In today's world, the gospel call to always be awake and pray without ceasing is very difficult to put into practice. Constant worries, a very high pace of life, especially in large cities, practically deprive Christians of the opportunity to retire and stand before God in prayer. But the concept of prayer is still extremely relevant, and it is certainly necessary to turn to it. Regular prayer always leads to the thought of repentance, which occurs at confession. Prayer is an example of how you can accurately and objectively assess your state of mind.

Concept of sin

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

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

Consciousness of sin and confession

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

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

An example of correct confession is true repentance

In Orthodoxy, confession is recommended for all people over the age of seven. A child brought up in a Christian family, by the age of seven or eight, already acquires an understanding of the sacrament. Often it is prepared in advance, explaining in detail all aspects of this difficult issue. Some parents show an example of a confession written on paper, which was invented in advance. A child left alone with such information has the opportunity to reflect and see something in himself. But in the case of children, priests and parents rely primarily on the psychological state of the child and his worldview, the ability to analyze and realize the criteria of good and evil. With excessive haste in forcibly attracting children, one can sometimes observe deplorable results and examples.

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

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

1) Confession before the priest of sins by a person who has come to the sacrament.

2) Prayerful forgiveness and resolution of sins, which the shepherd pronounces.

Preparation for confession

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

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

If we build a penitential monologue on the basis of the division of sins into three types given above, then we can determine an incomplete, approximate list of deviations.

Sins against God

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

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

Sins against neighbor

This group considers the attitude towards people: relatives, friends, colleagues and just casual acquaintances and strangers. The first thing that is most often clearly revealed in the heart is the lack of love. Often, instead of love, there is a consumer attitude. Inability and unwillingness to forgive, hatred, malevolence, malevolence and revenge, stinginess, condemnation, gossip, lies, indifference to someone else's misfortune, mercilessness and cruelty - all these ugly thorns in the human soul must be confessed. Separately, actions are indicated in which there was open self-harm or material harm was caused. It can be fights, extortion, robbery.
The gravest sin is abortion, which will certainly entail church punishment after it is taken to confession. An example of what punishment can be is learned from the parish priest. As a rule, penance is imposed, but it will be more disciplinary than redemptive.

Sins directed against oneself

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

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

About brevity

Priests often ask to confess briefly. This does not mean that it is not necessary to name some kind of sin. We must try to talk specifically about sin, but not about the circumstances in which it was committed, without involving third parties who may be somehow involved in the situation, and without describing in detail the details. If repentance occurs in the temple for the first time, you can sketch an example of confession on paper, then during the exposure of oneself in sins it will be easier to get together, convey to the priest and, most importantly, to God absolutely everything noticed, without forgetting anything.

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

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

There are people who recognize themselves as Orthodox, who do not fall into grave mortal sins, who, however, take communion only three or four times a year and do not feel the need for more. I do not think that they should be forced or even persuaded to take communion more often. Although, as far as possible, I try to explain to all Christians the meaning and salvation of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood.

If an Orthodox person takes communion on all Sundays and holidays, this is natural for a Christian. If for some reason it does not work out, let it be as it turns out. Once a month, it seems to me, every person can get out to the temple for communion, but if this is not possible, what can you do. The Lord welcomes the intention. Only it is not necessary to consider communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ a feat! If so, then it is better not to take communion at all. The Body and Blood of Christ is not our feat, but the mercy of God. But if someone wants to take communion several times in a row during the Bright Week, not in the order of achievement, but in simplicity, then what's wrong with that? If a person is not hindered by anything, I usually do not mind. But in order to constantly take communion every day, there must be serious reasons. In and of itself, this has never been a church norm. Here St. Theophan the Recluse in the last years of his life took communion every day. Let everyone look at what really incites him to extraordinarily frequent communion: the grace of God or his own vain fantasies. It is also good to consult with a confessor.

Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky

Preparing for Holy Communion - fasting

It is necessary to prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting, that is, prayer, fasting, a Christian humble mood and behavior, and confession.

Prayer at home and church

Those who wish to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must at least for a week prayerfully prepare themselves for this: pray more and more fervently at home in the morning and evening and, if possible, attend church services in the morning and evening every day during the week. If work or service interferes with regular attendance at all Divine Services, then one must go as far as circumstances permit, and, in any case, be sure to be at the evening Divine Service on the eve of the day of communion.

For worthy prayerful preparation for Holy Communion, there is a special "Rule for Holy Communion", which is placed in more complete prayer books. It consists of readings the day before from the evening of the canons: to the Sweetest Jesus, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel, the canon and prayers for Holy Communion and prayers for the coming sleep, and morning prayers in the morning.

Fast

Fasting is combined with prayer, that is, abstinence from fast food - meat, dairy products, butter, eggs, and in general moderation in food: you need to eat and drink less than usual.

+ main material: Orthodox posts

Mood and behavior

Those who are preparing for Holy Communion must be imbued with a deep awareness of their sinfulness, their insignificance before God and lewdness; must be reconciled with everyone and protect himself from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation and all kinds of obscene thoughts and conversations, refuse to visit places of entertainment and houses that could give rise to falling into sin. He should meditate on the greatness of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, spending as much time as possible in solitude, reading the word of God and books of spiritual content.

Confession

Those who wish to take communion should, best of all, even the day before, before or after the evening service, confess - bring sincere repentance for their sins before the priest, sincerely opening their soul and not concealing a single sin they have committed. Before confession, it is necessary to reconcile with the offenders, as well as with the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. Forgiveness is usually carried out in the following form: “Forgive me, a sinner, that I have sinned against you,” to which it is customary to answer: “God will forgive you, forgive me, a sinner, too.” During confession, it is better not to wait for the priest's questions, but to express everything that burdens the soul yourself, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame onto others. To get rid of false modesty in confessing your sins, you can write them on a piece of paper and give it to the priest during confession.

It is more correct to confess the day before in the evening, so that the morning can be devoted to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. As a last resort, one can go to confession in the morning, but to come to confession when the Divine Liturgy has already begun is an extreme disrespect for the great sacrament. Those who have not confessed are not allowed to receive Holy Communion, except in cases of mortal danger.

Having confessed, you must make a firm decision not to repeat your sins again. There is a good custom - after confession and before Holy Communion, do not eat or drink. It is definitely forbidden after midnight. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion from a very young age.

Before and during Holy Communion

You must come to the church in advance, before the reading of the Hours. During the Divine Liturgy, before the opening of the royal doors and the removal of the Holy Gifts, shortly after the singing of “Our Father”, one should approach the steps of the altar and wait for the removal of the Holy Gifts at the exclamation: “Come with the fear of God and faith.” The brethren of the monastery are the first to receive communion (and also approach the cross, they are anointed), then the children, after the man and finally the woman. Approaching the Chalice, you need to make a bow to the ground in advance, from a distance, and on Sundays and Lord's holidays - bow from the waist, touching the floor with your hand, and fold your arms crosswise on your chest - right over left. In no case should you be baptized before the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push the Holy Chalice, clearly pronounce your full Christian name, open your mouth wide and reverently, with full awareness of the sanctity of the great Mystery, accept the Body and Blood of Christ and immediately swallow it.

After Holy Communion

Having received the Holy Mysteries, without being baptized, kiss the edge of the Chalice and immediately approach the table with warmth to drink and taste a particle of antidoron.

Until the end of the Divine service, do not leave the church, but be sure to listen to prayers of thanksgiving. On this day - the day of Holy Communion, do not eat too much, do not get drunk on alcoholic beverages, and generally behave reverently and decently, in order to "honestly keep Christ accepted in yourself."

All of the above is also obligatory for children, starting from the age of seven, when children come to confession for the first time.

Who is not allowed to receive communion and who is not allowed to receive communion

Holy Communion must not be taken:

those who have enmity against their neighbor,

unbaptized

who does not constantly wear a pectoral cross,

who had not been at the evening service the day before and who had not gone to confession,

eaten in the morning

late for the Divine Liturgy,

not fasting

who have not read the Rules for Holy Communion,

women who have an unsuitable state of health and appearance for the church, namely: during the period of monthly cleansing, with an uncovered head, in trousers, with cosmetics on their faces and especially painted lips.

The basis for the prohibition in communion for a longer or shorter period can only be a serious sin (fornication, murder, theft, witchcraft, denial of Christ, obvious heresy, sins of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
Despair is a feeling that denies paternal goodness in God and leads to suicide.
Perseverance in unbelief, denial of any evidence of the existence of God, even obvious miracles.
Excessive hope in God, or stagnation in a sinful life in one hope for God's mercy.
sins crying out to heaven for vengeance for them:
Intentional homicide, especially patricide, fratricide, or regicide.
Sodomy sin, artificial sex change (transsexuals).
The oppression of a wretched person, a defenseless widow and young orphans.
Withholding from a poor worker honestly earned wages; deception and robbing a beggar, appropriation of the property of a prisoner or a sick person.
Grieving parents and inflicting grave insults or even beatings on them), or a moral state that is completely incompatible with communion (for example, refusal to reconcile with a repentant offender).

Excommunication from the Eucharist - in Orthodoxy, penance, consisting in excommunication from communion of the Holy Mysteries, was appointed for sins that were obvious and more important. There was such an indication of the rules of the holy fathers regarding the terms of excommunication:

heretics and schismatics - until they renounce their errors,
bloodsuckers - for 12 years,
adulterers - from 9 to 15 years,
killers - up to 25 years,
males - up to 15 years,
cattle breeders - up to 15 years or until the end of life,
perjurers - up to 10 years,
wizards - up to 25 years old,
grave diggers - for 10 years.

Penance is a special obedience that a confessing priest offers to perform to a penitent sinner for his spiritual benefit. As a penance, a ban on communion for a certain time, an increase in the daily prayer rule, and additional reading of the psalter, canons, akathists with a certain number of prostrations can be prescribed. Sometimes, as a penance, an increased fast, a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Church, almsgiving, and concrete help to one's neighbor are appointed.

Also non-Orthodox, who visits the parishes of non-canonical, schismatic church associations (Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic churches, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - the Kyiv Patriarchate, etc.) and sects. Such people must repent for having consciously or unconsciously been in schism and thereby neglected the divine teaching about the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, violating the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils.

An example of a short confession to a confessor:

I confess, sinful (sinful), servant (s) of God (s) (name)

Lord God Almighty, in the Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit all my sins are free and involuntary by word, or deed, or thought.

Sinned:

Sins from the enslavement of pride:

arrogance, pride, ambition, hypocrisy and pretense, arrogance in manners, boasting in words, pomp in dress, immoderation of desires, unfriendliness, a spirit of vengeance, contempt for one's neighbor and any sin contrary to love, an excessively high opinion of oneself and neglect of others; arrogance, arrogance, arrogance. Resentment, pride, intransigence, truth-seeking, self-justification, grumbling, consumerism towards God, the Church and people, self-will, selfishness, lack of generosity.

Sins from enslavement by vanity:

they renounced their faith so as not to lose their authority in society; they approved of mortal sins in order to maintain respect for themselves on the part of the atheists; they approached church sacraments for show; they were ashamed to defend the truth (dogmas, canons, commandments, if someone rudely trampled them); they were ashamed to confess their sins, they enjoyed their imaginary spiritual state; ; attributed to their merits the blessings received from God; desired praise from people and sought authority
boasted, embellished speech, exaggerated for greater persuasiveness; acquired knowledge, experience, skill positively assessed their spiritual qualities (complacency);

Sins from enslavement by despondency:

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) defines the sinful passion of despondency as follows: “laziness in every good deed, especially in prayer... Neglect... Idleness. Excessive comfort with sleep, lying down and all kinds of languor. Moving from place to place... Negligence. Captivity. Deprivation of the fear of God. Bitterness. Insensibility. Despair"

Sins from enslavement by sadness:

St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) defines sadness and despondency in this way. Sorrow is grief, longing, cutting off hope in God, ungratefulness to God, cowardice, impatience, non-self-reproach, grumbling, sorrow for one's neighbor, renunciation of the cross

Sins from enslavement to anger:

irritability, irascibility, passionate disputes, vindictiveness, hatred, thirst for revenge, unforgiveness of insults, love for word disputes, disputes. Lack of love for one’s neighbor, impatience, resentment, irritability, anger, harm to one’s neighbor, obstinacy, enmity, evil for evil retribution, unforgiveness of insults, rancor, jealousy, envy, malevolence, vindictiveness, slander, condemnation, covetousness, lack of compassion for the unfortunate

Sins from enslavement by love of money:

greed, avarice, extravagance, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, filthy profitability, predilection for objects

Sins from enslavement to fornication:

Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov lists the sins generated by the passion of fornication: “Fornication, fornication, sensations and desires of the body, fornication and desire of the soul and heart (clumping), acceptance of impure thoughts, conversation with them, delight in them, permission to them, slowness in them. Prodigal dreams and captivity. Defilement by torture. Failure to keep the senses, especially the sense of touch, which is an insolence that destroys all virtues. Cursing and reading voluptuous books. Fornication sins are natural: fornication and adultery. Fornication sins unnatural: malakia, sodomy, bestiality and the like "

Sins from enslavement by gluttony:

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) lists the passions related to gluttony:
Overeating, drunkenness, non-keeping and permission of fasts, secret eating, delicacy, in general, violation of abstinence. Wrong and excessive love of the flesh, its belly and rest, from which self-love is made, from which non-keeping of fidelity to God, the Church, virtue and people.

Sins against the Lord:

Lack of faith, unbelief, doubt, wavering in faith, planted against God and the Holy Church by the enemy, self-conceit, superstition, divination, arrogance, negligence, despair in one’s salvation, forgetfulness of God’s justice and lack of sufficient devotion to the will of God, disobedience to the actions of God’s Providence , carelessness in the knowledge of God, His will, faith in Him, reverence for Him, fear of Him, hope in Him, and zeal for His glory. Ingratitude to the Lord God for all his great blessings, poured out in abundance on me and on the whole human race, and forgetfulness of them, murmuring against God, lack of love for Him, nor fear and failure to fulfill His holy will.

Sins against the Church:

God-worship, non-fulfillment of vows, forcing others to worship and swearing, ignorance of the shrine, blasphemy against God, the saints, every shrine, blasphemy, sacrilege (theft of church things), invoking the name of God in vain, in bad deeds, desires. Ignorance of the feasts of God, non-going to the temple of God due to laziness and negligence, impious standing in the temple of God, talking and laughing, inattention to reading and singing, distraction of the mind, wandering thoughts, walking around the temple during Divine services, premature exits from the temple, in uncleanness came to the temple and touched its shrines. Negligence in prayer, abandoning morning and evening prayers, neglecting attention during prayer, abandoning the reading of the Holy Gospel, the Psalter and other Divine books. Concealment of sins at confession, self-justification in them, repentance without contrition of heart, and carelessness about proper preparation for Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, without reconciling with his neighbors, he came (a) to confession and in such a sinful state dared (-a_ to proceed to Communion. Violation fasting and fasting days: Wednesdays and Fridays, intemperance in food and drink, careless and irreverent image of the sign of the cross.

Despondency, sadness, sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, lust, impurity and all my feelings, thoughts, words, desires, deeds (here it is necessary to name the sins that were not listed and burden the soul), and in my other sins, which I don't remember.

Having named the sins, you need to carefully listen to the answer of the priest, who at the end will read the permissive prayer.

Repentance or confession is a sacrament in which a person who confesses his sins to a priest, through his forgiveness, is resolved from sins by the Lord Himself. The question of whether, father, is asked by many people who join church life. The 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 forefathers Adam and Eve, and in the second, the penitent is washed away from his sins committed after baptism. However, because of the weakness of their human nature, people continue to sin, and these sins separate them from God, standing between them as a barrier. They cannot overcome this barrier on their own. But the Sacrament of Repentance helps to be saved and 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 throughout his life must continuously struggle with his sins. And, despite all the defeats and falls, he should not lose heart, despair and grumble, but repent all the time and continue to carry his life's cross, which the Lord Jesus Christ laid on him.

Consciousness of one's sins

In this matter, the main thing is to learn that in the Sacrament of Confession, a penitent 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 commandments 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 from childhood in order to prepare a real confession. How it passes, not everyone knows, and even rejects, but a true Orthodox Christian, overcoming 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 be defined for a person in eternal condemnation, and repentance will mean victory over oneself.

What is real confession? How does this sacrament work?

Before confessing to a priest, it is necessary to seriously prepare and realize the necessity of cleansing the soul from sins. To do this, one must reconcile with all the offenders and those who were offended, refrain from gossip and condemnation, all kinds of obscene thoughts, watching numerous entertainment programs and reading lightweight literature. It is better to devote your free time to reading the Holy Scriptures 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 already, 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, involves the ability to see and realize one's sins; at the moment of uttering them, the priest should not justify himself and shift the blame onto another.

Children under 7 and all newly baptized communion on this day without confession, only women who are in purification (when they have menstruation or after childbirth until the 40th day) cannot do this. The text of the confession can be written on a piece of paper so as not to stray later and remember everything.

Confession order

A lot of people usually gather in the church 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. Approaching the lectern (high book stand), crossing yourself and bowing at the waist, without kissing the Cross and the Gospel, bowing your head, you can proceed to confession.

Previously confessed sins do not need to be repeated, because, as the Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if they are 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 himself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, and then, again crossing and bowing, accept the blessing of his father and go to your place.

What to repent about

Summing up the topic “Confession. How does this sacrament go”, you need 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 execution of the sign of the cross, not wearing a pectoral cross, violation of the commandments of God, mentioning the name of the Lord in vain, careless performance not attending church, prayer without diligence, talking and walking in the temple during services, belief in superstitions, turning to psychics and fortune tellers, thoughts of suicide, etc.

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

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, longing, 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 take communion, and for this you 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: the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the Penitent One, for Communion, and, if possible, , or rather, at will - Akathist to Jesus the Sweetest. After midnight they no longer eat or drink, they proceed to the sacrament on an empty stomach. After acceptance, one must read the prayers for Holy Communion.

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

The Lord said, “Judge not, lest you be judged; for by what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, I will measure it to you.” Judging a person for this or that weakness, we can fall into the same sin. Theft, stinginess, abortion, theft, commemoration of the dead with alcohol. 3. Sins against your soul. Laziness. We do not go to the temple, we shorten morning and evening prayers. We engage in idle talk while we need to work. Lie. All bad deeds are accompanied by lies. Satan is called the father of lies for a reason. Flattery. Today it has become a weapon to achieve earthly goods. Foul language. This sin is especially prevalent among young people today. From foul language the soul becomes coarse. Impatience. We must learn to restrain our negative emotions so as not to harm our soul and offend loved ones. Lack of faith and unbelief.

How to write a note with sins?

She often opened her mouth to show off her gold teeth, wore gold-rimmed glasses, an abundance of rings and gold jewelry.209. Asked for advice from people who do not have a spiritual mind.210.
Before reading the word of God, she did not always call on the grace of the Holy Spirit, she took care to only read more.211. She conveyed the gift of God to the womb, voluptuousness, idleness and sleep.

She did not work, having talent.212. I was too lazy to write and rewrite spiritual instructions.213. She dyed her hair and rejuvenated, visited beauty salons.214.

Giving alms, she did not combine it with the correction of her heart.215. She did not evade flatterers, and did not stop them.216. She had a predilection for clothes: care not to get dirty, not to get dusty, not to get wet.217.

She did not always wish salvation for her enemies and did not care about it.218. At prayer she was “a slave of necessity and duty.”219.

Matushki.ru

It is these clarifications that will help him understand the cause of your weakness. You can end the 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 their not very pleasant sides.

Info

But you should not 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.

Attention

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."

It is absolutely not important, the main thing is to beg forgiveness from God. You must clearly decide for yourself: to receive deliverance and purify your soul, or to continue to live in sins, plunging into this dirt more and more.

How to confess correctly, what to say to the priest?

She was too lazy to work, shifting her work onto the shoulders of others.93. She did not always carefully treat the word of God: she drank tea and read St.

Gospel (which is irreverence).94. She took Epiphany water after eating (without need).95. She tore lilacs at the cemetery and brought them home.96. She did not always keep the sacramental days, she forgot to read thanksgiving prayers. Overeated these days, slept a lot.97. She sinned with idleness, late arrival to the temple and early departure from it, rare going to the temple.98. She neglected menial work when she was in dire need of it.99.

She sinned with indifference, was silent at someone's blasphemy.100. She did not strictly observe fasting days, during fasting she was fed up with fasting food, she tempted others to eat tasty and inaccurate according to the charter: hot loaf, vegetable oil, seasoning.101. She was fond of negligence, relaxation, carelessness, trying on clothes and jewelry.102.
home » Home » How to confess correctly, what to say to the priest? The desire to confess appears not only in people who bow before the law of God. Even the sinner is not lost to the Lord. He is given the opportunity to change through the revision of his own views and the recognition of the sins committed, the correct repentance of them. Having cleansed himself of sins and embarked on the path of correction, a person will not be able to fall again. The need to confess arises in someone who:

• committed the gravest sin;
• terminally ill;
• wants to change the sinful past;
• decided to get married;
• preparing for communion.

Babies up to the age of seven, and parishioners who were baptized that day, can receive Communion for the first time without confession.
Note! It is allowed to come to confession at the age of seven.

How to write a confession note to a priest

Respect other confessors, do not crowd around the priest and in no case be late for the beginning of the procedure, otherwise you risk being denied access to the sacred Sacrament. 8 For the future, develop a nightly habit of analyzing the events of the past day and daily repenting before God, and write down the most serious sins for future confession. Be sure to ask for forgiveness from all your neighbors whom you offended, even if inadvertently.

Pay attention Women are not allowed to confess and visit the temple in general during the period of monthly cleansing. Useful advice Do not take confession as an interrogation with prejudice, and do not tell the clergyman the most intimate details of your personal life in colors.

A brief mention of them will suffice. Confession is a very serious step. It can be difficult to admit your negative actions not only to an outsider, but even to yourself.

This is a conversation with your conscience.

How to write a note about sins to the priest in confession

She spoiled her children, did not pay attention to their bad deeds.407. She had a satanic fear for her body, she was afraid of wrinkles, gray hair.408.

Burdened others with requests.409. She drew conclusions about the sinfulness of people according to their misfortunes.410. She wrote insulting and anonymous letters, spoke rudely, disturbed people on the phone, making jokes under an assumed name.411. She sat on the bed without the permission of the owner.412. At prayer she imagined the Lord.413. Satanic laughter attacked when reading and listening to the Divine.414.

She asked for advice from people who were ignorant in that matter, believed crafty people.415. Strived for superiority, rivalry, won interviews, participated in competitions.416.

She treated the Gospel as a fortune-telling book.417. Picked berries, flowers, branches in other people's gardens without permission.418. During the fast she did not have a good disposition towards people, she allowed violations of the fast.419.
Do not be afraid of your own sins, they should in no way stand between you and a visit to church for confession. Remember that God is pleased with the very desire of the soul for repentance. 5 Do not worry that the priest will be unpleasantly surprised or even amazed by the list of your wrong deeds. Believe me, the church has seen not such sinners repenting of their deeds.

The priest, like no one else, knows that people are weak and without God's help they cannot cope with the demonic temptation. 6 If there are doubts about the reputation of the priest who performs the Sacrament of Confession, keep in mind that confession remains valid no matter how sinful the clergyman is, provided that you actually repented sincerely. 7 For the first confession, choose a weekday time when there are not so many people in the church. You can ask your friends for advice in advance about which priest and temple it is best to turn to for the first confession.

The flesh did not live with a shower, a bath, a bathhouse.183. Traveled aimlessly, for the sake of boredom.184. When the visitors left, she did not try to free herself from sinfulness by prayer, but remained in it.185. She allowed herself privileges in prayer, pleasures in worldly pleasures.186. She pleased others for the sake of the flesh and the enemy, and not for the benefit of the spirit and salvation.187. She sinned with a soulless attachment to her friends.188. Be proud of yourself when you do a good deed. She did not humiliate, did not reproach herself.189. She did not always feel sorry for sinful people, but scolded and reproached them.190. She was dissatisfied with her life, scolded her and said: “When only death will take me.”191.

There were cases when she called annoyingly, knocked loudly to open them.192. While reading, she did not ponder over the Holy Scriptures.193. She did not always have kindness to visitors and the memory of God.194.

She did things out of passion and worked without need.195. Often kindled by empty dreams.196.

No entertainment and frivolous literature, it is better to remember the Holy Scriptures. Confession proceeds in the following order:

• wait your turn for confession;
• turn to those present with the words: “Forgive me, a sinner,” having heard in response that God will forgive, and we forgive, and only then approach the priest;
• in front of a high setup - an lectern, bow your head, cross yourself and bow, begin to confess correctly;
• after listing the sins, listen to the clergyman;
• then, crossing ourselves and bowing twice, we kiss the Cross and the holy book of the Gospel.

Think in advance how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest.

An example, the definition of sins, can be taken from the Biblical Commandments. We begin each phrase with the words that she sinned and in what exactly.

She was weary of the service, waiting for the end, hurrying to the exit as soon as possible in order to calm down and take care of worldly affairs.236. She rarely did self-examinations, in the evening she did not read the prayer “I confess to you…”237.

She rarely thought about what she heard in the temple and read in Scripture.238. She did not look for traits of kindness in an evil person and did not talk about his good deeds.239. Often she did not see her sins and rarely condemned herself.240. She took birth control pills. She demanded protection from her husband, interruption of the act.241. Praying for health and repose, she often went over names without the participation and love of her heart.242. She spoke out everything when it would have been better to remain silent.243. In the conversation, she used artistic techniques. She spoke in an unnatural voice.244. She was offended by inattention and neglect of herself, was inattentive to others.245. She did not abstain from excesses and pleasures.246. She wore other people's clothes without permission, spoiled other people's things.

Confession is one of the Christian sacraments, when a Christian repents of his sins before a priest. But few Orthodox people know how to confess correctly, and what happens after this sacrament. Priests consider repentance to be a second baptism: when confessing, a person is completely cleansed of sins.

Sinful deeds in Christianity

Before repentance, you should know the list of actions that are considered sinful in Christianity. Sins are divided according to the following criteria:

• Against God.
• Against myself.
• Against your neighbors.

Sins against the Lord

Every Orthodox person should know the main sins against the Lord.

Sins against oneself

One might think that sins against oneself are not so important, this is a delusion, because we are all a part of the Lord. We must take very good care of ourselves., your thoughts, your body. The main sins against oneself:

Sins against your neighbors

Crimes against loved ones are severely punished. We must treat others the way we want to be treated.

Major sins against another person:

There are special requirements for believing women in the Orthodox faith, because it is the woman who raises children and she must instill in them the love of God on your example. There is a separate list of sins for the confession of women:

Preparation for confession

Before going to church, you need to know how to prepare for confession and communion. First you need to realize your sins and repent of them sincerely, have a great desire to leave your sin behind and move on with faith in the Lord.

You must understand that real confession is more than just listing your sins in front of a priest. The Lord already knows all your sins, he is waiting for you to realize your sins and sincerely wish to get rid of them. Only after true repentance can one expect that the soul after confession will become easier.

You can take a piece of paper and write down all your sins that burden your soul. A written sheet can be given to a spiritual mentor for cleaning, but especially serious sins should be told aloud.

Repentance should be brief, you do not need to tell the whole story of your quarrel with loved ones, tell only about how you condemned loved ones or relatives, your anger or envy. It is a very good practice every evening before the evening prayer to analyze the day you have lived and to repent before the icon.

To confess, you must first find out when the sacrament of confession takes place in the church. In large churches, the sacrament of confession is held daily. In those churches where there is no daily service, you need to familiarize yourself with the schedule.

If after confession you feel like this and it didn’t get easier, you didn’t believe in God enough, the grace that comes to an Orthodox believer after sincere repentance is not yet available to you.

The Church is always glad to all people who come to confession. Even the greatest sinners have the right to believe in God and repent for their sins. Priests are usually very welcoming to parishioners and help them in the process, pushing them to the right words and conclusions.

Confession is held either in the morning or in the evening. It is impossible to be late for the sacrament, since it begins with a prayer, in which every penitent must participate. During the prayer service, the priest addresses everyone who came with a request to give their name. Women are not allowed to attend the sacrament during menstruation.

How to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, you can learn from your believing parents, who have gone through this sacrament more than once. You should know that a good confessor will always help and guide you. Sins need to be named briefly, it is important to name all the sins, you cannot say some, but keep silent about others. If your sins were already forgiven in the previous Sacrament, you do not need to name them this time. Always confess with the same priest, you should not look for another out of your own shame, in doing so, you are trying to deceive God and yourself.

In large churches, when there are a lot of people who want to confess and there is no way to devote time to everyone, the priest can conduct a “general confession”. The confessor lists the most common sins and those who stand before him repent of these sins. If you have never confessed before or it has been a long time since your last repentance, do not repent at a general confession, wait until everyone has dispersed and ask him to listen to you. For individual absolution, the priest will put an epitrachelion on your head, which outwardly resembles a scarf, after the absolution of sins, he will remove it.

During the Sacrament, Father can ask you questions, no need to be embarrassed, answer calmly. A parishioner can also ask questions, you should not be ashamed of this, because confession exists for this, so that a person finds a righteous path to God. After repentance, the priest reads a prayer for the remission of sins, and each parishioner kisses the cross and the Gospel. If a person prepared in advance for confession, the priest gives permission for communion.

You should choose your clothes very carefully, men should wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. Women also need to dress modestly, outerwear should cover the shoulders, décolleté area, put a headscarf on your head. Women are not allowed to make up for confession, it is not recommended to wear high-heeled shoes, it will be difficult to survive the service in them.

How to Prepare for Confession to a Child

Children under the age of seven are considered infants and can receive communion without confession. Try to set the baby up for communion in a few days, read the Holy Scriptures or children's Orthodox literature. When preparing, reduce the time you watch TV or a computer, help your baby pray. If a child does bad deeds or foul language, you need to shame him.

After seven years, children can be confessed on an equal basis with adults, in the church there are certain allowances for children's sins, since they can commit the sins listed above by accident.

How to Prepare for Communion

After confession, the sacrament of communion takes place, it can be held on the same day. Before communion, you need to fast for three days, and a week before that, read akathists to the saints and the Mother of God. Before communion, you can’t eat or drink; in the morning after waking up, you need to read prayers. At confession, the priest will definitely ask you about it.

Preparing for the sacrament also includes avoiding smoking, alcohol, and intimacy with a partner. Before this sacred sacrament, you cannot use foul language, this is very important, because you are going to receive the blood and body of the Lord. Standing in front of the Chalice of Christ, you need to keep your hands crossed on your chest, before eating bread and wine, you need to pronounce your name.

The church shop has a lot of special literature that will help you prepare for communion correctly and prepare your child for confession.

Remember that confession and communion must enter into your spiritual life. Confessors recommend going to the sacrament of confession once every six months. It is up to you how often to do this, but after such a sacrament it will become much easier for you and you will be freed from the thoughts that weigh on you.