What to say in confession. What is confession

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

No one knows at what moment a person’s stay on earth may end, so one should be prepared for the transition to another world every second.

What is confession

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

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

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

About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:

Christ and the Sinner

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

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

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

Bad deeds come from hell, fallen man spends it in existing world, acting as a conductor.

Sincere confession of wrong actions cannot be violent; only through ardent repentance, hatred of the sin committed, dying for it and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.

Forgiveness in Christianity

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

Important! The Holy Fathers of the Church forbid remembering sins that were confessed to God in sincere repentance and left forever by a person.

Why do Orthodox Christians confess?

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

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

irritation;
anger;
apathy.

Often Orthodox Christians themselves cannot explain their behavior; they do not even suspect that the cause is unconfessed sins.

A person’s spiritual health and a calm conscience directly depend on the frequency of confessing his vicious inclinations.

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

Confession in Orthodox Church

According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, repentance occurs in four stages:

realize sin;
admit your guilt in committing an offense;
decide to permanently break off your relationship with wrong actions or thoughts;
tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.

Important! Confession must be spoken out loud, for God knows what is written, but demons hear what is spoken by voice.

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

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

What are the rules of confession?

People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession approach the priest before or during the Liturgy, but always before the Sacrament of Communion. By prior agreement, priests visit sick people at home.

According to the Church Charter, when purifying the Orthodox soul, there are no reservations about fasting or prayer rules; the main thing is that the Christian believes and sincerely repents. People do the right thing when, before coming to church, they spend time recognizing and writing down their sins, but these notes should be left at home.

In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts and torments, and for this you don’t need papers.

Deadly sins include:

pride, arrogance, vanity;
fornication;
desire for someone else's and envy;
excessive gratification of one's flesh;
unbridled anger;
a sad spirit that dries up the bones.

Advice! The priest should not tell the story of the offense committed, the circumstances of its commission, or try to find an excuse for himself. What to say in confession should be considered at home, repenting of every little thing that troubles the heart.

If this is an offense, before going to church, you need to reconcile with the offender and forgive the offending person.

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

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

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

Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid; it insults the Creator. You can find several priests, tell each one one bad business, but not to repent of a single thing, having “put on” the sin of hypocrisy and deception.

First confession and preparation for it

Having decided to confess, you should:

clearly understand the importance of this event;
feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
repent of what has been done;
forgive all debtors;
be filled with faith for forgiveness;
state all sins with deep repentance.

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

Sacrament of Repentance

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

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

If the crime committed is very great, then after confession before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can assign penance - punishment in the form of many bows, many hours of reading the canons, intense fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to perform penance; it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.

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

Prayers before confession and communion: Christ knocks on the door

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

What to say to the priest

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

When cleansing your soul and heart from a sinful inheritance, you should admit your guilt in contrition, humility and reverence, while not touching on the sins of other people. They themselves will give an answer to the Creator. One must confess in firm faith that Jesus came to save and wash His children from sinful deeds and thoughts with His blood.

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

Neglect of a task entrusted to you is an abomination to God.

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

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

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

How to prepare for confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko

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

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

Sins spoken in confession

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

1. “I am your God.”Will be listed:

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

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

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

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

4. Do you devote your day off to prayer?

5. Do you respect your parents?

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

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

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

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

10. Don't covet what others have.

Preparing for confession of sins, how to repent

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

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

Confession is divided into two parts:

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

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

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

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

Sins in confession list for women

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

List of possible sins:

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

Complete confession of sins for women

You need to trust the priest and tell everything:

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

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

Sins in confession in your own words

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

Full confession of sins

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

Confession: how to write a note with sins

The sheet must be divided into parts:

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

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

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

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

List of sins in confession for men

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

Possible sins:

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

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

Examples of sins for confession

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

Here is an approximate list of possible options:

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

Confession of prodigal sins

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

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

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

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

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

May the Lord protect you from temptation.

Confession of the sin of masturbation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

List of sins for confession with explanations

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

Sins of children in confession

Children need to be taught to church from infancy. 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 the example set.It is necessary to explain to the child what confession is and why it is needed. Children must understand that they tell about their bad deeds not to their uncle in a cassock, but to God himself, that the priest is the eyes and ears of the Lord.

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

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

Children's confession list of sins

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

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

Teenage sins for confession

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

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

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

What can a priest ask:

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

Are all sins forgiven in confession?

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

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

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

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

The desire to confess appears not only among people who bow before the law of God. Even a sinner is not lost to the Lord.

He is given the opportunity to change through revision own views and recognition of sins committed, correct repentance for them. Having been cleansed of sins and taken the path of correction, a person will not be able to fall again.

The need to confess arises in someone who:

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

Children up to the age of seven, and parishioners who were baptized on this day, can receive communion for the first time without confession.

Note! You are allowed to go to confession when you reach seven years of age.

It often happens that the need to confess arose for the first time in a mature person. In this case, you need to remember your sins committed since the age of seven.

There is no need to rush, we remember everything, write down the list of sins on a piece of paper. The priest is a witness to the Sacrament; you should not be embarrassed or ashamed of him, just like the all-forgiving God himself.

God, in the person of the holy fathers, forgives grave sins. But in order to receive God's forgiveness, you need to seriously work on yourself.

To atone for sins, a repentant person performs the penance imposed on him by the priest. And only after its completion is the repentant parishioner forgiven with the help of the “permissive prayer” of the clergyman.

Important! When preparing yourself for confession, forgive those who offended you and ask for forgiveness from the one you offended.

You can go to confession if only you are able to drive away obscene thoughts from yourself. No entertainment or frivolous literature, better remember the Holy Scriptures.

Confession takes place in the following order:

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

Think in advance about 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 we sinned and exactly what.

We speak without details, we formulate only the sin itself, unless the priest himself asks for details.

If you need God's forgiveness, you must sincerely repent of your actions.

It is stupid to hide anything from a priest; he is an assistant to the all-seeing God.

The goal of a spiritual healer is to help you repent of your sins. And if you have tears, the priest has achieved his goal.

What is considered a sin?

The well-known biblical commandments will help you determine what sins to name to the priest during confession:	Types of sins	Sinful actions
The Essence of Sin	Relationship to the Almighty Doesn't wear a cross. Confidence that God is in the soul and there is no need to go to church. Celebration pagan traditions , including “Halloween”. Attending sectarian meetings, worshiping incorrect spirituality. Appeal to psychics, fortune tellers, horoscopes and signs.	He pays little attention to reading the Holy Scriptures, does not teach prayer, and neglects observing Fasts and attending church services. Unbelief, departure from faith. Feeling of pride. A mockery of the Orthodox faith. Lack of belief in the unity of God. Communication with evil spirits.
Violation of the commandment to spend a day off.	Attitude towards loved ones Disrespect for parents. Inconsiderateness and interference in personal and intimate life adult children. Deprivation of life of living beings and humans, humiliating and violent actions.	Engaging in extortion and illegal activities. Violation of the commandment to honor parents. Violation of the commandment to respect loved ones. Violation of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” Sin associated with the corruption of teenagers and children.
Violation of biblical commandments related to theft, envy and lies.	Attitude towards yourself Cohabitation without marriage, sexual perversion, interest in erotic films. Use of obscene words and vulgar jokes in speech. Abuse of smoking, alcoholic beverages, drugs. Passion for gluttony and gluttony.	The desire to flatter, chat, brag about good deeds, admire oneself. Carnal sin - adultery, fornication. The sin of profanity. Neglect of what God has given - health.

Important! The sin of arrogance.

An example of confession in church: what sins should I say?

Let's look at how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, an example of confession.

A confession written on paper can be used if a parishioner is very shy. Even the priests allow this, but you don’t need to give the sample to the priest, we list it in our own words.

Orthodoxy welcomes the example of confession:

When approaching the priest, do not think about earthly affairs, try to listen to your soul;
turning to the Lord, I must say that I have sinned before You;
list the sins, saying: “I sinned... (by adultery or lying or something else)”;
we tell sins without details, but not very briefly;
Having finished listing our sins, we repent and ask for salvation and alms from the Lord.

Discussion: 3 comments

And if there are still few sins, but it’s as if my conscience is not very clear, and I promised my MC that I would definitely join the church. His first demand is to go to confession and repent of all the serious things. Which, fortunately, I don’t have a lot of. And this is a real problem for me now. What if you confess on the Internet? Who thinks about this topic? Well, as I understand it, you post your website and there the priest prays for you and absolves you of sin. Not?

Answer

Forgive me, in my opinion there is no need to go to church at the request of the MCH. What is this for? This is done for GOD, for the purification of the soul, and not because someone “demands” it. As far as I understand, you do not have this need. You cannot deceive God - neither through the Internet, nor in church.

Answer

I answer Christina. Christina, no, you cannot confess via the Internet. I understand that you are afraid of the priest, but think about it, the priest is only a witness of your repentance (after your death, he will intercede with God for you and say that you repented if this happened, in turn, the demons will talk about what you did not repent of ) do not complicate the future for either the priest or yourself. There is no need to hide sins, there is no need to conceal them, otherwise in this way you will increase their number. We must honestly tell the whole truth about our evil deeds, not justifying ourselves, but condemning ourselves for them. Repentance is the correction of thoughts and life. After confession, you kiss the cross and the Gospel as a promise to God to fight the sins you confessed. Seek God! Guardian Angel!

Answer

Hieromonk Evstafiy (Khalimankov)

This question arises for many people who want to change their lives with the help of the Church and the sacrament of Repentance. However, independent search does not always lead to the correct answer. Let's try to give an answer based on the real experience of the clergy of the Zhirovitsky monastery.

When coming to confession, you should always ask yourself a clear and precise question: why am I doing this? Am I going to change my life, which is what the word “repentance” actually implies (from Greek “throwing” - a change of mind, worldview, intelligent approach to everything)?

In the Sacrament of Repentance we can distinguish three main points or a kind of repentance stage. Only by consistently going through all these stages can a person hope to overcome sin within himself. Let us remember the parable of the prodigal son. After the youngest son received his share from his father and squandered it, “living fornication,” the “moment of truth” comes. It becomes clear that no one needs him. And then the youngest son remembers his father: “When he came to his senses, he said: How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, but I am dying of hunger!” ().

So, First step repentance means “coming to your senses”, thinking about your life: realizing that I’m still living wrong and... remembering that there is always a way out in any situation. And this is the only way out: the Lord. We all begin to remember God only in sorrows, illnesses, etc. Including church people: those who more or less regularly visit church, confess and receive communion; Even they remember about God - that all problems are solved in Him - not immediately.

Second phase– determination to part with sin and immediate confession of sin. The prodigal son accepts this alone correct solution: “I will get up, go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: bring best clothes and clothe him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; Let's eat and have fun! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they started having fun" (). The person has already realized that it is impossible to live the way he lives now, so he takes concrete steps to change the situation.

The Lord, like the father from the gospel parable, is waiting for each of us. The Lord, so to speak, longs for our repentance. None of us cares about our own salvation as much as God does. Each of us, I suppose, has experienced that joy, relief, deep peace of soul after a truly serious confession? The Lord expects from us this depth, seriousness towards Himself. We take a step towards God, and He takes a few steps towards us. If only we would make up our minds and take this saving step forward... And this is precisely what manifests itself, first of all, in confession.

What do we say in confession to God? This, in fact, is the main topic of this article. Let's start with the fact that sometimes a person does not even understand what he should repent of: “I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t steal,” etc. And if we somehow orient ourselves in the Old Testament coordinate system, at the level of the ten Mosaic commandments (to which the so-called “universal human values” are close), then the Gospel remains for us some kind of distant, transcendental reality, in no way connected with life. But it is precisely the commandments of the Gospel that for Christians are the law that should regulate their entire lives. Therefore, first we must make the effort to at least learn about these commandments. It is best to read the Gospel with the interpretation of the holy fathers. You may ask: what, we ourselves cannot understand on our own? New Testament? Well, start reading and I think you'll have a lot of questions. To find answers to them, you can read the archbishop’s book “The Four Gospels.” You can also recommend the wonderful book “Interpretation of the Gospel,” which very successfully synthesized the patristic experience. A similar work belongs to: “The Four Gospels. Guide to Study Holy Scripture" All these texts can now be found without any problems in church shops, stores, or, in any case, on the Internet.

When a person has the prospect of the gospel life open to him, he will finally realize how much he own life far from the most elementary foundations of the Gospel. Then it will naturally become clear what you need to repent of and how to continue to live.

Now it is necessary to say a few words about how to confess. It turns out that you also need to learn this, and sometimes throughout your life. How often do you hear in confession a dry, formal listing of sins read in some church (or near-church) brochure. Once, during confession, a young man read from a piece of paper, among other sins, “loving carriages.” I asked him if he had any idea what it was? He honestly said, “Approximately,” and smiled. When you listen to these treatises in confession, over time you begin to identify the primary sources: “Yeah, this is from the book “Helping the Penitent,” and this is from “A Cure for Sin...”.”

Of course, there are really good manuals that can be recommended to beginning confessors. For example, “The Experience of Constructing a Confession” by the archimandrite or the book we have already mentioned “To Help the Repentant”, compiled from the works of . They, of course, can be used, but only with a certain reservation. You can't get stuck on them. A Christian must progress in confession as well. For example, a person can go to confession for years and, like a well-learned lesson, repeat the same thing: “I sinned in deed, word, thought, condemnation, idle talk, negligence, absent-mindedness in prayer...” - then follows a certain set of so-called common sins so-called church people. What's the problem here? Yes, the fact is that a person becomes unaccustomed to spiritual work on his soul and gradually gets used to this sinful “gentleman’s set” so much that he no longer feels almost anything during confession. Very often a person hides behind these general words the real pain and shame from sin. After all, it’s one thing to quickly mutter, among other things, “judgment, idle talk, looking at bad images,” and quite another to courageously expose a specific sin in all its ugliness: badmouthing a colleague behind his back, reproaching his friend for not lending me money , watched a porn film...

One can, of course, go to the other extreme, when a person plunges into petty, painful soul-searching. You can get to the point where the confessor will even experience pleasure from sin, as if reliving it, or he will begin to be proud: look, what a deep person I am with a complex and rich inner life... The main thing must be said about sin, its essence, and not, excuse me, wet it...

It is also useful to remember that when we confess any sins, we thereby take upon ourselves the obligation not to commit them, or at least to fight against them. Simply talking about sins in confession is great irresponsibility. At the same time, some also begin to theologize: I have no humility, because there is no obedience, and there is no obedience, because there is no confessor, and now there are no good confessors, because “ last times” and “our time has not given us elders”... Others even begin to confess the sins of their relatives and acquaintances... just not their own. Our crafty nature thus tries, even in confession, to justify itself before God and “shift” the blame onto someone else. Therefore, sin must really... be mourned in confession, exposed without concealment, all its abomination - exposed. If a person is ashamed during confession, then this is a good sign. This means that the grace of God has already touched the soul.

Sometimes a person repents (even with tears in his eyes) for having eaten non-Lenten gingerbread on a Lenten day or being tempted by soup with sunflower oil... At the same time, he does not notice at all that he has been living for many years in enmity with his daughter-in-law or husband, and indifferently passes by someone else’s misfortune; completely disregards his family or official duties... Blind people who cannot see beyond their own nose, “strain out a mosquito and swallow a camel” ()!.. This applies precisely to those people who consider themselves churchgoers, go to the temple of God for more than one year (or even a decade) and... live at the same time in some world they themselves invented, there is no God there, because there is no main thing: love for people. How the Lord Jesus Christ convicted us of this moral blindness and grieved over the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” with which we are all more or less amazed... We immediately see a girl who walks in wearing trousers or a tipsy guy and, like kites, we pounce on them: let’s go get out of our temple!..

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness; So, on the outside, you seem righteous to people, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness” ().

So, you need to confess specifically, laconically, mercilessly towards yourself (your “old man”), without hiding anything, without embellishing, without belittling the sin. First you need to confess the grossest, most shameful, disgusting sins - decisively throw these dirty mossy stones out of the house of the soul. Then collect the rest of the pebbles, sweep them away, scrape them along the bottom...

You need to prepare for confession in advance, and not hastily, somehow, while already standing in church. You can prepare several days in advance (this process in church language is called fasting). Preparation for the Sacraments of Confession and Communion is not only a food diet (although this is also important), but also a deep study of one’s soul, and a prayerful invocation of God’s help. For the latter, by the way, the so-called Rule for Communion is intended, which can be different depending on the level of churching of a Christian. I am convinced that forcing a person taking his first steps in the Church to read the entire big rule in a language that is incomprehensible to him Church Slavonic language- this is “to impose unbearable burdens” (). Measure of fasting and prayer rule must be agreed with the priest.

Now let's consider third stage repentance is probably the most difficult. After the sin is recognized and confessed, the Christian must prove repentance through his life. This means very simple thing: no longer commit a confessed sin. And this is where the most difficult, the most painful thing begins... The man thought that, having confessed, having experienced the experience of grace-filled consolation from confession, he had accomplished everything, and now, finally, he could enjoy life in God. But it turns out that everything is just beginning! A fierce struggle with sin begins. Or rather, it should begin. In fact, a person often gives in to this struggle and again falls into sin.

I would like to draw your attention to one strange (at first glance) pattern. Here is a man confessing to some sin. For example, in irritation. And for some reason, immediately - either on this day, or in the near future - there is again a reason for irritation. The temptation is right there. Even sometimes in an even more severe form than it was before confession. Some Christians are therefore even afraid to frequently confess and receive communion - they are afraid of “increasing temptations.” But the fact of the matter is that the Lord, accepting our repentance, gives us the opportunity to prove the seriousness of our confession and actually implement this repentance. The Lord offers a kind of “work on mistakes” so that a person this time does not succumb to sin, but does the right thing: in the Gospel. And most importantly, a person is already armed to fight sin with the grace of God received in the Sacrament of Confession. To the extent of our sincerity, seriousness, and depth shown in confession, the Lord gives us His gracious power to fight sin. You can't miss this divine chance! There is no need to be afraid of new temptations, you need to be prepared for them in order to face them courageously and... not sin. Only then will an end be put to our repentant epic and victory will be achieved over some individual sin. This point is very important - it is necessary to focus on the fight, first of all, with some specific sin. As a rule, we begin to eradicate the most obvious, gross sins in ourselves - such as fornication, drunkenness, drugs, smoking... Only by eradicating these gross sins from our soul will a person begin to see other, more subtle (but no less dangerous) sins in himself : vanity, condemnation, envy, irritability...

The Optina elder monk said this about this: “You need to know which passion worries you most, and you need to fight it especially. To do this, you need to examine your conscience every day...” It is not only necessary to repent of sins at confession, but it is good if a Christian in the evening, before going to bed, for example, remembers the day he has lived and repents before the Lord of his sinful thoughts, feelings, intentions or aspirations... “Cleanse me from my secrets” (), - prayed the psalmist David.

So, it is necessary to focus on a specific sin that really interferes with life, slows down our entire spiritual life, and take up arms against this sin. Constantly confess it, fight it with all the means available to us; read the works of the holy fathers about ways to combat this sin, consult with your confessor. It is good if a Christian eventually finds a confessor - this is a great help in spiritual life. We need to pray to the Lord that He will grant us such a gift: a true confessor. It doesn’t have to be an elder (and where can you find them, elders, in our time?). It is enough to find a sober-minded priest who is familiar with the patristic tradition and has at least minimal spiritual experience.

Confession must be regular (like communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ). The frequency of confession and Communion is individual for each person. This issue is resolved with the confessor. However, in any case, a Christian must confess and receive communion at least once a month. This is important precisely because the soul is regularly clogged with all sorts of sinful rubbish. No one has any questions about why we need to regularly wash our face, brush our teeth, see a doctor... In the same way, our soul needs careful care. Man is an integral being, consisting of soul and body. And if we take care of the body, then alas, about the soul! - we often completely forget... It is precisely because of the above-mentioned integrity of a person that negligence about the soul then affects physical health, and indeed the entire life of a person. You can (and should!) confess more often (without Communion), as needed. If you get sick, we immediately run to the doctor. Therefore, we must remember that the Doctor is always waiting for us in the temple.

Yes, the inertia of sin is great. The habit of sin, which has been developed over the years, cannot help but drag a person to the bottom. Fear of this skill fetters our will and fills the soul with despondency: no, I cannot overcome sin... Thus, the faith that the Lord can help is lost. A person goes to confession for months, then years, and repents of the same stereotyped sins. And... nothing, no positive changes.

And here it is very important to remember the words of the Lord that “The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force” (). Making effort in the Christian life means fighting sin within yourself. If a Christian really struggles with himself, he will soon feel how, from confession to confession, the octopus of sin begins to weaken its tentacles and the soul begins to breathe more and more freely. It is necessary - necessary, like air! – to feel this taste of victory. It is the cruel, irreconcilable struggle against sin that strengthens our faith - “and this is the victory that has conquered the world, our faith” ().

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

The 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 beatitudes.

In his book on confession, the hierarch gives an example of how one can make confession and repent of one’s sins. The Archimandrite analyzes each of the commandments and describes what duties Christians must have before God according to these commandments. John points out to readers the errors in Everyday life, which lead to the oblivion 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 whether he has mourned the desecration of God’s image in himself, his unchristian life, and his outbursts of pride and anger. He shows readers how far they stand from the stages of moral perfection.

This book is recognized as a good guide to explaining what should be considered sin in human life. But it cannot be an instruction on what to say. The repentant must 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 he has committed. For convenience, he can make a note that will allow him not to forget anything during the sacrament. He can talk in advance with the clergyman, who will set up a time for him during general confession or specially.

People confess to the clergy on a first-come, first-served basis. The visitor must wait his turn. After this, he turns to those gathered and asks them for forgiveness for their sins. They say that God will forgive, and they forgive him. After this, the confessor goes to the clergyman.

A person approaches the analogue, crosses himself, bows, 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 can introduce himself to the priest professing him, but this can also be done at the end, when the clergyman must call his name in prayer. Next comes the time for listing sins, the story about each of which should begin with the word: “sinned.”

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

When the penitent finishes listing his sins, he must listen to the word of the priest, who can forgive him his sins or assign punishment for a layman (penance). After this, 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. New converts and those who came late to the faith often have the question of what words to begin confession to the priest with. . A person must show that he has realized his sinful life and wants to change.

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