Condemn

.

3. Sins against your soul.

Laziness

Lie

Flattery

Foul language

Impatience

Lack of faith and disbelief

Charm and self-delusion

Long Hiding of Sin

Despair

Repentance or confession is a sacrament during which a person verbally reveals his sins to God in the presence of a priest who has the authority to forgive sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. During his earthly life, the Lord gave his apostles, and through them, all priests, the power to forgive sins. During confession, a person not only repents of his sins, but also makes a promise not to repeat them again. Confession is the cleansing of the soul. Many people think: “I know that all the same, even after confession, I will commit this sin again (for example, smoking). So why should I confess?” This is fundamentally wrong. You don’t think: “Why should I wash if I’m going to get dirty tomorrow anyway?” You still take a bath or shower because the body needs to be clean. Man is weak by nature and will continue to sin throughout his life. This is why confession is needed, to cleanse the soul from time to time and work on one’s shortcomings.

Confession is very important for an Orthodox person, because during this sacrament reconciliation with God occurs. You need to confess at least once a month, but if you have a need to do it more often, please do so. The main thing is to know how to correctly name sins in confession.

For some particularly serious sins, the priest may assign penance (from Greek “punishment” or “special obedience”). This could be prolonged prayer, fasting, almsgiving or abstinence. This is a kind of medicine that will help a person get rid of sin.

As before any sacrament, you need to prepare for confession. If you have decided to repent for the first time, then you need to find out when the sacrament is usually held in your temple. It is mainly held on holidays, Saturday and Sunday.

As a rule, on such days there are many people who want to confess. And this becomes a real obstacle for those who want to confess for the first time. Some are shy, while others are afraid of doing something wrong.

It would be good if, before your first confession, you contact the priest with a request to set up a time for you when you and the priest will be alone. Then no one will embarrass you.

You can make yourself a little “cheat sheet”. Write down your sins on a piece of paper so that you don’t miss anything out of excitement during confession.

How to correctly name sins in confession: what sins should be named

Many, especially those who have just begun their path to God, rush from one extreme to another. Some dryly list common sins, copied, as a rule, from church books on repentance. Others, on the contrary, begin to describe each sin committed in such detail that it no longer becomes a confession, but a story about themselves and their lives.

What sins should you name in confession? Sins are divided into three groups:

1. Sins against the Lord.

2. Sins against neighbors.

3. Sins against your soul.

Let's take a closer look at each one individually.

1. Sins against the Lord. Most modern people have become alienated from God. They do not visit temples or do so extremely rarely, and at best they have only heard about prayers. However, if you are a believer, have you been hiding your faith? Maybe you were embarrassed to cross yourself in front of people or say that you are a believer.

Blasphemy and murmuring against God- one of the most serious and grave sins. We commit this sin when we complain about life and believe that no one in the world is more unhappy than us.

Blasphemy. You have committed this sin if you have ever mocked the customs or sacraments of the Church about which you understand nothing. Jokes about God or the Orthodox faith are also blasphemy. It doesn’t matter whether you listen to them or tell them.

False oath or piety. The latter says that man has no fear of the greatness of the Lord.

Failure to fulfill your vows. If you made a vow to God to do some good deed, but did not keep it, this sin must be confessed.

We don’t pray every day at home. It is through prayer that we communicate with the Lord and the Saints. We ask for their intercession and help in the fight against our passions. Without prayer there can be neither repentance nor salvation.

Interest in occult and mystical teachings, as well as pagan and heterodox sects, sorcery and fortune telling. In fact, such interest can be not only destructive for the soul, but also for the mental and physical state of a person.

Superstition. In addition to the superstitions that we inherited from our pagan ancestors, we began to get carried away by the absurd superstitions of new-fangled teachings.

Neglect of your soul. Moving away from God, we forget about our soul and stop paying due attention to it.

Suicidal thoughts, gambling.

2. Sins against neighbors.

Disrespectful attitude towards parents. We should treat our parents with reverence. The same applies to the attitude of students towards their teacher.

Offense inflicted on one's neighbor. By causing offense to loved ones, we harm his soul. We also commit this sin when we advise our neighbors something vicious or bad.

Slander. Speak falsehoods to people. Accusing a person without being sure of his guilt.

Schadenfreude and hatred. This sin is equivalent to murder. We must help and have compassion for our neighbors.

Grudge. It shows that our heart is filled with pride and self-justification.

Disobedience. This sin becomes the beginning of more serious evils: insolence against parents, theft, laziness, deception and even murder.

Condemn. The Lord said: “Judge not, lest ye be judged, for with the judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the measure you use, I will measure it to you." By judging a person for this or that weakness, we can fall into the same sin.

Theft, stinginess, abortion, theft, remembrance of the dead with alcoholic beverages.

3. Sins against your soul.

Laziness. We don’t go to church, we shorten our morning and evening prayers. We engage in idle talk when we should be working.

Lie. All bad deeds are accompanied by lies. No wonder Satan is called the father of lies.

Flattery. Today it has become a weapon to achieve earthly benefits.

Foul language. This sin is especially common among young people today. Foul language makes the soul coarse.

Impatience. We must learn to restrain our negative emotions so as not to harm our soul or offend our loved ones.

Lack of faith and disbelief. A believer should not doubt the mercy and wisdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Charm and self-delusion. This is an imaginary closeness to God. A person suffering from this sin considers himself practically a saint and places himself above others.

Long Hiding of Sin. As a result of fear or shame, a person cannot reveal the sin he has committed in confession, believing that he can no longer be saved.

Despair. This sin often haunts people who have committed serious sins. It must be confessed in order to prevent irreparable consequences.

Blaming others and self-justification. Our salvation lies in the fact that we can recognize ourselves and only ourselves as guilty of our sins and actions.

These are the main sins that almost every person commits. If earlier during confession sins were voiced that were not repeated again, then there is no need to confess them again.

Fornication (including marriage without a wedding), incest, adultery (treason), sexual relations between people of the same sex.

How to correctly name sins during confession - is it possible to write them on paper and simply give them to the priest?

Sometimes, in order to get ready for confession and not worry about forgetting something during the sacrament, they write their sins on paper. In this regard, many people ask the question: can you write your sins on a piece of paper and just give it to the priest? A clear answer: No!

The meaning of confession is precisely for a person to voice his sins, mourn them and hate them. Otherwise, it will not be repentance, but writing a report.

Over time, try to completely abandon any paperwork, and tell in confession exactly what is weighing on your soul at this very moment.

How to correctly name sins in confession: where to start confession and how to end it

When approaching the priest, try to throw thoughts about earthly things out of your head and listen to your soul. Start your confession with the words: “Lord, I have sinned before You” and begin to list your sins.

There is no need to list sins in detail. If, for example, you stole something, then you do not need to tell the priest where, when and under what circumstances it happened. It’s enough to just say: I sinned by stealing.

However, it’s not worth listing sins completely dryly. For example, you come up and start saying: “I sinned with anger, irritation, condemnation, etc.” This is also not entirely correct. It would be better to say this: “I sinned, Lord, by being irritable to my husband” or “I constantly condemn my neighbor.” The fact is that during confession the priest can give you advice on how to deal with this or that passion. It is these clarifications that will help him understand the reason for your weakness.

You can end your confession with the words “I repent, Lord! Save and have mercy on me, a sinner!”

How to correctly name sins in confession: what to do if you are ashamed

Shame during confession is a completely normal phenomenon, because there are no people who would be pleased to talk about the not so pleasant sides of themselves. But you don’t need to fight it, but try to survive it, endure it.

First of all, you must understand that you are not confessing your sins to a priest, but to God. Therefore, one should be ashamed not before the priest, but before the Lord.

Many people think: “If I tell the priest everything, he will probably despise me.” This is absolutely not important, the main thing is to ask God for forgiveness. You must clearly decide for yourself: to receive deliverance and cleanse your soul, or to continue to live in sins, plunging more and more into this dirt.

The priest is only an intermediary between you and God. You must understand that during confession the Lord Himself stands invisibly before you.

I would like to say once again that only in the sacrament of confession does a person with a contrite heart repent of his sins. After which a prayer of permission is read over him, which frees the person from sin. And remember, the one who hides sin during confession will acquire an even greater sin before God!

Over time, you will get rid of shame and fear and will better understand how to correctly name sins in confession.