Confession is a sacrament when a believer confesses their sins to a priest. The representative of the church is empowered to forgive sins in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ.

According to biblical legends, Christ endowed the apostles with such an opportunity, which was later transferred to the clergy. During repentance, a person not only talks about his sins, but also gives a word not to commit them again.

What is confession?

Confession is not only purification, but also a test for the soul. It helps to remove the burden and purify before the face of the Lord, reconcile with it and overcome inner doubts. It is necessary to go to confession once a month, but if you want to do it more often, you should follow the calls of the soul and repent at any time you want.

For especially grave sins, a representative of the church may prescribe a special punishment, which is called penance. It can be a long prayer, fasting or abstinence, which are ways to cleanse. When a person violates the laws of God, this negatively affects his mental and physical condition. Repentance helps to gain strength and fight the temptations that push people to sin. The believer gets the opportunity to talk about his misdeeds and remove the burden from the soul. Before confession, it is necessary to make a list of sins, with which you can correctly describe the sin and prepare the right speech for repentance.

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

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

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

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

Preparation for confession

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

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

1. Vices directed against God:

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

1. Vices against the soul:

Sloth, deceit, use of obscene words, impatience, disbelief, self-delusion, despair.

1. Vices against neighbors:

Disrespect for parents, slander, condemnation, rancor, hatred, theft and so on.

How to confess correctly what to say to the priest at the beginning?

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

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

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

List of sins for a woman

Many of the fair sex, having familiarized themselves with it, decide to refuse confession. It looks like this:

• Rarely prayed and came to the temple
• While praying, I thought about pressing issues.
• Had sex before marriage
• Had impure thoughts
• Turned for help to fortune-tellers and magicians
• believed in superstition
• I was afraid of old age
• Abuse of alcohol, drugs, sweets
• Refusing to help other people
• Performed abortions
• Wearing revealing clothes

List of sins for a man

• Blasphemy against the Lord
• Disbelief
• Taunting those who are weaker
• Cruelty, pride, laziness, greed
• Military service evasion
• Insults and use of physical force against others
• Slander
• Inability to resist temptations
• Refusal to help relatives and others
• Theft
• Rudeness, contempt, greed

A man needs to take a more responsible approach to this issue, since he is the head of the family. It is from him that children will take an example to follow.

There is also a list of sins for the child, which can be compiled after he answers a series of specific questions. He must understand how important it is to speak sincerely and honestly, but this already depends on the approach of the parents and their preparation of their child for confession.

The Importance of Confession in the Life of a Believer

Many holy fathers call confession a second baptism. This helps to establish unity with God and cleanse oneself of filth. As the Gospel says, repentance is a necessary condition for the purification of the soul. Throughout the life path, a person should strive to overcome temptations and prevent vice. During this sacrament, a person receives liberation from the shackles of sin, and all his sins are forgiven by the Lord God. For many, repentance is a victory over oneself, because only a true believer can confess what people prefer to keep silent about.

If you have confessed before, then you should not talk about old sins again. They have already been released and there is no point in repenting of them anymore. When you finish confessing, the priest will give his speech, give advice and instructions, and also say a permissive prayer. After that, a person must cross himself twice, bow, venerate the crucifix and the Gospel, then cross himself again and receive a blessing.

How to confess for the first time - an example?

The first confession may seem mysterious and unpredictable. People are frightened by the expectation that they may be condemned by a priest, experience a sense of shame and embarrassment. It is worth remembering that the representatives of the church are people who live according to the laws of the Lord. They do not condemn, do not wish harm to anyone and love their neighbors, trying to help them with wise advice.

They will never express a personal point of view, so you should not be afraid that the words of the priest can somehow offend, offend or shame you. He never shows emotion, speaks in a low voice and very little. Before repentance, you can approach him and ask for advice on how to properly prepare for this sacrament.

There is a lot of literature in church shops that can also help and give a lot of important information. During repentance, you should not complain about others and about your life, you need to talk only about yourself, listing the vices that you succumbed to. If you fast, then this is the best moment for confession, because by limiting yourself, people become more restrained and improve, contributing to the purification of the soul.

Many parishioners end their fast with a confession, which is a logical conclusion to a long abstinence. This sacrament leaves in the human soul the most vivid emotions and impressions that are never forgotten. Relieving the soul from sins and receiving their forgiveness, a person gets a chance to start life anew, resist temptations and live in harmony with the Lord and his laws.

The desire to confess appears not only in people who bow before the law of God. Even the sinner is not lost to the Lord.

He is given the opportunity to change through the revision of his own views and the recognition of the sins committed, the correct repentance of them. Having cleansed himself of sins and embarked on the path of correction, a person will not be able to fall again.

The need to confess arises in someone who:

• committed the gravest sin;
• terminally ill;
• wants to change the sinful past;
• decided to get married;
• preparing for communion.

Babies up to the age of seven, and parishioners who were baptized that day, can receive Communion for the first time without confession.

Note! It is allowed to come to confession at the age of seven.

It often happens that a person of mature age needs to confess for the first time. In this case, you need to remember your sins committed from the age of seven.

No need to rush, remember everything, write down the list of sins on a piece of paper. The priest is a witness to the Sacrament, he should not be embarrassed and ashamed, as well as the all-forgiving God himself.

God, in the person of the holy fathers, forgives even grave sins. But in order to receive God's forgiveness, you need to seriously work on yourself.

To atone for sins, a penitent person performs the penance imposed on him by a priest. And only after its fulfillment, the repentant parishioner is forgiven with the help of the "permissive prayer" of the clergyman.

Important! When preparing yourself for confession, forgive those who offended you and ask for forgiveness from the one you offended.

You can go to confession, if only you are able to drive obscene thoughts away from yourself. No entertainment and frivolous literature, it is better to remember the Holy Scriptures.

Confession proceeds in the following order:

• wait your turn for confession;
• turn to those present with the words: “Forgive me, a sinner,” having heard in response that God will forgive, and we forgive, and only then approach the priest;
• in front of a high setup - an lectern, bow your head, cross yourself and bow, begin to confess correctly;
• after listing the sins, listen to the clergyman;
• then, crossing ourselves and bowing twice, we kiss the Cross and the holy book of the Gospel.

Think in advance how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest. An example, the definition of sins, can be taken from the Biblical Commandments. We begin each phrase with the words that she sinned and in what exactly.

We speak without details, we formulate only the sin itself, unless the priest himself asks about the details. If you need God's forgiveness, you must sincerely repent of your actions.

It is foolish to hide anything from the priest, he is the helper of the all-seeing God.

The goal of a spiritual healer is to help you repent of your sins. And if you have tears, the priest has achieved his goal.

What is considered a sin?

The well-known biblical commandments will help you determine which sins to name the priest during confession:

Important! The primary sins, on the basis of which others appear, include arrogance, pride and arrogance in communication.

An example of confession in the church: what sins to say?

Consider how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, an example of confession.

A confession written on paper can be used if the parishioner is very shy. Even the priests allow this, but you don’t need to give the sample to the priest, we list it in our own words.

In Orthodoxy, an example of confession is welcomed:

1. approaching the priest, do not think about earthly affairs, try to listen to your soul;
2. turning to the Lord, it must be said that I have sinned before You;
3. list the sins, saying: “I have sinned ... (by adultery or lying or something else)”;
4. sins are told without details, but not very briefly;
5. having finished the enumeration of sins, we repent and ask for salvation and alms from the Lord.

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Discussion: 3 comments

And if there are still few sins, but it’s not very clean on my conscience, and I promised my MCH that I would definitely go to church. His first requirement is to go to confession and repent of all grave things. Luckily, I don't have many. And now I have a real problem. What if you confess online? Who thinks about this topic? Well, as I understand it, you post your site and there the priest prays for you and forgives sin. Not?

Answer

1. Excuse me, in my opinion it is not necessary to go to the temple at the request of the MCH. What is it for? This is done for GOD, for the purification of the soul, and not because someone "demands". As far as I understand, you do not have this need. God cannot be deceived - neither through the Internet, nor in the temple.

   Answer

Reply to Christina. Christina, no, you can't confess over the Internet. I understand that you are afraid of the priest, but think about it, the priest is only a witness to your repentance (after your death he will intercede for you before God and say that you repented if it was, in turn, the demons will talk about what you did not repent of ) do not complicate the future either for the father or for yourself. You don't need to hide sins, you don't need to hide them otherwise in this way you will increase them in number for yourself. We must honestly tell the whole truth about our evil deeds, not justifying ourselves, but condemning ourselves for them. Repentance is the correction of thoughts and life. After confession, you kiss the cross and the Gospel as a promise to God to fight the sins that you have confessed. Look for God! Guardian Angel!

Answer

There are people who recognize themselves as Orthodox, who do not fall into grave mortal sins, who, however, take communion only three or four times a year and do not feel the need for more. I do not think that they should be forced or even persuaded to take communion more often. Although, as far as possible, I try to explain to all Christians the meaning and salvation of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood.

If an Orthodox person takes communion on all Sundays and holidays, this is natural for a Christian. If for some reason it does not work out, let it be as it turns out. Once a month, it seems to me, every person can get out to the temple for communion, but if this is not possible, what can you do. The Lord welcomes the intention. Only it is not necessary to consider communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ a feat! If so, then it is better not to take communion at all. The Body and Blood of Christ is not our feat, but the grace of God. But if someone wants to take communion several times in a row during the Bright Week, not in the order of achievement, but in simplicity, then what's wrong with that? If a person is not hindered by anything, I usually do not mind. But in order to constantly take communion every day, there must be serious reasons. In and of itself, this has never been a church norm. Here, St. Theophan the Recluse in the last years of his life took communion every day. Let everyone look at what really incites him to extraordinarily frequent communion: the grace of God or his own vain fantasies. It is also good to consult with a confessor.

Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky

Preparing for Holy Communion - fasting

It is necessary to prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion by fasting, that is, by prayer, fasting, a Christian humble mood and behavior, and confession.

Prayer at home and church

Those who wish to worthily partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must at least for a week prayerfully prepare themselves for this: pray more and more fervently at home in the morning and evening, and, if possible, attend church services every morning and evening during the week. If work or service interferes with regular attendance at all Divine Services, then one must go as far as circumstances permit, and, in any case, be sure to be at the evening Divine Service on the eve of the day of communion.

For worthy prayerful preparation for Holy Communion, there is a special "Rule for Holy Communion", which is placed in more complete prayer books. It consists of readings the day before from the evening of the canons: to the Sweetest Jesus, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel, the canon and prayers for Holy Communion and prayers for the coming sleep, and morning prayers in the morning.

Fast

Fasting is combined with prayer, that is, abstinence from fast food - meat, dairy products, butter, eggs, and in general moderation in food: you need to eat and drink less than usual.

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Mood and behavior

Those who are preparing for Holy Communion must be imbued with a deep awareness of their sinfulness, their insignificance before God and lewdness; must be reconciled with everyone and protect himself from feelings of anger and irritation, refrain from condemnation and all kinds of obscene thoughts and conversations, refuse to visit places of entertainment and houses that could give rise to falling into sin. He should meditate on the greatness of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, spending as much time as possible in solitude, reading the word of God and books of spiritual content.

Confession

Those who wish to take communion should, best of all, even the day before, before or after the evening service, confess - bring sincere repentance for their sins before the priest, sincerely opening their soul and not concealing a single sin they have committed. Before confession, it is necessary to reconcile with the offenders, as well as with the offended, humbly asking everyone for forgiveness. Forgiveness is usually carried out in the following form: "Forgive me, a sinner, that I have sinned against you," to which it is customary to answer: "God will forgive you, forgive me, a sinner, too." During confession, it is better not to wait for the priest's questions, but to express everything that burdens the soul yourself, without justifying yourself in anything and without shifting the blame onto others. To get rid of false modesty in confessing your sins, you can write them on a piece of paper and give it to the priest during confession.

It is more correct to confess the day before in the evening, so that the morning can be devoted to prayerful preparation for Holy Communion. As a last resort, one can go to confession in the morning, but to come to confession when the Divine Liturgy has already begun is an extreme disrespect for the great sacrament. Those who have not confessed are not allowed to receive Holy Communion, except in cases of mortal danger.

Having confessed, you must make a firm decision not to repeat your sins again. There is a good custom - after confession and before Holy Communion, do not eat or drink. It is definitely forbidden after midnight. Children should also be taught to abstain from food and drink before Holy Communion from a very early age.

Before and during Holy Communion

You must come to the church in advance, before the reading of the Hours. During the Divine Liturgy, before the opening of the royal doors and the removal of the Holy Gifts, shortly after the singing of “Our Father”, one should approach the steps of the altar and wait for the removal of the Holy Gifts at the exclamation: “Come with the fear of God and faith.” The brethren of the monastery are the first to receive communion (and also approach the cross, they are anointed), then the children, after the man and finally the woman. Approaching the Chalice, you need to make a bow to the earth in advance, from a distance, and on Sundays and Lord's holidays - bow from the waist, touching the floor with your hand, and fold your arms crosswise on your chest - right over left. In no case should you be baptized before the Holy Chalice, so as not to accidentally push the Holy Chalice, clearly pronounce your full Christian name, open your mouth wide and reverently, with full awareness of the holiness of the great Mystery, accept the Body and Blood of Christ and immediately swallow it.

After Holy Communion

Having received the Holy Mysteries, without being baptized, kiss the edge of the Chalice and immediately approach the table with warmth to drink and taste a particle of antidoron.

Until the end of the Divine service, do not leave the church, but be sure to listen to prayers of thanksgiving. On this day - the day of Holy Communion, do not eat too much, do not get drunk on alcoholic beverages, and generally behave reverently and decently, in order to "honestly keep Christ accepted in yourself."

All of the above is also obligatory for children, starting from the age of seven, when children come to confession for the first time.

Who is not allowed to receive communion and who is not allowed to receive communion

Holy Communion must not be taken:

those who have enmity against their neighbor,

unbaptized

who does not constantly wear a pectoral cross,

who had not been at the evening service the day before and who had not gone to confession,

eaten in the morning

late for the Divine Liturgy,

not fasting

who have not read the Rules for Holy Communion,

women who have an inappropriate state of health and appearance for the church, namely: during the month of cleansing, with an uncovered head, in trousers, with cosmetics on their faces and especially painted lips.

The basis for a ban on communion for a longer or shorter period can only be a serious sin (fornication, murder, theft, witchcraft, denial of Christ, obvious heresy, sins of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
Despair is a feeling that denies paternal goodness in God and leads to suicide.
Perseverance in unbelief, denial of any evidence of the existence of God, even obvious miracles.
Excessive hope in God, or stagnation in a sinful life in one hope for God's mercy.
sins crying out to heaven for vengeance for them:
Intentional homicide, especially patricide, fratricide, or regicide.
Sodomy sin, artificial sex change (transsexuals).
The oppression of a wretched person, a defenseless widow and young orphans.
Withholding from a poor worker honestly earned wages; deception and robbing a beggar, appropriation of the property of a prisoner or a sick person.
Grieving parents and inflicting grave insults or even beatings on them), or a moral state that is completely incompatible with communion (for example, refusal to reconcile with a repentant offender).

Excommunication from the Eucharist - in Orthodoxy, penance, consisting in excommunication from communion of the Holy Mysteries, was appointed for sins that were obvious and more important. There was such an indication of the rules of the holy fathers regarding the terms of excommunication:

heretics and schismatics - until they renounce their errors,
bloodsuckers - for 12 years,
adulterers - from 9 to 15 years,
killers - up to 25 years,
males - up to 15 years,
cattle breeders - up to 15 years or until the end of life,
perjurers - up to 10 years,
wizards - up to 25 years old,
grave diggers - for 10 years.

Penance is a special obedience that a confessing priest offers to perform to a penitent sinner for his spiritual benefit. As a penance, a ban on communion for a certain time, an increase in the daily prayer rule, and additional reading of the psalter, canons, akathists with a certain number of prostrations can be prescribed. Sometimes, as a penance, an increased fast, a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Church, almsgiving, and concrete help to one's neighbor are appointed.

Also non-Orthodox, who visits the parishes of non-canonical, schismatic church associations (Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic churches, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - the Kiev Patriarchate, etc.) and sects. Such people must repent for having consciously or unconsciously been in schism and thereby neglected the divine teaching about the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, violating the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils.

An example of a short confession to a confessor:

I confess, sinful (sinful), servant (s) of God (s) (name)

Lord God Almighty, in the Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit all my sins are free and involuntary by word, or deed, or thought.

Sinned:

Sins from the enslavement of pride:

arrogance, pride, ambition, hypocrisy and pretense, arrogance in manners, boasting in words, pomp in dress, immoderation of desires, unfriendliness, a spirit of vengeance, contempt for one's neighbor and any sin contrary to love, an excessively high opinion of oneself and neglect of others; arrogance, arrogance, arrogance. Resentment, pride, intransigence, truth-seeking, self-justification, grumbling, consumerism towards God, the Church and people, self-will, selfishness, lack of generosity.

Sins from enslavement by vanity:

they renounced their faith so as not to lose their authority in society; they approved of mortal sins in order to maintain respect for themselves on the part of the atheists; they approached church sacraments for show; they were ashamed to defend the truth (dogmas, canons, commandments, if someone rudely trampled them); they were ashamed to confess their sins; they enjoyed their imaginary spiritual state; ; attributed to their merits the blessings received from God; desired praise from people and sought authority
boasted, embellished speech, exaggerated for greater persuasiveness; acquired knowledge, experience, skill positively assessed their spiritual qualities (complacency);

Sins from enslavement by despondency:

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) defines the sinful passion of despondency as follows: “laziness in every good deed, especially in prayer... Neglect... Idleness. Excessive comfort with sleep, lying down and all kinds of languor. Moving from place to place... Negligence. Captivity. Deprivation of the fear of God. Bitterness. Insensibility. Despair"

Sins from enslavement by sadness:

St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) defines sadness and despondency in this way. Sadness is grief, longing, cutting off hope in God, ungratefulness to God, cowardice, impatience, non-self-reproach, grumbling, sorrow for one's neighbor, renunciation of the cross

Sins from enslavement to anger:

irritability, irascibility, passionate disputes, vindictiveness, hatred, thirst for revenge, unforgiveness of insults, love for word disputes, disputes. Lack of love for one’s neighbor, impatience, resentment, irritability, anger, causing harm to one’s neighbor, obstinacy, enmity, evil for evil retribution, unforgiveness of insults, rancor, jealousy, envy, malevolence, vindictiveness, slander, condemnation, covetousness, lack of compassion for the unfortunate

Sins from enslavement by love of money:

greed, avarice, extravagance, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, covetousness, filthy profitability, predilection for objects

Sins from enslavement to fornication:

St. Ignatius Bryanchaninov lists the sins generated by the passion of fornication: “Prodigal inflaming, fornicatory sensations and desires of the body, fornication and desire of the soul and heart (clumping), acceptance of impure thoughts, conversation with them, delighting them, allowing them, slowing down in them. Prodigal dreams and captivity. Defilement by torture. Failure to keep the senses, especially the sense of touch, which is an insolence that destroys all virtues. Cursing and reading voluptuous books. Fornication sins are natural: fornication and adultery. Fornication sins unnatural: malakia, sodomy, bestiality and the like "

Sins from enslavement by gluttony:

Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) lists the passions related to gluttony:
Overeating, drunkenness, non-keeping and permission of fasts, secret eating, delicacy, in general, violation of abstinence. Wrong and excessive love of the flesh, its belly and rest, from which self-love is made, from which non-keeping of fidelity to God, the Church, virtue and people.

Sins against the Lord:

Lack of faith, unbelief, doubt, wavering in faith, planted against God and the Holy Church by the enemy, self-conceit, superstition, divination, arrogance, negligence, despair in one’s salvation, forgetfulness of God’s justice and lack of sufficient devotion to the will of God, disobedience to the actions of God’s Providence , carelessness in the knowledge of God, His will, faith in Him, reverence for Him, fear of Him, hope in Him, and zeal for His glory. Ingratitude to the Lord God for all his great blessings, poured out in abundance on me and on the whole human race, and forgetfulness of them, murmuring against God, lack of love for Him, no fear and failure to fulfill His holy will.

Sins against the Church:

God-worship, non-fulfillment of vows, forcing others to worship and swearing, ignorance of the shrine, blasphemy against God, the saints, every shrine, blasphemy, sacrilege (theft of church things), invoking the name of God in vain, in bad deeds, desires. Ignorance of the feasts of God, non-going to the temple of God out of laziness and negligence, irreverent standing in the temple of God, talking and laughing, inattention to reading and singing, distraction of the mind, wandering thoughts, walking around the temple during Divine services, premature exits from the temple, in uncleanness came to the temple and touched its shrines. Negligence in prayer, abandonment of morning and evening prayers, neglect of attention during prayer, abandonment of reading the Holy Gospel, the Psalter and other Divine books. Concealment of sins at confession, self-justification in them, repentance without contrition of heart, and carelessness about proper preparation for Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, without reconciling with his neighbors, he came (a) to confession and in such a sinful state dared (-a_ to proceed to Communion. Violation fasts and fast days: Wednesdays and Fridays, intemperance in food and drink, careless and irreverent image of the sign of the cross.

Despondency, sadness, sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, lust, impurity and all my feelings, thoughts, words, desires, deeds (here it is necessary to name the sins that were not listed and burden the soul), and in my other sins, which I don't remember.

Having named the sins, you need to carefully listen to the answer of the priest, who at the end will read the permissive prayer.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. You have to wait in line for confession.
2. 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."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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

How to confess in church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What sins to speak in confession

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

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

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

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

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

Sample text of confession

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

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

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

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

Fortune telling today with the help of the Tarot "Card of the Day" layout!

For correct divination: focus on the subconscious and do not think about anything for at least 1-2 minutes.

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