Examples of a woman's confession. 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? Sins in Orthodoxy

There are no sinless people in principle: the Bible, the church and common sense speak about this. A person who visits God's temple more than once a year surely knows how Confession is important for an Orthodox Christian: how to correctly name your sins in confession - the advice of the priest will help answer this question.

If you are going to confess in a church for the first time, read the previous article about. After all, this the most important sacrament in the life of every Christian requires special preparation, morale and pure intentions. During confession, a person experiences a session of reconciliation with God, he does not just list his sins in the presence of a priest or quotes all the “10 commandments”.

Man comes first with repentance and awareness of their sins. If you do not know what sins to name, refer initially to church literature. Read the books "Interpretation of the Gospel" by B. I. Gladkov or "To Help the Penitent" by Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov. However, this in all respects useful literature should not be carried away.

It is not necessary during confession to pour out church words and terms with might and main, to behave too pathetically, or, on the contrary, too petty, naming all the slightest sins and mistakes. Confession is a great spiritual work and should be practiced throughout life. We come to confession in order to expose our sin before God, to repent and realize all the ugliness of our sin.

Your remorse must come from within, from the heart. This directly means that from now on you will not repeat the sins you have committed in the future, or you undertake to fight the temptation to repeat them again.

A person comes to confession before important life events - baptism, wedding, before communion and during major church holidays. Preparation for this sacrament should be done in advance: fast for several days, pray, mentally cleanse your mind. In the same period, painstaking work was carried out on compiling the text of the confession.

The best thing write everything on a piece of paper and play back in a calm voice in the church in front of the father. This way you won't worry and forget about all the main points of confession.

To the very confession there are certain requirements:

concreteness;
conciseness;
sincerity;
ruthlessness in relation to their own sins.

Careful preparation for confession is especially familiar to a woman, because during repentance, one should hold on to emotions and prioritize specifics. There is no shame in having a dress rehearsal before your confession.

Also, you can watch a video about confessions other people or write down your own in order to study all the mistakes and not repeat them during the real sacrament. Further, in the article you will learn what to say to the priest: examples of phrases in confession will help you build your speech correctly. And right now we will tell you how in no case should you behave during confession.

What can not be said in confession?

Do not start with trifling sins such as breaking a fast or working during a holiday.
Talk only about your sins and not about the sins of their loved ones.
It's not worth naming your sins right there look for excuses.
Don't underestimate your sin and don't be afraid of judgment.
Don't treat confession like a monthly report she must be sincere. And the result of confession is repentance.

To the question of the father, are you wrong should answer: "Sinned" or "Sinned" and name exactly what sin you want to repent of. For example, "Sinned by adultery, lying" etc. If the priest does not stop you and does not ask you to specify exactly what sins you have committed, you should not go into details. Do not try to hide anything either, because you need to be honest, first of all, in front of himself.

remember, that "list of sins" is not limited to the Ten Commandments. It is necessary to entrust your misdeeds and sins to the priest if you:

- Neglected people out of a sense of pride or selfishness.
- They condemned others.
- Have had an abortion or neglected the upbringing of children in favor of pleasure.
- They were cowardly, shifting responsibility to others.
- Did not pay debts or refrained from paying employees.
- Spread gossip or slander.
- They were greedy for those in need.
- Are you suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction?
- Often be lazy and kind of "go with the flow."
- You want a "beautiful life" or luxury.
- Behave indifferently towards other people, do not help them overcome their own sin.

Perhaps this list of sins will not be entirely complete. Let's add here turning to fortune-tellers, theft, blasphemy, malice, cruelty, envy and many more petty and grave human sins. With some of them you will part easily and naturally. Others will persecute you even after confession. After all, a person is not sinless and not perfect.

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

Concept of sin

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

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

Consciousness of sin and confession

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

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

An example of correct confession is true repentance

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

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

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

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

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

Preparation for confession

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

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

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

Sins against God

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

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

Sins against neighbor

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

Sins directed against oneself

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

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

About brevity

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

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

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

Confession is an important event in the life of every believer. An honest and sincere sacrament is a way for a church-going layman to communicate with the Lord through a confessor. The rules of repentance are not only what words to start with, when you can go through the ceremony and what to do, but also the obligatory humility and conscientious approach to the preparation and procedure of confession.

Training

A person who decides to go to confession must be baptized. An important condition is to sacredly and unquestioningly believe in God and accept His Revelation. You need to know the Bible and understand the Faith, which can help visit the church library.

It should be remembered and kept in mind, but it is better to write on a piece of paper all the sins committed by the confessor from the age of seven or from the moment when the person was converted to Orthodoxy. You should not hide or recall other people's misdeeds, blame other people for your own.

A person needs to give a word to the Lord that with His help he will eradicate sinfulness in himself and make amends for low deeds.

Then you need to prepare for confession. Before serving, you need to behave like an exemplary Christian:

on the eve diligently pray and reread the Bible;
refuse entertainment, entertainment events;
read the Penitential Canon.

What not to do before repentance

Before repentance, fasting is optional and is performed only at the request of a person. In any case, it should not be carried out by small children, pregnant women and sick people.

Before the sacrament, the Christian abstains from physical and spiritual temptations. A ban on viewing entertainment programs, reading entertainment literature has been established. It is forbidden to spend time at the computer, play sports or be lazy. It is better not to attend noisy meetings and not to be in crowded companies, to spend the days before confession in humility and prayer.

How is the ceremony

What time the confession starts depends on the chosen church, usually it takes place in the morning or in the evening. The procedure begins before the Divine Liturgy, during and immediately after the evening Divine Liturgy. Under the condition of being under the patronage of his own spiritual father, the believer is allowed to agree with him on an individual basis when he will confess a person.

Before a line of parishioners is lined up to the priest, a common general prayer is read. In her text there is a moment at which the worshipers call their own name. After that, you have to wait your turn.

There is no need to use brochures with a list of sins issued in temples as a model for building your own confession. You should not recklessly rewrite advice from there, what to repent of, it is important to take it as an approximate and generalized plan.

You need to repent honestly and sincerely, talking about a specific situation in which there was a place for sin. When reading a standard list, the procedure becomes a formality and does not carry any value.

The confession ends with the confessor reading the concluding prayer. At the end of the speech, they bow their heads under the stole of the priest, and then kiss the Gospel and the cross. It is advisable to finish the procedure by asking for a blessing from the priest.

How to confess properly

When conducting the sacrament, it is important to adhere to the recommendations:

Mention without concealment and repent of any perfect evil. It is pointless to attend communion if one is not ready to humbly get rid of sins. Even if the meanness was committed many years ago, it is worth confessing to the Lord.
Do not be afraid of condemnation from the priest, since the communicant conducts a dialogue not with the minister of the church, but with God. The priest is obliged to keep the sacrament secret, so what was said at the service will remain hidden from prying ears. During the years of church service, the priests let go of all conceivable sins, and they can only be upset by insincerity and the desire to hide evil deeds.
Keep feelings under control and expose sins with words.“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). But tears, behind which there is no clear awareness of their accomplishments, are not blissful. Feelings alone are not enough, most often those who take communion cry from self-pity and resentment.
Useless is the confession to which a person came to release emotions, because such actions are aimed only at forgetting, but not at correction.
Don't hide your unwillingness to admit your evil behind diseases of the memory. With the confession “I repent that I have sinned in thought, word and deed”, they are usually not allowed to the procedure. You can get forgiveness if it was complete and sincere. You need a passionate desire to go through the process of repentance.
After remission of the most serious sins, do not forget about the rest. Having confessed his most evil deeds, a person goes through the very beginning of the real path of calming the soul. Mortal sins are rarely committed and are often greatly regretted, unlike petty offenses. Paying attention to feelings of envy, pride or condemnation in his soul, a Christian becomes more and more pure, more and more pleasing to the Lord. The work on the eradication of small manifestations of cowardice is more difficult and longer than on the expiation of a great evil. Therefore, one must carefully prepare for each confession, especially the one before which one cannot remember one's sins.
To speak at the beginning of confession about what is more difficult to say about the rest. Living with the awareness of an act for which every day a person torments his soul, it can be difficult to acknowledge it out loud. In this case, it is important to remember that the Lord sees and knows about everything and expects only repentance for what he has done. This means that at the very beginning of a dialogue with God, it is important to overpower yourself and state your terrible sin and sincerely ask for forgiveness for it.
The more meaningful and concise the confession, the better.. We must state our sins briefly, but succinctly. It's good to get straight to the point. It is necessary that the priest immediately understand what the visitor wants to repent of. It is not necessary to mention names, places and dates - this is redundant. It is best to prepare your story at home by writing it down, and then delete everything that is unnecessary and interferes with the understanding of the essence.
Never resort to self-justification. Self-pity makes the soul languish and does not help the sinner in any way. Hiding perfect evil in one confession is not the worst thing a Christian can do. It is much worse if this situation repeats itself. It is important to remember that by attending the sacrament, a person seeks liberation from sins. But he will not achieve this if he leaves them to himself, each time ending the confession with words about the insignificance of some offenses or about their necessity. It is better to state the situation in your own words without excuses.
Make an effort. Repentance is hard work that requires the expenditure of strength and time. Confession involves the daily overcoming of one's own being on the way to a better personality. The sacrament is not an easy way to calm the senses. This is not a constant opportunity to seek help at a particularly difficult hour, to talk about painful things, to go out with a pure soul as a different person. It is important to draw conclusions about your own life and actions.

List of sins

All sins committed by a person are conditionally divided into groups, depending on their content.

In relation to God

Doubt in one's own faith, the existence of the Lord and the veracity of the Holy Scriptures.
Prolonged non-attendance at holy churches, confessions and communions.
Lack of diligence in reading prayers and canons, absent-mindedness and forgetfulness in relation to them.
Failure to fulfill promises to God.
Blasphemy.
Suicidal intentions.
Mention in swearing of evil spirits.
Eating and drinking before communion.
Post non-compliance.
Work during church holidays.

In relation to neighbor

Unwillingness to believe and help save someone else's soul.
Disrespect and disrespect for parents and elders.
Lack of deeds and motives to help the poor, the weak, the grieving, the destitute.
Suspicion of people, jealousy, selfishness or suspiciousness.
The upbringing of children is out of line with the Orthodox Christian faith.
Committing murder, including abortion, or self-mutilation.
Cruelty or passionate love for animals.
Applying a curse.
Envy, slander or lies.
Resentment or insult to another's dignity.
Condemnation of other people's actions or thoughts.
seduction.

In relation to oneself

Ingratitude and carelessness towards one's own talents and abilities, expressed in a waste of time, laziness and empty dreams.
Shirking or completely ignoring one's own routine obligations.
Self-interest, stinginess, the desire for the strictest economy in order to accumulate money, or wasteful spending of the budget.
Theft or begging.
Fornication or adultery.
Incest, homosexuality, bestiality and the like.
Masturbation (as the sin of masturbation is better called) and viewing depraved images, records and other things.
All kinds of flirting and coquetry with the aim of seducing or seducing, immodest and neglecting meekness.
Drug addiction, drinking alcohol and smoking.
Gluttony or intentional self-starvation.
Eating animal blood.
Negligence in relation to one's health or excessive concern for it.

For women

Violation of church rules.
Negligent attitude to the reading of prayers.
Overeating, smoking, drinking in order to drown out resentment or anger.
Fear of old age or death.
Immodest behavior, debauchery.
Passion for divination.

Sacrament of repentance and communion

In the Russian Orthodox Church, the processes of confession and communion are inextricably linked. Although this approach is not canonical, it is nevertheless practiced in all corners of the country. Before a Christian can receive communion, he goes through the procedure of confession. This is required for the priest to understand that the sacrament is served to an adequate believer who has passed the fast before the sacrament, has withstood the test of will and conscience, and has not committed serious sins.

When a person was released from his evil deeds, a void appears in his soul that needs to be filled by God, this can be done at the sacrament.

How to confess to a child

There are no special rules for the confession of children, except when they reach the age of seven. When leading your child to the sacrament for the first time, it is important to remember some of the nuances of your own behavior:

Do not tell the child about his main sins or write a list of what must be said to the priest. It is important that he prepare himself for repentance.
It is forbidden to interfere in church secrets. That is, asking the offspring questions: “how do you confess,” “what did the priest say,” and the like.
You can’t ask the confessor for a special attitude towards your child, ask about the successes or delicate moments of the church life of a son or daughter.
It is necessary to take children to confession before they reach the conscious age less frequently, since confession is likely to turn from a sacrament into a routine habit. This will result in memorizing a list of your minor sins and reading them every Sunday to the priest.
Confession for a child should be comparable to a holiday, so that he goes there with an understanding of the sacredness of what is happening. It is important to explain to him that repentance is not an account to an adult, but a voluntary recognition of evil in oneself and a sincere desire to eradicate it.
You should not deny your offspring the independent choice of confessor. In a situation in which he liked another priest, it is important to allow him to confess with this particular minister. The selection of a spiritual mentor is a delicate and intimate matter that should not be interfered with.
It is better for an adult and a child to visit different parishes. This will give the child the freedom to grow up independent and conscious, not tolerating the yoke of excessive parental care. When the family does not stand in the same line, the temptation to eavesdrop on the child's confession disappears. The moment when the offspring becomes capable of voluntary and sincere confession, becomes the beginning of the path of alienation of parents from him.

Examples of confession

Women's

I, the churched Mary, repent of my sins. I was superstitious, which is why I visited fortune tellers and believed in horoscopes. She held resentment and anger at a loved one. She exposed her body too much, going out into the street to get someone else's attention. I hoped to seduce men I didn't know, I thought about carnal and obscene things.

I felt sorry for myself, I thought about how to stop living on my own. She was lazy and idly spent time in stupid entertainment activities. Couldn't stand the post. She prayed and attended church less often than expected. Reading the canons, I thought about the mundane, and not about God. Allowed sexual intercourse before marriage. I thought about dirty things and spread rumors and gossip. I thought about the uselessness in the life of church services, prayers and repentance. Forgive me, Lord, for all the sins of which I am guilty and accept the word of further correction and chastity.

Men's

Servant of God Alexander, I confess to my God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, my evil deeds from youth to the present day, committed consciously and unconsciously. I repent of sinful thoughts about someone else's wife, inducing others to use intoxicating substances and leading an idle lifestyle.

Five years ago, I diligently deviated from military service and participated in the beating of innocent people. He ridiculed church foundations, the laws of holy fasts and divine services. I was cruel and rude, which I regret and ask the Lord to forgive me.

Children's

I, Vanya, have sinned and have come to ask forgiveness for this. Sometimes I was rude to my parents, didn't keep my promises, and got irritated. I played computer for a long time and walked with friends instead of reading the Gospel and prayers. Recently painted on my hand and snapped when the godfather asked me to wash off what I did.

Once I was late for a service on Sunday, and after a month I did not go to church. Once he tried to smoke, because of which he quarreled with his parents. He did not attach the necessary importance to the advice of the priest and elders, he deliberately did it contrary to their words. I offended people close to me and rejoiced in grief. Forgive me, God, for my sins, I will try not to allow this.

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 serious 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 Mother of God and the saints, that the Lord will have mercy on me with 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!

The sacrament of confession is a test for the soul. It consists of the desire to repent, verbal confession, repentance for sins. When a person goes against the laws of God, he gradually destroys his spiritual and physical shell. Repentance helps to cleanse. It reconciles man with God. The soul is healed and gains strength to fight sin.

Confession allows you to talk about your misdeeds and receive forgiveness. In excitement and fear, one can forget what one wanted to repent of. The list of sins for confession serves as a reminder, a hint. It can be read in full or used as an outline. The main thing is that the confession should be sincere and truthful.

Sacrament

Confession is the main component of repentance. This is an opportunity to ask for forgiveness for your sins, to be cleansed of them. Confession gives spiritual strength to resist evil. Sin is a discrepancy in thoughts, words, deeds with God's permission.

Confession is a sincere awareness of wicked deeds, a desire to get rid of them. No matter how difficult and unpleasant it is to remember them, you should tell the clergyman about your sins in detail.

For this sacrament, a complete interconnection of feelings and words is necessary, because the everyday enumeration of one's sins will not bring true purification. Feelings without words are just as ineffective as words without feelings.

There is a list of sins to confess. This is a large list of all indecent actions or words. It is based on the 7 deadly sins and 10 commandments. Human life is too diverse to be absolutely righteous. Therefore, confession is an opportunity to repent of sins and try to prevent them in the future.

How to prepare for confession?

Preparations for confession should take place in a few days. The list of sins can be written on a piece of paper. Special literature on the sacraments of confession and communion should be read.

One should not look for excuses for sins, one should be aware of their wickedness. It is best to analyze each day, sorting out what was good and what was bad. Such a daily habit will help to be more attentive to thoughts and actions.

Before confession, you should make peace with everyone who was offended. Forgive those who offended. Prior to confession, it is necessary to strengthen the prayer rule. Add to the evening reading the Penitential Canon, the canons of the Mother of God.

One should separate personal repentance (when a person mentally repents of his actions) and the sacrament of confession (when a person talks about his sins in a desire to be cleansed of them).

The presence of a third party requires a moral effort to realize the depth of the offense, it will force, through overcoming shame, to take a deeper look at wrong actions. Therefore, a list of sins is so necessary for confession in Orthodoxy. It will help to identify what was forgotten or wanted to be hidden.

If you have any difficulties in compiling a list of sinful actions, you can purchase the book "Full Confession". It is in every church shop. There is a detailed list of sins for confession, features of the sacrament. Samples of confession and materials for preparing for it have been published.

Rules

Is there a heaviness in your soul, do you want to speak out, ask for forgiveness? After confession, it becomes much easier. This is an open, sincere confession and repentance for committed misconduct. You can go to confession up to 3 times a week. The desire to be cleansed of sins will help overcome the feeling of constraint and awkwardness.

The rarer the confession, the more difficult it is to remember all the events, thoughts. The best option for the sacrament is once a month. Help in confession - a list of sins - will prompt the necessary words. The main thing is for the priest to understand the essence of the offense. Then the punishment for sin will be justified.

After confession, the priest imposes penance in difficult cases. This is punishment, excommunication from the holy sacraments and God's grace. Its duration is determined by the priest. In most cases, the penitent will face moral and corrective work. For example, fasting, reading prayers, canons, akathists.

Sometimes the list of sins for confession is read out by the priest. You can write your own list of what has been done. It is better to come to confession after the evening service or in the morning, before the liturgy.

How is the sacrament

In some situations, you should invite the priest for confession to the house. This is done if the person is seriously ill or near death.

Upon entering the temple, it is necessary to take a queue for confession. During the entire time of the sacrament, the cross and the Gospel lie on the lectern. This symbolizes the invisible presence of the Savior.

Prior to confession, the priest may begin to ask questions. For example, about how often prayers are said, whether church rules are observed.

Then the mystery begins. It is best to prepare your list of sins for confession. A sample of it can always be purchased at the church. If the sins forgiven at the previous confession were repeated, then they should be mentioned again - this is considered a more serious offense. You should not hide anything from the priest or speak in hints. You should clearly explain in simple words those sins that you repent of.

If the priest tore up the list of sins for confession, then the sacrament is over and absolution has been given. The priest puts an epitrachelion on the penitent's head. This means the return of God's grace. After that, they kiss the cross, the Gospel, which symbolizes the readiness to live according to the commandments.

Getting Ready for Confession: A List of Sins

Confession is intended to comprehend one's sin, the desire to correct oneself. It is difficult for a person who is far from the church to understand what actions should be considered ungodly. That's why there are 10 commandments. They clearly spell out what not to do. It is better to prepare a list of sins for confession according to the commandments in advance. On the day of the sacrament, you can get excited and forget everything. Therefore, you should calmly re-read the commandments a few days before confession and write down your sins.

If confession is the first, then it is not easy to sort out the seven deadly sins and the ten commandments on your own. Therefore, you should approach the priest in advance, in a personal conversation, tell about your difficulties.

A list of sins for confession with an explanation of sins can be purchased at the church or found on the website of your temple. The decoding details all alleged sins. From this general list, one should single out what was done personally. Then write down your list of wrongdoings.

Sins committed against God

Unbelief in God, doubts, ingratitude.
The absence of a pectoral cross, unwillingness to defend the faith in front of detractors.
Oaths in the name of God, pronouncing the name of the Lord in vain (not during prayer or conversations about God).
Visiting sects, divination, treatment with all kinds of magic, reading and spreading false teachings.
Gambling, suicidal thoughts, foul language.
Not attending the temple, the absence of a daily prayer rule.
Non-observance of fasts, unwillingness to read Orthodox literature.
Condemnation of the clergy, thoughts about worldly things during worship.
Waste of time for entertainment, watching TV, inactivity at the computer.
Despair in difficult situations, excessive hope in oneself or someone else's help without faith in God's providence.
Concealment of sins at confession.

Sins committed against neighbors

Hot temper, anger, arrogance, pride, vanity.
Lies, non-intervention, ridicule, stinginess, extravagance.
Raising children outside of faith.
Failure to return debts, non-payment for labor, refusal to help those who ask and those in need.
Unwillingness to help parents, disrespect for them.
Theft, condemnation, envy.
Quarrels, drinking alcohol at the wake.
Murder with a word (slander, bringing to suicide or illness).
Killing a child in the womb, persuading others to have an abortion.

Sins committed against yourself

Foul language, pride, idle talk, gossip.
The desire for profit, enrichment.
Showing off good deeds.
Envy, lies, drunkenness, gluttony, drug use.
Fornication, adultery, incest, masturbation.

List of sins for a woman's confession

This is a very delicate list, and many women refuse confession after reading it. Do not trust any information you read. Even if a pamphlet with a list of sins for a woman was purchased in a church shop, be sure to pay attention to the neck. There should be an inscription "recommended by the publishing council of the Russian Orthodox Church."

Priests do not disclose the secret of confession. Therefore, it is best to go through the sacrament with a permanent confessor. The Church does not intrude into the sphere of intimate marital relations. Questions of contraception, which is sometimes equated with abortion, are best discussed with a priest. There are drugs that do not have an abortion effect, but only prevent the birth of life. In any case, all controversial issues should be discussed with the spouse, doctor, confessor.

Here is a list of sins to confess (short):

Rarely prayed, did not attend church.
I thought more about worldly things during prayer.
Allowed sexual intercourse before marriage.
Abortions, declining others to them.
She had impure thoughts and desires.
Watched movies, read pornographic books.
Gossip, lies, envy, laziness, resentment.
Excessive exposure of the body to attract attention.
Fear of old age, wrinkles, thoughts of suicide.
Addiction to sweets, alcohol, drugs.
Avoidance of helping other people.
Seeking help from fortune-tellers, soothsayers.
Superstition.

List of sins for a man

There is debate about whether to prepare a list of sins for confession. Someone believes that such a list harms the sacrament and contributes to the formal reading of offenses. The main thing in confession is to realize your sins, repent and prevent their repetition. Therefore, the list of sins may be a brief reminder or not at all.

A formal confession is not considered valid, since there is no repentance in it. Returning after the sacrament to the former life will add hypocrisy. The balance of spiritual life consists in understanding the essence of repentance, where confession is only the beginning of the realization of one's sinfulness. This is a long process, consisting of several stages of internal work. The creation of spiritual resources is a systematic adjustment of conscience, responsibility for one's relationship with God.

Here is a list of sins for confession (short) for a man:

Sacrilege, conversations in the temple.
Doubt in faith, afterlife.
Blasphemy, mockery of the poor.
Cruelty, laziness, pride, vanity, greed.
Evasion from military service.
Avoidance of unwanted work, shirking duties.
Insults, hatred, fights.
Slander, disclosure of other people's weaknesses.
Seduction to sin (fornication, drunkenness, drugs, gambling).
Refusal to help parents, other people.
Theft, aimless collecting.
Tendency to boast, argue, humiliate one's neighbor.
Insolence, rudeness, contempt, familiarity, cowardice.

Confession for a child

For a child, the sacrament of confession can begin at the age of seven. Until this age, children are allowed to take Communion without this. Parents should prepare the child for confession: explain the essence of the sacrament, tell why it is performed, remember with him possible sins.

The child must be made to understand that sincere repentance is the preparation for confession. It is better for a child to write a list of sins himself. He must realize what actions were wrong, try not to repeat them in the future.

Older children themselves decide whether to confess or not. Do not limit the free will of a child, a teenager. The personal example of parents is much more important than all conversations.

The kid must remember his sins before confession. A list of them can be compiled after the child answers the questions:

How often does he read a prayer (in the morning, in the evening, before meals), which ones does he know by heart?
Does he go to church, how does he behave in the service?
Does he wear a pectoral cross, is he distracted or not during prayers and services?
Have you ever deceived your parents or father during confession?
Wasn't he proud of his successes, victories, wasn't he conceited?
Does he fight or not with other children, does he offend babies or animals?
Does he tell other children to shield himself?
Did you commit theft, did you envy someone?
Did you laugh at other people's physical imperfections?
Did you play cards (smoked, drank alcohol, tried drugs, used foul language)?
Is she lazy or helps her parents around the house?
Did he pretend to be sick to avoid his duties?

A person himself determines whether to confess or not, how many times to attend the sacrament.
Prepare a list of sins for confession. It is better to take a sample in the temple where the sacrament will take place, or find it yourself in church literature.
It is optimal to go to confession to the same clergyman who will become a mentor and will contribute to spiritual growth.
Confession is free.

First you need to ask what days confessions take place in the temple. You should dress appropriately. For men, a shirt or T-shirt with sleeves, trousers or jeans (not shorts). For women - a scarf on the head, no cosmetics (at least lipstick), a skirt no higher than the knees.

Sincerity of confession

A priest, as a psychologist, can recognize how sincere a person is in his repentance. There is a confession that offends the sacrament and the Lord. If a person mechanically talks about sins, has several confessors, conceals the truth - such actions do not lead to repentance.

Behavior, tone of speech, words used in confession - all this matters. Only in this way does the priest understand how sincere the penitent is. Pangs of conscience, embarrassment, worries, shame contribute to spiritual purification.

Sometimes the personality of a priest is important for a parishioner. This is not a reason to condemn and comment on the actions of the clergy. You can go to another temple or turn to another holy father for confession.

Sometimes it's hard to voice your sins. The emotional experiences are so strong that it is more convenient to make a list of unrighteous actions. Batiushka is attentive to every parishioner. If because of shame it is impossible to tell about everything and repentance is deep, then the sins, the list of which is compiled before confession, the clergyman has the right to release without even reading them.

The meaning of confession

Having to talk about your sins in front of a stranger is embarrassing. Therefore, people refuse to go to confession, believing that God will forgive them anyway. This is the wrong approach. The priest acts only as an intermediary between man and God. His task is to determine the measure of repentance. The priest has no right to condemn anyone, he will not expel a penitent from the temple. At confession, people are very vulnerable, and the clergy try not to cause unnecessary suffering.

It is important to see your sin, to recognize and condemn it in your soul, to voice it before the priest. Have a desire not to repeat your misdeeds anymore, try to atone for the harm done by works of mercy. Confession brings the rebirth of the soul, re-education and access to a new spiritual level.

Sins (list), Orthodoxy, confession imply self-knowledge and the search for grace. All good deeds are done through force. Only by overcoming oneself, engaging in works of mercy, cultivating virtues in oneself, one can receive God's grace.

The significance of confession lies in understanding the typology of sinners, the typology of sin. At the same time, an individual approach to each penitent is akin to pastoral psychoanalysis. The sacrament of confession is the pain from the realization of sin, its recognition, the determination to voice and ask for forgiveness for it, the purification of the soul, joy and peace.

The person must feel the need for repentance. Love for God, love for oneself, love for one's neighbor cannot exist separately. The symbolism of the Christian cross - horizontal (love for God) and vertical (love for oneself and one's neighbor) - consists in the awareness of the integrity of spiritual life, its essence.