What are sins for confession. Sins at confession in your own words: briefly, a list of possible sins and their description

Confession is not a conversation about one's shortcomings, doubts, it is not a simple awareness of the confessor about oneself.

Confession is a sacrament, not just a pious custom. Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification that comes from the feeling of holiness, this is the second Baptism, and, therefore, in repentance we die to sin and rise to holiness.

Repentance is the first degree of holiness, and insensitivity is being outside of holiness, outside of God.

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

Some confessors strive to go through confession painlessly for themselves - they say general phrases: “I am sinful in everything” or spread about trifles, silent about what really should weigh on the conscience. The reason for this is both false shame in front of the confessor, and indecision, but especially the faint-hearted fear to seriously begin to understand your life, full of petty weaknesses and sins that have become habitual.

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

There are sins against God and His Church. This group includes numerous, connected in a continuous network of spiritual states, which include, along with simple and obvious, a large number of hidden, seemingly innocent, but in fact the most dangerous phenomena for the soul. Summarized, these sins can be summarized as follows:

1) lack of faith, 2) superstition, 3) blasphemy and swearing, 4) non-prayer and neglect of church service, 5) prelest.

Lack of faith. This is perhaps the most common sin, and literally every Christian has to struggle with it continuously. Lack of faith often imperceptibly turns into complete lack of faith, and the person suffering from it often continues to attend services and resort to confession. He does not consciously deny the existence of God, however, he doubts His omnipotence, mercy or Providence.

By his actions, attachments, and the whole way of his life, he contradicts the faith he professes in words. Such a person never delved into even the simplest dogmatic questions, being afraid of losing those naive ideas about Christianity, often incorrect and primitive, that he had once acquired. Turning Orthodoxy into a national, domestic tradition, a set of outward rituals, gestures, or reducing it to the enjoyment of beautiful choral singing, the flickering of candles, that is, to outward splendor, those of little faith lose the most important thing in the Church—our Lord Jesus Christ. For those of little faith, religiosity is closely connected with aesthetic, passionate, sentimental emotions; she easily gets along with selfishness, vanity, sensuality. People of this type are looking for praise and a good opinion of their confessor. They approach the lectern to complain about others, they are full of themselves and strive in every possible way to demonstrate their “righteousness”. The superficiality of their religious enthusiasm is best shown by their easy transition from cloyingly ostentatious "piety" to irritability and anger at one's neighbor.

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

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

Superstition. All sorts of superstitions, belief in omens, divination, divination on cards, various heretical ideas about the sacraments and rituals often penetrate and spread among believers.

Such superstitions are contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church and serve to corrupt souls and the fading of faith.

Special attention should be paid to such a fairly common and destructive teaching for the soul as occultism, magic, etc. On the faces of people who have been engaged in the so-called occult sciences for a long time, initiated into the “secret spiritual teaching”, a heavy imprint remains - a sign of unconfessed sin, and in their souls there is an opinion painfully distorted by satanic rationalistic pride about Christianity as one of the lowest levels of cognition of the truth. Suppressing the childishly sincere faith in the paternal love of God, the hope for the Resurrection and Eternal Life, the occultists preach the doctrine of "karma", the transmigration of souls, non-church and, therefore, graceless asceticism. To such unfortunates, if they have found the strength to repent, it should be explained that, in addition to direct harm to mental health, occultism is caused by a curious desire to look behind a closed door. We must humbly acknowledge the existence of the Mystery without trying to penetrate it in a non-ecclesiastical way. We have been given the supreme law of life, we have been shown the path leading us directly to God — love. And we must follow this path, carrying our cross, not turning onto detours. Occultism is never able to reveal the secrets of being, as their adherents claim.

Blasphemy and blasphemy. These sins often coexist with churchliness and sincere faith. First of all, this includes blasphemous grumbling against God for His supposedly merciless attitude towards man, for sufferings that seem to him excessive and undeserved. Sometimes it even comes to blasphemy against God, church shrines, sacraments. Often this is manifested in telling irreverent or directly offensive stories from the life of clergymen and monks, in mocking, ironic quoting of individual expressions from Holy Scripture or from prayers.

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

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

unprayer, as a special case of non-churchism, is a common sin. Fervent prayer distinguishes sincere believers from "lukewarm" believers. We must strive not to chastise the rule of prayer, not to defend divine services, we must acquire the gift of prayer from the Lord, love prayer, wait impatiently for the hour of prayer. Gradually entering, under the guidance of a confessor, into the element of prayer, a person learns to love and understand the music of Church Slavonic chants, their incomparable beauty and depth; the colorfulness and mystical figurativeness of the liturgical symbols—all that is called ecclesiastical magnificence.

The gift of prayer is also the ability to control oneself, one's attention, to repeat the words of prayer not only with lips and tongue, but also with all one's heart and all thoughts to participate in prayer work. An excellent tool for this is the "Jesus Prayer", which consists in a uniform, multiple, unhurried repetition of the words: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." There is an extensive ascetic literature about this prayerful exercise, collected mainly in the Philokalia and other patristic works.

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

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

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

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

Blessed Augustine compares the body to a furious horse that carries away the soul, the unbridledness of which should be tamed by a decrease in food; It is for this purpose that the fasts are mainly established by the Church. But “beware of measuring fasting by simply abstaining from food,” says St. Basil the Great. “Those who abstain from food and behave badly are like the devil, who, although he does not eat anything, nevertheless does not stop sinning.” During fasting, it is necessary - and this is the main thing - to curb your thoughts, feelings, impulses. The meaning of spiritual fasting is best described in one Great Lenten verse: “We fast with fasting that is pleasant, pleasing to the Lord: true fasting is alienation from evil, abstinence from the tongue, abhorrence of anger, excommunication of lusts, utterances, lies and perjury: these are impoverishment, there is a true fast and auspicious” . No matter how difficult fasting is in the conditions of our life, we must strive for it, it must be preserved in everyday life, especially internal, spiritual fasting, which the fathers call chastity. The sister and friend of fasting is prayer, without which it becomes an end in itself, a means of special, refined care for one's body.

Obstacles to prayer come from weak, incorrect, insufficient faith, from much concern, vanity, preoccupation with worldly affairs, from sinful, impure, evil feelings and thoughts. These obstacles are helped by fasting.

love of money manifests itself in the form of extravagance or the opposite of stinginess. Secondary at first glance, this is a sin of extreme importance - in it is the simultaneous rejection of faith in God, love for people and addiction to lower feelings. It breeds malice, petrification, carelessness, envy. Overcoming the love of money is a partial overcoming of these sins as well. From the words of the Savior Himself, we know that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Christ teaches: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and do not steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-2!). St. Apostle Paul says: “We brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we cannot take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. And those who want to get rich fall into temptation and into a snare, and into many reckless and harmful lusts that plunge people into disaster and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which, having indulged, some have deviated from the faith and subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, man of God, run away from this ... Exhort those who are rich in the present age, so that they do not think highly of themselves and trust not in unfaithful wealth, but in the Living God, who gives us everything abundantly for enjoyment; that they should do good, be rich in good deeds, be generous and sociable, laying up for themselves a treasure, a good foundation for the future, in order to achieve eternal life ”(1 Tim. 6, 7-11; 17-19).

"The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Anger, irritability- many penitents tend to justify the manifestation of this passion with physiological reasons, the so-called "nervousness" due to the suffering and hardships that have befallen them, the tension of modern life, the difficult nature of relatives and friends. Although these reasons are partly present, they cannot serve as an excuse for this, as a rule, deeply rooted habit of taking out one's irritation, anger, and bad mood on loved ones. Irritability, temper, rudeness, first of all, destroy family life, leading to quarrels over trifles, causing reciprocal hatred, a desire for revenge, rancor, and harden the hearts of generally kind and loving people. And how perniciously the manifestation of anger acts on young souls, destroying in them the God-given tenderness and love for parents! “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged” (Col. 3:21).

The ascetic writings of the Fathers of the Church contain a lot of advice for dealing with the passion of anger. One of the most effective is “righteous anger”, in other words, the conversion of our ability to irritation and anger to the very passion of anger. “It is not only permissible, but indeed salutary, to be angry at one's own sins and shortcomings” (St. Demetrius of Rostov). St. Nilus of Sinai advises to be “meek with people”, but swearing with our enemy, since this is the natural use of anger in order to hostilely oppose the ancient serpent” (“Philokalia”, vol. II). The same ascetic writer says: “Whoever bears malice towards demons does not bear vindictiveness towards people.”

In relation to neighbors, one should show meekness and patience. “Be wise, and block the lips of those who speak evil of you with silence, and not with anger and abuse” (St. Anthony the Great). “When you are reviled, see if you have done anything worthy of reviling. If you didn’t, then consider slander as a flying smoke ”(St. Nilus of Sinai). “When you feel a strong influx of anger in yourself, try to be silent. And so that silence itself will bring you more benefit, turn mentally to God and mentally read some short prayers to yourself at this time, for example, the “Jesus Prayer,” advises St. Philaret of Moscow. It is even necessary to argue without bitterness and without anger, since irritation is immediately transferred to another, infecting him, but in no case convincing him of the rightness.

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

At confession, we must tell if we harbor malice towards our neighbor and have we reconciled with those with whom we quarreled, and if we cannot see someone in person, have we reconciled with him in our hearts? On Athos, confessors not only do not allow monks who have malice towards their neighbor to serve in the church and partake of the Holy Mysteries, but when reading the prayer rule, they must omit the words in the Lord’s Prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” so as not to be liars before God. By this prohibition, the monk, as it were, for a time, until reconciliation with his brother, is excommunicated from prayerful and Eucharistic communion with the Church.
The one who prays for those who often lead him into the temptation of anger receives significant help. Thanks to such a prayer, a feeling of meekness and love for people who until recently were hated is instilled in the heart. But in the first place there should be a prayer for the granting of meekness and driving away the spirit of anger, revenge, resentment, rancor.

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

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

Those who judge forget that the Savior Himself commanded: “Judge not, lest you be judged, for by what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured to you again. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the beam in your eye? (Matthew 7:1-3). “Let us no longer judge each other, but rather judge how not to give a brother an opportunity to stumble or tempt” (Rom. 14, 13), teaches St. apostle Paul. There is no sin committed by one person that no one else could commit. And if you see someone else's impurity, then it means that it has already penetrated you, because innocent babies do not notice the debauchery of adults and thus preserve their chastity. Therefore, the one who condemns, even if he is right, must honestly admit to himself: did he not commit the same sin himself?

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

If a Christian heard about the unseemly act of his loved one, then before becoming indignant and condemning him, he must act according to the word of Jesus the son of Sirakhov: “The curbing tongue will live peacefully, and the one who hates talkativeness will reduce evil. Never repeat a word, and nothing will be lost from you ... Ask your friend, maybe he did not; and if he did, then let him not do it ahead. Ask a friend, maybe he didn't say that; and if he said, let him not repeat it. Ask a friend, for there is often slander. Don't believe every word. Another sins with a word, but not from the heart; and who has not erred with his tongue? Question your neighbor before threatening him, and give place to the law of the Most High” (Sir. 19:6-8; 13-19).

The sin of despondency most often comes from excessive preoccupation with oneself, one's experiences, failures and, as a result, the fading of love for others, indifference to other people's suffering, inability to enjoy other people's joys, envy. The basis and root of our spiritual life and strength is love for Christ, and it must be cultivated and nurtured in ourselves. To peer into His image, to clarify and deepen it in oneself, to live with the thought of Him, and not of one's petty vain blows and failures, to give one's heart to Him - this is the life of a Christian. And then silence and peace will reign in our hearts, about which St. Isaac Sirin: "Be at peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you."

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

Lie can manifest itself completely shamelessly, openly, in all its satanic abomination, becoming in such cases the second nature of a person, a permanent mask attached to his face. He becomes so accustomed to lying that he cannot express his thoughts otherwise than by dressing them in words that obviously do not correspond to them, thereby not clarifying, but obscuring the truth. A lie imperceptibly creeps into a person’s soul from childhood: often, not wanting to see anyone, we ask relatives to tell the visitor that we are not at home; instead of directly refusing to participate in some business that is unpleasant for us, we pretend to be sick, busy with another business. Such "everyday" lies, seemingly innocent exaggerations, jokes based on deceit, gradually corrupt a person, allowing him to subsequently make deals with his conscience for his own benefit.

Just as nothing can come from the devil but evil and destruction for the soul, so nothing can follow from a lie - his offspring - except a corrupting, satanic, anti-Christian spirit of evil. There is no “saving lie” or “justified”, these phrases themselves are blasphemous, for only the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, saves, justifies us.

Nothing less than a lie, common the sin of idle talk, that is, empty, unspiritual use of the Divine gift of the word. This also includes gossip, retelling rumors.

Often people spend time in empty, useless conversations, the content of which is immediately forgotten, instead of talking about faith with those who suffer without it, seek God, visit the sick, help the lonely, pray, comfort the offended, talk to children or grandchildren to instruct them with a word, a personal example on the spiritual path.

In the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian says: "... Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, arrogance and idle talk." During Great Lent and fasting, one must be especially focused on the spiritual, give up spectacles (cinema, theater, television), be careful in words, truthful. It is appropriate once again to recall the words of the Lord: “For every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12, 36-37).
We must carefully, chastely handle the priceless gifts of the word and reason, for they make us related to the Divine Logos Himself, the Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Very close to committing murder are those who, in anger at their neighbor, allow assault, inflicting beatings, wounds, and mutilations on them. Parents are guilty of this sin, cruelly treating their children, beating them for the smallest offense, or even without any reason. Guilty of this sin are those who, by gossip, slander, slander, aroused bitterness in a person against someone else, and even more so - incited him to physically deal with him. Mothers-in-law often sin with this in relation to their daughters-in-law, neighbors who slander a woman temporarily separated from her husband, deliberately causing scenes of jealousy that end in beatings.

Timely failure to provide assistance to the sick, dying - in general, indifference to other people's suffering should also be considered as passive murder. Especially terrible is this attitude towards elderly sick parents on the part of children.

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

But we kill our neighbor not only with our hands or weapons, but also with cruel words, abuse, mockery, mockery of someone else's grief. St. Apostle John says: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Everyone has experienced for himself how an evil, cruel, caustic word hurts and kills the soul.

No lesser sin is committed by those who deprive young souls of honor and innocence, corrupting them physically or morally, pushing them onto the path of debauchery and sin. Blessed Augustine says: “Do not think that you are not a murderer if you have instructed your neighbor to sin. You corrupt the soul of the seduced and steal from him what belongs to eternity. Inviting a young man or a girl to a drunken gathering, inciting to avenge insults, seducing with depraved spectacles or stories, discouraging fasting, pimping, providing one’s home for drunkenness and depraved gatherings - all this is complicity in the moral murder of one’s neighbor.

Killing animals without the need for food, torturing them is also a violation of the sixth commandment. “The righteous one also cares for the life of his livestock, but the heart of the wicked is cruel” (Prov. 12:10).

Indulging in excessive sadness, driving ourselves to despair, we sin against the same commandment. Suicide is the greatest sin, for life is the gift of God, and only He has the power to deprive us of it. Refusal of treatment, deliberate failure to comply with the doctor's prescriptions, deliberate harm to one's health by excessive drinking of wine, smoking of tobacco is also a slow suicide. Some people kill themselves with excessive work for the sake of enrichment - this is also a sin.

The Holy Church, her holy fathers and teachers, condemning abortion and considering it a sin, proceed from the fact that people do not thoughtlessly neglect the sacred gift of life. This is the meaning of all church prohibitions on the issue of abortion. At the same time, the Church recalls the words of the Apostle Paul that “a woman ... will be saved through childbearing, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with chastity” (1 Tim. 2, 14:15).

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

Some consider it a violation of the commandment " don't steal“only obvious theft and robbery with the use of violence, when large sums of money or other material values ​​​​are taken away, and therefore, without hesitation, they deny their guilt in the sin of theft. However, theft is any illegal appropriation of another's property, both one's own and public. Theft (theft) should be considered the non-return of monetary debts or things given for a while. No less reprehensible is parasitism, begging without extreme necessity, if it is possible to earn a living yourself. If a person, taking advantage of the misfortune of another, takes from him more than he should, then he commits the sin of covetousness. The concept of extortion also includes the resale of food and industrial products at inflated prices (speculation). Traveling without a ticket on public transport is also an act that should be considered a violation of the eighth commandment.

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

Fornication thoughts that develop from memories of things previously seen, heard, or even experienced in a dream. In solitude, often at night, they overwhelm a person especially strongly. Here the best medicine is ascetic exercises: fasting in food, inadmissibility of lying in bed after waking up, regular reading of the morning and evening prayer rules.

Seductive conversations in society, obscene stories, anecdotes told with a desire to please others and be in the center of their attention. Many young people, in order not to show their "backwardness" and not to be ridiculed by their comrades, fall into this sin. This should also include the singing of immoral songs, the writing of obscene words, as well as their use in conversation. All this leads to vicious self-gratification, which is all the more dangerous because, firstly, it is associated with an increased work of the imagination, and secondly, it pursues the unfortunate man so relentlessly that he gradually becomes a slave to this sin, which destroys his physical health and paralyzes his will. to overcome vice.

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

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

Incest is a carnal relationship between close relatives.

Unnatural sexual relations: sodomy, lesbianism, bestiality.

The heinousness of these sins need hardly be elaborated. Their inadmissibility is obvious to every Christian: they lead to spiritual death even before the physical death of a person.

All men and women who are repentant, if they are in a relationship not consecrated by the Church, should be strongly encouraged to consecrate their union with the sacrament of Marriage, whatever age they may be. In addition, in marriage, one should observe chastity, not indulge in excess in carnal pleasures, refrain from cohabitation during fasts, on the eve of Sundays and holidays.

Our repentance will not be complete if we, repenting, do not affirm ourselves inwardly in the determination not to return to confessed sin. But they ask how this is possible, how can I promise myself and my confessor that I will not repeat my sin? Wouldn't it be closer to the truth just the opposite - the certainty that sin is repeated? After all, everyone knows from his own experience that after a while you inevitably return to the same sins; looking at yourself from year to year, you do not notice any improvement.

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

And even if there is no this feeling of relief, rebirth, one must have the strength to return again to confession, to completely free one's soul from impurity, to wash it from blackness and filth with tears. Whoever strives for this will always achieve what he seeks.

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The Orthodox faith teaches Christians how to confess correctly. This rite is connected with ancient events, when the Apostle Peter left the bishop's house and went into seclusion after he realized his sin before Christ. He denied the Lord and repented for it.

So each of us needs to realize our sins before the Lord and be able to present them to the priest in order to sincerely repent and receive forgiveness.

To learn how to confess correctly in church, it is necessary to prepare the soul and body, and we'll tell you how to do it later.

Before going to church try to understand a few important points for yourself. Especially if you decide to confess for the first time. So, what questions most often arise in a person on the eve of confession?

When can you confess?

Confession means a sincere conversation with God through the mediation of a priest. According to church canons, they are attracted to confession from childhood, from the age of seven. Believers confess after the main service, near the lectern. People who decide to be baptized or get married also start confession before God.

How often should you go to confession?

It depends on the true desire of the person and his personal willingness to speak openly about his sins. When a Christian came to confession for the first time, this does not mean that after that he became sinless. We all sin every day. Therefore, the awareness of their actions lies with us. Someone confesses every month, someone before big holidays, and someone during Orthodox fasts and before their birthday. Here the main understanding is why I need it what a positive lesson this can teach me in the future.

How to confess, what to say?

Here it is important to address the priest sincerely, without false shame. What does this statement mean? A person who has decided to sincerely repent must not only list what sins he has committed in recent times, and even more so, immediately seek an excuse for them.

Remember, you did not come to church to hide your bad deeds, but to to receive the blessing of the holy father and start a new, spiritual life.

If you have long wanted to confess what to say to the priest, you can calmly think over at home in advance. Better yet, write it down on paper. Put the "10 Commandments" in front of you, remember the 7 deadly sins.

Don't forget that anger, adultery, pride, envy, gluttony are also on this list. This also includes visiting fortune-tellers and clairvoyants, watching inappropriate content on television.

How should you dress for confession?

The attire should be simple, meeting all the laws of Christianity. For women - a closed blouse, skirt or dress no higher than the knee, a scarf is required on the head. For men - trousers, shirt. Be sure to remove your headgear.

Can I confess at home?

Of course, God hears our prayers everywhere and, as a rule, forgives us in case of true repentance. However in the church we can receive that very grace-filled power to help us fight temptations in later situations. We are embarking on the path of our spiritual rebirth. And this happens precisely during the Sacrament called confession.

How to confess for the first time?

The first confession, as well as all subsequent times when you decide to confess in church, requires some preparation.

First, you need to mentally. It will be right if you spend some time alone with yourself, turn to the Lord with a prayer. It is also recommended to fast on the eve of confession. Confession is like a medicine that heals both the body and the soul. A person is spiritually reborn, comes to the Lord through forgiveness. You can proceed to confession without communion, but your faith in the Lord must be unshakable.

Secondly, it is best to agree on the Sacrament of Confession in advance. On the appointed day, come to the temple for Divine Service, and at the end of it go to the lectern, where confession usually takes place.

1. Let the priest know that you will be confessing for the first time.
2. The priest will read the opening prayers, which serve as some preparation for the personal repentance of each of those present (there may be several).
3. Then everyone comes to the lectern, where the icon or crucifix is ​​located, and bows to the ground.
4. This is followed by a personal conversation between the priest and the confessor.
5. When it's your turn, talk about your sins with sincere repentance, without going into unnecessary details and details.
6. You can write down on a piece of paper what you would like to say.
7. Do not be afraid and do not be embarrassed - Confession was given in order to gain God's grace, to repent for what you have done and never repeat it again.
8. At the end of the conversation, the confessor kneels, and the priest covers his head with epitrachelion - a special cloth and reads a permissive prayer.
9. After this, it is necessary to kiss the Holy Cross and the Gospel as a sign of love for the Lord.

How to take communion in church?

It is also very important for a modern person to know how to take communion in church, since the Sacrament of Communion to the Holy Chalice unites a Christian with God and strengthens true faith in Him. Communion was instituted by the Son of God himself. The Bible says that Jesus Christ blessed and divided the bread among His disciples. The apostles accepted the bread as the body of the Lord. Then Jesus divided the wine among the apostles, and they drank it as the blood of the Lord, shed for the sins of mankind.

Going to church on the eve of a big holiday or before your name day, you need to know how to confess and take communion correctly. This spiritual sacrament plays the same important role in a person's life as a wedding or baptism ceremony. Communion without confession is not supposed because their relationship is very strong. Repentance or confession cleanses the conscience, makes our soul bright before the eyes of the Lord. That's why communion follows confession.

During confession, it is necessary to sincerely repent and make decisions to start a humble, pious life in accordance with all Christian laws and rules. Communion, in turn, sends God's Grace to a person, enlivens his soul, strengthens faith and heals the body.

How to prepare for the sacrament of the sacrament?

1. Before communion it is necessary to pray diligently, read spiritual literature and keep a three-day fast.
2. The night before, it is recommended to visit the evening service, here you can also confess.
3. On the day of communion, you must come to the morning Liturgy.
4. After singing the prayer "Our Father", the Holy Chalice is brought to the altar.
5. Children come first, then adults.
6. It is necessary to approach the Chalice very carefully, crossing your arms over your chest (right over left).
7. Then the believer pronounces his Orthodox name and reverently accepts the Holy Gifts - he drinks water or wine from the Chalice.
8. After that, the bottom of the Cup should be kissed.

Living in a modern society, every Orthodox person who wants to cleanse his soul and draw closer to the Lord should confess and take communion from time to time.

There is no such sin that would exceed the mercy of God. Even Judas would be forgiven if he asked for forgiveness. The example of St. Mary of Egypt, who was a harlot for 17 years, and then became a model of repentance and a great saint of God, gives us hope for the forgiveness of our sins.

I'm about to go to my first confession. How to prepare?

Confession requires awareness of one's sins, sincere repentance for them, a desire to correct oneself with God's help. You can write down some sins on a piece of paper as a cheat sheet so that you don’t get confused the first time (then do whatever you want with this piece of paper: you can throw it away, burn it, give it to the priest, save it until the next confession and compare what you have improved, and in than not). With a long list of sins, it is better to come to the service in the middle of the week, and not on Sunday. In general, it is better to start with the patient himself, which disturbs the soul, gradually moving on to minor sins.

Came to confession for the first time. The priest did not allow me to take communion - as "homework" he advised me to read the Gospel.

When a person does not know, for example, the rules of the road, then he does not know that he is violating them. If a person does not know the Gospel, that is, the Law of God, then it is difficult for him to repent of sins, for he does not really understand what sin is. Therefore, it is useful to read the Gospel.

Is it possible to ask in confession for the forgiveness of the sins of parents and relatives?

When we go to the doctor, we can’t get treated for someone, we can’t eat for someone in the dining room, so at confession we ask for forgiveness for our sins and help in correcting them. And we pray for our loved ones ourselves and submit notes to the church.

At confession, I regularly repent that I live in fornication, but I continue to live like this - I'm afraid that my loved one will not understand me.

An Orthodox Christian should be concerned to be understood by God. And according to His word, "fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God." In addition, confession is not just a statement of sins, but also a desire to improve. In your case, this situation turns out: you come to the doctor (for confession in the church), state that you are "sick" with sin, but you are not being treated. Moreover, such a confession is also hypocritical. Of course, we repeat most of our confessed sins, but at least we must have the intention to correct ourselves, and you do not. Tip: register the relationship as soon as possible at least in the registry office.

I am not yet ready to repent of one sin, because I will commit it again. Don't go to confession at all? But other sins torment!

No matter how much we love our sins, at least at the level of reason, we must understand that if we do not repent and do not correct ourselves, eternal punishment awaits us. Such a thought should contribute to the desire to correct in all sins, because who can give himself a guarantee that he will live at least until the next day? And the Lord said to us: "In whatever I find, in that I will judge." Unfortunately, the vast majority of people immediately repeat most of their sins after confession, but this is no reason not to repent of them. If a person sincerely worries about this, if he wants to improve, even if he does not succeed in everything and not immediately, then, according to the word of the Holy Fathers, even this desire will be accepted by the Lord as an act.

Can I go to public confession?

The so-called general confession is rather a profanation of confession, for there is no confession as such. It's like this: a bunch of people came to the doctor, and he took out a piece of paper with a list of diseases and said: "Well, patients, now get well, be healthy!" Something is doubtful to benefit from such an appointment with a doctor. This is allowed as an exception during a large influx of confessors during Great Lent, but at the same time the priest must emphasize that this is an exception: come to presanctified services on Wednesdays and Fridays, on Saturday, go to churches somewhere on the outskirts of the city, where there are fewer people , but do not approach confession formally. Do not rejoice that you did not have to say anything, shifting the responsibility to the priest. In general, the one who knocks is opened, and he who seeks finds.

All sins are forgiven at confession. But what to do if the sins of 10, 20 years ago are remembered? Do they need to be confessed?

If sins are remembered and recognized, then, of course, they must be confessed. It won't get any worse.

Serious sins, even though they have already been confessed, are very tormenting. Do I need to talk about them in confession again?

Sincerely repentant and no longer repeated sin is forgiven once and for all. But such terrible sins as abortion, occultism, murder, even after confession, gnaw at a person. Therefore, in them you can once again ask God for forgiveness, while it is not necessary to speak them in confession, but simply remember your crimes and try to make amends with good deeds opposite to them.

Why do the laity have to confess before communion, but the priests do not? Is it possible to receive communion without confession?

And what do you think, if you take a doctor and a patient without a medical education, which of them is better versed in diets, prescriptions for drugs, etc.? In some cases, the doctor can help himself, and the common man is forced to seek help. People go to church to treat their souls, and there are sins that do not allow a person to take communion. A layman may not understand and be unaware of this, and if he goes without confession, communion may serve him not for salvation, but for condemnation. So you need control in the form of a priest. And the clergy are more competent in such things and can control when they go to confession, and when they can only ask for forgiveness from God.

Is there evidence in the Bible that we should confess through a priest?

The Lord, sending the apostles to preach, said: "To whom you forgive on earth, that will be forgiven in heaven." What is it, if not the right to accept repentance and on behalf of God to forgive a person's sins? And He also said: "Receive the Holy Spirit, by Him forgive on earth, it will be forgiven in heaven." There were also prototypes of repentance in the Old Testament, for example, a rite with a scapegoat, offering sacrifices in the temple, for these were cleansing sacrifices for sins. This apostolic authority for the forgiveness of sins, by virtue of succession, is received by all legal priests, which is confirmed by the words of Christ: "Behold Azm (I) am with you all the days until the end of the age."

It is not always possible to go to confession of sins in the temple. Can I confess in front of the icon of the house?

Evening prayers end with daily confession of sins. But, nevertheless, from time to time a person must repent of them and at confession.

I was preparing for the first confession, I read the book of John (Krestyankin) "The Experience of Building a Confession". But when he approached the lectern, he could not say anything - tears flowed. Father has forgiven me of my sins. Is confession valid?

In confession, the main thing is not what we say, but what is in our hearts. For the Lord says so: "Son, give me your heart." And King David taught: "A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. A contrite and humble heart God will not despise."

My grandmother is dying, she does not understand anything, she does not speak. Being of sound mind, she refused confession and communion. Is it possible to confess now?

The Church accepts the conscious choice of a person, without violating his will. If a person, being of sound mind, wanted to begin the sacraments of the Church, but for some reason did not do this, then in case of clouding of mind, remembering his desire and consent, you can still make such a compromise as communion and unction (so we give communion to infants or the insane). But if a person, being in sound consciousness, did not want to accept the sacraments of the Church, refused to confess his sins, then even in the event of loss of consciousness, the Church does not force the choice of this person. Alas, it is his choice. Such cases are considered by the confessor, directly communicating with the patient and his relatives, after which the final decision is made. In general, of course, it is best to find out your relationship with God in a conscious and adequate state.

I had a fall - the sin of fornication, although I gave my word, repented and was sure that this would not happen to me again. What to do?

Mary of Egypt was the greatest harlot. But every Great Lent the Church remembers her as a model of repentance. Conclusion: no matter how hard we fall, sincere repentance blots out sin and opens the gates of heaven. Let the very word fornication be disgusting to you, so that with God's help this will never happen again.

It is a shame to tell the priest at confession about his sins.

You should be ashamed when you sin. And shame in confession is false shame. We must think not about how the priest will look at us, but about how God will look at us. In addition, any prudent priest will never condemn you, but will only rejoice, as a doctor rejoices at a recovering patient. If you can't bring yourself to name the sins, write them down on a piece of paper and give them to the priest. Or repent without details, in general terms. The main thing is to have a repentant feeling, contrition, a desire to improve.

If my sins are very shameful, can I tell the priest about them without details? Or will it be like hiding sin?

In order to treat bodily diseases, it is important for the doctor to know all the details of these diseases. You may not describe the details of your sins, but still it is better to call a spade a spade and not be limited to general phrases.

Is it necessary to go to confession if it turns out to be formal?

Sincerity is key in our relationship with God. We must understand that formalism and hypocrisy in dealing with God will not go away. But if your conscience agrees that many of your words in confession sound cold, formal, this indicates that, nevertheless, the sin you confess worries you and you want to get rid of it. Therefore, name sins at confession, say at the same time that, recognizing them, you see some sins, but you still cannot hate them. And therefore, ask God for forgiveness so that this vision grows into hatred of sin and a desire to get rid of it. The Holy Fathers teach that even if the same sins are repeated again, nevertheless, they must be confessed, in this way we, as it were, loosen the stump, which is then easier to tear out.

Is it true that at confession one should not repent of sins committed before baptism?

If you wash dirty clothes, then wash them again only when they get dirty again. If a person with faith accepts the sacrament of baptism, then, indeed, he receives forgiveness for all the sins committed up to this moment. It makes no sense to repent of them. It's just that there are such terrible sins as murder, abortion, in which the soul again and again wants to ask for forgiveness from God. That is, the case when God has already forgiven, but a person cannot forgive himself. In such cases, it is allowed to once again speak about terrible sins at confession.

I'm afraid I misnamed the sin in confession. What to do?

The main thing is not how to name your sin, but to have a repentant feeling and a desire to correct.

My spiritual father confesses me at home, so I am better aware of my sins, I am not in a hurry, I can ask him a question. Is it possible to do so?

Can. Many people before the revolution, not being able to visit Optina Hermitage often, wrote to the elders, confessed in letters. In your case, it is important that you do not just talk, but that the priest at the end read the permissive prayer.

Is it possible to confess without preparation?

When a person has appendicitis, or he does not sleep at night due to toothache, he does not need any tests, examinations, ultrasound to identify the disease. He rushes to the doctor for help. So it is with confession. If our hearts hurt that, for example, we stole something, went to sorcerers, had an abortion, fell into fornication, drunkenness, that is, when we specifically know what we are sinning, then no books are needed we go to confession and confess our sins. But a person who is not familiar with the Gospel, does not know the laws of God and, even breaking them, does not realize that he is sinning, naturally, he must prepare. Study the laws of God, find out what he sins in, and thus having prepared, go to confession to the priest.

In what cases can a priest impose penance? How to take it off?

Penance is excommunication from communion for some sin for some time. It may consist of fasting, fervent prayer, and so on. Upon completion of the imposed penance, it is removed by the same priest who imposed it.

Going to the first confession, I found a list of sins on the Internet. There were: listening to music, going to the movies, going to concerts, riding the rides... Is that true?

Firstly, it is impossible to recognize and remember all sins, we have so many of them. Therefore, at confession, we must repent of especially serious sins that worry us and from which we really want to get rid of. Secondly, with regard to attractions, music, cinema, then, as they say, there are nuances. For music and films are different and not always harmless. For example, films filled with debauchery, violence, horror. Many songs of rock music glorify the devil, are literally dedicated to him. Well, I'm sure there are absolutely harmless attractions, not counting, of course, hobbies for computer games and consoles. For gambling addiction (gambling addiction) has terrible consequences for both the soul and the body, which cannot be said about ordinary carousels and swings.

There is an opinion that it is undesirable to confess "according to the list", but you need to remember everything.

If a person, preparing for confession, simply rewrites a manual for penitents, and then reads out this list at confession, then this is an ineffective confession. And if a person is worried, afraid of excitement to forget about some of his sins, and at home in front of a candle and an icon with tears, he writes down on paper the repentant feelings of his heart, then such preparation can only be welcomed.

Can a priest's wife go to confession with her husband?

To do this, you need to be literally a holy person, because purely humanly it is difficult to be completely sincere, revealing all the nakedness of your soul to your husband. Even if mother does this, she can harm the father himself. After all, he, too, is a weak man. Therefore, I would recommend not confessing to your husband unless absolutely necessary.

My relative, who went to church and participated in its sacraments, died suddenly. There was a leaf with sins. Is it possible to read it to the priest so that he can say the permissive prayer in absentia?

If a person was preparing for confession, but died on the way to the temple, the Lord accepted his intentions and forgave his sins. So no correspondence confession is required.

I go to confession regularly. I won’t say that I don’t see my sins, but the sins are the same. Do you say the same thing in confession?

But do we brush our teeth every day? And we wash ourselves, and my hands, despite the fact that they get dirty again. So it is with the soul. This is what the Gospel calls for: how many times you fall, so many times you get up. So there is only one conclusion: soiled clothes - we clean clothes, polluted the soul with sins - we cleanse the soul with repentance.

What are the consequences for the soul of the remembrance of confessed sins?

If you once again remember with a shudder, for example, an abortion, this is useful. And if with relish to remember, for example, the sins of fornication, then it is sinful.

Is online confession allowed?

Your doctor can tell you over the phone which medicines to take for which symptoms. But, for example, it is impossible to perform an operation over the phone. Similarly, through the Internet, you can ask a priest something and get advice, but you still have to go to the sacraments yourself. But if someone ended up on a desert island, but somehow contacted the priest by e-mail, he can repent of his sins by asking the priest to read the permissive prayer. That is, a similar format of confession can be allowed when there is no other opportunity for repentance.

At what age should boys confess, and at what age should girls?

There is an indication in the rules, without dividing into boys and girls, that a person starts confession from about 10 years old or as he realizes the meaning of confession. And here in Russia (probably very smart children) it is customary to start confessing children from the age of 7.

Came to confession for the first time in 20 years. He repented of an affair with a married woman, he did not remember more sins. The priest said that in my case it was necessary to come with a huge list of sins and that the Christian in me had died...

In fact, confession does not need a long list of sins written on paper. In confession, a person says what he cannot forget, what his soul hurts about, and no paper is needed for this. For what is the point of sitting at home, copying on paper almost one in one another manual for the penitents, if at the same time the person did not feel the depth of his fall and there is no desire in him to correct himself? In your case, the Christian in you didn't die, he just slept for 20 years in a deep sleep. Once you came to the temple, he began to wake up. The task of the confessor in this case is to help you resurrect the Christian in you. So in form you seem to have been rightly beaten, but in fact they could really finally kill the remnants of Christianity in your soul. I would like to wish you, through the instructions of the Holy Fathers, listening to the voice of conscience and good priests, to come to the Church and live in it all your life with the hope of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I want to confess and take communion, but I keep putting it off because of fear of the Lord. How to overcome fear?

The fear of sudden death should overcome the fear of confession, because no one knows at what moment the Lord will call his soul for an answer. But it’s scary to appear before God with all your negative baggage, it’s wiser to leave it here (through confession).

Does a priest have the right to violate the sacrament of confession?

The secret of confession is not subject to disclosure to anyone under any justification. There were cases when a priest, keeping the secret of confession, even went to prison.

I don’t go to confession, because I’m afraid for the priest, who takes all the sins upon himself and then gets sick.

John the Baptist, pointing to Christ, said: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world." No priest is able to take upon himself the sins of the people who are confessed to him; only Christ can do this. Throw away all your fears and false shame and hurry to confession.

After confession and communion, I felt relieved. Minor feuds disappeared in the family, well-being improved. But the most important thing: I noticed that my prayers to God were answered, requests for the health of my family were fulfilled.

Your words testify that when you sincerely turn to God with a request for the forgiveness of sins, the Lord, who said "ask, and it will be given to you," fulfills the promise. And since our sins are very often the cause of our illnesses, troubles, failures, when these sins are forgiven, the cause of all troubles disappears. That is, when the causes disappear, the consequences also disappear: a person’s health is restored, successes appear in work, family relationships are improved, etc.

Going to confession to the confessor, many believers ask themselves questions: how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest in this case? This is especially interesting for those who go to repentance for the first time. Of course, this is very exciting, because a person must repent of all mortal sins. But after the Father forgives all sins, the soul becomes light and free.

Confession is often called the second baptism. Having been baptized for the first time, the believer is freed from original sin. And a person who has repented removes from himself the sins committed in life after baptism. A person is sinful, throughout his life, unrighteous deeds further and further alienate him from God. To approach a saint, one must accept the sacrament of confession or repentance.

The salvation of the soul is the main goal of the confessor. Only in repentance is the sinner reunited with the Heavenly Father. Despite the fact that troubles and sorrowful moments happen in the life of every Christian, he should not complain, grumble about fate and be discouraged. This is one of the most serious sins.

To prepare for confession, you need to think it over well and do the following:

• forgive all your offenders and, if possible, make peace with them;
• yourself to ask for forgiveness from everyone whom you could offend in word or deed;
• stop gossiping and judging others for their actions;
• stop watching entertainment programs and magazines;
• drive away all indecent thoughts;
• study spiritual literature;
• 3 days before the sacrament, you need to eat only fast food;
• attend church services.

Children under 7 years of age and those who have just received baptism are not subject to confession, and women who have their period on this day, and young mothers who have not yet passed 40 days after giving birth, are not allowed to confess.

As soon as you come to the temple, you will see that believers have gathered for confession. You should turn around to them, look around at everyone and say: “Forgive me a sinner!” To this, the parishioners should answer: "God will forgive, and we forgive."

After that, you need to approach the confessor, bowing your head in front of the lectern, put a cross on yourself and bow. Now you should start confession. It may happen that the priest asks you to kiss the cross and the bible. You must do whatever he says.

What sins to tell the priest about?

If you do not repent for the first time, there is no need to talk about previously committed sins. You should only mention those that you have made since the last confession.

The main sins committed by man.

1. Sins against the Heavenly Father. These include pride, renunciation of the church and the Almighty, violation of the 10 commandments, false prayer, misbehavior during worship, passion for fortune-telling or magicians, thoughts of suicide.
2. Sins against the neighbor. These are insults, anger, anger, indifference, slander. Evil jokes directed at others.
3. Sins against yourself. Despondency, melancholy. Games for money, passion for material values. Smoking, alcoholism, gluttony.

If you really consciously repent and repent, God will forgive all sins. Remember the main 10 commandments and think about whether you have violated them. Nothing can be hidden and nothing can be said. Most often, the priest will listen to you and forgive your sins. Sometimes he will ask to elaborate on any case.

At the beginning of the conversation, the priest will ask: “In what way have you sinned against the Lord?” If you do not know the language of the Bible, you can start confessing in your own words. The main thing is that they come from the heart.

In conclusion, you must answer all the questions that the confessor will ask you. Are you remorseful for what you did? Have you made a decision to live according to the commandments and not commit further sins?

After your answers, the priest will cover you with a piece of holy robe called stole. He will speak over you and tell you what to do next. You can take communion, or the priest will recommend that you come to confession again.

Having made the decision to confess, first of all you need to contact your clergyman, who will reveal to you all the nuances of this sacrament. Only in this case you will not worry about how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest. Come to confession with a pure heart and openly tell about all the sins that you have committed. Only then will the Lord be merciful and grant you forgiveness.

In this article, I will give a list of sins for confession for women, so that you know what to say to the priest during the sacrament. I myself often attend church to repent of my wrongdoings, purify my soul and lighten the load of negative thoughts, words and actions. After confession, you feel incredibly light, so I believe that this ceremony is necessary for every person.

How to confess in church

There are certain rules of confession that must be followed. You must know what to say to the priest and how to behave in church.

The first stage is preparation. What will be required of you:

1. Understand what sins you will list at confession, realize them and honestly admit them to yourself, repent.
2. Feel a sincere desire to free yourself from moral burden and obey God.
3. Understand and believe that repentance will help your soul to take off the burden of sins, cleanse itself in order to live more easily and freely, without repeating your misdeeds, negative thoughts and actions.
4. Important: you need not only to know what sins to repent of at confession, but also to sincerely feel repentance. Only then will the church rite help you.

If you are going to confession for the first time, you should know how the ceremony will take place. Important points:

1. Understand that no matter what bad things you have done, the doors to the church are always open for you. Do not be afraid of condemnation or accusations - they will not be, in the temple they are ready to joyfully meet with repentance any sinner.
2. If you do not know what to do and say, just ask a priest. He will help and explain, give advice and guide you on the right path.
3. Confession is general and individual. On special occasions, the priest may come home. But only to seriously ill people or to those who are near death.
4. Communicating with the priest, you do not need to tell in all details about your sins. Briefly and concisely enough, simply list your sins. Do not blame others for them, do not look for excuses for yourself, take full responsibility for what you have done.
5. Your voice must come from the heart. Even if you speak tongue-tied, get confused in words and are not sure that you express your thoughts clearly enough, it's okay. God hears everyone, and the priest is only his intermediary.

1. Consult with relatives who attend church and can explain everything about the features of confession. Contact your grandparents.
2. If you are worried and worried that you will forget to name some sin because of excitement, just make a short list of sins for confession in advance, in your own words, it is not necessary to look for exact wording.
3. At the very first confession, the enumeration of sins must begin with the earliest - committed from the age of six. During subsequent rites, this is not necessary, name those sins that have been repeated, or new ones.

Important: some of your misconduct may not be such at all. In this case, you will figure out with the priest why “sin” bothers you so much, and how to solve the problem.

What sins to speak in confession

"Male" and "female" sins in confession may differ. Consider an example of what you can say to a woman during repentance.

In total, there are more than four hundred sins in the church lists. You can find a complete list and a sample text for confession in special manuals that are sold in church shops. I will tell you about the most basic ones.

Here are the most important sins that a woman should repent of:

1. I forgot about God: rarely or never prayed, did not come to the temple and lost touch with the divine.
2. During prayers, she concentrated not on turning to God, but thought about extraneous things, read the sacred text mechanically, without a soul.
3. Had sex before marriage, had a large number of sexual partners.
4. She did artificial termination of pregnancy, incited other women to have abortions. As for the use of contraceptives, this should be discussed with the priest in order to understand whether it should be attributed to sins.
5. She was impure in her thoughts and desires. Let her not commit misdeeds, but think about them, doubt: and not to succumb to temptation.
6. Watched pornographic films or read related literature.
7. Gossip, discussed and condemned other people, lied, envied, offended, lazy.
8. She wore too revealing clothes, deliberately exposed her body to attract the attention of men.
9. She was afraid of death, old age, wrinkles, had suicidal thoughts. This also includes any beauty injections and plastic surgery in order to improve the appearance, “rejuvenate”.
10. Was or is depending on alcohol, drugs, sweets, cigarettes. Gluttony or dependence on communication with a particular person is also included here.
11. She was engaged in esoteric "dark" practices, turned to fortune-tellers, magicians, esotericists instead of praying to God.
12. She believed in signs and superstitions.

Watch a video on what to do if you do not see sins in yourself:

Sample text of confession

I believe that it is not at all necessary to memorize a ready-made text that you will pronounce in front of a priest. He is only an intermediary of God, and your sincerity is important to our Creator, and not memorized formulations. Therefore, the most important thing is that your voice comes from the heart, you are sincere, even if you speak tongue-tied and get confused in words.

As an example: “I confess to God in all my sins: from the moment of conception and birth, to Baptism and the present time. I repent that I violated the following commandments (list). Sinned in thoughts, words and actions (list). I repent and regret, I wish to repent, to receive your, God, forgiveness and henceforth not to commit sins.

1. Turn to God, express a sincere desire to repent.
2. Name the sins you have committed.
3. Indicate that you are sincerely ready to repent and regret what you have done.
4. To apologize.

This is quite enough for God to hear you and you deserve forgiveness. The final verdict will be given by the priest. In exceptional cases, he can impose penance - a punishment that can be expressed in fasting, prayers and other restrictions necessary to purify your soul.