Sins at confession in your own words: briefly, a list of possible sins and their description. How to confess correctly, what to say to the priest? Pattern of Repentance

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When you come to church for confession, don't be afraid. The Lord is generous, accepts all sinners. Forgiving the repentant. Do not be afraid of the priest, he is the eyes and ears of the Lord, no one will know about your secret sins. He listens so much throughout the day that by dinnertime he does not remember who came to him and what he said.

Batiushka is the only person who will not wish you harm, envy you. He will only rejoice that another soul has been saved, and thank God that he is all-seeing and all-good for directing you on the right path!

Sins speaking in confession

The priest in the church is not an all-seeing eye, especially not a psychic to guess about your sins. He will ask questions, one way or another related to sins. These questions are directly related to the 10 important commandments.

1. "I am your God."Will be listed:

Do you pray, as you often go to services, just to church?
Do you confess that you believe in God to your acquaintances?
Do you believe in God?

2. "Do not make an idol for yourself."This may include:

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

3. Do you remember the Lord in moments of frustration?

4. Do you dedicate a day off to prayer.

5. Do you respect your parents

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

7. Don't seduce anyone, don't ruin someone's marriage and life.

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

9. Do not slander relatives and friends of lies.

10. Don't want what others have.

Preparation for confession of sins, how to repent

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

Don't look for excuses for your actions. If they did so, then they wanted to, and at that time it suited you very much. Before going to confession, reconcile with yourself, your loved ones, ask for forgiveness, if necessary.

The confession is divided into two parts:

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

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

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

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

Sins in confession list for women

Compiling and reading such a ready-made list of many ladies leads to a stupor. To understand that your life is a continuous sinful nightmare is far from being possible for everyone. You should not despair. Consult with the priest, he will briefly explain everything and tell you what and why. No one will invade your personal life, because only the Lord knows why this is so, and how you deserve it. You, having passed the secret of confession, will be able to figure it out and draw the right conclusions, improve your life position and take the right path to correct life's mistakes. You can discuss contraception with the priest, because abortions are a mortal sin, and it is better to avoid this in time than to repent all your life later.

List of possible sins:

She was dissatisfied with her position in society, environment, life;
She was angry with her children, screamed, doubted them;
She did not trust doctors, doubted their competence;
I misled myself;
Set a bad example for your children;
Jealous;
Was the cause of scandals;
The most terrible and deadly sin is arrogance. It is very difficult to fight with him, almost no one notices him, but they yak very often. If you learn to catch yourself on I, rebuild on WE, then you are on the right track.
She did not pray and rarely read a prayer, did not come to the temple of God;
During the service, she thought about worldly problems;
She did abortions herself, and pushed others to this idea;
I thought badly about people, discussed;
Reading obscenities or watching obscene films;
She cursed, lied, envied;
She was offended for no reason, showing her self to others;
She wore obscene clothes, too short and defiant, thereby provoking excessive male attention and female envy;
I was afraid for my appearance and figure;
Thought about death;
I ate, drank alcohol, used drugs;
Refused to help;
I visited fortune-tellers, fortune-tellers.
She believed in all sorts of superstitions;

Full confession of sins for women

You need to trust the priest, tell everything:

If you have not confessed before, then you need to tell about all the offenses you have committed since the age of seven. Hidden sin is doubled, harder to expiate;
If they confessed, then from the last confession;
Tell about your sinful thoughts and desires;
An important place is given to abortion. If you have committed, and more than one, it is worth mentioning all;
If they were married more than once, cohabited in a civil marriage, or had several men, also;
If you have children from more than one husband, also;

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

Sins in confession in your own words

I repent, Lord. Sinful. The world is sinful and I'm no better. I despair, I am offended, I am angry. I skip the post on Wednesday and Friday. I don't stick to a strict post. Sometimes I overeat, I'm lazy. I yell at my husband and children. I don't trust people. I'm bad at my job. I'm worried that I don't have enough money. I do not trust the Lord, I rely only on myself, etc.

Full confession of sins

There are several options for confession. Short, involves a description of perfect deeds, words or deeds. A full confession also includes thoughts and desires. Monks go through this confession. Believers, if desired, can also undergo such a complete purification of the soul. To do this, you need to consult with the priest, or read the relevant literature.

Confession how to write a note with sins

The sheet must be divided into parts:

Sins against parents and relatives;
Sins against yourself;
Sins against God.

Many people think that having written down their misdeeds on a piece of paper, they are doing wrong, and when they come to confession, they forget half of their sins, they go astray. Such a presentation of one's thoughts will streamline the confession itself, and not allow one to forget or hide something.

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

In confession, it is important to repent, to understand what was perfect and not to allow such acts anymore. That is why, it is worth considering the transfer of sins to paper as a design of a memo or a hint.

List of sins in confession for men

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

Possible sins:

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

This is not a complete list of male sins. To most of the above, mankind treats it for granted, and does not consider it a sin at all.

Examples of sins for confession

People sin in their own way. One considers his act the norm, for the other it is a mortal sin.

Here is a rough list of possible options:

Not faith in the Lord God;
Doubts;
Ingratitude to the Savior;
Not wanting to wear a cross;
Unwillingness to defend one's opinion about God in front of unbelievers;
They swore by the Lord to justify themselves;
They called on God, asked for help in vanity and unbelief;
They called the Lord;
Stayed and attended non-Christian churches;
Hostility;
They resorted to the help of sorcerers, witches;
Reading or preaching false doctrines about God;
We played all kinds of games: cards, slot machines;
They refused to fast;
Did not read the prayer book;
Wanted to commit suicide;
swearing;
Don't go to church;
Think badly of priests;
Watch TV or sit at the computer, instead of helping loved ones, or doing something around the house;
Desperate and do not ask God for help;
Relying too much on others;
You deceive the priest during confession, or you do not trust him;
Has a fiery temper;
Be arrogant towards people;
Show others your pride and vanity;
Lie to relatives and friends;
You mock the poor, the clumsy;
Show your stinginess, or excessive extravagance;
Your children are not brought up in the faith and fear of the Lord;
Do not help the needy, the disadvantaged;
Do not come to the aid of your parents;
You resort to theft;
Do not behave decently at the wake, let alcohol get the better of you;
You can kill the interlocutor with a word;
slander;
Bring a person to sinful thoughts about death;
Abortion, inducing others to it;
Imposing your thoughts;
The cult of money;
Showing yourself to people as a benefactor;
Excessive eating, intoxication;
Adultery, masturbation, incest.

Confession of prodigal sins

Fornication is considered a very serious sin. Previously, such offenses were excommunicated from communion for up to 7 years. It is located inside the person himself, in his subconscious. It eats a person from the inside. Being in such a sophisticated state, you feel euphoria. You no longer want to read a prayer. Such sinners are objectionable to God, he is disgusted by the mere thought of them. But at the same time, having repented, they will be forgiven faster than anyone else.

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

Of course, it's scary to be ashamed, but it's better to tell and repent than to carry this abomination in yourself. And if your family is also expecting a baby, even more so. Why torture the unborn soul of a baby. After all, we pass our sins on to our children. And then we wonder why they get sick, or have a lot of problems in life!

In this case, you should not write a note to the priest. Like, read it, while I go to the store or smoke! This is kindergarten! When they sinned, there was no shame before God, but before the priest, yes!

The most important thing! Repented. Learned the material. Correct your mistake! Don't repeat it! By repeating, you automatically become a hypocrite!

May the Lord keep you from temptation.

Confession sin masturbation

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

Confession means to pass a small judgment of God. Blush, and you will be ashamed only. And there, in that world, at the judgment of God, all your deceased relatives will be ashamed, you can’t hide anything there. Therefore, you have sinned, repent, here and now.

For this sin in the old days they were punished with strict fasting, they sat on bread and water for 40 days. In the service bows were beaten tirelessly.

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

To do such a thing means to waste your strength and life resource in vain. Such behavior indicates that the Orthodox are weak-willed, weak-willed, do not have the strength of mind to control their desires.The Church does not take this for granted. Since for a natural permissible fornication there must be two, a husband and a wife. That's the only way they get approval. Everything else is sinful and unethical.

Priests say about masturbation that it is unclean. It was with this sin that the son of Patriarch Judah Onan was slain. To receive pleasure, God's blessing on church marriage is necessary. And it is easier to enter into it than to be under constant sinful addiction.

She will succumb to sin, maybe the female gender. The Church condemns him no less than the male. It follows from this that they also need to repent.

Onanism also happens among teenagers, girls and boys. At this age, this is more of an unconscious act, leading to this bad hyena, too tight things. Parents are obliged to look after their children, to control their behavior. Correcting this problem is more difficult, children, as a rule, do not understand the full depth of the problem, and do not realize what they are to blame for.

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

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

List of sins for confession with explanations

I don’t go to confession, I don’t go to church, or I come to services very rarely.I do unnecessary things on my day off, I don’t read prayers.I don't understand what my sins are.
I'm not in the habit of thanking God.I do not pray in the morning and in the evening. She called God, did not believe in him.
She gave pets human names.
I listened to swearing and gossip.Cursing, thereby swearing at the Mother of God. I listened to nonsense.
Communion without preparation, fasting, prayers.
She broke the fast, cooked dinner from forbidden foods. She commemorated deceased relatives with alcohol.
She wore obscene clothes, thereby seducing men, calling for fornication.
Civil marriage, fornication.
She had abortions, thereby killing her children, trying to avoid difficulties in life.
She set a bad example for the children, screamed, beat, did not take them to church, did not teach them prayer, fasting, restraint.
She was fond of the occult sciences, magic, etc., conducted meditations, attended martial arts sections, which led to communication with demons.
She took someone else's, loans, things, on credit and did not return, which brought suffering to people.
She boasted, put herself on display, showed everyone her goodness, thereby humiliating them.
She violated the rules of the road, thereby creating risky situations.
She talked about her problems, cried, thereby feeling sorry for herself, justifying herself.

Children's sins in confession

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

From what will be the mood of the child, depends on his attendance at church and attitude towards it. In no case do not insist, if the child is not ready, there will only be harm to his fragile psyche.

Parents can briefly, but correctly, explain to their child what sin is and what they are. Every parent knows the characteristics of their child. For shy children, you can offer to write a note, so you will help him concentrate. Explain to the child that you should not be afraid, that you will not know about his conversation with God. He must learn to trust both you and the priest.

Children's confession list of sins

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

Does the child attend church and how often? What does he do when he comes to church? Is he interested in being here?
What prayers does he know?
Does he have a cross?
Is he telling the truth to his parents or is he lying?
How many friends does he have, and what kind of relationship do they have? Is he intolerant of them? How about kids and girls?
What does he do and what are his interests? Does he show pride in his accomplishments?
Does he have favorite pets? How does he feel about them?
Does he love his parents?

Sins of teenagers for confession

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

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

By attending church and trusting God through a priest, a teenager can avoid many difficult situations. Do not spoil your life, do not take the path of sin from such a young age.

What can a father ask?

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

Are all sins forgiven in confession?

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

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

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

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

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

No one knows at what point a person's stay on earth can end, therefore, one should be ready every second for the transition to another world.

What is confession

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

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

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

About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:

Christ and the sinner

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

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

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

Bad deeds come from hell, a fallen person leads him into the existing world, acting as a guide.

A sincere confession of wrong deeds cannot be violent, only through ardent repentance, hatred for a perfect sin, dying for it and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.

Forgiveness in Christianity

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

Important! The holy fathers of the church forbid remembering sins confessed before God in sincere repentance, and forever abandoned by man.

Why do Orthodox confess?

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

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

irritation;
anger;
apathy.

Often the Orthodox themselves cannot explain their behavior, they do not even suspect that unconfessed sins are the cause of everything.

The spiritual health of a person, a calm conscience directly depends on the frequency of confessing one's vicious inclinations.

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

Confession in the Orthodox Church

According to St. Theophan the Recluse, repentance goes through four stages:

recognize sin;
plead guilty to the offense;
make a decision to permanently break off their relationship with wrong actions or thoughts;
tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.

Important! Confession must be spoken aloud, for God knows what is written, but demons hear what is said in a voice.

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

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

What are the rules of confession

People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession approach the priest before the Liturgy or during it, but always before the Sacrament of Communion. To sick people, by prior agreement, the priests go to the house.

According to the Church Charter, when purifying an Orthodox soul, there are no reservations about fasting or prayer rules, the main thing is that a Christian believes and sincerely repents. People who, before coming to the temple, spend time realizing and writing down their sins are doing the right thing, but these records should be left at home.

In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts, torments, and papers are not needed for this.

The deadly sins include:

pride, hubris, vanity;
fornication;
desire for someone else's and envy;
excessive pleasing of one's flesh;
unbridled anger;
a dull spirit that dries the bones.

Advice! It is not necessary for a priest to tell the story of a committed misconduct, the circumstances of its commission, to try to find an excuse for himself. What to say in confession should be considered at home, repenting of every little thing that disturbs the heart.

If this is an offense, before going to the temple, it is necessary to reconcile with the offender and forgive the offending person.

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

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

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

Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid, it offends the Creator. You can find several priests, tell each one one bad deed, but not repent of a single one, “putting on” the sin of hypocrisy and deceit.

First confession and preparation for it

Having made the decision to confess, you should:

clearly understand the importance of this event;
feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
repent of the perfect;
forgive all debtors;
be filled with faith for forgiveness;
lay down all sins with deep repentance.

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

sacrament of repentance

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

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

If the committed atrocity is very great, then after confession before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can appoint penance - a punishment in the form of many prostrations, many hours of canon readings, increased fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to fulfill the penance, it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.

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

Prayers before confession and communion: Christ is knocking at the door

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

What to say to a priest

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

Purifying your soul and heart from the sinful heritage, you should confess your guilt in contrition, humility and reverence, while not touching on the sins of other people. They themselves will give an answer to the Creator. It is necessary to confess in firm faith that Jesus came in order to save and wash with His blood from the sinful deeds and thoughts of His children.

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

Carelessness in a trusted cause is an abomination before God.

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

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

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

How to prepare for confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko

A Brief Instruction Before Confession (Based on materials from Orthodox publications)

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! As we prepare to begin the great sacrament of holy confession, looking at the mercy of God, let us ask ourselves whether we have shown mercy to our neighbors, whether we have reconciled with everyone, whether we have enmity in our hearts against anyone, remembering the cherished words of the Holy Gospel: "if you forgive a man their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you" (Matthew 6:14). This is the condition that we must understand and observe in the salvific work of holy repentance. However, in order to repent and receive the remission of sins, it is necessary to face your sin. And it's not that easy. Self-love, self-pity, self-justification interferes with this. A bad deed, in which our conscience convicts us, we are inclined to consider it an "accident", to blame circumstances or neighbors for it. Meanwhile, every sin in deed, word or thought is a consequence of the passion living in us - a kind of spiritual illness.

If it is difficult for us to recognize our sin, then it is even more difficult to see the passion that has taken root in us. So, you can live without suspecting the passion of pride in yourself, until someone hurts us. Then the passion will be revealed through sin: a wish for evil to the offender, a harsh insulting word, and even revenge. The fight against passions is the main thing for every Christian.

Usually people who are inexperienced in spiritual life do not see the multitude of their sins, do not feel their heaviness, their aversion to them. They say: “I didn’t do anything special”, “I only have minor sins, like everyone else”, “I didn’t steal, I didn’t kill,” - so many often begin confession. But our holy fathers and teachers, who left us prayers of repentance, considered themselves the first of sinners, with sincere conviction appealed to Christ: "No one has sinned on earth from the beginning, as I have sinned, accursed and prodigal!" The brighter the light of Christ illuminates the heart, the more clearly all the shortcomings, ulcers and wounds of the soul are recognized. And vice versa: people immersed in the darkness of sin do not see anything in their hearts, and if they see, they are not horrified, since they have nothing to compare with, for Christ is closed to them by a veil of sins. Therefore, in order to overcome our spiritual laziness and insensitivity, the holy Church laid down preparatory days for the sacrament of repentance, and then for Communion - fasting. The fasting period can last from three days to a week, unless there is special advice or instructions from the confessor. At this time, one should observe fasting, keep oneself from sinful deeds, thoughts and feelings, in general, lead a temperate, repentant life, dissolved by deeds of love and Christian goodness. During the fasting period, you need to attend church services as often as possible, pray at home more than usual, devote time to reading the works of the holy fathers, the lives of saints, self-deepening and self-examination.

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

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

The condition that we must certainly comply with in order for our repentance to be accepted by the Lord effectively is the forgiveness of the sins of our neighbors and reconciliation with everyone. Repentance cannot be perfect without verbal confession of sins. Sins can only be permitted in the church sacrament of repentance performed by a priest.

Confession is a feat, self-compulsion. During confession, you do not need to wait for questions from the priest, but make an effort yourself. It is necessary to name sins exactly, without obscuring the ugliness of sin with general expressions. It is very difficult, when confessing, to avoid the temptation of self-justification, to give up attempts to explain to the confessor "extenuating circumstances", from references to third parties who allegedly led us into sin. All these are signs of self-love, lack of deep repentance, continuing stagnation in sin.

Confession is not a conversation about one's shortcomings, doubts, it is not a simple awareness of the confessor about oneself, although spiritual conversation is also very important and should take place in the life of a Christian, but confession is different, it is a sacrament, and not just a pious custom. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification, this is the second baptism. In repentance we die to sin and are resurrected to righteousness and holiness.

Having repented, we must be strengthened inwardly in the determination not to return to confessed sin. The sign of perfect repentance is hatred and aversion to sin, a feeling of lightness, purity, inexplicable joy, when sin seems just as difficult and impossible as this joy was just far away.

Human life is so diverse, the depth of our soul is so mysterious that it is difficult even to enumerate all the sins and sins that we commit. Therefore, when approaching the sacrament of holy confession, it is useful to remind ourselves of the fundamental violations of the moral law of the Holy Gospel. Let us carefully check our conscience and repent of our sins before the Lord God. The sacrament of holy repentance has the main goal - to awaken our spiritual consciousness, to open our eyes to ourselves, to come to our senses, to deeply understand what a destructive state our soul is in, how it is necessary to seek salvation from God, to ask tearfully and contritely for forgiveness of our countless sins before Him. The Lord Jesus Christ expects from us a sincere awareness of our deviations from His holy will and humble conversion to Him, as His unworthy servants, who have sinned many times and offended His Divine love for us.

We need to remember and deeply believe in the infinite mercy of God, which extends its arms to every converting sinner. There is no sin that God, in His inexpressible mercy, would not forgive a person who has shown sincere repentance for his sins, a firm determination to correct his life and not return to his former sins. Coming to confession, let us pray to God that with His almighty help He would open the doors of repentance for us, reconcile and unite us with Himself, grant the Holy Spirit for a new and renewed life. Amen!

An example of a confession.

I confess, the sinful (s) servant (a) of God (s) (name ...), to the Lord God Almighty, in the Holy Trinity glorified and worshiped by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and to you, honest father, all my sins are voluntary and involuntary, committed by word, or deed, or thought.

I sinned by not keeping the vows given by me at baptism, but I lied and transgressed in everything, and made myself indecent before the face of God.

He sinned with little faith, unbelief, doubt, wavering in faith, slowing down in thoughts, from the enemy planted, against God and the Holy Church, blasphemy and mockery of the shrine, doubt in the existence of God, superstition, turning to "grandmothers", healers, psychics, fortune telling, playing cards, arrogance, negligence, despair in his salvation, hope in himself and in people more than in God, forgetfulness of God's justice and lack of sufficient devotion to the will of God, did not thank God for everything.

I sinned with rebelliousness to the actions of God's providence, a stubborn desire for everything to be in my opinion, pleasing people, partial love for things. He did not try to know the will of God, did not have reverence for God, fear of Him, hope in Him, zeal for His glory, for He is glorified by a pure heart and good deeds.

He sinned with ingratitude to the Lord God for all His great and unceasing blessings, forgetting about them, grumbling at God, cowardice, despondency, hardening of his heart, lack of love for Him and failure to fulfill His holy will.

He sinned by enslaving himself to passions: voluptuousness, greed, pride, laziness, self-love, vanity, ambition, covetousness, gluttony, delicacy, secret eating, gluttony, drunkenness, smoking, drug addiction, addiction to games, spectacles and amusements.

He sinned with God, by not fulfilling vows, by forcing others to worship and swearing, by imperviousness to sacred things, by blasphemy against God, against saints, against every holy object, by blasphemy, by calling on the name of God in vain, in bad deeds, desires, thoughts.

He sinned by disrespecting church holidays, did not go to the temple of God due to laziness and negligence, in the temple of God he stood reverently; he sinned with talking and laughter, inattention to reading and singing, absent-mindedness, wandering thoughts, vain memories, walking around the temple during worship without need; left the temple before the end of the service.

He sinned by negligence in morning and evening prayers, by abandoning the reading of the Holy Gospel, the Psalter and other Divine books, and patristic teachings.

He sinned by forgetting sins at confession, by self-justification in them and by diminishing their severity, by concealing sins, by repentance without contrition of heart; he did not make efforts to properly prepare for the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, without reconciling with his neighbors, he came to confession and, in such a sinful state, dared to come to Communion.

He sinned by breaking fasts and not keeping fasting days - Wednesdays and Fridays, which are equated with the days of Great Lent, as days of remembrance of the sufferings of Christ. He sinned with intemperance in food and drink, careless and irreverent overshadowing himself with the sign of the cross.

He sinned by disobedience to superiors and elders, self-will, self-justification, laziness to work and unscrupulous performance of assigned tasks. He sinned by disrespecting his parents, by abandoning prayers for them, by not raising children in the Orthodox faith, by not honoring his elders, by impudence, willfulness and disobedience, rudeness, stubbornness.

He sinned with the lack of Christian love for one's neighbor, impatience, resentment, irritability, anger, harming one's neighbor, fights and quarrels, intransigence, enmity, retribution evil for evil, unforgiveness of insults, rancor, jealousy, envy, malevolence, vindictiveness, condemnation, slander, theft , preparation and sale of moonshine, "rewinding" the electric meter, appropriation of state property.

He sinned with mercilessness towards the poor, did not have compassion for the sick and crippled; sinned by avarice, greed, extravagance, covetousness, infidelity, injustice, hardness of heart, thoughts and attempts to commit suicide.

He sinned with deceit in relation to his neighbors, deceit, insincerity in dealing with them, suspicion, duplicity, gossip, ridicule, witticisms, lies, hypocritical treatment of others and flattery, human pleasing.

He sinned by forgetting about the future eternal life, not remembering his death and the terrible judgment, and by an unreasonable, partial attachment to earthly life and its pleasures and deeds.

He sinned with the intemperance of his tongue, idle talk, idle talk, foul language, laughter, told jokes; they sinned by divulging the sins and weaknesses of their neighbor, seductive behavior, liberty, insolence, immoderate TV watching, passion for gambling and computer games.

He sinned with intemperance of his spiritual and bodily feelings, addiction, voluptuousness, indiscreet look at persons of the opposite sex, free treatment of them, fornication and adultery, intemperance in married life, various carnal sins, a desire to please and seduce others.

He sinned with the lack of straightforwardness, sincerity, simplicity, fidelity, truthfulness, respect, gravity, caution in words, prudent silence, did not guard and did not defend the honor of others. They sinned by lack of love, temperance, chastity, modesty in words and deeds, purity of heart, non-possessiveness, mercy and humility.

We sinned with despondency, longing, sadness, sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, lust, impurity and all our feelings, thoughts, words, desires, deeds. I also repent of my other sins, which I forgot and did not remember.

I repent that I angered the Lord my God with all my sins, I sincerely regret this and wish to refrain from my sins in every possible way and to correct myself. Lord our God, with tears I pray to You, our Savior, help me to establish myself in the holy intention to live as a Christian, and forgive the sins I have confessed, as Good and Humanitarian. Amen.

You need to name only your committed sins from those listed here. The sins that are not listed here should be specifically said to the confessor. For convenience, sins can be written down on a piece of paper and read in front of a priest. Sins that were previously confessed and resolved should not be named at confession, for they have already been forgiven, but if we repeat them again, then we need to repent of them again. It is also necessary to repent of those sins that were forgotten, but are now remembered. Speaking of sins, one should not give unnecessary details and names of other persons - accomplices of sin. They must repent for themselves. Habits for sin are eradicated by prayer, fasting, abstinence, good deeds. Confession is made in the temple after the evening service or by agreement with the priest at any time. How often should one resort to this saving sacrament? As often as possible, at least in each of the four posts.

Those who, for the first time in their lives, will participate in one of the most important Christian sacraments, are wondering with what words to begin confession before the priest. A person who wants to repent and may not know how to talk about their sins.

A well-known church figure of our time, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), identified two options for constructing a confession:

according to the ten commandments;
according to the commandments of happiness.

In his book on confession, the hierarch gives an example of how one can pronounce confession and repent of one's sins. The archimandrite analyzes each of the commandments and describes what duties Christians should have before God according to these commandments. John points out to readers the mistakes in everyday life that lead to forgetfulness of faith.

He analyzes the beatitudes and points out what people neglect. Considering the second beatitude ("blessed are those who mourn"), he asks the reader if he mourned the desecration of God's image in himself, his non-Christian life, surges of pride and anger. He shows readers how far they stand from the steps of moral perfection.

This book is recognized as a good manual explaining what should be considered sin in human life. But it cannot be an instruction on what to say. The penitent must himself choose the words that will come from his heart, and sincerely desire to repent.

Preparing for confession and conducting it

A person who wants to confess for the first time must carefully remember all the sins that have been committed. For convenience, he can draw up a summary that will allow him not to forget anything during the sacrament. He can speak in advance with the clergyman, who will appoint a time for him during the general confession or especially.

People confess to the clergy in turn. The visitor must wait his turn. After that, he, turning to the audience, asks them for forgiveness for their sins. They say God will forgive and forgive him. After that, the confessor goes to the clergyman.

A person approaches the lectern, crosses himself, makes a bow, and then begins to confess. Approaching the priest, he must turn to God and say that he has sinned before Him. At the beginning, he may introduce himself to the confessing priest, but this can also be done at the end, when the priest will have to call his name in prayer. Then comes the time of listing sins, the story of each of which should begin with the word: "sinned / sinned."

Also, approaching the lectern, the believer can say “The servant of God (the servant of God) is confessing” and give the name. Then say "I repent of my sins" and start listing them.

When the penitent finishes listing his sins, he must listen to the word of the priest, who can absolve him of his sins or impose a punishment on the layman (penance). After that, the person is baptized again, bows, and venerates the Gospel and the Cross.

Confession is one of the most important sacraments in the life of a Christian. For new converts and those who came to the faith late, the question often arises with what words to begin confession before the priest. . A person must show that he has realized his sinful life and wants to change.

Confession is a sacrament when a believer confesses their sins to a priest. The representative of the church is empowered to forgive sins in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ.

According to biblical legends, Christ endowed the apostles with such an opportunity, which was later transferred to the clergy. During repentance, a person not only talks about his sins, but also gives a word not to commit them again.

What is confession?

Confession is not only purification, but also a test for the soul. It helps to remove the burden and purify before the face of the Lord, reconcile with it and overcome inner doubts. It is necessary to go to confession once a month, but if you want to do it more often, you should follow the calls of the soul and repent at any time you want.

For especially grave sins, a representative of the church may prescribe a special punishment, which is called penance. It can be a long prayer, fasting or abstinence, which are ways to cleanse. When a person violates the laws of God, this negatively affects his mental and physical condition. Repentance helps to gain strength and fight the temptations that push people to sin. The believer gets the opportunity to talk about his misdeeds and remove the burden from the soul. Before confession, it is necessary to make a list of sins, with which you can correctly describe the sin and prepare the right speech for repentance.

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

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

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

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

Preparation for confession

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

You need to know that there are three groups of sins that you can write down and take with you to confession.

Vices directed against God:

These include blasphemy and insult to the Lord, blasphemy, interest in the occult sciences, superstition, suicidal thoughts, gambling, and so on.

Vices against the soul:

Sloth, deceit, use of obscene words, impatience, disbelief, self-delusion, despair.

Vices against neighbors:

Disrespect for parents, slander, condemnation, rancor, hatred, theft, and so on.

How to confess correctly what to say to the priest at the beginning?

Before approaching the representative of the church, put bad thoughts out of your head and prepare to open your soul. You can start confession in the same way as it is correct to confess what to say to the priest, an example: “Lord, I have sinned against you,” and after that you can list your sins. There is no need to tell the priest about the sin in great detail, it is enough just to say "Committed adultery" or confess to another vice.

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

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

List of sins for a woman

Many of the fair sex, having familiarized themselves with it, decide to refuse confession. It looks like this:

Rarely prayed and came to the temple
While praying, I thought about pressing issues.
Had sex before marriage
Had impure thoughts
Turned for help to fortune-tellers and magicians
believed in superstition
I was afraid of old age
Abuse of alcohol, drugs, sweets
Refusing to help other people
Performed abortions
Wearing revealing clothes

List of sins for a man

Blasphemy against the Lord
Disbelief
Taunting those who are weaker
Cruelty, pride, laziness, greed
Military service evasion
Insults and use of physical force against others
Slander
Inability to resist temptations
Refusal to help relatives and others
Theft
Rudeness, contempt, greed

A man needs to take a more responsible approach to this issue, since he is the head of the family. It is from him that children will take an example to follow.

There is also a list of sins for the child, which can be compiled after he answers a series of specific questions. He must understand how important it is to speak sincerely and honestly, but this already depends on the approach of the parents and their preparation of their child for confession.

The Importance of Confession in the Life of a Believer

Many holy fathers call confession a second baptism. This helps to establish unity with God and cleanse oneself of filth. As the Gospel says, repentance is a necessary condition for the purification of the soul. Throughout the life path, a person should strive to overcome temptations and prevent vice. During this sacrament, a person receives liberation from the shackles of sin, and all his sins are forgiven by the Lord God. For many, repentance is a victory over oneself, because only a true believer can confess what people prefer to keep silent about.

If you have confessed before, then you should not talk about old sins again. They have already been released and there is no point in repenting of them anymore. When you finish confessing, the priest will give his speech, give advice and instructions, and also say a permissive prayer. After that, a person must cross himself twice, bow, venerate the crucifix and the Gospel, then cross himself again and receive a blessing.

How to confess for the first time - an example?

The first confession may seem mysterious and unpredictable. People are frightened by the expectation that they may be condemned by a priest, experience a sense of shame and embarrassment. It is worth remembering that the representatives of the church are people who live according to the laws of the Lord. They do not condemn, do not wish harm to anyone and love their neighbors, trying to help them with wise advice.

They will never express a personal point of view, so you should not be afraid that the words of the priest can somehow offend, offend or shame you. He never shows emotion, speaks in a low voice and very little. Before repentance, you can approach him and ask for advice on how to properly prepare for this sacrament.

There is a lot of literature in church shops that can also help and give a lot of important information. During repentance, you should not complain about others and about your life, you need to talk only about yourself, listing the vices that you succumbed to. If you fast, then this is the best moment for confession, because by limiting yourself, people become more restrained and improve, contributing to the purification of the soul.

Many parishioners end their fast with a confession, which is a logical conclusion to a long abstinence. This sacrament leaves in the human soul the most vivid emotions and impressions that are never forgotten. Relieving the soul from sins and receiving their forgiveness, a person gets a chance to start life anew, resist temptations and live in harmony with the Lord and his laws.