How to start a confession before the priest. Confession is essential in a person's life

Church life is filled with different rules and rituals. But there is one most important - this is the Sacrament of Communion. However, it is necessary to know exactly how to take communion in church. Otherwise, you can violate the strict church orders. It is believed that this offends God, one should not allow such a sin. Therefore, this issue should be taken seriously.

What is Communion

Before you take communion in church, you need to devote several days to preparation. This is the most important Sacrament of the seven that are in Orthodoxy. Catholics have similar sacraments. Protestant churches have different views on this issue.

During the Last Supper, Christ for the first time communed his disciples, we will offer them bread and wine. Until the moment of the Savior's death on the cross, people sacrificed animals as a prototype of the future trials of the Son of God. After He was resurrected, there was no need for other offerings. Therefore, now prayers are read over bread and wine. They also take Communion.

Why does the church demand that parishioners take communion and confess? How to do it right? It is a symbol of the unity of God with man. Christ Himself commanded people to do this. The sacrament turns bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. By accepting them, the believer receives the Lord into himself. He maintains his spiritual strength at the proper level.

Communion gives a great "charge" of spirituality. It is especially important that this Sacrament be performed over the sick and dying. The living must come to it regularly. At least once a fast, preferably on every big holiday.

How to Prepare for Communion

Everyone is not allowed to the sacrament in the Orthodox Church. A number of conditions must be met:

be an Orthodox Christian;

maintain a strict fast (at least 3 days);

read all the necessary prayers;

go to confession after the All-Night Vigil;

come to Liturgy in the morning.

Only if all these conditions are fulfilled, the parishioner will be able to properly take communion in the Church. In some churches, confession is not received the night before, but in the morning during the service. But then it turns out that during the Divine service people are distracted by standing in lines. Still, it is better to confess when there is no need to rush and there is no pandemonium around.

Without confession, the following are allowed to the Sacrament:

infants (children under 6 years old) - however, it is undesirable to feed them before the service;

those who received Baptism the day before - but they also need to fast and also read prayers.

Fasting must be strict - it is required to give up all animal food (meat, fish, all dairy, eggs). The church calendar will help you navigate. It indicates which products are allowed. On some days, vegetable oil may be banned. For the sick and the elderly, the priest can make an exception, but in general it is not customary to relax the fast. Also, you can not drink after 12 at night and until the very moment of Communion.

Many are also concerned about the question of how to properly confess in church - embarrassment and inexperience interfere. But in order to prove to God your firm desire to improve, you will have to overcome your fears. The priest is only a witness, he has seen and heard a lot, so it is unlikely that he will be very surprised. But before you approach the confessor, you need to prepare.

Since many are overwhelmed at confession, there is a tradition to write down their sins on a piece of paper. At the end of the confession, the priest takes this “list” and tears it up, as a sign that the Lord forgives everything. To compose a confession, you can use a special brochure, or simply take 10 commandments and think about what you have sinned against each.

Do not blame others in confession, thereby justifying your negative behavior. Example: the wife yelled at her husband and says that he is “to blame” because he came drunk. So be it, but in any situation one must restrain oneself, act with love, without insults. As well as confessing in the church, it is necessary, talking only about yourself, and not about others.

There is also no need to boast that there are no sins against some commandments. Yes, and is it? Adultery is considered not only physical adultery, but even the thought of it. Smoking is a slow form of suicide, and it is the gravest sin. In addition, the smoker harms others, exacerbating guilt. It is necessary to repent of this sin, because a Christian must maintain order not only in the soul, but also monitor the health of the body.

No need to argue with the priest. This is a pure sin, for which they can generally be excommunicated from communion. Most likely, there are things that you still do not understand. You should reflect on what has been said.

There are no strict rules governing what to say in church during confession. It is important to show a sincere desire to improve. Confessors usually help those who are having difficulty by asking questions. There is no need to enumerate every sin whose name is read in the books. Many have a common root - pride, greed, unwillingness to work on themselves, dislike for others.

Prayers and worship

After the sins are named, the priest will cover his head with an epitrachelion (part of the vestment, a long embroidered strip), and read a special prayer. During it, you will need to give your name. After that, take a blessing from the priest, listen to instructions, if any. Then you need to go home to prepare further.

Before taking communion, one should read the daily prayer rule and special sacramental canons. They are published in all prayer books. The canon is a kind of church poetry that sets the soul in the right mood. You can read them in church before going to confession.

After the canons, prayers follow, they can be read in the morning, if there is time, only not during the Liturgy, but before it. The sacramental rule is sometimes broken into several parts to be read over the course of three days. But then the necessary mood is not reached. In case of doubt, you should ask the priest for advice - he will tell you how best to proceed.

We must try to maintain peace of mind during fasting days, not to quarrel with anyone, or all preparation will be lost. Many holy fathers teach that abstaining from certain foods is not as important as abstaining from anger, bad deeds.

You must come to the Liturgy without delay.

Small children are usually brought to Communion later - the priest will tell you what time to come.

Women should not put on much perfume and make up - the Church is not a secular party, but the Temple of God.

If a remark was made in the church, it is better not to be offended, but to thank and step aside.

If after confession they committed some kind of sin, you should try to find your confessor and tell him about it. Usually, before Communion, one of the clergy leaves the altar to maintain order.

Before you go to the Cup, you need to fold your hands on your chest so that the right one is on top. Make earthly bows in advance!

If a person has just accepted Baptism, he is obliged to come to the next Liturgy. He will be admitted to Communion without confession. Otherwise, the "Christian" demonstrates a complete disregard for everything on which the spiritual life is built. Baptism as a ritual does not guarantee salvation, for this it is necessary to constantly improve.

Now you know how to take communion and confess in church. Over time, most questions disappear by themselves, yesterday's newcomer becomes an experienced parishioner. May there be the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ for the salvation of soul and body!

How to Confess for the First Time

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Great Lent is a fertile time when a special course of worship, the themes of liturgical texts, as well as abstinence from fast food set a person to repentance, disturb the sleeping soul so that it wakes up and looks at itself, realizes what sins and dangers it is in. At this moment, a repentant feeling begins to visit a person. But often people confuse confession and repentance, while the holy fathers name clear differences between these sacraments. Therefore, today I would like to talk about this. What is confession and what is repentance?

The most important thing in our life is salvation. The Lord says: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” (Matthew 4:17). The Holy Prophet John the Baptist also calls us in his sermon: "...repent... (Matt. 3:2)" and "bring forth fruit worthy of repentance..." (Matt. 8:9).

When a person lives in the world, he commits many sins. Someone, for example, drinks, smokes, swears, gets irritated, angry, angry, and all this becomes a habit for him, sins become commonplace, and there is no repentance in a person. When a person comes to God, he begins to feel that sins burden his soul, and then he says before God: “Lord! I won't swear anymore! I won't drink! I won't smoke! I'll try not to get annoyed!" - this is repentance - a change in life.

When a person comes to a priest for confession, he can say: “Father, I didn’t go to Church. He didn’t pray to God, he didn’t keep fasts. He swore obscenities, got drunk drunk, got annoyed. In this I confess and repent. I ask God for forgiveness." If a person said this and gave the Lord a promise to improve, then the grace of God will give him strength, and he departs from confession with a light heart, because. removed from his soul the heavy burden that he had been carrying all this time.

When people say: “I want to live freely, drink, walk, fornicate, smoke, swear obscenities,” this is a disease of the soul. If a person got rid of anger, evil, alcohol, smoking and swearing, then he became free. If these passions torment him, then he is in captivity. Demons keep a person in these passions.

The Holy Fathers say that the beginning of spiritual life, when a person's spiritual eyes are opened and he sees in himself the abyss of sins - this is the beginning of repentance. If a person does not see his sins, it means that he is still spiritually blind. Then you help a person, remind him of his sins. Many do not think that skipping services is a sin. There are apostolic rules that say that if someone has not been in the temple for three Sundays without a good reason, then he is excommunicated from the Church. I usually ask: “Did you keep the fasts?” and I hear in response: “I never observed it.” This is also stated in the Apostolic Rules: if a person does not observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, then he is excommunicated from the Church. The priest reminds in confession that these are grave sins. I ask: "You didn't pray?" and the person confesses: “Yes, I didn’t pray. Just got baptized. I don't even know how to pray. This is also a sin that needs to be repented of.

The priest helps a person at confession, reminds him of his sins, explains that pride is the most serious sin. When a person is in pride, he is always irritated. Why is this happening? Because a person has a high opinion of himself, is offended, always dissatisfied, strives to be on top, wants only good things to be said about him, and this is not pleasing to the Lord. Athos elder Paisios Svyatogorets, when he was little, ran a race with his friends and was the first to run. Paisius's parents said that it was impossible to do this, because pride is hidden in this. It is better to give way to another, let him come running first. So when you study at school, you want to be the first. This should not be. You must always give way to someone else. You have to be able to be humble. This is useful for us. Sometimes it happens that the Lord allows us for our humility to become the second, and even the last. All this is useful for us.

When a person repented for the first time in his life, sincerely confessed, it seems to him that he has said everything. I usually say that this is just the beginning. In fact, you will remember your sins for another two or three years. Take a piece of paper, if you suddenly remember something - write it down so as not to forget, because a pencil or a pen has a better memory than we do. If you remember something else, you need to write everything down again, and then repent of it at confession. Everything we do, say, think about, is imprinted in eternity for all time. How many bad things have we said! How many false conceited words! How much we said with pride! Sometimes we forget about it, but evil spirits do not forget and keep everything.

I'll tell you one story. My brother Nikolai worked as a conductor. One day he was waiting for a train, and since he had time to spare, he put on a sheepskin coat so as not to freeze and lay down on the sofa. Nikolai had not yet had time to fall asleep and suddenly saw that a beautiful young man was entering and saying: “Nikolai, get up! Come with me". He got up, looked around and saw his body from the side. They went along the corridor and suddenly found themselves in one of the rooms, where there was a table covered with a red cloth, and thick books lay on it. There were also two horned demons. As soon as Nikolai entered, they looked at him and said: “Ah, Nikolai! Let's watch!". One demon opened a book and began to list all his sins from his youth, even those he did not remember. Then another demon did the same. Nicholas took this book and threw it at the demons. They rushed from the table and began to beat him. But the young man said, "Don't touch him." After that, Nikolai woke up again on the couch. The Lord revealed to him that from about the age of seven, when a person realizes what sins are, demons already control our words, deeds and thoughts.

There are times when they come to confession and say: “Father! I am a sinner in everything!”, then I begin to ask:

People shot?

Did you set fire to the house?

Did you fly to the moon?

You have to say what you have done in your life.

Conscience often convicts us - we hear the voice of God. Some people try to "silence" their conscience. You can't do that. When we sincerely repent, then the soul will be freed and the Lord will give grace-filled strength. After that, a person does not sin, he has the fear of God. It happens that a person comes up and says: “Father, I am a sinner in this, in this and in this, but he does not promise to improve, he remains the same as he was. If a person asks how to get rid of a certain sin, then the priest will always advise what to do, and then you need to obey him. If we are talking about carnal sin, then we should not eat meat and sweets, do not condemn anyone, do not be proud, do not get annoyed, do not offend anyone, do not eat to our fill. If passions bother you, then you can not eat on Friday. If this is not enough, then on Wednesday and Monday. In this way we can achieve that all passions will cease for us. Of course, everything begins with thoughts, from our intemperance. No need to climb where the fire is, surf the Internet, look for all kinds of dirt on TV. And if they plunged there, what does it say? About the fact that we are unclean, and this is not pleasing to the Lord. Therefore, we must live in purity.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Father, the man is ripe for repentance, he decided to write a confession. How can he properly build a confession? Where to start in the first place?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

You should start with the most serious sins - murder, fornication. Once you name them, it will become easier for you to confess further.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

How much detail do you need to talk about such sins?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

Confession does not need to talk about how the sin was committed.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Do I need to talk about how many times they committed some kind of sin?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

If a person came to confession for the first time and repented, then he does not need to repeat this. The Lord forgave him his sin.

Phone call:

I was at the evening service at confession and asked the priest for blessings for fasting. Since I have the second group of disability, the doctor categorically forbade me to fast. The priest does not give relief and says to go to another doctor who will not forbid. Please tell me what to do next? On Saturday and Sunday I asked for some cottage cheese and fish.

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

I confessed for ten years in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and five years in Pochaev. Among confessors, it was usually established that the sick were allowed fish, but not dairy products. When the mother of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt fell ill and was dying, the doctor told her to eat chicken broth, to which she replied: “I have never broken a fast in my life and never will. The Lord will heal me." And the Lord healed her. The Bible says, "If you want to be healthy, don't sin." If you sin, you go to the doctor, the doctor will prescribe you medicine, and God heals (see: Sir. 38, 1-15).

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Father, we were asked this question: “I have been sick for 30 years, now I am 40. I can’t walk, I feel weakness of the whole body. I have been churched from the very beginning of my illness, I observe all the fasts, I pray. At home, all the sacraments are performed on me. What else would be useful for me to do so that the Lord would hear me? Maybe my faith is weak?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

The most important thing is to thank God. Once, a confessor on the holy Mount Athos bowed his head. Another elder approached him and said: “Father, what is the matter with you?” He answers:

The Lord left me.

How did you leave?

The day passed and there were no temptations. All was good.

If there are illnesses, it means that the Lord did not pass by, he visited. For this we must thank God. This is very valuable. We need to ask the prayers of loved ones so that they pray for us. This is the most important thing. No need to grumble, despair, blame someone - God or neighbors. You only have yourself to blame. It is better to go through everything here temporarily, to endure it, so that the soul can go free and pure into the spiritual world. Of course, it is terrible and terrible when a person sins on earth and does not realize it, but constantly abides in sin. Demons bind a person hand and foot and do not allow him to grow spiritually. This is scary. So we must thank God for the disease.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Father, another very important part of proper repentance and confession is a spiritual father. How to choose the right confessor?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

You have to ask the Lord for this. When I was in my first year of seminary, I went under the Dormition Cathedral and on the way I thought like this: “Now I will enter the church for confession, and the first priest who comes out will become my confessor.” At this moment, the archimandrite comes out of the altar and I have the thought: “Here is your spiritual father.” So it is to this day, already 50 years. God Himself will send someone to whom you can open up. Of course, this issue is very complex.

It is necessary at least once in your life to truly repent from youth, to find someone you can trust. There are few priests in parish churches, but there are many people, and the priest cannot confess one person in detail. You have to go to a monastery and confess there in full to some confessor. It is necessary that nothing be left on the conscience. It is most important.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Father, sometimes a person encounters an internal obstacle. He wants to repent, but he tries to choose words in confession. It seems ugly and shameful to him to name all his sins. It is necessary to choose such words in order to speak about sin and not experience strong shame. But then a person is faced with the fact that when he departs from confession, he does not experience peace in his soul. Conscience convicts him. Why is this happening?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

This happens when a person has not fully revealed the sin. The priest has a lot of people at confession. There is no need to be embarrassed to say sins, because the evil spirit, which does not depart from us, always inspires us with this. Don't be afraid of what the priest thinks of you. We must boldly speak, then the Lord accepts such a penitent soul in His arms. There is no such sin that the Lord would not forgive. There is no disease that God would not heal.

Phone call:

There are different opinions about the order of confession and unction. Can you please clarify this question?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

The Apostle James says: "Is any of you sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14). “And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:15). Before taking unction, a person must go to confession, repent of all sins, so that he has nothing left on his conscience. In the Sacrament of Unction, those sins are forgiven that a person, due to his weakness, no longer remembers.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

What means " forgiven sin"? I read from the holy fathers that the forgiven sin literally means " never-before sin”, i.e. if a person committed a sin and repented of it, then in the eyes of God this sin did not exist. What a great power repentance has!

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

Yes. In Greek, the word sin' means miss. When a person aims "at the top ten" and hits "milk", then this is a miss. The same thing happens when a person sins, but thinks like this: "Now I will get drunk or smoke and enjoy it." It turns out the man is wrong. This will bring him great harm. The grace of God leaves, despondency, despair, anxiety sets in, and there is no joy. And the apostle Paul says: “Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Phone call:

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

We have no enemies. We have only one enemy - the devil and the sins we commit. I was in Jerusalem. Jews, Muslims, Protestants and Orthodox live there. Many people live together. We must not have enemies. We must show others by the example of our lives that our Orthodox faith is rightly glorifying God. Enmity does not lead to good things. It leads to bloodshed and destruction. Imagine that you were born in a different faith, and on the day of the Last Judgment of the Lord, our affairs will be revealed. According to our deeds, we will receive punishment or reward.

Phone call:

At the age of 28, I already had the Gospel, then it was still impossible to go to church. I worked as a teacher and talked about God everywhere on the road. If I was driving to Simferopol, and I myself lived in the Crimea at that time, then for three hours I told the driver about the Gospel - I had already learned it by heart. Thank God, almost everyone listened, and only some drivers frowned and said that I did not have to pay 4 rubles, if only I got out of the car. Others reacted differently. Once I had to pay 3 rubles, and I had only 2, and the driver said: “I would ride with you all my life, if only you would only talk about God.” Did I do the right thing, because it is said: “Do not give holy things to dogs and do not cast your pearls before swine?” (Matthew 7:6).

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

If a person is full, and you force him to eat, he will say: “I am full. I don't need any more." And, conversely, if a person is hungry and needs food, then you need to feed him - i.e. talk to him about God. That's why that driver told you so. He was contented and nourished with spiritual food. And the person who is soul dead does not need it. If a person of a different faith does not want to listen to you, then there is no need to speak. When I ride in a cassock on a train, I don’t say anything to anyone. People themselves ask: “Where do you serve? Where do you live? Do you believe in God?" I answer: “Yes, I do. Because there are no unbelievers on earth. Some believe there is a God, others don't. And the conversation begins. I don't say anything about God. Under the Soviet regime, when I was traveling on a train, it sometimes happened that the compartment was completely packed with people: some listened, then the second entered, and after them the third. Everyone was constantly listening. I told them about the bird, about the plane, about nature. Even if the authorities will listen, I did not say anything seditious, there was no agitation. I was just answering questions. Once I got off at a stop at 4 o'clock in the morning, looked back - it turns out that in the car where I was traveling, in almost every window 2-3 people waved at me!

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Was it in Soviet times?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

In Soviet times. It is necessary to speak, because faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God, according to Holy Scripture.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Scripture gives examples of this. The First Martyr Stephen preached a sermon to the Jews, the enemies of Christ. How did they react? They didn’t just say, “We don’t need it,” they gnashed their teeth, tore their clothes, because this speech denounced them. She burned them like fire, but he spoke anyway. We do not know, maybe one of these Jews later repented.

Hierodeacon Eleazar (Titov):

Question: Is it appropriate to ask monastic priests questions and consult in detail about the arrangement of their personal lives? Or is it better to address such questions to the white clergy?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

If the priest is experienced, then you can contact him.

Phone call:

I didn't get married. After the wedding, I did not know my wife. She was afraid that we would have sick children, because I was released from the army under the article, and she was registered because she was also sick. I left her. We divorced, and three years later she gave birth to a normal child in another marriage. The demon incites me: how to take revenge on her, the evil one does not give rest. Should I forgive her, leave her to the judgment of God?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov):

I must say that there are no cases large and small, to the smallest detail. This is the work of God. You need to pray for her. If we have enemies who are against us, then demons act on us through them. And when we pray, this person is no longer our enemy. He is a creation of God and the Lord does not charge us with sin if we pray for this person. We must endure this temptation, it is not without God's providence. It will all pass. So that's how it should be. God allowed it, say: “Glory to God for everything!” If we thank God for everything that happens to us in life, even if, for example, your bag was torn out, and there was a lot of money, it means that this is not without the will of God. Thank God for everything! We must thank the Lord. Once I had visitors who asked me: “Father! Give us guidance on how to live in this life right? I answered: “Now you are going to Moscow, you come to your house, and there are a lot of fire trucks, ambulances, and you are 100% sure that your apartment and all the things in it burned down. No need to panic. You need to act like Job the Long-suffering and say: “God gave, God took. Thank God for everything!" This will be before God as a feat. You got into the car, drove to your friends, your car skidded and you crashed into a pole. No need to get upset, you need to go out and say: “Thank God, everyone is alive. If it didn’t beat, didn’t break, then where would everything go? Thank God! So that's how it's supposed to be." This will please the Lord. You came to your friends, sat down at the table to drink tea - and suddenly you had an attack. An ambulance was called and you were on the operating table. And here it is necessary to say: “Glory to God for everything!” Everything that the Lord does not do is for the better, because God is Love. He is more concerned about our health and our salvation than we are. This is how we should live right.

There is a folk proverb: “Lost wealth - lost nothing. Lost health - half lost. Lost faith in God - lost everything. One hundred years ago there were one hundred and fifty million people in Russia, and the majority were believers. And then people came and said that there is no God, and some took it for the truth, went against God and destroyed the country. Without God, everything is destroyed...

This list - the list is designed for people who are beginning the church life and those who want to repent before God.

When preparing for confession, write down the sins that reveal your conscience from the list. If there are many of them, you need to start from the most difficult mortals.
Communion is possible only with the blessing of the priest. Repentance BEFORE GOD implies not an indifferent enumeration of one's bad deeds, BUT A SINCERE CONDEMNATION OF YOUR SINNESS AND THE DECISION TO CORRECTION!

List of sins for confession

I (name) have sinned (a) before GOD:

weak faith (doubt in His being).
I have neither love nor proper fear for God, therefore I rarely confess and take communion (which brought my soul to a petrified insensitivity towards God).
I rarely attend Church on Sundays and holidays (work, trade, entertainment these days).
I don’t know how to repent, I don’t see sins.
I do not remember death and do not prepare to stand at the Judgment of God (The memory of death and the future judgment helps to avoid sin).

Sinned :

I do NOT thank God for His mercies.
Not obedience to the will of God (I want everything to be mine). Out of pride, I hope for myself and people, and not for God. Attributing success to yourself, not to God.
Fear of suffering, impatience of sorrows and illnesses (they are allowed by God to cleanse the soul from sin).
Murmuring at the cross of life (fate), at people.
Cowardice, despondency, sadness, blaming God for cruelty, despair in salvation, a desire (attempt) to commit suicide.

Sinned :

Being late and leaving church early.
Inattention during the service (to reading and singing, talking, laughing, dozing ...). Walking around the temple needlessly, pushing and rude.
Out of pride, he left the sermon criticizing and condemning the priest.
In female impurity, she dared to touch the shrine.

Sinned :

due to laziness, I do not read morning and evening prayers (completely from the prayer book), I shorten them. I pray absentmindedly.
She prayed with her head uncovered, having hostility towards her neighbor. Careless image of the sign of the cross. Not wearing a pectoral cross.
The reverent veneration of St. icons and shrines of the Church.
To the detriment of prayer, reading the Gospel, the Psalter and spiritual literature, I watched (a) TV (Through films, the God-fighters teach people to violate God's commandment about chastity before marriage, adultery, cruelty, sadism, damage the mental health of young people. They instill in them through "Harry Potter ..." an unhealthy interest in magic, sorcery and imperceptibly drawn into disastrous communion with the devil.In the media, this lawlessness before God is presented as something positive, in color and romantic form.Christian!Turn away from sin and save yourself and your children for Eternity!!! ).
Cowardly silence, when they blasphemed in my presence, shame to be baptized and confess the Lord in public (this is one of the types of renunciation of Christ). Blasphemy against God and every holy thing.
Wearing shoes with crosses on the sole. The use of newspapers for everyday needs ... where it is written about God ...
He called (a) animals by the names of people "Vaska", "Mashka". He spoke about God not reverently and without humility.

Sinned :

dared (a) to take Communion without proper preparation (without reading the canons and prayers, concealing and belittling sins in confession, in enmity, without fasting and prayers of thanksgiving ...).
I didn’t spend Holy Communion Days (in prayer, reading the Gospel ... but indulged in entertainment, eating, sleeping, idle talk ...).

Sinned :

violation of fasts, as well as Wednesday and Friday (By fasting these days, we honor the sufferings of Christ).
I do not (always) pray before meals, work and after (After eating and work, a prayer of thanksgiving is read).
Satiation in food and drink, intoxication drunk.
Secret eating, delicacy (addiction to sweets).
Ate (a) the blood of animals (bloody blood ...). (Forbidden by God Leviticus 7,2627; 17, 1314, Acts 15, 2021,29). On a fast day, the festive (funeral) table was modest.
He commemorated the dead with vodka (this is paganism and does not agree with Christianity).

Sinned :

idle talk (empty talk about worldly fuss ...).
Telling and listening to vulgar anecdotes.
Condemnation of people, priests and monks (but I don’t see my sins).
Listening and retelling gossip and blasphemous anecdotes (about God, the Church and the clergy). (By this, temptation was sown through ME, and the name of God was blasphemed among people).
Remembering the name of God in vain (without need, in empty talk, jokes).
Lies, deception, non-fulfillment of promises given to God (people).
Foul language, swearing (this is a blasphemy against the Mother of God) swearing with the mention of evil spirits (evil demons invoked in conversations will harm us).
slander, the spread of bad rumors and gossip, the disclosure of other people's sins and weaknesses.
He listened to the slander with pleasure and consent.
Out of pride, he humiliated (a) his neighbors with ridicule (jokes), stupid jokes ... Immoderate laughter, laughter. He laughed at the beggars, the crippled, other people's grief ... Bozhboy, a false oath, perjury at trial, the acquittal of criminals and the condemnation of the innocent.

Sinned :

laziness, unwillingness to work (life at the expense of parents), the search for bodily peace, languor in bed, the desire to enjoy a sinful and luxurious life.
Smoking (among the American Indians, the smoking of tobacco had a ritual meaning of worshiping the spirits of demons. A smoking Christian is a traitor to God, a demon worshiper and a suicide is injurious to health). Drug use.
Listening to pop and rock music (singing human passions, excites base feelings).
Addiction to gambling and spectacles (cards, dominoes, computer games, TV, cinemas, discos, cafes, bars, restaurants, casinos ...). (The atheistic symbolism of the cards, when playing or fortune-telling, is designed to blasphemously mock the suffering of Christ the Savior. And games destroy the psyche of children. Shooting and killing, they become aggressive, prone to cruelty and sadism, with all the ensuing consequences for parents).

Sinned :

corrupted his soul by reading and looking at (in books, magazines, films ...) erotic shamelessness, sadism, immodest games, (A person corrupted by vices reflects the qualities of a demon, not God), dances, danced ), (They led to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, after which dancing for Christians is a mockery of the memory of the Prophet).
The pleasure of prodigal dreams and the remembrance of past sins. Not removal from sinful dates and temptation.
Lustful view and freedom (immodesty, hugs, kisses, impure touch of the body) with persons of the opposite sex.
Fornication (sexual intercourse before marriage). Fornication perversions (masturbation, poses).
Sodomy sins (homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest (fornication with relatives).

Leading into the temptation of men, she shamelessly dressed in short and slit skirts, trousers, shorts, tight-fitting and translucent clothes (this violated the commandment of God about the appearance of a woman. She should dress beautifully, but within the framework of Christian shame and conscience.

A Christian woman should be an image of God, and not a God-fighting, sheared naked repainted, with a clawed paw instead of a human hand, the image of Satan) she cut her hair, painted ... In this form, without respecting the shrine, she dared to enter the temple of God.

Participation in “beauty” contests, photo models, masquerades (malanka, driving a goat, Halloween holiday ...), as well as in dances with prodigal actions.

Was (a) immodest in gestures, body movements, gait.

Bathing, sunbathing and exposure in the presence of persons of the opposite sex (contrary to Christian chastity).

Seduction to sin. Selling your body, pimping, renting a place for fornication.

You can help improve the site

Sinned :

adultery (adultery in marriage).
Not married. Lustful intemperance in marital relations (on fasts, Sundays, holidays, pregnancy, on days of female impurity).
Perversions in married life (poses, oral, anal fornication).
Wanting to live for his own pleasure and avoiding life's difficulties, he protected himself from conceiving children.
The use of "contraceptive" means (spiral, pills do not prevent conception, but kill the child at an early stage). Killed (a) their children (abortions).
By advice (forcing) others to have an abortion (men, with tacit consent, or forcing wives ... to have an abortion are also child killers. Abortion doctors are murderers, and assistants are accomplices).

Sinned :

destroyed the souls of children, preparing them only for earthly life (did not teach (a) about God and faith, did not instill in them love for church and home prayer, fasting, humility, obedience.
Did not develop a sense of duty, honor, responsibility ...
I didn’t watch what they do, what they read, with whom they are friends, how they behave).
He punished (a) them too cruelly (venting anger, and not for correction, called names, cursed (a).
He seduced (a) children with his sins (intimate relationships with them, swearing, foul language, watching immoral television programs).

Sinned :

joint prayer or transition to a schism (the Kyiv Patriarchate, the UAOC, the Old Believers ...), a union, a sect. (Prayer with schismatics and heretics leads to excommunication from the Church: 10, 65, Apostolic Canons).
Superstition (belief in dreams, signs ...).
Appeal to psychics, "grandmothers" (pouring wax, swinging eggs, draining fear ...).
He defiled himself with urine therapy (in the rituals of Satanists, the use of urine and feces has a blasphemous meaning. Such a “treatment” is a vile defilement and a devilish mockery of Christians), the use of “slandered” by soothsayers ... Divination on cards, divination (for what?). I was afraid of sorcerers more than God. Coding (from what?).

You can help improve the site

Fascination with Eastern religions, occultism, Satanism (specify what). Attending sectarian, occult... meetings.

Doing yoga, meditation, dousing according to Ivanov (it is not dousing itself that is condemned, but Ivanov's teaching, which leads to the worship of him and nature, and not God). Oriental martial arts (worship of the spirit of evil, teachers, and the occult teaching about the disclosure of "internal capabilities" leads to communication with demons, possession ...).

Reading and storage of occult literature prohibited by the Church: magic, palmistry, horoscopes, dream books, prophecies of Nostradamus, literature of the religions of the East, the teachings of Blavatsky and the Roerichs, Lazarev's "Diagnosis of Karma", Andreev's "Rose of the World", Aksenov, Klizovsky, Vladimir Megre, Taranov, Sviyazh , Vereshchagin, Garafins Makovy, Asaulyak ...

(The Orthodox Church warns that the writings of these and other occult authors have nothing in common with the teachings of Christ the Savior. A person, through occultism, entering into in-depth communication with demons, falls away from God and destroys his soul, and mental disorders will be the due retribution for pride and arrogant flirting with demons).

Coercion (advice) and others to contact them and do this.

Sinned :

theft, sacrilege (theft of church goods).
Covetousness (addiction to money and wealth).
Non-payment of debts (wages).
Greed, stinginess for alms and the purchase of spiritual books ... (and I spend money on whims and entertainment without stint).
Covetousness (using someone else's, living at someone else's expense ...). Wanting to get rich, he gave money at interest.
Trade in vodka, cigarettes, drugs, contraceptives, immodest clothes, porn ... (this helped the demon to destroy himself and people, an accomplice of their sins). Spelled (a), weighed (a), gave out (a) a bad product for a good one ...

Sinned :

self-love, envy, flattery, slyness, insincerity, hypocrisy, philanthropy, suspicion, malevolence.
Forcing others to sin (to lie, steal, peep, eavesdrop, inform, drink alcohol ...).

Desire for fame, respect, gratitude, praise, primacy ... Doing good for show. Boasting and self-love. Showing off in front of people (wit, appearance, abilities, clothes ...).

You can help improve the site

Sinned :

disobedience to parents, elders and bosses, insulting them.
Whims, stubbornness, contradiction, self-will, self-justification.
Laziness to study.
Careless care of elderly parents, relatives ... (left (a) them unattended, food, money, medicine ..., handed over (a) to a nursing home ...).

Sinned :

pride, resentment, rancor, irascibility, anger, revenge, hatred, irreconcilable enmity.
Insolence and insolence (climbed (la) out of turn, pushed (las).
Cruelty to animals
Insulted at home, was (a) the cause of family scandals.
Not carrying out joint work on raising children and maintaining the household, parasitism, drinking money, handing over children to an orphanage ...
Engaging in martial arts and sports (professional sports damage health and develop pride, vanity, a sense of superiority, contempt, a thirst for enrichment ...), for the sake of fame, money, robbery (racketeering).
Rough treatment of others, causing them harm (what?).
Bullying, beating, murder.
Not protecting the weak, beaten, women from violence ...
Violation of traffic rules, drunk driving ... (thus endangering people's lives).

Sinned :

careless attitude to work (public position).
He used his social position (talents ...) not for the glory of God and the benefit of people, but for personal gain.
Harassment of subordinates. Giving and accepting (extortion) bribes (which could lead to harm to public and private tragedies).
He plundered state and collective property.
Having a leading position, he did not care about the suppression of teaching immoral subjects in schools, non-Christian customs (corrupting the morality of the people).
Did not provide assistance in the spread of Orthodoxy and the suppression of the influence of sects, sorcerers, psychics ...
He was seduced by their money and rented out premises to them (which contributed to the death of people's souls).
He did not protect church shrines, did not provide assistance in the construction and repair of temples and monasteries ...

Indolence to every good deed (did not visit (a) lonely, sick, prisoners ...).

In life matters, he did not consult with the priest and elders (which led to irreparable mistakes).

Gave advice without knowing whether it was pleasing to God. With a passionate love for people, things, activities ... He tempted (a) those around him with his sins.

I justify my sins with worldly needs, illness, weakness, and that no one taught us faith in God (but we ourselves were not interested in this).

He seduced people into unbelief. Attended a mausoleum, atheist events…

Cold and insensitive confession. I sin consciously, trampling on a convicting conscience. There is no firm determination to correct your sinful life. I repent that I offended the Lord with my sins, I sincerely regret it and I will try to improve.

Indicate other sins with which he sinned (a).

You can help improve the site

Note! As for the possible temptation from the sins cited here, it is true that fornication is vile, and one must speak about it carefully.

The Apostle Paul says: "fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness must not even be named among you" (Eph. 5:3). However, through television, magazines, advertisements... it has entered the lives of even the youngest so that fornication is not considered a sin by many. Therefore, it is necessary to speak about this at confession and call everyone to repentance and correction.

How to behave in confession and what is better not to do? How to correctly name your sins to a priest? Learn the advice of the priest, and also read examples of how to properly confess and name your sins to the priest.

Confession is a Sacrament in which the Lord invisibly forgives sins with the visible will of the priest. The event is preceded by preparation - repentance occurs before going to church. For the first time, many are afraid and do not know what actions to call, how to behave correctly, what needs to be done for this. I will say more, even experienced Christians do not always understand what and how to confess.

Broken heart God will see

The significance of repentance is so great that it transforms the sinner into the righteous. It is not easy to decide to lead a Christian life, to change, but it is necessary to do this in order not to perish completely. Let the first time (second, third) confession be imperfect, this is not terrible. It is much more dangerous to carry a heavy load in oneself, not to repent at all. The Lord sees our intentions, aspirations, attempts to lag behind passions, repentance. This will definitely count.

Another confesses, as if a report on the sins committed is on 5 pages, but there is no contrition in the soul. Another will say three words and leave justified, like a publican who does not dare to raise his eyes to heaven, saying: “ God, be merciful to me, a sinner." It is important to see the abomination of your deeds and actions. Be horrified and hate them. To experience sincere disgust, with the determination not to repeat this again.

Lists of sins to help the penitent

When resorting to manuals, of which there are many on the Internet, you are more likely to get confused than get help. It is not difficult to compile a long list of sins according to the model, but often they indicate completely incomprehensible things related to monastics. They are “loafers”, they have only two duties: work and prayer, everything else is a sin. The priests do not advise comparing actions in the world with such improvised means. Sometimes it looks completely stupid.

For example:

collected stamps;
washed with fragrant soap;
did hair;
washed on Sunday, etc.

You can borrow the brevity with which they call sin. This will help to make a personal list, so as not to fall into verbosity, not to tell the story (novel) of your life. Do this: Write down the things you know are bad. You regret this, you are ready not to repeat it (by the way, they do not happen so often, but they constantly remind you of themselves, popping up in your memory).

For example:

He was rude to his parents.
Hit his wife.
Stole a bicycle (cassette, book, any thing), etc.
Did not visit a sick relative who needed it.

Go on: look at your character. Seeing yourself for who you are is not easy. Some even consider themselves normal, good, kind, always right. Take and write an icon from it. But just in such a person the sin of pride is already visible, which overthrew the devil from Heaven. This comes from ignorance of the laws of faith.

The more often you confess, comprehend Orthodox teaching, draw closer to God, the more dirt you will see in yourself that you need to get rid of. Know that if you have not found sins in yourself, then you are far from fulfilling the commandments. There is not a single saint who can be said to be without sin.

If it’s really tight, nothing comes to mind, ask your loved ones: What bad qualities will they name. From the side it is always more visible. These traits will most likely be what you are looking for. Think, maybe the list will be replenished with such sins:

angry, irritated, thinking badly about someone;
cursed, rudely answered, condemned, hated;
did not know the measure in food (gluttony);
came home drunk, riotous;
cheated on his wife (husband), deceived, slandered, spread rumors;
did not help others, refused a request, mocked the workers;
gave (persuaded) consent to an abortion;
was too lazy to fulfill his duties both at work and at home, etc.

Advice: Before turning to any source with a list of sins, try first to write down what you remember well, what burdens your soul, which you really regret. Such sins will surely be forgiven. Looking for shortcomings in yourself, resorting to a manual, strive not for quantity (to cover everything at once), but for quality. They read it, remembered it, realized it, lamented it, made a promise to themselves not to act like this again. We asked the Lord to help us with this. Now add it to the confession sheet.

You need to know about it, not be angry

When a person begins to prepare for the Sacrament, he can endure temptations. Constantly someone interferes, interrupts, distracts. In the temple, evil old women make remarks: “why not in a skirt”, “why did you put on so much makeup”, “you got up in the wrong place”. Batiushka had no time, waved him off, answered rudely, etc. Sometimes this is necessary for humility.

Demons will try to piss you off, but pass the test with dignity: in your soul, for every opposition to a good deed, say: “I don’t deserve better.” So disarm the evil spirits: drive them away, and draw closer to God. This shows that you are doing the right thing. Now, if everything goes smoothly and calmly, it’s worth considering, perhaps there is no spirit of repentance.

What is the will of God?

In the process of preparation, you will come across the phrase that sin is a violation of the will of God. At the moment of baptism, a person (himself or his godparents) makes a vow: to do His will and keep the commandments. They made a promise and immediately started to break it. First of all, because we do not know either one or the other:

The will of God is the sanctification of man.
Through Moses, to discern sin, the 10 commandments were given.

The law of God (Moses) is the first guide to knowing ourselves, that we have violated almost all the commandments. None were performed properly. Many people remember two words from the law: did not kill, did not steal. They consider themselves decent people. This is a primitive approach to the confession of an ignorant sinner. For example, you can kill:

word;
killing animals for fun and not for food;
giving wrong advice;
violating safety regulations;
sending someone else to die in his place;
having an abortion, persuading him;
mocking the weak;
spreading slander;
not providing assistance on time, etc.

If a person does not see sins in himself, does not confess, does not lament about unseemly deeds, does not receive communion, does not have a connection with God (prayers) - he violates His will. For it lies in the fact that we are sanctified, enlightened, do good deeds, that is, strive for righteousness and holiness. Everything that does not contribute to this, except for the necessary duties and affairs (including rest, holidays, etc.), violates His will.

How to prepare for confession

In order not to miss anything, it is customary to prepare according to a specific plan to choose from. You can, if there is no time, but you really want to get forgiveness, confess for a particularly tormented sin: one or more. There is no special preparation required. They came, poured out their souls, explaining to the priest: next time, prepare properly. What to take as a basis:

Ten Commandments.
Nine beatitudes given by the Lord.
You can build a confession according to 20 points of ordeals (Blessed Theodora), which the soul goes through after death.
According to the type of sin (sample of the elder George the Recluse), etc.

More often they use the 10 commandments, the so-called, Moses. Please note that each of them includes many sins, so the list will be large. To deal with this, use the "Experience of building a confession" by John Krestyankin. He is our contemporary, his plan is the best helper. A good guide "To help the penitent" was compiled by I. Brianchaninov.

Important condition: Before proceeding to repentance (at home), to confession (in the temple), forgive everyone whom you have offended. This must be done wholeheartedly, without guile. As you forgive others, so the Lord will forgive your sins and vice versa.

It's a shame to name a sin to a priest

It happens that the confessor is embarrassed to name any sin. First, remember, which one is ashamed to confess, requires an urgent confession. This is the voice of conscience, practically an indication of God, His call: repent of this. The Lord is waiting, and the priest, believe me, will forget you, and the named offense is right there, especially if there are a lot of people.

Usually hide things related to:

with betrayals;
sexual perversions;
lustful thoughts and dreams;
masturbation;
participating in orgies, leading a depraved lifestyle.

Secondly, many people have such sins, but they do not name at confession what ruins the soul. Batiushka, during the period of his service, has heard enough of everything, you won’t amaze him, don’t embarrass him, don’t push him away with your confession. Most likely, the priest will be happy for you that you have plucked up courage and voiced a serious sin. The Lord will immediately forgive, free the soul. The angels in heaven will rejoice. You will fly home on wings.

Note: The Lord created the conditions so that we could accept the redemptive gifts of His feat, that is, be transformed. All the Sacraments, including Confession, are a tool that connects people and God.

What Not to Do in Confession

Confession can be turned against oneself if one treats it superficially with slyness. All sins, even those that will definitely be repeated, such as smoking, must be called in the past tense, with the intention of getting rid of. Sooner or later, the named passion will lose power over a person. No need:

Talk about others and complain about life.
To call sins in general phrases: In everything it is sinful.
List minor sins in which repentance is brought in the home evening prayer daily.
Keep silent about serious sins because of shame, indecision, because of unwillingness to seriously understand oneself.
Do not be afraid to call a spade a spade: fornication, adultery, theft, murder, etc.

Frank confession heals not only the soul, but also physical illnesses, eradicates passions, restores peace and tranquility. Don't be ashamed to reveal your abominations. And harlots become righteous if they do not return to the former. Let us not convict ourselves here - at the Last Judgment, sins will convict us.

Conclusion: How do you know if sin is forgiven? If, when remembering him, the conscience is silent, peace and tranquility are preserved in the soul, then it is forgiven. Of course, provided that you do not have a stony and insensitive heart, which is in the complete power of the enemy of man and God, that is, the devil.

Example, contrition for sins

God! Sometimes I go to Your House, wishing to cleanse my soul from the burden of sin. I'm trying to unwind the snake ball that lies on my heart, but it's scary to open my uncleanness before the priest. I try to disguise the essence of sins with general words, I clothe them in harmless clothes: as everyone sins, so do I, no worse. I wish you forgiveness and forgiveness, and with a lie I aggravate my fallen situation, trying to deceive You.

Laziness and indifference bound the soul: I do not pray to You either in the morning or in the evening. I stand in the temple like a soulless mannequin: there is no repentance in me, I just wait for the service to end faster. I don't understand the prayers said in the Temple. I do not seek to know the meaning of the days to which the ministry is dedicated. I rarely go to church, and if I stood there, absent-mindedly crossing myself, repeating the movements of true Christians, I consider that I accomplished a feat, did a favor to You, Lord. Forgive this stone insensitivity to your salvation.
I have no love for the living or the dead. Remembering them, I will not shed a tear, the prayer for them is cold, as if I know their heavenly fate. I think that the father's prayer is enough. I have neither sympathy for my relatives (including my parents), nor the desire for them to take on even a tiny vow. I believe that the Lord is kind, will save everyone and so, without effort and sacrifice on my part. Lord, I'm sorry.
The heinous sin of adultery. I am already old and sick, so the depraved past has moved away from me, but I cannot get past this ordeal. All the dirt of this sin stuck to me, but I don’t have the strength to confess everything. I think Mary of Egypt, before leaving for the desert, was cleaner than me. I repent and hate myself for these heinous deeds. Lord, forgive me, do not destroy me vile.
Prideand vanity my constant companions. The Lord taught me constantly. He gave me reason, gave me the opportunity to experience humiliation and insults in order to reduce the arrogance of my nature. But I am so slow to correct that I cannot humble myself even under the hand of the Lord. I see my fall, but pride does not leave me. Lord, have mercy and give me the strength to become a humble Christian, forgive me for the stubbornness of the donkey.
Lie. She accompanies me everywhere. Previously, I did not even notice that I was lying about and without reason. I lied for fear of discovering the truth; to obtain any benefit; just out of habit; for the sake of vanity, to embellish the guise that is my true self. Lies - the seed of the devil, has grown in me like a huge tree, has taken root. Harmful words fly off the tongue before I have time to comprehend them. Lord, forgive me, enlighten me, get rid of this habit. Learn to tell the truth always and everywhere.
Condemnation. Lord, I remember the phrase from childhood: Judge not, lest you be judged. But he never adhered to this instruction. I condemn everyone: acquaintances, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, authorities. From the height of my pride, I will always find a flaw in others, but not in myself. Forgive me Lord. Help get rid of this so that you can see only your sins, and not judge others. Teach humble repentance and prayer, etc., etc.

In order not to labor in vain, meditate on your sins like this. This repentance, brought to the Lord, sets the soul, leads to purification, in order to hate one's deeds, not to repeat them every now and then. Having contrition, you will notice how after confession it not only became easier, but the heart begins to turn away from many “amusements” of the flesh, affairs and relationships are getting better, illnesses go away.

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.