How to Prepare for Communion and Confession Orthodoxy. What is required for the forgiveness of sins? Sins committed against neighbors

Repentance or confession is a sacrament in which a person who confesses his sins to a priest, through his forgiveness, is resolved from sins by the Lord Himself. The question of whether, father, is asked by many people who join church life. The preliminary confession prepares the soul of the penitent for the Great Meal - the Sacrament of Communion.

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.

Consciousness of one's sins

In this matter, the main thing is to learn that in the Sacrament of Confession, a penitent person is forgiven all his sins, and the soul is freed from sinful bonds. The ten commandments received by Moses from God and the nine commandments received from the Lord Jesus Christ contain the entire moral and spiritual law of life.

Therefore, before confessing, it is necessary to turn to your conscience and remember all your sins from childhood in order to prepare a real confession. How it passes, not everyone knows, and even rejects, but a true Orthodox Christian, overcoming his pride and false shame, begins to spiritually crucify himself, honestly and sincerely admit his spiritual imperfection. And here it is important to understand that unconfessed sins will be defined for a person in eternal condemnation, and repentance will mean victory over oneself.

What is real confession? How does this sacrament work?

Before confessing to a priest, it is necessary to seriously prepare and realize the necessity of cleansing the soul from sins. To do this, you need to reconcile with all the offenders and those who were offended, refrain from gossip and condemnation, all kinds of obscene thoughts, watching numerous entertainment programs and reading lightweight literature. It is better to devote your free time to reading the Holy Scriptures and other spiritual literature. It is advisable to confess a little in advance at the evening service, so that during the morning Liturgy you will no longer be distracted from the service and devote time to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. But already, as a last resort, you can confess in the morning (mostly everyone does this).

For the first time, not everyone knows how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, etc. In this case, you need to warn the priest about this, and he will direct everything in the right direction. Confession, first of all, involves the ability to see and realize one's sins; at the moment of uttering them, the priest should not justify himself and shift the blame onto another.

Children under 7 years of age and all newly baptized communion on this day without confession, this should not be done only by women who are in purification (when they have their period or after childbirth until the 40th day). The text of the confession can be written on a piece of paper so as not to stray later and remember everything.

Confession order

A lot of people usually gather in the church for confession, and before approaching the priest, you need to turn your face to the people and say out loud: “Forgive me, a sinner,” and they will answer: “God will forgive, and we forgive.” And then it is necessary to go to the confessor. Approaching the lectern (high book stand), crossing yourself and bowing at the waist, without kissing the Cross and the Gospel, bowing your head, you can proceed to confession.

Previously confessed sins do not need to be repeated, because, as the Church teaches, they have already been forgiven, but if they are repeated again, then they must be repented of again. At the end of your confession, you must listen to the words of the priest, and when he finishes, cross yourself twice, bow at the waist, kiss the Cross and the Gospel, and then, again crossing and bowing, accept the blessing of your father and go to your place.

What to repent about

Summing up the topic “Confession. How does this sacrament go”, you need to familiarize yourself with the most common sins in our modern world.

Sins against God - pride, lack of faith or unbelief, renunciation of God and the Church, careless execution of the sign of the cross, not wearing a pectoral cross, violation of the commandments of God, mentioning the name of the Lord in vain, careless fulfillment of not attending church, prayer without diligence, talking and walking in the temple during services, belief in superstitions, turning to psychics and fortune tellers, thoughts of suicide, etc.

Sins against one's neighbor - upsetting parents, robbery and extortion, stinginess in almsgiving, hardness of heart, slander, bribery, resentment, barbs and cruel jokes, irritation, anger, gossip, gossip, greed, scandals, hysteria, resentment, betrayal, treason, etc. d.

Sins against oneself - vanity, arrogance, anxiety, envy, vindictiveness, striving for earthly glory and honors, addiction to money, gluttony, smoking, drunkenness, gambling, masturbation, fornication, excessive attention to one's flesh, despondency, longing, sadness etc.

God will forgive any sin, nothing is impossible for him, a person only needs to truly realize his sinful deeds and sincerely repent of them.

Participle

They usually confess in order to take communion, and for this you need to pray for several days, which means prayer and fasting, attending evening services and reading at home, in addition to evening and morning prayers, the canons: the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the Penitent One, for Communion, and, if possible, , or rather, at will - Akathist to Jesus the Sweetest. After midnight they no longer eat or drink, they proceed to the sacrament on an empty stomach. After receiving the Sacrament of Communion, one must read the prayers for Holy Communion.

Don't be afraid to go to confession. How is she going? You can read about this exact information in special brochures that are sold in every church, they describe everything in great detail. And then the main thing is to tune in to this true and saving deed, because an Orthodox Christian must always think about death so that it does not take him by surprise - without even taking communion.

The holy mysteries - the body and blood of Christ - the greatest shrine, God's gift to us sinners and unworthy. No wonder they are called so - holy gifts.

No one on earth can consider himself worthy to be a partaker of the holy mysteries. In preparing for the sacrament, we purify our spiritual and bodily nature. We prepare the soul by prayer, repentance and reconciliation with our neighbor, and the body by fasting and abstinence. This preparation is called fasting.

Prayer Rule

Those preparing for communion read three canons: 1) repentant to the Lord Jesus Christ; 2) a prayer service to the Most Holy Theotokos; 3) the canon to the guardian angel. The Follow-up to Holy Communion is also read, which includes the canon for Communion and prayers.

All these canons and prayers are contained in the Canon and the usual Orthodox prayer book.

On the eve of communion, it is necessary to be at the evening service, for the church day begins in the evening.

Fast

Before communion, fasting, fasting, fasting - bodily abstinence is attributed. During fasting, food of animal origin should be excluded: meat, dairy products, and eggs. With a strict fast, fish is also excluded. But lean foods should also be consumed in moderation.

Spouses during fasting must refrain from bodily intimacy (5th canon of St. Timothy of Alexandria). Women who are in purification (during the period of menstruation) cannot take communion (7th canon of St. Timothy of Alexandria).

Fasting, of course, is necessary not only with the body, but also with the mind, sight and hearing, keeping one's soul from worldly entertainment.

The duration of the Eucharistic fast is usually negotiated with the confessor or parish priest. It depends on the bodily health, the spiritual state of the communicant, and also on how often he begins to partake of the holy mysteries.

The general practice is to fast before communion for at least three days.

For those who take communion frequently (for example, once a week), the duration of the fast can be reduced with the blessing of the confessor to 1-2 days.

Also, the confessor can weaken the fast for sick people, pregnant and lactating women, and also taking into account other life circumstances.

Those preparing for communion no longer eat after midnight, as the day of communion arrives. You need to take communion on an empty stomach. Under no circumstances should you smoke. Some mistakenly believe that you should not brush your teeth in the morning so as not to swallow water. This is completely wrong. In the Teaching News, each priest is prescribed brushing his teeth before the Liturgy.

Repentance

The most important moment in preparing for the sacrament of communion is the cleansing of one's soul from sins, which is performed in the sacrament of confession. Christ will not enter into a soul not cleansed of sin, not reconciled to God.

One can sometimes hear the opinion that it is necessary to separate the sacraments of confession and communion. And if a person regularly confesses, then he can proceed to communion without confession. In this case, they usually refer to the practice of some Local Churches (for example, the Greek one).

But our Russian people have been in atheistic captivity for more than 70 years. And the Russian Church is only just beginning to recover from the spiritual catastrophe that has befallen our country. We have very few Orthodox churches and clergy. In Moscow, for 10 million inhabitants, there are only about one thousand priests. People are not churched, cut off from traditions. Community life is practically non-existent. The life and spiritual level of modern Orthodox believers are incomparable with the life of Christians of the first centuries. Therefore, we adhere to the practice of confession before each communion.

By the way, about the first centuries of Christianity. The most important historical monument of early Christian writing, “The Teaching of the 12 Apostles” or in Greek “Didache”, says: “On the day of the Lord (that is, on Sunday. - about. P.G.), having gathered together, break bread and give thanks, having confessed your transgressions in advance, so that your sacrifice may be pure. But whoever is at odds with his friend, let him not come with you until they are reconciled, lest your sacrifice be defiled; for this is the command of the Lord: in every place and at all times a pure sacrifice must be offered to me, for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is marvelous among the nations” (Didache 14). And again: “Confess your sins in church and do not approach your prayer with a bad conscience. Such is the way of life!” (Didache, 4).

The importance of repentance, cleansing from sins before communion is undeniable, so let's dwell on this topic in a little more detail.

For many, the first confession and communion was the beginning of their churching, becoming Orthodox Christians.

Preparing to meet our dear guest, we try to clean our house better, put things in order. Even more so, we must prepare with trepidation, reverence and diligence to receive into the house of our souls the "King of kings and the Lord of lords." The more attentively a Christian follows spiritual life, the more often and more zealously he repents, the more he sees his sins and unworthiness before God. No wonder the holy people saw their sins as countless as the sand of the sea. A noble citizen of the town of Gaza came to the Monk Abba Dorotheus, and the abba asked him: “Eminent gentleman, tell me who do you consider yourself to be in your city?” He replied: "I consider myself great and the first in the city." Then the monk again asked him: “If you go to Caesarea, what will you consider yourself to be there?” The man replied: "For the last of the nobles there." “If you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there?” “There,” he replied, “I will consider myself one of the commoners.” “If you go to Constantinople and draw near to the king, who will you consider yourself to be there?” And he answered: "Almost for a beggar." Then the abba said to him: “This is how the saints, the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.”

Unfortunately, we have to see that some perceive the sacrament of confession as a kind of formality, after which they will be admitted to communion. Preparing to receive communion, we must with all responsibility treat the purification of our soul in order to make it a temple for the acceptance of Christ.

Repentance the holy fathers call second baptism, baptismal tears. Just as the waters of baptism wash our souls from sins, tears of repentance, weeping and contrition for sins cleanse our spiritual nature.

Why do we repent if the Lord already knows all our sins? God expects from us repentance, recognition of them. In the sacrament of confession, we ask Him for forgiveness. You can understand this with this example. The child climbed into the closet and ate all the sweets. The father knows perfectly well who did this, but he is waiting for the son to come and ask for forgiveness.

The very word "confession" means that a Christian has come tell, confess, tell yourself your sins. The priest in prayer before confession reads: “These are Your servants, word be kindly resolved." Man himself is resolved from his sins through the word and receives forgiveness from God. Therefore, confession should be private, not public. I mean the practice when a priest reads a list of possible sins, and then simply covers the confessor with an epitrachelion. "General confession" was an almost universal phenomenon in Soviet times, when there were very few functioning churches and on Sundays, holidays, and also fasting, they were overflowing with worshipers. It was simply unrealistic to confess to everyone who wanted to. Conducting confession after the evening service was also almost not allowed anywhere. Now, thank God, there are very few churches where such a confession is held.

In order to be well prepared for the purification of the soul, before the sacrament of repentance, one must reflect on one's sins and remember them. The following books help us in this: “To Help the Penitent” by St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), “The Experience of Building a Confession” by Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) and others.

Confession cannot be perceived as just a spiritual washing, showering. You can mess around in the ground and not be afraid of dirt, anyway, then everything will be washed off in the soul. And you can go on sinning. If a person comes to confession with such thoughts, he confesses not for salvation, but for judgment and condemnation. And having formally “confessed”, he will not receive permission from God for sins. It's not that simple. Sin, passion causes great harm to the soul, and even having repented, a person bears the consequences of his sin. So in a patient who has had smallpox, scars remain on the body.

It is not enough just to confess sin, you need to make every effort to overcome the tendency to sin in your soul, not to return to it anymore. So the doctor removes the cancerous tumor and prescribes a course of chemotherapy to defeat the disease, to prevent a relapse. Of course, it is not easy to immediately leave sin, but the penitent should not be hypocritical: "I will repent - and I will continue to sin." A person must make every effort to embark on the path of correction, no longer return to sin. A person should ask God for help to fight sins and passions.

Those who rarely go to confession and communion cease to see their sins. They move away from God. And vice versa, approaching Him as the Source of light, people begin to see all the dark and impure corners of their souls. Just as the bright sun illuminates all the uncleaned nooks and crannies of the room.

The Lord does not expect earthly gifts and offerings from us, but: "Sacrifice to God - the spirit is contrite, the heart contrite and humble God will not despise" (Ps. 50:19). And as we prepare to be united with Christ in the sacrament of communion, we bring this sacrifice to Him.

Reconciliation

“So if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23-24), the word of God tells us.

The one who dares to take communion sins mortally, having malice, enmity, hatred, unforgiven insults in his heart.

The Kiev-Pechersk Patericon tells about the terrible sinful state that people can fall into when they begin to receive communion in a state of anger and non-reconciliation. “There were two brothers in spirit – the deacon Evagrius and the priest Titus. And they had great and unfeigned love for each other, so that everyone marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil who hates good, who always walks around, “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5: 8), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred into them that they shied away from each other, did not want to see one another in person. Many times the brethren begged them to be reconciled among themselves, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run away, Titus passed him without shaking. And so they spent a long time in sinful darkness, proceeding to the holy mysteries: Titus, not asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius, angry, the enemy armed them before. Once Titus fell very ill and, already at death, began to grieve about his sin and sent to the deacon with a plea: “Forgive me, for God's sake, my brother, that I was angry with you in vain.” Evagrius answered with cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly brought Evagrius in order to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the sick man got up a little, prostrated himself at his feet and said: “Forgive me and bless me, my father!” He, unmerciful and fierce, refused to forgive in the presence of everyone, saying: “I will never be reconciled with him, neither in this age, nor in the future.” And suddenly Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders and fell. They wanted to pick him up, but they saw that he was already dead. And they could neither stretch out his hand nor close his mouth, as in the case of a long-dead one. The patient immediately got up, as if he had never been ill. And everyone was horrified at the sudden death of one and the speedy recovery of the other. With much weeping they buried Evagrius. His mouth and eyes remained open, and his arms outstretched. Then the elders asked Titus: “What does all this mean?” And he said: “I saw angels departing from me and weeping for my soul, and demons rejoicing at my wrath. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful angel holding a fiery spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him and he fell dead. The angel gave me his hand and lifted me up.” Hearing this, the brethren were afraid of God, who said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

In preparation for the communion of the Holy Mysteries, it is necessary (if only there is such an opportunity) to ask for forgiveness from everyone whom we have voluntarily or involuntarily offended and forgive everyone ourselves. If it is not possible to do this personally, one must be reconciled with one's neighbors, at least in one's heart. Of course, this is not easy - we are all proud, touchy people (by the way, touchiness always stems from pride). But how can we ask God for forgiveness of our sins, count on their remission, if we ourselves do not forgive our offenders. Shortly before the communion of the faithful at the Divine Liturgy, the Lord's Prayer - "Our Father" is sung. As a reminder to us that God will only then "leave ( forgive) we owe ( sins) ours”, when we also leave “our debtor”.

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 and 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.

Every person has difficult moments in life, when a stone of unspoken grievances, lies, aggravation of feelings for certain actions, for which sometimes it becomes ashamed and painful, lies on the soul. In order to relieve the soul and repent of all sins, there is the sacrament of confession. This article will tell you in detail how to prepare for confession, what rules you need to follow and what to say to the priest.

Confession means to sincerely repent of your sins and try not to break the laws of God anymore. Before confession, it is necessary to fully realize the full gravity of the sins committed, and with faith in the soul, consciously come to the desire to confess. It is important to remember all your sins without being ashamed, and without hiding anything from the priest, otherwise everything that you have not expressed will remain a heavy burden on your soul, with which you will have to continue to live.

Before confession, you need to ask for forgiveness from everyone you could offend during your life and forgive all the offenders you meet. You should not gossip or discuss anyone, you should refrain from reading frivolous literature (novels, detective stories, etc.), and watching TV.

The best pastime will be reading the bible and other literature on spiritual topics.

When preparing for confession and during it, it is recommended to observe a number of important conditions. Take a look at this list:

What to think about

When preparing for confession, you should use special literature, where you can find a detailed explanation of the essence of each sin. We invite you to study the list of sins in confession, a sample:

Sins committed against the Lord God: lack of faith in God; recognition of another faith; participation in other religious meetings; appeal to fortune-tellers, fortune-tellers, shamans; creating your own idols. By "idols" can be understood any people, things and everything that a person can put above God.
Sins against neighbors: discussion and condemnation of people, slander and lies, neglect, adultery (treason to a spouse), promiscuity. And also this category includes "civil marriage", which is very common in modern society. Even if the spouses are registered in the registry office, but not married, then this is considered a sin. Theft, robbery, deception of people, for the purpose of making a profit, are also considered great sins. Abortion, even if done for health reasons, is a very serious sin.

To understand what sins you have committed, you should turn to the commandments, and they should be understood not only literally. For example, "thou shalt not kill" implies not only physical murder, but also murder in words and even in thoughts.

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 you will need to kiss the Gospel and the cross.

Confession order:

You have to wait in line for confession.
Turning to all those present, you need to say the following words: "Forgive me, a sinner." In response, people should say: "God will forgive, and we forgive."
Having bowed your head in front of the lectern (a high stand on which icons and books are placed), you need to cross yourself and bow, and after that you can confess.
After listening to the confession, the priest reads a prayer that forgives sins. After the prayer, the priest baptizes the confessed and removes the stole.
After confession, you must listen to the priest, and after crossing yourself three times and bowing, kiss the cross and the book of the Gospel.

sacrament of communion

After confession, the believer is admitted to communion. As a rule, these two ceremonies are held on different days.

Before taking communion, one should strictly fast for three days. A week before the sacrament, akathists to the Saints and the Mother of God should also be read. On the third day of Lent, the Canon of the Penitent, the Canon of the Prayer to the Theotokos, and the Canon of the Guardian Angel are read. It is necessary to attend the evening service before Communion.

After midnight, you should abstain from food and water. Upon awakening, morning prayers are read. And it is also worth remembering that when preparing for Communion, one should not drink alcohol, do not smoke, do not use foul language and refuse to perform marital duty.

The sacrament of confession, as well as the sacrament of communion, are very important events in the life of every person. Cleansing from sins, the confessor becomes closer to God. A person who starts on the true path is already taking a big step towards the purification of the soul and the improvement of life. It is worth remembering that these important events should be approached very seriously and prepared. And having repented and received forgiveness, to keep the soul, body and thoughts in purity and harmony.

The meaning of the sacrament

First of all, in preparation for communion, there will be an awareness of the meaning of communion, so many go to church because it is fashionable and one could say that you took communion and confessed, but in fact such communion is a sin. When preparing for communion, you need to understand that you go to church to the priest, first of all, to draw closer to the Lord God and repent of your sins, and not to arrange a holiday and an extra reason to drink and eat. At the same time, go to communion only because you were forced to, it’s not good to go to this sacrament at will, cleansing your soul from sins.

So, anyone who wants to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must prayerfully prepare himself for this in two or three days: pray at home in the morning and evening, attend church services. Before the day of communion, you must be at the evening service. The rule for Holy Communion is added to home evening prayers (from the prayer book).

The main thing is the living faith of the heart and the warmth of repentance for sins.

Prayer is combined with abstinence from fast food - meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, with strict fasting and from fish. In the rest of the food, moderation should be observed.

Those who wish to take communion should, best of all, on the eve, before or after the evening service, bring sincere repentance for their sins before the priest, sincerely opening their soul and not concealing a single sin. Before confession, one must certainly reconcile both with one's offenders and with those whom one has offended oneself. At confession, it is better not to wait for the priest's questions, but to tell him everything that is on your conscience, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame to others. In no case should you condemn someone in confession or talk about other people's sins. If it is not possible to confess in the evening, you need to do it before the start of the liturgy, in extreme cases - before the Cherubic Hymn. Without confession, no one, except for infants up to seven years of age, can be admitted to Holy Communion. After midnight, it is forbidden to eat and drink, you must come to Communion strictly on an empty stomach. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion.

How to Prepare for Communion?

The days of fasting usually last a week, in extreme cases - three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Modest food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on days of strict fasting - fish. Spouses abstain from physical intimacy. The family refuses entertainment and TV viewing. If circumstances permit, these days one should attend services in the temple. The morning and evening prayer rules are more diligently carried out, with the addition of reading the Penitential Canon to them.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is performed in the temple - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading the prayers for the future, three canons are read: Penitent to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use prayer books where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read until the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. For those who find it difficult to perform such a prayer rule in one day, they take a blessing from the priest to read three canons in advance during the days of fasting.

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the prayer rules for preparing for the sacrament. Parents, together with the confessor, need to choose the optimal number of prayers that the child will be able to do, then gradually increase the number of necessary prayers needed to prepare for Communion, up to the full prayer rule for Holy Communion.

For some, it is very difficult to read the necessary canons and prayers. For this reason, some do not go to confession and do not receive communion for years. Many people confuse preparation for confession (which does not require such a large volume of prayers to be read) and preparation for communion. Such people can be recommended to approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion in stages. First, you need to properly prepare for confession and, when confessing sins, ask your confessor for advice. It is necessary to pray to the Lord that He will help to overcome difficulties and give strength to adequately prepare for the Sacrament of Communion.

Since it is customary to start the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach, from twelve o'clock in the morning they no longer eat or drink (smokers do not smoke). The exception is infants (children under seven years of age). But children from a certain age (starting from 5–6 years old, and if possible even earlier) must be taught to the existing rule.

In the morning they also do not eat or drink anything and, of course, do not smoke, you can only brush your teeth. After reading the morning prayers, prayers for Holy Communion are read. If it is difficult to read the prayers for Holy Communion in the morning, then you need to take a blessing from the priest to read them the evening before. If confession is performed in the church in the morning, it is necessary to arrive on time, before the start of confession. If confession was made the night before, then the confessor comes to the beginning of the service and prays with everyone.

Fasting before confession

People who come to Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the first time need to fast for a week, those who take Communion less than twice a month, or do not keep Wednesday and Friday fasts, or often do not observe fasts for many days, fast three days before Communion. Do not eat animal food, do not drink alcohol. Yes, and do not overeat with lean food, but eat as needed to saturate and nothing more. But who every Sunday (as befits a good Christian) resorts to the Sacraments, you can fast only Wednesday and Friday, as usual. Some also add - and at least on Saturday evening, or on Saturday - do not eat meat. Before communion, from 24 hours no longer eat, and do not drink anything. On the prescribed days of fasting, eat only plant foods.

It is also very important these days to keep yourself from anger, envy, condemnation, empty talk and bodily communication between spouses, as well as on the night after communion too. Children under 7 do not need to fast or go to confession.

Also, if for the first time a person goes to communion, you need to try to subtract the entire rule, read all the canons (you can buy a special booklet in the shop, called “The Rule for Holy Communion” or “Prayer Book with the Rule for Communion”, everything is clear there). To make it not so difficult, you can do this by dividing the reading of this rule into several days.

Clean body

Remember that it is not allowed to go to the temple dirty, unless, of course, the life situation requires it. Therefore, preparing for communion implies that on the day when you go to the sacrament of communion, you must wash your body of physical dirt, that is, take a bath, shower or go to the bathhouse.

Preparation for confession

Before confession itself, which is a separate sacrament (not necessarily after it should be followed by Communion, but preferably), you can not keep a fast. A person can confess at any time when he feels in his heart that he needs to repent, confess sins, and as soon as possible so that the soul is not weighed down. And you can take communion, properly prepared, later. Ideally, if possible, it would be nice to attend the evening service, and especially before the holidays or the day of your angel.

It is absolutely unacceptable to keep fasting in food, but not change the course of your life in any way: continue to go to entertainment events, to the cinema for the next blockbuster, to visit, to sit all day for computer toys, etc. The main thing in the days of preparation for Communion is to live they are different from other days of everyday life, not much work for the Lord. Talk to your soul, feel why it spiritually missed you. And do what you have been putting off for a long time. Read the Gospel or spiritual book; visit loved ones, but forgotten by us people; ask for forgiveness from someone who was ashamed to ask for it and we put it off for later; try these days to give up numerous attachments and bad habits. Simply put, these days you have to be braver to be better than usual.

Communion in the Church

The Sacrament of Communion itself takes place in the Church at a divine service called liturgy . As a rule, the liturgy is performed in the first half of the day; the exact time of the beginning of the services and the days of their performance should be found out directly in the temple where you are going to go. Services usually begin between seven and ten in the morning; the duration of the liturgy, depending on the nature of the service and partly on the number of communicants, is from one and a half to four to five hours. In cathedrals and monasteries, liturgies are served daily; in parish churches on Sundays and church holidays. It is advisable for those preparing for Communion to be present at the service from its beginning (for this is a single spiritual action), and also to be at the evening service the day before, which is a prayerful preparation for the Liturgy and the Eucharist.

During the liturgy, you need to stay in the temple without a way out, prayerfully participating in the service until the priest leaves the altar with a cup and proclaims: “Come with the fear of God and faith.” Then the communicants line up one by one in front of the pulpit (first the children and the infirm, then the men and then the women). Hands should be folded crosswise on the chest; it is not supposed to be baptized in front of the cup. When the turn comes, you need to stand in front of the priest, give your name and open your mouth so that you can put in a liar with a particle of the Body and Blood of Christ. The liar must be carefully licked with the lips, and after the lips are wet with the board, with reverence kiss the edge of the bowl. Then, without touching the icons and without talking, you need to move away from the pulpit and take a “drink” - St. water with wine and a particle of prosphora (in this way, the oral cavity is washed, so that the smallest particles of the Gifts are not accidentally expelled from oneself, for example, when sneezing). After communion, you need to read (or listen to in the Church) prayers of thanksgiving and in the future carefully keep your soul from sins and passions.

How to approach the Holy Chalice?

Each communicant needs to know well how to approach the Holy Chalice so that communion takes place sedately and without fuss.

Before approaching the Chalice, one must bow to the ground. If there are many communicants, then in order not to disturb others, you need to bow in advance. When the royal doors open, one must cross oneself and fold one’s hands crosswise on the chest, the right hand over the left, and with such a folded hands take communion; you need to move away from the Chalice without separating your hands. It is necessary to approach from the right side of the temple, and leave the left free. Altar attendants receive communion first, then monks, children, and only then everyone else. It is necessary to give way to neighbors, in no case do not push. Women need to remove their lipstick before communion. Women should approach communion with their heads covered.

Approaching the Chalice, you should loudly and distinctly say your name, accept the Holy Gifts, chew them (if necessary) and immediately swallow them, and kiss the lower edge of the Chalice like the rib of Christ. You can not touch the Chalice with your hands and kiss the priest's hand. It is forbidden to be baptized at the Chalice! Raising your hand for the sign of the cross, you can accidentally push the priest and spill the Holy Gifts. Going to the table with a drink, you need to eat antidor or prosphora to drink warmth. Only after that you can apply to the icons.

If the Holy Gifts are taught from several Chalices, they can only be received from one. You cannot take communion twice a day. On the day of Communion, it is not customary to kneel, with the exception of bows during Great Lent when reading the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, bows before the Shroud of Christ on Great Saturday and kneeling prayers on the day of the Holy Trinity. When you come home, you should, first of all, read thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion; if they are read in the temple at the end of the service, one must listen to the prayers there. After communion until the morning, one should also not spit anything out and rinse the mouth. Communicators should try to keep themselves from idle talk, especially from condemnation, and in order to avoid idle talk, one must read the Gospel, the Jesus Prayer, akathists, and Holy Scripture.