First confession how to prepare for it. How to confess for the first time

Probably, now it is difficult to find a person who would not have heard anything about confession. Even those who are not in the habit of going to the temple have some idea of ​​this action. Nevertheless, it is necessary to know firmly what confession is.

What is confession?

Confession is a church sacrament, that is, a mystery. Why a secret? First of all, because in a secret and incomprehensible way for us there is a cleansing of our sins. All those actions that are at odds with the commandments given to us by God, which we performed after baptism, are washed away from the soul, and it becomes again pure and sinless. Of course, it is unlikely that all sins can be remembered in one confession, so it is advisable to confess regularly.

How to confess for the first time

The first confession is like the first date, it is so mysterious and difficult to predict. For most people who are not active parishioners of the church, the same question arises: "How to approach this sacrament for the first time?" Indeed, the first confession frightens people, they do not know how it will pass, what to expect from it. There are many books and small brochures on how to confess for the first time, where everything is described in great detail. Nevertheless, it is worth dwelling on this sacrament in more detail.

First of all, do not be afraid of this action. A priest is, first of all, a person who acts not on his own behalf, but on behalf of God. And God is love, as the Holy Scripture tells us, so you should not expect someone to scold or condemn you. On the contrary, the priest will perfectly understand your condition, all the more he will see that this is your first participation in this sacrament. Most often, the clergy are benevolent and laconic. They will never express their personal attitude to a person and his actions. That's how they were taught, and rightly so. In addition, probably, every priest remembers his first confession, which is why you should not be afraid.

Do not be afraid to ask experienced parishioners about how to confess for the first time. Basically, people willingly suggest how to do it, what to say, and even how to pray. It is especially good if such parishioners are found among acquaintances, then in this case they will answer all the questions that torment you, and most importantly, the very frightening one: "How to confess for the first time?" Well, we will pay attention to the main points right now.

How to confess to a priest - highlights

Confession usually takes place during or after the service on the side of the lectern, which is a wooden stand for the cross or the Gospel. Usually there is a queue of people who want to confess. Each such conversation does not last long, because very often there are many people, and there is only one priest.

Before going to the priest, they usually fold their arms crosswise across their chests and bow to the one who is standing behind, thereby asking for his mercy and permission to go ahead of him. After that, you need to go behind the lectern, to the priest. Batiushka never shows his emotions, speaks in an undertone and very little. The question of how to confess, what to say, you can ask him, and he will certainly answer, but it would be better to prepare in advance for this conversation.

Many prefer not to say anything, but to entrust their sins to paper. This is also possible, it is not forbidden. In this case, the priest will read the note himself, and therefore will read the permissive prayer. However, it is better to speak out your sins. After confession, the priest covers the person with an epitrachelion, which is a long yellow apron, and reads a prayer, which has a cleansing effect.

The composition of the confession: what to say

To know how to confess, what to say, you can purchase the relevant literature in church shops. Everything is very detailed there.

Some people begin to complain about life, about others in the process of confession. Of course, this is wrong. You only need to talk about yourself. It is advisable to confess according to the order given in the preparation books. It says how to confess and receive communion.

sacrament of communion

Communion is another of the sacraments of the church. It occurs after confession, and only those people who confessed participate in it. Communion is no less mysterious and mysterious phenomenon in the church. During it, people become part of God through the fact that they eat bread and wine, which were consecrated in the altar before communion.

Only those who confessed the day before, and children up to seven years old, are allowed to take communion. From the age of seven, children, like adults, must also come to confession.

Sometimes a priest does not allow communion when he sees that a person does not understand the meaning of the sacraments, is confused or does not think that he should repent. It is also rare that he imposes penance, which is a form of punishment. However, as a rule, penances are not very strict, as for monks or priests. Therefore, you should not be afraid of them, but you just need to obediently do what the priest says.

After several cases of participation in church sacraments, the question of how to confess and receive communion will no longer be so acute, because everything will become familiar and familiar, and you will even be able to advise other people who have crossed the threshold of the temple for the first time.

Children's confession

As mentioned above, children start confession from the age of 7. Prior to this, it is believed that they are sinless and do not need this sacrament. Therefore, they can take communion without going to confession.

Many parents are faced with the question of how to confess to their children. The first time is difficult and scary even for adults, but a child is a child. He has a completely different perception of the world, a different idea of ​​sins. Therefore, you should not impose your wishes regarding confession on him. The child must formulate in his own words those thoughts and actions that, in his opinion, are sinful. In case of misunderstanding of confession, the priest will teach and explain to him how to confess and tell about his sins.

Confession in post

Lent is a time of special repentance for Orthodox Christians. At this time, people abstain from abundant food, including meat and dairy products. In this way, they accustom themselves to abstinence, which is especially necessary for the perfection of the soul.

Confession during fasting is very desirable, because it is necessary to purify not only the body, but also the soul. The question of how to confess during fasting should not cause confusion. Confession takes place in exactly the same way as on other, non-fasting days. There are no differences. On the contrary, confession during fasting is even easier. The fact is that it is advisable to fast before any confession, and during fasting such additional preparation is not required, because the person will already be ready for the sacrament. Confession during fasting is its result, completion, which is why you should not neglect it.

How often do you go to confession?

Do I need to go to confession every week? Or once a month? This question is asked by everyone who is just starting to attend the temple, and those who have long been its parishioners. In fact, there is no single rule regarding the frequency of confession, it all depends on the desire of a person, on his inner state. It is still advisable to go to confession at least once a year, and the rest - at will and need.

Confession leaves vivid memories in the soul of every person. Probably everyone remembers their first confession. Many call it a "soul bath", and this has its own logic. The soul is relieved from the severity of the sins and passions that have covered it, and this is important!

Confession is a sacrament of repentance, when a believer sets forth his committed sins to a clergyman in the hope of God's forgiveness. The rite was established by the Savior himself, who spoke to the disciples the words recorded in the Gospel of Matthew: chapter 18, verse 18. The topic of confession is also covered in the Gospel of John: chapter 20, verses 22-23.

In the sacrament of repentance, parishioners state the main passions (mortal sins) committed by them:

• gluttony (excessive consumption of food);
• anger;
• fornication, debauchery;
• love of money (desire for material values);
• despondency (depression, despair, laziness);
• vanity;
• pride;
• envy.

The representative of the church is empowered to forgive sins in the name of the Lord.

Preparation for confession

The need to confess in the vast majority of cases arises when:

• committing a grave sin;
• preparation for communion;
• decision to get married;
• mental anguish from the offenses committed;
• serious or terminal illness;
• desire to change the sinful past.

Confession requires preparation. You need to know the schedule for when ordinances are held and choose a suitable date. Usually, confession is performed on weekends and holidays; daily rites are possible.

Attention! During the sacrament, a significant number of believers are present. If there are difficulties with opening the soul to the priest and repentance in front of a large crowd of people, it is advisable to contact the minister of the church and choose a day when it is possible to be alone with him.

Before confession, it is recommended to make a list of sins, correctly identifying them. Offenses committed by word, deed, in thoughts are taken into account, starting from the last repentance. In the case of the first confession in adulthood, they remember their own sins from the age of 7 or after baptism.

In order to tune in to the right mood, it is advisable to read the Penitential Canon in the evening before the sacrament. It is important to go to confession in the absence of ungodly thoughts, forgive your offenders and apologize to those whom you have offended yourself. Fasting before the ceremony is optional.

Confession should be done once a month, if desired and the need arises, you can do it more often. Women during menstruation abstain from the ceremony.

How to confess properly

It is important to come to the sacrament of repentance without delay. Confession is held in the morning or evening. Repentant believers read the rites. The priest interrogates the names of those who came to confession, you should tell him in a calm voice, without shouting. Latecomers do not participate in the sacrament.

It is recommended to conduct a rite of repentance with one confessor. You need to wait for your turn, then turn to people with the words: “Forgive me, a sinner (sinner).” The answer will be the phrase: "God will forgive, and we forgive." After that, they approach the clergyman and bow their heads in front of the lectern - an elevated table.

Having crossed himself and bowed, the believer confesses, listing sins. You should start the phrase with the words: “Lord, I have sinned (sinned) before You ...” and reveal what exactly. They report misconduct without details, in general terms. If you need clarification, the priest will ask. However, to speak too briefly: "Sinful (sinful) in everything!" also not allowed. It is important to list all misconducts without hiding anything. They end the confession, for example, with the phrase: “I repent, Lord! Save and have mercy on me a sinner (sinner)!” Then they carefully listen to the priest, take into account his advice. After reading the "permissive" prayer by the clergyman, they cross themselves and bow twice, kiss the Cross and the book of the Gospel.

Important! For grave sins, a representative of the church appoints a penance - a punishment that may consist in reading a long prayer, fasting or abstinence. Only after its fulfillment and with the help of a “permissive” prayer is the believer considered forgiven.

In large Temples, with a significant number of people, a “general” confession is used. In this case, the priest lists the main sins, and those who confess repent. After that, each parishioner approaches the representative of the church under the "permissive" prayer.

sacrament of repentance

Confession is considered the second baptism. If at baptism a person is cleansed of original sin, then at repentance there is a liberation from personal passions.

When conducting the ceremony, it is important to be honest with yourself and God, be aware of the misconduct committed and sincerely repent of them. One should not be embarrassed or afraid of condemning the priest - this will not happen, the representative of the church is only a conductor between the believer and the Lord, there is no need to make excuses before him, only repent.

One cannot continue to be tormented by a sin that has already been repented, since it is considered forgiven. Otherwise, the church perceives this as a manifestation of lack of faith.

Examples of sins that are listed to the priest during confession include various categories.

Common female transgressions include:

• turned to witches, fortune-tellers, and so on;
• rarely attended church and read prayers;
• had sexual relations before marriage;
• during prayer, she thought about pressing problems;
• was afraid of old age;
• had impious thoughts;
• had an abortion;
• was superstitious;
• excessive use of alcohol, sweets, drugs;
• wore revealing clothes;
• refused to help those in need.

Common male sins are:

• lack of faith, blasphemy against the Lord;
• cruelty;
• pride;
• laziness;
• ridicule of the weak;
• greed;
• evasion from military service;
• insulting people around, the use of violence;
• weakness in resisting temptations;
• slander, theft;
• rudeness, rudeness;
• refusal to help those in need.

In Orthodoxy, there are 3 main groups of sins that are subject to presentation during confession: in relation to the Lord, relatives, and oneself.

Sins against God

• interest in the occult sciences;
• apostasy;
• an insult to God, ingratitude to him;
• unwillingness to wear a pectoral cross;
• superstition;
• atheistic upbringing;
• mentioning the Lord in vain;
• unwillingness to read morning and evening prayers, visit the temple on Sundays and holidays;
• thoughts of suicide;
• passion for gambling;
• rare reading of Orthodox literature;
• non-observance of church rules (fasting);
• despair in difficulties and problems, denial of God's providence;
• condemnation of representatives of the church;
• dependence on earthly pleasures;
• fear of old age;
• hiding sins during repentance, unwillingness to fight them;
• arrogance, denial of God's help.

Sins towards relatives

The group of vices against neighbors includes:

• disrespect for parents, irritation with old age;
• condemnation, hatred;
• anger;
• quick temper;
• slander, rancor;
• raising children in a different faith;
• non-repayment of debts;
• non-payment of money for work;
• rejection of people in need of help;
• arrogance;
• quarrels, swearing with relatives and neighbors;
• greed;
• driving a neighbor to suicide;
• having an abortion and encouraging others to do so;
• drinking alcohol at funerals;
• theft;
• laziness at work.

Sins against the soul

• deception;
• foul language (use of obscene language);
• self-delusion;
• vanity;
• envy;
• laziness;
• despair, sadness;
• impatience;
• lack of faith;
• adultery (violation of fidelity in marriage);
• laughter for no reason;
• masturbation, unnatural fornication (proximity of people of the same sex), incest;
• love for material values, the desire for enrichment;
• gluttony;
• perjury;
• doing good deeds for show;
• dependence on alcohol, tobacco;
• idle talk, verbosity;
• reading literature and viewing photos, films with erotic content;
• extramarital intimacy.

How to confess to children

The Church teaches children from an early age to a sense of reverence for the Lord. A child under 7 years old is considered a baby, he does not need to confess, including before communion.

Upon reaching the specified age, children begin the rite of repentance on an equal basis with adults. Before confession, it is recommended to set up the baby by reading the Holy Scriptures, children's Orthodox literature. It is advisable to reduce the time of watching TV, pay special attention to reading morning and evening prayers.

When a child behaves badly, they talk to him, awakening a sense of shame.

Children also make a list of committed sins, it is important that they do this on their own, without the help of adults. To help the child, he is given a list of possible sins:

• did not miss the morning or evening prayers before the meal?
• did not steal?
• didn't you guess?
• Do you brag about your skills and abilities?
• Do you know the main prayers (“Our Father”, “Jesus Prayer”, “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”)?
• do not hide sins at confession?
• do not use amulets, symbols?
• attend church on Sundays, don't play around in the service?
• not fond of bad habits, do not use foul language?
• did not mention the name of the Lord unnecessarily?
• are you not shy about wearing a cross, do you wear it without taking it off?
• did not deceive parents?
• didn't snitch, didn't gossip?
• help your loved ones, are you not lazy?
• did not mock the beasts of the earth?
• didn't play cards?

The child may name personal sins not listed. It is important that he understands the need for awareness of his own misdeeds, sincere and sincere repentance.

Examples of confession

Speech during the sacrament of repentance is made up arbitrarily, depending on the enumeration of the sins of the believer. A few examples of what to say in confession will help to make an individual appeal to the priest and God.

Example 1

Lord, I have sinned (sinned) before You with adultery, lies, greed, slander, foul language, superstition, the desire for enrichment, extramarital carnal intimacy, quarrels with loved ones, gluttony, abortion, dependence on alcohol, tobacco, vindictiveness, condemnation, non-compliance with church rules . I repent, Lord! Have mercy on me, a sinner (sinner).

Example 2

I confess to the Lord God, in the Holy Trinity glorious, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all sins from youth to the present, committed by deed, word and thought, voluntarily or involuntarily. I put my hope in God's mercy and wish to correct my life. I sinned (sinned) with apostasy, impudent judgments about church laws, love for earthly goods, disrespect for elders. Forgive me, Lord, cleanse, renew my soul and body, so that I can follow the path of salvation. And you, honest Father, pray for me to the Lord, the Most Pure Lady of the Theotokos and the saints, that the Lord will have mercy on me through their prayers, forgive me from my sins and make me worthy to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ without condemnation.

Example 3

I bring you, merciful Lord, the heavy burden of my sins from early youth to this day. I have sinned (sinned) before You by forgetting Your commandments, ingratitude to You for mercy, superstition, blasphemous thoughts, desire for pleasure, vanity, idle talk, gluttony, breaking fasts, refusing to help those in need. I have sinned in words, thoughts, deeds, sometimes involuntarily, but more often consciously. I sincerely repent of my sins, I do my best not to repeat them. Forgive and have mercy on me, Lord!

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 burden 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, fearing to lose 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 a completely 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 church from home, the duration of the service, and 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 Lenten verse: “Let us fast with fasting that is pleasant, pleasing to the Lord: true fasting is alienation from evil, abstinence from the tongue, abstinence from rage, excommunication from lusts, utterances, lies and perjury: these are impoverishment, true fasting is and favorable” . 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: “Whoever has a pure heart, he considers all people pure, but whoever has a heart defiled by passions, he 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 about the fact 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 deal with 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- unconsecrated 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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Every believer must understand that in confession he confesses his deeds to the Lord. Each of his sins must be covered by the desire to atone for his guilt before the Lord, the only way to achieve his forgiveness.

If a person feels that his heart is heavy, then it is necessary to go to church and go through the sacrament of confession. After repentance, you will feel much better, and a heavy burden will fall from your shoulders. The soul will become free and conscience will no longer torment you.

The essence of confession

The Holy Fathers call the Sacrament of Repentance the second baptism. In the first case, at Baptism, a person receives cleansing from the original sin of the forefathers Adam and Eve, and in the second, the penitent is washed away from his sins committed after baptism. However, because of the weakness of their human nature, people continue to sin, and these sins separate them from God, standing between them as a barrier. They cannot overcome this barrier on their own. But the Sacrament of Penance helps to be saved and acquire that unity with God acquired at Baptism.

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

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

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

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

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

Preparation for confession

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

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

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

Vices against the soul:
Sloth, deceit, use of obscene words, impatience, disbelief, self-delusion, despair.

Vices against neighbors:
Disrespect for parents, slander, condemnation, rancor, hatred, theft, and so on.

How to confess correctly, what should be said to the priest at the beginning?

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

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

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

What sins to speak in confession and how to call them

Everyone who decides to go to confession for the first time thinks about how to behave correctly. What is the correct way to name sins in confession? It happens that people come to confession and tell in detail about all their life ups and downs. This is not considered a confession. Confession includes such a thing as repentance. This is not a story about your life, and even with the desire to justify your sins.

Since some people simply do not know how to confess in a different way, the priest will accept this version of confession. But it will be more correct if you try to understand the situation and admit to all the mistakes.

Many write their sins for confession in a list. In it, they try to list everything in detail and tell about everything. But there is another type of people who list their sins only in separate words. It is necessary to describe your sins not in general terms about the passion that seethes in you, but about its manifestation in your life.

Remember, confession should not be a detailed account of the incident, but should be repentance for certain sins. But you should not be especially dry in describing these sins, unsubscribing with just one word.

Behavior at Confession

Before confessing, you need to find out the time of confession in the temple. In many churches, confession takes place on holidays and Sundays, but in large churches it can be on Saturdays and on weekdays. Most often, a large number of people who want to confess come during Great Lent. But if a person confesses for the first time or after a long break, it is best to talk with a priest and find a convenient time for calm and open repentance.

Before confession, it is necessary to endure a three-day spiritual and bodily fast: give up sexual activity, do not eat animal products, it is advisable to give up entertainment, watching TV and “sitting” in gadgets. At this time, it is necessary to read spiritual literature and pray. There are special prayers before confession, which can be found in the Prayer Book or on specialized sites. You can read other literature on spiritual topics that the priest can recommend.

It is worth remembering that confession is, first of all, repentance, and not just a sincere conversation with a priest. If you have any questions, you should approach the priest at the end of the Service and ask him to give you some time.

The priest has the right to impose penance on the parishioner if he considers the sins grave. This is a kind of punishment to eradicate sin and receive speedy forgiveness. As a rule, penance is the reading of prayers, fasting and serving others. Penance should be taken not as a punishment, but as a spiritual medicine.

You must come to confession in modest clothing. Men must wear trousers or trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, preferably without images on it. Hats should be taken off in church. Women should dress as modestly as possible; trousers, dresses with a neckline, bare shoulders are not allowed. The length of the skirt is below the knee. There must be a headscarf on the head. Any make-up, especially painted lips, is unacceptable, because it will be necessary to kiss the Gospel and the Cross.

I often come to church for confession to repent of my sins, purify my soul and receive God's forgiveness. This sacred sacrament is more powerful and stronger than any other cleansing rituals, so I recommend every person to regularly confess in the temple. In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know for a parishioner who has decided on this ceremony for the first time or wants to better understand the spiritual meaning of confession.

You need to prepare for confession in advance. It is best to take a few days to prepare.

What should be done:

1. Write on a piece of paper a list of sins for which you will repent to the priest in the church.
2. Read church literature, which describes all the features of the sacrament of confession.
3. Admit your sins, that they exist and that you have committed them. At the same time, you do not need to look for the guilty, try to justify yourself to yourself and shift the responsibility. First of all, repent to yourself: “Yes, I did it, and only I am guilty of what I did.”
4. A clue as to which sins to include on the list can be a daily diary in which you record what you did during the day. Write down what you did well and what you did wrong. Try to carefully monitor your thoughts, emotions and actions and “catch” yourself in negative states.
5. Ask for forgiveness from those you offended. Try to reconcile with enemies. Try to establish contact with those with whom you have been in a quarrel for a long time and do not communicate. Even if you do not renew communication, a sincere conversation will cleanse your soul and heart.
6. Put prayer into your daily routine. In the evening, read the canons: Repentant and converted to the Mother of God.

It is important to understand that personal confession (when you yourself confess your sins and repent) differs from the church rite (its meaning is in deep repentance and the desire to cleanse from sins so as not to repeat them in the future).

And confession with a priest is the next step. Due to the fact that you have to overcome yourself, telling an outsider about your hard-hitting actions, you can deeply realize them, overcome feelings of guilt and shame, and draw the right conclusions.

If you have difficulty listing the list of sins, buy a special booklet in the church shop that contains a complete description of both the sacrament itself and a detailed list of sins. It also contains all the necessary materials on how to prepare for confession.

How to Confess and Behave in Church

As soon as you begin to feel heaviness in your soul, when committed transgressions haunt you, and your thoughts are full of negativity, the time comes for confession in the church.

The forgiveness you receive after sincere repentance gives you a sense of relief and release. What are the rules of confession?

1. You can go to confession up to three times a week. But it is not necessary to do this so often. It may well be that your sins are not so severe, and you need repentance from the priest only once a month or less. Observe your feelings. If you feel that it is worth speaking out again, come to the next confession.
2. To get rid of awkwardness and a feeling of constraint, try to focus your thoughts precisely on the sincere desire to cleanse your soul and consciousness of negativity, to receive forgiveness and God's blessing.
3. Prepare a list of sins committed before the sacrament itself, so as not to waste time remembering what you forgot.
4. If the sins you have committed are serious enough, the priest after confession can impose penance - a punishment, having fulfilled which you will earn forgiveness. It should be understood that it will be necessary to follow the instructions.

The best time for confession is either after the evening liturgy, or in the morning, before the start of the service.

How is confession

There are several options for confession:

• General, when people pronounce their sins together, during a special service.
• By agreement with the priest, you can get his personal audience and confess tête-à-tête.
• In exceptional situations (if a person is seriously ill, for example), the priest can be invited home. An exception is most often made only in cases where the "sinner" is dying.

You should be prepared for the fact that before the sacrament, the priest will ask you a few questions. They should be answered sincerely and without embarrassment. Usually he is interested in how often you pray, come to the temple, follow God's commandments, and so on.

Thus, the sacrament takes place in several stages:

1. Preliminary conversation with questions from the priest.
2. Reading your sins from the list, expressing your desire to repent and receive forgiveness.
3. At the end, the priest will read a prayer and tear up the list of sins. This means that confession is over, and you have received absolution.
4. After that, an epitrachelion will be placed on your head, which symbolizes the blessing and mercy of God. At the end of the ceremony, put your lips to the Gospel and the cross, which are usually located at the end of the temple.

Watch a video on how to correctly name sins in confession:

What to repent in confession?

In order not to experience embarrassment when visiting the sacrament for the first time, you should know what to say in confession. It often happens that people try to formulate their actions only with their “head”, forgetting that repentance must come from the heart. I urge you not to worry too much about the accuracy of the wording, but to pronounce everything as your soul feels. You can even be tongue-tied, what's the difference? God hears and understands you.

1. Never try to justify yourself before the priest, do not blame your people for your failures, troubles and sins. Recognize that only you are responsible for them.
2. Long stories with lots of details are also not required. You can speak out in this way to your mother or girlfriend, and simply list all the sins to the priest. Only the facts - without assessments, explanations and justifications. There is no need to think about why this is so.
3. You can repent: in the seven deadly sins, the negative emotions that you show to people, in misconduct that could harm someone.

And remember: it doesn't matter if you know the rules or not. The church will always prompt and tell, help if you forgot about something. Don't be afraid to look stupid and awkward, just be sincere and listen to your heart.